As dawn broke, a ray of new morning light pierced through the smoke and blood that filled the air above the palace, breaking through the darkness of the long night.
However, this glimmer of hope failed to dispel the chill in the hearts of the survivors. Although the palace coup was quelled, the square strewn with corpses and the palaces blackened by fire all testified to the tragedy and madness of the previous night.
Inside the makeshift court tent, the atmosphere was so oppressive it seemed to freeze.
The surviving civil and military officials, regardless of faction, were all exhausted and shaken by the ordeal. Some of them had not slept all night, and some still bore the brunt of the battle. Yet, they had no choice but to brace themselves, stand with their heads bowed, and await the emperor who would quell the rebellion with thunderous force.
The curtain was lifted, and a figure slowly stepped in.
It wasn't that blood-stained armor, but a black dragon robe.
Xiao Che's face was pale from blood loss and exhaustion, but his phoenix eyes, once concealed by illness, were now sharp as an eagle and deep as an abyss. Every step he took into the tent felt as if he were stepping on everyone's hearts; the invisible imperial pressure caused the air inside the tent to contract.
Behind him, a beaded curtain hung down, and a figure in a phoenix coronet and wedding robes could be vaguely seen sitting behind her—it was Empress Lin Wanwan. She needed no words; her very presence was the emperor's strongest support.
Xiao Che did not walk to the main seat, but stopped in the center of the tent. He glanced around at the ministers below, whose expressions varied, and no one dared to meet his gaze.
"My dear ministers, you have worked hard."
His voice wasn't loud, even a little hoarse from the intense battle, but every word carried immense weight and unquestionable authority.
The officials immediately shouted, "It is our duty to share Your Majesty's burdens!"
"Well said, 'Behave yourself.'" Xiao Che's lips curled into a cold smile. He did not offer any comfort or reward, but instead cut straight to the point that everyone was terrified of.
He slowly took out a thick ledger wrapped in a black cover from his wide sleeves.
"Smack!"
He casually tossed the account books onto the table in front of him, the dull thud sending a shiver down the spines of many officials.
"Last night, a palace coup occurred. Rebellious ministers and traitors attempted to overthrow the empire. I, by the mandate of Heaven, quelled the rebellion; it is the will of Heaven." Xiao Che's voice suddenly turned cold. "However, a country cannot be without rules for a single day, nor can the law be enforced for a single day. I have summoned you all today to carry out the first task in restoring order—a reckoning!"
The moment the word "liquidation" was uttered, the temperature inside the tent seemed to plummet to freezing!
Some officials with guilty consciences began to tremble involuntarily. Meanwhile, the loyal veterans wore expressions of satisfaction; they knew that leniency towards the rebels was cruelty towards the country.
Ignoring everyone's reactions, Xiao Che personally opened the "black ledger" compiled by Lin Wanwan's intelligence network with countless efforts and read it aloud:
"Wang Jing'an, the Minister of Personnel, colluded with traitors, sold official positions, and facilitated the spread of his cronies throughout the court..."
"Zhou Xian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, embezzled funds from the national treasury, privately forged weapons, and provided financial assistance to traitors..."
"General Li Mu, the commander of the garrison, outwardly complied but inwardly defied, secretly handing over the defense map of the capital region to the traitor..."
Each name belonged to a powerful figure who once commanded respect and influence in the imperial court. Each charge was enough to condemn them to a gruesome death!
Xiao Che's voice was calm and cold. With each name he read out, a suppressed gasp would rise from the crowd, or an official would collapse to the ground, his face ashen. The accuracy and detail of this list far exceeded everyone's expectations, as if an invisible pair of eyes had already seen through all the conspiracies of the Regent's faction.
When the last name was read out, Xiao Che snapped the ledger shut.
He raised his eyes, his icy gaze sweeping over the faces below—faces filled with terror, glee, or bewilderment—and, in a tone devoid of any emotion, issued the first imperial edict following the palace coup:
"By imperial decree! All those listed on the register, along with their entire families (up to three generations), shall be executed! All their property, land, and shops shall be confiscated and deposited into the national treasury! So be it!"
"Execute the entire family!"
These four words struck like a thunderbolt in everyone's minds!
Ruthless! Absolutely ruthless!
This is not a purge, it is clearly a bloody purge from top to bottom! The emperor is trying to uproot the regent's faction completely, leaving no future trouble!
"His Majesty……"
An official tried to step forward, but Xiao Che froze him in place with a single glance.
"Chen Ce!" Xiao Che shouted sharply, not giving anyone a chance to speak.
"Your subordinate is here!"
Covered in blood and still exuding a murderous aura, Shen Ce strode forward and knelt on one knee.
"I command you to immediately lead the city's imperial guards, armed with this register, to arrest the traitors and confiscate their property!" Xiao Che threw the black ledger that had decided the lives of countless people in front of him. "Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"
This order sent a collective gasp through the officials.
Using the Imperial Guards who have just surrendered to capture their former master? What a ruthless imperial tactic! This is both a test and a way to force them to pledge their loyalty and sever all ties with their former master!
Shen Ce took the account book with both hands, a resolute glint in his eyes. He knew that this was the emperor's trust, and also the only chance for him and his soldiers to survive.
"Your subordinate obeys! I swear to complete the mission, even at the cost of my life!"
He suddenly stood up, turned around like the wind, and rushed out of the tent with the death list in his hand.
Soon, his powerful roar rang out from outside the tent: "His Majesty has decreed! Follow me to capture the traitors and atone for your crimes!"
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
His response was a deafening roar of battle cries. The surrendered army, which had just been filled with fear and trembling, instantly transformed into a pack of hungry wolves unleashed from their cages, driven by their will to survive and the opportunity offered by their new masters. They charged toward the mansions in the capital that they had once looked up to with overwhelming killing intent.
Inside the tent, there was a deathly silence. Everyone was stunned by the emperor's swift and decisive, iron-fisted actions. From announcing the charges to dispatching troops to confiscate property, there was not a moment's hesitation, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times.
Just then, an old and trembling voice broke the suffocating silence.
An elderly tutor, with white hair and beard and highly respected in the court, walked out of the queue tremblingly and knelt down on the ground.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" The old Grand Tutor kowtowed with deep sorrow, "Although the Regent's faction has committed heinous crimes, their influence is far-reaching. If they are all implicated, the court and the people will be in turmoil and filled with fear. The law does not punish the masses. I implore Your Majesty... to rescind your order, to deal with them leniently, and not to kill indiscriminately, so as to bring peace to the realm!"
As soon as he spoke, several equally prudent senior officials echoed his sentiments. They were acting out of a desire to maintain stability and hoped to cool down the bloody purge.
Xiao Che looked at the old tutor kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down his face, his expression blank.
Everyone watched him nervously, wondering whether the young emperor would heed this wise advice.
Behind the beaded curtain, Lin Wanwan frowned slightly. She knew that this was the most direct clash between old and new ideas.
However, Xiao Che simply took out a slightly thinner booklet from his sleeve and casually tossed it in front of the old Grand Tutor. The booklet fell to the ground, its pages unfolding to reveal a dense list of names and charges.
Xiao Che looked down at him, his voice icy cold, devoid of any warmth, as if it came from the deepest hell.
"My dear minister," he spoke slowly, "are you trying to plead for them?"
He paused, a chilling smile creeping onto his lips, and asked, word by word:
"Or is your name also on this?"
The old tutor's sobs abruptly ceased. He lowered his head in disbelief, looking at the open booklet. When his gaze fell upon a familiar name, he was struck dumb, his whole body trembling violently. His wrinkled old face instantly drained of color, turning ashen white.
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