After Rebirth, She Becomes the Revenge Queen-Chapter 616 - 380: Causes and Consequences

Luo Zhao’s expression was dark. Then he gritted his teeth and nodded, "If this information is true, then I have no other path to take."

"General Luo indeed knows the times." Lian Yang’s lips curled up with smugness.

Luo Zhao said, "I can help Mr. Lian achieve his goal, but there is one thing I don’t understand. Once you return to Dayue from my place, how do you plan to accomplish this? I’m very curious, why doesn’t Mr. Lian hide in the dark to give orders, waiting for the Wu Army to sweep across Dayue, then directly seize the throne? Wouldn’t that be safer for you?"

Lian Yang said, "Do you know why Wu Chengping and the others are able to mobilize a force of a hundred thousand troops?"

Luo Zhao raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

Lian Yang smirked slightly, speaking leisurely, "They can mobilize those hundred thousand troops because they possess half of the Tiger Talisman that old King Dongzi left to Empress Dowager Wu."

"Half of the Tiger Talisman?"

"Exactly. The Tiger Talisman is divided into two halves, and only when the two halves are combined can the army have legitimate grounds, thereby being recognized as the army of a king. The Wu Army has one half of the Tiger Talisman, allowing them to mobilize a hundred thousand troops, but that’s all they can do. Only with the other half of the Tiger Talisman can they invade Dongzi in the name of a royal force and overthrow Jin Xu."

Luo Zhao pondered, "So, the two halves of the Tiger Talisman together have the same power as the Imperial Jade Seal?"

"General Luo is perceptive." Lian Yang nodded, "In those years, the old King Dongzi trusted Empress Dowager Wu and her descendants, so he gave half of the Tiger Talisman to her. Later, Empress Dowager Wu passed it to her family, which is why Jin Xu has never been able to deal with the Wu family since ascending the throne.

"Of course, the Wu family couldn’t overthrow Jin Xu for so many years because they only have half of the Tiger Talisman."

Luo Zhao frowned, "No wonder Jin Xu is so uneasy about the Wu family faction. If this Tiger Talisman fell into someone else’s hands, even just half of it, it would surely be a significant threat to Dongzi."

"Who’s to say it isn’t?" Lian Yang took a sip of tea and continued, "Anyone with some power who possesses this Tiger Talisman can use it to raise an army locally. How could Jin Xu be at ease?"

Luo Zhao was curious, "Then, where is the other half of the Tiger Talisman?"

Upon hearing this, Lian Yang exchanged a glance with Lian Yi, and they both laughed.

Luo Zhao was slightly startled and blurted out, "Could it be that the half is in Mr. Lian’s hands?"

"You’ve guessed right," Lian Yi said. "A few years ago, Jin Xu and his sister, Princess Yilan, were not favored in the Dongzi Palace. I wonder if Mr. Luo, who has been in the northwest for years, ever heard about this?"

Luo Zhao, holding the teacup, said slowly, "These past events, I have indeed heard of."

Lian Yi continued, "Then you must have also heard that after Princess Yilan’s death, Jin Xu went to great lengths in Dayue trying to find something?"

Luo Zhao glanced at Lian Yang, "It is said that Jin Xu believed Princess Yilan’s death was not simple."

"Princess Yilan was killed by King Yi."

Luo Zhao was taken aback, "Was it really him who killed her?"

"Since the death of their birth mother, Princess Yi and Jin Xu had been out of favor and neglected. Aren’t you curious why she was favored by the Dayue Imperial Family?"

Luo Zhao looked at Lian Yang again, "I heard it wasn’t just that. Both King Yi and the former King of Dayue were relentlessly pursuing Princess Yilan. At the time, it was said that Princess Yilan was the legitimate eldest princess of Dongzi, and both cousins wanted to marry her to gain the support of the old King Dongzi."

The King of Dayue he mentioned was Lian Yang’s biological father, Duan Ruo, a well-known secret by now.

Yet Lian Yang, upon hearing this part, remained calm, seemingly unaffected by these tales of the previous generation’s exploits. Truly fitting for someone destined for great deeds!

Lian Yi replied smoothly, "But in fact, there was another reason King Yi was dead set on marrying Princess Yilan."

Luo Zhao lowered his head in silence, then said, "Could it be that the half of the Tiger Talisman was in her possession?!"

"Exactly!" Lian Yi raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Luo indeed deserves his reputation as someone who can guard a stronghold!"

Luo Zhao slightly straightened his body, then looked at Lian Yang again, "I wonder how this half of the Tiger Talisman ended up with the unfavored Princess Yilan?"

"When Princess Yilan’s mother was alive, although her relationship with the old King Dongzi was not particularly good, he was sometimes unfathomable. While he neglected this Empress, in the three years after their marriage, he had two children with her. It was said that later people discovered that the Empress’s palace contained a large number of rare treasures, all collected by the old King Dongzi from various places.

"Although it’s unclear why the old King Dongzi gave half of the Tiger Talisman to the Empress, he indeed gave it to her shortly after they married, and after the Empress died, the Tiger Talisman was passed on to Yilan."