Lu Heng’s words left everyone present heavy-hearted.

No one wished to live in chaotic times, and even fewer were willing to face destruction and death.

The Lu family, with such deep foundations as a great household, would also face the day of family ruin and death. Lu Heng, with such high status—both a marquis and the head of a great clan—now had to live such a precarious existence. How much more so would these common people suffer?

The people’s faces grew grave.

Qin Yining couldn’t help but admire Lu Heng’s ability to stir emotions and make people empathize with him. His words grasped the psychology of ordinary people, placing his own actions on the side of justice while making others sympathize with his plight. This made whatever he did next all the more legitimate and justified.

Lu Heng surveyed the people present, spreading his arms wide and declaring loudly: “Is such an emperor truly the Son of Heaven? During the Northern Ji Kingdom, when incompetent rulers held sway, everyone couldn’t eat their fill or dress warmly, living from day to day. In those years, every household had one or two who died of starvation or illness. We thought everything would improve under the Great Zhou Dynasty, but the current emperor is cut from the same mold as that incompetent ruler of Northern Ji! He disregards the people’s lives and deaths, using all the silver to build his imperial mausoleum!”

Lu Heng angrily pointed toward the direction where the imperial mausoleum construction was underway, each word seeming to contain blood and tears as he said mournfully: “How much of our common people’s blood and sweat is mixed in there? How many people have lost their lives building the imperial mausoleum?

“The Emperor uses us like pack animals! He exploits us completely, then wants to eat our flesh and drink our blood! You folks in Huichuan have it better, but you don’t know how many people have starved to death throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty! Not to mention distant places—just those refugees who came to the capital seeking the Emperor’s protection were blocked outside the city gates by troops he sent. He’d rather let them starve to death outside the gates than allow them into the capital! Meanwhile, inside the capital, the singing and dancing continue as before, and the Emperor still leads those corrupt officials in their revelries!

“This is our Great Zhou, this is the emperor we placed our hopes in! Tell me, does such an incompetent ruler deserve our trust? Does he deserve to occupy that position!”

Lu Heng’s roar shook the heavens. The people’s emotions were stirred, yet very few dared to echo his words.

But there are always some simple-minded, hot-blooded young people in any crowd. As long as someone takes the lead and emotions are stirred up, they momentarily forget about consequences.

Whether Lu Heng had arranged it beforehand or not, someone in the crowd was the first to shout “Unworthy! The incompetent ruler is unworthy!” This was immediately followed by scattered echoes, which eventually became a passionate outcry from the crowd!

Even when Qin Yining and Pang Xiao were still in this place, there had already been signs of insufficient food. For this reason, Qin Yining had ordered Steward Zhong to find ways to allocate grain and guided some people to cultivate terraced fields.

Now the long-suppressed resentment finally erupted under Lu Heng’s deliberate guidance. Once popular resentment reaches a boiling point, it becomes very difficult to suppress!

Everyone in the open space was cursing angrily, their furious roars making people’s hearts tremble.

Lu Heng stood on high ground, also raising his fist in angry condemnation. Then he pointed toward the imperial mausoleum and shouted: “The incompetent ruler doesn’t care about our lives and deaths, all for the sake of his imperial mausoleum! Since I dare to stand forward today, I dare to take the lead! I’m going to destroy that imperial mausoleum for him! This matter has nothing to do with everyone present. Even if someday the incompetent ruler truly seeks retribution, I alone will bear the responsibility! Today, everyone be my witness!”

As Lu Heng spoke, he climbed down from the platform. Immediately, strong men flanked him protectively, parting through the crowd like Moses through the sea, heading toward the imperial mausoleum.

The people automatically opened a path, then curiously followed behind in a winding procession.

Qin Yining’s group was also swept along and followed the flow.

Liao Zhibing lowered his voice and said in Qin Yining’s ear: “What we planned to do isn’t finished, and we’ve been preempted like this?”

Qin Yining pressed her lips together: “There’s no other way now. Since he dared to stand out like this, he must have made complete preparations. My plan probably won’t have a chance to be implemented.”

Jingzhe said quietly: “This is also good, it saves some trouble.”

Qin Yining smiled slightly, but her eyes were full of worry. “Though it saves trouble, he’s stirring up the people’s emotions and destroying the imperial mausoleum, which is tantamount to rebellion. Huichuan is close to the capital and involves the imperial mausoleum, so I’m afraid it will provoke frenzied suppression from the court. When that time comes, these people…”

Those nearby who heard fell silent.

“Whether the dynasty rises or falls, the people suffer.” Lu Heng had staged a performance he could withdraw from at any time, but the unlucky ones would be the people left in place.

The reason Qin Yining wanted to secretly destroy the imperial mausoleum was precisely because she feared that doing it with great fanfare would implicate everyone.

But now she was powerless to change the current situation.

The mighty tide of people surged toward the imperial mausoleum. Lu Heng seemed to have prepared in advance. When they reached a certain distance, strong men formed ranks to block the people’s path, shouting loudly: “Fellow villagers and elders, it’s dangerous to get any closer—we’re going to use fire oil! Everyone step back, step back!”

Hearing about fire oil, the people knew the danger and didn’t dare go forward.

But with the destruction of the imperial mausoleum about to happen before their eyes, everyone’s attention was focused on the front of the procession. Some climbed trees, others climbed large rocks, and still others found high ground, all waiting to witness the moment when the imperial mausoleum would be destroyed.

Among all the people, only some showed worried expressions.

Destroying the imperial mausoleum was tantamount to rebellion. Even if Lu Heng said he would bear all responsibility, who knew whether the authorities would blame all the county’s people?

They knew that relatives from Danfu County had said that when Danfu County people had gathered to make trouble at the yamen gates, the Emperor had almost killed all the county’s people. The Emperor had even sent troops, and it was only Prince Zhongshun’s intercession that spared them from suffering.

Now Prince Zhongshun wasn’t here again. If Lord Lu destroyed the imperial mausoleum and then ran away, who would take the blame?

Some people thought of these things and didn’t even want to watch the excitement anymore, pulling relatives and friends to retreat.

But none of them managed to leave successfully, because at some point, large numbers of armed men had surrounded this area, blocking the way back!

They wanted to voice their objections, but the opponents’ knives were at their throats, so they didn’t dare make a sound. Therefore, those surrounded in the middle had no way of detecting the situation at the edges. One by one, they continued discussing and craning their necks to look ahead.

They saw Lu Heng step forward, holding up a torch high, bending down to light a long fuse on the ground, then retreating.

The people watched as the spark crawled like a snake spitting its scarlet tongue toward the square opening built of wooden materials.

Everyone waited. Time seemed infinitely extended. No one knew when the fire oil would ignite, and no one thought to wonder where all the court-appointed troops that had originally guarded the imperial mausoleum had gone.

After waiting a long time without seeing the scene they expected, someone muttered quietly, “Did it fail?”

But just as this person’s words fell, everyone felt the ground shake violently. A “rumbling” muffled sound like thunder descending from heaven exploded thunderously in their ears!