Admitting Fault (9,000-word chapter)

"Zheng!"

Xu Qi'an flicked his wrist, and the black-gold longsword emitted a soft hum, leaving a trail of tragically beautiful blood on the execution platform.

His gaze slowly swept over the seven righteous men kneeling below the platform, over the imperial guards, over the dense crowd of civilians, and he took a deep breath, then spoke loudly:

"Today, Xu Qi'an beheaded two traitors, not to vent his anger, not for personal grudges, but only for the sake of a righteous cause, only to clear Lord Zheng's name, and only to tell the court a message."

All eyes were on him; the scene was silent, everyone listening intently.

Xu Qi'an's tone was firm and powerful, yet tinged with an unspeakable depth. "If Heaven had feelings, it too would grow old; the vicissitudes of life are the true path of humanity."

Xu Qi'an's gaze swept over the crowd and looked towards the clear blue sky in the distance. Among the white clouds, he seemed to see that rigid figure bowing to him again.

Xu Qi'an returned the greeting and did not look up for a long time.

Lord Zheng, may you rest in peace.

If Heaven had feelings, it too would grow old; the vicissitudes of life are the true path of humanity. On a distant rooftop, Huaiqing, dressed in snow-white robes, trembled slightly, murmuring to herself, somewhat lost in thought.

The vicissitudes of life are the true path of humanity. Is this the belief you hold dear in your heart, Xu Qi'an? Outside the crowd, a woman of average appearance clutched her heart, listening to it pounding wildly.

Around Caishikou, crowds of people gathered, their cries echoing through the air. Some bowed their heads, others wiped away tears, their sobs incessant.

"Dad, why are you crying? Why are all the adults crying?"

In a not-too-crowded spot, the little child looked up and blinked.

The man picked up the child, placed him on his shoulder, and whispered, "Look at that man, remember this sentence, you must remember this sentence, and remember him too. From now on, no matter what others say, you are not allowed to speak ill of him."

"Who is he? Why would I speak ill of him?" the child asked curiously.

"He is a hero of the Great Feng, but after today, he may very well become a 'bad guy.'"

Xu Qi'an received the sheath, and with a clang, pulled out the carving knife nailed to the platform. He gripped it in his palm, and the dozen or so high-ranking martial artists around the execution platform were so shocked that they retreated in surprise.

He ignored it, as if it were nothing, stepped down from the execution platform, and walked out step by step.

During the process, he gently opened the special sachet given to him by Li Miaozhen and put the two deceased souls into the bag.

The crowds that had filled the streets, a dense, dark mass of people, spontaneously stepped back, making way for a straight passage.

"Xu Yinluo, please accept my bow."

An elderly scholar with gray hair bowed respectfully.

"Xu Yinluo, please accept my bow."

Without any organization or appeal, the people present bowed with their hands clasped, their movements not entirely synchronized, but their sincerity was heartfelt.

On the rooftop, Huaiqing looked down at this scene and was momentarily dazed. She was the emperor's eldest daughter, a princess of high status. She had seen thousands bow down to her, let alone thousands.

For example, the father of that emperor.

However, others only revered his power and the dragon robe he wore.

Only Xu Qi'an was respected and loved by the people, and this respect came from the bottom of their hearts, for no other reason than for him as a person.

The imperial guards blocking the road became restless, unsure whether to attack or retreat as they watched the approaching young man.

They couldn't help but look at the three commanders, only to find that the commanders and the other warriors were standing motionless in the distance, showing no intention of stopping them.

"Lülü."

The horses neighed softly and pushed aside to make way.

After walking a few hundred steps, he stopped and gazed in the direction of the palace.

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. If you don't admit your mistake, someone will force you to.

At this moment, outside the Meridian Gate, the officials did not disperse, but patiently waited for news to be sent back.

Moreover, if a major battle were to break out in the city, staying in the palace would be the safest option. There are many skilled fighters in the palace, although they don't usually put on a show.

The imperial palace was backed by the Imperial Guard camp, which consisted of three major camps: the Hundred Battles Camp, the Divine Machine Camp, and the Cavalry Camp, totaling 100,000 Imperial Guards, who were directly under the emperor's command.

