Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 663 He entered the palace!

The sky remained a deep, dark blue.

The eastern horizon was only a cold gray-white, like ink spreading on a piece of rice paper that was not yet bright, making the entire capital city feel suffocated.

The crisp air carried the lingering chill of last night and the slightly fishy smell of dew.

Liang Jin had already sat up from the couch.

"Brother Liang, it's still early... go back to sleep."

Zhao Yiyi's voice was heavy with a languid sleepiness. She struggled to sit up, but the thin blanket slipped down, revealing her smooth, rounded shoulders.

"I'll go make you some porridge... to warm you up..."

Her voice was as soft and gentle as willow branches in early spring.

"Lie down."

Liang Jin's tone left no room for argument, yet his hand, with a gentle strength, pressed lightly against her cheek, still flushed from the lingering passion.

"My body is so strong, I can handle a few more nights of jostling. But you..."

His fingertips lingered on the delicate skin of her neck for a moment, his gaze unfathomable:
"last night……"

Zhao Yiyi's cheeks flushed instantly, and she shyly pulled the blanket up, revealing only a pair of misty eyes filled with happiness and contentment.

Liang Jin silently curled the corners of his lips, quickly and neatly dressed, tightened his waist belt, and slung his general's sword at his waist, the scabbard and the fine iron wrist guard making a cold, hard sound.

He then pushed open the door and went out.

In the courtyard, silent elite guards were already waiting, leading tall, snorting horses.

Liang Jin mounted his horse and left the mansion under the escort of his guards.

The horseshoes struck the empty stone slabs of the alley, producing a crisp, lonely echo that shattered the stagnant stillness.

The streets were still shrouded in a hazy twilight, making visibility difficult.

But the vast city has already awakened.

Early morning peddlers pushed creaking carts, while the figures of peddlers carrying loads on shoulder poles were indistinct. The air was filled with the smoke of firewood, the sweet smell of steamed cakes, and the faint scent of dust raised by street sweepers.

As they ran, several figures appeared in the mist ahead.

They were all dressed in the standard armor of the Imperial Guard, but they walked heavily, carried no weapons, and looked anxious.

Liang Jin reined in the reins.

"Uu——"

His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, piercing through the morning mist and landing on those familiar yet weathered faces.

Wu Huan, Wang Quan, Qian San... were all old comrades who lived in the same camp back then.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be on patrol at this time?"

What are you doing loitering around here?!

Liang Jin's voice was deep and clear, especially distinct in the cool morning breeze.

The group of men shuddered and looked up sharply at the sound, recognizing Liang Jin riding a tall, magnificent horse. The oppressive aura he exuded instantly left them at a loss for what to do!
"Commander Liang... Commander Liang!"

Wu Huan, the eldest, reacted the fastest, quickly leading the others to bow in respect. Their movements were so restrained as to be almost stiff, and their voices were filled with deep awe and fear:

"Your subordinate greets Your Excellency!"

The camaraderie remained strong, but with Liang Jin's meteoric rise, an invisible chasm had already formed between them.

I could never bring myself to call him "Brother Liang" back then.

Wu Huan took a deep breath, pointed to the makeshift stretcher being carried behind him by two men, and said anxiously:

"Reporting to the Commander! It's...it's Brother Ding Jun! His old ailment has come on suddenly and severely! He collapsed in the duty room right after he finished his roll call this morning and hadn't even gotten to his post yet..."

"Seeing that he had fainted, his face was purplish-black and looked like he was about to die! We dared not delay, so we took leave and wanted to take him to Old Wang's in Xinglin Lane to have him checked first..."

Liang Jin's gaze passed over Wu Huan's broad shoulders.

On the stretcher lay Ding Jun, a young Imperial Guard soldier with his eyes tightly closed. His face was an ominous purplish-brown, his lips were grayish-brown and cracked, and large beads of sweat covered his sallow forehead. Each weak breath he took was accompanied by a hissing sound like a bellows.

Liang Jin was deeply impressed by Ding Jun.

