The slightly salty, slightly damp, and slightly cold wind blew from the sea, chilling Fan Xian's cheeks. He coldly gazed at the dense ranks of soldiers below the platform, a sense of calmness gradually settling deep within him.

The most crucial and dangerous moment in handling the naval affairs had actually been last night. Now that day had arrived, the riskiest period was over, and he had little to worry about.

Those generals and state officials unaware of the inside story had assumed that the Imperial Envoy was merely praising before criticizing, and that he would soon launch the most inhumane attack on Naval Admiral Chang Kun. They thought he would use the bright sunlight to expose Chang Kun's depravity to the naval soldiers and explain the court's decision regarding him. So, when they actually heard Fan Xian's subsequent words, they were incredibly shocked that Lord Fan hadn't begun to flog the corpse.

Fan Xian's voice carried far across the wide parade ground. He merely recalled the great achievements of Naval Admiral Chang Kun for the Qing Kingdom with a gentle and sorrowful tone. He only praised the dead man, his expression mournful and his eyes sincere, without mentioning the Eastern Sea island affair or the collusion between the navy and Dongyi City.

Wu Gefei and the third general from the old Qin family exchanged glances, then slowly turned their heads away. Fan Xian had already conveyed the palace's intentions to these important figures last night, so they weren't surprised.

Chang Kun was a first-rank admiral, and the identity of the hand behind him hadn't been firmly established with solid evidence. Although it was known that the Eldest Princess's Junshan Society had played an important role in it, the court was unwilling to expose its weaknesses in the current situation. They didn't want to officially and publicly condemn Chang Kun.

A first-rank official, a military heavyweight, colluding with pirates and communicating with the enemy – if this fact spread throughout the world, where would the Qing Kingdom's court put its face? Where would His Majesty put his old face?

All that was needed was to ensure that Chang Kun could never again engage in corrupt practices within the Jiaozhou navy. As for the moral evaluation of him after his death, the Qing Emperor and Fan Xian didn't really care. Completing this matter with the least cost was the top priority.

Of course, the Emperor must have been unable to swallow this anger. Only after some time, when the situation in Kyoto was stable, would the Emperor sweep away those families who dared to engage in small tricks behind his back. Chang Kun would naturally be dug out of his grave, his bones ground to ash, and his reputation ruined.

After finishing the series of praises, Fan Xian's face was as cold as a stone in the sea, and his expression was extremely unsightly.

"Last night, when this official first arrived in Jiaozhou, I intended to have a private talk with Admiral Chang, to thoroughly investigate the collusion between a part of the navy and the pirates... Little did I know, before I could even see the admiral's face, the man was already gone. Who dared to be so depraved as to commit murder in the Admiral's mansion? Who dared to resist the court's investigation by using such blatant means? Who tried to kill the officials and generals in the entire Admiral's mansion after the incident, in an attempt to silence them? Who secretly mobilized the navy last night, incited military sentiment, and intended to stir up turmoil, occupy Jiaozhou, and swallow all of this darkness in a sea of blood?"

"Who...?"

(Who is too tired, omitted below)

...

...

Last night, there was indeed unrest in the naval camp, and rumors had been spreading. But it wasn't until today, when the Imperial Envoy elaborated on the high platform, that the naval officers and soldiers learned that Admiral Chang Kun hadn't been forced to death by the court, but had been murdered by someone who hired assassins. And some generals in the navy dared to collude with pirates, dared to secretly resist the court!

Naturally, not everyone believed it. At least, Chang Kun and Dang Xiaobo's confidants wouldn't believe it. So, the soldiers in the field gradually became noisy, and someone began to shout, "Where is General Dang? Where is General Dang!"

Someone else shouted, "Where did the pirates come from?"

The crowd was indignant, and soldiers were easily incited. The crowd gradually surged forward towards the high platform.

Fan Xian remained calm and smiled slightly.

Xu Maochai winked at his confidants below the platform. The school officers mixed among the soldiers moved their eyes and began to shout loudly, "Avenge Admiral Chang! Kill that bastard!"

The tens of thousands of soldiers didn't know who the bastard was, but this shout happened to coincide with the grieving and suppressed atmosphere of the naval officers and soldiers. So, the shouts gradually merged into one, resounding through the sea and sky, but intentionally or unintentionally suppressed the provocations of those military generals who harbored ulterior motives and were unwilling to be captured and killed.

