Chapter 44 The Tiger Tally is stained with blood as powerful figures are slain; political turmoil in the court forces the Chen family to revolt.

King Wendin sat on the main throne and said in a deep voice, "Do not discuss this matter any further. Court dismissed!"

The civil officials below looked at each other, wondering what to think.

In Qingyuan County, the night was as dark as ink.

Wang Fu carried those twelve-word mantras, like a streak of black lightning, tearing through the despair that shrouded the water conservancy camp.

When Chen Lie finished listening to Wang Fu's tearful and bloody retelling, and looked at those twelve words written in a childish hand.

This man, who shed blood but never tears on the battlefield, felt an unprecedented shock in his tiger-like eyes.

He remained silent for a long time, without questioning or hesitation.

"Pass on my order." Chen Lie's voice was hoarse, yet it carried a rekindled aura of iron and blood.

"Personal Guard Battalion, don your armor and prepare the horses!"

"General, this…" the deputy general still wanted to persuade him.

Chen Lie suddenly raised the tiger tally in his hand, carved with an ancient Vicious Beast; the cold metal reflected a grim light under the firelight.

"The King's command is here; execute first and report later!"

That night, the night sky over Qingyuan County was illuminated blood-red by the firelight.

Chen Lie personally led three hundred personal guards, descending like divine soldiers; there was no probing, no wasted words.

The first house was the Qian Family, the richest in the county. The gate was smashed open, and the head of the family, Revered Master Qian, was dragged into the courtyard while still amidst the warm fragrance and soft jade of his beautiful concubines.

Facing the blood-dripping war saber in Chen Lie's hand, he was still clamoring about Dragon veins and public opinion.

Chen Lie only replied with two words.

"Execute him."

The head fell to the ground, blood staining the luxurious courtyard red.

The second house, the Zhang Family.

The third house, the Li Family.

...

Overnight, the heads of the three heads of the seven powerful clans, who had led the incitement of the common people and monopolized grain, were hung high upon the newly built embankment.

Those three heads, eyes wide open in death, swayed in the morning breeze, as if silently recounting the carnage of the previous night.

The rioters, who had been clamoring and cursing a moment before, were instantly silent, fearful as cicadas in winter.

The other powerful clans, who were still watching and secretly causing trouble, kept their gates tightly shut overnight, trembling in fear.

The next day, countless amounts of grain, money, and tools were voluntarily delivered to the water conservancy camp.

The blocked drainage canals saw their construction progress by leaps and bounds.

The deadlock in Qingyuan County was instantly brought back to life in the most direct, brutal, and effective way.

Above the clouds, Daoist Qingping looked down at the three hanging heads and the construction site that had regained order, a flash of complexity in his eyes.

"Using killing to stop killing, while a potent medicine, is also the easiest way to invite disaster upon oneself..."

He sighed softly, "Yuaner, these imperial schemes of the Mortal World are a hundred times more complex than the duels of immortals."

...

Zhaoge, the Royal Palace.

Inside the magnificent main hall, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

King Wendin sat high on the throne, his face as calm as water, revealing no joy or anger.

Vice-Chancellor Fei Lian stepped out from the ranks of officials, trembling, holding an urgent Jade Slip delivered by express courier. Tears streamed down his old face, and his shrill voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Your Majesty! This subject has a memorial to present!"

He fell to his knees with a thud, weeping.

"This subject impeaches the Governor of Water Conservancy, General Chen Lie!"

"An urgent report from Qingyuan County states that Chen Lie, holding the tiger tally, did not think to appease the people, but instead implemented cruel and harsh policies!"

"Overnight, he executed three local gentry and slaughtered nearly a hundred people! This has caused blood to flow like a river in Qingyuan County and the people are seething with resentment!"

Fei Lian slammed his head against the cold gold bricks, roaring at the top of his lungs.

"This is the indiscriminate killing of innocents and holding troops to demand respect! He treats the King's law as nothing, and treats Your Majesty as nothing! His heart is punishable!"

"This subject implores Your Majesty to immediately revoke Chen Lie's tiger tally, have him escorted back to the capital, and execute him according to the law to comfort the departed souls and pacify the world!"

Upon these words, the entire court was in an uproar.

Many martial generals who were on good terms with Chen Lie stepped out, angrily accusing Fei Lian of slandering him.

"Nonsense! General Chen is loyal and devoted; how could he indiscriminately kill innocents!"

"Vice-Chancellor Fei, do you know how those so-called gentry hoarded goods, incited rioters, and intended to cause a mutiny among tens of thousands of troops?"

Fei Lian merely lay on the ground, wailing loudly, appearing as a loyal official concerned for the country and the people.

"Your Majesty! The tiger tally is the symbol of royal power; Chen Lie actually dared to use it to slaughter your subjects. If this precedent is set, the country will cease to be a country!"

"If he dares to kill the gentry today, tomorrow he will dare to lead his troops back to Zhaoge to force the palace and rebel!"

The word "rebel" was like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely into everyone's heart.

The hall fell into instant silence.

Everyone's gaze was focused on King Wending of Shang, who sat upon the throne.

King Wending of Shang's eyes were as deep as an abyss. He slowly swept his gaze over the arguing officials below, and finally, his gaze landed on Fei Lian's back.