This kid was born with a heart defect, and even though he managed to reach a certain level in martial arts later on, he could never get rid of the root cause of his illness.

Moreover, I heard that his last relative passed away last year, and now, like me, he is a helpless surviving child.

Liang Jin silently pulled a heavy money bag from his pocket and flicked his wrist.

The brocade pouch drew a clean arc in the air and landed steadily in Wu Huan's rough hands.

Liang Jin's voice was resolute:
"Don't delay, send it directly to Huai De Tang! Use the best medicine and find the best doctor!"

"I'll approve his leave. Make sure you take good care of him."

Huai De Tang is a top-tier medical clinic in the capital, and the resident physician was once an imperial physician!

That place is very expensive; it's not something an ordinary soldier with a meager pay can afford.

Holding the heavy silver pouch, Wu Huan, this burly man, felt his eyes burning and his throat tighten.

Liang Jin is indeed still the same generous and loyal comrade-in-arms he always was!
"Commander... Commander! We thank you on behalf of Brother Ding... for your great kindness!!"

Wu Huan bowed deeply.

Behind him, Qian San, Wang Quan, and the others were so grateful that their lips trembled, and they could only keep bowing.

They were about to continue their journey, carrying the stretcher.

Liang Jin suddenly called out to them again:

"and many more."

The group turned around in confusion.

Liang Jin's gaze swept over the travel-worn and worried faces of his old comrades, and his tone softened:
"After you finish your shift today, if there's nothing urgent, come to my house."

"drink wine."

The simple phrase "drinking" was like a ray of warm sunshine piercing through the cold barriers of power, instantly melting away the awe and unease in everyone's hearts.

Everyone was taken aback, then a long-lost light shone in their eyes, and their tense faces involuntarily broke into simple, genuine, and flattered smiles:
"Understood! Commander!"

They originally thought that after Liang Jin was promoted, he had become someone from a different world from them, the lower-ranking soldiers. They never expected that he would still cherish their old friendship.

So this time, the responses contained not only respect, but also heartfelt trust and closeness.

Liang Jin nodded slightly, said no more, spurred his horse, and led the guards onward toward the imperial city.

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, leaving behind a group of figures whose hearts were filled with a burning warmth.

........................

at the same time.

Another large and silent royal convoy, guarded by armored soldiers, was slowly driving through the long street, rolling over the bluestone pavement, and entering the imperial city.

Inside the exceptionally luxurious four-clawed dragon carriage, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like ice crystals could form.

Emperor Zhao Yu was sitting upright on his throne, which was covered with a thick, soft carpet.

His face was unusually pale, showing no trace of the serenity he had shown when he left the palace the night before. Instead, he looked as if he had just struggled out of a terrifying nightmare, with fine beads of cold sweat on his forehead.

What he saw and heard deep within the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu completely overturned his understanding of the world over the past few decades. The tremor that came from the depths of his soul still grips him to this day, leaving him unable to recover.

He unconsciously gripped his slightly raised right wrist tightly with his other hand.

The sleeve of his robe slipped down a bit, revealing a very thin but shocking wound on his wrist!
The edges were scorched black.

Even more bizarrely, several faint, winding black lines near the wound extended upwards a few inches along the bluish-green subcutaneous blood vessels, like the tentacles of a living creature!
Under heaven, who dares to harm the dragon's body?
Have!
At least... when facing that being, Zhao Yu couldn't even muster the slightest thought of resistance, and could only let it do as it pleased.

On the way back, he thought a lot.

He reflected on the origins of the dynasty and then on his own life, and then on the future of his only son, Zhao Hongyi.

His thoughts finally drifted back to that night in the eerie palace, to the late emperor's remains that he had witnessed with his own eyes...

That terrifying sight was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, or even common sense...

"My dear..."

Zhao Yu's voice, trembling slightly, broke the deathly silence in the car.

His gaze fell upon the face opposite him, which appeared even more delicate and aged in the dim light:
"After I pass away, will my imperial body also... transform into that... 'dragon molting' appearance?"

