Chapter 989: The Break
Chapter 989: The Break
September 25, 2027
Yuzhou, Guangyang Prefecture.
These past few days, Ye Junru's mood had been far from pleasant, or rather, it was utterly terrible.
Ever since the rebellion incident in Bingzhou South, Ye Junru had sensed a growing distance between herself and Zhang Yan.
Initially, Ye Junru thought it was merely a temporary issue due to a lack of communication between them, and her bias towards Lu Haikong in that matter. Thus, she had made every effort to communicate with Zhang Yan and bridge the gap.
However, after several months, Ye Junru's efforts yielded almost no results.
Not only did the rift between her and Zhang Yan fail to diminish, but it seemed to deepen day by day.
This wasn't even the main issue. The most crucial point was that, over the past few months, someone who had been neglecting their duties began to slowly emerge from behind the scenes. Their subordinates had mysteriously increased, gradually taking away the authority Ye Junru held.
This was a devastating blow to Ye Junru. Her despair wasn't about losing power but the inevitable erosion of trust between her and Zhang Yan.
Despite her despair, Ye Junru didn't resist. She allowed Zhang Yan to take away her authority and even assisted her in this process.
In Ye Junru's view, since trust was already broken, it was better to part ways sooner rather than later. She had made up her mind that once she returned all her authority to Zhang Yan, she would leave.
However, what Ye Junru didn't expect was that before she could fully transfer her power, Zhang Yan would make such a bold move.
Without Ye Junru's knowledge, Zhang Yan directly formed an alliance with Yuan Hong. Within a few days, they swiftly took action, implementing an economic blockade on Bingzhou alongside Yuan Hong and Dong Zhuo.
It wasn't until this situation had fully developed that Ye Junru realized what had happened. Upon understanding the situation, she was completely stunned.
She couldn't comprehend Zhang Yan's actions. After much hesitation, Ye Junru finally confronted Zhang Yan.
In a Daoist temple in Guangyang Prefecture, Ye Junru once again saw the slender figure in Daoist robes.
"Is there something you need?" Zhang Yan asked without turning around, her tone indifferent.
Looking at this figure and hearing her calm voice, Ye Junru felt a surge of complex emotions. She couldn't understand how they had reached this point.
Fortunately, Ye Junru was a rational person and didn't let her emotions control her. After collecting herself, she got straight to the point, "Do you know what you're doing?"
"What am I doing?" Zhang Yan replied without turning back, "I merely banned a few aristocratic families from trading with Bingzhou and set up checkpoints in Daiding Prefecture. These are just measures to restrict Lu Haikong's expansion."
"Just measures?" Ye Junru's face turned pale, and her forehead twitched with anger, "Regardless of our past differences, we were allies with Lu Haikong on the surface. Your actions are a blatant betrayal! Do you realize that this move will infuriate Lu Haikong, and if he reacts, we will be the first ones he'll target?"
"After working with Lu Haikong for so many years, don't you know their strength? If Lu Haikong's rage leads him to march eastward, what will you use to stop his iron cavalry? Your Daoist arts? Don't be ridiculous. Even Zhang Jiao couldn't defeat Lu Haikong, so how can you possibly stand against him?"
Although Ye Junru had always been rational, she couldn't hold back any longer. The incident with Lu Haikong was the final straw, and she unleashed all the grievances and anger that had been building up within her over the past few months.
After her outburst, Ye Junru herself was momentarily stunned, as if she hadn't expected to explode to such an extent.
However, while Ye Junru was in shock, Zhang Yan wasn't. After Ye Junru's outburst, Zhang Yan's eyes flashed with determination, and she stood up from the cushion. She turned to face Ye Junru.
As Zhang Yan turned, Ye Junru trembled slightly. This was the first time in a while that Ye Junru had seen Zhang Yan's face, and what shocked her the most were Zhang Yan's eyes, filled with coldness and mockery, "Why do you seem so concerned about my actions against Lu Haikong? It seems the rumors are true; you do have a relationship with him!"
Upon hearing these words, Ye Junru's anger froze on her face.
It wasn't the embarrassment of being caught red-handed, but disbelief and incredulity. She couldn't believe that Zhang Yan would say such a thing: "Do you know what you're saying?"
