In the capital city, a thousand miles away, the court session had just ended. Lead-gray clouds hung heavily over the majestic palace complex, making the mythical chimeras on the eaves appear particularly menacing. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere hung in the air, as if a storm was brewing.

The atmosphere on the spacious white marble plaza in front of the Council Hall was as still as ice. Civil and military officials stood with their hands at their sides, utterly silent, even their breathing deliberately held low. All eyes were fixed on the glaring crimson patch in the center of the plaza.

An official dressed in a fourth-rank scarlet robe was forced to kneel on the cold stone slab by two imperial guards in black armor. His official hat had long since been knocked off, his gray hair was disheveled, and tears streamed down his face, mingling with blood from a cut on his forehead, making him look wretched and miserable. This was Zhao Wenkui, the head of the Ministry of Revenue's Revenue Department.

Crown Prince Xiao Chengjing, dressed in a black robe embroidered with dragon motifs, stood with his hands behind his back on the high steps. His figure was as upright as a solitary, frigid pine tree, his face incomparably handsome, yet covered with a layer of ice that had never melted. His deep phoenix eyes, now devoid of warmth, looked down upon the trembling, prostrate subjects at his feet, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through skin and see into the very depths of their souls, revealing all their impurities.

“Zhao Wenkui,” his voice was not loud, even calm, yet it clearly echoed throughout the silent square. Each word struck like an ice bead, sending a chill down one’s spine. “The disaster relief funds for Sanhe totaled 300,000 taels of silver. You handled the approval and disbursement, but colluded with local officials to embezzle funds at every level, enriching yourselves. Of the 37,000 households reported as disaster victims, less than half were actually disbursed; the remainder went into your own pockets. This has led to widespread starvation and public resentment. The evidence is overwhelming. What do you have to say?”

Zhao Wenkui trembled like a leaf, his teeth chattering, and he cried out with tears streaming down his face, "Your Highness! Your Highness, spare my life! I...I was confused for a moment! I was deceived by the people below, Your Highness! Please, Your Highness, spare my life for the sake of my many years of service to the court! Spare my whole family's life!" He spoke incoherently, his forehead pounding against the cold stone slab with a dull thud.

"Deceived?" Xiao Chengjing's lips curled into a faint, cold smile, the smile failing to reach his eyes and instead adding to the chilling atmosphere. "What a fine 'deceived'! When the starving people of Sanhe were exchanging children to eat, you had ten thousand taels of silver hidden in your mansion, and the Shu brocade dress worn by your newly acquired concubine was worth a month's food for hundreds of disaster victims! Your foolishness has cost the lives of countless people!"

He slightly raised his hand.

The chief eunuch standing below immediately bowed, unfolded a pre-prepared imperial edict in bright yellow, and his shrill voice, carrying a cold, judgmental tone, echoed throughout the square:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Zhao Wenkui, the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Revenue, as an official of the court, has failed to serve his country and disregarded the Emperor's grace. He has embezzled a huge sum of disaster relief funds, causing immense suffering and widespread public resentment. His crimes are unforgivable! He is hereby sentenced to immediate execution! His family property is confiscated, and all adult males are exiled three thousand li away. His female relatives are to be confiscated and sent to the Imperial Music Bureau! All other officials involved in this case shall be severely punished without exception! This is the imperial decree!"

The words "execute immediately" exploded like thunder! Zhao Wenkui let out a scream that was not human, and his whole body seemed to have been ripped out of its bones, collapsing completely to the ground, with a pool of foul-smelling water spreading beneath him.

Xiao Chengjing watched indifferently as two guards dragged the limp Zhao Wenkui away like a dead dog. His gaze then shifted to the silent officials below the steps. Wherever his gaze fell, everyone lowered their heads, cold sweat beading on their backs. He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying a heavy, suffocating pressure:

"The Sanhe case is not solely Zhao Wenkui's fault! The corruption in officialdom is like a festering sore! If Zhao Wenkui is executed today, Wang Wenkui and Li Wenkui will appear tomorrow! I, acting on behalf of the Emperor, cannot tolerate such parasites! From this day forward, the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review will conduct a joint trial to thoroughly investigate this case! Anyone implicated, regardless of rank or background, will be severely punished without exception! I want to see just how many demons and monsters are hiding in this bright and clear world!"

He paused, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over several officials whose faces were clearly ashen and whose bodies were trembling slightly. His voice suddenly turned stern: "You who eat the emperor's food should think of being loyal to the emperor and sharing his worries! If anyone dares to defy the law again, to disregard the laws and regulations of the country, and to treat the suffering of the people as worthless—Zhao Wenkui will be a warning to us!"

A deathly silence fell over the square. Only the rustling of autumn leaves in the wind and the distant, faint cries of Zhao Wenkui echoed. The stench of blood seemed to permeate the air, suffocating everyone. Xiao Chengjing's thunderous action not only severed a greedy hand reaching for disaster relief funds but also sent the strongest warning and signal of a purge to the entire bureaucracy. The cold, iron-fisted, and unquestionable authority emanating from him made it clear to all officials that this Crown Prince Regent was no weak or easily bullied ruler.

After giving his reprimand, Xiao Chengjing turned away from the crowd below, his dark robes tracing a cold, hard arc in the wind. He strode towards the East Palace's duty room beside the Hall of State Affairs. His steps remained steady, his back as upright as a mountain, as if the blood-splattered jade steps he had just dealt with were merely a matter of brushing off a speck of dust from his clothes.

However, only Gao Dehai, the observant chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace who was closely following him, noticed that the Crown Prince's hand, hanging from the wide sleeves of his robe, seemed to move extremely subtly. The movement was extremely discreet, as if he had subconsciously touched something small and soft deep inside his sleeve. Gao Dehai's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately lowered his eyes, not daring to look any longer.