The four hundred warriors at the Huhar Kingdom delegation’s quarters were all killed, Khan Keqin was captured, and the twenty who had entered the palace with him were also slain. Emperor Yongming’s actions in response to Huhar Kingdom’s provocation intimidated the four nations. However, under the “Kill the Huhar Reward Order” issued by Shao Yunan, the loyal spouse of the Loyal and Brave Marquis, this intimidation was overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of madness that did not inspire fear.

When the piercing whistle sounded in the palace, thirty masked guards threw unknown substances into the delegation’s quarters, releasing smoke that caused dizziness. All four hundred of Huhar Kingdom’s strongest warriors, feared by the Yan Kingdom’s army and people alike, were slaughtered while unconscious, and their heads were hung above the city gates.

Emperor Yongming’s thunderous actions were unexpected, but Shao Yunan’s madness earned the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household the reputation of being “absolutely untouchable.” Although Emperor Yongming and the Empress persuaded Shao Yunan to reluctantly withdraw the “Kill the Huhar Reward Order,” it had already been disseminated outside the palace, forcing Emperor Yongming to issue an edict declaring it null and void.

People who hadn’t experienced a near-extinction catastrophe like the “Five Huhar Chaotically Invading China” couldn’t fathom such a chilling decree, even from a tyrant. Nonetheless, Shao Yunan’s reward order provided a reference for future Yan Kingdom emperors. During the reign of Emperor Yuanchang, the third emperor after Emperor Yongming, the entire Asia continent was unified, and a formal “Kill the Huhar Order” was issued. Subsequently, the already fragmented Huhar states permanently became part of history.

At the Temple prison, heavily guarded soldiers were replaced by a team carrying the emperor’s decree. A small “man” in a black cloak entered the prison where the captive Khan Keqin was held. The once arrogant Khan Keqin was now filled with fear.
As the cell door opened, Khan Keqin retreated, cowering in a corner. The small “man” pulled back his hood, revealing a brief moment of surprise on Khan Keqin’s terrified face.

Step by step, with heavy, steady footsteps, Jiang Moxi approached the blood-stained, disheveled Huhar prince, his eyes dark and cold, far beyond his years.
The child-like hand reached out, grabbed Khan Keqin’s hair, and Jiang Moxi bent down. “Speak.”
Though he was just a child, Khan Keqin trembled all over. A hand emerged from beneath the cloak, slowly raised, and then struck down hard.

“Ah—!”

“Speak!”

In the Eastern Hall of the palace, a dozen ministers knelt trembling, while the rest stood to the sides. All the ministers present at the palace banquet were there, except for the Loyal and Brave Marquis Wang Shijing and General Dai Zhanxiao. Emperor Yongming quietly sipped his tea, while the Empress had retired to his own Palace. The ministers kneeling on the ground were all those who had supported the marriage alliance.

Emperor Yongming didn’t speak or ask any questions. Elder Weng, General Dai, and King Luo Rong remained silent, but the hall felt like winter, making some people shiver.

Outside, hurried footsteps approached, and a masked guard entered. Except for General Dai, everyone else was visibly surprised at the sight of this guard. Dai Zhanxiao glanced at his grandfather.

The masked guard quickly walked to the imperial desk, knelt, and presented a box with both hands. Guo Xun immediately stepped forward to take it and handed it to the emperor. Emperor Yongming raised his hand, signaling the guard to stand and withdraw.

Emperor Yongming opened the box to find a letter and a piece of paper inside. He took out the paper, read it with an unreadable expression, and set it aside before reading the letter. After finishing all the letters, there was a loud noise.

This day was destined to be turbulent and bloody. The palace gates were tightly shut, and no information could be sent out. When the gates finally opened, over a thousand imperial guards rushed out of the palace on horseback. The residences of officials from various political institutions, including the Marquis of Anguo, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Revenue, the Cabinet, the Censorate, and the Temple, were surrounded and searched by the guards. Only the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Works were spared.

Inside the palace, the Marquis of Anguo and his son, along with the other officials whose homes were raided, were all imprisoned in the Dali Temple. Emperor Yongming was furious, and the emperor’s blade was once again raised high. The Marquis of Anguo had been found guilty of treason, numerous letters between him and the current khan of Huhar Kingdom were discovered in a secret room in his study, matching the letters found on Khan Keqin and the Huhar delegation. After Emperor Yongming ascended the throne, the Marquis of Anguo secretly contacted the Huhar Khan, who was then a prince. The true purpose of Khan Keqin’s visit to the capital, ostensibly to negotiate peace, was to create discord between Emperor Yongming and the Loyal and Brave Marquis, hoping to drive a wedge between the emperor and the Dai family. The five hundred Huhar warriors had a mission to assassinate the empress, aiming to cause her to miscarry if they couldn’t kill her. As for Guo Zimu, he was merely a target of Khan Keqin’s lust.

After being demoted to Marquis of Anguo, the former Duke knew his family was doomed, so he decided to take a final gamble by using Huhar Kingdom as his last resort. The officials under his command might not have known about his dealings with Huhar, but they had been ordered to do everything possible to facilitate the marriage alliance between Emperor Yongming and Huhar Ninth Prince and Princess Jingyan. They never expected Shao Yunan to act so unpredictably and fiercely, nor did they anticipate that Emperor Yongming had more trump cards than they had imagined.

