Haoyue Kingdom, Rocky Imperial City.
Under the scorching sun, a few officials knelt in front of the hall, led by two old men with white beards, one wearing a purple official robe and the other wearing armor, who were shouting at the people in the hall.
The purple-robed old man's forehead was already covered with beads of sweat. He knelt on the ground and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, the fate of Zhou Muhou and the rebels is enough to frighten all officials. Your Majesty should show mercy and pardon the people. You must not increase taxes and levies, or you will lose the people's support!"
The old man in armor also shouted in dissuasion: "Your Majesty, the people of the country are currently boiling with resentment. Mobs are rising up in all directions, and the morale of the armies in the north and south is wavering. The Beihai Kingdom and the Yanyang Kingdom are ready to make a move. Your Majesty must not impose forced labor, build large-scale construction projects, and kill the people at this time!"
"I, your humble servant, and I, along with the late emperor, have defended this land. We cannot sit idly by and watch Your Majesty squander the nation's fortunes. If Your Majesty persists in pursuing this course, it will surely lead to the destruction of the nation. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider your actions!"
A few officials at the back echoed loudly, "Your Majesty, please think twice before you act!"
At this time, a tall and thin figure walked out of the hall, and his sharp voice was full of arrogance: "Could it be that Lord Lu and General Yu have been frightened by the traitors?"
Master Hua walked out of the shadows, stepping into the sunlight in his luxurious gilded white boots. His dark red robes shone with an eerie light in the sun. His pale face had prominent cheekbones, and he looked mean and treacherous.
He wiped his cherry lips and said, "The untouchables are the untouchables. No matter how much you show mercy, you will not be grateful for it. You will only let the ants climb over your heads."
"Master Hua! Stop spreading lies to confuse the people and deceive the emperor. I think you are deliberately trying to destroy the legacy left by our ancestors!" The purple-robed old man pointed at Master Hua with a trembling finger. His old face flushed red with anger and excitement. He shouted, "Come here, quickly capture this evil man who is causing chaos in the government!"
At this time, a young man wearing a flying fish suit with dark gold patterns walked over with an indifferent look on his face. He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with an upright posture, eyes like an eagle, and a cold chill emanating from his whole body.
The old man in armor pointed at Master Hua in the hall and shouted, "Yuan'er, quickly capture this bastard."
The young man slightly concealed the cold light in his eyes, and the Embroidered Spring Sword at his waist was unsheathed. There was a loud noise, and drops of blood rolled down the tip of the Embroidered Spring Sword.
Lord Lu fell to his knees, holding his neck, blood gushing from his throat.
"Old Prime Minister! Old Prime Minister..." The official kneeling in front of the hall was shocked and hurried forward to support Prime Minister Lu.
"Pei Zhiyuan, you dare to kill a first-rank official of the court, you should be put to death!" An old man in official uniform pointed at the young man in Feiyu uniform and cursed.
Another cold light flashed, and the old man fell to the ground, and the spreading blood dyed the stone bricks in front of the hall red.
When everyone saw Pei Zhiyuan coming at them fiercely and chopping down two people, they were so frightened that they dared not say a word and shrank behind the old man in armor.
Pei Zhiyuan coldly picked up a handkerchief and wiped the blood splattered on his face. His eyes were icy as he spoke in a serious voice, "Prime Minister Lu made outrageous remarks slandering the Imperial Master, disturbing the emperor's hearing and disturbing his heart. He has been executed on the spot by the Xuanjingsi Yamen!"
State Master Hua raised the corners of his lips, his narrow triangular eyes gleaming with brilliance, and his sharp voice echoed in front of the palace, "General Yu has gathered a group of rebels to openly commit a crime in front of the palace. Bring them all back to the Xuanjing Division for strict interrogation. Make sure they confess the remaining culprits!"
Pei Zhiyuan smiled evilly, half-knelt on the ground with his knife pressed down, and said respectfully to Master Hua: "As you command!"
