“Zing!”
Xu Qi An flicked his wrist, causing the black-gold longsword to emit a soft chime. It left a trail of blood on the execution platform.
His gaze slowly swept over the seven loyal men kneeling below the platform, then over the imperial guards, and finally across the sea of commoners. Taking a deep breath, he declared in a clear voice:
“Today, I, Xu Qi An, have executed two traitors. Not for vengeance, not for personal grudges, but for the righteous indignation in my heart. To clear Minister Zheng’s name, and to tell the imperial court one thing…”
All eyes were on him. The scene was silent as everyone listened intently.
Xu Qi An’s tone was forceful yet tinged with an indescribable depth: “If Heaven had feelings, it too would grow old. The right path in this world is full of vicissitudes.”
Xu Qi An’s gaze swept over the crowd, then looked towards the clear blue sky in the distance. Among the white clouds, he seemed to see that stern figure again, bowing to him.
Xu Qi An returned the bow and didn’t raise his head for a long time.
Minister Zheng, may you rest in peace.
…
“If Heaven had feelings, it too would grow old. The right path in this world is full of vicissitudes…” On a distant rooftop, Huai Qing, dressed in snow white, trembled. She muttered these words, seemingly entranced.
The right path in this world is full of vicissitudes—is this the belief you hold in your heart, Xu Qi An?
Outside the crowd, a plain-looking woman clutched her chest, feeling her heart pounding wildly.
Around the execution ground, the gathered commoners began to weep. Some lowered their heads, others wiped away tears, their sobs unceasing.
“Father, why are you crying? Why is everyone crying?”
In a less crowded spot, a young child looked up, blinking curiously.
The man picked up the child and placed him on his shoulders, saying softly, “Look at that man. Remember these words, you must remember these words, and remember him. In the future, no matter what others say, you must never speak ill of him.”
“Who is he? Why would I speak ill of him?” the child asked innocently.
“He is a hero of Great Feng, but after today, he might become a ‘bad person’.”
Xu Qi An sheathed his sword and pulled out the engraving knife pinned to the platform, gripping it in his palm. The dozen or so high-ranking martial artists around the execution platform retreated in alarm.
He ignored them, stepping down from the platform and walking away.
As he walked, he gently opened the special sachet given by Li Miaozhen and collected the two lost souls into the bag.
The crowd of commoners filling the street parted, forming a straight path for him.
“Master Xu, accept this old man’s bow.”
An elderly scholar with graying hair bowed with cupped hands.
“Master Xu, accept this old man’s bow.”
Without organization or prompting, the commoners present bowed with cupped hands. Their movements weren’t perfectly synchronized, but they were sincere.
On the rooftop, Huai Qing looked down at this scene, momentarily dazed. As the Emperor’s eldest daughter and a princess, she had seen thousands bow before her, even tens of thousands.
Like her father, the ruler of a nation.
But others merely feared his power and revered the dragon robe he wore.
Only Xu Qi An was respected and loved by the common people, from the bottom of their hearts, for no other reason than who he was as a person.
The imperial guards blocking the road began to stir, unsure whether to intervene or retreat as the young man approached.
They couldn’t help but look towards their three commanders, only to find them standing motionless in the distance with the other martial artists, showing no intention of stopping Xu Qi An.
“Neigh…”
The horses whinnied softly, moving aside to clear the path.
After walking several hundred steps, he stopped and gazed towards the imperial palace in the distance.
The people can support a ruler, but they can also overthrow him. If you don’t admit your mistakes, someone will force you to…
…
At this time, outside the Meridian Gate, the officials hadn’t dispersed, patiently waiting for news to return.
Moreover, if a great battle truly erupted in the city, the safest place would undoubtedly be within the palace walls. The palace housed many experts, though they usually kept a low profile.
The palace was backed by the Imperial Guard camp, with the Baizhan, Shenji, and Cavalry divisions totaling 100,000 troops directly under the Emperor’s command.
Lastly, among the military officers and noble families were many experts, with quite a few at the fifth rank like Que Yongxiu.
The civil and military officials whispered among themselves, discussing how to conclude this matter and whether Duke Cao and Duke Huguo were dead or alive.
