Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 569 Killing the King in the Street (5,000 words)
The city of Dongling was bustling with people and traffic.

Snow has fallen in Pingyang City, but for Dongling City, it should only be considered late autumn. The trees along the road have shed their withered yellow leaves, and a desolate atmosphere has silently invaded this bustling city.

The Imperial Guards, with heavy footsteps, appeared on both sides of Chang'an Street, fully armed and in good armor, blocking the civilians from the roadside. However, this blockade did not seem particularly tight; large gaps remained between the soldiers, and the people on both sides of the road craned their necks, wanting to see what was happening and why there was such a commotion.

Because of the common people's natural fear of officials and soldiers, even though the blockade was not very tight, no commoner dared to cross the body of the Imperial Guards.

There was a rustling sound in the crowd, which was somewhat noisy.

Not long after, the sound of wheels was heard. Looking in the direction of the sound, eight pure white horses were seen leading a luxurious carriage with vermilion lacquer, gold decorations, gilded rabbits, and a canopy of peacock feathers.

Those in the crowd with even a little knowledge couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

This is the emperor's golden chariot, used for imperial travel.

No wonder there was such a large-scale operation.

Driven by an instinctive fear of imperial power, those who recognized the emperor's carriage would instinctively kneel down, kowtow, and shout "Long live the emperor!" This action easily triggered a chain reaction. Before anyone knew it, a large number of people had knelt down on both sides of Chang'an Street. Apart from the imperial guards blocking the streets, not a single person could be seen standing.

The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" mingled together, sounding like thunder.

Such kneeling and kowtowing are, to some extent, sincere.

The people of Dongling City had mixed feelings about Emperor Ninghe. Emperor Ninghe was probably not a good emperor. At least in the early days of his reign, he was more like a puppet, manipulated by powerful families and Bailu Academy. At that time, Dongling City was plagued by various oppressive policies.

The people were living in misery.

However, as Emperor Ninghe gradually grew up and gained more and more power, some extremely bad policies were gradually abolished. Although each time it was only a little bit and seemed to have little impact, if you stretch the timeline a bit, you can clearly see that the lives of the people of Dongling were getting better step by step.

Especially last year and this year, he first won the war against the Japanese pirates and Jurchens. Although it was the work of Prince Yan, Song Yan, Emperor Ninghe, who promoted Prince Yan, also gained great prestige. For the first time, the people of Dongling City had a major change in their opinion of Emperor Ninghe.

During the New Year festival, with the help of Prince Yan, the Ghost Cave, a malignant tumor that had plagued the people of Dongling for many years, was eradicated in one fell swoop. Using the Ghost Cave incident, over two hundred corrupt officials in the Ningguo court were executed. Emperor Ninghe, unwilling to remain a puppet, finally revealed his sharp claws. For a period, Dongling City was awash in blood; almost every day, many people were beheaded, their heads piling up outside the city, forming two enormous mounds of skulls.

This was a great thing for the people of Dongling. They no longer had to worry about being harmed by the Ghost Cave, and there were far fewer corrupt officials oppressing them. Even the atmosphere of the entire Dongling city changed. Officials on Chang'an Street were no longer arrogant and domineering, the second generation no longer bullied men and women, and even the constables dared not make things difficult for them at will.

In May, with the help of His Highness Prince Yan, the White Egret Academy was wiped out in one fell swoop.

In fact, ordinary people harbor even greater resentment towards Bailu Academy than that towards aristocratic families.

The second generation of aristocratic families are indeed not good people. It is not uncommon for them to kidnap innocent women in broad daylight, or even ride horses in the street and trample people to death. However, these second generation of aristocratic families know that they are not good people. They admit that they have done bad things, but what can you do to them?

This is arrogance.

The scholars who graduated from Bailu Academy were no less wicked than the second-generation scions of aristocratic families. However, unlike the second-generation scions who openly admitted to being bad, the scholars of Bailu Academy were more despicable, shameless, and hypocritical. Even if they committed countless heinous crimes, they would still use their words to pin the blame on the victims... because they believed the other party had committed evil deeds, they were punishing them.

Without a doubt, such hypocrisy is even more disgusting.

Therefore, when Bailu Academy was razed to the ground, almost all the people applauded and cheered.

It wasn't just Bailu Academy; there was also Yang Hetong, two ministers, and a Left Censor-in-Chief—all very high-ranking officials, I heard. They even took down Bailou, Qinglong Society, and Black Tiger Gang along the way.

In the vast city of Dongling, almost all the people felt a sense of relief. Daughters could go to the silk shops to choose suitable fabrics to make themselves new clothes, and children could play freely in the streets without worrying about being kidnapped, having their limbs broken, or becoming pitiful beggars. Almost everyone believed that as long as Emperor Ninghe continued to sit on that throne, the lives of the people of Ningguo would surely get better and better.

Kneeling and kowtowing were not merely expressions of reverence for imperial power.

It also symbolizes expectation and hope.

Emperor Ninghe was somewhat pleased, and a faint smile remained on his face.

