Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 486 Victorious Return, Su Yue's Fate

On the frontier battlefield, the flames of war gradually subsided, and the smoke slowly dissipated. After countless baptisms of blood and fire, Xiao Ling's army finally achieved a decisive victory.

Standing on the battlefield, Xiao Ling gazed at the devastation, his heart filled with mixed emotions. His body was covered in wounds, but his eyes shone with the joy of victory and unwavering conviction.

"Brothers, we've won!" Xiao Ling shouted, his voice tinged with exhaustion yet brimming with pride.

The soldiers cheered and jumped for joy, embracing each other and weeping, overjoyed at this hard-won victory.

"Finally, I can go home!"

"We won!"

Xiao Ling reorganized his army and embarked on his return journey, basking in the glory of victory. Along the way, the people lined the streets to welcome him, their cheers resounding through the heavens.

"General Xiao is mighty!"

"Thank you, General, for protecting our homeland!"

When Xiao Ling's army arrived in the capital, the emperor personally led his officials out of the city to greet them.

The emperor looked at Xiao Ling with eyes full of admiration and satisfaction.

"Xiao Ling, you truly deserve to be called a loyal minister and general of our dynasty. Your contributions to this great victory are indispensable!" the emperor exclaimed.

Xiao Ling dismounted and knelt down, "Your Majesty, this is my duty, and I have not failed in my mission!"

The emperor personally helped Xiao Ling up, and then held a grand victory banquet. At the banquet, the emperor greatly rewarded Xiao Ling, bestowing upon him countless treasures and honors.

"Xiao Ling, I hereby bestow upon you ten thousand taels of gold, a thousand acres of fertile land, and appoint you as the Grand General Protector of the Nation, a hereditary title!" the emperor announced with great fervor.

Xiao Ling knelt down again to express his gratitude, "Your Majesty's great kindness is something I would gladly die for!"

However, Xiao Ling's victorious return aroused jealousy and conspiracy among some people.

Some powerful figures in the imperial court were gossiping about it privately.

"Xiao Ling is too popular and may threaten our position."

"We need to find a way to suppress him."

They began to slander Xiao Ling before the emperor, attempting to smear him.

"Your Majesty, Xiao Ling's great victory this time may lead him to become arrogant and complacent, and he may hold onto his troops for personal gain."

The emperor, upon hearing these slanderous words, also began to have some doubts.

But Xiao Ling was completely unaware of this. He was immersed in the joy of victory and at the same time thinking about how to strengthen the country's border defenses to prevent foreign enemies from invading again.

Just then, the emperor suddenly ordered Xiao Ling to relinquish his military power.

"Xiao Ling, you have been fighting for a long time, it's time for you to rest. Hand over military power to someone else for now."

Xiao Ling was shocked. "Your Majesty, why is this?"

As the Marquis's mansion prospered and Xiao Ling returned in triumph, Su Yue, who had committed numerous evils, finally met her deserved end.

Su Yue had repeatedly colluded with foreign enemies in an attempt to overthrow the Marquis's mansion, and her crimes were gradually being exposed. Once the news spread, the entire capital was shaken.

"How could she do something so heinous!"

"This is truly an unforgivable crime!"

People expressed their indignation and condemnation of her evil deeds.

The imperial court immediately launched an investigation and trial of Su Yue. Those who had previously colluded with her, in order to protect themselves, distanced themselves from her and even came forward to testify against her crimes.

"It was all Su Yue's doing. I was forced into it!"

“I knew she had ulterior motives all along, but I dared not disobey her.”

Faced with irrefutable evidence and accusations from others, Su Yue could no longer deny it.

The imperial court ordered the stripping of all her titles, property, and status. The once arrogant and domineering Su Yue was now left with nothing.

She was driven from the mansion and left to wander the streets. Her former wealth and glory were like fleeting clouds, gone forever.

Those who once fawned over her now avoid her like the plague, and even despise and bully her.

"Hmph, this is your fate!"

"You have today too!"

Su Yue was dressed in rags, her hair disheveled, and she wandered the streets, constantly tormented by hunger and cold.

She tried to beg, but people still remembered her misdeeds and no one was willing to give her a single bite of food.

"You bad guy, don't expect to get anything from me!"

"Leave far away!"

On a cold night, Su Yue fell ill. She lay in a dilapidated temple, ignored by everyone, her high fever making her delirious.

"Help me..." Her weak voice echoed in the empty, dilapidated temple, but received no response.

In the end, Su Yue died tragically, suffering from poverty and illness. Her body was carelessly abandoned in a mass grave, becoming food for wild dogs.

Su Yue, who was once incredibly successful, paid a heavy price for her evil deeds and became a lesson in people's eyes.

However, her death did not end everything.

After Su Yue's death, some people who had been associated with her began to feel uneasy, worried that they would be implicated.

"Even though Su Yue is dead, what if we get caught too?"

"No, we have to find a way to cover up our past."

A new conspiracy is brewing in the shadows.