Rows of Central Continent Guards dressed in silver dragon armor rushed out like a wave, making the normally spacious and cold Yunqin Imperial Palace suddenly seem a bit crowded.

However, regardless of how these silver waves surged and extended, they didn’t dare step on the central main path’s golden floor tiles, not daring to block in front of those seven dignified black gold carriages.

All of these silver-armored imperial bodyguards restlessly watched this scene of seven black gold carriages moving together side by side for the first time in their lives, inwardly unable to help but produce all types of shocking conjectures. Their hands were completely covered in dripping cold sweat, the breakfast they ate not long ago starting to stir about uncomfortably in their stomachs.

That black gold carriage that moved first was a bit faster, breaking from the central path. The other black gold carriages were in groups of twos and threes, following this carriage, moving along the side paths. They made their way around the main palace, ultimately appearing in front of the Imperial Study.

The black gold carriage quietly faced the Imperial Study.

The Imperial Study’s entrance was closed, no sound audible from within.

There were two attendants standing by the entrance. When facing the seven black gold carriages, they didn’t dare raise their heads, their complexions becoming more and more pale, bodies also unable to help but start shaking.

“Since you dare do something like this, then there is no need to run.”

A cold and ruthless voice erupted from the black gold carriage at the very front.

“Still not leaving my sight?”

When this voice emerged from within a carriage in the back, this type of low berating sounded.

This voice was directed at the two attendants and some silver-armored officers in the back.

Even though the tone of these words was strict, those two attendants seemed to have been granted a great amnesty, their eyes revealing a bit of a grateful expression. They immediately lowered their heads, asking to be excused. In that instant, the Central Continent Guard officers in the back all cleanly withdrew. Right now, there were only seven black gold carriages in the Imperial Study’s surroundings,, no other traces of people in sight.

There was still no sound to be heard from within the study.

Summer winds brushed against the palace’s eaves. A light pounding noise sounded.

This noise was still released from the black gold carriage at the very front, the sound of knuckles striking against the metal carriage.

The striking sounds were slow, but they didn’t stop.

A wave of faint, but heart palpitating aura surrounded the Imperial Study.

The sounds seemed to have interweaved together, becoming many people, as if they were striking their fingers against their blades in a long alley.

Several summer cicadas that were resting on trees in the courtyard were suddenly alarmed. They shook their wings, wishing to fly out, but the instant they took to their air, their abdomens suddenly exploded, falling from the trees and dying.

“If this one doesn’t wish to meet you, then I will not. What, could it be that you still dare to force the emperor to abdicate?!”

A similarly explosive, even more furious and thunderous noise sounded from within the Imperial Study. Winds suddenly stirred about, roaring between the black gold carriages.

“His majesty doesn’t wish to meet, doesn’t wish to speak, but someone from Jiang Family wishes to clearly state some things.” The striking sounds stopped. The one in the black gold carriage at the very front coldly said this with an explosive voice.

When he heard his way of address, an extremely low sigh sounded from a carriage in the back, a sigh of lamentation, but that certain someone clearly also relaxed a bit.

“Fine! This one wants to hear just what exactly you have to say!” The emperor said with a sneer.

“What this one from Jiang Family wishes to state, are the reasons why this one has the right to sit in this black gold carriage.” The voice from within the black gold carriage became even more ice-cold, slowly but continuously sounding, “Twenty-seven years before Yunqin Empire was established, six factions and thirteen sects carried out a great battle in Central Continent City’s streets and alleys around Jiande Gate. Out of the thousand people surnamed Jiang who fought in this battle, only less than seventy-three survived. This battle was related to the late emperor and Juliu Clan’s dispute over the internal affairs workshops.”

“Twenty-five years before Yunqin was established, this one surnamed Jiang received news that when the late emperor visited a good friend for personal reasons, the western noble launched an assassination in Sun Spring Alley. When this one from Jiang Family found out, it was already too late, being completely powerless to deal with western noble’s thousands of men. When the assassination at night was carried out, western noble and several of his henchmen’s location were finally discovered. This one from Jiang Family and dozens of brothers slaughtered our way into the hiding place of the western noble and his henchmen, removing his head. After running crazily into the night, we hurried to Sun Spring Alley under the violent rain. When the rebel army assassin saw the western noble’s head, they immediately withdrew in horror. After that night of violent rain, out of all of this one from Jiang’s brothers, together with myself, Jiang Family only had four left alive.”

“Eighteen years before Yunqin Empire was established, treacherous official Wu Chengang father and son planted twelve arrows in this one’s body, but this one was fortunate enough to survive.”

“Thirteen years before Yunqin Empire was founded, Xiyi revealed some faint signs of chaos. Before the catastrophe, when the public purse was empty, this one’s Jiang’s eldest son sold off family property, levied troops by Heluo Region, and then ultimately died in battle.”

“Seven years before Yunqin Empire was established…”

“Enough!” Inside the Imperial Study, a thunderous roar of fury interrupted the ice-cold and ruthless, slowly speaking voice.

“Your majesty saying enough here, is it to remind this one from Jiang that your majesty already knows about these things, reminding this one from Jiang family to not be arrogant and satisfied over the past events?” The voice within the black gold carriage was still ruthless, but it began to become filled with mockery and strong killing intent. “However, I feel like your majesty might have forgotten and overlooked some things.”

“When this one encountered the late emperor, this one was indeed just a  small marketplace figure. Even though the Changsun Clan was known as the Imperial Clan, the people were fragmented. Even in Central Continent City, there was still Juliu Clan’s remaining chaos, people who wished to seize Central Continent City.”