Finally, among the military officers and nobles, there were actually many skilled individuals, such as Que Yongxiu, who was a fifth-rank official.

The civil and military officials whispered among themselves, discussing how to resolve the matter and whether the two dukes, Duke Cao and Duke Huguo, were alive or dead.

But they were all somewhat distracted, their eyes frequently glancing towards the palace gate.

Finally, a soldier, gripping the hilt of his sword, rushed in from outside the palace.

The Grand Secretary stepped forward, stopping the armored soldiers, and asked in a deep voice, "What is the situation outside the palace? Have the Imperial Guards subdued Xu Qi'an? Are the Duke of Cao and the Duke of Huguo safe?"

This imperial guard was on his way to deliver a message to the emperor and had no intention of dealing with the Grand Secretary Wang. He dodged aside and continued on his way.

However, several military officers blocked his way and shouted, "Speak!"

With a clatter of footsteps, hundreds of civil and military officials of varying ranks stepped forward and surged forward.

The soldier suddenly felt pressure beyond his station and forced himself to speak:

"The Duke of Cao and the Duke of Huguo were taken to Caishikou and beheaded."

After saying that, he quickly left.

The Duke of Cao and the Duke of Huguo were dragged to the execution ground and killed. This news left all the civil and military officials present speechless for a long time.

Although the officials present were well aware of Xu Qi'an's character, especially those who had opposed him, such as Minister Sun and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

But when they finally confirmed that the Duke of Cao and the Duke of Hu had been beheaded and their heads displayed to the public, they still felt a sense of absurdity.

"What a lawless scoundrel!" an official muttered.

"He is a hateful man." Minister Sun glanced at the man, paused for a moment, and added:

"But he was also a respectable person."

Several civil officials who were on good terms with Minister Sun looked at him in disbelief.

Minister Sun said calmly, "I do wish I could tear this boy to pieces, but that's just my personal grudge. Que Yongxiu was the one who aided and abetted evil, slaughtering 380,000 innocent people. He is the truly heinous villain who cannot be forgiven by Heaven. It was good that he was killed, a brilliant execution."

"Good job killing him! A brilliant move!" many civil officials silently thought to themselves.

Among them, some were willing to compromise for the sake of interests, some dared not disobey imperial power, some were indifferent and chose to protect themselves, and some were filled with righteous indignation but remained silent due to the circumstances and principles.

However, everyone has their own scale in their heart to judge right and wrong.

Wei Yuan and Chief Minister Wang exchanged a glance, showing no surprise, as if they had foreseen this turn of events.

"Is one day enough?" Wei Yuan asked calmly.

"That's enough." Chief Minister Wang nodded slightly.

Inside the palace.

Emperor Yuanjing stood with his back to the door, hands clasped behind his back, saying nothing. The old eunuch beside him lowered his head slightly, not daring to breathe loudly.

He had served Emperor Yuanjing for many years and knew the emperor's temperament well. He would overturn tables to vent his emotions, but that was just venting. Once he had vented, he would not really take it to heart.

However, if he remains silent for more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it means that this emperor has begun to seriously calculate and plan something, as if he were dealing with a formidable enemy.

It's strange. He wasn't this gloomy and terrifying when handling the case of the Prince of Zhenbei, but he suddenly became so "out of control" after Xu Qi'an kidnapped the two dukes.

Even if Xu Qi'an killed the two dukes to vent his anger, it wouldn't be a loss for His Majesty, since His Majesty's objective had already been achieved.

Just then, footsteps approached quickly, and the guards stopped at the door.

Emperor Yuanjing turned around abruptly and said in a deep voice, "Speak!"

The guard stood at the door, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Xu Qi'an has executed the two dukes at Caishikou, and..."

Upon hearing that the Duke of Cao and the Duke of Huguo had been executed, Emperor Yuanjing's face turned furious, and he shouted, "Say it all in one breath!"

The guard said in a trembling voice, "And in front of more than a thousand people, they slandered His Majesty, claiming that His Majesty condoned the massacre of the city by the Prince of Zhenbei and that the Duke of Huguo, Que Yongxiu, wielded the knife."

