Chapter 282: The Great Change in the Imperial Palace

Qianqing Palace.

The Emperor's sleeping quarters and the place where he reviews memorials.

The name implies that under the Emperor's rule, the world will attain peace and tranquility.

The reigning Emperor was hunched over his imperial desk, holding a memorial to review.

Just as he finished processing one memorial and looked toward another urgent report, he suddenly furrowed his brows, feeling a wave of agitation and an unnameable fire rising within him.

This was because the news in the urgent report was precisely that Zhu Wushi, without prior notification, had summoned the Ten Great Generals via a secret letter.

These Ten Great Generals were stationed at ten strategic locations, controlling eight or nine-tenths of the world's military forces; usually, only the Emperor could summon them away.

Whoever could gain the support of the Ten Great Generals would be able to overturn the world and change the sovereign.

The Emperor rubbed the space between his brows, carrying a hint of weariness: "With Cao Zhengchun dead, no one can check the Imperial Uncle anymore; his wolfish ambition has truly been exposed. Although the Four Great Secret Agents are loyal to the imperial family, I fear they are still a cut below when it comes to dealing with him."

Though young, he was very clever and had long since seen through Zhu Wushi's nature of appearing loyal while being a great traitor, which was why he had promoted Cao Zhengchun as the Grand Overseer of the Eastern Depot to create a situation of mutual checks and balances.

Yet he had not expected Yu Liancheng to strike so ruthlessly, killing Cao Zhengchun and destroying all his plans and schemes, leaving Zhu Wushi with no more scruples.

And while the three secret agents of Heaven, Earth, and Profound, along with the recently recruited Yellow Number One secret agent, were all loyal to the Emperor and the Imperial Court, giving him a glimmer of a chance at victory, it was still minuscule.

"Your, Your Majesty, this is bad..." At this moment, General Manager Eunuch Sun, who had always taken care of the Emperor's daily life, hurried forward.

"What is the panic? What has happened?" The Emperor let out a cold snort. He had been pondering how to deal with Zhu Wushi and his train of thought had been interrupted; if not for the fact that this Eunuch Sun had followed him since he was the Crown Prince, he might have been dragged away for a beating right now.

"The, the Divine Marquis has brought the Ten Great Generals and is rushing toward the Imperial Palace." Eunuch Sun said hurriedly, his shrill voice trembling slightly.

"What!?" The Emperor slammed the table and stood up abruptly, sharp light flashing in his eyes, and asked hurriedly: "Did he bring troops with him?"

"No, no he didn't. Aside from the Ten Great Generals, the Divine Marquis only, only brought eight guards."

The Emperor let out a soft breath, his hanging heart settling slightly, and waved his dragon sleeve: "Tell the Imperial Guard in the palace not to block them; let them in."

His Imperial Uncle's martial arts were unfathomable; he could charge and retreat through thousands of troops all by himself. Without a top expert like Cao Zhengchun to check him, the Imperial Guard was effectively useless, and there was no need to escalate the conflict between the two sides over this small matter.

"Yes." Eunuch Sun retreated again.

The Emperor sat back down on the dragon throne, took a few deep breaths, and his face returned to calm. Even if he lost this game of chess, he must never lose his dignity.

Before long, a burst of heavy footsteps rang out.

The Emperor raised his eyes and saw a group of people walking toward Qianqing Palace.

The person in the lead was none other than Zhu Wushi. In daily life, Zhu Tiedan was as unfathomable as the sea, and his brows carried an air of awe-inspiring righteousness, making anyone who saw him know he was the loyal and brave Divine Marquis of Iron Gall.

But now, he walked with the stride of a dragon and the pace of a tiger, radiating a domineering aura, majestic and self-important, making one unable to help but want to submit.

And behind Zhu Wushi were the Ten Great Generals, clad in armor, their gazes sharp and their momentum aggressive.

These Ten Great Generals might not necessarily be a match for first-class experts in the martial arts world, but every one of them was a veteran of a hundred battles, held great power, and was one of the ten pillars of white jade supporting the Great Ming empire.

Now, although these pillars of white jade still supported the Great Ming empire, they might not necessarily support him, the Emperor.

In addition, there were eight men in green robes distributed on both sides; their breathing was long and steady, their movements powerful, clearly all individuals with profound internal energy.

The Emperor knew the identity of these eight men; they were another of Zhu Wushi's trump cards.

—The Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits.

Zhu Wushi had long anticipated that the three secret agents of Heaven, Earth, and Profound could not be relied upon, so he had secretly cultivated the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends.

These one hundred and eight people were all geniuses with outstanding talent, one in a hundred; they had received Zhu Wushi's extremely rigorous training, and in particular, had obtained the true teachings of the Xiangxi Siguai, capable of joining forces to use moves similar to "Meiying Shenggong" to neutralize martial arts.

Alone or in pairs, they were no match for any one of the Four Great Secret Agents.

But if four or eight of them formed an array to neutralize internal energy, they considered themselves to be absolutely no less than the Four Great Secret Agents.

The Emperor suppressed the panic in his heart and said indifferently: "Imperial Uncle, the time for the morning court has passed. If you have any matters, it would be better to discuss them tomorrow. I am somewhat weary and wish to rest."

"Hmph." Zhu Wushi suddenly let out a cold snort. This sound utilized pure and thick internal energy, shaking the Emperor, who only had a rough grasp of martial arts, until his body trembled, as if a clap of thunder had exploded beside his ear.

"Imperial Uncle, you..." The Emperor pressed his hands on the table to maintain his composure, though his heart was already churning incessantly.

"Puzhao, I will spare you the pleasantries." Zhu Wushi stood with his hands behind his back, carrying the majesty of one who rules the world: "This throne was originally mine. Out of respect for the late Emperor, I let you sit on it for so many years, yet you allowed a eunuch like Cao Zhengchun to disrupt the government and harm the people of the world. I have no choice but to restore the order of the universe and sweep clean the world."

"Rebellion! Rebellion! Zhu Wushi, what exactly are you trying to do?" The Emperor slammed the table and shouted sternly. His face carried anger, but also a hint of fear that was hard to hide.

Zhu Wushi was actually in Qianqing Palace, to his face, saying such treasonous words. His heart of usurpation was clearly revealed.

And yet, the Ten Great Generals did not show the slightest reaction, as if these words were justified and perfectly normal...

"I give you three days to hand the Imperial Seal over to me. Then, issue an edict announcing that you are abdicating the throne to me due to illness."

Zhu Wushi's eyes narrowed slightly, shooting out an astonishing sharpness as he said: "I will reward you with a fief in a paradise away from the world so you can recuperate well. Furthermore, since your health is poor, I have already ordered the court officials to send all future memorials to the Dragon-Protecting Villa. You can rest easy and prepare for the abdication ceremony."

After saying this, Zhu Wushi took one last deep look at the Emperor, turned around, and strode away: "Those who understand the times are heroes. Puzhao, take care of yourself. Let's go!"

The Ten Great Generals did not even look at the Emperor as they followed closely behind; clearly, in the struggle between the Emperor and Zhu Wushi, they had already made up their minds to stand on Zhu Wushi's side.

"Damn it, damn it!"

Watching Zhu Wushi's departing back, the Emperor's whole body trembled, blue veins bulging on his forehead. Finally unable to suppress the rage in his heart, he roared fiercely and swept the memorials on the table to the floor.

But unfortunately, he was powerless.

Whether in personal martial arts or the power he wielded, Zhu Wushi far exceeded him, the Emperor.

"To be an Emperor reduced to this state is quite stifling. Do you want to make a deal with this seat?" A clear, resonant voice suddenly rang out.