The cries of battle at ridian Gate Square disappeared, leaving only a cold, salty wind rushing in from the open palace doors.
Zhao Douan stood smiling on the mirror-like stone floor, and beside him, the regal and dignified Empress looked coldly at Li Yanfu.
At this mont, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence, all sounds seed to be extracted and blocked.
Then, approximately ten heartbeats later, the crowd suddenly erupted with gasping cries akin to stormy waves, accompanied by stunned and horrified expressions on their faces.
"Your... Your Majesty!?"
"Zhao Douan!?"
Li Yanfu felt as if he had been struck heavily, under the tal helt covering his greying head, his face was covered with wrinkles, and the once imposing countenance turned instantly pale and bloodless.
His first thought was that it was impossible, yet Xu Zhenguan’s gaze was so familiar.
It was an eye expression that no one could disguise or imitate.
It belonged solely to Yu Country’s first female Emperor’s piercing gaze.
He would never mistake it.
"Your Majesty..." Behind the crowd, Grandmaster Dong’s face appeared vacant, unable to comprehend why the long-missing Empress, who should have been trapped at Huai River according to intelligence, and Zhao Douan would appear at this place.
He blinked vigorously, rubbed the air with his hands, seemingly unable to believe his own eyes.
"Zhao Douan... Your Majesty..."
Beside him, Yuann Li was equally stunned, staring intensely at the entering emperor and minister, his heart nearly skipped a beat.
At this mont, he turned his head towards Dong Xuan, and upon seeing the latter’s bewildernt and disbelief, he realized that today’s event was not an early-arranged charade.
So...
Did Her Majesty escape danger? When did she return to the Capital? How did she break through the siege?
"Your Majesty..." Ma Yan’s elongated face showed rare excitent, he was the first among the ministers to react.
Because before the palace doors opened, he had felt the fluctuation of the Martial God Qi chanism within his body, a natural reaction when the Empress’s Divine Sense swept over the hall from soone of the sa lineage.
But even so, the shock and joy in his heart were no less than anyone else’s.
"You... You are... Your Majesty?!" Li Yanfu instinctively retreated several steps, the assured smile on his face vanished: "No... Impossible... You cannot appear here..."
Zhao Douan laughed:
"Pri Minister Li’s words are strange, with Your Majesty’s great fortune, why can’t she safely escape danger? But you, truly impatient; Your Majesty is still alive, yet you hurriedly revealed yourself. Oh, cleaning the court, haha, I’m curious, you ’loyal ministers’, which side of the court are you cleaning?"
Li Yanfu opened his mouth, his gaze avoided Xu Zhenguan, suddenly looking towards outside the hall, the square.
"Pri Minister Li doesn’t need to look," Xu Zhenguan calmly spoke:
"The rebel army outside the hall has been completely put to death, rebel Ying Long has been personally killed by Mr. Zhao."
At this ti, the crowd inside the hall finally noticed the Taia Sword in the Empress’s hand, the scorching red fresh blood dripping along the blood groove, from the tip of the sword to the ground.
And outside the hall, the vast square was covered with fallen, dead rebels, at this mont, the imperial guard who ca to the rescue were kneeling on the ground, as if in worship.
All of this, like a replay of the Xuann Coup three years ago. Except, the soldiers in Li Yanfu’s hands were far fewer than Xu Jianwen’s.
The chaos caused was not nearly two-thirds the scale of the Xuann Coup of the past.
"Ying Long is dead..."
Li Yanfu’s body staggered, as if struck hard, Li Qing beside him instinctively supported him, fear and panic: "Clan Leader... What do we do..."
Li Yanfu’s face was ashen, wanting to speak, yet unable to utter a word.
In his heart, there was only one thought:
It’s over!
Everything is over!
If the Empress were truly seriously injured with her cultivation greatly reduced, relying on the masters at hand, he could still fight.
But the scene unfolding now, though difficult to explain, undeniably declared the miserable failure of this farcical court coup!
Suddenly, without any warning, Li Yanfu grabbed the Chasing Saber from Li Qing’s hands, pointing the tip at his heart, he exerted force with both hands, fiercely stabbing down!
Not good... This crafty old fox is trying to commit suicide... Zhao Douan’s expression slightly changed, even he couldn’t anticipate such quick resolution from the defeated Li Yanfu!
The villain, shouldn’t they exchange a few taunts? Or fight to the death? Or beg for rcy? What does it an to commit suicide without a word?
"Ding!" However, as the Chasing Saber was about to stab down, it was suddenly hit by an invisible force.
Li Yanfu’s wrist felt suddenly numb as if electrocuted, the Chasing Saber whizzed out, fell to the ground, rotated several tis, and stopped at Zhao Douan’s feet.
"Clan Leader!" Li Qing scread out in alarm, belatedly.
"Pri Minister!?" The officials from the Li Party who participated in the rebellion, as well as over a hundred retainers, also cried out in shock.
Xu Zhenguan’s icy voice echoed in the hall: "Li Yanfu, you want to die so easily, did I approve it?"
Li Yanfu collapsed on the ground, as if drained of strength, at this mont, two rows of muddy tears burst from his eyes, trembling, he shook off Li Qing’s support, knelt on both knees, prostrating, forehead to the ground, worshiping deeply, quivering, he said:
"Your Majesty... I... I... am guilty!"
As the final straw that broke the cal’s back.
With Li Yanfu’s confession, the officials from the Li Party who stood with him in the hall almost fell like dumplings, "thud", "thud" kneeling one after another, likewise worshiping deeply:
"I... am guilty!"
Seeing this, the over a hundred red-clad retainers, realizing the futility of resistance, dropped their weapons with a clang, knelt in unison, silent.
Li Qing stared blankly at the Clan Leader on the ground, this clan’s mber who ca from the Li family of Huai River to the Capital, seemingly finally accepting this reality, sat limply on the ground, as if soulless.
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