"Yes!" The soldiers of the Divine Martial Army responded in unison and immediately stepped forward to drag him away.
The Xue Beng continued its frantic struggle and curses, but the soldiers roughly gagged it, leaving it only able to whimper. In the end, it was dragged down like a dead dog. Prince Xue Xing and his entourage were ashen-faced, their previous arrogance gone. They were escorted by the soldiers, staggering out of the main hall.
In a short while, the hall became much quieter, leaving only a mess on the floor, silently telling the story of the chaos that had just occurred.
After dealing with the rebellion of Xue Beng and others, Heaven Dou City temporarily returned to a state of superficial peace, but the lights deep within the palace exuded a solemn atmosphere.
Xue Qinghe sat upright at the desk, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface, his gaze serious. "Although Xue Beng has been captured, the forces behind him are deeply entrenched and will always be a hidden danger. Tian Heng, what do you think is the next step?"
Yu Tianheng stood to the side, his brows sharpened by the recent battle. He stepped forward, his voice low but ruthless. "Your Highness, to cut the weeds, one must nip them in the bud. Xue Ye is already gravely ill and at his last gasp; this is a golden opportunity."
Xue Qinghe looked up at him, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes.
A cold glint flashed in Yu Tianheng's eyes. "Send His Majesty away secretly, cleanly, without leaving a trace. Then, frame Xue Beng and his cronies for this—say they were the ones who poisoned His Majesty."
He paused, his tone growing increasingly firm. "In this way, we will have a legitimate reason to act. Xue Beng and his associates committed regicide and treason, their crimes are compounded. No matter how many people are involved behind them, we can use this pretext to wipe them all out and execute them all, eliminating any future trouble."
Xue Qinghe's fingers hovered on the table, and he remained silent for a moment, as if weighing his options.
Yu Tianheng continued, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. If His Majesty were to pass away, the court and the country would inevitably be in turmoil. Your Highness's prestige in the court has been growing day by day in recent years, and you have just quelled a rebellion and stabilized the overall situation. Your ascension to the throne at this time is legitimate and justified, and the ministers will certainly not have any objections. Only when the power of the Heaven Dou Empire is firmly in hand can it truly be stable."
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on Xue Qinghe's face, obscuring his expression. He spoke slowly, "What you say makes sense. Let's do it that way then."
Within days, a shocking piece of news spread throughout Heaven Dou City — Xue Ye had suddenly passed away on his sickbed.
News quickly spread from the palace that His Majesty's death was not due to illness, but rather caused by poisoning from a group of traitors, including Xue Beng and his associates.
According to the "investigation," Xue Beng and others, coveting the throne, bribed eunuchs to tamper with the emperor's medicine, secretly poisoning him to murder Xue Ye. Not only that, after poisoning the emperor, Xue Beng, together with Prince Xue Xing and other henchmen, launched a rebellion under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials," attempting to seize power during the national mourning period.
However, their conspiracy was already under the control of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. Xue Qinghe seemed to have anticipated this, and as soon as the rebellion broke out, he calmly mobilized the troops he had already deployed to deal with it.
The Imperial Guards and forces loyal to the Crown Prince swiftly defeated the rebels, capturing Xue Beng, Prince Xue Xing, and others. The rebellion was over in a single night.
The crimes of regicide and treason are unforgivable. The crimes of Xue Beng and others aroused public outrage throughout the country, and people from both inside and outside the government called for severe punishment of the traitors.
A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. After stabilizing the situation and dealing with the remnants of the rebellion, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe ascended the throne before the spirit tablet.
Although the enthronement ceremony was simplified due to the national mourning period, it was all the more solemn. Xue Qinghe, dressed in a dragon robe, received the Imperial Seal of the State and was paid homage by the officials, officially becoming the new emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire.
He stood at the highest point of the palace, his gaze sweeping over the bowing officials below, his face a mixture of sorrow and majesty, proclaiming the beginning of his era.