The chief eunuch, Wang Jin, sat as still as a rock on a brocade stool opposite Zhao Yu.

Upon hearing this, the corners of his thin, almost bloodless lips curved upwards in a nearly compassionate arc, but his voice was dry and hoarse, like the rustling of withered leaves:
Why should Your Majesty worry for a hundred years?

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his deep-set eyes:

"Not a hundred years... but when His Majesty's fate declines, for example, when his lifespan is about to end, or..."

He softened his tone meaningfully, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Yu's pale face:
"Like the late Emperor, who was afflicted with a chronic illness... his divine blood will awaken and spread, guiding His Majesty to complete his dragon transformation, and ultimately..."

He tilted his head slightly, his posture carrying a kind of morbid piety and longing:

"Riding the Dragon... Ascending to Heaven!"

Zhao Yu's heart felt as if it had sunk to the bottom of a cold sea!
Wang Jin paused slightly and turned to look at Zhao Yu:

"Your Majesty might recall, since the founding emperor, have any of the emperors of our Great Qian Dynasty reigned for more than ten years?"

Zhao Yu choked abruptly, his face turning even more ashen.

A chilling fact that he had deliberately ignored was casually revealed by Wang Jin.

The root cause of the short lifespans of emperors throughout history lies here!

His throat bobbed laboredly, and his eyes blazed with a desperate, desperate hope, like a drowning man grasping at a piece of driftwood. He almost lunged forward to grab the hem of Wang Jin's robe.
"If...if I were to never again set foot in the mausoleum of the founding emperor to offer sacrifices, would that be enough..."

His voice was filled with a struggling longing.

Wang Jin smiled silently.

That smile was as cold and indifferent as a blade slicing through ice.

"When the late emperor was on the throne... he also had this thought back then."

He leaned forward slightly, and an invisible pressure washed over him:

"However, the mausoleum of the founding emperor is the source of the dragon's energy, the place of ancestral protection, and the foundation of the eternal stability of the empire! If Your Majesty abandons it..."

Those eyes, as deep as an ancient well, stared into Zhao Yu's trembling pupils:
"This supreme position, beneath this dragon throne."

"It's likely that it will change hands in the blink of an eye!"

The last few words, though seemingly light, carried the weight of a thousand pounds!
Zhao Yu's body trembled violently, and he gripped the dragon robe tightly with his hand.

Loss of the throne?

He can never accept it!

He had endured countless humiliations and hardships to climb to this position and taste the sweetness of supreme power.

If he were to fall now, those enemies he had offended and who were eyeing him with predatory intent would tear him and everyone he cared about to shreds!
"Those who wish to receive the Mandate of Heaven must also be subject to its curse; those who sit on the dragon throne must also be subject to its curse."

Wang Jin's voice was deep and ethereal, as if stating an age-old, unchanging law:

"Since Your Majesty has chosen to enjoy this supreme power that holds the reins of life and death, you must also bear the curse that coexists with the royal bloodline."

"Your Majesty, you are doing this for the sake of the Great Qian Dynasty, so that it may last for ten thousand generations!"

A deep bitterness appeared on Zhao Yu's face.

Yes.

This seems to be a necessary sacrifice for the sake of the Zhao family's rule.

But for him personally, it was a dead end that he could see the end from the beginning.

especially……

The thought that his most beloved son, Zhao Hongyi, would also be forced to walk this dead end and suffer this terrible fate after him made his heart ache as if it were being stabbed.

If he were to pass the throne to Hongyi, he would surely be cursed.

If he doesn't pass on the knowledge, Hongyi will surely die!
Bitterness and resentment, like poisonous vines, entwined tightly around his heart.

He himself is still unable to extricate himself...

Was he to force his only son, Zhao Hongyi, on whom he placed so much hope, to also embark on this endless, dead-end path?
"Wang Qing..."

Zhao Yu's voice was filled with unprecedented humility and pleading, his hand almost grasping Wang Jin's cold, bony hand:
"You are my pillar of strength! Do you have... a foolproof plan? Even to prolong my life! Even to alleviate this calamity! If you can grant me a sliver of hope..."

