Chapter 402: Forty Percent

Pointing to death the last person, Li Miao withdrew his arm and tucked his hand into his sleeve.

Today could be considered over.

Li Miao's side and the side of Yingzhou, the Eastern Depot, and the civil officials were actually both afraid of each other, both testing the other's bottom line and time.

Now Li Miao had already confirmed that Zheng Zheng Anqi Sheng's state was wrong and he couldn't make a move casually, and the civil official group was frightened by his hand today and temporarily forgot to resist, so he could kill with abandon.

After today, when the matter was settled, even if the civil official group wanted to overturn the case for these people, it would be too late.

But Zheng Zheng Anqi Sheng clearly couldn't let Li Miao kill all the civil officials. The fact that he made a move to block that Xuantian Finger just now was showing his attitude—if Li Miao continued to make a move, he would also make a move.

On the official side, borrowing the momentum of the Heaven-Man making his first appearance in the imperial court and the Emperor holding court for the first time in over ten years, the time for killing people openly and honestly had ended.

Li Miao took a step back.

Zheng Zheng Anqi Sheng in the crowd also lowered his head again.

This forced hand by Yan Song inciting the hundred officials ended with dozens of corpses lying on the ground.

Seeing Li Miao stop, Zhu Zai also swallowed the next name he was about to read.

The Emperor also understood and said in a deep voice.

"The three things I wanted to announce today have been settled, and the criminals have also been punished. Beloved ministers, if you have any objections, feel free to speak—I will definitely open the path of speech widely."

The hundred officials kneeling on the square didn't make a sound.

Open the path of speech widely?

Anyone who believed that wouldn't have reached the position of being able to kneel here!

Li Miao only took a step back, but hadn't walked away yet, still standing in front of the hundred officials. Someone secretly raised their head to look at him, and he turned his head as if he had known in advance, just happening to lock eyes.

Li Miao smiled at the person who was peeking, and that person shuddered, hurriedly kowtowing their head back to the ground, but happened to kowtow into the blood that had flowed over from the corpse beside them, making their face wet.

In this situation, who dared to "open the path of speech"?

As for whether the Great Ming had those upright officials and loyal ministers who were dedicated to the public and could cast aside their own life and death... it could only be said that the Great Ming's rot was not without reason.

After years of tossing by the Emperor, eunuchs, and Yan Song, such good officials were either excluded from important positions and weren't qualified to kneel here, or were directly squeezed out of the capital, and the few remaining ones wouldn't participate in Yan Song's forced hand.

So, Li Miao and Zhu Zai weren't afraid of killing the wrong people.

If there really was a fool who dared to speak, Li Miao wouldn't mind killing one more fool; I assume Zheng Zheng Anqi Sheng wouldn't risk falling out with Li Miao on the spot to protect a fool.

Thus, only an awkward silence remained on the square.

After a while, the Emperor spoke indifferently.

"Since all beloved ministers have no objections, these three things are settled here."

The shoulders of the officials relaxed, and several people couldn't help but gasp for air.

"Do all beloved ministers have anything else to report?"

No one answered.

"Since that is the case, I am also tired today, so let's end the court session here."

The Emperor walked down from the dragon throne and stepped onto the dragon carriage.

"If all beloved ministers have matters to report, you can think about it and write it down when you go back today... report it to Me at tomorrow's court session."

"By the way, Li, you take over as Commander, and Zhu, you have worked hard for many years, so fill one of the vacant positions in the Cabinet and concurrently serve as Minister of Rites."

"As for who will fill the other positions, all beloved ministers can submit memorials, and I will look at them."

The eunuch at the door of the Fengtian Hall shouted: "Court session concluded—"

As the dragon carriage was lifted, he continued to shout.

"Clear the way—"

Yan Song bowed and shouted.

"Respectfully send off the Holy Carriage—Long live! Long live! Long live!"

The officials behind reacted, hurriedly echoing in unison.

"Respectfully send off the Holy Carriage—Long live! Long live! Long live!"