The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace is the power center of the Heaven Dou Empire, magnificent in scale and profound in its heritage.
The palace walls stand tall, constructed of specially made bluish-gray bricks and stones. They have become even more majestic with the passage of time. A wide moat surrounds the walls, its clear waters protecting the safety of the palace.
The palace buildings are laid out in a regular pattern, with the main palaces such as the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony distributed along the central axis.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the most magnificent, serving as the venue for important ceremonies such as the enthronement ceremony and court assemblies. The beams and pillars inside the hall are thick and carved with exquisite dragon patterns, demonstrating the supreme power of the emperor. On both sides are numerous palaces and pavilions, including the emperor's study for handling government affairs, the side hall for reviewing memorials, the imperial palaces where the empresses and concubines lived, and the gardens for leisure and recreation.
The palace courtyards are arranged in a well-organized manner, planted with exotic flowers and rare herbs, and the scenery changes with the seasons.
The stone-paved path meanders through the area, connecting various buildings. Walking along it, one can feel the refinement and solemnity of the royal garden.
As the heart of the empire, the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace is not only the residence and administrative center of the emperor, but also a symbol of the power and dignity of the Heaven Dou Empire, witnessing the rise and fall of dynasties and countless changes in history.
In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the new Emperor Xue Qinghe, clad in a dragon robe, exuded majesty. At the start of the court assembly, he swept his gaze across the steps below and declared in a clear voice, "In this quelling of the Xue Beng rebellion, many loyal and courageous individuals turned the tide. Their merits should be rewarded to recognize their achievements."
As soon as he finished speaking, a palace attendant stepped forward with the imperial edict, the first sentence of which mentioned Yu Tianheng's name. " Yu Tianheng led from the front, repeatedly breaking through enemy lines during the rebellion and defeating the main force of Prince Xue Xing's troops, making the greatest contribution to quelling the rebellion. In recognition of his loyalty and bravery, I hereby issue this imperial edict—"
Xue Qinghe paused, then emphasized, "Jin Yu Tianheng has been promoted to ' Duke Who Pacifies the North,' leaping two ranks from his original title of Earl. He is granted a fief of five thousand households, a gold seal and purple ribbon, and his residence has been moved to the Imperial City's noble district as a reward!"
Yu Tianheng stepped forward and bowed, his voice resounding. "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor! I swear to serve Your Majesty and Heaven Dou to the death!" At this moment, he had risen from Earl to duke, his status and position soaring, and he was now a figure of great importance among the court officials.
After bestowing the rewards, Xue Qinghe's face darkened, and his tone turned stern. "After the rewards, comes the punishment. The rebellious son, Xue Beng, murdered the emperor and poisoned his father; his crimes are heinous and unforgivable! He must be immediately taken to the execution ground and hanged as a warning to others!"
"The rest of Prince Xue Xing's cronies, palace eunuchs, and corrupt members of the Imperial Guards who participated in the rebellion, once verified, will all be severely punished according to the law—the ringleaders will be beheaded, the accomplices will be exiled three thousand miles away, and all their property will be confiscated!"
When the decree was issued, the entire court fell silent. They felt that His Majesty was truly ruthless and merciless, even killing his own brother without hesitation.
But before they could even offer any advice...
Xue Qinghe then looked at Yu Tianheng, who had just been granted the title, and ordered, " Duke Who Pacifies the North, I hereby command you to lead the Imperial Guards to the residences of the rebels and confiscate their property. Inventory all assets, including wealth, land, and books, and register them all in the treasury to ensure it is full. There must be no private hoarding."
Yu Tianheng accepted the order again, "Your subject obeys! I will certainly not fail in my mission!"
Sunlight streamed through the palace windows, illuminating Xue Qinghe's young yet profound face. A court assembly with clear rewards and punishments not only consolidated the new emperor's authority but also laid the groundwork for a more complex new chapter in the Heaven Dou Empire's history.