"Don't tell me you have no connection with Lu HaiKong. You were the first to approach him, and over the years, you've had the most frequent contact with him. As soon as I made a move, you rushed to stop me, claiming you have no ties with him. Who would believe that?"
But I just can't understand this. Lu HaiKong has a Han Princess by his side, and he holds the Crimson Heaven Sword. Even a fool would know that the person holding it must be the Empress Dowager. You're a second-in-command of a power, yet you willingly settle for being the third party?"
At this moment, Zhang Yan's face was expressionless, her words were matter-of-fact, and there was little fluctuation in her tone. However, such a flat tone was indeed the most hurtful at this time.
"How can you say such a thing?" Ye Junru exclaimed in sorrow and anger.
Zhang Yan glanced at the heartbroken Ye Junru and said expressionlessly, "Not long ago, I received an ultimatum from Bingzhou, specifically addressed to me, Zhang Yan. You've always been our representative, but this time, Lu HaiKong didn't come to you; he came directly to me. He clearly believes that I'm responsible for all this. With such confidence and directness, do you expect me to believe there's nothing between you two? How can I trust you anymore?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Junru fell silent. It was only now that she realized that the other party was not holding onto this because they were certain she was colluding with Lu HaiKong, or perhaps this was never the main point. The real focus was something else, which the other party had made very clear.
"Fine, you just want to take away all the power in my hands, right? I'll cooperate. Within three days, I can transfer all the power in my hands to..."
"There's no need for you to transfer it. Just step down, and my people will take over," Ye Junru was interrupted by Zhang Yan before she could finish her sentence.
Things had come to this point, and Ye Junru, having been hurt so much, became indifferent.
"Alright, I'll leave. Can I leave now? Give me half a day to pack up. I'll take my sister, and we'll leave immediately!"
At this moment, Ye Junru's heart was as dead as ashes. The person who had been like a sister to her had turned against her so suddenly. Years of effort had been reduced to nothing in just a few months. She didn't know what else to say and only wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
After saying this, Ye Junru turned to leave. However, as she was about to exit the Daoist temple, she realized that the other party had taken measures far more drastic than she had anticipated.
As Ye Junru was about to leave, a white light barrier rose from the temple's gate, blocking her path.
"What are you doing? Are you trying to detain me?" Ye Junru turned around, her expression changing from that of a dead heart to one of complete fury.
"I'm sorry, but you know too many of our secrets. You cannot leave here. It's best if you stay here forever!" Zhang Yan shook her head, her expressionless face conveying her words.
"Are you sure we have to take it this far?" Ye Junru's face paled slightly.
"I'm sorry!" As she spoke, Zhang Yan waved her hand at Ye Junru, and several talismans appeared out of thin air, binding Ye Junru.
However, just as the talismans securely bound Ye Junru, she remained expressionless, while Zhang Yan's face showed a slight change.
At this moment, Ye Junru spoke coldly, "You don't think I'm foolish enough to come unprepared, do you?"
"A substitute prop! I never thought you'd have something like this," Zhang Yan's eyes narrowed.
"I also never thought you'd directly try to kill me. It seems these years have changed you more than I imagined. Well, since things have come to this, our relationship can only be severed. But rest assured, I won't stand in your way. I'll leave immediately, and I won't go to Beifeng either. But before I go, I hope you'll listen to my advice. If you don't want your efforts to be ruined in an instant, it's best to stop your foolish actions." Ye Junru spoke without any emotion.
After saying this, Ye Junru didn't waste any more words. The person who was bound suddenly emitted a puff of blue smoke and then disappeared.
Watching Ye Junru leave, Zhang Yan's eyes turned cold. "I'm foolish? It's Lu HaiKong who's foolish! A mere individual dares to crush the entire Northern Zhongguo. I want to see how Lu HaiKong handles this situation."
Finishing her words, Zhang Yan turned to the door and shouted, "Come! Pass on my order immediately. Ye Junru has betrayed our Daoist sect. Seal off all checkpoints leading to Bingzhou. On sight, Ye Junru is to be executed on the spot!"
"Yes!" A resolute and powerful response came from outside the door.
(End of Chapter)
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