Chen Zhennan frowned, his heart filled with turmoil.

He had long suspected that many officials in the court had secretly joined the Shadow Organization, but he never expected the situation to be so serious.

Apart from the Ministry of Rites, almost all officials of the fourth rank and above have been bribed by Shadow. Doesn't this mean that the entire Beirong City is under Shadow's control?

Chen Zhennan took a deep breath, his heart filled with confusion and anxiety. So many officials had been bribed by the Shadow, they couldn't possibly arrest them all, could they?

Just as Chen Zhennan was hesitating, the door behind him slowly opened with a creak.

Despite her pain, Song Yunyang slowly walked out, each step appearing extremely difficult.

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Zhennan hurriedly turned around, stepped forward, and reached out to support Song Yunyang. His brows were furrowed, and his tone was filled with worry and reproach: "Yunyang, you are seriously injured. Why did you still come out? You should rest properly."

Song Yunyang couldn't help but cough a few times, and the wound on her back became even more painful, but her eyes revealed a determined light.

Song Yunyang steadied herself and slowly spoke, her voice weak but full of strength.

“Brother Nan, I know you’re hesitant, but at this crucial moment, you can’t afford to hesitate for a second. All officials who have sided with the Shadow Organization must be arrested; not a single one can be let go.”

A flicker of hesitation crossed Chen Zhennan's eyes as he looked at Song Yunyang, but he still hesitated.

“But Yunyang, if we do this, the court will fall into chaos. If so many high-ranking officials are arrested, government affairs may come to a standstill. I…”

Song Yunyang interrupted him, frowning, and said, "These officials are the foundation of the court; they know too much. Letting them go might lead to more secrets being leaked. We can't take that risk."

Song Yunyang's words struck Chen Zhennan like a heavy hammer. His resolve hardened instantly, and his gaze suddenly turned fierce.

“Yun Yang, you’re right. I can’t let Shadow continue to control everything in the shadows. I will immediately order the arrest of all officials who have ties with Shadow, leaving no one alive.”

Song Yunyang nodded slightly, finally revealing a smile: "Well, if you find it difficult, then do it in my name. If I hadn't been injured, I would have arrested them myself."

Upon hearing Song Yunyang's words, Chen Zhennan smiled and shook his head: "At this point, how could I let you bear the blame? I am the emperor, and future generations can judge me as they see fit, but these things should be done by me."

As he spoke, Chen Zhennan helped Song Yunyang slowly walk back into the house, telling her to go inside and rest and not to move around.

Turning to leave, Chen Zhennan looked up at Yan Shiyu and took a deep breath.

"Pass on my order: immediately arrest all officials who have ties to Shadow. Shiyu, you are in charge of this matter; there must be no mistakes!"

Yan Shiyu nodded emphatically, a determined look flashing across his face, and turned to walk towards the palace gate.

As for Cao Kedi's fate, whether he lives or dies is up to Chen Zhennan to decide.

"All special forces members, assemble!"

Yan Shiyu shouted loudly from outside the courtyard, his voice as loud as thunder, instantly attracting the attention of all the team members.

The special forces members quickly assembled, each with a serious expression, awaiting Yan Shiyu's instructions.

"Brothers, prepare for action. Except for the Ministry of Rites, arrest every single official of the fourth rank and above!"

The team members nodded in agreement, but all looked hesitant.

There are over a thousand officials in Beirong City, with two to three hundred of them holding the rank of fourth grade or higher. It's easy to imagine how much work that would require.

Despite the difficulties, no one complained and everyone was well prepared.

Just as they were about to set off, a huge explosion came from afar, deafening and shaking the entire palace.

Upon hearing the sound, Yan Shiyu frowned sharply. His figure moved with the agility of a cheetah as he leaped onto the palace wall and looked in the direction of the sound.

"What's going on at the east gate of the palace, due east?!" Yan Shiyu muttered to himself, his brows furrowing.

"Captain, what happened?" a team member asked hurriedly, his face full of confusion.

The team members all looked in the direction of the explosion and saw a plume of black smoke slowly rising.

Yan Shiyu's eyes widened, a flash of anger appearing in them.

"Who has the audacity to cause trouble at the east gate of the palace!"

Before Yan Shiyu could say anything more, another series of explosions rang out, this time the sound was even more distant.

Yan Shiyu looked around and realized that this time it was actually to the west of the palace, but not at the city gate, but in the city further away.

"Everyone, stay alert! We may be facing an emergency!" Yan Shiyu shouted, his eyes flashing with decisiveness.

As the explosions gradually subsided, Yan Shiyu noticed that a raging fire had begun to break out in the city, with flames soaring into the night sky and turning half the sky red.

Flames were burning not only in the west of the city, but also around the palace, as if the entire city of Beirong had fallen into chaos.

After a moment's thought, Yan Shiyu hurriedly ordered, "Select twenty men, divide them into two teams. One team will follow me to the east gate, and the other team will go to the west gate. Find out the situation and report back immediately! The rest of you, stay here to protect the Emperor!"

"yes!"

"Quick, follow me!"

Yan Shiyu hurriedly led ten special forces members toward the east gate of the palace. Their steps were swift, like a gust of wind.

Before they even reached the East Gate, another huge explosion rang out outside the palace. This time it was clearer and closer, confirming that it was right outside the East Gate.

"Everyone get ready, stay alert!" Yan Shiyu shouted as he ran.

The team members nodded in agreement and quickly took out their submachine guns, loading them with bullets.

"Captain, the East Gate is just ahead!" a team member said, panting.

"Speed ​​up, faster!"

Yan Shiyu responded, secretly thinking, "This time the explosion seems closer than before. Could it be that the enemy has already breached the city?"

When they finally arrived at the East Gate, the scene before them made Yan Shiyu breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Wang Xiao and his imperial guards were standing guard at the palace gate, but their faces were filled with doubt and unease.

"Wang Xiao, what's the situation?" Yan Shiyu asked hurriedly, his gaze sweeping over the Imperial Guard's ranks, trying to find some clues.

"Captain Yan, we don't know what happened either. There are constant explosions, but there seems to be no sign of an enemy attack outside." Wang Xiao frowned, his expression grave.

"I'll go take a look from the city wall!"

Yan Shiyu had no time to hesitate and rushed up the palace wall. He felt uneasy; such a violent explosion was bound to cause trouble.

As he stood on the city wall, looking down at the city, what he saw shocked him.

Another explosion rang out, and black smoke billowed into the city. The chaotic scene shocked him greatly.

"What on earth is going on? The whole city is in chaos!"