Daylight, piercing through the clouds, cast a faint golden hue upon the glazed tiles of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Inside the Hall, the officials were arrayed in an orderly fashion, yet it was as silent as a tomb.
The swirling Dragon Incense seemed no longer able to suppress another scent.
It was a kind of malevolent and Death Qi that silently emanated from the Grand Secretary Gu Bingqian, almost solidifying into substance.
The Dragon Throne was cold, as it had always been.
But He Sui, sitting upon it, felt entirely different.
The Dragon Qi cleansed him, transforming him from a walking corpse into a living monarch, capable of clearly discerning every gaze directed at His Highness.
In those gazes, there was fear, suspicion, and scrutiny.
More often, hidden deep in their eyes, was an excitement and anticipation, like spectators in a Roman gladiatorial arena awaiting a bloody opening.
They were waiting.
Waiting to witness a life-and-death struggle between a Grand Secretary whose daughter had been deposed and a young Son of Heaven who had just revealed his fangs.
He Sui sneered inwardly.
Watching a play?
Today, I will make all of you characters in the play.
“Your Majesty has arrived—”
As the eunuch’s sharp cry rang out, the officials bowed their heads.
A suppressed, almost suffocating stir silently spread through the end of the ranks.
Because that figure, the focus of all eyes, had appeared.
The Grand Secretary, Gu Bingqian.
He was actually dressed in a complete, glaring white mourning attire, with a mourning headscarf, standing amidst the crimson and purple dragon robes of The entire imperial court, like a walking corpse crawled out of a coffin, so abrupt it struck terror into people’s hearts.
His face was sallow, his eyes sunken, and his steps heavy.
It was not the haggardness of aging overnight, but a chilling and deathly stillness that should never appear on a living person.
The Empress was merely deposed and sent to the Cold Palace.
She was still alive.
Yet he, her father, was already wearing mourning clothes for her!
This was cursing his own daughter to death!
It was also a silent declaration to the Son of Heaven on the Dragon Throne, using the most vicious and resolute method in the world—
Between you and me, there can only be life and death!
The entire imperial court, including Gu Shi’s most trusted partisans, felt their scalps tingle and their limbs turn cold at this sight.
He’s mad!
The Grand Secretary has completely lost his mind!
He Sui sat upon the Dragon Throne, his pupils contracting slightly.
He was not frightened, but rather “surprised” by the ruthlessness and determination of this old dog.
Interesting.
To give me a show of force, he can even use his own daughter’s life and reputation as a weapon.
Gu Bingqian, you are even more of a beast than I imagined.
Act.
Keep acting.
I want to see who you intend this grand play of “a living person’s funeral” for.
Gu Bingqian stumbled to the center of the great Hall, ignoring all the horrified gazes, and with a thud, heavily knelt to the ground.
He did not wail, nor did he cry injustice.
He merely spoke, word by word, in a voice so hoarse it sounded like dry bones rubbing together:
“This old subject… for my daughter, who ‘died unjustly’ in the Cold Palace, kowtows to Your Majesty!”
In one sentence, he subtly redefined “deposed Empress” as “granted death”!
He Sui was expressionless, his voice betraying no emotion.
“Grand Secretary, rise.”
“Thank Your Majesty.”
Gu Bingqian shakily stood up, but did not return to his place.
He slowly scanned the surroundings, his dead-gray eyes sweeping over the civil and military officials, finally, like two poisoned needles, firmly piercing He Sui’s face.
He took a deep breath, as if to expel the last bit of life Qi from his chest.
He no longer mentioned state affairs, but with an almost boastful, extremely arrogant tone, he laid out his full killing blow.
“Your Majesty, perhaps you believe that by deposing the Empress and administering the court rod to your officials, you have won.”
A sinister arc curved at the corner of his mouth, his voice not loud, yet it instantly dropped the temperature of the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony to freezing point.
“But do you know, at this very moment, outside the palace gates, three retired Grand Secretaries, seven Grand Scholars of the Imperial Academy, and dozens of Imperial College students are kneeling before the Dengwen Drum, ready to act.”
Boom—!
At these words, a collective gasp of cold air echoed through the Hall.
Gu Bingqian seemed to relish the effect, his voice growing more malicious.
“In their hands, they hold the ancestral tablet of Confucius, the Great Sage.”
“They only await a single glance from this old subject.”
“Then, the drum will reverberate throughout the capital, and the accusation of ‘Your Majesty is without Dao, unjustly slays loyal subjects, and forces the Empress to her death’ will spread throughout the literati of the land!”
He took a step forward, staring fixedly at He Sui, enunciating each word as if reading a pre-written verdict.
“Your Majesty, guess, when those old bones who have upheld the rules for the Da Yue Dynasty their entire lives, smash their heads against the ancestral tablet of Confucius…”
“Will the people of the world believe you, this ‘tyrant’ who has just revealed his fangs, or will they believe the ‘blood remonstrance’ they write with their lives?”
“This old subject, today, has come to invite Your Majesty to Chengtian Gate to watch a good show!”
The entire imperial court fell into a silence more terrifying than death.
Everyone was awestruck by Gu Bingqian’s self-destructive, table-flipping madness.
This was not political maneuvering.
This was a political suicide attack, using the “legitimacy” and “Dao” of the entire civil official group!
He wanted to tie the Emperor, along with the Foundation of the entire court, to a bomb!
Even He Sui inwardly nodded at this.
【A good open plot, a formidable old beast, truly worthy of being the Grand Secretary.】
【This move of yours aims to kill more than just me, He Sui; its effect is to sever all the Qi of my Da Yue Dynasty’s Old He family’s reign.】
【Nothing is more vicious than your insidious thoughts; you actually twisted my reckoning of you and bound it to me, the Emperor, betraying the Confucian scholars.】
【Old dog Gu, ah, old dog Gu, if only you had used these thoughts for governing the country instead of for schemes and tricks, how much better it would have been.】
However—
“Heh.”