His eyes blazed with a burning, all-consuming light:

"This vast empire of the Great Qian! I wish..."

He lowered his voice, his tone filled with a desperate madness:

"To share with you...!!!"

At this moment, the emperor was practically groveling before Wang Jin, showing no trace of his former imperial dignity.

A fleeting, almost imperceptible glint of mockery flashed in the depths of Wang Jin's cloudy old eyes.

He closed his eyes slightly, seemingly lost in thought, and after a moment, his hoarse, deep voice rang out again:
"Your Majesty is too kind. Such treasonous words as 'sharing the empire'...please...reconsider."

He opened his eyes, his gaze like a glimmer of light probing the depths:

“We do indeed possess two Netherworld bloodlines, which may offer hope of breaking the curse upon His Majesty.”

"I had hoped to find a glimmer of hope for His Majesty the late Emperor..."

Wang Jin sighed softly and shook her head:
"Unfortunately, fate is fickle. Now, thanks to the late emperor, this opportunity has fallen upon Your Majesty."

Zhao Yu's eyes instantly lit up in a frightening way!
"Who is it? Where are they now?!"

He asked impatiently, his body involuntarily leaning forward.

The coldness at the corner of Wang Jin's lips deepened:

"One is Zhao Bao, the boy who serves this old servant."

"The other one... is the one who stayed by His Majesty's side day and night, and repeatedly rescued His Majesty from the brink of death amidst the chaos... the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards and Commander of the Inner Court Guards..."

"Liang Jin!"

The name exploded like a thunderclap in the cramped train carriage!

Zhao Yu's surprise froze instantly, then turned into extreme shock and disbelief. He even sat up abruptly, causing the carriage to sway slightly!
“No… No way!”

He almost instinctively and decisively rejected it! His voice was shrill with excitement:
"Liang Jin has shown me great kindness in saving my life! If it weren't for his desperate protection, I would have died in the chaos of war long ago."

"You can't touch him, no matter who you are! You absolutely mustn't..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Wang Jin's cold voice:
"In that case, let's just use Zhao Bao alone."

His voice was completely flat, as if the discussion wasn't about human lives, but rather about choosing between two objects:
"Your Majesty only needs to keep Zhao Bao well in the palace and make sure he is safe and sound."

"When... well, about ten years from now, when His Majesty's dragon-like appearance begins to show, we can then use his bloodline."

ten years?!
Zhao Yu's heart sank!
It can't be resolved immediately?

Instead, he has to wait until ten years later, when his life is on the verge of death?!
Why is it that... the problem could be resolved right now, but Wang Jin is deliberately dragging it out for ten years?

Is he lying to himself?
Zhao Yu was unable to make a judgment.

But he knew clearly that if he really had to wait for ten years, it would mean that for the next ten years, he would be completely controlled by Wang Jin and at his mercy!

He was determined to strive for progress, revitalize the nation, and become a wise and virtuous ruler whose name would be remembered for generations!

How could I possibly keep myself bound to this eunuch's grasp for ten years?!

A huge sense of doubt and resentment at being controlled welled up in my heart!
Is this truly the only solution...?

Or is this yet another trap meticulously woven by this old fox?!
Zhao Yu forced down the turmoil in his heart and forced a stiff smile onto his face.

No! We can't afford to fall out!
Absolutely not now!
He took a deep breath, forcibly swallowing the questions and anger that were about to burst forth, and abruptly changed the subject:

"By the way, my dear minister..."

He appeared nonchalant, his eyes darting around:

"Last night, when I was examining the body of the late Emperor, I discovered..."

His voice was extremely low, like a ghostly whisper:

"To be honest, the late emperor's body... was as soft as mud! There wasn't... a single bone?! It certainly didn't resemble... a dragon's molt!"

He stared intently at Wang Jin's expressionless old face:

"It's as if... it was... inch... inch... shattered... by an unparalleled master with overwhelming power!!!"

