They've already breached the palace, yet all they ask of me is an edict of self-reproach.

Seeing Zhao Ji suddenly fall silent, the ministers, who had been trembling with fear, dared not even breathe, lowering their heads and only able to secretly observe Zhao Ji's expression out of the corner of their eyes.

An eerie silence fell over the Golden Palace.

After last night's purge of his inner circle, their incompetent emperor seems to have gone somewhat mad.

After a long pause, Zhao Ji glanced at the assembled officials and smiled faintly:

"I have neglected state affairs for many years, and my methods of handling problems have become increasingly rusty. No matter how I handle this situation, I am afraid it will be difficult to win over the public. Therefore, I have decided not to solve the problem, but to deal with the person who raised the problem."

At this point, Zhao Ji's voice turned cold:

"Those who just forced me to abdicate, drag them all out and behead them!"

boom!

When Zhao Ji uttered these words, all the officials were astonished.

The ministers who had just spoken in agreement with Qin Gao's pressure on Zhao Ji to abdicate instantly turned pale and looked as if they had lost their parents.

Having just gone through the process of purging corrupt officials from the court, the ministers thought they could control the incompetent ruler Zhao Ji, but they never expected that Zhao Ji would so recklessly implement tyranny.

It truly lives up to the saying: "When an emperor is angry, millions will die."

"Zhao Ji, you tyrant! If you dare to kill us today, you will be condemned by thousands and despised by all. How can you face the ancestors who have ruled over us in the afterlife?"

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, one of the ministers immediately jumped up and angrily berated Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji showed no anger, his tone calm: "You, exterminate your entire clan!"

hiss!

The assembled officials couldn't help but gasp in shock.

Some ministers who wanted to hurl insults at Zhao Ji before they died were so frightened that they immediately shut their mouths.

"you……"

The minister, whose entire clan had been exterminated, was about to stand up for himself and say, "So what if you exterminate my nine generations?" But remembering the fate of the Imperial Censor Qin Gao, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

"My esteemed ministers, do you have anything else to say? I'm listening."

"My lord, thank you Lord for your kindness!"

The ministers who had been ordered to commit suicide dared not utter any more arrogant words. All their resentment and bitterness could only be expressed in gratitude to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, although these officials have made mistakes, their crimes do not warrant death. If they are killed, how will the court function? I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."

Yang Jianzhong tried to dissuade him.

Zhao Ji said coldly, "Lord Yang, I respect you as a veteran of three reigns and a great Confucian scholar of the present dynasty, but you should not challenge my bottom line again and again. Dali is my Dali. As long as I sit on this dragon throne, Dali will not stop running. As for these insubordinate traitors, they are treacherous officials and deserve to die."

"But Your Majesty..."

Yang Jianzhong wanted to say something more, but Zhao Ji interrupted him:

"My mind is made up. There is no need to discuss this matter further. Anyone who dares to plead for leniency will be punished as an accomplice. Court adjourned."

Zhao Ji flicked his sleeves and left the Golden Palace.

Zhao Ji did not want to kill so many ministers at once.

However, the situation is now beyond his control. With the removal of corrupt officials and the portrayal of a foolish ruler, Zhao Ji has lost all prestige.

A mere Imperial Censor, with no support whatsoever, dared to force him to abdicate.

If Zhao Ji doesn't kill some people this time, everyone will probably want to bully this soft persimmon emperor in the future.

As Qin Zhaoyu watched Zhao Ji's departing figure, even though she had a thousand words in her heart, she could only let out a sigh.

Qin Zhaoyu and several subordinates had just stepped out of the Golden Palace when they suddenly saw the chief eunuch beside Zhao Ji jogging towards them.

Eunuch Hai forced a smile: "General Qin, please wait, His Majesty summons you."

"What business does Your Majesty have with me?"

"This old servant is not sure about that. I would like to ask General Qin to accompany me."

Qin Zhaoyu paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

"General Qin, please."

Eunuch Hai smiled obsequiously and gestured for Qin Zhaoyu to step forward. He then glared at the people following behind her.

