Chapter 68: Forcing the Palace

In the 10th year of Yifeng, February.

The winter this year was particularly long. The sky had just cleared for five days when snowflakes began to fall again.

Auspicious snow foretells a bountiful year, which should have been a year of harvest for the common people.

However, after the New Year, the situation in the city gradually became tense.

After the news of the Jiaodong rebels breaking through Jiaozhou reached Jinling City, the number of patrolling soldiers in the city recently increased. The once bustling markets now had sparse crowds.

The mansions of the high-ranking families in the city were all tightly closed. The older generation said that the world was likely to fall into chaos.

The people in Jinling City were in a state of panic, no longer paying attention to the heavy snow covering the sky.

Outside the city

The Northern Army and the Dragon Tiger Guard were in a standoff, with war on the brink of breaking out.

The forcing of the palace occurred on the eighth day of the second month, the Day of the Dragon Raising its Head.

Jing Huan led thirty thousand private soldiers, raising the banner of “Clearing the Emperor’s Side”, and broke through the palace gates.

The imperial guards were no match,

Palace maids scattered in all directions. The imperial palace was in chaos.

Most of the powerful ministers in the court were Jing Huan’s people. From the moment she held her sword and broke into the Forbidden City, they all bowed to welcome her, from the palace gate straight to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, unimpeded and invincible all the way.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Amidst the interweaving of sword light and bloodshed, Jing Huan stood at the entrance, blocking the light from outside the hall.

Her light blue eyes looked towards the Empress sitting on the dragon throne.

Raising her internal energy, she raised her voice and said, “The general trend is inevitable, do you still want to fight a losing battle? Empress, you are a wise person. Outside Jinling City, the Northern Army and the Dragon Tiger Guard are in a standoff. Although their forces are evenly matched, the two hundred thousand troops from Jiaozhou will arrive outside Jinling City in a few days. Rather than stubbornly resisting and leaving corpses for thousands of miles, it’s better to surrender early. If you surrender voluntarily today, I can guarantee you a life of luxury and comfort for the rest of your days.”

Although these words were directed at the Empress, Jing Huan’s gaze met Pei Yuanshao’s across the space, who was sitting to the right below the dragon throne.

Her eyes were like those of a giant, her full lips slightly pursed, with an intimidating pressure of determination in her eyes.

Pei Yuanshao lazily leaned against the back of the purple sandalwood chair. The group of pro-emperor officials in front of the hall had already been captured by the rebel army.

The remaining ministers in the hall bowed to Jing Huan at the entrance, shouting “Welcome the new ruler to the throne!”

Pei Yuanshao chuckled and clapped three times.

His ink-black eyes swept over the ministers in front of the hall. Most of these people were old ministers who had followed the previous Empress.

If they were wholeheartedly loyal to their ruler and assisted the next Empress, they could hold on a little longer and be revered as ministers of three dynasties.

Unfortunately… human greed knows no bounds.

The temptation of joining the winning side was even greater!

Ming Xing was not a wise ruler, but how could Jing Huan continue the glory of the Pei family?

Behind the Southern King stood countless noble families. If she became the Empress, the Duke of Ying, the Duke of Feng, the Marquis of Ruyang, the Marquis of Changxin… would all be meritorious officials.

How could these century-old noble families be uprooted?

This world… doesn’t belong to the Jing family, doesn’t belong to the Pei family, but belongs to the noble gentry.

Poor Emperor Yongtai, wise and decisive all her life, became muddled in her later years, leaving tremendous power to her illegitimate daughter, scheming meticulously but ultimately destroying her descendants’ empire.

In the previous life, Jing Huan ascended to the throne with perfect timing, location, and support. She succeeded effortlessly, supported by all.

But times have changed. Her successful rebellion now is half reliant on borrowing power from these noble families.

Even if two Liu Cangyun appeared out of nowhere, if Jing Huan successfully usurped the throne, this world would still belong to the noble families.

Pei Yuanshao raised his hand to touch the red whip at his waist. The red panlong knot on the whip handle hung in mid-air, his palm wrapping around it, absorbing the remaining warmth.

That person had said to him on the day she left the capital, “As long as the panlong knot doesn’t unravel, I will come back to marry you…”

Although at this moment, almost everyone was waiting for him to kneel and hand over military power, he was incredibly firm in his heart. That person had told him to wait.

He believed… so he couldn’t hand over this military power. Without waiting for that person to return, even if swords and blades were pressed against him, what was there to fear?

A flash of confusion passed through Pei Yuanshao’s eyes. He looked up to meet Jing Huan’s intimidating gaze and said with a half-smile, “The Southern King has great skill, using both carrot and stick, swift and decisive.”

After saying this, he glanced at the officials kneeling in fear and welcoming the new ruler, and said with pursed lips, “Have you all thought it through? One wrong step leads to a series of mistakes. ‘Welcoming the new ruler’ is no different from being a rebel traitor. In future history books, you will all bear the name of treacherous ministers and traitorous subjects.”

The faces of the officials who were welcoming the new ruler turned from green to pale, and they all lowered their heads. For a moment, the hall was silent.

A flash of fierce light passed through Jing Huan’s phoenix eyes. She held a long sword, her silver armor emitting a cold, hard glow.

His expression unchanged, he mocked, “Why does the Long Minister bother with sharp words? The victor becomes the king, the loser becomes the bandit. The situation is already decided, hand over the military tally. Otherwise… this king would rather not bloodily cleanse the Hall of Supreme Harmony!”

She raised her long sword, the silver light sliding through the air in an arc, piercing straight through the throat of a kneeling palace maid.

Blood spattered all over the ground. In the sunlight, the Southern King in armor smiled bloodthirstily and cruelly.

The Empress Ming Xing, who had been sitting at the top without saying a word, suddenly stood up from the dragon throne.

“Wait, I surrender! We surrender!”

She said with a trembling voice, looking pleadingly towards Jing Huan.