"Such a gruesome death... Do you, my dear minister, know the true cause of the late Emperor's death?"

After the question was asked, the air inside the carriage seemed to freeze instantly!

Zhao Yu's heart was in his throat.

This question had been on his mind for a long time.

That night, when he touched the late emperor's body in the palace, the unusually soft touch startled him.

He once suspected that Wang Jin had murdered the emperor, so he kept this discovery to himself.

Only after what he saw and heard in the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu tonight, confirming that Wang Jin seemed to have been trying to save the late emperor, did he dare to ask this question.

But then I heard—

"Hehehehe..." A sudden, chilling, shrill laugh ripped through the deathly silence of the carriage!

Wang Jin laughed so hard, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, that he was doubled over with laughter!

His thin shoulders heaved violently as he laughed until murky tears welled in his eyes. His laughter was sharp and hollow, echoing repeatedly in the closed carriage like the cry of a night owl!

Zhao Yu felt a chill run down his spine from his laughter, and his face turned ashen.
"My dear minister... what... is so laughable?!"

Wang Jin finally managed to stop her unsettling, maniacal laughter, took out a snow-white silk handkerchief, and slowly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes:
"Since Your Majesty has spoken, this old servant will naturally..."

He suddenly stopped smiling, and an almost eerie calm instantly enveloped his pale face, his unfathomable eyes fixed intently on Zhao Yu:
"Tell me everything you know."

"But... does Your Majesty truly want to know?"

After Wang Jin finished speaking, she looked at Zhao Yu with an almost mocking, amused gaze, as if anticipating his next reaction.

Zhao Yu felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze, and braced himself:

"My dear, please speak!"

Wang Jin's lips curled up again, and she finally slowly uttered four bloody words:

"Liang Jin murdered the emperor!"

Click!

These four words, though seemingly light, struck Zhao Yu like four thunderbolts from the heavens!

He froze on the spot, his pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and all the color drained from his face in an instant!

The late emperor... actually died at the hands of Liang Jin!

Liang Jin, who had saved his life time and again, whom he regarded as a trusted confidant and even had just tried his best to protect...

How dare they...murder...the Emperor!!!
And he himself... had actually let such a... audacious traitor who dared to take even the king's life...

He single-handedly promoted him to the position of Commander of the Imperial Guards, in charge of the safety of the entire inner court!
Day and night, by your side! To protect... yourself?!

"Goo-"

Zhao Yu's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he let out a labored gasp.

His face was deathly pale, his lips trembled as he tried to force a smile to appear calm:
"Ha...my dear minister...you, you must be...joking."

He looked at Wang Jin almost pleadingly, hoping that the other party would immediately deny it and treat it as a bad joke.

Wang Jin, however, merely smiled knowingly, and calmly delivered the final blow, as if savoring the prey's last struggle:

"Liang Jin came from humble beginnings, his parents died early, and his relatives were few and far between."

His voice was dry, and each word struck Zhao Yu's heart like a hammer blow.

"He is naked and has no attachments whatsoever! Such a person..."

He narrowed his piercing old eyes slightly:

"With no sentimentality in my heart, how could I possibly have the respect due to a ruler or the fear of the law?! In my actions..."

He gently raised his hand, as if crushing an invisible moth:

"Unbridled and reckless!"

He leaned forward, his aged voice hissing like a snake's tongue:

"This old servant dares to ask for your guidance..."

"What should Your Majesty use to restrain and control such wicked beings?!"

silence.

Deathly silence!

The air seemed to solidify into a huge block of lead, heavily compressing Zhao Yu's internal organs, almost suffocating him!

Even the sound of wheels rolling over stone slabs has disappeared without a trace.

No worries.

A fearless person...

Perhaps... only death can instill fear in them!
But is Liang Jin... truly afraid of death?

He dared to kill even the emperor, so why would he be afraid of death?
Zhao Yu's blood was repeatedly roasted in the cold and the raging flames.

