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

Chapter 336 The Bubble Bursted
"No...nobody's here..."

"kill!"

Before the official being interrogated could finish speaking, Yu Huatian waved his hand, and across from the prison cell, a relative of that official was dragged out by the West Depot agents and killed in front of the official with a single stroke.

"Do not……"

Ji Li's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared like a mad tiger, trying desperately to break free of the shackles and chains. But no matter how angry he was, he could only watch helplessly as his son fell into a pool of blood.

An elderly man with gray hair stood out from the side, his brows furrowed, and angrily rebuked, "Yu Huatian, you are nothing but a eunuch. Without being interrogated by the Ministry of Justice and the Three Judicial Offices, what right do you have to kill someone?"

"This is the Eastern Depot's prison. What are you... what is the Western Depot?"

"Without the power of life and death, aren't you afraid that one day I will report you to the Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Huatian remained unmoved, a cold smile playing on his lips, his voice low and icy: "When you repeatedly tested His Majesty with your words before the Emperor, even using Confucian principles to force him to back down, or to act according to your wishes."

"Such overstepping of authority means that none of you will ever leave this prison."

"Indict me?"

"You have no chance."

Yu Huatian's words were like a heavy hammer blow, instantly striking many officials who were still hoping to get away with it, leaving them completely stunned.

"besides……"

"You ask me what the Western Depot is?"

"Now I'll tell you."

Yu Huatian gave Ma Jinliang a wink, signaling him to bring out the old man's relatives who had been shouting, and at the same time, he signaled to Tan Luzi and Ji Xueyong to take action.

"Cases that the Eastern Depot can't solve will be solved by the Western Depot. Also, listen carefully: I will kill those that the Eastern Depot won't kill, and I will handle things that the Eastern Depot dares not handle. In short, I will handle what the Eastern Depot can handle, and I will handle even more what the Eastern Depot can't handle."

"To act first and report later is a special privilege granted by imperial authority."

"This is the Western Depot!"

Yu Huatian, a confident smile on his lips, glanced sideways at Ji Li and the others, whose eyes were blazing with fury: "Is that clear enough?"

"you you……"

Guan Qi was so angry that his face turned red, and in the end he couldn't hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood.

He never imagined that his momentary display of eloquence would bring him such trouble.

Yu Huatian's cold gaze, sharp as a blade, fell upon Ji Li and Guan Qi: "The first time, I killed only one person; the second time, three; the third time, ten. But things don't happen more than three times. After the third time, the entire clan will be wiped out."

"Don't think we're trying to scare you."

"His Majesty has granted me the power of discretion, which means... killing you and exterminating your entire clan are all within my discretion."

Guan Qi pointed at the Western Depot and said angrily, "I am the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief. Let alone you, a mere eunuch from the Western Depot who is not even a supervising eunuch, even if you were to become the Grand Eunuch of the Western Depot, your official rank would still be below mine."

"Even if it is the power of expediency, it does not have the authority to deal with high-ranking officials of the second rank in the court."

"Oh~!"

Yu Huatian sighed dismissively and said, "Are you getting old and your hearing isn't working well?"

"With His Majesty's authorization, let alone exterminating your entire clan, even killing you, a second-rank official and the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, would be within our control."

"Do it."

"You dare?" Guan Qi suddenly stood up, ignoring his shackles, and lunged at Yu Huatian.

"The Left Vice Censor-in-Chief is quite impressive, isn't he?"

"Unfortunately, our family doesn't fall for that."

Yu Huatian was, after all, a Grandmaster of the Zhixuan Realm, only one step away from becoming a Celestial Grandmaster. How could a mere scholar possibly get close to him? With just a flick of his finger, a burst of true energy struck Guan Qi's chest. Guan Qi groaned, his face instantly turning ashen, and he collapsed to his knees before Yu Huatian and the others.

"What are you looking at? Keep killing!"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Jinliang swung his two swords backward, and where the sword light fell, several more people were killed.

Only after witnessing this scene did the prisoners in the imperial jail believe that Yu Huatian, with the imperial decree and the power to act expediently given by Zhu Jinzhen, was truly unrestrained and could do whatever he said, even if it meant killing your whole family and exterminating your nine generations.

There will be absolutely no scruples.

Identity, status?
At this moment, none of that mattered. "Since you're so eager, sir, shall we begin with you?"

"Let me ask you one more time, whose instructions were given, and whose orders were given?"

"Even if you ask a hundred times, ten thousand times, I will only say two words: No!" Guan Qi glared angrily at Yu Huatian with bloodshot eyes, his face contorted with rage, looking like a demon.

"Stubborn."

With a wave of his hand, Yu Huatian sent more than a dozen of Guan Qi's relatives to their deaths.

The remaining officials were all terrified, their faces pale and trembling, fearing that they would be among the next targets of the officials who refused to answer and would be dragged out and killed on the spot.

Most of them were so distraught that they begged Guan Qi to tell them.

They don't want Yunyun to die.

"Don't you understand yet?"

"The aid you placed your hopes on, the so-called hope, has long been shattered."

"This is the Eastern Depot's prison, and this is the capital city."

"It is the place where His Majesty reigns supreme."

"No demons or monsters can get their hands on it."

"Get out? Escape?"

"Stop dreaming!"

Yu Huatian's words were like the coldest knife, piercing the hearts of Guan Qi, Ji Li, and other officials who were still stubbornly refusing to speak, tearing open a bloody wound.

In the past, when Zhu Houzhao was in power, they could use manipulation, or various underhanded tricks and excuses, to secretly take people out of the prison, or even openly take them away.

After several such incidents, they subconsciously assumed that this time would yield the same result.

At worst, they would retire and return to their hometown; at worst, they would be temporarily demoted; in more serious cases, they would be officially exiled but secretly replaced by other death row inmates, and then live a carefree life under different names.

He awaited the efforts of his colleagues in the court and the powerful families they supported, hoping to gradually return to officialdom and once again stand in the most sacred place of the Ming Dynasty, the Fengtian Hall.

But they seem to have forgotten.

Now, the emperor sitting on the throne is no longer the same Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, who was always mindful of the future, tried his best to balance the various forces, and brought the art of imperial rule and forbearance to its extreme.

Instead, it was the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Prince Su, Zhu Jinzhen.

A powerful emperor who will not back down or tolerate anything for any reason.

Want to bail someone out?

Whoever reaches out is an accomplice.

There is only one outcome: they will be punished as accomplices.

plead?

As far as Yu Huatian knew, from the time he left the Qianqing Palace until he entered the Eastern Depot's prison, the Imperial Palace had not received a single memorial pleading for his life.

"How could this happen?" Guan Qi collapsed to the ground in despair.

Ji Li and the other officials were also dejected and dejected, like eggplants wilted by frost.

They actually understood this principle a long time ago.

However, due to the long-standing collusion and reckless behavior of officials, and having tasted the power that even the emperor had to yield to, they became increasingly unruly and arrogant, believing that even if the sky were to fall, someone would still bail them out.

But Yu Huatian's words made it very clear to them.

With the changing of the seasons, their good days are over.

“We don’t have much time left. Tell me, whose orders were given? Whose idea was this?” Yu Huatian spoke again, this time with a cold and impatient tone, his murderous intent undisguised.

Several people, including the toughest official from just now, couldn't help but tremble.

They knew this was probably Yu Huatian's last bit of patience.

They said there might still be a glimmer of hope.

If you don't speak, you'll die a horrible death!
(End of this chapter)