Emperor Yuanjing's pupils suddenly contracted. A few seconds later, his hands, which were tucked into his sleeves, trembled slightly, and his face twitched visibly. He spoke, word by word:

Is that scoundrel still alive?

"He entered the Bureau of Astronomy, and the commanders couldn't stop him because he was holding a carving knife."

Sensing the emperor's wrath, the guards spoke tremblingly.

The hall was eerily silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The atmosphere was frozen; the old eunuch didn't even dare to breathe, his plump body trembling slightly.

After a long while, Emperor Yuanjing's emotionless voice rang out. "Immediately send men to arrest Xu Qi'an's family and imprison them to await their fate. If they resist, kill them on the spot."

"Dispatch five hundred Imperial Guards to the Bureau of Astronomy to arrest Xu Qi'an; notify the Cabinet to immediately draft a proclamation: Xu Qi'an, the Silver Gong, is a spy of the Witch God Cult, who is using the Zheng Xinghuai case to stir up trouble and tarnish the reputation of our Great Feng Imperial Family."

After the old eunuch left to carry out his orders, Emperor Yuanjing muttered to himself, "Our fortune cannot be allowed to dissipate any further."

Soon, a contingent of imperial guards arrived at the Xu Residence, but the gates remained tightly shut.

The imperial guards kicked open the gates and stormed into the Xu Residence, only to find it deserted. The furniture and household items were all there, but there wasn't a single valuable item.

These imperial guards were the elite of the elite, and they didn't wreak havoc in a fit of rage. After a thorough search, they quickly left and returned to the palace to report back.

On the other side, the old eunuch personally led a group to the cabinet and met the white-haired Grand Secretary Wang in the hall.

"His Majesty has decreed that a proclamation be drafted immediately: Xu Qi'an, the Silver Xu Qi'an, is a spy for the Witchcraft Cult, who is using the Zheng Xinghuai case to stir up trouble and tarnish the reputation of the Great Feng Imperial Family."

The old eunuch spoke very quickly, relaying Emperor Yuanjing's words verbatim.

After listening attentively, the Grand Secretary Wang nodded and said, "Return the seal!"

These two words mean: I disagree!

The cabinet had the power to reject or veto imperial edicts, which meant rejecting any bad or incorrect decrees issued by the emperor.

"What did you say?"

The old eunuch thought he had misheard. He picked at his ear and said, "Your Excellency, could you please repeat that?"

The Grand Secretary looked at him calmly. "Return the seal."

The old eunuch's face was grim, and his voice carried a hidden threat as he said, "Grand Chancellor, these are extraordinary times. Why do you have to provoke His Majesty at this crucial moment? Countless people are eyeing your position."

He paused, his tone softening, "All land under heaven belongs to the emperor. This world belongs to His Majesty. As his subjects, even if we have grievances, we should keep them to ourselves. Why must we go against His Majesty?"

The chief minister rose expressionlessly and walked outside.

The old eunuch, seeing his lack of tact, was about to lash out when he heard the old man's calm voice. "I am unwell and must return to my residence first. If His Majesty summons me, we can discuss it tomorrow."

"How dare you!" The old eunuch trembled with anger.

He immediately boarded a sedan chair, carried by his guards, and returned to the palace, heading straight for his bedchamber.

Inside the palace, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Emperor Yuanjing sat cross-legged on a futon, his face serene, as if nothing had happened.

His ears twitched, then he spoke coldly, "Finished explaining?"

"Yes," the old eunuch stammered, then whispered, "Chief Minister Wang has... has rejected your imperial edict."

Emperor Yuanjing remained silent for a few seconds, then said coldly, "Summon him to see me."

The old eunuch swallowed hard, his voice even softer. "Chief Minister Wang said he wasn't feeling well and had gone back to his residence to rest. He also said that if His Majesty needs anything, he can seek him out tomorrow."

Emperor Yuanjing opened his eyes, his anger turning into a mocking laugh, "Old fool, do you really think I dare not dismiss him? Since he's unwell, then he shouldn't occupy his position. Inform all officials to attend court tomorrow."

Recently, court assemblies have been held day after day, even more frequently than during the Capital Evaluation. Since the emperor began his Daoist practice, there has never been such a dense concentration of court assemblies.