"Pei Zhiyuan, I treat you as my own son and personally train and promote you. This is how you repay your father!" General Yu angrily swung his fist, about to hit Pei Zhiyuan in the face.
Pei Zhiyuan leaped up, sword drawn, and began to fight General Yu. His moves were brutal and swift, like a tiger. General Yu was old and unarmed, so he was quickly defeated.
After a few blows, his gray beard was stained with blood. General Yu cursed: "Rebellious son, you will not die a good death!"
Pei Zhiyuan didn't say anything more. The embroidered spring knife in his hand was as fast as lightning. He drew the knife with his backhand, and the cold light of the sharp blade was soon covered with blood. In an instant, blood rain suddenly fell from the sky, and red plum blossoms quickly fell on the bluestone slabs in front of the hall.
By the time everyone reacted, Pei Zhiyuan was already holding General Yu's head in one hand and half-kneeling in front of Master Hua.
State Master Hua curled his lips and said with a sinister smile, "Envoy Pei Jing, General Yu is your adoptive father after all. He has made great contributions to Haoyue. He should at least be allowed to keep his body intact."
"How dare this traitor instigate me to rebel against the country? How dare he be my adoptive father? I demand that all nine generations of his clan be executed to serve as a warning to others!" Pei Zhiyuan threw the head into the panicked crowd, his cold eyes like an eagle never looking away. He calmly wiped his bloody hands with a cloth, wiped the blood on the knife on his sleeve, and sheathed the Embroidered Spring Knife.
"You are a lackey, a lackey, worse than an animal. General Yu has raised an ungrateful wolf in you!" An official held the old general's head and pointed at Pei Zhiyuan and cursed.
"Catch them!" Several armored soldiers of the Imperial Guards surrounded them and took the crying officials away.
State Master Hua stood before the hall, his shrill voice piercing the ears of the surrounding servants. "Your Majesty's order: From this day forward, anyone who discusses state affairs or slanders Your Majesty will be killed! Each province and prefecture is ordered to pay a monthly tribute accumulating an additional 30%. Those who fail to pay on time or refuse to comply will be guilty of treason and executed without mercy!"
He turned to glance at the bright yellow figure standing in the shadows. His voice softened considerably, but still held a hint of intimidation. "Your Majesty, are you satisfied with the outcome of this matter?"
The emperor spoke in a childish voice, emotionless, "Lord Pei, you have sacrificed your own family for the greater good and have loyally protected the country. You have been promoted to the position of Chief of the Xuanjing Division and are at the disposal of the Imperial Master. The two thieves, Lu and Yu, have committed treason and deserve death. However, I, considering their age and incompetence, have pardoned them..."
Hua Guoshi interrupted him coldly, saying, "If the laws are not strict, it will not be conducive to governing the country. I will follow Pei Qing's advice and execute the nine clans of these two..."
"Pei Qing is also a descendant of General Yu. To accidentally harm a loyal official like this..." the emperor said hastily, "Why not confiscate the property of these two and exile their families?"
The corners of Hua Guoshi's lips suddenly tightened, and his voice became extremely cold, "Then it is up to you, Your Majesty!"
"I'm tired. I'll have to trouble the Imperial Master with other matters." The bright yellow figure turned around stiffly and was about to walk into the darkness.
All they heard was Hua Guoshi coldly saying, "General Envoy Pei, this state envoy has recently received intelligence that the Thirteenth Prince, who participated in the rebellion, is not dead but is being harbored by the Qingzhou Prefecture. Please, General Envoy, personally lead a team to apprehend him and bring him to justice. Any resistance will be executed!"
Pei Zhiyuan's eyes were deep, and his face was cold as he responded, "As you command."
The emperor paused, but he did not stay for long. Instead, he walked straight into the depths of darkness. The darkness gradually swallowed up the bright yellow figure. The thick ink seemed to spread out from the deep palace, stretching its claws in all directions.
In the sunlight, Master Hua's face was pale and gloomy, with resentful light emitting from his narrow triangular eyes, and his lips dotted with scarlet cherries raised up again.
Looks particularly treacherous.
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