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Chapter 40 Winter Solstice Sacrifice to Heaven, Killing Intent at its Peak (Please Read Further)
"That old eunuch was terrifying... He seemed to hold a high position in the palace, but I wonder what his background is." A girl from the Cai Zi Men sect patted her chest, still shaken.

Another girl chimed in, "Yes, the way he looked at people was like a venomous snake; it chilled me to the bone."

Wu Xiaorui did not answer, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, the scene from just now replaying in her mind.

She always felt that the old eunuch looked at her strangely.

It felt like looking at someone I knew.

Is it an illusion?

I've never seen this person before, so why does he have that look in his eyes?
Wu Xiaorui was completely baffled. Eyes can lie, but the emotions deep within them cannot be faked.

She thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it. Then her thoughts drifted, and another figure involuntarily appeared in her mind.

That boy who always wore a somewhat cynical smile.

Chen Ye...

I wonder where he's gone now. The capital is in such chaos, I wonder if he's alright.

Perhaps we will never meet again in this lifetime.

She sighed softly, her hand, hanging in her sleeve, unconsciously clenching a cold hairpin.

She found it in a corner of the Cold Palace after she entered the palace; it was sharpened to an exceptionally fine point.

She was resolute. She didn't care what kind of emperor he was. If he dared to provoke her, even if she couldn't kill him, she would definitely poke a few bloody holes in him!

The worst possible outcome is death.

For those who live the life of a江湖儿女 (jianghu children, meaning people from all walks of life), death is inevitable; what is there

The next day, the sky brightened.

After several days of silence, the court assembly resumed.

Wang Yuanzhi, Cui Lang, and other powerful officials of the court had been waiting outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a long time, each with a different expression and exchanging glances.

When Chen Ye, dressed in a dragon robe, walked step by step up the steps of the palace and finally sat down on the dragon throne, the entire hall fell silent.

Wang Yuanzhi and Cui Lang both felt a sudden jolt in their hearts.

People are still the same people.

But his temperament has undergone a complete transformation.

In the past, Yang Zhao's eyes were cloudy, and his demeanor always carried a hint of emptiness and madness, as if his body had been emptied by wine and women.

But today, Yang Zhao, sitting on the dragon throne, stood upright like a pine tree, his face as calm as still water, and his eyes as deep as an abyss, calmly surveying the crowd below, exuding an aura of majesty that made people dare not look him in the eye.

Wang Yuanzhi and Cui Lang exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised shock and apprehension on each other's faces.

The court assembly proceeded as scheduled.

The Minister of War stepped forward and began to recount the battles at the front with great eloquence, his words filled with praise such as "the soldiers fought bravely" and "the enemy's advance was repeatedly thwarted."

But among all the officials in the court, who didn't know the truth perfectly well?
The border defenses of the Great Zhao Kingdom were already riddled with holes and suffered repeated defeats under the iron hooves of the steppe cavalry. The so-called "repeated defeats of the enemy's advance" was nothing more than losing ten cities and luckily holding one, which was then used to whitewash the situation.

Chen Ye sat upright on the dragon throne, expressionless and silent.

He was observing the various expressions of the officials below, especially Wang Yuanzhi and Cui Lang at the front, who were his main focus.

Chen Ye knew that the two of them were the leaders of the powerful and influential people in the capital, and also the biggest threat to him, so there was a playful look in his eyes.

The long and tedious morning court session finally came to an end, and the officials bowed and took their leave.

Wang Yuanzhi and Cui Lang stayed behind, and the two knelt down again, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

"Your Majesty," Wang Yuanzhi bowed, "the winter solstice is just a few days away. According to ancestral tradition, a grand ceremony to worship Heaven must be held at the Temple of Heaven to appease the heavens and pray for peace and prosperity for the nation." "In previous years, Your Majesty was always busy, and this matter was mostly handled by your ministers. But this year, the grasslands have invaded the borders, and refugees are rising up everywhere. This is a warning from Heaven, a sign of danger to the nation. Your ministers earnestly request Your Majesty to personally go to the Temple of Heaven this year to preside over the ceremony, to show your sincerity, to appease the people, and to deter the villains!"

Wang Yuanzhi spoke with sincerity and righteous indignation, bowing deeply and perfectly concealing the sinister murderous intent in his eyes.

He and Cui Lang have already reached an agreement.

The imperial palace was heavily guarded, making it difficult to carry out a crime. But once outside the palace, the opportunity would arise.

They have secretly gathered hundreds of elite warriors, each one capable of taking on ten men. They only need to set up an ambush halfway there, and no matter what emperor it is, they will all die without a burial place!

The only variable now is whether this emperor, whose temperament has drastically changed, is willing to step out of his shell.

Wang Yuanzhi and Cui Lang were both on tenterhooks, awaiting the final verdict.

Then, they heard the cold and majestic voice coming from the dragon throne.

“What you two ministers say is absolutely right.”

"I will personally attend the Winter Solstice ceremony to worship Heaven this year."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuanzhi and Cui Lang were first taken aback, then overjoyed and almost burst out laughing.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The two kowtowed again and respectfully withdrew, completely unaware of the murderous intent in Chen Ye's eyes as he sat on the dragon throne.

He knew perfectly well what those two old men were up to.

Please enter the urn?

Coincidentally, he had the same idea.

The current situation in the capital is like a dead end; to break the deadlock, drastic measures are needed.

He didn't have that much time to slowly wear down these powerful families. Since they had offered him a weapon, he might as well take this opportunity to have a quick and decisive battle.

Once we shut down the two biggest troublemakers, Wang and Cui, the rest of the underlings will be much easier to deal with.

For the next few days, Chen Ye practically lived in the Imperial Guard's camp.

He didn't spout any grand principles, just one sentence: Throw away money!
Silver was distributed like flowing water, and wine and meat were provided in abundance.

The emperor himself came to reward the three armies.

This simple and direct approach yielded surprisingly good results.

The lower-ranking officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guard were mostly from humble backgrounds and naturally had no fondness for powerful families. Now that they saw the emperor showing such consideration for his subordinates, they were filled with gratitude and their loyalty soared.

While it's unrealistic to expect this army to fight against the steppe cavalry, it's more than enough to deal with the powerful and influential families in the city.

Late at night, Chen Ye summoned Tong Lei, the commander of the Imperial Guards, to a tent alone. The two talked by candlelight and plotted for a long time.

Meanwhile, the Cui and Wang families were not idle either. Their retainers and assassins were secretly mobilized, and an invisible net was quietly being cast.

Winter Solstice has arrived in the blink of an eye.

Before dawn, fine snowflakes began to fall from the sky, gently draping the imperial city, which was about to undergo tremendous changes, in a layer of white.

Chen Ye glanced at the almanac sent by the Imperial Observatory.

"Suitable for: offering sacrifices, traveling, and betrothal."

"Good luck."

He smiled, casually tossed the almanac into the brazier, watched it turn to ashes, and then, with the help of a group of palace maids, put on a black fox fur coat to keep warm, and stepped out of the palace gate.

At this moment, the wind and snow were raging, and the man's killing intent was at its peak!
It's time to flip the table!
　Please don't just let the book sit unread; read it every day. Thank you!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)