Fan Xian raised both hands and pressed down slightly, saying with a somber expression, "Heaven has no eyes, but heaven has a heart. Those depraved criminals were captured last night. After the case is closed, they will naturally be publicly executed to comfort Admiral Chang's spirit in heaven."

"Who is it?" The naval officers and soldiers looked at each other, all guessing which military figure had the courage to do such a thing. Seeing that there were fewer generals on the high platform than usual, some clever people gradually guessed a little.

As expected, the names that Fan Xian mentioned next were all the respected generals in the navy in the past. Dang Xiaobo's name was prominently listed at the top.

The voice from the high platform clearly told the ten thousand people that it was these generals in the navy who acted as the "rat droppings."

...

...

While speaking, five generals covered in blood were escorted from the right rear of the platform. These were the very people who had challenged Fan Xian in the Admiral's mansion last night. At this time, these people were pale and dejected. After being tortured, they couldn't even stand steadily. They knelt directly in front of Fan Xian. No one knew what methods the Overwatch Council had used, but although these people had fierce and resentful expressions, they couldn't open their mouths to shout grievances.

The tens of thousands of soldiers below the platform fell silent at the same time, watching the scene on the stage with extremely complex eyes, watching those generals who were usually high above them, kneeling before their eyes, their heads lowered, their disheveled hair entangled with blood, miserable.

In the deathly silence, Fan Xian watched this scene, his hands behind his back, making a gesture of preparing to clench his fists.

As expected, a sharp shout suddenly came from among the silent soldiers: "Admiral Chang was killed by those people on the stage! Traitorous officials harm the army! General Dang is wronged!"

Dang Xiaobo had his own confidants, and the troops going to the Eastern Sea had their own thoughts from top to bottom, all understanding what this scene was targeting. Naturally, they wouldn't willingly watch things continue according to the Imperial Envoy's arrangement. Following this shout, several other voices immediately shouted out, filled with anger and hatred, aiming their spears at Fan Xian and the other generals and officials on the stage.

These people were all direct descendants of Chang Kun and Dang Xiaobo. The middle and lower-level school officers were always extremely capable of influencing the officers and soldiers under their command. With such a shout, the stage immediately became chaotic. The naval officers and soldiers, who had already been made uneasy by the rumors, didn't know who to believe anymore, and as many as a thousand officers and soldiers began to push forward.

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes, staring at that side, only staring at the people who were leading the shouting, and then tightened his hands behind his back, clenching them into fists.

The third general standing behind him darkened his face, forced by Fan Xian to make a decision, because he also knew that if there was really a mutiny, he would only be torn to pieces on the stage.

So, he stood beside Fan Xian, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and roared angrily, "Damn it, are you rebelling? You don't even believe the Imperial Envoy and us!"

Although this man hadn't been in the navy for long, he was, after all, of a certain status. His shout made the situation below slightly better, but there was still a hidden cause for danger. Dang Xiaobo's confidants were still lurking in the dark, constantly instigating and shouting abuses.

At this moment, Xu Maochai also gave the second order with his eyes, following Fan Xian's gesture.

A different kind of voice immediately emerged among the officers and soldiers below the stage.

"Kill Dang Xiaobo! Avenge Admiral Chang!"

...

...

It was just a shout, and it didn't create a thunderous momentum, but Fan Xian had already smiled gently, very amiably listening to the will of the people, and nodded to the side.

Hong Changqing and several naval generals with unusually ugly faces walked to Fan Xian's side, drew the straight knives that were equipped at their waists, kicked the backs of those Chang Kun's confidant generals, knocking these criminals to the ground, and then slashed down with their knives.

With four sounds of "ka, ka," the sharp knives cut into those strong cervical spines, breaking the skin, slicing the flesh, releasing blood, and severing the bones, letting the heads leave their bodies, rolling on the high platform, spraying a large pool of blood.

The headless bodies of the naval generals twitched and convulsed on the high platform for a moment before returning to silence, returning to death.

The stage and the audience below fell silent again. The naval officers and soldiers below stared blankly at this scene... thinking, they just died like that? The case hadn't even been tried, and the Imperial Envoy just killed these generals?

Fan Xian frowned, looking at the blood not far from his feet, and at Dang Xiaobo, who was breathing heavily and looking pale and dejected not far from him. He immediately raised his head and said with a smile, "Satisfy your wishes, but Dang Xiaobo is the chief culprit and must be escorted to Kyoto... I'm afraid he will have to be subjected to slow slicing to let Admiral Chang rest in peace."

