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

In front of the city gate.

For the first time ever, a rain of heads fell!

"what!"

"Don't come any closer!"

"Your Majesty, stop! Don't smash it!"

"What...what is this thing?!"

"Take it now!"

The officials, who had been kneeling in neat rows, instantly descended into chaos.

Some people were desperately backing away.

Some people simply closed their eyes.

Some people were so frightened that they were trembling all over.

Ye Wudao looked at them coldly: "What? I thought you commoners were so knowledgeable that you couldn't even recognize a human head?"

"No..." an official's voice trembled, "Your Majesty, you don't need to throw these things over here..."

Ye Wudao smiled.

"Didn't you suspect these were the heads of ordinary people? Since you have doubts, I will naturally let you see for yourselves."

As he spoke, Ye Wudao raised his hand.

"Come on, keep going! Let them see clearly!"

"yes!"

The Imperial Guard soldiers stepped forward again.

This time, the action was even more decisive, with heads being smashed onto officials like cannonballs.

Some were smashed and their heads were bleeding, and some older officials were even frightened into fainting.

Outside the city gate, it was utter chaos, a complete mess of people.

Those high-ranking officials who were just atop the city wall, pointing and commenting on Ye Wudao, were now terrified out of their wits, their composure completely gone.

Ye Wudao sat on his horse, coldly watching this scene, but couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

These old fogies are all talk and no action. They can talk a good game, but when it comes to real fighting, they're all cowards!

Didn't you just say that I used the heads of ordinary people to impersonate bandits?

Come!

I'll let you see it all at once!

Zhao Min rode up beside him and said, "Your Majesty, isn't this a bit too cruel?"

Ye Wudao scoffed, "Since they dared to question me in front of the entire city, they should bear the consequences of that questioning!"

"..."

Wu Qingxun angrily threw away the bloodied human head he was holding, shouting, "Ye Wudao, don't go too far!"

Ye Wudao smiled and said, "You've misunderstood me. I was merely fulfilling your expectations by throwing a head in front of you so you could take a good look and touch it. What wrong have I done?"

Wu Qingxun was speechless.

Then, Ye Wudao threw the heads of the four chieftains in front of Zhang Shouzhi.

Han Tieshan, Wei Wanjin, Wang Lie, Lu Sandao... all four hideous faces had their eyes closed, dying with their eyes wide open!

Zhang Shouzhi froze on the spot.

Han Tieshan, in particular, had seen the other party's portrait with his own eyes. He was a notorious bandit who ranked high on the imperial court's wanted list!

Is he... dead now?

How exactly did Ye Wudao manage to do that?

The surrounding crowd was in an uproar.

"It really is Han Tieshan!"

"I've seen his portrait!"

"His Majesty really killed them all!"

Ye Wudao looked at Zhang Shouzhi, whose face was deathly pale, and slowly spoke:

"Now, I ask you, do you still believe that I have massacred civilians?"

Zhang Shouzhi was so frightened he almost lost his mind: "Your subject...this humble subject was wrong! This humble subject was truly wrong!"

Ye Wudao laughed and said, "Since you've made a mistake, you should pay the price for it!"

Zhang Shouzhi was taken aback: "What?"

Ye Wudao revealed a harmless smile, pointing at the four bandit leaders:

"We're one short, how about you join us?"

Before Zhang Shouzhi could answer, Ye Wudao raised his knife and slammed a fresh human head down between the four bandit leaders!

Zhang Shouzhi, the Minister of Rites, is dead!

…………

soon.

The scene that unfolded in front of the city gate spread like wildfire throughout every corner of Yujing City.

"Have you heard? Zhang Shouzhi, the Minister of Rites, is dead!"

"I heard that His Majesty just returned from quelling the Yanlang Mountain bandits, and he immediately jumped out to question whether His Majesty had killed ordinary civilians instead of bandits!"

"and then?"

"Then His Majesty asked him, 'What should be done if it is proven that these are all mountain bandits?'"

"What did Zhang Shouzhi say?"

"He said... he was willing to atone with his death!"

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the teahouse.

The storyteller slammed his gavel down.

"good!"

His Majesty immediately said—

At this point, the storyteller deliberately drew out his voice, and the entire teahouse instantly fell silent.

"These four bandit leaders are still missing one."

"In my opinion, you are very suitable!"