On one side is the immense kindness of saving his life and protecting him; on the other is... the crime of regicide!
In this suffocating silence—

"His Majesty……"

Wang Jin's ghostly voice rang out again, now carrying a strangely soothing quality:

"Now that the new dynasty has just been established, it is a time when people are in high demand."

He raised his withered, claw-like hand, his pale, bloodless fingertips waving gently:
"Just now, please consider my words as..."

"Nonsense!"

"Your Majesty, do you...believe it?"

The last two words were light and airy, like a dream, yet they carried immense weight and a playful mockery, slamming hard into Zhao Yu's nearly collapsed mental defenses!

fear!

Mixed with the fury of being deceived!
Wang Jin!

What a shrewd Wang Jin!
That old eunuch! He did it on purpose!
You could have hinted! You could have used indirect methods! You could have used countless subtle approaches!
You don't even have to say it!

Many things, if not said aloud, can be treated as if they never happened; everyone knows what's going on.

But he chose the most direct and cruel method, smashing this bloody truth... right in his own face!
This is by no means loyalty!
This is clearly... coercion!

I am the emperor! I am the master of this world!

How can we allow a mere eunuch to play such a trick on us!
What angered Zhao Yu even more was that Wang Jin only uttered the four words "Liang Jin murdered the emperor" without submitting any evidence whatsoever.

Clearly, he wanted to keep this evidence, which could put Liang Jin to death at any time, firmly in his own hands, rather than handing it over to the emperor.

What exactly is this old fox up to?
Liang Jin was clearly Zhao Yu's confidant and staunch supporter. Was Wang Jin's move an attempt to sow discord and eliminate Zhao Yu's trusted confidants?

Or is there a deeper scheme at play?

Zhao Yu couldn't fathom Wang Jin's thoughts.

But he was acutely aware that Wang Jin had achieved his goal.

Those four words were like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.

He had developed an indelible resentment and deep-seated fear of Liang Jin...

With a "thud"!
The entire dragon carriage shuddered and came to a stop.

We've arrived at the Imperial Study.

Zhao Yu was almost pushed off the dragon carriage by the enormous mental shock.

His legs went weak, and his vision blurred. Wang Jin's ambiguous words were still echoing in his mind.

He had barely stood still when he realized what was happening, and he didn't even have time to tidy his temples, which were soaked with cold sweat.

Sudden--

"Father Emperor—!! Something terrible has happened!!!"

A terrified, hoarse scream shattered the dull morning breeze like a thunderclap!
A disheveled Zhao Hongyi, accompanied by several panicked followers, frantically rushed over from the side, taking a shortcut!
"presumptuous!"

Zhao Yu, still shaken, was filled with new anger, and his pent-up emotions found an outlet in an instant!
He shouted angrily, veins bulging on his forehead:
"This is the imperial palace! Howling and wailing like ghosts! What kind of behavior is this?! Have you no manners?!"

"Did the royal etiquette you were taught by your tutor go to waste?!"

Zhao Hongyi completely disregarded all decorum!

He practically tumbled and crawled forward, and he and his entourage knelt down on the ground like overturned gourds!
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty! You pay respects to the Grand Eunuch!"

He gave a hasty bow, and before Zhao Yu could even call him to rise, he eagerly raised his head and cried out in a tearful voice:

"Father! Your son...your son accidentally...killed Liang Jin's sworn sister!"

!!!

Zhao Yu was suddenly stunned.

My first reaction was that I must have misheard.

After he realized the meaning of those words, an extreme sense of anger and disbelief surged up to his head.

He glared at his good-for-nothing son kneeling on the ground, his fingers trembling with rage, looking as if he wanted to devour him alive.

His chest heaved violently a few times, but Zhao Yu ultimately managed to suppress the urge to lash out on the spot.

He suddenly turned his head and stared at Wang Jin beside him.

Wang Jin stood respectfully to the side, seemingly oblivious to everything.

"Come in and talk!"

Zhao Yu squeezed out these three words through gritted teeth, then abruptly flicked his sleeves, turned around, and strode into the imperial study.

Wang Jin followed in, like a silent shadow, with unhurried steps.

