At dawn, the palace gates suddenly opened, and ranks of fully armored soldiers appeared on the streets of Jiankang, torches blazing brightly, with shouting men and neighing horses.

People in houses facing the street were awakened from sleep by the clamor, terrified and fearful, not daring to come out to see what was happening.

Since Rong Kang had entered Jiankang, this had become normal for the common people. The only thing they could do was bar their doors even more tightly and quickly hush the crying children in their homes to avoid bringing disaster upon themselves.

The imperial clan nobles and court officials, large and small, were awakened from their dawn slumber by sudden, violent pounding on their doors. Learning that Rong Kang had summoned them immediately to the palace, not knowing what had happened, they fearfully and hastily left home under the urgent pressure of wolf-like soldiers outside their doors. When they arrived, some hadn’t even had time to put on shoes, and those with disheveled clothing and hats were even more numerous.

For Southern Dynasty officials who valued appearance, this would have been unimaginable in normal times, but at this moment, no one had the mind to pay attention to such trifling details.

Hundreds of people were driven into the great hall of the palace, and seeing the scene inside, they were horrified.

The great hall was brilliantly lit. Empress Dowager Gao sat collapsed in her usual position where she attended court with the young emperor, her face colorless, tears flowing continuously, her entire body seeming to tremble slightly. She looked extremely weak, and if not for a palace servant forcibly supporting her from behind, she would likely have collapsed to the floor on the spot.

The young emperor was beside her, wearing sleeping robes as if he had just been dragged from bed. His body was slumped against his seat in a strange way, eyes closed, head softly tilted to one side, completely motionless. At first glance he seemed to be sleeping, but in reality he was already dead. Blood, turned dark, still slowly seeped from his facial features and seven orifices. Though already dead, his expression was twisted, the pain on his face clearly visible—it was evident he had suffered torment before death.

The great hall fell silent for a brief moment. Suddenly, someone—no one knew who started it—cried out in grief, “What has happened to His Majesty?” Only then did the assembled ministers seem to react, all falling to their knees, tears streaming down their faces.

Amid the heart-rending cries and wails, Gao Yongrong stared vacantly with no reaction, as if her soul had already departed, leaving behind only an empty shell.

Just as the ministers were weeping bitterly, from behind the palace doors came the sound of armor and swords scraping as someone walked, and a person entered the hall.

The ministers looked up to see Rong Kang appear, surrounded by a crowd of armored soldiers. Rong Kang stopped before the corpse of the dead young emperor and glared at the ministers opposite him.

Everyone both hated and feared him, immediately falling silent, no one daring to cry anymore.

The hall became quiet once again.

Rong Kang roared: “Bring them up!”

Footsteps sounded from behind.

The ministers turned to see Rong Kang’s subordinates escorting several tightly bound men into the hall from outside. They were actually Imperial Censor Zhang Zhi and a Yulin General named Liu Zhen who had been responsible for palace security before Rong Kang entered the capital.

Rong Kang pointed at the young emperor’s corpse: “You all saw it—His Majesty was poisoned to death, a tragic sight. I’ve already investigated and found that these men were the ringleaders plotting to harm His Majesty and usurp the throne. I’ve just captured them and will execute them on the spot to avenge His Majesty!”

As he finished speaking, he shouted an order, and several executioners carrying broad-bladed swords came forward, pressing the men to the ground to carry out the execution. The two struggled desperately, shouting toward Gao Yongrong at the front: “Empress Dowager, save us—”

Gao Yongrong’s face grew even more deathly pale. She closed her eyes, her hands trembling continuously, her fingernails already deeply embedded in her flesh and broken off at the roots. From deep in her palms, traces of blood slowly seeped out.

“Kill them!”

As his words fell, with a “thud,” two heads dropped to the ground, rolling several times before coming to rest.

The originally mirror-smooth floor of the great hall was instantly splattered with bright red bloodstains.

The ministers’ faces turned ashen, trembling uncontrollably.

Rong Kang sneered: “Besides these two who were executed, I’ve also discovered some of their accomplices…”

His eyes gleamed with murderous light as they slowly moved across the faces of the ministers before him.

Everyone he looked at felt their hair stand on end, wishing they could burrow three feet underground to escape from this place.

Liu Hui stood among the crowd, desperately keeping his head down, not wanting to be seen by Rong Kang. But he heard footsteps approaching him, and looking up, he saw several soldiers pushing through the crowd to reach him. Without explanation, they dragged him out by his arms as he frantically shouted: “Injustice! I knew nothing! His Majesty’s death has nothing to do with me!”

