With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

The Prince of Zhenyuan's Mansion.

"Your Highness, the imperial city has been unsealed." Li An walked in and reported the news he had just received.

"His Majesty has just issued an imperial decree sentencing Zhou, Xu, Shi, and others guilty of serious crimes to death, to beheading immediately! They will be beheaded at Caishikou at noon tomorrow."

"It's pretty fast." Nangong Wu was a little surprised, thinking it would take several more days.

"It seems His Majesty is also afraid that things might get complicated if things drag on," Bei Chenyan said lazily. "As long as Nangong Xun is alive, he will always be a hidden danger, and the Empress Dowager is also a restless person."

Nangong Wu glanced at him, "Go on."

"Even now, can't you see it? His Majesty's order to eliminate the Ming family shows that he has long been dissatisfied with them. His previous favoritism towards Nangong Xun was perhaps just a smokescreen."

However, the Ming family's backer is the Empress Dowager, and they have close ties with powerful clans such as the Xu and He families. His Majesty has been struggling to find an opportunity to take action against the Ming family.

Your recent actions have caught the Prince Rui's faction off guard, disrupted the original balance of power in the court, and thrown things into chaos.

"Emperor Mingde has indulged everything you've done, even fueling the flames, and agreed to your proposal to recalculate the national treasury. Don't you think things are progressing too smoothly?" Bei Chenyan said with a smile.

"The analysis is good." Nangong Wu thought about what she had done since she came here.

She confronted the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Noble Consort directly; she beat Nangong Xun in front of him; she killed Zhou Chuchu in the main hall; she blew up the Tianji Pavilion. Emperor Mingde only superficially reprimanded her, but never truly punished her.

"This is the art of imperial strategy." Bei Chenyan's eyes were deep.

"Let's not talk about that for now. Since His Majesty has already issued the decree, we will not leave for the time being."

After all, I had a 'life-and-death bond' with them. They are going to the Yellow Springs tomorrow, and I must see them off." Nangong Wu felt that the day had finally come for them to go to the execution ground, and she had to see them off.

"Your Highness, should we also push He Zhiyu out?" Li Shuang asked.

"Wait a minute." Nangong Wu shook her head. "He Zhiyu colluded with the Eastern Jin Kingdom and was the culprit who killed my mother and 50,000 soldiers. I want to wait until I rescue my father so that he can see how his enemy died."

"He Zhiyu colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, murdering the eldest princess. The He family will surely be exterminated. At that time, the eldest princess and my mother will be able to rest in peace." Li Shuang's eyes were red.

They had been waiting for the day to kill their enemy for five whole years.

"There's also news from the palace that the Empress Dowager secretly met with Nangong Xun at Shouning Palace, and they talked for more than an hour." After Li An finished speaking, she took out a secret letter and handed it to her.

Nangong Wu opened the secret letter, and after reading it, she said, "Nangong Xun has suffered for several days, and sure enough, he couldn't hold back any longer."

"You blew up the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, and His Majesty didn't punish you. Xuan Qingzi might not let it go so easily," Bei Chenyan reminded her.

"Are you afraid that Xuan Qingzi will seek refuge with Nangong Xun? I'm afraid he won't show his face. If he dares to show his face, I'll blow his head off." Nangong Wu now hated Xuan Qingzi to the core.

"In that case, I'll go out for a while longer." Bei Chenyan handed the child over to Granny Feng.

The next day.

The execution ground at Caishikou was packed with people early on, all discussing the people to be executed that day.

"I heard that 237 people are to be killed today. Is that true?"

"It's true. Notices of beheading have been posted. There are thirteen families involved, the most notorious criminals who embezzled the national treasury the most."

"These people suck the blood of the people and squander the national treasury's money; they deserve to die."

"I heard there are members of the Zhou family among them. They deserve it."

"That's really something. The Zhou family demoted the Prince of Zhenyuan's wife to a concubine, not only disfiguring her face but also causing her to conceive three children of unknown father. Their intentions were wicked; they deserve to end up in this state."

"He deserves it! Look at Zhou Shaorong, always so arrogant, what's he so proud of? He turned down a life that was handed to him, and instead spoiled Liu Yue'er. Now his whole family is getting their comeuppance!"

At this point, the death row inmates were led one by one to the guillotine and forced to kneel on the ground.

More than two hundred people knelt down on a large patch of ground.

"The Prince of Zhenyuan has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look.

Seeing that Nangong Wu was wearing a veil, she walked onto the execution platform.

The executioner today was Nangong Yi. Upon seeing her arrive, he rose to greet her, "Sister of the Prince of Runing, you've come!"

Nangong Wu nodded to him, "Yes, I've come to see off an old friend."

"Alright, go ahead." Nangong Xun extended his hand to her.

Zhou Zheng and his wife knelt side by side as a pair of black cloud-patterned official boots slowly walked over and stopped in front of them.

"Zhou Zheng, I've come to see you off." Nangong Wu's voice was cold.

Zhou Zheng slowly raised his head, moved his chapped lips, and said, "Prince Zhenyuan, are you satisfied to see my Zhou family reduced to this state?"

"I'm not satisfied. After all, your good son Zhou Shaorong is still alive," Nangong Wu said.

"What did you say...?"

Zhou Zheng and his wife's expressions changed drastically.

"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place."

Nangong Wu observed the changes in their expressions and said, "Zhou Zheng, I admire you. A sickly man who's half-dead can actually get the dignified Imperial Advisor to risk his life to save him? I really don't know what your relationship is with him?"

"Nangong Wu, you bitch, we'll haunt you even as ghosts!" Madam Zhou roared hysterically at her, her eyes filled with resentment.

"Don't worry, the underworld is not as good as the human world. When you were alive, you had an imperial concubine and the Ming family to rely on, so you did so many evil things without any problem."

"When you get to the underworld, the cold-faced King Yama, who holds the Book of Life and Death, will already know the evil deeds you've committed in the mortal realm. He will sentence you to be boiled in oil and fried, then cast into the animal realm, where you'll be reborn as animals for eternity. You still think you can come out and do evil and harm people? Wishful thinking!" Nangong Wu sneered disdainfully.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou involuntarily shrank back.

She had also heard that if a person commits too many evil deeds in this life, they will be reborn as an animal in the underworld.

"No! I don't want to be reborn as an animal, no..."

Nangong Wu continued, "I have come here today only to tell you one thing: I will send Zhou Shaorong down to reunite with you. I hope the King of Hell will not send you to the animal realm too soon."

Madam Zhou broke down, "No, Nangong Wu, you can't do this..."

"What's your name?" The executioner standing to the side kicked her.

Madam Zhou's legs were already broken and her hands were bound. After being kicked like that, she lay there unable to get up.

The executioner lifted her up again and slammed her to the ground. "Damn it, you're about to die and you still won't rest in peace."

Zhou Zheng seemed remorseful. "Prince Zhenyuan, it was my Zhou family that wronged you before. We have ended up in this state. I do not blame you."

If they had treated Nangong Wu better, if he hadn't indulged his son's misbehavior, perhaps the whole family wouldn't have ended up being executed.