At this moment, a commander of the Imperial Guards arrived outside the palace and announced loudly, "Your Majesty."

The old eunuch bowed, hurried out, whispered a few words to the commander of the Imperial Guards, returned with a grim expression, and muttered:

"Your Majesty, Xu Qi'an's family has already fled and their whereabouts are unknown. As for the Bureau of Astronomy, the area within a hundred feet of the Star-Gazing Tower is shrouded by an array, preventing the Imperial Guards from entering."

Emperor Yuanjing sneered, "As expected, this was premeditated."

He paused, then said in a low voice, "What else did the Superintendent say?"

The old eunuch replied, "It wasn't the supervisor; it was Yang Qianhuan who made the move, and she even gave the Imperial Guards a scathing critique."

Emperor Yuanjing, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief.

He stopped talking and pondered how to salvage the situation.

Xu Qi'an was ultimately just a silver gong, and could not represent the imperial court. This behavior could be defined as a military man breaking the law, but that was not enough. To gain the people's trust, Xu Qi'an had to be framed and labeled as a spy for the Witch God Cult.

Then, he sent people to spread rumors in the capital, coordinating with the imperial proclamation. This was far more credible than the boastful talk of this scoundrel at the execution ground.

But before that, he first needs to appease the civil service group. Now that things have taken a turn for the worse, many civil officials who dare not speak out are very likely to "go all out" and "make an example of someone" at tomorrow's court assembly.

Chief Minister Wang was the chicken he wanted to kill.

The Bureau of Astronomy, the Eight Trigrams Platform.

The supervisor stood on the rooftop, hands behind his back, his white robes fluttering, graceful and elegant like a banished immortal.

He intently surveyed the capital, and after a moment, smiled knowingly, "The tide has turned!"

At this moment, a figure in white appeared, his back to the supervisor, hands clasped behind his back. In the most aloof tone, he spoke with the utmost respect, "Thank you for your kindness, Master. I feel much better today. Hmm, what exactly happened? Why did the Imperial Guards want to arrest Xu Qi'an, and why did you send me to stop them?"

The supervisor said with a rather pleased expression, "Xu Qi'an intercepted the officials at the Meridian Gate, kidnapped the Duke of Protectorate and the Duke of Cao, and beheaded them at the execution ground. He won the love and respect of the people, but this also ruined his future."

Having said that, he felt that his disciple was not composed enough and was too impetuous, so he took the opportunity to warn him and make him realize that learning from Xu Qi'an would lead to his death.

"Would you dare?"

Yang Qianhuan stiffened for a moment, then recovered, her tone calm. "I see. Well, teacher, I'll go back to cultivate now."

"So calmly? It seems the supervisor can still distinguish between what's important and what's not." The supervisor nodded with satisfaction.

Yang Qianhuan vanished in a flash.

Then, the supervisor sensed Yang Qianhuan's presence and quickly fled towards the palace.

The supervisor's face twitched slightly, and he stomped his foot.

Faintly, from beneath the Star-Gazing Tower came Yang Qianhuan's heart-wrenching roar, "Master Supervisor, you can't do this to me, no!!!"

The incident that occurred at Caishikou this morning spread like wildfire, unlike other topics of conversation that are only discussed in quiet moments.

The news of Xu Qi'an beheading the Duke of Cao and the Duke of Huguo was deliberately spread by the people present at the time.

By lunchtime, the news had spread throughout the inner city and then outwards; by dusk, the people of the outer city would also know about it.

Zhao Er was a scoundrel who idled away his days away. He never kept any money in his pocket, either gambling or spending it on women in brothels.

He's been living the good life these past few days because he's taken on a job. All he has to do is talk, and he gets a penny in return—it's like a windfall.

This job was given out by a gang called the Green Hands Gang, which specifically sought out scoundrels like Zhao Er. The requirements were simple: just spread rumors that Zheng Xinghuai, the governor of Yunzhou, was colluding with the demons and barbarians.

Today, the Green Hand Gang released a new mission, with similar rumors, except the protagonist has changed to Silver Gong Xu Qi'an.