Under this extreme pressure, an extremely soft, yet utterly mocking sneer, clearly drifted from the Dragon Throne.
The laugh was not loud, but like a cold needle, it precisely pierced Gu Bingqian’s confident aura.
Gu Bingqian’s sinister expression instantly froze.
He saw that the young Son of Heaven on the Dragon Throne, far from being flustered, was actually smiling.
It was the kind of genuine, pleased, light laugh one gives when watching a clown perform.
He Sui slowly rose from the Dragon Throne, his dragon robe moving without wind, and a violent imperial majesty surged through the entire great Hall!
“Very good, Grand Secretary Gu.”
“Truly worthy of being the leader of the literati of the world, a moral paragon of the Confucian school.”
He descended the imperial steps, one by one, each step seemingly landing on the heartbeats of the officials.
“Grand Secretary, you have truly prepared a grand play for me.”
His voice was unhurried, with a hint of playfulness.
“Inviting the ancestral tablet of Confucius, beating the Dengwen Drum, spilling blood in the imperial court… What a tactic, truly a good tactic.”
He had already walked in front of Gu Bingqian, looking down at him from above, his eyes full of pity, as if he were looking at a pathetic worm.
“What a pity though…”
“The one you invited is Confucius.”
He Sui suddenly turned around, looking out beyond the Hall doors, his voice abruptly rising, transforming into thunder, reverberating through heaven and earth!
“And I…”
“Have invited Yama!”
“Zhou Chun!!!”
Two words, like two Talismanic Incantations summoning death!
Outside the Hall doors, the clang of armor colliding echoed in response!
A tall, sinister figure, leading a dozen Imperial Bodyguards dressed in flying fish robes and carrying embroidered spring sabers, like a pack of hungry wolves unleashed from Hell, strode into the Hall of Supreme Harmony!
The leader was none other than the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhou Chun!
Three years of imprisonment had not dulled the Evil Qi about him; instead, like a blade repeatedly tempered with blood and hatred, he was even sharper, even colder!
“Your subject, is here!”
Zhou Chun walked before He Sui, kneeling on one knee, his eyes, which had been dead for three years, burst forth with a terrifying gleam, like a hungry wolf seeing fresh meat!
“Presumptuous!”
Gu Bingqian finally reacted from his shock, his hair bristling, and he roared, “Zhou Chun! You, a convicted prisoner, who gave you the audacity to trespass into the Hall of Supreme Harmony! Guards! Seize these rebellious traitors for this prime minister!”
Several imperial guards instinctively moved forward.
However, He Sui merely glanced at them coldly.
His gaze was as if looking at a group of dead men.
The guards’ steps instantly froze, as if plunged into an ice cellar.
He Sui no longer paid attention to the furious Gu Bingqian; his cold gaze returned to Zhou Chun.
“Speak.”
“As ordered!”
Zhou Chun suddenly stood up, pulled a thick dossier from his embrace, and his voice, like a blade, echoed through the great Hall!
“Your subject, by imperial decree, searched the residence of Vice Minister of Personnel Zhang Cheng, and found a total of three million seven hundred thousand taels of silver, two hundred thousand taels of gold, and over one thousand three hundred land deeds and property titles from various regions!”
“Furthermore, in a secret room in his study, confidential letters between him and the Grand Secretary were found!”
Zhou Chun opened the dossier and read aloud, each word like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely onto Gu Bingqian’s face!
“The letters detail how the two colluded to embezzle military provisions for the northern border, leaving the soldiers without winter clothing; this is disloyalty!”
“How they sold official positions at clearly marked prices, corrupting the imperial administration; this is injustice!”
At this point, Zhou Chun suddenly looked up, his sinister gaze firmly fixed on Gu Bingqian!
He turned to the last page, his voice abruptly rising, filled with cruel satisfaction!
“Most critically! The letters explicitly state that Gu Bingqian colluded with retired Grand Scholar Wang Xiwen and others outside the palace, offering one hundred thousand taels of silver and promising official positions through the imperial examinations for three generations of his descendants, to organize scholars to carry out a ‘blood remonstrance to force the Emperor’!”
“This is deceiving the Emperor and defying superiors!”
Zhou Chun closed the dossier, his voice like thunder!
“It is also the greatest blasphemy against Confucius, the Great Sage!”
Boom—!!!
The truth revealed, The entire imperial court was stunned!
Those officials who had originally harbored a trace of sympathy and reverence for Gu Bingqian now looked at him with nothing but endless contempt and fear!
Using money to buy “loyalty”!
Using official positions to trade for “blood remonstrance”!
This was no longer a powerful official; this was a devil who trampled upon all righteousness in the world and wantonly played with it!
He Sui coldly watched Gu Bingqian, whose face was ashen and whose body trembled like a sieve.
He slowly walked before him, his voice icy.
“Didn’t you want me to watch a play?”
“I, too, will now let you watch a play.”
He suddenly turned around, roaring fiercely towards outside the Hall!
“Guards!”
“Bring all those so-called Grand Scholars outside the Hall, who were preparing for a ‘blood remonstrance,’ in here!”
“I want them to kneel before the ancestral tablet of Confucius and personally tell the people of the world how much silver their ‘loyalty and righteousness’ are truly worth!”
“As for you, Grand Secretary…”
He Sui turned his head, looking at that face, which had completely lost its color, and displayed a cruelly triumphant smile.
“Aren’t you wearing white mourning clothes for your daughter?”
“I will grant your wish.”
“On the day your entire Gu Shi clan is executed, I will personally bestow this attire upon you, so you may wear it…”
“To reunite with your true family in Hell.”
