The next morning, before dawn, Xuanyuan Che woke up. Looking at Chen Xiaoru in his arms, a sweet feeling flashed through his heart.
He gently put her down from his arms, as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure, for fear of disturbing her sweet dream.
He stood up, put on his clothes and went outside the hall. Eunuch Li was already waiting there.
Before the dawn, the cold wind, carrying moisture, penetrated into the muscles and bones, bringing a biting chill.
Xuanyuan Che took a deep breath, and the cold air rushed into his lungs, making him more clear-headed.
A solemn and murderous atmosphere enveloped the palace, like solidified ink, so heavy that it made it hard to breathe.
In the Golden Palace, all the civil and military officials had already gathered together, whispering and talking to each other, all guessing the purpose of the emperor's morning court today.
The atmosphere in the hall was extremely depressing, so dull that one could almost hear the echo of one's heart beating like a drum.
The golden dragon perched on the carved beams and painted buildings looked particularly ferocious in the dim light, foreshadowing the unrest of the day.
When Xuanyuan Che appeared in the Golden Throne Hall wearing a black dragon robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon and a twelve-tasseled crown on his head, the entire hall instantly became quiet.
He walked slowly up to the dragon throne, each step stepping on the heartbeats of the officials, steady and powerful.
He looked down at the ministers in the hall, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, as if he could see through people's hearts.
Wherever his eyes fell, no one dared to look him in the eye, and they all lowered their heads in submission.
After he sat down, he did not ask about government affairs as usual, but directly threw the secret letter in his hand down.
The secret letter broke the silence and hit the white marble floor with the sound of wind, making a crisp sound, like a gavel, shocking everyone.
He said in a cold voice: "My dear ministers, take a look, this is my good prime minister!"
The sound was not loud, but it was filled with the wrath of thunder, echoing in the hall and making everyone's eardrums numb.
The secret letter was quickly passed around and circulated among the ministers, their faces becoming increasingly grim.
The rustling sound of paper rubbing against each other was particularly harsh in the silent hall, gnawing at their hearts like insects.
When they saw the contents of the secret letter, they were all shocked and filled with fear.
Written on it were evidence of the prime minister's conspiracy to betray the country, embezzle military pay, and even secretly raise assassins with the intention of rebellion.
Every word is heart-wrenching and shocking.
Xuanyuan Che watched all this coldly, taking in the expressions of everyone in the hall.
He saw some people were terrified, some were angry, some were confused, and some were secretly delighted.
He knew that after today, there would be a bloody storm in the court, and this bloody storm would completely wash away the filth of the Great Xia Dynasty.
"Go and bring the Prime Minister up here?"
Xuanyuan Che's voice echoed in the hall, cold and majestic. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, bringing a bone-chilling chill.
"yes!"
The commander of the Imperial Guards received the order, his voice resounding and powerful, echoing throughout the hall.
Soon, the prime minister was brought up.
His face was pale, his steps were unsteady, and his official uniform was wrinkled. He no longer had the majesty of the past.
He was held by two guards and dragged along, his knees rubbing against the cold ground, making a harsh sound.
That sound, like a death knell, foreshadowed his end.
Xuanyuan Che stared at him and asked word by word, "Prime Minister, do you admit your guilt?"
His voice was not loud, but it was like a sharp sword, piercing the Prime Minister's heart.
The prime minister was trembling all over, like a leaf in the wind, ready to fall down at any moment.
He raised his head and met Xuanyuan Che's cold and ruthless eyes, and the last bit of hope in his heart disappeared completely.
He knew he was finished.
He argued hoarsely, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I am loyal to Your Majesty and have no second thoughts. Someone must be framing me!"
He tried desperately to defend himself, his voice hoarse and incoherent, beads of sweat the size of beans oozing from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the cold ground, splashing tiny water droplets.
The splash of water was like his shattered hope, which could never be put back together again.
"Framed?"
Xuanyuan Che sneered, his laughter full of sarcasm and disdain.
He pointed at the secret letter on the ground and said sternly, "The evidence is irrefutable, yet you still dare to quibble! Come, arrest the Prime Minister and his followers!"
Following Xuanyuan Che's order, the imperial guards who had been lying in ambush outside the palace rushed in like a tide, surrounding the prime minister and his followers.
"Pass on my decree," Xuanyuan Che's voice was icy cold, without a trace of emotion, his eyes as cold as ice. "Immediately seal off the Prime Minister's Mansion. All members of the Su family, regardless of legitimate or illegitimate, will be executed immediately. All three clans will be exterminated! All officials associated with the Prime Minister's Mansion will be killed."
After saying that, Xuanyuan Che left.
"Withdrawal from the Court"
With Xuanyuan Che's departure, all officials associated with the Prime Minister's Mansion were arrested and awaited execution.
Prime Minister Su's residence was now completely surrounded by a sea of imperial guards. Within, the sounds of mournful cries and desperate pleas for mercy mingled, piercing the night air. Yet, awed by the emperor's majesty, no one dared to step forward. With icy faces and wielding icy swords and spears, the guards, carrying out the emperor's ironclad order, captured every member of the Su residence, young and old, women, and children.
The direct descendants of the Su family, who usually lived in luxury and lorded it over them, now knelt on the ground like stray dogs, their bodies trembling like sieves. They wailed at the top of their lungs, kowtowed with tears, begging for a slim chance of survival, but the heartless imperial guards turned a deaf ear and coldly dragged them out one by one.
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