But they were somewhat distracted, their gazes frequently turning towards the palace gates.
Finally, an armored soldier came running from outside the palace, his hand on his sword hilt.
Prime Minister Wang stepped forward to intercept the soldier, asking in a deep voice, “What’s the situation outside the palace? Have the imperial guards subdued Xu Qi An? Are Duke Cao and Duke Huguo safe?”
This imperial guard was on his way to report to the Emperor and didn’t want to deal with the Prime Minister. He sidestepped to avoid him and continued forward.
However, several military officers blocked his path and barked, “Speak!”
With a chorus of footsteps, hundreds of civil and military officials of various ranks surged forward together.
“…” The soldier suddenly felt pressure beyond his station. He reluctantly said, “Duke Cao and Duke Huguo were taken to the execution ground and beheaded.”
With that, he quickly left.
Duke Cao and Duke Huguo were dragged to the execution ground and killed… This news left the assembled officials speechless for a long time.
Although the officials present were well aware of Xu Qi An’s character, especially those who had opposed him like Minister Sun and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, when they truly confirmed that Duke Cao and Duke Huguo had been publicly executed, they still felt a sense of absurdity.
“Truly a lawless brute…” an official muttered.
“He is a detestable man,” Minister Sun looked at that person, paused for a moment, and added:
“But also a respectable one.”
Around him, several civil officials friendly with Minister Sun looked at him in disbelief.
Minister Sun said calmly, “I would love nothing more than to have that fellow cut into a thousand pieces, but that’s just my grudge. Que Yongxiu aided a tyrant in his cruel deeds, slaughtering 380,000 innocent civilians. He was the truly unforgivable villain. It’s good that he was killed, it’s wonderful.”
It’s good that he was killed, it’s wonderful… Many civil officials silently echoed these words in their hearts.
Among them, some were willing to compromise for benefits, some dared not defy imperial power, and some remained uninvolved to protect themselves. Some were filled with righteous indignation but remained silent due to the circumstances and principles.
But everyone had their moral compass to judge right from wrong.
Wei Yuan and Prime Minister Wang exchanged a glance, showing no surprise as if they had long foreseen how events would unfold.
“Is one day enough?” Wei Yuan said calmly.
“It’s sufficient,” Prime Minister Wang nodded slightly.
…
In the imperial bedchamber.
Emperor Yuanjing stood with his back to the door, silent and hands clasped behind his back. The old eunuch at his side lowered his head slightly, not daring to breathe loudly.
Having served Emperor Yuanjing for many years, he knew this ruler’s temperament well. He would flip tables to vent his emotions, but that was just venting. Once it was over, he wouldn’t truly take it to heart.
But if he remained silent for longer than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, it meant this emperor had begun to seriously, plot and scheme about a matter, as if facing a great enemy.
How strange, even when dealing with the Northern Frontier King’s case, he hadn’t been this gloomy and terrifying. Yet after Xu Qi An took away the two dukes, he showed such an “unusual” state.
Even if Xu Qi An killed the two dukes to vent his anger, it wouldn’t be a loss for His Majesty, since His Majesty’s goal had already been achieved.
At this moment, rapid footsteps approached, and a guard stopped at the door.
Emperor Yuanjing turned abruptly, saying in a deep voice, “Speak!”
The guard stood at the door, clasped his hands, and said, “Xu Qi An beheaded the two dukes at the execution ground, and, and…”
Upon hearing that Duke Cao and Duke Huguo had been executed, Emperor Yuanjing’s face showed anger. He shouted, “Say it all at once!”
The guard said in a trembling voice, “And in front of over a thousand commoners, he slandered Your Majesty, saying… saying that Your Majesty condoned the Northern Frontier King’s massacre of the city, with Duke Huguo Que Yongxiu wielding the knife.”
Emperor Yuanjing’s pupils suddenly contracted. A few seconds later, his hand hidden in his sleeve began to tremble slightly, his face visibly twitching as he said word by word:
“Is that dog thief still alive?”