After receiving the task, Zhao Er did not start work immediately. Instead, he went to a brothel and spent some time as a spendthrift. When it was time for lunch, he went to a large restaurant with ease.

He had been to this restaurant twice, both times spreading rumors that Zheng Xinghuai was colluding with the demons and barbarians.

There's no place more suitable for "doing the work" than a restaurant, and a brothel would certainly be a suitable place, but Zhao Er is a pleasure-seeking scoundrel who only wants to...

Another important reason is that a woman of unparalleled beauty lives in this restaurant, and she is always accompanied by a woman of average appearance.

As Zhao Er stepped into the hotel, the hall was noisy with many diners. He looked around and saw that only an ordinary-looking woman was sitting at a familiar table.

She stared blankly, her brows furrowed, seemingly preoccupied, and didn't eat a single bite of food for a long time.

Zhao Er was a little disappointed that the beautiful woman wasn't there. He picked an empty table, ordered some food and drinks, and started listening intently.

Unsurprisingly, he soon heard discussions about Xu Qi'an, the Silver Gong.

"Did you know that this morning, Xu Yinlu beheaded two dukes at the execution ground? Who would have thought, who would have thought, that the truth behind the Chuzhou massacre was..."

The person who had spoken seemed hesitant to continue, but unwilling to give up, he clenched his fist and slammed it heavily on the table.

The conversation immediately escalated, with diners expressing their indignant opinions.

"Unexpectedly, among all the officials in the court, not a single one stood up to speak."

"Xu Yinluo is not only a hero, but also the last remaining conscience of our Great Feng."

"Yes, who would risk their future and life for justice? Yet it's precisely people like Xu Yinluo who are most vulnerable to being framed by treacherous villains and scoundrels."

"They're no longer silver-ranking officials. Alas, our Great Feng has lost two good officials this time. That Chu Prefecture Governor, Lord Zheng, was also a loyal and virtuous man."

Will Xu Yinluo be beheaded?

"Hmph, if the imperial court dares to kill Xu Yinluo, we'll block the gates of the imperial city."

"Exactly! If you've got the guts, kill us all and we'll storm the gates of the imperial city."

At first, it was just one or two tables of diners talking, but gradually, other diners joined in, their words filled with righteous indignation.

Suddenly, a discordant voice rang out; it was Zhao Er.

He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "You've all been blinded by traitors! The truth is quite different!"

By suddenly interrupting when the atmosphere reaches its peak, Zhao Er can easily attract the attention of others—this is a lesson he has learned.

He plans to repeat his previous actions, smearing Xu Yinluo in the same way he smeared Zheng Xinghuai.

Sure enough, all the diners in the hall looked over.

After gaining attention, Zhao Er immediately said, "I have a relative who is an official in the court, and I heard a big secret from him."

Everyone instinctively asked, "What secret?"

Zhao Er spoke loudly, as if announcing something important:

"Xu Yinluo was actually a spy for the Northeast Witch God Cult, who had been lurking in Great Feng to gain prestige. This time, he finally seized the opportunity to use the fact that Zheng Xinghuai, the governor of Chuzhou, colluded with the demons and barbarians to frame the Prince of Zhenbei, and used his own prestige to kill the duke and smear the court."

"You've all been fooled by him. You can't believe his words. Think about it, why would the Prince of Zhenbei want to massacre the city? And how could His Majesty possibly agree to it? Use your brains."

His words drew fierce rebuttals from the diners in the hall. "Nonsense! How could Xu Yinluo be a spy for the Witch God Cult? What evidence do you have? How dare you slander Xu Yinluo? Do you have a death wish?"

Zhao Er was not intimidated at all, and sneered, "..."

"Our Great Feng has produced many outstanding people. Could there really only be one Xu Yinluo? How could that be? Think about it again. If it really was the Prince of Zhenbei who massacred the city, why didn't the officials in the court stand up and speak for Zheng Xinghuai?"

"The truth is actually quite simple; a smart person can see through it at a glance. You guys were just fooled by Xu Yinluo's past glory. He's just a hypocritical spy."

"I swear, every word is true; I have a relative who is an official in the imperial court."

This statement was skillfully crafted, well-reasoned, and logically sound.