No one saw the extremely subtle arc that curled at the corner of his mouth.

I have been waiting for exactly those words.

"Enough."

King Wending of Shang's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.

He slowly stood up, walked down the King Rank, and personally helped Fei Lian up.

"Vice-Chancellor, your concern for the country is commendable, and your loyalty is praiseworthy."

He patted Fei Lian on the shoulder, then his face darkened, and he said sternly.

"Chen Lie has merits in water conservancy, but the crime of unauthorized execution is equally unforgivable! Merit is merit, and fault is fault. If he is not severely punished, how can we uphold the law of the land!"

He looked around, his voice cold.

"Transmit my decree!"

"Order the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Zhao Kuo, to immediately lead three thousand imperial guards to surround the Chen Estate!"

"Before Chen Lie returns to the capital to report on his duties, his family members shall be 'well protected' by the imperial guards. No one is to enter or leave!"

Boom!

This decree was even more shocking than Fei Lian's impeachment.

This was not protection; it was clearly house arrest! It was using Chen Lie's wife and children as hostages!

Everyone understood.

The King of Shang had killing intent. Or rather, he wanted to use this opportunity to completely break the hilt of Chen Lie, this blade that was too sharp!

"Your Majesty is wise!" A glimmer of triumphant light flashed in Fei Lian's eyes as he knelt down again.

As for the martial generals, their faces were ashen, and they felt cold all over.

The schemes of an emperor were actually this cruel!

...

The Chen Estate.

The afternoon sun was perfect, and Princess Yin Rong was sitting in the courtyard, looking tenderly at her son.

Five-year-old Chen Yuan was not playing; instead, he held a small carving knife, focusing on carving a Black Bird wood carving in his hand.

His profile looked exceptionally peaceful in the sunlight, as if all the turmoil in the world had nothing to do with him.

Suddenly, a heavy and orderly sound of footsteps came from outside the street.

From far to near, it grew louder and louder, like the rolling of muffled thunder.

The earth seemed to be vibrating slightly.

Following that was the metallic sound of armor rubbing, the sharp ring of weapons being unsheathed, and shouts filled with a murderous aura.

"Seal off the street entrance!"

"Archers, take your positions!"

"Anyone who dares to break out, kill without mercy!"

Princess Yin Rong's face turned deathly pale in an instant; she stood up abruptly, rushed to the door, and looked out through the crack.

With just one glance, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

She saw that outside the estate, a dark mass of troops was surging in like a tide, surrounding the entire Chen Estate so tightly that not even water could trickle through.

Gleaming swords and spears, shining armor, and cold, ruthless faces turned this place into a prison.

A general clad in heavy armor dismounted, holding a golden Royal Decree high in his hand.

"By the King's decree, we are to thoroughly search the Chen Estate. No one is allowed to leave!"

The cold voice shattered the last shred of hope in Princess Yin Rong's heart.

She stumbled back a few steps, all color drained from her face, her eyes filled with despair and fear.

She turned around and pulled her son, who was still carving the wood carving, tightly into her arms, her body trembling violently with fear.

"Yuaner... don't be afraid, Mother is here..." Her voice was choked with tears, filled with helplessness.

Chen Yuan was held in her arms, his little face buried, but he still showed no panic.

He even calmly observed the deployment of the imperial guards outside the door through the gap in his mother's arms.

The formation was tight, capable of both attack and defense; they were clearly elite troops.

This game of chess had moved directly from the mid-game battle to the life-and-death struggle of the endgame.

Interesting.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard next door.

"Bang!"

A fine celadon teacup was crushed into pieces by a fair hand.

Bixiao rose abruptly, anger rising in her phoenix eyes, and the air around her began to distort.

A terrifyingly immense aura of immortal Dao was almost bursting out uncontrollably!

"This is too much! A mere Mortal emperor dares to do this!"

Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, blood dripping through her fingers, yet she was completely unaware.

"Second Sister, calm down!" Yunxiao pressed her hand on her shoulder, her own face as cold as frost.

"Revered Master has ordered that we must not interfere with the Karma of the Mortal World!"

"He is about to be caged like a pig or a dog! Who cares about that damn Karma!"

Bixiao's eyes were bloodshot, and she was almost losing her mind. "At worst, I will kill that dog emperor, then go to Biyou Palace to accept punishment from Revered Master!"

Before the words had faded, her figure flickered, and she was about to rush out of the courtyard.

Just at this moment, a calm yet supremely majestic voice resonated in the minds of the three sisters simultaneously.

"Only by entering the game can one protect the game."

It was the voice of Daoist Qingping.

Bixiao's figure stiffened abruptly.

Yunxiao and Qiong Xiao were also shocked.

"Only by entering the game can one protect the game?"

What does Revered Master mean by this?

Before they could think it through, the gate of the Chen Estate was smashed open by the imperial guards with a giant log with a loud boom.

The leading Commander of the Imperial Guard, Zhao Kuo, holding the Royal Decree, stepped into the courtyard, his cold gaze locked directly on the mother and son embracing each other.

"By the King's decree, I invite Madam Chen and the Young Master... to move to the backyard for quiet rest."