His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

The largest coffin shop in the east of the city.

In the dead of night, a man and a woman stood at the door, saying they wanted to buy five coffins at once.

The boss thought he was dreaming.

He carefully examined the two men. The man was wearing a hood, so his face was obscured, but he could vaguely see a pair of eyes that glowed eerily in the night.

The woman was very open about showing her face; she was quite pretty, but her eyes...

The boss shuddered and dared not look any further.

The coffins were quickly brought out; five brand-new black lacquered coffins were neatly arranged at the entrance.

"Please help me deliver this to a few places." Mo Sangyu gave five addresses.

The boss's hand trembled after hearing this.

These five places were all residences of high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the aura emanating from these two people was too dangerous. He was just a businessman and dared not cause trouble, so he had no choice but to obediently agree.

These five mansions.

The first was the residence of the Duke of Zhenguo, the second was the residence of the Salt Commissioner Liu, the third was the residence of the Censor-in-Chief Zheng, the fourth was the residence of the Vice Minister of Rites Chen, and the fifth was the residence of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Zhou.

Without exception, those who hold high positions in the court at that time will be included.

The coffin shop owner, trembling slightly, had five coffins delivered to the gates of the residences of these ministers.

As for the money, let them come to collect it separately in a few days, and I guarantee they will earn several times more than usual.

The boss had a few complaints, but not many.

I could only reluctantly agree, with some doubt and frustration.

Once the coffin was successfully transported away, Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu quickly began their operation.

This time, it's a swift and decisive battle.

Due to time constraints, Mo Sangyu decided to split up. She would take charge of two people, while Feng Xingyu would take charge of three. After they resolved the issue, they would meet up at the palace gate.

Mo Sangyu first went to the residence of Liu, the Salt Inspector.

That is, Consort Rong's maternal family.

When Feng Xingyu was born, his red eyes were an unusual feature, causing much discussion in the court.

The Liu family was the first to jump out, joining forces with the other ministers to say that this child was a reincarnation of a demon and should be executed immediately to uphold the foundation of the nation.

In reality, it was all to help Consort Rong win the emperor's favor and take this opportunity to put Yun Wangshu to death.

The four families jointly submitted a memorial, forcing Feng Mingyuan to make a decision.

The Duke's Mansion, which is also the Empress's maternal family, is quite clever. It has never openly confronted Feng Mingyuan, but has been secretly stirring up trouble and using others to do its dirty work.

These five people deserve to die the most. Besides them, there are other opportunists who are quick to change their tune and kick someone when they're down, and they are also very despicable.

In Feng Xingyu's revenge plan, none of these people will escape.

Mo Sangyu scaled the wall and entered, reaching the main house.

The guards inside the manor acted as if they were in an empty place, completely unaware of her presence.

Lord Liu was fast asleep, embracing his eighteenth concubine, snoring loudly.

Mo Sangyu lifted the curtain and slit his throat with a single stroke.

Lord Liu was still asleep when his snoring abruptly stopped.

She knocked the concubine unconscious, picked up the corpse, climbed over the wall again, and stuffed it into the coffin in front of the mansion gate.

The coffin lid was closed, fitting perfectly.

The second is the residence of Zhou, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

This one was quite alert; he woke up as soon as Mo Sangyu entered the room.

"Come……"

Before he could utter the second word, his throat was slit.

Mo Sangyu flicked the blood off the dagger, then, with the same motion, picked up the corpse, went outside, and stuffed it into the coffin.

The movements were completed in one smooth motion.

Feng Xingyu's side is faster.

The first place he went to was the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, which had been secretly plotting against him.

The Duke of Zhenguo is the Empress's father. He followed the late Emperor in conquering the country and made great contributions. Although he is now old, his eldest son inherited the title and commands 30,000 imperial guards. He is one of the most powerful figures in the capital.

Coming from a military family, he naturally possessed some ability.

But his strength was clearly no match for Feng Xingyu.

A flash of sword light, and his head fell to the ground.

Feng Xingyu threw the corpse into the coffin, and casually put the head in as well, placing it neatly on his chest.

The second family was the residence of Zheng, the Imperial Censor.

This Lord Zheng came from a humble background and was known for his integrity and incorruptibility.

Regarding the matter of Feng Xingyu, he submitted a memorial three times, each time with increasingly vehement wording, saying things like "If the evil forces are not eliminated, the country will cease to exist."

His memorials were written with great literary flair and were copied and read by many scholars, which led to rumors spreading far and wide. The story of Feng Xingyu was spread throughout the Great You Dynasty, making everyone know that he was a monster and a curse.

But this honest official secretly accepted two thousand taels of silver from the Liu family.