"Bang!" Just then, a wine glass came flying and hit Zhao Er on the head.

He looked angrily and saw it was the plain-looking woman.

"You bitch, how dare you hit me?" Zhao Er roared, rolling up his sleeves to teach her a lesson.

The plain-looking woman was not afraid at all. With one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Zhao Er, she shouted:

"This is the person who spread rumors in the shop yesterday that Zheng Xinghuai colluded with the barbarians, and today he's spreading rumors that Xu Yinluo is a spy."

Zhao Er's face changed, and he said viciously, "I didn't! You bitch, if you keep talking nonsense, I'll beat you to death this year!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter stared at him for a long time, finally recognized him, pointed at him, and said loudly:

"Yes, yes, that's the man. He came here yesterday and spoke ill of Lord Zheng. I think he's the spy."

"Damn it, beat him up!" This time, the diners who had been holding back their anger couldn't stand it anymore. They rolled up their sleeves and surrounded Zhao Er, giving him a good beating.

Chaos erupted inside the hall as more than a dozen people surrounded Zhao Er, punching and kicking him.

"No, stop hitting him! Someone's going to die! Help! Help!" Zhao Er clutched his head, curled up, and begged for mercy.

The diners ignored them and kicked the stools forcefully; some even used their bodies to smash the stools.

The older shopkeeper chimed in, "Beat him hard! You don't have to pay for the broken tables and chairs. If he dies, just throw him out on the street."

The plain-looking woman put her hands on her hips, raised her chin, snorted, and, feeling she had done something extraordinary, strode upstairs and returned to her room.

In the vast city of Beijing, similar incidents continue to occur in various districts.

At dusk, the old eunuch hurriedly entered the imperial bedchamber, passed through the outer room, went deep into the bedchamber, and came to the side of Emperor Yuanjing, who was sitting cross-legged.

"Your Majesty, news has come back from outside the palace that the rumors are not spreading."

Emperor Yuanjing opened his eyes, staring at him with a gloomy gaze. "Can't it be dispersed?"

The old eunuch whispered, "Most of those who spoke ill of Xu Qi'an were beaten by the people of the city, and, in some cases, even several people died."

Emperor Yuanjing's voice suddenly rose. "When did he acquire such prestige?"

The old eunuch couldn't answer.

Emperor Yuanjing gritted his teeth and said, "An ant, without me even realizing it, has managed to bite me."

The next day, at dawn.

On the Eight Trigrams Platform, Xu Qi'an, holding a wine jar, stood on the edge of the high platform, facing the wind, silently gazing towards the palace wall without uttering a word.

As the drums sounded at the Meridian Gate, civil and military officials passed through the gate in an orderly fashion, crossed the Golden Water Bridge, with most officials remaining outside the hall while the others entered the Golden Palace.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Emperor Yuanjing, dressed in a Daoist robe, arrived late, his face expressionless, dignified and profound.

He sat upright on the dragon throne, looking at Chief Minister Wang with a cold smile:

"I have heard that Grand Secretary Wang has been unwell recently, so he need not attend court. I will grant you a three-month leave to recuperate, and the affairs of the Cabinet will be temporarily handled by Grand Secretary Zhao Tingfang."

The expressions on the officials' faces changed slightly.

His Majesty is about to replace the Grand Secretary; first, he'll sideline him, then replace him.

Is this how it starts?

The Grand Secretary bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yuanjing stopped looking at him; it was too late to back down now. He turned to look at his ministers and said, word by word:

"I am furious!"

"Because a traitor has emerged in the court, murdering a duke, slandering the imperial family, and defaming the court. Such a heinous criminal should have his entire family executed!"

Inside the hall, the officials bowed their heads, remaining silent.

Emperor Yuanjing looked at Wei Yuan and said in a deep voice, "Wei Yuan, Xu Qi'an is your man, and you are responsible for this matter. I give you three days to arrest this thief and his family."

Wei Yuan stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Yes."

"You, Wei Qingyi, are not as exceptionally virtuous as the common people say." Emperor Yuanjing's eyes flashed with sarcasm as he continued to ask:

"Regarding the punishment of the traitor Xu Qi'an, do you, my esteemed ministers, have anything to add?"