“Before Yunqin Empire was established, the late emperor, the outstanding figures and even Principal Zhang were half ruffians. They fought and killed, doing what they desired, scheming and plotting, absolutely unrestrained.”

“However, after Yunqin was established, the late emperor officially became the emperor of a generation, establishing great law in this country, establishing the eight sectors. Many of those ruffians held office in the various sectors, the division of labor methodical, everything they did was for the royal court. From that day forth, the late emperorm together with Changsun Clan, became the rightful son of heaven, the monarch of a nation, naturally no longer ruffians. Meanwhile, the rest of us were naturally no longer those people anymore either.”

“Since we are no longer ruffians, now in the royal court, we must abide by the laws of the empire, respect the laws of the late emperor. Even if his majesty cannot stand his subject’s actions, even if his majesty wishes to kill his subjects, it must be done according to the law, according to the rules the late emperor has created!”

The black gold carriage’s voice became increasingly cold and fierce. “His majesty has the rightful emperor’s sword, yet you directly chose to assassinate your subjects, this is already viewing both yourself and us as ruffians.”

“If the subjects do not commit matters of bribery and fraud, why would I do this type of thing?” A cold laugh quickly sounded from within the Imperial Study. “Do you not feel that it is laughable when saying these things?”

“There are many rules in this world that, for us, are laughable.” The voice in the black gold carriage became ice-cold. “However, these are indeed the laws that support this empire… the more it is people like us, the more we understand that these rules that seem laughable before your majesty’s eyes, the more most people in the empire must abide by them. Meanwhile, for us, this is only a type of bottom line… only that your majesty has already crossed this bottom line!”

The emperor’s cold voice said furiously from within the study, “Colluding with the Divine Elephant Army, this is also a bottom line?”

The one in the black gold carriage coldly answered, “Our Jiang Family and the Divine Elephant Army do not have a trace of a connection.”

The emperor said coldly, “Do you have proof?”

The cold voice in the black gold carriage said, “There will be proof, but I fear your majesty might not have this type of patience. It is just like today where your majesty won’t hold an imperial court session, instead remaining in the study, I believe you already want to directly act against our Jiang Family.”

The emperor in the study laughed coldly, his laughter like thunder. “Then by barging in here to see me, was it just to tell me that I must trust you because of these contributions you made? Even if some proof states that the Divine Elephant Army has colluded with Jiang Family?”

“No.”

The voice in that black gold carriage lowered a bit. However, every single sound was instead like the finger taps on a blade. “The reason this one from Jiang Family wishes to tell your majesty this is because I only sat on this position because of the deaths of many brothers and friends. Regardless of whether your majesty is willing to admit it or not, it was through the deaths of many of my brothers and friends that your majesty can sit in your position. However, your majesty’s decree instead directly killed many of my brothers and friends. What I wish to tell your majesty is that by doing this, I have no choice but to return to being a ruffian.”

Boom!

Golden thunder erupted in the Imperial Study.

Yunqin Emperor suddenly erupted into rage. “Jiang Yanzhi, you actually dare to directly threaten me!”

The voice in the black gold carriage instead turned completely calm. “No, your majesty can take this as the last words of a ruffian.”

“Your majesty, I believe the Divine Elephant Army has nothing to do with Jiang Family.”

“Your majesty, the matters of the Sky Devil Armors must be suppressed, it cannot be made into a bigger affair.”

“All other matters are secondary to the front line’s battle situation.”

“...”

One after another, these voices sounded from within the black gold carriages.

“Why is there a need for you all to speak?”

Yunqin Emperor got more and more angry. “Coming together has already fully expressed your attitudes. Jiang Yanzhi, what you said is true. I have the Sacred Son of Heaven Sword, I shouldn’t have used some petty tricks. Today, this one is going to issue an imperial edict, ordering for Justice Sector to modify the law. Starting from the next few days, if a clan has a single official of first rank or higher, then the rest of the clan’s people cannot enter the royal court and serve as an official. Learning from past disasters, from today on, there will no longer be disasters of cliques being formed!”

“This one is just expressing our attitude. Since your majesty also understands, there is indeed no need for additional words.”

In the rear carriage, an aged voice carrying hidden anger sounded. “If your majesty wishes to do this, then all I ask is for you to think thrice and it will suffice.”

After saying this, this black gold carriage moved, starting to leave the Imperial City.

All of the remaining black gold carriages alsi moved, no longer saying anything else, leaving one by one.

In the Imperial Study, Yunqin Emperor Changsun Jinse’s hands continuously shook, his complexion ugly to the extreme.

…

A hundred officials gathered outside the palace, waiting for the seven black gold carriages to appear again on the central main path.

What they didn’t know was that today,  under the emperor’s continuous pressuring, these elders finally used a clear-cut manner to carry out the most powerful retaliation.

They only felt that the atmosphere was stifling. While watching the black gold carriages leave the palace gates, they only felt as if even the sky before their eyes darkened.

“Could it be that this was the only way?”

Within the different black gold carriages, while these black gold carriages made their way out of the palace gates, several different elders all inwardly released a sigh.

Not even they thought that their retaliation would be this strong, that their declaration of standpoint would happen this quickly.

Was it because they already suppressed their true nature for a long time, having their ruffian nature forced out, or was it that the emperor’s nature was something that only Vice Principal Xia’s

 most direct methods

 would prove effective against?

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