He would lift the carriage curtain, and occasionally make eye contact with some commoners. He would smile and nod, and every time this happened, a large number of people nearby would tremble with excitement, perhaps thinking that His Majesty was nodding to them.

He tried very hard to remember the faces of all these people, but there were just too many, and he couldn't possibly remember them all.

As Jin Lu passed by, only a vague impression remained in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel regret.

Following the imperial carriage were the officials.

Yang Hexin, barely in his fifties and the youngest of the seven elders of the Yang family, was kneeling at the gate of the imperial city, his forehead pressed to the ground. Passing commoners couldn't help but cast curious glances his way. For Yang Hexin, such behavior was naturally somewhat humiliating, but an act had to be performed convincingly. The Langya Yang clan was, after all, a powerful family with a history of two or three hundred years. Now, they had already offered their apologies and were willing to pay millions in compensation. If Emperor Ninghe still refused to let the Yang family off the hook, it would inevitably draw criticism and also demonstrate Emperor Ninghe's attitude towards powerful clans to other aristocratic families.

Yang Hexin was certain that Emperor Ninghe did not have the ability or determination to completely break ties with all the powerful clans.

Both legs, especially the knees, were a little sore and numb. Yang Hexin's old face was also a little pale. Even though the weather was cool, beads of sweat still appeared on his forehead.

Some commotion arose within the city.

Yang Hexin quietly raised his head and saw a golden carriage slowly approaching on Chang'an Street. Wherever the carriage went, the people on both sides of Chang'an Street knelt down and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

The sound waves were like a tsunami, sweeping over in waves. Even Yang Hexin couldn't help but tremble, and felt a strange itch and discomfort on the back of his neck.

I was unaware that Emperor Ninghe had such prestige in Dongling City. Considering that much of this prestige was gained by trampling on the Yang family, I felt somewhat depressed.

Of course, what Yang Hexin didn't expect was that Emperor Ninghe would actually come to greet him personally in his golden carriage. After a moment's thought, Yang Hexin realized that he understood what Emperor Ninghe was thinking. Targeting the Yang family was just Emperor Ninghe's way of venting his anger over twenty years of oppression. He wanted to use this method to show that from now on, he would no longer be controlled by anyone.

On the other hand, Emperor Ninghe also understood that the emperor should govern the country together with the powerful families.

Ultimately, he couldn't afford to fall out with all the powerful clans; if he did, the entire Ning Kingdom would instantly descend into unprecedented chaos. Since the Yang family had offered a way out, Emperor Ninghe readily accepted it. This was the message Emperor Ninghe wanted to convey: as long as the powerful clans respected his imperial authority and obeyed his rule, he would also respect their interests.

In terms of intellect, Yang Hexin was naturally inferior to his other brothers, but as one of the seven elders of the Yang family, he had been exposed to the power struggles between imperial families and aristocratic clans and had some understanding of them.

The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the ground.

Finally, the Jin Lu stopped in front of Yang Hexin.

Emperor Ninghe alighted from his carriage, the warm morning sun shining on him.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by a gentle smile.

After a brief pause, Emperor Ninghe walked towards Yang Hexin at a slightly faster pace: "Mr. Yang, what's wrong with you?" As he spoke, Emperor Ninghe grabbed Yang Hexin's shoulder and helped him up from the ground: "The Yang family of Langya once assisted Emperor Taizu in establishing the Ning Kingdom. What merits did they have? How could I implicate the entire Yang family because of Yang Hetong's mistake?"

"Mr. Yang, are you trying to make everyone think I'm mistreating the founding heroes?" Emperor Ninghe feigned anger and reprimanded him. Yang Hexin also rose from the ground, but because he had been kneeling for so long, he swayed slightly before regaining his balance. His pale face then broke into a smile: "Your Majesty, please don't be offended. This is my fault. It is Yang Hetong's actions that have made me feel deeply ashamed. Before the imperial city, only kneeling and kowtowing can ease my anxiety."

"I never imagined that my actions would be so detrimental to Your Majesty's wisdom. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

As he said this, Yang Hexin understood that he had achieved his goal in coming to Dongling. Judging from Emperor Ninghe's attitude, he was clearly prepared to ease relations with the Langya Yang Clan and would not continue to target the Yang family's power.

That's fine.

This would give the Yang family more time to prepare.

Three years... no, it won't take three years, two more years will be enough.

Two years later, the power displayed by the Yang family will surely make Emperor Ninghe understand who is truly in charge of the entire Ning Kingdom.

Emperor Ninghe patted Yang Hexin on the shoulder with a smile: "This is Mr. Yang's sincerity, what crime has he committed?" As he said this, he couldn't help but feel regretful. With so many people around, it was not convenient to do many things.

Emperor Ninghe pursed his lips, suppressed his thoughts, and took Yang Hexin's hand to walk towards the golden carriage: "Mr. Yang, you have been kneeling here for some time now. I see that you have some difficulty moving around. Why don't you come with me in the golden carriage?"

Yang Hexin repeatedly declined, but in the end he couldn't resist and was pulled onto the golden carriage by Emperor Ninghe. When the curtain was lowered, the place became a slightly enclosed space.