Zhao Hongyi felt a chill run down his spine and scrambled inside, slamming the heavy, soundproof, carved wooden door shut behind him.

The sound of the door closing shut out the hazy morning light from the outside world.

"The traitor——!!!"

Zhao Yu's suppressed anger, fear, and humiliation at being manipulated by Wang Jin all the way finally erupted!
Without any hesitation, he unleashed a powerful slap across Zhao Hongyi's face, like a heavy whip!

"Snapped--!!!"

The sharp, startling sound was terrifying!

Zhao Hongyi's head was violently thrown to the side by the blow, and five clear finger marks instantly appeared on his cheek!
He didn't even get a chance to cry out in pain before he was hit hard in the stomach again!
"Ugh—!"

Zhao Hongyi screamed as his body was kicked backward like a tattered sack, crashing heavily into the cold rosewood bookshelf, causing several rolls of thread-bound books to fall to the ground with a clatter!
"Are you tired of living?! Huh?!"

Zhao Yu's eyes were bloodshot, like a raging lion, completely losing his imperial composure, and his roar echoed throughout the imperial study:

"If it weren't for Liang Jin risking his life to protect me time and again! My bones would be cold by now! If I were dead... do you think your family would have survived?!"

"Idiot! Beast!!"

He was panting heavily when he grabbed the heavy, angular brass gilded dragon paperweight from the imperial desk and smashed it down on Zhao Hongyi without any warning!
The dull thud of bronze objects striking flesh and bones was incessant!
"Father, please...please calm your anger!!!"

"Your child was wrong! Your child was wrong!! Ah!!"

Zhao Hongyi curled up on the ground, clutching his head, like a dog waiting to be slaughtered, only able to let out painful howls and beg for mercy.

The excruciating pain brought tears streaming down his face!

However, he soon discovered that although the heavy blows were terrifyingly loud, they precisely avoided his head, neck and other vital areas, and instead poured heavily on his back, shoulders and other "hard-hitting" places.

This is... meant to cause him pain, to make him afraid.

But it wasn't... I really meant to hurt him!
Zhao Yu was panting heavily as he smashed the object, sweat mixed with icy fear streaming down his forehead.

He finally threw away the paperweight, which was stained with blood, and it crashed to the ground with a thud, leaving a dent.

Zhao Yu's chest heaved violently, his voice weary yet tinged with accusation:

"When did Liang Jin get a sworn sister? That's right, the one... the little palace maid who often goes to see him?"

"How could she have offended such a wicked creature like you? You actually... took her life?!"

"Tell me the truth! If you conceal even a single word, I'll beat you to death today!"

Zhao Hongyi was so frightened that he dared not hide anything anymore.

Despite the excruciating pain in his cheeks and abdomen, he knelt on the ground and recounted in detail how he had drunkenly stormed into the inner palace's side hall the previous night, how he had harassed Consort Xu, how the young palace maid Su Lian had rushed out to stop and argue with him, and how he had accidentally killed her in the ensuing scuffle.

However, in his words, he tried his best to downplay his own malicious intent and portrayed the incident as an accidental conflict.

"You...you! Unfilial son! You're worse than a beast!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu felt his head buzzing, and a chill instantly rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head!
The anger that had just subsided erupted again like a volcano!
The new emperor's first day on the throne!
How could her own son commit such heinous acts as breaking into the palace while drunk, attempting to humiliate the late emperor's concubine, and even killing a loyal palace maid?!

Especially since the person they killed was Liang Jin's sworn sister!

How is this arrogance?

This is practically... a path to certain death!!

He picked up the blood-stained paperweight from the ground...

"His Majesty."

Wang Jin's voice, which was like a ghostly, grating sound, finally rang out clearly for the first time in the eye of the storm.

He took a small step forward, perfectly positioned between the furious Zhao Yu and the terrified Zhao Hongyi.

"Things have come to this. The Crown Prince... oh no, 'Your Highness,' though he has a thousand faults..."

"Continuing to fight will only hurt His Majesty's feelings and will not help the situation."

