Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

Chapter 479 Eliminating the Traitors

The once orderly royal palace has now become a battlefield, filled with fighting and bloodshed.

Lu Zhan's choice completely panicked Wu Xin. Even if the thousands of men from the Dali Temple came to his aid in time, they would not be able to defeat Lu Zhan's tens of thousands of troops.

The best course of action now is to kill him and the king before Lu Zhan's army arrives.

"Whoever kills Lu Zhan and captures the king alive will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver; whoever kills Lu Zhan will be rewarded with one hundred thousand taels of silver!" Wu Xin personally took action and arrived at Lu Zhan's side.

Judging from the amount of the reward, Lu Zhan's life was worth more than that of the king.

Wu Xin clearly sees the current situation: it is a battle between him and Lu Zhan, and the king is just an observer. No matter which side wins, his power will be undermined.

"Protect Father!" Xia Linglong surrounded the king with hundreds of guards and charged into the enemy's heartland alone.

They remained the main force until Lu Zhan's army arrived, and they had to hold on.

"You think you can fight me?" Lu Zhan scoffed at Wu Xin's attack.

As it turned out, he had every right to be arrogant. After just a few moves, Wu Xin was defeated and lay sprawled on the ground in a sorry state.

At this moment, thousands of soldiers rushed in from outside the city gate; they were Lu Zhan's trusted confidants in the city.

"Damn it, I'm not reconciled!" Wu Xin pounded the ground with his fist, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

He had painstakingly planned for this day for years, only to have his plans ruined by Lin Ping. Even as a ghost, he would be a vengeful one.

"Even if I die, I'll drag you down to hell with me," Wu Xin said with a ferocious expression, pouncing on Lin Ping like a hungry tiger.

After defeating Zhang Hongyuan, Lin Ping was exhausted and no match for Wu Xin.

"Oh no, I can't move." Lin Ping panicked as Wu Xin's sharp sword came hurtling towards him.

What's even more infuriating is that no one was willing to protect him.

puff!

The sword blade mercilessly pierced Lin Ping's body, nearly injuring a vital organ.

"You're really lucky. If one sword doesn't kill you, then let's try another." The long sword was pulled out of Lin Ping's body, blood splattering everywhere, and he staggered, almost falling over.

"Hahaha, Wu Xin, you've already lost, lost miserably. Even if you kill me, it won't change that fact." Lin Ping sneered, his eyes becoming even sharper.

“I have indeed lost, but you are no better off. The king will still be a puppet, and you will now be buried with me,” Wu Xin said with a bitter laugh.

That's true. Defeating Wu Xin only resulted in gaining Lu Zhan, so the final outcome was the same.

Lin Ping straightened up, his sharp eyes fixed on Wu Xin, a slight smile playing on his lips, clearly displaying... an enigmatic confidence.

"You brat, don't bluff. Today, no one can save you." Facing Lin Ping's sharp gaze, Wu Xin was clearly somewhat insecure.

He knew Lin Ping's personality all too well; he always kept something in reserve in everything he did.

"Whether it's a bluff or not, we'll soon find out." Lin Ping straightened his back, took a deep breath, and said sternly:

"Princess, save me! If I die, you may be a widow."

This overwhelming momentum and powerful words completely shattered everyone's worldview.

That's incredibly shameless.

He was a martial arts graduate, and a man of great wisdom and foresight, yet in the end he still had to rely on a woman.

“I really didn’t want to save you; it was my father who admired your talent.”

Xia Linglong stood in front of Lin Ping, turned her head away, and said that she didn't want to pay any attention to him.

Even if Lin Ping hadn't called for help, Xia Linglong would have come to his aid, but he shouldn't have said such vulgar things.

Is it really a good idea to threaten to make the princess a widow?

Marrying Lin Ping was essentially a way to help the poor. If he died, Xia Linglong would not only not be a widow, but would have many more and better options.

"We're here to help you, you traitor! Surrender now!" Dozens of martial arts graduates stood in front of Lin Ping.

They are ambitious young people eager to make achievements and will never allow chaos to occur in the Wu Kingdom.

Although he initially despised Lin Ping's actions, he later recognized his abilities and realized that everything he did was to help the king eliminate treacherous officials.

The dozens of martial arts graduates were incredibly strong; each of them, with just a sword, was enough to give Wu Xin a run for his money.

As expected, Wu Xin was captured after three moves, leaving only resentment and bitterness.

At this moment, Lu Zhan's thousands of troops had taken control of the area. The guards that He Wei and others had placed in the palace were defeated, some killed and others captured.

After this battle, the solemn and sacred royal palace was transformed into a battlefield, and blood flowed into streams.

After the battle, Xia Linglong led several hundred men to clean up the battlefield, while Lu Zhan's several thousand men remained and refused to leave.

"You are here to obey my command! Guard the palace day and night and protect His Majesty's safety!" Lu Zhan shouted.

Clearly, he wanted to control the palace and the king, not only to become the most powerful minister but also to be above the king.

"General, you have worked hard, and your soldiers have also worked hard. Why don't you go back and rest early? I will reward you handsomely." The king's face was pale, but he still managed to force a smile.

"Protecting His Majesty is our honor, not a hardship at all!" Lu Zhan knelt on one knee and said with great conviction, his aura already surpassing that of the monarch.

Anyone who isn't a fool would know Lu Zhan's purpose in doing this.

