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

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard that Empress Ma was determined to die, he actually wanted to "die together with her."

Zhu Yuanzhang's heart sank.

He knew that his wife was a woman of her word.

She was truly driven to the brink today.

Zhu Yuanzhang's mind was racing.

Give Lao Wu justice!

How should I give it to you?

Are you suggesting he admit he was wrong in front of the entire court?

Does he admit that he wronged his son?

Where would he, as emperor, put his face?

How will he be able to command the world after that?

How to expose the treacherous officials and villains?

Who is the treacherous minister?

Who is the thief?

The memorials impeaching Zhu Muying poured into his study like snowflakes.

Are we to arrest and kill all those officials and censors who dared to speak out?

Wouldn't that throw the imperial court into chaos?

This won't work, that won't work.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt that he had been forced into a dead end.

He looked at Empress Ma's resolute face, and then at the six menacing generals behind her.

He knew that if he didn't produce something substantial today, this matter would definitely not be resolved.

He gritted his teeth and made a difficult decision.

"good!"

He nodded emphatically. "Xiuying, we promise you!"

"We will definitely get to the bottom of Lao Wu's death!"

"We will personally interrogate those who submitted the impeachment memorials, one by one! If we find out who's behind this, who's framing my son!"

"We will not let them off easily!"

"We must exterminate his entire family!"

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke these words through gritted teeth, his voice filled with murderous intent.

However, his eyes never went to Zhu Muying's body.

He is dead.

These words are only meant for Empress Ma, Zhu Biao, and the six generals to hear.

"Simply investigating is not enough."

Finally, she slowly uttered four words.

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback. "Then...what else do you want?"

Empress Ma did not answer him.

She turned her head and glanced at the face in her arms that was beginning to lose its color.

"I want to hold a funeral for my son with the highest national honors."

"I want his memorial tablet to be placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

A state funeral ceremony!

The memorial tablets were placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!

None of these scenarios would be possible for a prince who had been personally accused of "treason" by the emperor.

What she wanted was for him, the emperor, to bow his head and admit his mistake in front of the whole world!

This is even more painful for him than killing him outright!

"You...you've gone too far!"

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Empress Ma, his voice trembling violently with rage, "Don't you know how he died?! He walked right into the line of fire in the Fengtian Hall, in front of the entire court!"

"If we were to give him a state funeral and allow him to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, what would we become? What would we, the emperor, become?!"

"What will the world think of me? They'll say I'm a tyrant! A muddle-headed fool who can't even tell whether his own son is loyal or treacherous!"

"Do we still need to consolidate our Ming Dynasty?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang practically roared as he uttered these words.

He felt that his dignity had been trampled underfoot by Ma Xiuying.

However, Empress Ma simply looked at him coldly, her eyes showing no sign of yielding.

"Is your reputation more important than your empire?"

"You're not thinking about how to stabilize morale, but about saving face!"

Empress Ma did not want the people to suffer as a result.

Despite the pain of losing her son, she had to appease the troops, especially the generals in the northern frontier.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang did not know how to advance or retreat!

She held her son's body in her arms, a blood-dripping sword in her hand; her frail figure now resembled an unshakeable mountain.

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless after being questioned by her, and retreated step by step.

He knew that what Empress Ma said was true.

Zhu Muying's death was indeed caused by him.

But he couldn't admit it.

He's the emperor!

How could the emperor be wrong?

"Sister-in-law!"

Six of the most outstanding military generals of the Ming Dynasty, six men whose every stomp could shake the entire world, spoke in unison, their voices resounding throughout the universe.

Their voices were filled with determination and resolve.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned deathly pale instantly.

He knew that these six old brothers were going to completely break ties with him.

Xu Da straightened up, and his gaze finally turned to Zhu Yuanzhang.

His eyes were calm, yet they carried a chilling power.

"Your Majesty, we are just rough men. We don't understand the rules of the court or the art of rulership."

"We only know that we will repay those who are good to us with our lives."

"Back then, we followed you because we believed you could lead us to a better life."

"Our sister-in-law is our family. We can never repay her kindness in this lifetime."

"Fifth Brother is a child we've watched grow up. We know him better than anyone else what kind of person he is."

"He could never possibly rebel!"

Xu Da paused, then raised his voice a few decibels.

"Today, all six of us agreed to the three things my sister-in-law proposed!"

"Fifth brother, his funeral must be conducted with state honors!"

"He must be posthumously granted the title of Prince!"

"The memorial tablets must be placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"

"What if His Majesty doesn't agree?"

He took a deep breath and slowly uttered a sentence that sent chills down the spines of all the civil officials.

"We only recognize our eldest sister, Ma Xiuying!"

"boom!"

These words, like a thunderclap, resounded throughout the Fengtian Hall.

Everyone was stunned by the explosion.

crazy!

They've all gone mad!

These six pillars of the Ming Dynasty, who were supposed to be the pillars of the state, have actually stopped recognizing their elder brother and started recognizing their elder sister instead?!

This……

This is a coup attempt!

This is blatantly using the military security of the entire Ming Dynasty to threaten the emperor!

How is this any different from rebellion?!

Zhu Yuanzhang swayed and almost lost his balance.

He stared wide-eyed at Xu Da, as if he were looking at a stranger.

He couldn't believe these words came from his most trusted brother, Xu Da.

"You...you all..."

He pointed at them, hesitated for a long time, but couldn't say a word.

He felt as if his heart had been hollowed out.

What's the point of him being emperor?

His beloved wife wanted to die with him.

The brother he trusted most was abandoned by the whole group.

He won the world, but lost everything.

He became a truly lonely man.

The air inside the Fengtian Hall seemed to freeze.

Time, too, was put on pause.

All eyes were focused on the six figures that stood tall behind Empress Ma, like mountains.

He only recognizes his eldest sister, Ma Xiuying, and not his eldest brother, Zhu Chongba!

These words, spoken by six of the most powerful military generals in the Ming Dynasty, carried enough weight to crush the entire court.

This is not a simple resignation from office.

This was an ultimatum to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Either you agree to our conditions, clear Lao Wu's name, and give Da Sao an explanation.

Or, we old brothers will cut ties with you completely.

Go play with this Ming Dynasty's empire by yourself.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned a deep purplish-red.

He felt like he had a mouthful of blood stuck in his chest, neither going up nor down, making him feel like he was about to explode.

He wanted to swear.

I want to curse Xu Da and his ilk for being ungrateful and disregarding the bond between ruler and subject.

I want to criticize them for holding military power and threatening the emperor and father.

However, he couldn't bring himself to swear.

Because he knew that these old buddies had gone to such lengths because he had forced them into it.

It was he who personally pushed them to the opposite side.

His gaze passed over the six mountains and landed on Empress Ma.

She was still holding Zhu Muying's body, and in her hand, she still held the blood-dripping Chengji sword.

That sword belongs to Zhu Biao.

It is the Chengji Sword, symbolizing the identity of the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

Now, this sword, stained with the empress's blood, is pointed at the reigning emperor.

How ironic.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze became complicated.

There was anger, resentment, grievance, and, more importantly, fear—fear that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

He was afraid.

He was really scared.

What he feared was not that Xu Da and his men would rebel.

He knew that even if his old buddies hated him, they wouldn't go that far.

What he feared was Ma Xiuying.

This is the woman he loved and respected his entire life.

He was afraid that she would really do as she said and perish together with him.

He was afraid that she would truly give up on him completely.

He's afraid of this group of people!

I only recognize the eldest sister, Ma Xiuying!

He doesn't acknowledge Zhu Chongba as his elder brother!

……

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