These words were somewhat shameless, but the naval officers and soldiers below the stage didn't think so. They just looked at the young man in the gorgeous official uniform on the stage, feeling a chill rising from the depths of their hearts.

In fact, the naval officers and soldiers weren't fools. They wouldn't believe that General Dang would kill Admiral Chang. First, there was no reason for it, and second, everyone knew the close relationship between the two. But at this time, four heads were placed on the stage, and everyone knew that the Imperial Envoy dared to kill people and was willing to kill people. Admiral Chang was dead, and Dang Xiaobo had been subdued. Even if the court was carrying out a purge, they were just ordinary soldiers who hadn't gained many benefits by following these two adults. What could they do?

Could they really rush up and kill the Imperial Envoy on the high platform, then become bandits and be enemies with the whole world?

Having blood doesn't mean having bestiality, and it doesn't mean not using one's brain to think. So, the tens of thousands of officers and soldiers below the stage fell silent, including those school officers who had been trying to incite riots. They lowered their bodies, thinking about how they could secretly escape from the navy.

...

...

Killing people to establish authority, Fan Xian looked at the stage below with satisfaction, knowing that Xu Maochai's words were indeed correct.

However, things weren't over yet. There were still Dang Xiaobo's confidants and Chang Kun's loyalists on the stage. If these people weren't rooted out, how could the Jiaozhou navy be considered peaceful?

Fan Xian stood on the high platform and said, "Last night, someone in the navy received a secret order from Dang Xiaobo, intending to lead troops to attack the city. This kind of depraved rebellious behavior naturally cannot be lightly forgiven."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of horses' hooves outside the camp came like wind and clouds. Everyone turned their bodies and looked there nervously.

A group of cavalry in black armor galloped down from the small slope, hard crossbows on their saddles, sharp knives at their waists, one hand controlling the reins, and the other hand carrying burlap sacks. With a rare skill in the world, they came to the naval camp, bringing a cloud of smoke and a sense of the underworld.

The Black Riders!

The naval officers and soldiers saw this legendary Qing Kingdom's strongest cavalry for the first time, who were known to kill people like hemp and act secretly like ghosts. They exclaimed in surprise, and didn't understand what these people were here to do. If they were here to kill people, the number of one hundred riders was too small.

The hundred Black Riders drove to the foot of the high platform, saluted Fan Xian on horseback, and then threw the burlap sacks in their hands on the ground. They clamped their horses' bellies and rode along the high platform in two and a half circles, lined up on both sides of the high platform.

At the same time, on the small hillside in the left rear of the naval camp, two rows of cavalry appeared quietly, just like two hard black lines, deeply embedded on the mountain ridge, making a preparatory posture for charging at the naval officers and soldiers below.

The naval officers and soldiers were in an uproar.

...

...

The burlap sacks were full of heads, some with blood and dirt on their faces, some with missing noses and damaged ears, some with a large crack split open in their foreheads. Hundreds of heads rolled out of the burlap sacks, piled up under the high platform. This bloody and terrifying scene hadn't appeared in the Jiaozhou navy, which had been peaceful for a long time. The naval officers and soldiers were frightened and took a few steps back, leaving a large open space, letting these heads decorate a Shura field under the broad daylight.

Fan Xian took a step forward on the stage, his gorgeous clothes fluttering, his face handsome, standing proudly on the pile of heads, and said, "These are the rebellious soldiers who tried to wash Jiaozhou with blood last night. Soldiers, don't panic. The rebellious soldiers have been subdued. This official doesn't like to take revenge."

The naval soldiers were wary and dared not speak.

"But..." Fan Xian said slowly, "This official must find out who secretly presided over this matter. Anyone who dares to oppose the court and plot against the court must be prepared to have their entire family executed."

"This official has already found out who the people are." He said, looking at the people below the stage, "A total of seventeen people, no, seventeen dogs, seventeen dogs who use the court's salary to nurture their wolfish ambitions!"

Seventeen people, the scope of the purge wasn't large. Including the naval generals on the stage, the officers and soldiers below the stage breathed a sigh of relief. At this time, the sudden appearance of the four hundred Black Riders and so many heads on the stage had successfully shocked the spirit of the naval officers and soldiers. Since no one dared to rebel, they had to wait and see how the court would deal with it. Only seventeen people were being arrested, and it had nothing to do with most people.

