Few people in the Chu Kingdom had seen the Emperor, who had lived in seclusion in the palace for decades. For example, the officials and soldiers who raided the Grand Secretary's Mansion today had never seen the Emperor. Seeing the man walking out of Madame Dowager's room, they were all stunned, wondering if he was a lunatic.
Minister Jin Cheng was very experienced. He had entered the court when he was young and had the honor of meeting His Majesty at the coronation ceremony 20 years ago. At that time, His Majesty was only a ten-year-old boy. Now, he should be thirty years old, considered middle-aged. But why was his face still so beautiful after parting his black hair?
His Majesty's sudden appearance in the Scholar's Mansion, his plot being foiled, and his appearance being the same as before, these three matters were like three bolts of lightning that directly struck Minister Jin's heart. He subconsciously knelt down and stammered, "Long live, you …"
Only then did the officials and soldiers react. They were shocked speechless and knelt down unevenly.
The Old Mistress walked out of the room with the help of her crutches, just in time to see the whole mansion kneeling down like a tide.
Jing Jiu turned to her and said, "I promised him that as long as I am the Emperor, I will guarantee you a lifetime of riches and honor."
Hearing this, the Madame was even more agitated. She knelt down shakily and said, "Thank you for your pity, Your Majesty."
It was deathly quiet in the Grand Scholar Manor, and then a burst of crying broke out.
The cries came from the descendants of Grand Secretary Zhang, as well as the housekeepers and servants.
When the Imperial court confiscated the houses of the Grand Scholar Manor that day, there had been many cries in the Grand Scholar Manor. However, those cries were of grievance and fear at the time, and now they were cries of joy and happiness after escaping from a catastrophe.
Among the crimes that the Imperial court had assigned to the Grand Scholar, the one that couldn't be cleared of was the crime of imprisoning the Emperor, which was treason.
Today, the Emperor came to the Grand Scholar Manor in person, and his words had been confirmed. Who dared object?
Prime President Jin knelt on the ground. When he heard this, his expression changed and he finally came to his senses.
If the situation continued to develop like this, all the preparations he and the officials in the court would be for naught. How could he allow such a thing to happen?
Even if the Emperor was not an idiot, he probably did not know a single official after being imprisoned in the Palace for 20 years. What power did he have? So what if he died?
The power brought by ambition and greed supported Prime President Jin to stand up.
He stared into Jing Jiu's eyes and prepared to shout out the most crucial words — this person is fake!
How dare you impersonate His Majesty the Emperor? This is a great crime punishable by death by a thousand cuts. It's not too much to kill you with a flurry of blades, right?
In order to conceal the royal robe worn by the Grand Scholar Manor in private, the Grand Scholar Manor had dared to let someone pretend to be the emperor. It was not an exaggeration to say that the whole family of the Grand Scholar Manor would be executed.
In a very short period of time, Prime President Jin thought of many things. Many scenes flashed before his eyes, and all of them were blood.
In the next moment, he realized that he didn't make a sound.
Hundreds of officials and soldiers knelt on the ground, looking at him with a strange expression.
Prime President Jin's mouth was agape, and his face was filled with horror.
The only sound he could hear was his own heartbeat.
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
His heart beat faster and faster, like a rapid drum beat, as if it was about to jump out of his throat.
It was even faster!
An indescribable pain burst out from his chest and spread to all parts of his body.
If he could make a sound, he would have screamed like a wounded beast. But he couldn't, so he could only look at Jing Jiu in horror.
Looking at those eyes that were as deep as the ocean, Prime President Jin suddenly understood many things. Why his teacher didn't dare to usurp the throne, why the Emperor shut himself in the Palace, why the Crown Prince Jing came to the capital and died, why the fire in the Palace didn't light up when the autumn rain didn't fall …
Unfortunately, he understood it too late. The strong remorse, despair, and fear made him cough painfully.
Blood spurted out from his lips like a mist.
There were screams in the hall.
He continued to cough, his body bent like a cooked shrimp, blood spurting out incessantly. In the end, he even coughed up some pieces of flesh and blood.
Jing Jiu took the hairband from the Dowager's hand and tied up his black hair. He walked past Prime President Jin and headed for the outside of the Grand Secretary's Mansion, not even looking at this person.
The Dowager saw him off with a humble expression, leaning on her walking stick. When she passed by Prime President Jin, she spat on his face.
That mouthful of saliva was like a hammer, and Minister Jin directly fell to the ground. He twitched a few times and then stopped breathing.
…
…
That night, all the officials in the capital of the Chu Kingdom who were qualified to attend the court meeting received a notice that there would be a court meeting the next day.
In fact, the Royal Palace only sent a eunuch to inform Grand Secretary Chen.
It could be imagined that the Emperor, who hadn't been out of the Palace for twenty years, didn't have anyone he could use.
This fact didn't make the officials who received the notice feel at ease, because what had happened in the Grand Secretary's Mansion had spread throughout the capital.