"His Majesty only summoned General Qin; what are you all doing there?"

"Of course we are protecting General Qin."

"That's only natural," a general said.

Eunuch Hai snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "What, do you generals suspect that His Majesty will harm General Qin?"

"This... I dare not."

When Eunuch Hai slapped this heavy label on them, the group was speechless for a moment.

They had just witnessed Zhao Ji's tyrannical methods; he could wipe out nine generations of a family at the slightest provocation.

"You may leave the palace first."

Qin Zhaoyu said to the group.

Qin Zhaoyu knew that Zhao Ji was already very displeased when she brought a few people to the palace. If she were to bring more people now, the Qin family would probably lose Zhao Ji's trust completely.

Although Qin Zhaoyu was very disappointed in Zhao Ji, no matter what, Zhao Ji was still the ruler, and she was the subject.

Seeing that Qin Zhaoyu had said so, the generals said nothing more and could only leave the palace first.

……

Chengtian Hall.

After Qin Zhaoyu entered the hall, the eunuchs outside closed the hall door.

Qin Zhaoyu frowned slightly, but did not panic.

The palace is still under her control, and as far as the capital is concerned, no one can do anything to her unless the Imperial Advisor takes action.

"May I ask what Your Majesty has summoned me for?"

Qin Zhaoyu looked at Zhao Ji, who was sipping fragrant tea, and bowed.

Zhao Ji gave Qin Zhaoyu a very strange feeling, but Qin Zhaoyu couldn't quite put her finger on what was so strange about him.

"Sister Zhaoyu, there are no outsiders here, so why should we be so formal? Please sit down."

Zhao Ji pointed to the side.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Qin Zhaoyu didn't hesitate and sat down directly.

After a moment of silence, Qin Zhaoyu spoke up, "Your Majesty, there is something I am unsure whether I should say."

"If you want to plead for those traitors, then there's no need to say more."

Zhao Ji waved his hand.

Qin Zhaoyu hesitated, but ultimately did not continue.

"How is the situation in the northern border region now?"

Zhao Ji asked casually.

Qin Zhaoyu was taken aback, not expecting Zhao Ji, who never concerned himself with state affairs, to suddenly ask about this.

Qin Zhaoyu pondered for a moment and replied seriously, "The Northern Frontier may seem calm on the surface, but undercurrents are swirling beneath. In recent years, Tuoba Nanqing has emerged from the Northern Python. He is not only highly skilled in martial arts but also a rare military genius. He will surely be a formidable enemy of our Dali in the future. Now that the Northern Python has gained momentum, and that Empress is ambitious, she will definitely head south soon. I hope Your Majesty will make preparations as soon as possible."

Zhao Ji nodded, his expression unchanged, as he glanced at Qin Zhaoyu's devastatingly beautiful face.

Seeing Zhao Ji suddenly looking at her like that, Qin Zhaoyu's cheeks flushed slightly.

Putting aside the fact that Zhao Ji was a foolish and tyrannical ruler, he was indeed a rare handsome man in the world.

"Sister Zhaoyu, I have a question that I need you to answer. If I don't get the answer today, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep for the rest of my life."

Zhao Ji's tone remained calm, but Qin Zhaoyu felt a chill.

"Is this his true nature?"

Qin Zhaoyu was secretly alarmed.

Zhao Ji may have been a foolish ruler, but his imperial skills were not necessarily inferior to those of previous emperors.

"Your Majesty, please speak. I will certainly tell you everything I know without reservation."

"There are no outsiders here, Sister Zhaoyu, you don't need to be so nervous. I'm just asking a trivial question."

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"I want to know, now that you command 300,000 elite troops in the Northern Frontier, a force even stronger than that of the Prince of Zhennan and the Prince of Xiliang, if there were no Imperial Advisor in the capital, after you killed Zhao Hui last night, did you ever consider killing me as well, and then becoming the second female emperor in this world?"