Khan Keqin confessed everything. He no longer cared about the fate of the Marquis of Anguo, he only wanted to survive and hoped the khan would find a way to ransom him. Khan Keqin wasn’t killed but was barely kept alive by imperial doctors, as Emperor Yongming intended to see how much silver Huhar Kingdom would offer for his return.

At the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s residence, Guo Zimu stayed with Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing. Wang Shijing didn’t remain in the palace nor concerned himself with the emperor’s decisions. The Loyal and Brave Marquis did not engage in court politics, but anyone who tried to trouble him would find themselves weighed and found wanting. Wang Shijing was more concerned about Shao Yunan and the child in his womb.

Guo Zimu prepared some dishes that Shao Yunan, Wang Qing, and Nizi liked. After the chaos at the palace banquet, Jiang Moxi “disappeared.”

Nizi’s eyes were still red, and her face was swollen from crying. When they got home, she clung to her little dad and cried her heart out. Wang Qing cried too, but silently, his anger at its peak. When news of the outside events reached the residence, Shao Yunan’s pent-up anger dissipated, Nizi stopped crying, and Wang Qing smiled.

After dinner, the three adults talked. Guo Zimu removed his mask after coming from the palace, feeling quite good. He asked curiously: “Yunan, would you really have done that?”

Shao Yunan nodded: “Of course. Did you think I was just scaring them?”

Guo Zimu exclaimed: “I thought you were just scaring them.”

Shao Yunan snorted: “Too bad the emperor didn’t allow it. Daring to target me—what a death wish. But judging from the commotion outside, the marriage alliance was likely connected to the Wu family.”

Guo Zimu shivered. He knew Yunan was formidable but didn’t expect such ruthlessness. However, he felt no sympathy for those involved. Wang Shijing, standing quietly beside them, also found it a pity. He was likely the only one in Yan Kingdom who supported the reward order.

“Marquis,” Wang Shuping entered: “Someone from the palace has come, requesting your presence.”

Wang Shijing stood up, and Shao Yunan immediately said: “Take Tiger with you. It’s too chaotic outside.”

Wang Shijing replied: “I don’t know when I’ll be back, don’t wait for me.” He then told Guo Zimu: “Yunan got upset today, keep him company and talk.”

“Don’t worry.”

Wang Shijing left, Tiger following. Tiger and the two Golds were now truly considered divine beasts.

Outside the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s residence, Wang Shijing glanced in the direction of the Marquis of Anguo’s residence. The streets were devoid of commoners, almost entirely filled with imperial guards. Wang Shijing boarded the marquis’s carriage, sighing internally—not for the Marquis of Anguo but thinking of Jiang Moxi.

In the ninth month of the fifth year of Yongming’s reign, the Marquis of Anguo and his son were executed by waist-chopping for treason. The Wu family, down to nine generations, was exterminated. Treason was a grave crime, and although Shao Yunan did not support implicating the innocent, he and Wang Shijing could only remain silent on this matter. In this imperial dynasty where royal power was supreme, some things could be changed, while others had to be obeyed. Nearly a hundred officials were implicated, from the capital to the provinces. The Wu family, ennobled since the founding of the dynasty, had declined, but even a dying camel was bigger than a horse. Had the Wu family committed another crime, Emperor Yongming might not have implicated so many, but treason was the one offense no emperor could tolerate.

The ground of the execution ground in the capital was stained red with blood, washed clean, and stained red again. Many were imprisoned, exiled, or executed daily. This became known in Yan Kingdom’s history as the “Hundred Days of Fury.” This purge lasted a full hundred days. After enduring pressure from various factions since his ascension, Emperor Yongming, raising his blade once more, not only shocked Great State of Yan Kingdom but also the neighboring Dasi Kingdom, Xianlu Kingdom, and Great Mountain Tribe. The Great State of Yan Kingdom emperor’s wrath was like thunder. After this, the positions of Loyal and Brave Marquis Wang Shijing and his consort Shao Yunan became unassailable. Everyone awaited the peak of their power, but to their surprise, the marquis, aside from attending court sessions, did not meddle in political affairs or form alliances with officials, maintaining close ties only with the General’s residence, the Weng, Cen, and Luo families, and later the Ministry of Rites assistant minister Kang Rui’s residence. Compared to power, the marquis seemed to prefer wealth, expanding his business ventures to the point where the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household seemed poised to become the second wealthiest, rivaling the Hengyuan Marquis’s estate.

During the Hundred Days of Fury, the Yan Kingdom’s civil service examinations proceeded as scheduled. Guo Ziyu achieved top honors, awaiting the spring examinations next year. In early October, the elder consort and elder madam returned to the capital from Loyal and Brave Village, accompanied by the families of Zhao Yuande and Zhao Yuanqing. Due to the incident with Khan Keqin, they had delayed their return to avoid the capital’s turmoil.

After the Hundred Days of Fury, Emperor Yongming appointed Lu Guogong’s son Su Jinan to the Ministry of War, Murong Shizi to the Dali Temple, and Cen Jueyuan as the superintendent of the National Academy, a fourth-rank position. All the officials’ sons who had stepped forward during the turmoil were given various official positions. Others received rewards as well. Emperor Yongming sent Princess Wu Uzhen a jar of honey grapefruit tea and a pound of green tea from the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s residence. Instead of returning to the Great Mountain Tribe, Princess Wu Uzhen sent these gifts to her father and stayed at the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s residence.

Edited by: Jaisland

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