Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

This is a grand scheme, a scheme that involves the emperor, the entire court, and the whole country!

Fu Chuan'ang and Pei Zhihui have joined forces, one a scholar and the other a warrior, one internal and the other external.

Things are probably about to change.

"Your Highness, shall we pursue them or not?" A lieutenant stepped forward to ask for instructions.

Zhao Qiyan suddenly stood up. His hands were trembling, not from fear, but from extreme shock.

"We're not chasing anymore." Zhao Qiyan's voice was hoarse as she grabbed her deputy general by the collar. "Seal off the scene! No one is allowed to approach this body!"

He turned and strode toward his warhorse.

"Prepare the horse!" Zhao Qiyan mounted the horse and shook the reins.

"Your Highness, where are you going?" the lieutenant shouted.

"To the Emperor!" Zhao Qiyan shouted without turning her head, her warhorse charging towards the Meridian Gate like an arrow released from a bow. "The sky is falling!"

The sound of horses' hooves seemed particularly urgent in the wind and snow.

Zhao Qiyan gripped the reins tightly, her mind filled with only one thought: she had to see the emperor immediately. If the emperor knew the truth and immediately issued an edict to mobilize the troops from the Jiangnan Grand Camp to defend the capital, perhaps the defeat could still be averted.

Pei Zhihui.

Zhao Qiyan gritted her teeth. This seemingly sickly but powerful minister had actually laid such a vicious trap.

The Meridian Gate slowly opened in front of Zhao Qiyan.

At the same time, in a secret room of the Pei residence.

Pei Zhihui stood by the window, looking at the dark night sky outside.

Pei An pushed open the door and entered, kneeling on one knee. There was a deep, bone-revealing knife wound on his left arm, and blood dripped onto the floor.

"My lord. Little Wei is dead. The letter has been destroyed." Pei An gasped for breath, "But... the Imperial Guards have been alerted. Zhao Qiyan has surrounded the alley. One of my men has been killed."

Pei Zhihui turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Was the body properly disposed of?"

"We didn't have time." Pei An lowered his head. "Zhao Qiyan saw the knife we ​​used."

The air in the sealed room instantly froze.

Shen Qiongju sat on the couch, and the black chess piece in her hand fell onto the chessboard with a "thud," disrupting the entire game.

The sword of the Zhenbei Army. Zhao Qiyan.

Pei Zhihui closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He knew Zhao Qiyan wasn't stupid. Once she saw the knife and connected it to Xiao Weizi's identity, this earth-shattering scheme would be exposed.

Zhao Qiyan must be on her way to the Hall of Mental Cultivation right now.

Once the emperor learns the truth.

"Pei Zhihui." Shen Qiongju stood up and walked to his side, her expression one of extreme calm and resolve. "The plan is being moved up."

These four words, uttered by Shen Qiongju, were light and airy, yet carried a weight heavier than a thousand pounds.

She swept all the black pieces off the chessboard, the jade stones clashing together with a crisp sound.

Pei Zhihui's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He took off his blue casual clothes and pulled on the blood-red court robe.

A jade belt cinched his waist, and the bird-patterned insignia gleamed faintly under the lamplight. He glanced at Shen Qiongju, said nothing more, turned, pushed open the door, and disappeared into the wind and snow.

The alleyway inside the Xihua Gate of the Forbidden City.

The red walls stand tall, and the ground is covered in white snow. This road is a shortcut to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Zhao Qiyan galloped wildly on his horse, its hooves crushing the snow and splashing mud everywhere. His mind was filled with only the word "fake." The northern border was fake, the rebellion was fake, and the entire court was being manipulated by that sickly prime minister.

A person stands in the wind and snow ahead.

Wearing a scarlet court robe, undeterred by the wind and snow, Pei Zhihui stood alone in the middle of the narrow alley.

"Whoa—" Zhao Qiyan tightened the reins, and the warhorse reared up, stopping just three feet in front of Pei Zhihui.

"Get out of my way!" Zhao Qiyan shouted angrily from above, her eyes bloodshot and her hand gripping a long spear.

