After regaining his senses, the emperor glared fiercely at Yun Zhuo, exuding the aura of an emperor.
Even though Yun Zhuo was severely injured, she still stared at him without backing down.
"..." The emperor turned his head in a panic, only to find that Prince Yu, Pan Yuanzhou, and General Lan were looking at him.
They simply watched, doing nothing and saying nothing, yet they created a silent pressure, layer upon layer, weighing down on him, the emperor.
These invisible pressures made the emperor see a fact clearly.
...If, for the sake of the Wansui Pill, he forces Yunzhuo to be taken away, and the affair of the young boys and girls is exposed, and Liu Qinghe and Ning Hongxi's actions are revealed, his reputation as a benevolent ruler, built up over many years, will be ruined in an instant.
Moreover, he will bear eternal infamy!
They will be nailed to the pillar of shame for all eternity.
This is completely different from what he has been pursuing since he ascended the throne.
This must not happen! It must not!
Without Liu Qinghe, he could find someone else to refine the Longevity Pill; without Ning Hongxi, he could simply promote another prime minister.
As the emperor, he had no reason to put himself in danger.
Inside the imperial city, Prince Yu, Pan Yuanzhou, General Lan, and others were watching him; outside the imperial city, Zhao Chengping and countless common people were keeping an eye on him… He had no choice but to do as Yun Zhuo said.
At this moment, Yun Zhuo completed Ye Qingxue's original plan—to use countless loyal ministers and generals to put pressure on the emperor!
The emperor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "I truly did not know that this criminal Liu Qinghe was still alive. The disappearance of young boys and girls was actually related to him! Moreover, Prime Minister Ning Hongxi was in cahoots with him. He is truly hateful and deserving of death!"
"By imperial decree, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have no intention of treason; it is merely a deliberate frame-up by Ning Hongxi!"
"Cui Shao, I hereby order you to take two thousand men and arrest Ning Hongxi and Liu Qinghe. I will personally interrogate them. If the evidence is conclusive, and they have harmed innocent people, I will have them beheaded and their heads displayed to the public!"
Even after issuing the order, the emperor was still reluctant, feeling a pang of pain in his heart. Liu Qinghe had been making pills for him for many years, and they had been quite effective.
After the Ninth Prince passed away, he took in many concubines, but there was no good news in the harem. It was Ning Hongxi who gave him Liu Qinghe's Longevity Pills, and only then did the concubines' bellies start to show signs of pregnancy.
Taking down Ning Hongxi and Liu Qinghe now would be tantamount to cutting off his path to rejuvenation, longevity, and the continuation of his lineage. How could he not be heartbroken?
...
Ning Hongxi's men marched very fast along those three miles, striding forward into the night.
Ning Hongxi rode on his tall horse, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Tonight, he would avenge his eldest son, Ning Xun.
He had no choice but to poison Ning Xun and then bring him before the emperor to confess his crimes. He always blamed Yun Zhuo and Ye Qingxue for Ning Xun's death and was always plotting revenge.
Not only was Yun Zhuo dead, but he also wanted to personally send Ye Qingxue and the baby in her womb to their deaths, only then could he vent his hatred!
He arranged for countless soldiers to intercept Yu Xiao and his group from all directions, preventing them from entering the capital city and from having any contact with the people.
Various forms of encirclement and suppression, with no mercy shown, completely concealed the truth about the use of young boys and girls and the making of the Longevity Pill.
When he led his men out of the city, he knew that Prince Yu and his men were kneeling before the emperor, pleading for the Crown Princess. He said it was alright and let them kneel.
As long as they don't know the truth about Wanliu Town, even if they beg on their knees, their emotions won't be too intense, and the emperor won't agree to their demands.
At worst, the emperor could just stall for time, keep them waiting outside the Zichen Palace, and then tell them that the Crown Princess was dead, and there was nothing they could do about it.
Thinking of this, Ning Hongxi's lips curled into a contemptuous sneer.
"Your Excellency, we are approaching Dafeng Village. Xuan Wang's men came here before, so the villagers were frightened and retreated to the back mountain," the scouts reported back.
Under the firelight, Ning Hongxi squinted at Dafeng Village in front of him. It was pitch black, and many families didn't even light up their lamps—they were too poor, and lighting such things at night was a waste of money!
All that could be heard were the noisy chirping of cicadas and the croaking of frogs.
The arrival of their procession illuminated the area as brightly as day with their torches.
"Currently, there are around fifty guards protecting the Crown Princess. If you include those who serve her, the number doesn't exceed seventy," the investigator added.
Ning Hongxi glanced back at his men, a full thousand, while the enemy had less than seventy. It was truly... using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Now it seems that flattening Dafeng Village and killing Ye Qingxue is just a piece of cake.
Ning Hongxi beckoned to Deputy Commander Chen Wenhuan, who immediately came over and bowed his head to listen to Ning Hongxi speak.
Ning Hongxi said, "Tonight is the day to avenge my son and my brother Rong'er. I will not only kill Ye Qingxue, but also make her and Yun Zhuo infamous for ten thousand years!"
"You secretly take our people to the back mountain, pretend to be from the Crown Prince's residence, and kill all the villagers. No, leave one or two alive so that outsiders know that the tragic deaths of the entire village of Dafeng tonight were the Crown Prince's evil deeds."
Finally, a breeze stirred in the night.
Chen Wenhuan replied, "Yes!"
Ning Hongxi continued, "Why did the Crown Prince's residence massacre the people? It's because the Crown Princess was hiding in Dafeng Village. When the Prime Minister came to arrest her on the Emperor's orders, these villagers didn't protect her; instead, they chose to flee for their lives. The Crown Princess was furious. If she can't live, then no one else can either. Do you understand?"
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