Upon hearing this, the ministers in the court held their breath; at that moment, you could hear a pin drop.

Zhao Ji, standing to the side, was nearly driven mad with rage: You unfilial son! I was the one who entrusted the Nine Provinces to you!

But Zhao Ji was so intimidated by the domineering aura emanating from his son that he didn't dare utter a sound, completely unlike his arrogant demeanor when he secretly met with his ministers the night before.

Cai You's face changed drastically. He was the one who led the way to the palace to meet Zhao Ji last night. He was Zhao Ji's number one favorite minister. In order to gain Zhao Ji's favor, he did not hesitate to break ties with his father, Cai Jing. Now, the new emperor's behavior has clearly threatened Zhao Ji and his old ministers.

If things continue like this, and the Jin army actually captures Tokyo, we're all doomed.

Therefore, they decided to unite all the court officials and collectively force Zhao Huan to abdicate.

Last night, after the thirteen ministers returned, they exchanged letters with the other ministers. However, this matter was of great importance, and the other ministers have remained neutral until now, a fact that Zhao Huan is well aware of.

Thirteen ministers, in the imperial court, joined forces with the retired emperor to force him to abdicate, and even encouraged other neutral ministers to participate. What audacity!

Of all these, only Privy Councilor Li Gang was kept in the dark. It seems that Li Gang's position as Privy Councilor has been sidelined. It's just right that I take advantage of these treacherous officials' rebellion today to execute a few more, paving the way for my new Privy Councilor and giving the new court a fresh start!

Cai You glanced at Zhao Ji, mustered his courage, and said, "Your Majesty..."

"Your Majesty! I have something to report!"

Just as Cai You was about to speak, He Ye abruptly interrupted him. Seeing that the gloom between Zhao Huan's brows couldn't be cleaned even by the most expensive vacuum cleaner in the world, He Ye quickly stepped forward.

"Minister He, what do you have to report?"

Cai You, standing to the side, was so frustrated he almost vomited blood. He was so angry he wanted to curse He Ye on the spot, but then he heard He Ye's loud voice, filled with righteous indignation, say: "Your Majesty, someone in the court is trying to force you to abdicate!"

Upon hearing this, everyone trembled and immediately knelt on the ground, burying their heads.

Even though almost everyone already knew, He Ye's sudden revelation and loud pronouncement left them feeling uneasy.

Zhao Huan knew that the most crucial moment had arrived. The ministers in the court were wavering because the retired emperor was sitting next to them. If Cai You and others gained the upper hand in the court, these opportunists might really turn to Zhao Ji's side immediately.

Therefore, we must strike first!

What does it mean to strike first? It means to kill someone first!

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan flew into a rage and stood up abruptly, startling everyone, including Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, who was standing next to him.

A thousand curses raced through Zhao Ji's mind: When did this rebellious son become so domineering? Didn't you say you'd cry your eyes out in the toilet if you heard about inheriting the throne? Didn't you say you didn't want to be emperor? You've only been emperor for a day and you're already addicted, huh?!

Zhao Huan roared, "Thank you, Dahai!"

When the emperor called out this person's name at the morning court yesterday, four prime ministers died. This morning, after only a few words, he called out the same name again, and several ministers on the spot were trembling with fear.

Xie Dahai walked in with a cold expression, like a god of death. Today, no one dared to reprimand Xie Dahai for bringing a knife into the palace. Many people didn't even dare to look at this executioner. You know, this guy killed the Grand Tutor of the court by crashing him into a dragon pillar with his first move.

Cai You also began to tremble, but relying on Zhao Ji's presence, he forced himself to say, "Your Majesty..."

"Shut up!"

Zhao Huan's majestic voice, as powerful as that of the Heavenly Emperor, rang out, causing Cai You to swallow all his words.

He Ye's mind worked very quickly. Seeing that Xie Dahai had entered, he knew that the emperor was about to start killing people. He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I know that a total of thirteen ministers are involved. The other ministers are completely unaware of this. The person who is in charge is Grand Secretary Cai!"

Cai You had already mustered up enough courage, but at this moment, he was really frightened by Zhao Huan's majestic voice. His legs went weak and he trembled, and he could not even speak clearly.

The main reason was that he was frightened by Xie Dahai, who had killed Cai You's father, Cai Jing, yesterday. How could Cai You not be afraid?

These scholar-officials, who usually sit in the imperial court, pointing out the state of the country, appearing aloof and loyal to the emperor and patriotic, even to the point of dying for their country, are actually no match for swords. They can't even stand still, let alone resist. No wonder that when they heard that the Jurchen invaders were coming, they didn't even analyze the situation between the enemy and themselves, but instead clamored for peace talks, ceding territory, and paying reparations!

Zhao Huan's eyes revealed a mocking look. Relying on this bunch of cowards would truly be the end for the Song Dynasty!

He Ye hurriedly stepped forward and handed the list to the eunuch beside Zhao Huan. The eunuch carefully presented it to Zhao Huan, who only glanced at it briefly. Zhao Ji was about to speak when Zhao Huan rudely interrupted him: "Cai You, how dare you! I am the emperor! Do you want to rebel and become emperor yourself?"

“Your Majesty…” Cai You was so frustrated that he vomited blood. The “Your Majesty” he was referring to was not Zhao Huan, but Zhao Ji. He looked at Zhao Ji like a dying man, clinging to him as his last lifeline.

He Ye's voice also rose: "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Cai has committed a heinous crime and should be executed along with his entire family!"

Cai You exclaimed, "Ah! I'm innocent!"

He had just declared his innocence when the Imperial Guards dragged a man in from outside. This man had been beaten until his head was bleeding profusely, eight of his ten fingers were broken, and his kneecaps had been ripped out.

"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant Chen Xian, kowtow and wish you good health!"

The man who was beaten beyond recognition was Chen Xian, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Early this morning, the Imperial City Guard intercepted him on his way out of the palace. After interrogation, he revealed the names of the other twelve people. The condition for the revelation was that the emperor would not kill his entire family, but exile them to Hainan Island.

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