Pei Zhihui looked up, his pale face showing no fear, but rather a sickly languor. He was blocking his way and had no intention of giving way.

Clang. Zhao Qiyan discarded her gun and drew her sword, the longsword unsheathed, its blade aimed directly at Pei Zhihui's Adam's apple.

"Traitorous minister!" Zhao Qiyan gritted her teeth, each word dripping with blood. "You colluded with the Zhenbei Army, deceiving your superiors and plotting to overthrow the century-old foundation of the Great Sheng Dynasty! Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven and execute you, you treacherous minister!"

The sword tip moved forward half an inch, piercing Pei Zhihui's neck. A drop of blood seeped out, its redness glaring.

Pei Zhihui did not retreat. He took half a step forward to meet the sword's edge.

Beneath his pale skin, a terrifying madness emerged. He raised his hand, fingers spread, and gripped the blade that could cut a hair in an instant.

The sharp steel sliced ​​through flesh, and blood dripped from between his fingers, splashing onto the pristine snow and spreading like red plum blossoms. Pei Zhihui laughed, revealing his gleaming white teeth, like a demon crawling out of the deepest hell.

"The century-old foundation of Dasheng?" Pei Zhihui's voice was hoarse, accompanied by a sawing sound like a broken bellows in his throat. "Young Master Zhao, look at this capital city where corpses are scattered everywhere. Look at the mountains of corpses piled up in front of Shuntian Prefecture."

He gripped the blade and forcefully pressed Zhao Qiyan's sword down.

"For a drug-addicted, cruel, and inhumane ruler, you're willing to let the entire world perish. Is this your loyalty?" Pei Zhihui stared intently at Zhao Qiyan. "You're not protecting the world, you're protecting that madman sitting on the dragon throne. The sword in your hand is stained with the blood of the common people."

Every word is piercing to the heart.

Zhao Qiyan's hand holding the sword trembled slightly. Born into a noble family, he had been well-versed in literature since childhood and was devoted to serving his country. But in the past few days, while inspecting the inner city, he had witnessed firsthand the people exchanging children to eat, and the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture hanging himself.

What is the emperor doing?

The emperor was consuming the Nine-Turn Purple Gold Elixir while simultaneously ordering the killing of people.

The collapse of faith often requires only a single crack.

Interestingly, this young master was so preoccupied with national righteousness that he forgot the starving soldiers didn't respect imperial edicts.

At the same time, in the secret chamber of the main courtyard of the Pei residence.

Shen Qiongju fiddled with the abacus without looking up. "Hengniang, send a message to the spies in the granary in the west of the city. Burn the winter rations of the Imperial Guards. Also, have the people from the black market shout outside the Imperial Guards' camp that the Emperor is sending the last bit of coarse rice to Fu Chuan'ang in the north."

Du Hengniang blew on the tinderbox, lighting the bamboo fuse on the carrier pigeon's leg. "Your move is ruthless. If the soldiers aren't getting enough to eat, a mutiny is only a matter of time."

"When people are starving, they'll even eat their own sons, let alone the emperor," Shen Qiongju sneered.

The standoff continues inside the alleyway of Xihua Gate.

Zhao Qiyan's wavering was fleeting; he bit his tongue hard, trying to steady himself. "Smooth talker! You're just doing this for your own selfish desires..."

"Report—!"

A junior Imperial Guard officer scrambled into the alley, his helmet gone, his face filled with panic. "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! The western camp is on fire, all the supplies are burned! The brothers heard the Emperor is going to cut off our food, and the camp is in chaos! They're heading straight for the capital!"

Zhao Qiyan was struck dumb, her whole body frozen on the horse.

"A riot in the camp." For a general leading troops, these two words were nothing short of a catastrophic disaster.

In that instant when he was distracted...

Pei An leaped down from the red wall like a ghost. Without any fancy moves, he delivered a precise chop to the back of Zhao Qiyan's neck.

Zhao Qiyan rolled her eyes and slumped off the horse.