No one dared to raise their head.

After about half an hour, someone stood up tremblingly.

Li Miao, Zhu Zai, and the Emperor were gone.

In front of them remained only Yan Song, who was still kneeling on the ground without saying a word, the towering and majestic Fengtian Hall... and that scarlet ravine, and the dozens of familiar corpses lying beside them.

————————

Inside the Qianqing Palace. Zhu Zai stroked his long beard, drinking tea at ease.

"After this round today, not to mention the prestige of you, this reckless man, just talking about the many vacant positions, should be enough to make many people leave Yan Song's side and stand on the other side."

"Three Grand Secretary positions, more than a dozen important posts, the civil official power can be reduced by forty percent!"

Li Miao waved his hand.

"Just tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall; lifting the Heaven-Man to the table today makes the Ordinary Jianghu even harder to manage in the future; in the end, it's just an expedient measure."

"However, being able to kill so many, we can also be considered to have probed Zheng Zheng Anqi Sheng's bottom line."

Li Miao raised his hand and held up a finger.

"His state is really wrong, otherwise he should have blocked me at the beginning, not waited until I was killing with gusto to make a move. With his protective true energy, it's hard for me to kill him or Yan Song, but it's also hard for him to do anything in front of me and the Emperor."

Zhu Zai stroked his beard and mused.

"So, we can let go a bit."

"Before, I was afraid that if you went out, he would break into the palace, so we were tied hand and foot; now it seems there is a lot to be done."

Li Miao nodded and said with a smile.

"That's right."

"Bring all the imperial clan into the palace, let the Emperor and the offerings look after them, and I'll go out to kill!"

"Aren't they brewing plans and waiting for the moment? Let them wait! No matter what plans or conspiracies he has, I'll just kill everyone on his side. When only a few bare poles are left, I'll see what he has to do things!"

"If the other side wants to block, either bring out the Zheng Zheng Anqi Sheng whose state is wrong, or bring out the Ji Tianrui who is hiding her head and showing her tail! Just right to decide who lives and who dies!"

Zhu Zai and the Emperor nodded.

The three settled the plan, Zhu Zai took out a stack of documents from his bosom, spread them on the table, and set with Li Miao one by one who to kill tonight.

Just at this moment, an excited shout came from outside the door.

"Is this where the Emperor lives! So big! Really so big! How tall must the Emperor be to live in such a big place!"

"Brother Cao, look, it's gold!"

Another helpless voice tried to dissuade him in a low voice.

"Brother Zuo, hush, don't make a noise."

"No... can't break it, it's gold, but can't break it, really can't break it... biting won't work either!"

As they spoke, three people walked in.

They were Zuo Lishan, Cao Cao Hanyan, and the old Daoist from the Mount Wudang Sect.

That old Daoist was still hanging behind Zuo Lishan outside the hall, but after stepping into the hall, he opened his eyes, took down his hand, no longer in that god-like, ghost-like manner, and walked in with a solemn expression.

Entering the hall, he first bowed to the Emperor four times.

"Respectfully, Your Majesty the Emperor, your virtue matches heaven and earth, your brightness is the same as the sun and moon."

And then he stood up and bowed to Zhu Zai.

"A person outside the world, greets you, my lord."

Finally, he bowed to Li Miao, who was looking over with a smile.

"Lord Li, long time no see."

Li Miao looked at the old Daoist with a smile, and after a long while, he slowly spoke.

"When I saw the Daoist on Mount Song last time, I thought the Daoist was really a god-stick who didn't understand worldly affairs. Now it seems, the Daoist is very clear-headed."

The old Daoist was silent for a long while before slowly shaking his head.

"My lord, please forgive me."

Cao Cao Hanyan and Zuo Lishan were both stunned, their eyes wide, even the joy of seeing the Emperor and Li Miao was covered up.

After a while, Zuo Lishan exclaimed.

"Daoist, you aren't a stutterer!"

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 403 =====