The Empress remarried, and I retaliated by wiping out the court.

When Liang Mei realized that the severed head belonged to her own brother Liang Ze, she was struck dumb.

"No...impossible!"

"Wasn't my brother getting married to Xiao Luan? How could he possibly be dead!"

Ye Wudao kindly reminded her, "Oh, it's like this, your brother tried to defile Empress Xiao, and Empress Xiao killed him to protect her chastity."

Liang Mei stared wide-eyed, looking utterly bewildered.

The political marriage between the Regent and the Prince of Nanling was obvious to everyone.

Besides, Xiao Luan and Liang Ze have been in love for many years, how could she possibly kill him?

"You, you're talking nonsense!"

"There's nothing I can do if you don't believe me," Ye Wudao shrugged. "Everyone here can testify."

Liang Mei suddenly raised her head, staring intently at Ye Wudao with extremely venomous eyes.

"Ye Wudao, you must have killed my brother! You'll die a horrible death!"

"Snapped!"

A resounding slap.

Liang Mei was slapped so hard that her head was turned to the side, her hair disheveled.

Ye Wudao slowly withdrew his hand, his expression calm.

"This slap is to teach you manners."

"As the empress, she insulted the emperor, which is an act of insubordination."

"Who gave you the guts?"

Liang Mei covered her face, glaring resentfully at Ye Wudao.

Su Wensheng, the top scholar in the imperial examination, dressed in bright red, stood protectively in front of Liang Mei.

"Your Majesty's actions—mistreating your relatives and abusing your power—are nothing short of those of a tyrant! We, who have studied the classics, would not stoop to such behavior!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Wudao smiled.

"You've spent over a decade studying diligently; did you read the classics, or did you only pick out sentences that benefited you?"

Su Wensheng frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ye Wudao began, “The Analects says: ‘Let the ruler be a ruler, the minister a minister, the father a father, and the son a son.’”

"What is meant by 'ruler'?"

"A ruler should have the authority of a ruler."

"What is the meaning of 'subject'?"

"Your subject should uphold the proper conduct of a subject."

"As a subject, you did not bow to the emperor, had an affair with the empress and concubines, and openly married within the palace."

"Excuse me—where did you put [君]?"

"You disregard even the fundamental principles of the relationship between ruler and subject, yet you dare to discuss sages and worthies with me?"

A few words left Su Wensheng speechless.

"Guards! Seize him!"

Two guards from the Eastern Depot detained Su Wensheng, one on each side.

"You dare!"

Desperate to protect her husband, Liang Mei stood in front of Su Wensheng, saying, "You can't arrest him! If you're going to arrest him, arrest me too!"

"Great idea!" Ye Wudao laughed. "Is this buy-one-get-one-free?"

"Cao Ji, arrest him!"

"yes!"

The two continued to struggle, but Ye Wudao struck each of them in the ribs, and they immediately became obedient.

After capturing Liang Mei and Su Wensheng, Ye Wudao went to other palaces to arrest adulterers.

Liuyun Palace.

The lover of the Fourth Empress Luo Hanyan was killed by Ye Wudao's men with a hail of arrows.

Yuhua Palace.

Zhong Ming, the childhood sweetheart of the Sixth Empress Ma Wanlan, was beheaded by Ye Wudao with a single sword strike.

Wherever Ye Wudao went, he killed his way through.

Upon hearing the news, the other empresses all cancelled their weddings.

Of course, there are also those who are stubborn.

For example, Wuning Palace.

Unlike other palaces, this place has no music or candles, only a huge training ground.

Dozens of talented young men lay sprawled on the ground, their faces bruised and swollen, clutching their chests and groaning.

In the center of the training ground.

A woman in red is holding a twelve-foot-long spear with a red tassel, the tip of which is pointing diagonally at the ground.

She was tall and had a striking, heroic air about her.

His phoenix eyes were full of disdain.

This person is none other than Zhao Min, the daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei.

She glanced at the people lying on the ground and said, "That's it?"

"I thought the talents in the capital were so amazing."

"In the end, they were all a bunch of filthy good-for-nothings!"

Her spear trembled: "If you can't even withstand one of my spear thrusts, do you deserve to be my husband?"

Everyone lowered their heads in shame, but no one dared to stand up again.

The palace gates opened.

A group of guards from the Eastern Depot filed in.

Cao Ji shouted loudly:

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Ye Wudao frowned when he saw Zhao Min.

In the original book, this domineering and extraordinary woman is highly skilled in martial arts and has an exceptional ability to charge into battle.

Unfortunately, later on, her father, the Prince of Zhenbei, lost power in a power struggle, and this extraordinary woman was betrayed. Alone, she faced tens of thousands of Northern Mang troops and was worn down to death.