Feng Xingyu entered the study and saw that he was still writing memorials at his desk so late.

That must have been really tough.

Feng Xingyu walked over and, without the slightest hesitation, pierced his back with a sword.

Before he died, he looked back and met Feng Xingyu's red eyes. A hint of fear appeared in his gradually widening pupils.

Feng Xingyu picked him up, went outside, and stuffed him into the coffin.

The last one is Chen Fu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

They both died in their sleep, but in an extremely comfortable way.

To give that person a surprise, it was indeed too easy for them to die.

After the matter was resolved, the two met at the foot of the palace wall as agreed.

No sooner had Mo Sangyu arrived than Feng Xingyu appeared behind her.

The speed startled her slightly.

He ran to three different places and was even faster than her?

Feng Xingyu's strength has always been a mystery. Mo Sangyu's current body can only withstand 70% of the spiritual power within her soul. She is confident that she can fight against a Grandmaster, but if she were to fight Feng Xingyu...

It's hard to say.

It's probably related to the bloodline restriction within him. She has a premonition that the power sealed by that bloodline restriction must be an extremely terrifying existence.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that she was staring at him without speaking, Feng Xingyu quickly took her hand: "Did things not go well?"

"no."

Mo Sangyu composed herself and looked towards the palace: "It's almost dawn. There are still a few opportunists to deal with. Are you going to wait for them here?"

"And what about you?"

"I'm going to take care of something else."

Feng Xingyu hesitated for a moment before not immediately agreeing.

He disagreed.

But he knew that once Mo Sangyu made a decision, it was difficult to change it.

"Don't worry, I won't put myself in danger."

Mo Sangyu knew he didn't like splitting up, but this was the last chance, so they had to do as much as they could to ensure victory.

"Alright, let's get started."

A hammer is fixed.

Feng Xingyu has no choice but to listen, whether he wants to or not.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself before saying, "Be very careful."

"understood."

Before he finished speaking, Mo Sangyu disappeared along the palace wall.

……

At 3:45 AM, the time for the morning court session.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, civil and military officials stood on both sides.

On the dragon throne, Feng Mingyuan sat upright, his gaze sweeping across the hall, his brows gradually furrowing.

There are several empty seats on the left.

The Censor-in-Chief did not come, the Vice Minister of Rites did not come, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review did not come, and the Salt Commissioner did not come.

The right side is also empty.

The Duke of Zhenguo did not come.

There were seven or eight other officials who did not come.

He glanced at the crowd and roughly calculated in his mind that a third of the ministers were absent today.

"What happened?"

His voice wasn't loud, but his imposing presence was heavy.

The hall was completely silent.

Nobody knows what happened.

At this moment, the commander of the Imperial Guards rushed into the palace to report: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

Feng Mingyuan's gaze sharpened: "What's the matter that you're so panicked?"

The commander of the Imperial Guards knelt on the ground, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, at the beginning of the morning, the patrolling guards discovered five coffins, placed in front of the residences of the Duke of Zhenguo, the Salt Commissioner Liu, the Censor-in-Chief Zheng, the Vice Minister of Rites Chen, and the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Zhou. There were people inside the coffins."

"Who is it?"

"These five adults were all... killed with a single blow."

An uproar erupted inside the hall.

The officials looked at each other, their faces filled with fear.

Feng Mingyuan suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, shocked, then furious.

"Who did this?"

"The investigation is still ongoing. The murderer's method was swift and efficient, and he did not alert any of the guards in the manor. His strength must be unfathomable. The Duke of Zhenguo's manor sent people to the coffin shop to inquire. It is said that a man and a woman were there last night, and they were asked to transport five coffins there. I have already sent a painter over, and we will soon be able to see the portraits of the man and woman."

A man and a woman?

Feng Mingyuan's expression changed slightly.

Could it be...?

"Something terrible has happened!"

At that moment, the deputy commander rushed in, shouting, "Your Majesty, a fire broke out at the Mo residence last night! Supervisor Mo and his wife and children—all four of them—were burned to death!"

"What?"

Feng Mingyuan's face turned pale, and he slumped back onto the dragon throne, his face filled with horror.

How could this happen?

So many people died overnight.

It's obvious that all of this is related to that incident back then.

Feng Mingyuan couldn't help but suspect that it was that wretched child who had returned!

Upon hearing this, the other ministers were immediately filled with panic.

To kill someone so silently... that's terrifying.

"Qingzhong, immediately launch a city-wide search and bring that man and woman back to me at all costs!"

Eunuch Qing, who had been standing to the side with his head bowed, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, let's leave the arrest to the Commander and Deputy Commander. At this time, this old servant cannot leave your side even for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Feng Mingyuan glanced at him but ultimately did not refute it.

