I was to be executed by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Empress Ma smashed Zhu Yuanzhang's jade seal.

Xu Da's lips trembled, and his eyes widened like copper bells.

That severed head belonged to his nephew, Li Jinglong, the eldest son of Cao Guogong Li Wenzhong!

"Jing... Jinglong..."

Li Wenzhong let out a mournful cry, like that of a wounded wild beast.

"My son!"

Li Jinglong, by imperial decree, is to guard Shanhaiguan!

The fact that his head is here speaks volumes.

Along with the severed head, a third and final urgent military report was also thrown in!

A young eunuch, trembling with fear, stepped forward and picked it up.

He glanced at it only once, then collapsed to the ground with a thud, trembling like a leaf, unable to utter a single word.

"waste!"

The chief eunuch beside Zhu Yuanzhang rushed down and snatched the military report from his hand. He unfolded it and, upon reading it, instantly turned pale.

He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and read it aloud in the tone of someone reading an obituary for the Ming Dynasty.

"Northern Frontier... Third... Urgent Last Report..."

"Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, personally led eight thousand soldiers from Jiangdong and broke through Shanhaiguan Pass! The defending general, Li Jinglong... was killed in action!"

"One hundred thousand troops from the northern frontier have defected! By order of the King of England, they are marching south... to purge the court of corrupt officials!"

"The army...has passed Tongzhou! Its advance...is heading straight for... Yingtianfu!"

……

"BOOM—!!!"

Throughout the entire Fengtian Hall, everyone's mind was filled with the thunderous roar of the heavens!

Finished!

It's completely over!

One hundred thousand soldiers defected!

The army's advance is aimed directly at Yingtian Prefecture!

These twelve short characters, like twelve towering mountains, weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone in the Fengtian Hall, making it hard for them to breathe.

The entire hall fell into an eerie silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone stood there blankly, like clay puppets whose souls had been taken away, their minds completely empty.

They couldn't understand or believe what they were hearing.

This is no longer treason.

This is blatant arson; they're trying to seize the dragon throne in the Golden Palace!

"Haha...hahahaha..."

A hoarse, maniacal laugh shattered the suffocating silence.

It was Zhu Yuanzhang.

He smiled.

He looked at his son, who was still standing straight in the center of the hall, and at that calm, expressionless face, and laughed until tears streamed down his face.

"Well done...well done, 'cleansing the court of corrupt officials'!"

"What a magnificent defection of 100,000 troops!"

"Zhu Muying! We really underestimated you! We really underestimated you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled as he slowly walked down the steps.

His steps were very steady.

Every step he took landed on everyone's hearts.

The atmosphere in the main hall was extremely oppressive.

Everyone knew that an irreversible bloodbath was about to unfold.

"His Majesty……"

Xu Da finally recovered from the immense grief of his nephew's tragic death.

He raised his face, streaked with tears and filled with despair, his voice hoarse as he made a final effort.

"Your Majesty, this is impossible... Mu Ying would never do such a thing... This must be a trap! It's a scheme by the Northern Yuan to sow discord!"

"A divisive tactic?"

Zhu Yuanzhang walked up to him, stopped, lowered his head, and looked at this brother who had followed him all his life and helped him establish the Ming Dynasty.

His voice was very soft and cold.

"Xu Da, tell me, what kind of divisive tactic could make our 100,000 Ming soldiers turn their guns on us, the emperor?"

"What kind of divisive tactic could have led to the fall of Shanhaiguan overnight?"

"What kind of divisive tactic could possibly lead to my nephew losing his head?!"

Every question Zhu Yuanzhang posed was like a knife, stabbing Xu Da's heart.

Xu Da opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Yes.

He couldn't explain it.

All of this was beyond his comprehension.

"Are you also trying to tell us?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's tone was full of sarcasm, "That so-called Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, was he also a former Northern Yuan person?"

"When did our Ming soldiers become so easily fooled?"

Xu Da's head drooped low.

He had nothing to say.

Zhu Yuanzhang ignored him, walked around him, and stepped by step, walked up to Zhu Muying.

For the first time in several years, the father and son looked at each other in such close proximity.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at this face, which bore a seven-tenths resemblance to his own, but was even more handsome and resolute than when he was young.

Looking into those eyes, so deep they were like an ancient well, so calm they made his heart race.

His anger burned even brighter.

He wanted to see even the slightest fear or remorse in those eyes.

However, no.

There was nothing there.

There was only one patch of still, stagnant water.

And beneath that calm, a profound sorrow is hidden.

"Zhu Muying,"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, word by word, "I'll ask you one last time."

"Is this soldier yours?"

"Did you instigate this rebellion?"

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

They knew this was the final judgment.

Zhu Muying's answer will determine just how much blood will be shed in Fengtian Hall today.

Under everyone's gaze, Zhu Muying slowly shook her head.

His voice was very soft, yet exceptionally clear.

"Your subject does not know."

It's still those four words.

From beginning to end, it all boils down to these four words.

"I don't know?"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed, a chilling laugh. "What a fine 'Ignorance'!"

"Your troops are already at the gates of our palace! And you're telling me you didn't know?!"

"Do you think we're three-year-olds?!"

Or perhaps,

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly moved his face closer, almost touching Zhu Muying's, and said in a sinister voice that only the two of them could hear, "You think you've already won?"

"Do you really think that once your army arrives, we'll obediently hand over the dragon throne to you?!"

Zhu Muying looked at the face so close to hers, twisted with rage, and smelled the heavy, bloody breath emanating from his mouth.

The last vestige of warmth in his heart had completely turned cold.

He finally understood.

His father, the emperor, never believed him.

No matter what he does, no matter how many merits he makes.

In his heart, he would always be the potential enemy who would threaten his throne.

That being the case...

"Father,"

Zhu Muying smiled too, a smile tinged with melancholy. "Since you've already made up your mind, why bother asking your son again?"

"What do you wish me to say?"

"Speak! These soldiers belong to your son! Your son intends to rebel and seize your kingdom!"

Are you happy?

"you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless for a long time after hearing this.

His chest heaved violently, and blood rushed straight to his head.

He felt like he was about to be driven to his death by this unfilial son!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang abruptly took a step back, pointed at Zhu Muying, and roared to those around him, "You all saw it! You all heard it!"

"That rebellious son! He admitted it himself! He's going to rebel!"

"He wants to seize our kingdom!"

"Where are the Embroidered Uniform Guards?!"

With a roar.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A series of synchronized rustling sounds of armor plates rubbing together rang out from outside the hall.

Dozens of Imperial Guards, dressed in flying fish robes and with embroidered spring knives at their waists, led by a man with a sinister face and eagle-like eyes, surged into the Fengtian Hall like a group of silent demons.

The temperature in the entire hall instantly dropped several degrees.

Leading the group was none other than Mao Xiang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Zhu Yuanzhang's most loyal, and also most ruthless, dog!

"Your subject, Mao Xiang, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Mao Xiang walked into the hall, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a hoarse and cold voice.

"Mao Xiang,"

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Zhu Muying, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent. "This rebellious son has committed treason and rebellion; the evidence is irrefutable!"

"I order you to take him down immediately!"

"Execute them on the spot!"

"My lord, I obey your order!"

Mao Xiang stood up and waved his hand.

The dozen or so Imperial Guards behind him immediately drew their embroidered spring knives and, expressionless, moved closer to Zhu Muying.