"Tie him up." Pei Zhihui released his blood-soaked right hand, took out a plain handkerchief from his sleeve, and slowly wiped the wound. "Leave him alive. Take him back to the cellar."

Pei An carried the unconscious Zhao Qiyan on his back, and disappeared into the wind and snow in a few leaps.

The truth of the North was completely buried in this snow-covered alley. The Emperor lost his last and only hope of turning the tide.

Pei Zhihui coughed violently, bending over with the force, his handkerchief stained with black blood. He straightened up, looking at the magnificent Hall of Mental Cultivation deep within the Forbidden City, his eyes filled with mockery.

It's almost bright.

On the morning of the fifth day, the earth trembled.

It wasn't an earthquake, but the sound of horses' hooves. One hundred thousand iron cavalry of the Northern Garrison had completely surrounded the capital.

Outside the city walls, Fu Chuan'ang's banner fluttered in the wind, its black background bearing the six large characters in red: "Purge the Emperor's Corrupt Officials, Execute the Traitorous Ministers." Swords and spears stood like a forest, armor gleamed, and a chilling aura rose to the heavens.

Within the city, cries of anguish filled the air.

Five days without food turned the capital into a living hell. Tree bark was gnawed away, and the ornamental koi carp were all caught. The once high-ranking officials could not even get a bowl of thin porridge. Some contemplated jumping into wells, but finding the water too cold, they sheepishly climbed back in to await their fate.

The deepest part of the cellar in the Pei residence.

The chains rattled. Zhao Qiyan was chained to the wall with iron chains as thick as a child's arm, her hair disheveled, her eyes blazing with fury.

Pei Zhihui sat in the armchair opposite him, holding a hand warmer in his hands.

The cellar was cold and damp. He was dressed very thickly, wrapped in a fox fur coat, but he still couldn't suppress his coughing fits.

"Ahem... Your Highness, how have you been these past five days?" Pei Zhihui took a sip of hot tea to moisten his chapped lips.

"Traitorous wretch! You'll die a horrible death!" Zhao Qiyan cursed. "Fu Chuan'ang's army is at the city gates; your death is imminent!"

Pei Zhihui chuckled softly. He stood up, walked to Zhao Qiyan, and patted her cheek.

"Your Highness is truly naive. Do you think those 100,000 men outside the city are here to kill me?" Pei Zhihui lowered his voice, his tone laced with extreme cruelty. "General Fu's rations were collected by my wife, load by load. His pay was paid by my wife, tael by tael. Guess who that 'Punish the Traitorous Minister' banner was meant for?"

Zhao Qiyan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he made a strange, hoarse sound. He finally understood that this game of chess was a dead end from the very beginning. The emperor was a pawn to be sacrificed on the chessboard, and he, Zhao Qiyan, wasn't even a pawn.

"What...what exactly do you want to do?"

"A change of dynasty." Pei Zhihui turned around and climbed the steps. "Your Highness, just watch closely from here and see how this great Sheng dynasty changes hands."

In the main courtyard, Shen Qiongju changed into a neat riding outfit.

She sealed the last few account books into a box. All the cash from the thirteen merchant houses had been transferred to a safe area outside the city, and the salt tax from Jiangnan had been diverted to Liangzhou. This capital city was now just an empty shell.

"Madam, the carriage is ready." Du Hengniang walked in carrying a broadsword, her face filled with undisguised excitement.

"Let's go." Shen Qiongju stuffed a jade pendant into her bosom. It was a small tiger carved by Pei Zhihui.

She was going to Tingzhuxuan to pick up Nian'an and take her home.

On the city wall, the wind howled.

The entire court huddled behind the city walls, trembling with fear, peering out at the 100,000-strong army outside the city. Some, their legs giving way, collapsed to the ground, defecating and urinating involuntarily.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

The chief eunuch's shrill voice cut through the wind.

The emperor has arrived.

He did not ride in the imperial carriage. He was helped up the city wall step by step by two eunuchs.