After speaking, Zhao Ji looked at Qin Zhaoyu quietly, his face calm, but inside he was panicking.

Zhao Ji was gambling, gambling on the absolute loyalty of the Qin family lineage to the Zhao royal family.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhaoyu was stunned for a moment, then her expression changed drastically, and she immediately knelt down.

"Your Majesty, Zhaoyu swears to Heaven that she has absolutely no intention of disloyalty. Even without the Imperial Preceptor's authorization, Zhaoyu will not harm Your Majesty in the slightest."

Seeing Qin Zhaoyu's anxious and uneasy appearance, Zhao Ji felt a little sorry for her, but he knew that now was not the time to think about romance.

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "The Qin family is full of loyal and righteous men. Of course I know you have no intention of disloyalty, but you should know that just because you don't means your generals don't. You must know how the founding emperor started his rebellion, right?"

Upon hearing this, four words immediately came to Qin Zhaoyu's mind: "Don the yellow robe!"

Thinking of this, Qin Zhaoyu felt a chill run through her entire body.

Her father had previously told her that serving a ruler was like serving a tiger, a truth Qin Zhaoyu had always dismissed, but now…

Qin Zhaoyu finally understood.

"Your Majesty's concerns are understood."

Thinking about what happened in the court today, Qin Zhaoyu immediately understood.

Qin Zhaoyu took out the tiger tally from her waist and presented it with both hands.

Looking at the tiger tally that could command 300,000 elite troops in the northern frontier, Zhao Ji was somewhat tempted, but he did not accept it.

Now, Dali is beset by internal and external troubles, and Qin Zhaoyu is still needed to guard the northern frontier.

Seeing that Zhao Ji had not yet accepted the tiger tally, Qin Zhaoyu looked up at him in confusion.

Zhao Ji smiled warmly: "I didn't ask you to hand over the Tiger Tally. If I were to strip you of your position as General Who Guards the North, I would truly become a tyrant unlike any other in history."

Qin Zhaoyu was stunned, somewhat surprised. It seemed that Zhao Ji was not completely incompetent.

The Qin family has guarded the northern frontier for generations, and no one understands the Northern Python better than the Qin family.

If the commander is changed now, even if the Northern Frontier has 300,000 elite troops, it will not be able to stop the Northern Python Cavalry.

"What does Your Majesty want me to do?"

For some reason, Qin Zhaoyu felt a sense of foreboding.

"It's very simple." Zhao Ji's gaze fell on Qin Zhaoyu's face, which was said to be a calamity to the country: "I want you to offer your loyalty."

"Loyalty? Your Majesty, my Qin family truly has no intention of disloyalty."

"You've misunderstood. What I want from you is your loyalty."

"Huh? My loyalty...?"

Although Qin Zhaoyu had been with the army for many years, as a woman, how could she not understand matters between men and women?

Coupled with the look in Zhao Ji's eyes at that moment, Qin Zhaoyu understood what Zhao Ji meant by loyalty.

Feeling Zhao Ji's covetous gaze, Qin Zhaoyu's face flushed instantly.

"Your Majesty...I..."

After learning Zhao Ji's purpose, Qin Zhaoyu stammered and didn't know what to say for a moment.

If the ruler demands the death of his subject, the subject has no choice but to die, especially when all that is desired is her body.

"Sister Zhaoyu, the Qin family has been loyal and righteous for generations, and you and I grew up together. Although I do not want to be suspicious of you, I am the emperor, and there are some things I must be wary of. I hope you can understand."

"Your Majesty, must it be this way? My Qin family has guarded the northern frontier for generations. My father and brothers all died on the battlefield. Isn't that enough to demonstrate the loyalty of my Qin family?"

"I know, but times have changed. I think you know the situation in the Northern Frontier better than I do. As the emperor, I can't even get a few soldiers to lay down their arms. How can I sleep soundly?"

"Didn't Your Majesty consider that even if Zhaoyu offers her loyalty today, Your Majesty will not win my heart..."