Mind one's own business.

In order to protect themselves, they could even betray their superiors, whom they usually feared.

...

...

So, as the third general on the high platform announced the names, the naval officers and soldiers below the stage gradually moved fearfully, wishing to be as far away as possible from the school officer who had been named. In an instant, seventeen small circles, small open spaces, appeared on the parade ground, and a naval school officer with an earthy complexion stood in the open space.

These were the chief culprits who incited the riot in the camp last night and caused a part of the naval officers and soldiers to fight a battle with the Black Riders outside Jiaozhou City.

The hooves of the horses tapped, and the Black Rider leader slowly walked into the crowd of ten thousand people. The knights had cold faces, not looking around, not nervous, as if they were in an uninhabited place, although there were ten thousand people on their sides.

The naval soldiers had lost their courage and gave way, allowing these Black Riders, who had come to arrest people by order, to enter.

Three riders arrested one person. Although some school officers bravely resisted in desperation, how could they resist, already being trapped beasts? With a few "pa, pa" sounds, they were chopped to the ground, only adding to the pain before their deaths.

————————————————————————

Seventeen more bloody and cruel sounds, seventeen heads returned to the embrace of their brothers' heads, blood stained the high platform, and a stench attracted countless flies.

Fan Xian stood among them, but his face didn't change. He squinted and looked at the sun that was gradually moving to the top of his head, knowing that the matter in Jiaozhou was considered complete.

Then he began to announce the imperial decree.

Fan Xian waved his hand, not caring about the court's etiquette and rules, and let the Overwatch Council's subordinates handle this matter, while he sat back in his chair to rest for a while.

...

...

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

Fan Xian didn't listen carefully to what the Emperor said, just watching the naval officers and soldiers who were kneeling on the stage and below, like ants, thinking deeply. Finally, he heard a sky-shaking cheer of joy and the sound of shouting "Long live the Emperor."

Had the naval officers and soldiers received an increase in salary again?

———————————————————————

The news of the Jiaozhou navy reached Kyoto half a month later. Kyoto was located inland, without the nourishment of the sea breeze, so it seemed drier and stuffier than Jiaozhou. The climate wasn't very comfortable, and some people with weak bodies began to feel unwell.

Hong Zhu had been feeling a little hot these days... it was heat, not anger. He rubbed his nose, thinking that if he still had a nosebleed tonight, he would have to ask the imperial physician to take a look. The people in the Imperial Hospital weren't very good. How great it would be if Miss Fan was still studying in the Imperial Hospital.

He trotted to the front of the palace, respectfully opened the door, and whispered something in the Empress's ear.

He had been in the Eastern Palace for some time, and he had successfully gained the Empress's trust, but the Crown Prince always felt a little uncomfortable looking at this little eunuch. A little eunuch with pimples on his face and nosebleeds due to excessive heat didn't look like a cunning person at all.

Listening to Hong Zhu's words, the Empress frowned and asked, "It's only natural for Admiral Chang to be posthumously honored... but how is it that such a shocking case is not being jointly tried by the Three Departments, but is being investigated by the Overwatch Council alone?"

It seemed that the Empress didn't know the inside story of the Jiaozhou navy, but she vaguely guessed that this matter must be inextricably linked to the Eldest Princess. She smiled coldly and said, "Let's see when that Highness comes to our door."

If things were as she imagined, Fan Xian going to the Jiaozhou navy was equivalent to cutting off another arm of Li Yunrui. This Eldest Princess would definitely go crazy.

It was just that the case of Jiaozhou was somewhat unclear. A lieutenant general dared to collude with bandits to assassinate the admiral? And it happened to be on the very night Fan Xian arrived in Jiaozhou? The Jiaozhou navy actually colluded with the pirates on the Eastern Sea? Didn't Chang Kun know about it before?

All the court officials were suspicious, and the military also had some rebound, because no matter what Chang Kun was like, he was a military heavyweight.

It was just that no one dared to say anything, because although His Majesty expressed his condolences for Chang Kun's death with a face full of grief, and the funeral arrangements were very grand, and the rewards for Chang's mansion were not light, everyone could see that His Majesty was actually... in a very good mood.

...

...

(Please give me some monthly tickets... Old Six is very nervous.)