The poison of the Nine-Turn Purple Gold Pill had fully taken effect. The emperor had become emaciated, his eyes sunken, his cheekbones high, and his skin a deathly ashen blue. Yet he was unusually excited, his eyes frighteningly bright, and his lips blood-red.

He stood in front of the battlements, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, looking down at Fu Chuan'ang outside the city.

"Traitors...all traitors!" the emperor muttered to himself, then abruptly turned his head, searching through the crowd, "Pei Zhihui! Where is Pei Zhihui!"

The officials parted to the sides like Moses parting the sea, making way for a passage.

Pei Zhihui walked slowly. His scarlet court robes were spotless, his steps were unhurried, and he even suppressed a cough. He walked up to the emperor and bowed slightly.

"Your subject is here."

"Where's the grain! Where are the 500,000 dan of military rations I ordered you to procure!" The emperor grabbed Pei Zhihui by the collar with surprising force, spitting in Pei Zhihui's face. "Hand over the grain! Use it to reward the troops! Make them retreat!"

Pei Zhihui let him grab her, his expression completely unmoved.

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent."

The emperor was stunned, then flew into a rage. "You dare disobey my decree?! Do you believe I won't kill you right now and use your head to quell the rebels' anger?!"

The emperor drew a sword from the waist of a nearby guard and placed the blade directly against Pei Zhihui's neck.

The coolness of the metal pressed against their skin. The officials gasped, and some closed their eyes.

It's worth noting that even with the knife to his neck, Pei Zhihui didn't even blink. He even reached out and used two fingers to pinch the back of the blade, pushing it away slightly by half an inch.

"If Your Majesty wishes to kill me, so be it." Pei Zhihui's voice was not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the city tower. "However, before you kill me, Your Majesty might as well hear the truth."

The cold wind was like a knife, sweeping across the city walls.

The emperor's hand, gripping the knife, trembled. Not out of pity, but from the weakness caused by the elixir having overdrawn his strength.

"The truth? What truth!" the emperor roared.

Pei Zhihui straightened his rumpled collar and brushed away non-existent dust. He glanced around at the trembling officials, finally fixing his gaze on the emperor's lifeless face.

"The capital city is out of grain."

Pei Zhihui spoke in a calm tone, as if he were discussing today's weather.

"Five hundred thousand dan of military rations? Let alone ten days, even if His Majesty had a hundred years, we couldn't raise that much. The granaries of the thirteen merchant houses in the inner city were emptied half a month ago. The Ministry of Revenue's grain reserves aren't even enough to feed the starving stray dogs under the city walls."

The emperor's eyes widened, his breathing rapid. "You're talking nonsense... My private treasury, my personal storehouse, still has silver! Go buy it! Go to Jiangnan to buy it!"

"Silver?" Pei Zhihui chuckled, his laughter full of sarcasm. "Your Majesty probably doesn't know yet. All the cash from the thirteen merchant guilds has been transported out of the city. The salt tax from Jiangnan is stuck at the canal checkpoints. The treasury of the Great Sheng Dynasty is so clean that it can't even support a single rat."

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

The Minister of Revenue fainted on the spot. Several senior officials beat their chests and wailed.

The Great Sheng Dynasty is finished. It has gone completely bankrupt.

The emperor staggered back two steps, his sword clattering to the ground. He pointed at Pei Zhihui, his finger trembling like a withered branch swaying in the wind.

"It was you...it was you who did it! You conspired with Fu Chuan'ang! You were plotting to seize the throne!"

"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words." Pei Zhihui stepped forward, staring intently at the emperor. "I am a civil official, utterly powerless. General Fu is a military general, guarding the border. How could I possibly be plotting to usurp the throne? The grain in the capital was procured on Your Majesty's orders. The silver in the capital was taken away by the merchants themselves. This chaos in the world was caused by Your Majesty, through the poison pills you ingested and the death warrants you issued!"

Each word was like a heavy hammer blow, striking the emperor's spine.

"You're talking nonsense!" the emperor roared hysterically. "I am the Son of Heaven! I am ordained by Heaven! I will never allow my country to perish! Guards! Seize this traitor! Cut him to pieces!"