Those cloudy yet sharp, hawk-like eyes bypassed Zhao Yu's bloodshot eyes and fixed directly on Zhao Hongyi's still-shaken face:

"The most urgent task at hand is to resolve this conflict!"

Zhao Yu deflated like a punctured balloon, the paperweight in his hand hanging limply.

He was breathing heavily, and suddenly turned his head to stare at Wang Jin:
"My dear minister... what brilliant plan do you have?!"

Wang Jin's withered, claw-like fingers twirled within his sleeve, his voice as flat as if he were stating a business deal unrelated to himself:

"That kid Zhao Bao is obsessed with power and knows how to weigh the pros and cons."

Wang Jin paused almost imperceptibly, a hint of absolute control flashing in his eyes:
"Let me 'appease' him and make him realize the importance of things. Your Majesty can rest assured about this."

Wang Jin's gaze suddenly darkened:
"The troublesome one... is Liang Jin."

"This young man is loyal and righteous, and has a fiery temper. Now that his sworn sister has died tragically, I'm afraid things will not end well."

Wang Jin's voice was resolute:
"give him!"

"He wants power? Then grant him the title of Pillar of the State! Give him a real fief! A fief of ten thousand households! He wants wealth and honor? Then empty the imperial treasury of rare treasures for him to choose from! He wants beauties? Let him take all the beauties from every prefecture and state of the Great Qian Dynasty into his mansion! If he likes martial arts? The Imperial Library's rare and secret manuals and divine weapons are all at his disposal!!"

"Promise him whatever you can, but make sure to keep him calm first."

But Zhao Yu's brows remained furrowed.

If Liang Jin valued these things, with his abilities, he would have already obtained everything.

He could only press further:
What if... what if none of this satisfies him? What if he insists on pursuing the matter to the end?

His voice was filled with immense fear and uncertainty—

"What he wants is... Hongyi's life?!"

Wang Jin suddenly turned his face!
On that pale, withered old face, all expression vanished in an instant, leaving only a cold, soul-chilling emptiness!

"Your Majesty, even if we offer kind words and generous rewards, he still won't appreciate our kindness and won't give up..."

"Since the enmity has already been formed and cannot be resolved, then we must not leave any future troubles."

"If you're going to do it, you have to go all the way!"

He slowly raised his withered hand, pointing his pale, bloodless index finger at the air...

He made a silent yet resolute decision...

A downward chopping gesture!!
The sudden, undisguised burst of carnage, like the chilling aura of ancient ice, made the air in the imperial study several degrees colder.

Zhao Yu opened his lips, but could not utter a single syllable.

He stood there, his pupils reflecting the gesture of those withered fingers.

Liang Jin… that familiar yet unfamiliar face… that figure that shielded me from the sword fights…

Like Wang Jin's silent killing intent...

A frenzy of collisions erupted in his chaotic mind!

For Hongyi?!
For this newly secured empire?!
Is he really going to... take a knife to the benefactor he trusted?

A tremendous, out-of-control fear! It almost suffocated him!

but……

Looking at his only son, who was lying on the ground trembling and utterly useless, Zhao Yu's heart hardened again.

No matter how much of a scoundrel Zhao Hongyi is, he is still his only son, and he absolutely cannot stand by and watch his son get into trouble.

It was in this suffocating silence and weighing of options—

"boom!"

The partition door of the Imperial Study was suddenly smashed open by a brute force!

A gust of cold wind rushed in as the morning light mingled with the air!
Xue Feng rushed in, his face filled with panic and his whole body trembling. He knelt down with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust!
He raised his head, his face as pale as paper, his voice hoarse and broken:

"Your Majesty! The Eunuch! Your Highness!!!"

"News has arrived from the palace gates..."

He roared it out with almost all his might:

"Commander Liang... he's already... entered the palace!!!"

Those last three words, as if carrying a cold echo, crashed heavily onto the deathly silent floor of the imperial study.

It also struck hard into everyone's heart!
(End of this chapter)