“He, he entered the Court of Astronomy. The commanders couldn’t stop him because because he was holding an engraving knife…”
Feeling the Emperor’s fury, the guard spoke with trepidation.
Inside the hall, it was terrifyingly quiet, so silent a dropped pin could be heard.
The atmosphere was as if frozen. The old eunuch didn’t even dare to breathe, his plump body trembling slightly.
After a long while, Emperor Yuanjing’s emotionless voice came: “Immediately send people to arrest Xu Qi An’s family members. Throw them into the dungeon to await punishment. If they resist, kill them on the spot.
“Send five hundred imperial guards to the Court of Astronomy to arrest Xu Qi An; notify the cabinet to immediately draft an announcement: Silver Constable Xu Qi An is a Wushen Cult spy, using the Zheng Xinghuai case to stir up trouble and damage the reputation of our Great Feng royal family.”
After the old eunuch left with his orders, Emperor Yuanjing murmured to himself: “The imperial fortune cannot be scattered any further.”
…
Soon, a contingent of imperial guards rode on horseback to the Xu residence, where the main gate was tightly closed.
The imperial guards kicked open the gate and stormed into the Xu residence, only to find it already deserted. The furniture and household items were all intact, but not a single valuable item remained.
These guards were the elite of the elite. They didn’t vent their frustrations by smashing things but carefully searched before quickly departing to report back to the palace.
Meanwhile, the old eunuch personally led a group to the cabinet, meeting the white-haired Prime Minister Wang in the hall.
“By imperial decree, quickly draft an announcement: Silver Constable Xu Qi An is a Wushen Cult spy, using the Zheng Xinghuai case to stir up trouble and damage the reputation of the Great Feng royal family.”
The old eunuch spoke rapidly, relaying Emperor Yuanjing’s words verbatim.
Prime Minister Wang listened attentively, nodded, and said: “Rejected!”
These two words meant: Disagree!
The cabinet had the right to reject it. This meant they could return the Emperor’s inappropriate or incorrect orders.
“What did you say?”
The old eunuch doubted his ears. He cleaned them out and said, “Prime Minister, please say that again?”
Prime Minister Wang looked at him calmly: “Rejected.”
The old eunuch’s face darkened, and he said in a threatening tone, “Prime Minister, this is a critical time. Why must you provoke His Majesty at this moment? Your position is coveted by countless others.”
He paused, then softened his tone, “All under heaven is the king’s land. This world belongs to His Majesty. As subjects, even if we have opinions, we should keep them to ourselves. Why must you go against His Majesty?”
Prime Minister Wang rose expressionlessly and walked out.
Seeing that he didn’t know his place, the old eunuch was about to flare up when he heard the old man’s calm voice: “This official is feeling unwell and will return home first. If His Majesty has any matters, let’s discuss them tomorrow.”
“How dare you…” The old eunuch trembled with anger.
He immediately took a sedan chair back to the palace, heading straight for the imperial bedchamber.
Inside, the scent of sandalwood lingered. Emperor Yuanjing sat cross-legged on a cushion, his expression serene, as if nothing had happened.
His ear twitched, and he spoke coldly: “Have you conveyed the orders?”
“Yes…” the old eunuch hesitated, then said softly, “Prime Minister Wang… rejected Your Majesty’s verbal decree.”
Emperor Yuanjing was silent for a few seconds, then said coldly, “Summon him to see me.”
The old eunuch swallowed and spoke even more quietly: “Prime Minister Wang said he was feeling unwell and went home to rest. He also said that if Your Majesty has any matters, to seek him tomorrow.”
Emperor Yuanjing opened his eyes, laughing in extreme anger: “The old fool truly thinks I won’t dismiss him. Since he’s unwell, then he shouldn’t occupy that position anymore. Notify the officials, court will be held tomorrow.”
Recently, court sessions had been held day after day, more frequently than during the imperial examinations. Since the Emperor began cultivating the Dao, there had never been such intensive court sessions.
At this moment, an imperial guard commander came to the entrance of the bedchamber and announced loudly: “Your Majesty.”