Ye Wudao lowered his head and said to Cao Ji, "I have heard that you have a unique skill called the Nine Netherworld Corrosion Needle. This needle is as thin as a cow's hair. Once it enters the body, it can seal a person's eight extraordinary meridians, causing their true energy to become disordered, and rendering them unable to move for a short period of time, leaving them at the mercy of others?"

Cao Ji's eyelids twitched slightly.

"Your Majesty actually knows about this needle?"

"Just do this in a moment..."

Ye Wudao whispered something in Cao Ji's ear, and the latter said fearfully:

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! Empress Zhao is the only daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei, this, this..."

"Just do what I tell you to do, stop talking nonsense!"

"Yes! This old servant obeys!"

On the arena, Zhao Min noticed Ye Wudao, but only glanced at him before letting out a sneer.

"Who do we have here? It's that useless emperor that everyone in the capital knows about!"

She slung the spear over her shoulder, making no attempt to hide the contempt in her eyes.

Others may fear you, but I, this young lady, am not.

"Marry me? Dream on!"

Ye Wudao calmly said, "Hey, muscle woman, I've come here today to give you only two choices."

"First, come back to the palace with me."

"Secondly, I will beat you so badly you'll be sent back to the palace!"

Zhao Min seemed to have heard a joke and laughed so hard she almost fell over.

"Hahaha!"

"You? A good-for-nothing who only knows how to have fun all day? You dare to order me around?"

The voice just fell.

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Min's eyes.

With a sharp tap of his toes, he shot off like an arrow.

Before she even drew her spear, she simply struck out with a palm strike from mid-air, aiming straight for Ye Wudao's chest!

The speed was as fast as lightning!

boom!

A palm strike landed squarely on his chest.

Ye Wudao let out a muffled groan, his body flying several feet backward before crashing heavily to the edge of the martial arts arena.

An uproar immediately erupted around them.

"Protect the Emperor!"

Cao Ji's expression changed drastically, but he still suppressed the urge to save Ye Wudao.

His sleeves trembled slightly.

Between the two fingers, a silver needle as thin as a hair had appeared without anyone noticing.

laugh--

A barely audible whooshing sound swept through the air.

Zhao Min only vaguely sensed a cool breeze brushing past her ear.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Um?"

next moment.

The silver needle had silently disappeared into the back of her robe.

As fine as cow hair.

It penetrates the flesh silently.

Zhao Min withdrew her hand, her expression arrogant.

"Useless is useless. You can't even withstand one-tenth of my power."

"I heard you have martial arts talent, but you spend your days indulging in lust and frequenting brothels. You're already 18 and haven't even reached the Ming Jin realm!"

"Does a man like you even deserve to be my husband?"

The martial arts realms in this world are divided into: Ming Jin (manifest strength), An Jin (hidden strength), Hua Jin (transformation strength), Zong Shi (master), Da Zong Shi (great master), and Ye Wudao doesn't know what lies beyond that.

The original owner didn't cultivate at all, and wasn't even a Ming Jin (a type of internal energy cultivation).

Why?

Because Ye Wudao was certain that if he went into cultivation, he would definitely not live past 18!

The late emperor had nine sons, but the other princes either died young or went missing, leaving only him alive.

In fact.

Only a spoiled prince with no ideals and no ambition could survive under the noses of nine powerful ministers!

If he had been even a little more ambitious, he would have been buried somewhere long ago.

Zhao Min brandished her red-cherry spear, making no attempt to conceal her contempt.

"Get out!"

"Unless you can defeat me, I, Zhao Min, will never marry you!"

Ye Wudao slowly raised his head and looked at Zhao Min not far away.

"You just said that you'd marry me if I changed your ways?"

"Yes, so what?"

Ye Wudao laughed: "Defeating you in bed counts?"

"Of course..."

Halfway through her sentence, Zhao Min suddenly clutched her chest, her whole body went limp and powerless, all her cultivation vanished without a trace, and she even had difficulty walking.

"What...what did you do to me?"

Ye Wudao slowly walked up to her, lifted her snow-white chin, and looked down at her:

"Tonight you belong to me!"

Zhao Min raised her head, glaring at him with resentment: "You actually plotted against me! You're despicable!"

Ye Wudao shrugged: "Say whatever you want!"

He turned to look at the guests around him, his tone icy:

"Cao Ji, I do not wish for outsiders to know what happened today!"

"yes!"

Cao Ji slowly drew his long sword and looked at the group of terrified young talents and guests:

"Leave none alive!"

In an instant, cold light crisscrossed and blood splattered.

Screams, screams, and the clash of weapons instantly tore through the night sky.

Ye Wudao picked up Zhao Min and slowly walked towards the room.

Red ribbons fluttered in the wind.

The lights were still shining brightly.

Joy still faintly emanates from outside the palace walls.

Inside the palace walls, blood flowed slowly down the white jade steps, like a scarlet painting.

Ye Wudao gazed tenderly at the beauty in his arms.

Behind them, swords flashed and shadows danced, and countless people screamed in terror.

But none of that matters to him anymore...