That wicked creature was aimed at him, so Qingzhong's worries were not unfounded.

He looked at Crown Prince Feng Chengxian, and seeing him standing there blankly, he frowned: "Crown Prince."

Feng Chengxian reacted slowly, and it took him a while to raise his head: "Your subject is here."

"What's wrong with you? You seem distracted. How have you been doing with the tasks I assigned you these past two days?"

Feng Chengxian pondered for a moment, then replied in a flat tone, "Your Majesty, I am working hard and will be able to get it done soon."

That's not right.

Feng Mingyuan and Qingzhong exchanged a glance. Qingzhong immediately stepped forward and grabbed Feng Chengxian by the neck, but Feng Chengxian did not resist at all.

The next instant, he spontaneously combusted.

In an instant, it turned into a pile of ashes.

The ministers who witnessed all of this were terrified, their faces turning ashen and their legs trembling.

His Highness the Crown Prince spontaneously combusted?

Good heavens, what on earth is going on?

Everyone was terrified.

Only Feng Mingyuan and Qing Zhong knew what had happened, and Feng Mingyuan was furious.

evil creature!

Not only did they kill his important ministers, but they didn't even spare his own brothers!

"Qingzhong, go and investigate personally to see how many more of these fake people are in the palace!"

"Yes."

As long as he didn't leave the palace, Qingzhong felt that with his abilities, protecting His Majesty was no problem at all.

He walked out of the main hall and leaped onto the roof.

Fifteen minutes later, Eunuch Qing, who was usually inscrutable, returned with a dark expression on his face.

He leaned close to Feng Mingyuan's ear and whispered the report.

The eunuchs, servants, maids, and nannies of the harem, as well as the concubines, several princes, and even Consort Rong and the Empress, have all... spontaneously combusted.

After hearing the news, Feng Mingyuan remained expressionless for a long time.

He just sat there on the dragon throne, motionless.

The hall was completely silent; all the civil and military officials knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe.

Time seemed to stand still.

After an unknown amount of time, Feng Mingyuan suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"His Majesty!"

Qingzhong was shocked and quickly stepped forward to support him.

Feng Mingyuan waved his hand, as if to say something, but then two more mouthfuls of blood surged up, staining the front of his dragon robe red.

His face was as white as paper, and his hands gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white.

"Is the Third Prince...is the Third Prince still alive?"

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince has been residing at his residence outside the palace, so presumably..."

Qingzhong didn't finish his sentence, but Feng Mingyuan certainly understood the meaning behind it.

The Third Prince has probably already been killed.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please take care of your health!"

Qingzhong knelt on the ground, his face full of worry.

Several of the ministers below had already fainted from fright.

Feng Mingyuan shoved Qingzhong aside and staggered to his feet: "Wasn't he coming for me? I'd like to see if he has the guts to assassinate the emperor!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Qingzhong caught up with him and said urgently, "Although the Empress and the others have all been turned into dummies, it only means they were captured. Perhaps, they are still alive?"

Feng Mingyuan glanced at him, and his cold gaze sent a chill down Qingzhong's spine.

"Alive?"

He repeated the two words, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Do you think I care about their lives?"

Qingzhong was stunned.

Feng Mingyuan slowly turned around, his back to the kneeling ministers in the hall, and looked at the dazzling morning light outside the hall.

"That wretched child, he's provoking me, humiliating me!"

He spoke each word with a tone filled with a raw, almost manic rage, as if his sore spot had been struck: "I am the ruler, he is the subject; I am the father, he is the son; if I want him dead, he must die!"

"How dare he defy me and even try to kill me?"

"His life was given to him by me, what right does he have?"

"You wicked child! I shouldn't have been so soft-hearted back then; I should have killed him..."

Qingzhong sighed softly, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health."

"Qingzhong".

"This old servant is here."

"Go and convey my decree."

Feng Mingyuan's voice returned to calm, a calmness that was almost chilling.

"Bring that wretched creature to see me within a day, or else..."

He paused, a cold-blooded smile curving his lips: "Then have Yun Wangshu's grave dug up!"

"Yes."

Qingzhong bowed his head and replied, sighing inwardly once again.

Your Majesty... how could you possibly bear to leave Lady Yun's grave? It's a pain in his heart.

Over the years, others may not know, but Eunuch Qing, who served as his chief eunuch, knew very well.

His Majesty truly loved Consort Yun. He has kept her portrait for so many years and has never forgotten her.

Hey.

Our connection was too shallow.

Just as Eunuch Qing left, and Feng Mingyuan was about to wave to dismiss the court, a figure suddenly appeared in front of the main hall.

As the man approached, everyone's expression changed.