The old eunuch bowed and hurriedly went out, whispering with the commander for a few moments before returning with a grim expression. He said in a low voice:
“Your Majesty, Xu Qi An’s family members had already fled in advance, their whereabouts unknown. At the Court of Astronomy, a formation covers a hundred zhang around the Star-Observing Tower. The imperial guards can’t enter.”
Emperor Yuanjing sneered, “Indeed, it was premeditated.”
After a pause, he asked softly, “What else did the Chief Astronomer say?”
The old eunuch replied, “It wasn’t the Chief Astronomer, but Yang Qianhuan who intervened, and he harshly mocked the imperial guards.”
Emperor Yuanjing breathed a sigh of relief.
He fell silent, contemplating how to salvage the situation.
Xu Qi An was, after all, just a Silver Constable. He didn’t represent the court. This action could be defined as a martial artist violating the law, but that wasn’t enough. To convince the people, they needed to fabricate crimes against Xu Qi An, branding him as a Wushen Cult spy.
Then, they would send people to spread rumors throughout the capital, coordinating with the court’s announcement. This would be more convincing than that brute’s boasting at the execution ground.
But before that, he first needed to deal with the civil official faction. Now that things had taken a turn, many officials who dared to be angry but not speak out might “throw caution to the wind”, so at tomorrow’s court session, he needed to make an example.
Prime Minister Wang was the chicken he intended to kill to scare the monkeys.
…
At the Court of Astronomy, on the Eight Trigrams Platform.
The Chief Astronomer stood atop the tower, hands behind his back, his white robes fluttering, looking like an immortal in exile.
He gazed intently over the capital, then after a while, smiled knowingly: “The great trend has formed!”
At this moment, a white-robed figure appeared, standing with his back to the Chief Astronomer, hands behind his back, speaking in the most arrogant tone with the most respectful words: “Thank you, Master, for your indulgence. Today I feel satisfied. Hmm, what exactly happened? Why are the imperial guards trying to arrest Xu Qi An, and why did you have me stop them?”
The Chief Astronomer, in quite a good mood, said, “Xu Qi An intercepted the officials at the Meridian Gate, kidnapped Duke Huguo and Duke Cao, and beheaded them at the execution ground. He won the love and respect of the common people, but this also ruined his prospects.”
Having said this, he felt that his disciple lacked composure and was too impetuous. It was a good opportunity to teach him a lesson, making him realize that learning from Xu Qi An was a dead end.
“If it were you, would you dare?”
Yang Qianhuan’s body stiffened, then relaxed. He spoke calmly: “I see. Well, Master, I’m going back to cultivate.”
Such a calm response? It seems he can still distinguish between important matters… The Chief Astronomer nodded approvingly.
Yang Qianhuan’s form flickered and disappeared.
Then, the Chief Astronomer sensed Yang Qianhuan’s aura rapidly heading toward the imperial palace…
…The Chief Astronomer’s face seemed to twitch. He stomped his foot.
Faintly, from beneath the Star-Observing Tower came Yang Qianhuan’s heart-wrenching roar: “Master Chief Astronomer, you can’t do this to me, no!!!”
…
The events that occurred at the execution ground this morning spread with lightning speed, unlike other gossip that people only talked about in their leisure time.
The incident of Xu Qi An beheading Duke Cao and Duke Huguo was deliberately spread by the commoners who were present at the time.
By lunchtime, the news had spread throughout the inner city and was expanding outward. By dusk, the commoners in the outer city would also know about this matter.
Zhao Er was a good-for-nothing who idled away his days. He could never keep money in his pockets, either losing it at gambling dens or spending it on women at brothels.
These past few days, he had been living quite comfortably because he had taken on a job that only required him to move his lips and would earn him one qian of silver, a windfall from the sky.
This job came from a gang called the Green Hand Gang, specifically looking for good-for-nothing like Zhao Er to do it. The requirements were simple: just spread rumors about Yunzhou Prefect Zheng Xinghuai colluding with demon barbarians.
Today, the Green Hand Gang issued a new task, similar to the rumors, but the protagonist had changed to Silver Constable Xu Qi An.
After receiving the task, Zhao Er didn’t start work immediately. Instead, he went to a brothel to play the role of a spendthrift. By lunchtime, he skillfully came to a large restaurant.