Zhang Xingying stepped forward and said, "I have something to report."

Emperor Yuanjing looked at him, nodded, and said, "Speak."

Zhang Xingying bowed, remained silent for a few seconds as if gathering his thoughts, and then loudly proclaimed. "The Prince of Zhenbei colluded with the Witch God Cult to massacre 380,000 people in Chuzhou City. Duke Huguo Que Yongxiu personally carried out the killings. Afterwards, he conspired with Duke Cao to murder Zheng Xinghuai, the Provincial Governor of Chuzhou."

Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Yuanjing shouted, "You insolent fool! Zhang Xingying, do you want to overturn the verdict?"

I wondered where Xu Qi'an got the audacity; it turns out he was in cahoots with you. Do you know what crime it is to slander a prince and a duke?

Emperor Yuanjing glared at Zhang Xingying, his imperial majesty as powerful as the ocean tide.

Zhang Xingying raised his head, meeting Emperor Yuanjing's gaze without yielding an inch, and slowly shook his head. "Your Majesty, I do not wish to overturn the verdict."

Emperor Yuanjing stared at him. "Then what do you want to do?"

Faced with the emperor's questioning, Zhang Xingying took another step forward, seemingly wanting to use his own imposing manner to confront the emperor. He loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty is guilty. First, you condoned the massacre of the city by the Prince of Zhenbei. Second, you protected the Prince of Zhenbei and the Duke of Huguo."

"Your Majesty, I implore you to issue an edict of self-reproach!"

The echo lingered.

These words caused a moment of silence in the court, yet they were also like a thunderclap, a shocking revelation.

Emperor Yuanjing's mind went blank for a moment. What had he just heard?

Did he issue an edict of self-reproach?

This lowly censor dared to make him issue an edict of self-reproach.

"I think you've gone mad."

Emperor Yuanjing was furious. His imperial dignity had been challenged by an ant. How dare a mere censor demand that he write an edict of self-reproach?

"Zhang Xingying, I suspect you of colluding with Xu Qi'an to murder the Duke and slander the Prince. Guards, take him to the imperial prison."

After he finished speaking, he saw a figure in green step forward.

Emperor Yuanjing coldly snorted, "My mind is made up. No one is allowed to beg for mercy; otherwise, they will be punished as equals."

These civil officials are the most prone to taking advantage of others' kindness. It seems that reprimanding Chief Minister Wang wasn't enough; they also need to add Zhang Xingying to the mix.

The man in blue robes said, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

Emperor Yuanjing froze abruptly, squeezing out each word through gritted teeth. "How dare you! What? I've put you in this position, and you think you can check and balance me?"

Wei Yuan did not answer.

At this moment, Chief Minister Wang stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

Yet another one. The royal family and nobles were startled. If they hadn't sensed the "conspiracy" by now, they would be too slow to react.

Having manipulated power for decades, Emperor Yuanjing was even more astute than the imperial family and nobles. He sneered repeatedly, "I wondered why you were so defiant yesterday. It turns out you had already conspired with Wei Yuan and were about to commit this grave offense of disrespect this morning."

"Very well, very well indeed, Chief Minister Wang, and Wei Qingyi. You two have been fighting for so many years, and in the end, you've joined forces against me."

He slammed his fist on the table, glaring angrily as he roared, "Wang Zhenwen, how many blows of the cane can you take, you old man?!"

He remained seated, for he was the king.

So what if Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen join forces? If he can subdue them once, he can subdue them a second time.

"What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Who else have you colluded with? Show them all! Today, anyone who dares to step forward is deceiving the emperor and committing a grave offense. They will all be dragged out and flogged in court!" Emperor Yuanjing sneered.

The emperor's use of caning in court was a common method to deal with officials. This was no trivial threat; throughout history, countless officials have died from caning in court, beaten to death.

Emperor Yuanjing believed that at this moment, the officials must have realized that once the court flogging began, they would be beaten to death.

When the civil officials are in high spirits and a united front is formed, he will be wary and patient. But if there are only four or five scattered individuals, beating them to death will actually intimidate the other officials.

Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty indulged the Prince of Zhenbei beforehand and protected the Prince of Zhenbei and the Duke of Huguo afterward. We request that you issue an edict of self-reproach."

Right Vice Censor-in-Chief Liu Hong stepped forward. "We request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach."

The Ministry of Rites stepped forward. "Your Majesty, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

The Ministry of Revenue stepped forward. "Your Majesty, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

The Minister of Personnel stepped forward. "Your Majesty, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

The six officials, their faces flushed with excitement, pleaded, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

"."

In the blink of an eye, two-thirds of the civil officials in the court stepped forward. Among them were Wei Yuan's cronies, Wang Zhenwen's cronies, and those who had previously dared not speak out.

The civil officials and nobles who did not step forward felt a chill run down their spines.

Apart from the struggle for the throne two hundred years ago, no similar incident has occurred in the history of the Great Feng. The civil officials' loyalty to the emperor was deeply ingrained in their hearts, so how could they dare to confront the emperor head-on?

But today, that's exactly what happened.

The imperial palace was eerily quiet.

"You, you."

As Emperor Yuanjing sat on the dragon throne, the color drained from his face. At this moment, the supreme ruler felt an immense humiliation.

He, the ruler of a nation, was forced by a group of ministers to issue an edict of self-reproach.

How could the majesty of an emperor be trampled upon like this?

Emperor Yuanjing ascended the throne at a young age and for 37 years firmly held the reins of the court. While his ministers fought fiercely behind the scenes every day, he remained calm and collected, watching the drama unfold.

He was so high and mighty, highlighting the humility of the subjects, like a monkey trainer watching a monkey show.

At this very moment, these monkeys have actually joined forces to turn the world upside down?

He pointed a trembling finger at the officials in the hall, his lips shaking, and roared, "You all, do you really think I dare not punish you? Guards! Guards! Drag these traitors away and give them sixty strokes of the cane!"

The sound echoed throughout the hall, outside the Golden Palace, and in the ears of the assembled officials.

This is the king's wrath; when the emperor is angry, millions will die.

Seemingly defying him, under such oppressive pressure, an even more unbelievable scene unfolded: outside the palace, from the imperial steps to the officialdom, hundreds of officials simultaneously knelt and shouted:

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

The roar echoed through the palace.

Emperor Yuanjing could hardly believe his ears; for a moment, he wondered if he was hallucinating.

He slowly rose and looked out of the palace. From the steps to the square, hundreds of officials knelt down, shouting, "Issue an edict of self-reproach!"

"You, you all"

He pointed to the countless ministers inside and outside the hall, his fingers trembling, and roared:

"What kind of nonsense is this? Are you all trying to force me? Do you even have any respect for your sovereign? You are traitors and rebels!!"

The last four words were shouted hoarsely.

He had never lost his composure like this in 37 years. The only times he had done so were a few days ago, but those were feigned.

After 37 years of performing with monkeys, today, he was the one being performed on by the monkeys.

A surge of blood rushed to his head, and Emperor Yuanjing staggered.

"Yuan Xiong, you are the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. You tell these treacherous officials what they are doing."

Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong stiffened his neck and slowly turned to look at the officials, who were also looking at him with icy, iron-like gazes.

Yuan Xiong swallowed hard, stepped forward with difficulty, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, things have come to this point. I beg Your Majesty not to remain obstinate. Please, please issue an edict of self-reproach."

Thump, thump, thump. The emperor staggered backward, collapsing onto his dragon throne with a thud, muttering, "Rebellion! Rebellion!"

"I am the ruler of this country, how could I be wrong? You will not allow me to issue an edict of self-reproach."

At this point, the old man's face suddenly flushed red, and he roared hoarsely, his face trembling, "Don't even think about it!!!"

Just then, a sigh came from inside the hall, and a flash of light appeared, revealing an old scholar with disheveled hair and wearing an old long gown.

Cloud Deer Academy, Dean Zhao Shou!

Zhao Shou calmly looked at Emperor Yuanjing: "Yuanjing, issue an edict of self-reproach."

Emperor Yuanjing's face suddenly turned pale.

P. S.: I spent the whole day writing this chapter, repeatedly revising the ending. Only one chapter today.