The capital was in chaos, like a tangled skein of yarn, impossible to unravel.
Since the Grand Secretariat was besieged by the Imperial Guards, estate after estate had been confiscated. In just a few days, over a dozen estates were emptied. Every day, eighty to a hundred people met their end at the executioner's blade. The ground at the execution market, where the heads were severed, was washed again and again, until the blood seeped into the very earth, no longer able to be scrubbed clean.
That patch of ground was several shades darker than its surroundings.
It wasn't until those who deserved to be killed were killed and those who deserved to be exiled were exiled that the blood mist, which had permeated the city for over half a month, finally dissipated.
The government issued a gazette, penned by the Chancellor, Lord Liu Wan Jun. It clarified the entire chain of events, allowing the citizens of the capital and officials from all regions to know that the fog incident at Changming Mountain had involved far more than just the Wu Cheng county magistrate's involvement in human trafficking. The sheer number of people implicated and the complexity of the case were astonishing, terrifying, and infuriating!
The people were incensed, shouting praises for His Majesty's wisdom!
As for Feng Luan, who had played a crucial role in this affair, it was as if they had evaporated into thin air, never to be seen again.
Regent Ji Jin Mo's achievements were also somewhat overshadowed by Ji Hong's swift and decisive actions.
However, Wang Xun, the hero who had endured hardship while investigating and collecting evidence, and who had risked a death sentence to escape Wu Cheng and strike the drum of impeachment, was praised by the populace. Ji Hong pardoned his offense of rebellion and ordered him to return to Wu Cheng to continue serving as the county magistrate. Although his official position remained unchanged, it was clear to all that within five years, he would surely be transferred back to the capital by His Majesty.
And then, his career would soar.
The northern frontier was in no position to help itself. The markets were massacred, and the Khan was enraged. He intended to issue an edict holding Bu Rigu De accountable, but the young Khan, through his machinations, sowed discord between them. The Khan became suspicious and, instead of holding Bu Rigu De accountable, directly ordered the Xiong Division to launch an offensive.
The northern frontier was in turmoil.
The royal court was fractured.
The Eagle Division broke away.
The relationship between the Eagle Division and the royal court had reached an irreconcilable point.
After Lin Xie cleared out the spies from the northern frontier who had infiltrated Wu Cheng and even the Langhuan Army, he redeployed the border defenses. The border defense maps lost by the Ministry of War were now useless. Not only was the northern frontier unable to spare troops to invade Lin Yuan, but even if they could, any attempt would result in their complete annihilation!
The turmoil in the northern frontier completely buried the ambition of Yuwen Yi's two kingdoms to attack Lin Yuan from both sides. After the Da Li Imperial Army, led by Wen Zhong and Pi Chongwen, was slaughtered and routed by Ji Jin Mo's Demon Hunter Army, this border conflict ultimately concluded with Da Li's retreat.
Now, it was time to collect the interest.
Lin Yuan wanted Da Li to withdraw its troops and cease attacking Wei Cheng and pushing into its territory?
This was possible, but only if Wei Cheng and its twelve cities were handed over as payment!
"Wishful thinking, utterly wishful thinking!"
Upon hearing Lin Yuan's demand for troop withdrawal, Yuwen Yi was so enraged that his hair stood on end. He cursed Lin Yuan's emperor, regent, officials, and even its citizens as blood-sucking parasites, scum, and utter scoundrels.
Previously, their Da Li Imperial Army had been massacred by the Demon Hunter Army, resulting in the loss of six cities. Now, Lin Yuan actually wanted to occupy another six cities, bringing the total of Wei Cheng's twelve cities under their control? Hah, it was pure wishful thinking, the ramblings of a madman!
"Very well, very well! Then let us fight! Let us fight! I refuse to believe that Ji Jin Mo would truly dare to lead his troops to the battlefield himself!" Yuwen Yi gritted his teeth.
"Your Majesty, absolutely not! We cannot fight!"