He had been to this restaurant twice before, both times to spread rumors about Zheng Xinghuai colluding with demon barbarians.
No place was more suitable for “working” than a restaurant. Brothels were of course suitable places, but Zhao Er was a pleasure-seeking good-for-nothing who only wanted to… at brothels.
There was another important reason: a heavenly beautiful woman lived in this restaurant, always accompanied by a plain-looking woman.
Zhao Er stepped over the threshold of the restaurant. Inside, it was noisy with many diners. He looked around and saw only the plain-looking woman sitting at the familiar table.
She was staring blankly, frowning as if troubled, not touching her food for a long time.
That great beauty isn’t here… Zhao Er was a bit disappointed. He chose an empty table to sit down, ordered food and wine, and pricked up his ears to listen.
As expected, he soon heard discussions about Silver Constable Xu Qi An.
“Did you know? This morning, Constable Xu beheaded two dukes at the execution ground. Unexpectedly, the truth about the Chu State massacre case was…”
The speaker seemed afraid to continue, but unwilling to stop, he clenched his fist and pounded the table heavily.
The topic was immediately opened up, with diners angrily expressing their views.
“Who would have thought, among all the court officials, not one stood up to speak.”
“Constable Xu is not only a hero but also the last remaining conscience of our Great Feng.”
“Indeed, who else would use their future and life in exchange for justice? It’s precisely people like Constable Xu who are most easily framed by villains and confused…”
“He’s not a Silver Constable anymore. Ah, this time our Great Feng has lost two good officials, and Chu State Prefect Zheng was also loyal and upright.”
“Will Constable Xu… be beheaded?”
“Hmph, if the court dares to kill Constable Xu, we’ll go block the gates of the imperial city.”
“That’s right, if they have the guts, kill us all. We’ll go block the gates of the imperial city.”
At first, only one or two tables of diners were discussing, but gradually, other diners joined in, their words filled with righteous indignation.
Suddenly, a discordant voice came. It was Zhao Er.
He slapped the table and said loudly, “You’ve all been deceived by traitors. The truth isn’t like that.”
Interrupting when the atmosphere reaches its peak could easily attract others’ attention. This was a technique Zhao Er had learned.
He planned to replicate his previous operation, smearing Constable Xu just as he had smeared Zheng Xinghuai.
Sure enough, all the diners in the hall looked over.
Having gained attention, Zhao Er immediately said, “I have a relative who’s an official in the court. I heard a big secret from him.”
Everyone instinctively asked, “What secret?”
Zhao Er spoke as if announcing something significant, his voice very loud:
“Constable Xu is a spy from the Wushen Cult in the Northeast, who has been lying low in Great Feng, gaining a reputation. This time, he finally got the chance, using the incident of Chu State Prefect Zheng Xinghuai colluding with demon barbarians and falsely accusing the Northern Frontier King of using his reputation to kill dukes and smear the court.
“You’ve all been fooled by him. His words can’t be trusted. Think about it, why would the Northern Frontier King massacre a city? And how could His Majesty possibly agree to it? Use your brains.”
His words provoked fierce rebuttals from the diners in the hall: “Nonsense! How could Constable Xu possibly be a Wushen Cult spy? What evidence do you have? You dare to slander Constable Xu, do you not want to live?”
Zhao Er wasn’t intimidated at all. He sneered and snorted:
“Our Great Feng has produced many talents. How could there only be one Constable Xu? It’s impossible. Think again, if it was the Northern Frontier King who massacred the city, why didn’t the court officials stand up to speak for Zheng Xinghuai?
“Right and wrong, truth and falsehood, are very simple. Smart people can see through it at a glance. You’ve just been fooled by Constable Xu’s past glory. He’s just a hypocritical spy.
“I swear, every word is true. I have a relative who is an official in the court.”
These words were spoken skillfully, with reason and evidence, conforming to logic.
“Bang!” Just then, a wine cup flew over, hitting Zhao Er on the head.
He looked angrily and saw it was that plain-looking woman.