Before dawn, carriages appeared one after another on the road leading to the Royal Palace. Some officials were still talking to the caretakers of their mansions by the windows.
They weren't talking about their last words, but preparing for the great change that might happen that day.
Few chancellors were willing to wait for death even when faced with the imperial power, not to mention that the imperial power was nothing in the history of the Chu Kingdom in the last few decades.
The door of the hall opened slowly. The officials looked at each other, stopped talking, and walked in slowly, lining up in two rows according to the usual practice.
No one liked to attend court meetings, but it was necessary to govern a country. The court meetings had never stopped, but it had been many years since the Emperor came to the court in person.
Some chancellors remembered that the last time the Emperor came to the court meeting was during the enthronement ceremony. Some officials with good memories remembered that when Grand Secretary Zhang was impeached, the Emperor came to the court and said, "The Grand Secretary has done a good job, so don't make trouble."
"Are we still making trouble in the eyes of the Emperor after the death of the Grand Secretary?" "What trouble does the Emperor want to make?"
Looking at the yellow-robed man sitting high on the throne, many officials had all sorts of thoughts in their minds. Then, their gazes were quickly drawn to that extremely handsome face. They were very shocked, thinking that His Majesty was actually such a handsome man. His black hair was only casually tied behind his head, so how could he have the grace of an immortal?
Jing Jiu didn't care what these chancellors were thinking, saying, "Let's begin."
A young eunuch glanced at the list in his hand nervously, and was about to speak.
It was then that Grand Secretary Chen suddenly stepped forward and bowed to Jing Jiu, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to ask you."
Jing Jiu glanced at this person, but didn't say anything.
Grand Secretary Chen said, "Yesterday, the Minister of Rites, Jin Cheng, was ordered to inspect the Zhang Manor. Why were you there, Your Majesty? And why did Prime President Jin suddenly die? "
These two questions were extremely rude, and what was more rude was that he had been staring into Jing Jiu's eyes while he was asking the questions, showing no respect to the Emperor.
Grand Secretary Chen stared into Jing Jiu's eyes, trying to figure out something from them.
Yesterday, the Emperor suddenly appeared in the Zhang Manor, and Jin Cheng suddenly died. He was so shocked that he finally remembered a secret rumor.
The Grand Secretary Zhang didn't want to do anything to the Emperor, because he knew that the Emperor had been making magic pills and cultivating!
In today's court meeting, Grand Secretary Chen wanted to know if this rumor was true or not. Of course, he had already prepared for it.
Even if the Emperor was a Cultivation practitioner with a high Cultivation state, he still couldn't change the general trend of the entire Chu Kingdom!
Jing Jiu didn't want to answer this question.
The young eunuch was very smart. He suppressed his nervousness and rebuked, "Following the imperial decree? His Majesty didn't give the decree. Whose decree are you following? "
The young eunuch's voice was very shrill. Because of his nervousness, it was somewhat hoarse. It sounded like a little rooster being squeezed by the neck. It was very unpleasant.
Such an unpleasant voice echoed in the empty Great Hall. Grand Secretary Chen was slightly startled and didn't know how to answer.
Jing Jiu didn't want this boring process to continue. Looking at the officials in the Great Hall, he said, "Grand Secretary Zhang was chosen by me. If you touch him, you will be touching me."
These words were very rude and meaningless. They didn't match the temperament of officialdom and sounded more like the tone of a Jianghu man.
Hearing these words, the officials didn't feel afraid. On the contrary, they felt it was funny. Some of them even laughed out loud.
Jing Jiu didn't pay any attention to them. He continued, "That will cause the death of the entire family."
These words were very indifferent, without any killing intent. They weren't like thunder, but like a gust of wind. However, they made everyone in the Great Hall feel an extreme chill.
The young eunuch took two steps forward with the list in his arms. He nervously swallowed and began to read out the names. The officials whose names he had called stepped forward with a bewildered expression. There were only seven or eight of them. The officials whose names weren't called were also puzzled, wondering what was going on.
The young eunuch thought about what he was going to say next. His expression became even more nervous, and his voice became hoarser.
He wasn't a great person. It was just that a few nights ago, when he woke up, he found a few dark figures sneaking into the Great Hall to set fire. He summoned up his courage and shouted.
After shouting, he thought he would die. Unexpectedly, the fire didn't start and he didn't die. Instead, he became the Emperor's trusted aide.
Of course, it could also be because the Emperor only knew him, the young eunuch. Thinking of these things, the young eunuch's nervousness was relieved. He cleared his throat and said to the officials in the Great Hall, "The officials whose names were called are innocent. The rest are unforgivable …"
Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted.
There was an uproar in the Great Hall. The officials looked at Jing Jiu on the throne, their gazes filled with shock. Was the world really going to change?