As the horses turned around, the wheels began to turn again, and the imperial carriage started heading towards the palace along Chang'an Street. The officials followed behind, their faces grim. Were they playing games? You were riding in carriages, but they had to run around on foot. The entire Chang'an Street was several miles long; it was going to be exhausting.

Once inside the carriage, Yang Hexin expected Emperor Ninghe to warmly engage him in conversation, but to his surprise, the smile on Emperor Ninghe's face slowly faded, and he fell silent. The atmosphere in the carriage was somewhat oppressive, and Yang Hexin, unsure of Emperor Ninghe's thoughts, dared not utter a sound.

The only sound was the creaking of the wheels as they rolled over the road, which made the carriage all the quieter.

"Mr. Yang..." After an unknown amount of time, Emperor Ninghe finally spoke: "Mr. Yang, it must have been a long time since you last visited Dongling City, right?"

Yang Hexin nodded slightly: "I am not afraid of Your Majesty's ridicule, but I was born and raised in Langya. I have never been to Dongling City before."

Emperor Ninghe smiled slightly and lifted the left side of the carriage curtain: "Then we should take a good look at Dongling City this time... This is Chang'an Street. See the people outside? This is the most prosperous street in the entire Dongling City."

Yang Hexin subconsciously followed Emperor Ninghe's gaze and saw that the streets were indeed filled with countless people. He had to admit that although Langya was very prosperous under the management of the Yang family, it was still inferior to Dongling.

Just then, Emperor Ninghe sighed softly and drew a dagger from his sleeve.

But then Emperor Ninghe reversed the dagger, pointing the tip at his chest.

Immediately afterward, the faint smile on Emperor Ninghe's face vanished, replaced by a look of rage. A sharp shout suddenly echoed through the carriage: "Yang Hexin, what are you doing?"

Even the imperial guards and civilians outside the carriage, and even the court officials following behind the carriage, could hear it clearly.

The next instant, both hands exerted force simultaneously.

With a sharp hiss, the dagger tore open the bright yellow dragon robe and pierced Emperor Ninghe's chest. A stream of crimson blood instantly seeped out, staining a large patch of the bright yellow dragon robe crimson.

Emperor Ninghe's lips twitched slightly as the knife tip pierced his heart.

It hurts.

It really hurts!
The dagger sank inch by inch into his heart.

An inch of knife, an inch of blood.

Yang Hexin, who was peering out through the curtains, was stunned. He hadn't quite grasped what was happening yet, but he instinctively looked towards Ning Hedi. When he saw Ning Hedi holding a dagger and stabbing it into his own chest, Yang Hexin's mind went blank. He wasn't an old fox like Yang Hetong or Yang Hexing, and he couldn't help but be stunned by the sight.

The next second, Yang Hexin's expression suddenly changed drastically.

Although his mind was still blank, there were only himself and Emperor Ninghe in the imperial carriage. If something really happened to Emperor Ninghe, the crime of murdering the emperor in the street would definitely be pinned on him.

Then, he made the stupidest decision of his life.

As if driven by some kind of instinct, Yang Hexin lunged at Emperor Ninghe, grabbing his wrist with one hand and a dagger with the other, trying to pull the knife out.

He didn't think too much about it; he only knew that Emperor Ninghe absolutely could not die like this.

laugh.

Without encountering the slightest resistance, Yang Hexin easily drew the dagger.

Blood stained his palms.

In those short two or three seconds, so much happened that Yang Hexin couldn't even process it all. He felt an indescribable sense of oppression, making it extremely difficult for him to even breathe.

The excruciating pain had completely drained Emperor Ninghe of his strength. He wasn't dead yet, but lay in his imperial carriage, gasping for breath, clumps of blood frothing from his lips. The agony contorted his face in an indescribable grimace, yet somehow, his eyes gleamed with an intense, almost obsessive excitement. His lips moved, and a faint whisper reached Yang Hexin's ears. Emperor Ninghe was saying:
"The Yang family is finished!"

It seemed like a long time had passed, but in reality, it was only a few seconds. At the same time, a loud bang was heard, and a tremendous force came from the side. The golden imperial carriage was instantly shattered by the brute force. Wood chips flew everywhere, and the scene inside the carriage was completely exposed to all the people of Chang'an Street, the imperial guards, and the important officials of the court.

It was the current emperor, his body covered in blood.

It was Yang Shi and Xin, their faces contorted, holding sharp blades.

Drops of crimson blood slowly dripped from the tip of the dagger.

It was Yang Hexin, his hands stained with blood.

A collective gasp filled the air. Recalling Emperor Ninghe's earlier stern shout, even an idiot could guess what had happened inside the imperial carriage.

But Fang De's old face suddenly turned fiercer than ever before, like a cheetah that had gone out of control, and he cried out in a mournful voice:
"Yang Hexin, how dare you commit regicide in the street?"

hum!
Yang Hexin felt his mind go completely blank for a moment.

King murdered in the street?

The Yang family is truly finished this time!
(End of this chapter)