“You bitch, you dare to hit me?” Zhao Er was furious, rolling up his sleeves to teach her a lesson.
The plain-looking woman was not afraid at all. With one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Zhao Er, she shouted:
“It’s this man! Yesterday he was here spreading rumors about Zheng Xinghuai colluding with demon barbarians, and today he’s come to spread rumors that Constable Xu is a spy.”
Zhao Er’s face changed color, and he said viciously: “I didn’t! You bitch, if you keep talking nonsense, I’ll beat you to death today.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a waiter in the restaurant stared at him for a while, finally recognizing him. Pointing at him, he said loudly:
“Yes, yes, yes, it’s this man. Yesterday he was here saying bad things about Minister Zheng. I think he’s the real spy.”
“Damn it, beat him up!” At this, those diners who had been holding back their anger couldn’t take it anymore. They rolled up their sleeves and surrounded Zhao Er, beating him violently.
The hall was in chaos, with more than a dozen people surrounding Zhao Er, punching and kicking.
“No, stop, someone will die, help, help…” Zhao Er covered his head, curled up his body, and begged for mercy.
The diners ignored him, kicking hard. Someone picked up a stool and smashed it down heavily.
The elderly restaurant owner cheered from the side: “Beat him hard, don’t worry about breaking tables and chairs, if he dies, just throw him out on the street.”
The plain-looking woman put her hands on her hips, raised her chin, and snorted, feeling she had done something remarkable. She strode upstairs, returning to her room proudly.
Throughout the vast capital, similar incidents were constantly occurring in various districts.
…
At dusk, the old eunuch hurriedly entered the imperial bedchamber, passing through the outer room to the inner chambers, arriving beside Emperor Yuanjing, who sat cross-legged.
“Your Majesty, news from outside the palace… the rumors can’t be spread…”
Emperor Yuanjing opened his eyes, fixing a gloomy gaze on him: “Can’t be spread?”
The old eunuch said softly, “Anyone speaking ill of Xu Qi An is mostly beaten by the city’s commoners. There have even been… several deaths.”
…Emperor Yuanjing’s voice suddenly rose: “Since when did he gain such a reputation?”
The old eunuch couldn’t answer.
Emperor Yuanjing said through gritted teeth: “An insignificant insect, unknowingly, has managed to bite me.”
…
The next day, at dawn.
On the Eight Trigrams Platform, Xu Qi An held a wine jar, standing at the edge of the high platform, facing the wind, silently gazing towards the palace walls, not saying a word.
The drum at the Meridian Gate sounded. Civil and military officials passed through the Meridian Gate in an orderly manner, and crossed the Golden Water Bridge, with most officials remaining outside the hall while the senior officials entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Emperor Yuanjing, dressed in a Daoist robe, arrived unhurriedly, expressionless, majestic, and profound.
He sat on the dragon throne, looking at Prime Minister Wang with a hint of a cold smile:
“I hear Prime Minister Wang has been unwell recently, so there’s no need to attend court. I’ll give you three months’ leave to recuperate. The affairs of the cabinet will be temporarily handled by Grand Secretary of the Eastern Wing, Zhao Tingfang.”
The senior officials’ expressions changed slightly.
His Majesty was about to replace the Prime Minister, first sidelining him, then replacing him.
Starting the session like this?
Prime Minister Wang bowed and said, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Emperor Yuanjing no longer looked at him. Yielding now was too late. He turned to survey the assembled officials, saying word by word:
“I am furious!
“Because there are traitors and rebels in the court, killing dukes, slandering the royal family, slandering the court. Such treasonous criminals should have their entire clan executed!”
In the hall, the officials bowed their heads, not saying a word.
Emperor Yuanjing looked at Wei Yuan, saying in a deep voice: “Wei Yuan, Xu Qi An is your man, you must take responsibility for this matter. I give you three days to arrest this traitor and his family.”
Wei Yuan stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Yes.”
You, Wei Qingyi, aren’t as unyielding as the common people believe… Emperor Yuanjing’s eyes flashed with mockery as he continued to ask:
“Regarding the disposal of the traitor Xu Qi An, do any of you loyal ministers have anything to add?”
