Chapter 349

As the Emperor's words fell, Li Miao took a step forward.

This step was extremely long and far.

In the eyes of the officials who did not practice martial arts, this former Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander and current Assistant Commander, who had almost never appeared in the officialdom, suddenly blurred, and when he appeared again, he was already on the steps outside the Fengtian Hall.

Li Miao shook the golden melon hammer in his hand at Yan Song, who was several zhang away, and grinned.

At the same time, the Emperor on the dragon throne spoke again.

"The second thing."

Zhu Zai took over the conversation without any pause.

"Four days ago, the eunuchs Liu Chun, Shou Xia, Shang Qiu, and Cun Dong, who were guarding Nanjing, colluded with the Flag Guard and the Brave Cavalry Right Guard to plot rebellion. After investigation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, seven people including Minister of War Mu Yizhi and Five Military Governor's Office Commander Sheng Sinian were involved."

As he spoke, he took out the documents Li Miao found in Nanjing from his arms, shook his hand, and the documents flew out like sharp arrows, suddenly falling to the ground in front of Yan Song, spreading out exactly on the ground in front of him.

Yan Song ignored it, expressionless.

Embroidered Uniform Guards poured into the crowd, pushed out several people, and pressed them down in front of the crowd.

Some officials wanted to speak, but seeing Yan Song indifferent, and seeing Liu Zhe's headless corpse lying on the ground in front, they could only stand still and keep their mouths shut.

The Emperor spoke slowly.

"In the Nanjing matter, Assistant Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Li Miao made outstanding contributions and suppressed the rebellion, and is promoted to the third-rank Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander."

As the Emperor's words fell, Li Miao took another step, eliminating half the distance between him and Yan Song.

Liu Zhe's headless corpse lay on one side, and the blood flowing from the broken neck accumulated into a pool of blood under Li Miao's feet.

Li Miao shook the golden melon hammer in his hand again, the drooping hammer head swept through the pool of blood, sweeping out a small spray of blood, splashing on the faces and bodies of the officials at the very front.

Their faces turned pale, and they trembled.

If they didn't understand the opponent's intention when Li Miao took his first step, now the malice in Li Miao's actions and expressions had gradually, clearly, and explicitly revealed itself.

Three things, three steps.

The blood-stained golden melon hammer, and the high officials pressed down and kneeling on the ground by the Embroidered Uniform Guards at the very front.

What would Li Miao do after the third step? After the Emperor finished the third thing, how many people's blood would that golden melon hammer dipped in Liu Zhe's blood be stained with?

Just thinking about it, a chill rose from the soles of their feet to their heads. Some people were already regretting why they had forced the palace today, why they had appeared here, and were trembling more and more because of it.

But the Emperor didn't give them a chance to catch their breath.

"The third thing."

"The Ming Cult thieves assassinating the Emperor, and the attack on the Imperial Mausoleum."

Zhu Zai took over the conversation without any pause.

"After verification by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, this matter was done by Grand Secretaries Miao Luoyu, Hou Feiyu, Jiao Lingyan, Min Yu, and Minister of Rites Gu Zhiyi, colluding with the Ming Cult thieves."

"First, they conspired with eunuchs to assassinate the Emperor in the Tianshou Mountain Mausoleum, and after being broken by the joint efforts of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Xiaolingwei, they were unwilling to give up, and assassinated the Emperor again when he returned to the capital!"

He waved his hand suddenly.

"Take the thieves!"

Embroidered Uniform Guards poured into the crowd again and dragged several people out.

This time, some people started to riot.

Nothing else, if the previous two things could be considered evidence-based and well-founded, this third thing was completely Zhu Zai's nonsense.

The truth of the Imperial Mausoleum matter was known to only a limited number of people. Zhu Zai almost purged the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xiaolingwei, and the Forbidden Army from beginning to end before completely sealing the matter, but there were still fragments of information spreading.

Officials would naturally try to guess the truth of the Imperial Mausoleum matter based on these fragments. Although because the clues were too incomplete, no consensus had been formed so far... but this matter could never be as Zhu Zai said! Four Grand Secretaries, Minister of Rites, eunuchs, Ming Cult!

How could these words be combined!

If these high officials wanted to rebel, how could they collude with eunuchs, and it was even more impossible to have any intersection with Jianghu troublemakers like the Ming Cult who only thought about rebellion. The power of civil officials lies not in swords, but in reputation and pen and ink. Mixing with these goods, even if the rebellion succeeded, it would only be making wedding clothes for others!

But thinking from another direction... these few people were precisely the henchmen of Grand Secretary Yan Song!

The noise of the crowd turned from low to high, the courage fanned by the number of people, and the worry about their own lives finally shook the lips and tongues of these clothed beasts.

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not!"

"How can we listen to the words of the Embroidered Uniform Guard alone? This matter is of great importance and should be jointly reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, the Five Military Governor's Office, the Court of Ceremonial, and the Dali Temple!"

"Your Majesty! Lord Min could never have participated in this matter! I am willing to guarantee it with my life!"

The crowd behind was noisy, Yan Song raised his head slightly and looked at Li Miao. Between their gazes, the two had a silent dialogue.

"You are too impatient."

"Heh, not impatient."

Yan Song's hand in his robe sleeve stretched slightly, as if lifting the crowd behind him and sending them to Li Miao. His lips moved, and an extremely subtle voice sounded like a mosquito.

"How can you suppress the hearts of the people?"

Li Miao raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth curled up, and he also responded softly.

"I'll show you right now."

Just at this moment, the Emperor's voice came from the dragon throne again.

"In the assassination case, Assistant Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Li Miao made contributions in protecting the Emperor and destroying the Ming Cult, and is promoted to Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, bestowed with a python robe, embroidered spring knife, and jade belt!"

"The criminals mentioned before are guilty of heinous crimes... let Beloved Minister Li carry out the punishment."

Li Miao turned around and bowed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace."

Then, he slowly turned around and took the third step of the day.

He stood at the very front of the crowd, in front of the row of people kneeling on the ground, and also in front of Yan Song.

At this distance, Li Miao finally didn't have to worry about Yan Song not hearing what he said.

"Lord Yan, last night, you seemed to say something... a fourth-rank martial artist?"

The corners of Li Miao's mouth curled up even more.

"You seem to look down on martial artists. Is it because Liu Jin and An Qisheng were too polite to you before, which caused you some misunderstanding? You might not know what a martial artist like me can actually do."

"I didn't see clearly last night, and no one died, that was my poor hospitality."

"Today, take a good look."

The moment the words fell, a golden shadow flashed before Yan Song's eyes!

The wind, the violent wind stirred up inches away, almost pushed him into the crowd!

And then there was the shrill sound of the wind, and the sound of objects shattering and liquid splashing, exploding in an instant!

Swish—

The golden melon hammer in Li Miao's hand was left with only the handle in an instant.

The people kneeling in front of the crowd all disappeared.

In their place was a gully more than ten zhang long, almost bottomless, and the viscous, scarlet liquid that exploded in the gully, mixed with broken gauze hats, splashed at Yan Song's feet and in front of him.