However, fearing his military power, they dared not speak out against him.

The king composed himself, regained his majestic demeanor, and announced: "Wu Xin, He Wei, and Xiang Lian are plotting a rebellion. They have been imprisoned and will be executed soon. The Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of War shall conduct a thorough investigation, and all those implicated shall be executed!"

To eliminate any future troubles, the ruler will not give them a chance to rise again.

"Put all three of them, along with Long Sha, in one cell," Lin Ping whispered to Shi Qing.

Shi Qing glanced at Lin Ping with a surprised look, but finally nodded, thinking to himself, "Lu Zhan controls the court, how should we deal with this?"

After Wu Xin and the others were taken away, the situation in the palace stabilized, but most of the guards were replaced by Lu Zhan's men.

"The Grand General has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, and is hereby appointed as the Lord of Chuzhou City, governing the land of Huizhou," the King announced loudly.

The imperial decree appointing Lu Zhan as city lord was both a promise from the king and an attempt to win him over.

Furthermore, Huizhou was located on the border of the Wu Kingdom, far from Yingtian Prefecture, so the nominal reward was actually an exile.

Once Lu Zhan goes to Huizhou to receive his own fiefdom, he can only become one of the seven city lords, and it is impossible for him to wield immense power.

"Your subject thanks you." Lu Zhan smiled coldly, showing no respect whatsoever.

Why would he leave Yingtian Prefecture for a mere fiefdom, let alone withdraw these guards? At most, he would send Lu Jie to take over the fiefdom, thereby expanding his power once again.

The king shook his head in despair, knowing that Lu Zhan was not easy to deal with.

Using Lu Zhan to eliminate Wu Xin would be tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.

"Minister Lin has done a good job in solving the case, and is hereby rewarded with one hundred taels of silver." The king rolled his eyes at Lin Ping, clearly displeased with his actions.

Upon hearing this reward, Lin Ping was utterly dumbfounded.

That number is a bit too... exaggerated.

No matter how much or how little, it was ultimately a reward from the king, and he could only accept the decree and express his gratitude.

"When will my family members be released from prison?" Lin Ping asked softly.

Now that Lin Ping has become the top martial arts champion and is qualified to marry the princess, the previous charges against him are no longer valid, and his family members who took the blame for him should be released.

"Shi Qing has already begun to take care of it. I am tired, you may all leave," the king said weakly.

Those who had once fawned over He Wei felt as if they had been granted a pardon. After bowing, they hurriedly left, but did not forget to give Lu Zhan a smile.

Despite his poor professional skills, he was adept at currying favor in official circles.

The reason the ruler didn't make things difficult for them was that he didn't want to cause turmoil in the court, and he also wanted to win over some people's hearts, since he couldn't just become a commander without any troops.

After settling these soldiers in, Lu Zhan had no need to stay. Accepting the fiefdom of Huizhou as soon as possible and expanding his strength was the top priority.

"Lin Ping, stay."

Just as Lin Ping was about to slip away while things were in disarray, the king specifically asked him to stay.

Judging from Gang's expression, this is not a good thing.

"Your Majesty, I am anxious to reunite with my family," Lin Ping chuckled, making no attempt to hide anything.

The reason he risked his life to win the title of martial arts champion was not to make a name for himself, but purely to rescue Zhou Xiyin and the others.

"I will reward the Lin family with some silver and help the Zhou family's business run smoothly. You should divorce your wife as soon as possible," the king said sternly.

Since the princess is to marry Lin Ping, he cannot be allowed to have a legal wife.

Giving him the opportunity to divorce his wife and bestowing gifts upon the Lin family was already the greatest act of forgiveness.

Before certain matters were resolved, Lin Ping had no leverage to negotiate with the monarch.

Since divorcing his wife required his consent and no one else's approval was valid without his written consent, Lin Ping could easily delay the process, so he chuckled.

"Is this the gift you gave me?" the king asked, pointing to the soldiers outside the door with a stern face.

He really couldn't see through Lin Ping.

It is indeed a great skill to be able to expose He Wei and his associates so flawlessly and to quell the rebellion with the help of Lu Zhan.

But why didn't he realize that Lu Zhan also harbored rebellious intentions?

"I hope Your Majesty likes it," Lin Ping said with a grin.

"Like my ass!" the king cursed.

Previously, Lu Zhan did not dare to act recklessly because of He Wei's opposition. Now that he has brought his soldiers to his doorstep, how can the king be pleased?

"If Your Majesty hadn't arrested my family, I wouldn't have been in such a hurry to show off, and this situation wouldn't have occurred," Lin Ping replied innocently, his hands clasped behind his back.

The fact that the ruler could swear at him proves that he considers him a confidant and won't make things too difficult for him.

"If you cannot resolve this matter within three days, I will dismiss you from your post, and you will never have the chance to enter the court again," the king said fiercely.

"I'm so scared," Lin Ping thought disdainfully.

He never aspired to serve in the government, so whether he was dismissed or not was irrelevant; in fact, he was more than happy to accept it.

These words, of course, could not be spoken aloud; one had to give the ruler ample face.

"Your humble servant has done his best," Lin Ping said respectfully.

"Do your best?" The king sighed. "Forget it, this is not something you can solve by yourself. We need to plan this further."

"Do we need to think this through? Lu Zhan is going to die tonight!" Lin Ping smiled mysteriously. How could he not have a backup plan?