Chapter 401
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As Li Cunxiao lunged at Ye Wushuang, Ye’s eyebrows arched, yet he made no move to dodge or evade.
“Blasphemy.”
A shrill voice pierced the air. In a flash, the chief eunuch Li Shun had already positioned himself in front of Ye Wushuang. His hands shot out, wrapping around Li Cunxiao’s arms like vines.
Crack! Crack!
The sound of shattering bones filled the hall. Li Cunxiao, a formidable warrior at the third level of the Tian Gang realm, was utterly defenseless, his arms twisted and broken with a sickening snap.
With a flick of his wrist, Li Shun hurled Li Cunxiao down the steps in front of Qing Muyuan.
“Puuh…”
Li Cunxiao spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning ashen.
The dozens of generals and officers present, their expressions shifting, took a step forward. But before they could make any move, elite imperial guards armed with divine weapons emerged from both sides, swiftly and decisively pinning down the restless men.
The situation changed in an instant!
Li Cunxiao, now subdued by Li Shun, looked up to see Qing Muyuan’s eyes, cold and indifferent, fixed upon him.
“Your Majesty!”
Li Cunxiao wailed pitifully, “I have no intention of rebellion!”
It was clear now that the emperor was siding with Ye Wushuang. But Li Cunxiao couldn’t fathom why.
Leaning forward, Qing Muyuan regarded the Marquis of Zhongxin, whom he had personally ennobled, with a detached gaze. “Marquis of Zhongxin, Li Cunxiao.”
“For the past decade, you’ve been seizing land and mansions, slaughtering entire families. In the Mingyuan and Mingshan prefectures, you’ve amassed vast tracts of land and trained four thousand private soldiers at the Condensation of Qi realm!”
“I ask you, Li Cunxiao, what are your intentions?”
At these words, Li Cunxiao’s face turned pale.
“Qu He, you were a general I personally promoted. I placed you in the Tiger-Ferocious Army, yet you became Li Cunxiao’s confidant. Are you loyal to me, or to Li Cunxiao?”
“Li Guang, you’ve been cozying up to the Qin and Chu clans. Are you my general, a general of the Qingyun Imperial Family, or a general of the Qin and Chu clans?”
With each successive question, the expressions of the dozens of generals and officers present shifted.
“Your Majesty…”
“I dare not be your emperor!”
Qing Muyuan sneered, “Your self-assumed loyalty may move you, but it does not move me!”
“Bring them forward.”
“Present!”
From outside the hall, over a hundred more imperial guards marched in.
“Convey my decree: Li Cunxiao, Zhou Yuanding, Li Guang, Li Qing, Qu He, and others are to be stripped of all their positions, reduced to commoners, and dragged out… to be executed!”
In that instant, the hall fell into a deathly silence.
“Spare us, Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty…”
Pleas for mercy echoed through the hall.
With a wave of his hand, Qing Muyuan signaled Li Shun, who stepped forward and gagged the generals one by one, leading them away.
The hall quickly fell quiet once more.
Qing Shiyu and Mu Qiqi were still in a daze.
It wasn’t Ye Wushuang who was to be killed, but Li Cunxiao and the others?
Only then did Qing Muyuan turn to Ye Wushuang and offer a faint smile. “Are you so certain that I won’t kill you?”
“This time, it’s just a matter of luck. The conflicts with Zhou Yuanding and Li Cunxiao… I’ve long wanted to eliminate these men, but I’ve been too busy.”
Everyone present sensed something odd: when speaking to Ye Wushuang, Qing Muyuan did not use the imperial “I.”
Ye Wushuang chuckled. “Of course I’m not certain. After all, I’ve taken action against royal marquises and generals. Even if you wanted to kill them, that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t want to kill me. After all, I’ve also challenged the dignity of the royal family.”
“But you dare not.”
Dare not?
At this moment, Qing Muyuan’s eyebrows arched.
Qing Shanya, Qing Mengli, Qing Shiyu, and Mu Qiqi’s hearts skipped a beat.
Was there something this emperor of the Qingyun Empire dared not do?
“Why not?” Qing Muyuan laughed again.
“Because…”
Ye Wushuang raised his hand and pointed to the ceiling of the hall.
At this moment, Qing Muyuan’s expression changed completely.
This was the first time since entering the hall that the emperor’s face had shifted.