Zhang Xingying stepped forward and said, “Your subject has something to report.”
Emperor Yuanjing looked at him and nodded, “Speak.”
Zhang Xingying bowed, was silent for a few seconds as if gathering his thoughts, then said loudly: “The Northern Frontier King colluded with the Wushen Cult, massacring 380,000 civilians in Chu State. Duke Huguo Que Yongxiu personally wielded the knife, and then, together with Duke Cao, killed the Chu State Prefect Zheng Xinghuai…”
Before he could finish, Emperor Yuanjing shouted: “Nonsense! Zhang Xingying, are you trying to overturn the case?
“I wondered where that Xu Qi An got the guts, so it turns out he’s in cahoots with you. Do you know what crime it is to slander a prince and a duke?”
Emperor Yuanjing glared at Zhang Xingying, his imperial authority like a tidal wave.
Zhang Xingying raised his head. He met Emperor Yuanjing’s gaze without backing down, slowly shaking his head: “Your subject is not trying to overturn the case.”
Emperor Yuanjing stared at him: “Then what are you trying to do?”
Faced with the emperor’s questioning, Zhang Xingying took another step forward, as if trying to match the emperor’s aura with his own. He said loudly: “Your Majesty is guilty. First crime: allowing the Northern Frontier King to massacre a city. Second crime: covering up for the Northern Frontier King and Duke Huguo.
“Your subject requests Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach!”
The words echoed.
As soon as this was said, the court fell silent, yet it was like a thunderclap, earth-shattering.
Emperor Yuanjing’s mind was in turmoil. What had he just heard?
An edict of self-reproach?
This mere censor dared to ask him to issue an edict of self-reproach.
“I think you’ve gone mad.”
Emperor Yuanjing was very angry. The dignity of the emperor had been challenged by an insect. A mere censor actually dared to demand he write an edict of self-reproach.
“Zhang Xingying, I suspect you of colluding with Xu Qi An, killing dukes, slandering princes. Guards, throw him into the imperial prison.”
As he finished speaking, he saw a figure in blue step forward.
Emperor Yuanjing snorted coldly: “My decision is final. No one is to beg for mercy, otherwise, they will be treated as accomplices.”
These civil officials were always pushing their luck. It seemed that teaching Prime Minister Wang a lesson wasn’t enough; Zhang Xingying needed to be added to the list.
The figure in blue said: “I request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
Emperor Yuanjing suddenly froze, squeezing out words through gritted teeth: “You have some nerve. What? I put you in this position, and now you think you can check my power?”
Wei Yuan didn’t answer.
At this moment, Prime Minister Wang stepped forward and said loudly: “I request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
Another one… The royal clan members and noble families were shocked. If they hadn’t sensed the “conspiracy” by now, they would be too slow.
Emperor Yuanjing, having played power games for decades, was even more sensitive than the royal clan and noble families. He laughed coldly: “I see why you were so unyielding yesterday. You had already conspired with Wei Yuan to commit this great disrespect today.
“Good, very good, Prime Minister Wang, Wei Qingyi. You two have been fighting for so many years, and in the end, you unite to oppose me.”
He suddenly slammed the table, his eyes bulging with rage: “Wang Zhenwen, how many strokes of the court cane can your old bones withstand, huh?!”
He remained seated because he was the emperor.
What did it matter if Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen joined forces? If he could subdue them once, he could do it again.
“What other tricks do you have? Who else have you conspired with? Go ahead, bring it on. Today, whoever dares to stand out is guilty of deceiving the emperor, a great disrespect. All will be caned in the courtyard!” Emperor Yuanjing sneered.
Court caning was a common method for emperors to deal with officials. This was not an empty threat. Throughout history, countless officials have died from court caning, beaten to death.
Emperor Yuanjing believed that at this moment, the senior officials must realize that once caned, it would be a beating to the death.
When civil officials were united in high spirits, he would be wary and patient, but if there were only a scattered few, beating them to death would intimidate the rest of the officials.
Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice stepped forward, “Your Majesty condoned the Northern Frontier King beforehand and covered up for him and Duke Huguo afterward. Please issue an edict of self-reproach.”