Rong Kang snorted: “Those two clearly confessed that you were an accomplice! Men, kill him!”

The ministers were horrified.

Liu Hui no longer cared about dignity, throwing himself to the ground and pleading bitterly: “Grand Preceptor, spare my life! This matter truly has nothing to do with me! My loyalty to the court and to the Grand Preceptor is unwavering, witnessed by sun and moon!”

Cold sweat poured continuously from his forehead, streaming down.

Seeing Rong Kang’s cold smile as he looked down at him and opened his mouth to order the execution, Liu Hui was terrified out of his wits. While struggling desperately, he shouted: “I’ll pay money! I have money! I beg the Grand Preceptor to accept my family fortune in exchange for my life!”

Only then did Rong Kang order his men to release him.

Liu Hui collapsed to the ground, struggling to get up. Gone was any trace of his usual scholarly demeanor as he said through tears and snot: “When the Grand Preceptor previously asked us to contribute military funds, I was momentarily confused and forgot that my family still had tens of thousands of taels of gold and silver hidden away. Besides gold and silver, I’m also willing to donate all my estates and properties to support the Grand Preceptor in assisting the court. I only beg the Grand Preceptor’s forgiveness!”

Rong Kang’s eyes flickered, and his expression softened somewhat. He ordered paper and brush to be brought, requiring Liu Hui to write down all his hidden wealth and where it was concealed.

Liu Hui took the paper and brush, tremblingly writing out the list. Gold ingots alone numbered over five thousand, silver tens of thousands of taels, and copper coins beyond count. The hiding places alone numbered more than ten, plus estates and properties in various locations, densely filling an entire sheet of paper.

Pitifully, though he was renowned for his calligraphy, the characters he wrote now were crooked and twisted like crawling worms, showing how terrified he was. After finishing, the paper was taken and presented above.

Rong Kang glanced at it, waving the paper with its still-wet ink, and sneered: “I heard long ago when I was in Badong that the nobles of Jiankang were wealthy! Indeed, the reputation is well-deserved. Your repentance isn’t too late—I’ll spare your life for now.”

Liu Hui knew he had escaped disaster and finally breathed a sigh of relief. But thinking that all his family wealth had turned to nothing, his heart ached like being cut by knives. His vision darkened, and unable to support himself any longer, he collapsed headfirst to the ground.

Rong Kang ordered men to take the list and immediately go confiscate Liu’s family property. He then looked up at the others, pointing randomly with his finger—wherever it pointed, there were accomplices.

When previously forced to contribute wealth, everyone had naturally concealed some. But tonight they knew there was no escape. The young emperor and the two headless corpses on the ground were clear evidence. Without waiting for Rong Kang to speak, they all competed to request paper and brush to record the property they would donate.

Rong Kang ordered his men to distribute the paper and brushes that had been prepared beforehand. Everyone wrote frantically, and after collecting and reviewing the lists, he looked up and laughed wildly, ordering his subordinates to take the lists and go confiscate property in different directions. Then he turned to Gao Yongrong, his face showing a smile as he said respectfully: “Doesn’t the Empress Dowager have an edict? While all the ministers are present, please let the Empress Dowager proclaim it.”

Gao Yongrong’s lips moved slightly, then closed again.

“Empress Dowager! If you don’t proclaim it now, when will you? Do you want His Majesty to die with his eyes unclosed?”

Rong Kang’s expression suddenly turned gloomy as he shouted harshly.

Gao Yongrong’s shoulders trembled, and she finally opened her eyes. Unable to bear looking at her blood-stained son beside her, she said tremblingly: “His Majesty has passed away. The state cannot be without a ruler for a single day. We should follow the example of Yao and Shun, announcing to the world the abdication to the Grand Preceptor…”

Before she could finish speaking, tears streamed down her face and she sobbed uncontrollably.

Rong Kang laughed wildly toward the sky: “Did you all hear? The Empress Dowager’s personal edict, abdicating to me! Why don’t you quickly pay homage!”

Under the threat of swords and axes, who dared say half a word of refusal?

Everyone looked at each other. Those whose legs had gone weak had already knelt down, kowtowing and calling out, their voices scattered and sparse. Seeing Rong Kang’s dissatisfaction and angry glare, everyone felt fear in their hearts and called out “long live” again.

Pitiful was this vast court—civil and military officials under intimidation, manipulated by Rong Kang and played like toys in his palm.

The former imperial clan nobles and aristocratic high officials, no matter how prestigious and distinguished they once were, had no dignity whatsoever before this completely undisguised savage violence.

Degraded to such baseness, it was unbearable to witness.