Your Majesty, you don't have anything. You don't have any officials, troops, guards, or even eunuchs. You only have this immature child, yet you want to wipe out the entire Chu Country's bureaucracy? Where did this crazy idea come from? Was His Majesty really as the rumors said? If he wasn't an idiot, then he was a madman.
"Does His Majesty want to use the imperial seal to decide the world?"
Grand Secretary Chen laughed. Looking at Jing Jiu on the throne, his face full of pity, he said, "The capital, the provinces, the officials, the soldiers, the scholars, and the common people are all clear-headed people. Who would listen to you? Even if you could persuade some of the guards, or even yourself … "
He paused here and didn't finish his conjecture. The mockery on his face was very strong.
A general sneered, "Even if you could keep us in the Imperial Palace for a while, what use would it be?"
Yes, even if Jing Jiu could find a way to seal the Imperial Palace, he would have no way of keeping these officials in the Imperial Palace for a long time and forcing them to acknowledge his authority.
These officials had made preparations before entering the Imperial Palace. As long as they stayed for a long time, the stewards and family generals of the various manors would be dispatched, and the camps outside the capital would be brought in.
It would be very simple for the Imperial Army to choose between an idiotic Emperor who had been imprisoned for many years and the entire Imperial court.
How long could the Imperial Palace hold out? Once the Imperial Palace was breached, what would Your Majesty do?
Grand Secretary Chen looked into Jing Jiu's eyes in Silence, waiting for his answer.
Jing Jiu said, "I've never thought of keeping you here."
With these words, the door of the Great Hall suddenly closed. A shadow fell on everyone's bodies and hearts.
The young eunuch had been warned in advance. Holding the name list in his bosom, he led the officials whose names had been called to hide in a corner behind the throne.
…
…
It was very gloomy inside the Great Hall, but it was sunny outside.
Zhuo Rusui leaned against the door of the Great Hall, squinting at the rising sun, exuding a sense of laziness all over his body.
The Eldest Young Master Zhang stood beside him and asked with a pale face, "Is that all?"
"What else?" Zhuo Rusui said with drooping eyelids, "The name list was written by you yourself. If there's a mistake, it's your fault."
The eldest son of the Grand Scholar Zhang said anxiously, "Am I talking about the name list? I said His Majesty is in the Great Hall! "
A scream suddenly rang out in the Great Hall, followed by the incessant sound of a sharp object cutting through flesh.
The Eldest Young Master Zhang could not see the scene in the Great Hall, so he could only guess. He was so nervous that he began to retch, but since he had not eaten anything, he could not vomit.
Just then, a muffled sound came from the door of the Great Hall, followed by a faint cry for help. It should be the ministers banging on the door, trying to run out.
The Eldest Young Master Zhang had no time to care about the annoyance in his heart, and hurriedly used his shoulder to block the door. His face was full of fear, and his sweat was pouring down like rain.
Looking at his embarrassed appearance, Zhuo Rusui was very satisfied, and said, "Not bad, this is the time to show off. You should know that you used to be an assassin. Your father was afraid that you would be killed by the Emperor, so he banished you to the south to avoid trouble. Your Emperor is very stingy. If you don't do something now, he might kill you when he remembers what happened in the past."
At such a tense moment, the Eldest Young Master Zhang did not listen to what he said, and only tried his best to block the door of the Great Hall.
A stream of blood splashed on the door of the Great Hall, and he was so scared that he shivered. He shouted crazily, "Why don't you go in and help?"
In his opinion, since the man in black was the most powerful assassin in the world, even if he could not help His Majesty kill these rebels, he could at least save His Majesty.
Zhuo Rusui said inexplicably, "Why do we need to worry about him?"
The Eldest Young Master Zhang misunderstood him, and his eyes became excited, and he said, "How many bodyguards are there in the Great Hall? Or did you invite many highly skilled cultivators to come here? "
"Only him." Zhuo Rusui did not care that this sentence made the face of the Eldest Young Master Zhang even paler. He waved his hand to signal the eunuchs not far away to come over, and said, "You go and prepare some clean water first. Remember, a lot of clean water. Otherwise, when the blood coagulates, it will be very troublesome to clean it up."
In fact, neither he nor the Eldest Young Master Zhang understood why these middle-aged eunuchs were so bold and dared to stay here at such a time.
The eunuchs smiled apologetically, and said, "Don't worry, masters. We have done this a few times."
…
…
Not long after, the sound in the Great Hall disappeared, and the silence was frightening.
The Eldest Young Master Zhang looked inside with some fear, but he could not see anything. His shoulders slowly moved away from the door of the Great Hall.
The door of the Great Hall slowly opened, and Jing Jiu walked out.
His hair was disheveled, and his body was covered in blood. He held a sword in his right hand, and his face was a little pale.
The Eldest Young Master Zhang hurriedly knelt down, and did not dare to raise his head to look.
Jing Jiu looked into the distance and said, "Tell your mother that this hair rope is not strong enough."
…
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