Chapter 286 Strange Phenomenon

The young eunuch lowered his head in embarrassment, his face filled with panic.

This matter was of great importance, which is why he rushed to report it before the officials had even finished their court session.

But he was someone whom Eunuch Chu had trained, and he knew the gravity of the matter. This was not something that could be discussed directly in front of the officials.

He had intended to inform Eunuch Chu first, as Eunuch Chu would surely tell the Emperor immediately after court. However, he was unlucky enough to run right into the Emperor's line of fire. Now that the Emperor had asked, he had no choice but to answer.

Besides, the news has already spread, so it can't be kept from officials for long anyway.

The young eunuch had no choice but to comply, saying, "Your Majesty, the dragon statue in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple suddenly dripped blood tears from its eyes. The Astronomical Bureau said this was an ominous sign of divine punishment, indicating that Your Majesty's virtue was unfit to be emperor. Heaven was using this as a warning, proving that the rule of the Golden Moon Kingdom should change hands!"

Eunuch Chu was shocked and was about to reprimand the emperor when the emperor clutched his chest and said...

"Nonsense! Spreading heresy and misleading the public! Drag him out and execute him!"

Has the Observatory gone mad? How dare they utter such treasonous words?

The ministers were terrified and knelt down in unison.

"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."

The young eunuch was quickly dragged away by the guards. He struggled and shouted, "It wasn't me who said it, it was the Imperial Observatory who said it! It has nothing to do with me! His Majesty ordered me to report this, so I dared to speak! Spare me, Master, save me!"

How could Eunuch Chu dare to save him? He had been by the Emperor's side for so long and had never seen the Emperor so angry.

This little eunuch was anything but tactful. He said things like "divine punishment," "the emperor's virtue is utterly corrupt," and "the empire should change hands." Any one of these words was a capital offense. He said so much at once; it would be a mercy if he could just die a quick death.

Unconsciously, Eunuch Chu took two steps back, hoping that the Emperor would not take his anger out on him.

The emperor's face had turned ashen. Today's morning court session, which he had originally intended to prove his great talent and strategy, had now become a testament to his defeat and punishment by the heavens.

These officials outwardly pleaded for him out of fear, but secretly they were probably laughing at him.

How can he calm down?

How can I calm him down?

Looking at the kneeling officials, the Emperor spoke after a long while: "The Observatory has probably been bribed by the rebels and is spreading rumors. The Ministry of Justice should immediately arrest this person and imprison him, and use all kinds of torture to force him to reveal the mastermind behind it all."

The official in charge of the Ministry of Justice immediately kowtowed and said, "Your subordinate obeys the decree."

The Emperor's gaze continued to sweep across the officials, and soon landed on Qin's personal guard, who stood out from the crowd.

Having witnessed the fate of the young eunuch, the guards had already guessed that their own lives were in danger.

He was filled with regret. If he had known that running back would lead to certain death, he would have been better off staying on the battlefield and choosing to surrender to the King of the Northern Frontier or return home, both of which would have been better than serving the imperial court.

The emperor thought about his 30,000 soldiers, and now only this one person was left. He became increasingly convinced that the King of the Northern Frontier had deliberately let him go so that he could run back to the capital and annoy him.

But this man did indeed rush back to deliver the message without regard for his own safety; killing the officials directly would be disheartening.

A flash of disgust crossed the Emperor's eyes, but he said calmly, "You've had a long journey, so you should retire and rest early."

But as he turned his back to the dragon throne, he made a slicing motion with his hands behind his back.

Lord Qin's personal guards breathed a sigh of relief. Although they knew the Emperor would not let him off the hook, he was only feigning leniency in front of the officials. But being able to live a little longer and go home to give his last words to his family was still a good thing.

He thanked the emperor and withdrew, but after leaving the Zixuan Palace, he was quickly dragged into a dark alley. Before he could even scream, his throat was slit with a sharp knife.

Blood splattered on the wall, and in his last moments of consciousness, he silently cursed.

You damned emperor, I'll be waiting for you down there.

The man who killed him threw his body down, sighed, and said to one of the men behind him, "This should be the last thing we brothers do for the Emperor."

These two were none other than Ye Jian and Ye Fan, the Emperor's most skilled secret guards.

Ye Fan said, "Have you thought it all through? If you leave this place, you'll have to live a nomadic life again."

Although one cannot be free here, one is rich and luxurious, making it a rare retirement paradise.

"We must leave." Ye Jian said solemnly, "The King of the Northern Frontier is about to storm the city. Neither of us is a match for him. If we leave, we'll have nowhere to go. If we don't leave, we'll only be wandering ghosts."

Ye Fan always listened to her elder brother, and upon hearing this, she stopped arguing.

When are you leaving?

"When the Northern Frontier King's men storm in and the palace is in chaos, that will be the time for us brothers to leave."

The palace is heavily guarded now; you can't leave even if you want to.

We can only wait and see.

The two brothers said no more and focused on dealing with the body of their bodyguard.

The atmosphere in the Zixuan Hall remained heavy; the Emperor's face was as cold as ice, and all the officials were silent as cicadas in winter.

After a long silence, the Emperor finally spoke: "The King of the Northern Frontier has already laid siege to our city. Has any of you ministers volunteered to fight? Or can you recommend a capable leader?"

The officials looked at each other, unable to find a single general capable of fighting the King of the Northern Frontier. They wanted to appease the Emperor's anger but also did not want to offend their colleagues.

An official, remembering that Gu Yan had not appeared for several days, forced himself to speak despite the emperor's pressure: "General Gu's family is full of loyal martyrs, and he himself is a hero who is both literate and martial. Although he made a mistake a few days ago, his injuries should have improved by now. This is a good opportunity for him to redeem himself."

Before he could finish speaking, the Emperor said impatiently, "My young general is still bedridden and cannot take on this responsibility. Please choose another capable general."

The King of Northern Frontier is still alive and well. He doesn't know if Gu Yan has taken any action, whether he is alive or dead, or whether he is still a crucial pawn in the game.

It was inconvenient to explain this matter to the officials, so he could only use the injury to Gu Yan as an excuse to refuse.

The officials' hopes were dashed, and the military officers looked fearful, afraid of being chosen by the emperor.

Grand Secretary Zhang said, "I believe that the Northern Frontier King is coming with great force, so we should avoid his sharp edge. With the soldiers of the capital surrounding the palace, and with nearly 200,000 soldiers around, no matter how capable the Northern Frontier King is, he will not be able to step into the palace."

An official immediately chimed in, "Grand Secretary Zhang is right. In the current situation, the safety of the Emperor should be the top priority. If we can surround the palace like an iron barrel, the King of the Northern Frontier, unable to conquer it after a long siege, may leave and choose another city to live in."

"You expect me to be a coward?" The Emperor's eyes were cold and deep. "The rebels have already reached the city gates, yet I can only cower in the palace, unable to even send out a single general to fight them. What use are you to me? How can I, an emperor, be reduced to such a pathetic state? What kind of sovereign am I?"