Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 435 All Who Are Alive Must Be Killed
"Kill!" Erzhu Rong's roar overwhelmed the raging Yellow River. "All who live shall be executed!"

He waved his hand forcefully, and the Qihu cavalry charged into the stunned crowd, slashing at the pampered princes and officials!

In an instant, limbs and severed bodies flew everywhere, and blood splattered all over the place. The area in front of the altar became a battlefield where lives were reaped.

The princes and ministers were all bewildered by this bizarre scene. Many even thought they were dreaming until they saw their colleagues' heads separated from their bodies, with blood spraying all over their faces, which suddenly jolted them awake...

Some screamed and ran away with their heads in their hands, some collapsed to the ground in fear, and some cursed angrily. But before the Qihu cavalry's scimitars, all were equal. I don't care about this or that, I'll cut them all down with one slash!

Of course, some people used supernatural powers to try and fight their way out. But in the Great Wei court, there were no more demigods left, and no one could stand against Erzhu Rong!

He led his generals into the air, specifically to call out those who wanted to use their supernatural powers to resist.

Sikong Yuanqin transformed into a white rainbow, attempting to escape the scene. However, Erzhu Rong forcefully pulled him back, severing his neck with a single sword stroke. Yuanqin's spirit tried to flee, but was also killed by Erzhu Rong's sword!

A flash of crimson light appeared on the bronze sword, and it absorbed a wisp of purple energy from the prince into the sword!

"Not enough, not enough, far from enough!" Erzhu Rong killed several more members of the royal family in succession. His bronze sword had turned an eerie purplish-blue color, but he was still very dissatisfied. He spat and said, "I thought you princes were so noble, but you're all just a bunch of worthless show-offs!"

At this moment, a Han official unleashed his magical artifact, the Heavenly Official Seal, and hurled it at Erzhu Rong. Caught off guard, Erzhu Rong was struck and saw stars.

He didn't seem to care at all, and laughed loudly, "Now that's more interesting!"

Having said that, he pulled the Han official in front of him and asked in a deep voice, "I do not kill nameless people. State your name."

The Han official, unfazed, replied, "Wang Zunye of Taiyuan!"

"So we're from the same hometown." Erzhu Rong had heard of this literary leader's name before and said with a smile, "People say you are the reincarnation of the God of Literature, so how about you assist me?"

"Don't even think about it." Wang Zunye replied resolutely, "My Wang family is irreconcilably opposed to traitors and rebels!"

"Bah! If he truly had integrity, he wouldn't serve the barbarians." Erzhu Rong spat, then reached out and cut open Wang Zunye's chest, pulling out his golden heart, and laughed gleefully:

"As expected of the reincarnation of the God of Literature, he is far superior to those worthless princes!"

After saying that, he put Wang Zunye's heart into his mouth and swallowed it in a few bites. Immediately, his whole body shone with golden light!
"Good, good, a few more like this!" Erzhu Rong shivered with relief and continued his frenzied slaughter of the imperial family and officials!

~~
In the temporary palace beside the altar, the new emperor, Yuan Ziyou, was waiting for the ceremony to begin, accompanied by his two brothers.

But then he heard Erzhu Rong outside angrily cursing the princes and officials. At first, he thought there was some truth to his cursing, but gradually he felt that something was wrong with it.

"What? General Erzhu wants to kill all the officials in the court?" Yuan Ziyou could hardly believe his ears.

“He’s just bluffing,” his elder brother Yuan Shao said with certainty. “Throughout history, I’ve never heard of anyone daring to do something like that.”

His younger brother, Yuan Zizheng, chimed in, "Even notoriously cruel figures like Shi Hu and Fu Sheng couldn't possibly kill all the officials in the court..."

Before he could finish speaking, deafening screams and wails erupted outside!
The three brothers were immediately stunned. The next moment, they all rushed outside the tent to see what was happening—

The three of them saw countless armored cavalry surrounding the unarmed princes and ministers, trampling them with their horses and slashing them with their swords, as if they were cutting melons and vegetables, truly carrying out a massacre!

In an instant, clothes were scattered all over the ground, blood flowed like a river, and a strong stench of blood hit them, leaving the three of them stunned.

"Stop! Stop now!" After a while, Yuan Ziyou remembered that he was the emperor and hurriedly shouted, "I order you to stop the killing immediately!" But the warriors guarding him were led by Erzhu Shilong and ignored his words.

Moreover, Yuan Ziyou's shout attracted the bloodthirsty Qihu soldiers.

"Kill them too!" The Qihu soldiers charged forward, brandishing their blood-stained scimitars.

“This is the Emperor, he cannot be killed.” Erzhu Shilong pulled Yuan Ziyou to his side.

"And what about these two?" Qi Hubing asked, pointing his knife at the two brothers.

“I don’t care about these two,” Erzhu Shilong said with a sneer.

"Kill them!" The Qihu soldiers rushed towards Yuan Shao and Yuan Zizheng.

"Don't kill my brothers!" Yuan Ziyou immediately panicked and rushed forward to protect his older and younger brothers.

But Erzhu Shilong picked him up and carried him into the tent like a chick.

But the moment he was brought into the tent, Yuan Ziyou saw his brother and younger brother being beheaded by the Qihu soldiers, and he froze on the spot.

~~
The massacre lasted for a full hour, killing hundreds of members of the royal family, from Prince Gaoyang Yuan Yong, Minister of Works Yuan Qin, Prince Yiyang Yuan Lue, down to civil and military officials of both Han and non-Han ethnicities. More than 2,300 court officials perished.

Including their attendants, servants, coachmen, and guards, the number of victims reached tens of thousands, an event known in history as the "Heyin Incident".

Erzhu Rong then ordered his men to cut off the heads of the dead one by one, and built a tall mound of heads on the altar on the banks of the Yellow River.

At this point, only the Empress Dowager, the young emperor, and a few powerless civil officials remained, who were deliberately kept behind.

Erzhu Rong glanced at the dozens of civil officials and said, "Whoever can write the abdication edict, step forward, and I will spare your lives."

Although these civil officials were terrified, they knew very well that writing an imperial edict at this time would bring them eternal infamy. Therefore, ashamed to obey, they all prostrated themselves on the ground and refused to get up.

Erzhu Rong then ordered his men to kill them one by one and pile their heads into a mound of skulls.

In the end, only the censor Zhao Yuanze, fearing death, said that he could write it, and thus wrote the abdication edict for Erzhu Rong.

After receiving the abdication document, the Qihu soldiers shouted "Long live the Emperor!" to Erzhu Rong, and led by Erzhu Tianguang, they shouted, "The Yuan clan is destroyed, the Erzhu clan rises!"

Erzhu Rong not only did not stop him, but instead looked like he was enjoying it.

Once the shouts subsided, he turned to Empress Dowager Hu, who had been brought before him, and said, "Now you know how great a sin you have committed, don't you?"

"Pah..." After witnessing a scene beyond human imagination, Empress Dowager Hu had become numb to death and instead remembered her own identity.

"The pig-like Qihu dares to presume to call himself supreme; it's truly laughable to the world."

“You…” Erzhu Rong’s face flushed red, clearly feeling hurt again.

After a long while, he calmed down and sneered at Empress Dowager Hu: "Since you also want to die, then I'll use your head and the young emperor's head to complete a miracle!"

(End of this chapter)