Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 185 Turmoil in the Capital, Purge Begins

The capital city is in turmoil, and it could happen in an instant.

Just moments before, rumors were circulating in the capital that the emperor had been deposed and that Zhu Houzhao's claim was false.

The Forbidden City was sealed off by the Imperial Guards the next moment, allowing entry but not exit.

The Northern Garrison Command was taken over by the Xuanjia Secret Guards dispatched by Xue Shan.

"How dare you! This is the Northern Garrison Command! Who would dare to trespass here?"

"roll!"

A secret guard, with a powerful stride, kicked over several Imperial Guards and strode into the Northern Garrison Command. Ignoring the menacing Imperial Guards around him, he sat down in the main hall, waiting for the arrival of the Imperial Guard Commander Qinglong and his deputy commander.

"How dare you! Who are you to..."

The three commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xuanwu, Zhuque, and Baihu, fell silent upon seeing the golden token in the secret guard's hand. They knelt on one knee and cried out, "Your Majesty, may you be well!"

Even the imperial edicts personally issued by the Emperor have arrived.

Only the dead cannot recognize reality.

"I am safe!"

The secret guard put away the golden token and snorted coldly, "I have been ordered to take over the Embroidered Uniform Guard and control the Northern Garrison. I hope you will cooperate during this period of time. Otherwise... I have the authority to act expediently, and all matters will be within my discretion."

The last sentence is a blatant warning.

He practically said that killing everyone in the Northern Garrison Command would be within his reach.

How could Xuanwu and the others not understand?

The secret guard glanced at everyone and asked again, "Where is Qinglong? Why is the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard nowhere to be seen?"

"Reporting to...Reporting to your Excellency, the commander is him, he..."

Why are you hesitating?

Zhuque stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency, Qinglong has been stripped of his command and imprisoned for forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. He is currently in the Imperial Prison. If Your Excellency wishes to interrogate him, I will immediately order him to be brought here."

"The lock has been taken to prison?" The secret guard snorted coldly, but did not pursue the matter further.

His mission was to control the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not to seek justice for Qinglong. Besides, if Qinglong were to be reinstated as commander, would he then retire after achieving his goal and return to Mount Hua to continue being a minor elder when his own prince ascends the throne?
……

On the other side, at the East Investigation Factory.

A young eunuch rushed in hastily.

"Reporting to the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, His Majesty's decree has arrived."

"The Emperor's decree?" Liu Xi paused in his tea-drinking, looking at him with a "you're kidding me" expression. As one of Zhu Wushi's moles, he knew about Zhu Wushi's plans.

At this point, Zhu Houzhao was already in a precarious situation.

How could there possibly be an imperial edict arriving?

"The Emperor's decree arrived so suddenly, could it be that Cao Zhengchun's affair has come to light?" Iron Claw Flying Eagle, dressed like a monk or nun, asked in confusion, "Commander, what should we do?"

"What's the panic?" Liu Xi sneered contemptuously. "Even the emperor is struggling to take care of himself. So what if I don't obey the imperial decree?"

"Clap clap clap!"

A round of applause, accompanied by the sound of footsteps, reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Even Cao Zhengchun wouldn't dare to show such contempt for imperial power when he was alive. Liu Xi, you've really opened my eyes!"

The newcomer had a delicate and handsome face, with a good appearance, but his temperament was like that of a battle-hardened soldier. He walked with a powerful stride and a breezy air, not like a eunuch, but more like someone from a military background.

"It's...it's you?" Liu Xi jumped up as if he had seen a ghost. His face was no longer calm and collected, but filled with terror.

"Yu Huatian of the Western Depot, aren't you dead?"

Liu Xi was as if he had seen a ghost. Yu Huatian was one of the eunuchs who was sent to infiltrate the Prince Su’s mansion, and Liu Xi had personally confirmed it. How could he have come back to life now?
Yu Huatian flicked his cloak, and a eunuch from the Western Depot immediately brought him a chair to sit on. He then slowly said, "Thanks to Your Highness's grace, I have survived by chance." "Hmph, consider yourself lucky."

A sinister and ruthless killing intent flashed in Liu Xi's eyes.