"hiss--"

All the guests in the hall gasped in shock.

Someone couldn't help but ask:

"and then?"

The storyteller stroked his beard and smiled.

"Then, His Majesty swiftly brought down the blade!"

"Snap!"

He slammed his hand on the table.

"Zhang Shouzhi's head fell among those four bandit leaders!"

A commotion immediately erupted in the teahouse.

"That's too ruthless!"

"ruthless?"

A butcher selling meat nearby sneered.

"His Majesty led three thousand imperial guards to attack Yanlang Mountain overnight, wiping out more than five hundred bandits in a single day. But upon his return, these officials not only failed to congratulate him, but instead claimed that His Majesty had killed civilians! If it were me, I would have killed them too!"

"But speaking of which, how exactly did Your Majesty manage to do that?"

Upon hearing this, the teahouse immediately fell silent.

No one knew the specifics of the bandit suppression, so all sorts of strange rumors and speculations began to emerge.

"I've heard that His Majesty is the chosen one!"

"On the night His Majesty attacked the mountain, a thick fog descended from the sky. His Majesty led three thousand imperial guards, riding the clouds and descending from the heavens, utterly defeating the enemy army!"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true! My second uncle's third aunt's husband's nephew's wife's younger brother works in the Imperial Guard!"

"He witnessed His Majesty, clad in golden armor and wielding the Emperor's Sword, cleave the mountain in two with a single strike, like a god descending to earth!"

"I've heard that His Majesty didn't even need to kill the enemy himself; he merely glared at them, and all five hundred-plus bandits surrendered!"

The message passed from one person's mouth to another, resulting in all sorts of bizarre versions.

Rumors were circulating in the teahouse:

"You only know His Majesty, but you don't know that there are two other women who are equally formidable in this battle."

"Who?"

"Zhao Min, daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei and the Third Empress!"

Someone lowered their voice: "It is said that Empress Zhao, clad in armor and wielding a red-tasseled spear, charged into the bandits' ranks, slaughtering them until they cried out in despair!"

Someone asked, "Where's the other person?"

The man smiled mysteriously: "The number one manor in the world, Xie Bingyu!"

Upon hearing this name, the teahouse immediately quieted down considerably.

Someone whispered, "I've heard that Empress Xie is an unparalleled beauty, one of the most beautiful women in the world."

"More than just a beauty?" The man's eyes revealed longing.

"It is said that she was dressed in white, like a fairy descending from the moon palace, and wherever her sword flashed, bandits' heads rolled."

"That night, flames soared into the sky over Yanlang Mountain. She stood amidst the sea of ​​fire, her white clothes untouched by dust."

"What a pity... such a stunning beauty has passed away forever!"

Some people sighed, "Although His Majesty won a great victory in this battle, his greatest loss was probably the death of Empress Xie."

The man was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"Heroes who die on the battlefield at least die a worthy death, but a person like Empress Xie... is truly a pity."

The people around fell silent.

They had never met Xie Bingyu, but for some reason, when they heard the news that the woman in white had perished in the fire, everyone felt a strange sadness in their hearts...

…………

The study of the Prince of Zhenwang's Mansion.

"Outrageous! Ye Wudao! You killed my son! I will never forgive you!"

Upon hearing the news of Xiao Shaoyuan's death, Xiao Linyuan's eyes turned bloodshot, and he slammed his hand on the table.

boom!

The teacup on the table shattered from the impact.

"Shaoyuan..."

Xiao Linyuan slowly closed his eyes.

He seemed to see Xiao Shaoyuan as a child again, the child who followed behind him, calling him "Father" in a childish voice.

Now, however, he died at the hands of Ye Wudao!

Sima Chang, an advisor standing nearby, slowly spoke up: "Your Highness, please accept my condolences. The most important thing right now is not grief, but revenge!"

"His Majesty has now completely broken ties with the old officials in the court."

"Zhang Shouzhi was killed, and the officials in the court hated him to the bone. This is precisely the opportunity."

"Your Highness and Li Juzheng, no matter how fiercely they fought in the past, it was all for power. But now, you have a common enemy. As long as you join forces, you can unite your forces into one."

Xiao Linyuan remained silent for a long time: "You mean..."

Sima Chang said it word by word:

"Join forces with Li Juzheng to completely destroy Ye Wudao!"