Right Censor-in-Chief Liu Hong stepped forward: “I request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
The Minister of Rites stepped forward: “I request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
The Minister of Revenue stepped forward: “I request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
The Minister of Personnel stepped forward: “I request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
The Six Bureaus of Scrutiny, excited and flushed: “We request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
“…”
In an instant, two-thirds of the civil officials in the court had stepped forward. Among these people, some were Wei Yuan’s faction, some were Wang Zhenwen’s faction, and others were those who had been angry but afraid to speak out before.
The civil officials and noble families who hadn’t stepped forward felt their scalps tingling.
Except for the dispute over the heir apparent two hundred years ago, nothing like this had ever happened in Great Feng’s history. The idea of loyalty to the emperor was deeply rooted in the minds of civil officials; how could they dare to confront the emperor so directly?
Yet today, it was happening.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was terrifyingly quiet.
“You, you…”
Sitting on the dragon throne, Emperor Yuanjing’s face gradually lost its color. At this moment, this supreme ruler felt a great humiliation.
He, the ruler of a nation, was being forced by a group of subjects to issue an edict of self-reproach.
The dignity of an emperor, trampled like this?
Emperor Yuanjing had ascended to the throne as a young man. For 37 years, he had firmly controlled the court. Every day, the ministers fought fiercely below while he sat comfortably above as if watching a play.
He was so high above, highlighting the lowliness of his subjects, like a puppeteer watching a monkey show.
At this moment, these monkeys had united to rebel.
He pointed at the assembled officials, his lips trembling, roaring: “You lot, do you think I dare not deal with you? Guards! Guards! Drag these traitors out and cane them sixty times!”
His voice echoed through the hall, echoed outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, echoed in the ears of the assembled officials.
This was the emperor’s fury. When the Son of Heaven is angry, it could lead to millions of corpses.
As if defying him, under such pressure, an even more unbelievable scene unfolded. Outside the hall, from the imperial steps to the courtyard, hundreds of officials knelt simultaneously, shouting:
“We request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
“We request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach.”
The sound waves rolled, echoing above the imperial palace.
Emperor Yuanjing could hardly believe his ears. For a moment, he suspected he was seeing an illusion.
He slowly stood up, looking towards the outside of the hall. From the imperial steps to the square, hundreds of officials knelt together, shouting: Issue an edict of self-reproach…
“You, you…”
He pointed at the officials inside and outside the hall, his finger trembling, roaring:
“What do you think you’re doing, forcing me together? Do you still see me as your ruler and father? Traitors, rebels, traitors!!”
The last four words were shouted hoarsely.
In 37 years, he had never lost composure like this. The only few times had happened in the past few days, but those were feigned.
After puppeteering for 37 years, today, he is being puppeteered by the monkeys.
A surge of rebellious blood rushed to his head, and Emperor Yuanjing staggered.
“Yuan Xiong, you are the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, you speak, tell these traitors and rebels what exactly they are doing.”
Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong, with a stiff neck, slowly turned to look at the senior officials. The senior officials were also looking at him, their gazes as cold as iron.
Gulp… Yuan Xiong swallowed, stepped forward with difficulty, bowed, and said: “Your Majesty, things have come to this point. Please, Your Majesty, don’t be obstinate anymore. Please, please issue an edict of self-reproach…”
Stumbling backward, the emperor fell back onto the dragon throne, muttering: “Rebellion, rebellion…”
“I am the ruler of the nation, how could I be wrong? You lot, don’t even think about making me issue an edict of self-reproach…”
At this point, Emperor Yuanjing’s face suddenly flushed red, and he roared with all his might, his face twitching as he shouted: “Don’t even think about it!!!”
Just then, a sigh sounded from within the hall. In a flash of clear light, an old scholar with disheveled hair, wearing an old long robe, appeared in the hall.
It was Zhao Shou, the principal of Cloud Deer Academy!
Zhao Shou calmly looked at Emperor Yuanjing: “Yuanjing, issue the edict of self-reproach.”
Emperor Yuanjing’s face suddenly turned pale.