Such emotions naturally did not escape Yu Huatian's eyes. He smiled gently, flipped his right index finger, and a silver needle shot through the air like lightning, so fast that Liu Xishang did not have time to react before it pierced his eye.

"Ah~!" Liu Xi belatedly covered his eyes and screamed in pain. Blood seeped into his palms and dripped continuously, leaving them covered in blood in an instant.

Yu Huatian snorted coldly, his eyes full of contempt. If he hadn't deliberately held back, the silver needle would have pierced Liu Xi's eye directly and emerged from the back of his head, instead of just destroying one of his eyes.

Yu Huatian waved his hand, and a eunuch from the Western Depot immediately unfurled the imperial edict: "By His Majesty's decree."

Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!

Even Liu Xi was momentarily stunned and could only groan in a low voice.

However, after waiting for a long time, no eunuch from the Western Depot announced the imperial edict.

Little did they know, the eunuch from the Western Depot was also mistaken. The imperial edict was genuine and stamped with the imperial seal, but the problem was... apart from the phrase "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees," there was no other content inside.

"The Eastern Depot was ordered to investigate both domestic and foreign affairs. This time, the Iron-Blooded Marquis Zhu Wushi colluded with the cabinet, intending to overthrow the imperial power. The Eastern Depot did nothing, which I regret and am saddened by. Therefore, I have dismissed Cao Zhengchun from his position as the Director of the Eastern Depot and Liu Xi from his position as the Deputy Director. Yu Huatian of the Western Depot will temporarily take charge of the Eastern Depot. All matters inside and outside the Eastern Depot will be decided by him temporarily. You should all work together to assist him. Anyone who disobeys will be executed."

"Appreciate this!"

Yu Huatian finished reading the imperial edict with a smile, and the people from the Eastern Depot immediately knelt on the ground in fear.

Liu Xi covered his blinded eye, initially filled with disappointment and despair, but quickly realized something was wrong and roared with a ferocious expression, "Yu Huatian, how dare you falsely convey the imperial edict?"

Liu Xi climbed his way up from being one of Liu Jin's adopted sons, surviving the great purge and eventually rising to the position of deputy director of the Eastern Depot, handling no fewer than a hundred imperial edicts.

There has never been such a trivial imperial edict as that issued by Yu Huatian.

It was less of an imperial edict and more of a hastily composed one by Yu Huatian.

"You want to defy the imperial decree?" Yu Huatian looked at Liu Xi with a chilling gaze, his voice as cold as an unmelting block of ice, making everyone present feel as if their blood had frozen.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xi burst into laughter: "Forging an imperial edict is the most tantamount to treason."

"Yu Huatian, you're dead."

"madness!"

Yu Huatian coldly uttered two words. The fact that he was here and dared to read the blank imperial edict himself was enough to explain everything. Liu Xi still couldn't react. He said indifferently, "Liu Xi disobeyed the imperial edict. His martial arts skills are hereby abolished, and he is locked in the imperial prison. His accomplices will all be punished according to their crimes. There will be no leniency."

"Yes, Master!"

Several guards from the Western Depot, dressed in flying fish robes, pounced on Liu Xi and Iron Claw Flying Eagle like fierce tigers.

"Crack!"

Iron Claw Eagle and Liu Xi's accomplices were naturally unwilling to surrender, but in just one exchange, they had both arms dislocated and cried out in pain.

Yu Huatian stared blankly at the scene before him, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

These Western Depot guards also had another identity: the Xuanjia Secret Guards.

Those who can stay by his side are at least at the Xuan realm.

How could Iron Claw Flying Eagle and ordinary Eastern Depot agents compare?

Although Liu Xi was blind in one eye, he could still see the clues from the actions of the Western Depot guards. He was so frightened that he turned around and was about to smash the window to run away. Unfortunately, as soon as he turned around, he found that Yu Huatian, who should have been drinking tea behind him, had appeared in front of him as if he were a ghost.

"you……"

"Betraying the Emperor and framing His Highness."

As Yu Huatian finished speaking, a hand gripped Liu Xi's shoulder, and with just a little force, he forced Liu Xi to kneel on the ground: "Liu Xi, I'll play with you slowly. If I don't let you experience all the tortures of the Imperial Prison, I'll go to His Highness and atone with my death."

(End of this chapter)