The court officials prostrated themselves. Even those who had advocated for war earlier dared not utter another word. Their hesitation was not due to their confidence being shattered by Lin Yuan, but because they had heard something.
In the matter of spies infiltrating the court from the northern frontier, Ji Hong and Ji Jin Mo, who had always been at loggerheads, had joined forces.
What was terrifying was not their alliance, but the message their alliance conveyed to Da Li. It was a clear message: if Da Li continued to resist and fight to the bitter end, then Ji Jin Mo would truly dare to lead the Demon Hunter Army towards Wei Cheng.
This was because, when Lin Yuan's territory was encroached upon, these two men, who wished they could kill each other, had united against a common enemy.
Their earlier audacity in dispatching troops to Huaicheng was solely because they had calculated that Ji Jin Mo would not dare to lead his army out of the capital, nor expose his flank to Ji Hong.
Only by creating internal conflict within Lin Yuan could they constrain the movements of the "God of Slaughter," Ji Jin Mo.
But now, the moment they knew Ji Jin Mo could lead his army out at any time, all of Da Li, from civil officials to military generals, fell silent. Not a single general dared to step forward and claim they were not afraid of Ji Jin Mo, or that they could lead troops to fight him.
The entire court was filled with useless individuals.
Under the dissuasions of everyone present, Yuwen Yi, in his fury, retreated to the Yangju Hall. He smashed several vases in his rage and then wished he could draw his sword and behead the useless officials in court.
Yet, even he, the moment he thought about Da Li's soldiers facing Ji Jin Mo, felt a tremor of fear in his heart.
"I am not reconciled! I am not reconciled!!!"
Twelve cities. Twelve whole cities. Looking back through the annals of Da Li's monarchs, not a single emperor had ever lost so much territory. If the twelve cities of Wei Cheng were all lost under his reign, he would be the sinner of Da Li. Yuwen Yi could already envision how history would judge him.
If time could be turned back, Yuwen Yi would certainly not have chosen to rashly engage in war. Regret, annoyance, and unwillingness – all these emotions weighed down on Yuwen Yi, igniting an uncontrollable rage within him.
Cheng Ji stood outside the Yangju Hall, still clad in plain white robes, just as he had been that day.
But today was different from the past.
The cawing of the crows outside the Yangju Hall was jarring. The eunuchs waiting outside the hall kept their heads bowed, seemingly afraid to look at Cheng Ji's expression.
He was actually quite calm, but his complexion was frighteningly pale.
"Your Majesty!"
A familiar voice, one that could not be any more familiar, came from outside the door. Yuwen Yi pressed his hand against the desk, suppressing the surge of killing intent that was rising within him. If it hadn't been for his sudden appearance that day, speaking of the lost Lin Yuan border defense maps, he wouldn't have been driven to such a desperate gamble, nor would he have ended up in this predicament.
He was guilty, and death alone could not atone for it.
"Enter!"
Cheng Ji pushed open the door to the Yangju Hall, walked through the long side chamber, and appeared before Yuwen Yi.
He knelt, unfastened his robes, and then produced a dagger from his sleeve.
"This humble monk knows well that my guilt cannot be atoned for by death alone, but I still have some words I wish to speak to Your Majesty."
Looking at Cheng Ji, who held the dagger and intended to commit suicide to atone for his sins, Yuwen Yi remained silent for a moment before waving his hand at him: "Speak!"
"Your Majesty, kill the Seventh Prince!"
"Let the Seventh Prince die in Lin Yuan, and only then will there be a sliver of hope!"
As the words left his lips, and before Yuwen Yi could react, Cheng Ji plunged the dagger into his own heart, gritted his teeth, twisted his wrist, and severed his pulse.
Yuwen Yi watched him fall to the ground, his blood rapidly soaking through his clothes and spreading onto the floor. The calm yet sharp words he had spoken before his death echoed in Yuwen Yi's mind.
Kill, Cheng Xuan!