"Enough! I only want to feel your loyalty right now. You're right beside me, and I still can't feel your loyalty. How can I trust you?"

Having said that, Zhao Ji stood up and stared coldly at Qin Zhaoyu:

"General Qin, you now have two choices: kill me and you can sit on the throne of Dali, or let me feel your loyalty."

Qin Zhaoyu looked up and gazed quietly at Zhao Ji, not avoiding his sharp and cold gaze.

Qin Zhaoyu did not believe that Zhao Ji was after her beauty.

Everyone knows that Zhao Ji was not fond of women, otherwise he would not have bestowed the most beautiful woman in Dali upon the King of Nanyi.

Seeing Qin Zhaoyu remain silent, Zhao Ji said no more and said in a deep voice:

"Remove your armor!"

Qin Zhaoyu remained unmoved, clenching her fists.

She hated Zhao Ji, but she could never bring herself to kill the emperor.

"I order you to remove your armor! Remove your armor!"

Zhao Ji's voice grew colder.

Qin Zhaoyu was taken aback, and a sense of fear arose in her heart.

For the first time, she felt the domineering aura of an emperor emanating from Zhao Ji.

"I... obey your order!"

After feeling a pang of guilt for a while, Qin Zhaoyu finally stood up and slowly removed the white fish-scale armor from her body.

Soon, the armor was removed.

"Uninstall again!"

Zhao Ji pretended to be calm, but in his heart he was thinking: If she wanted to kill me, the Grand Preceptor wouldn't just stand by and watch me die, would he?

"……yes."

A tear slid down Qin Zhaoyu's face, and soon she was left only with a white undergarment.

Seeing Qin Zhaoyu's heartbroken appearance, Zhao Ji felt extremely distressed.

But Zhao Ji had no choice. First, he needed the Imperial Dao Nine-Five Heavenly Merit, and second, he needed to give Qin Zhaoyu a warning so that she would understand who the true master of Dali was.

Zhao Ji would not allow the situation of removing the armor but not removing it to happen a second time.

Just as Qin Zhaoyu was about to take off her inner garment, Zhao Ji took her hand and said softly:

"That's enough. I appreciate your loyalty. Come with me."

Zhao Ji ignored Qin Zhaoyu's reaction and pulled her towards the back hall.

"Your Majesty, I... I'm not quite ready yet, could you give me a little time?"

Qin Zhaoyu said almost pleadingly.

She possessed exceptional martial arts skills, but dared not use them against the man before her.

"What's there to prepare?"

Zhao Ji turned around and glanced at Qin Zhaoyu with a puzzled look.

Unexpectedly, the first female warrior of Dali, who had dominated the battlefield, was frightened to tears by just a few words from him.

Zhao Ji naturally knew that Qin Zhaoyu had misunderstood, but he did not explain, knowing that everything would become clear in time.

Soon, Zhao Ji led Qin Zhaoyu to the back hall.

The rear hall was very empty, with only a set of cold, gleaming red armor on display.

"This is... Empress Taizu's red-tasseled armor that broke through enemy lines?"

At a glance, Qin Zhaoyu recognized the origin of the armor before her and couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

But... why did Zhao Ji bring her here? Shouldn't they have gone over there?

Qin Zhaoyu glanced sideways at the dragon bed in the distance.

However, seeing that there was no desire in Zhao Ji's eyes, Qin Zhaoyu immediately realized that she had misunderstood Zhao Ji.

"You have a good eye, but this is a replica. There are only three replicas in the world. The other two have been buried in the imperial mausoleum. This is the last one."

Zhao Ji said calmly.

Looking at the Empress Dowager's red-tasseled armor, Qin Zhaoyu couldn't help but smile.

Empress Taizu can be said to be the idol of all women in the world, even the brilliant and talented empress of the Northern Barbarian Kingdom was no exception.

"This red-tasseled armor is now yours."

"what?"

Qin Zhaoyu was stunned upon hearing Zhao Ji's words.

This was even more shocking than when Zhao Ji had just asked her to pledge her loyalty.