Rong Kang laughed wildly toward the sky, then said triumphantly, naming specific families and demanding they send their daughters to the palace tonight to be made consorts.

Those he selected were all from prestigious aristocratic families of the Southern Dynasty with established reputations. Besides the Liu clan, there was also the daughter of Zhongshu Minister Feng Wei.

Liu Hui had just regained consciousness when he heard Rong Kang demanding he send his daughter to serve as his consort. His vision darkened again and he collapsed once more.

After Rong Kang finished laughing, seeing that all the selected families bowed submissively without daring the slightest resistance, only one person stood up from the ground and glared angrily at him. Looking closely, he saw it was Feng Wei, and ordered men to go press him down to the ground again.

When Feng Wei first entered and saw at a glance that the young emperor had died violently and the Empress Dowager was in a stupor, he knew something terrible had happened.

Just days before, Gao Yongrong had secretly informed him and discussed how to eliminate Rong Kang. He had opposed this, saying they shouldn’t act rashly—rather than take risks, it would be better to continue enduring and wait for rescue.

He thought the Empress Dowager had been persuaded. He never imagined such events would occur tonight. Though he hated Rong Kang’s beastly nature and his outrageous actions, knowing the situation was lost and he was powerless to change it, he could only suppress his humiliation and temporarily submit, waiting for future developments. He never expected that Rong Kang, not content with seizing wealth and directly usurping the throne, would shamelessly not spare even his own daughter. Unable to endure any longer, he struggled with all his might and pointed at Rong Kang, cursing him loudly.

Rong Kang drew his sword and came before Feng Wei, striking his shoulder with one blow.

Feng Wei fell to the ground but continued cursing incessantly.

Rong Kang sneered mockingly: “Don’t tell me you want your daughter to be empress? Unfortunately, the empress position I’m reserving only for a Gao clan woman. Don’t get any ideas.”

Loud laughter from Rong Kang’s subordinates echoed through the hall.

Feng Wei struggled to get up from the ground, gritting his teeth: “Rong Kang, you villain! You murdered the ruler and deceived your superiors, committing every evil deed. You will surely face divine retribution and die a horrible death!”

Rong Kang flew into a rage, kicking him over with one foot. Just as he was about to order his execution, a report suddenly came from outside the hall. A soldier rushed in, knelt outside the hall, and shouted urgent news—an approaching army had been discovered outside the city, now only a hundred li from Jiankang.

Rong Kang was stunned. He swept his gaze over the Southern Dynasty civil and military officials in the hall whose expressions had changed upon hearing this news. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. After brief consideration, he ordered his subordinates to detain everyone here and not let them leave, while he hastily departed with his men.

The force marching toward Jiankang through the night was indeed the army led by Gao Yin. At dawn, they finally reached Shizi Ridge, twenty li south of the imperial city. There they encountered Rong Kang’s army waiting in formation. After a fierce battle that lasted until afternoon, Rong Kang was defeated. Hearing that Lu Jianzhi was also leading tens of thousands of men toward Jiankang, he hastily fled into the city with his remaining forces and closed the gates, refusing to fight.

That night, Gao Yin’s and Lu Jianzhi’s armies, which arrived later, joined forces. After reorganizing, the next day they prepared to launch an assault on the city, but learned disturbing news.

Rong Kang had driven all the imperial clan nobles, aristocratic officials, and Southern Dynasty soldiers who had been disarmed when he first entered the city—several thousand people in total—to an open area south of the city, threatening to massacre them all if the city was attacked.

That day, thousands of imperial clan nobles and aristocratic officials who normally never did physical labor were forced under the threat of swords and axes to reluctantly take up shovels and picks, tearfully digging their own burial pits. From morning to evening, any slacking brought beatings with sticks and whips. After digging the pits, they were herded like ducks and driven collectively down into them. Any disobedience meant immediate death. Everyone was thrown into chaos, no longer daring to resist, only able to walk down into the pits themselves and watch helplessly as soil was shoveled down from above, slowly burying past their waists, planted in the ground like trees, unable to move.

Heart-rending cries filled with despair and pleas for mercy mixed with the deafening unified roars of “Bury! Bury! Bury!” from Rong Kang’s soldiers above the pits, echoing through every corner of this prosperous imperial city, lingering without end. Even the common people in the city, who normally harbored secret resentment against these people, now all felt the sorrow of “when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves,” becoming dejected and sorrowful.

Jiankang, home to hundreds of thousands, fell into fearful silence. The streets were deathly quiet, like a cemetery in broad daylight.

Elegant refinement humiliated, wealth and nobility withered away.

Human tragedy could be no worse than this.