“Compensation? How will you compensate? My parents' lives, the unjust deaths of over a hundred innocent people in the Prince Bing Jian's mansion! And the tens of thousands of soldiers who died on the battlefield, sacrificed as cannon fodder due to your despicable schemes, all for the sake of protecting the country! So many lives, can they be brought back by your simple, flippant offer of compensation?”
Huo Qiyuan’s voice was remarkably calm. If one ignored the tremor in his tone, one might think he was discussing trivial matters.
Whether it was the frigid temperature of the ice chamber or Huo Qiyuan’s words that chilled him to the bone, Emperor Rui clutched his robes tighter, yet the bone-chilling cold could not be deterred. It seeped into his limbs, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.
If, at first, he believed Huo Qiyuan merely sought justice for the Huo Si Zhun couple and the people of Prince Bing Jian’s mansion, he thought there was room for negotiation.
After all, Huo Qixiao was a member of the Huo family, and moreover, Huo Sizhun’s own nephew. This entire scheme was his meticulously planned act of revenge. Huo Qiyuan would never have attributed all the blame to him.
However, as things stood, Huo Qiyuan was not just exposing the injustice suffered by Prince Bing Jian’s mansion; he intended to reveal everything connected to this case.
Unjustly executing a founding minister, annihilating the loyal minister’s entire family, deliberately sending over a hundred thousand soldiers to face the enemy to ensure their complete destruction, leading to their wrongful deaths in foreign lands, infuriatingly destroying cities, and disregarding the lives of the common people.
Not to mention how many people they had secretly and openly executed to suppress these matters. The more Emperor Rui thought about it, the paler his face became…
If all these matters were exposed, not only would his painstakingly recovered image in the eyes of the common people vanish, but the foundation of the Great Yu Dynasty would undoubtedly be ruined in his hands.
Initially, Emperor Rui had hoped that Huo Qiyuan might be lenient, considering he himself had been misled by Huo Qixiao, and out of respect for the late emperor and his former relationship with Huo Sizhun.
But now, it seemed…
That sliver of hope was dashed. Emperor Rui’s shoulders sagged instantly, making him appear over a decade older.
With a hoarse voice, he looked at Huo Qiyuan. “What do you want me to do?”
“To overturn the verdict, that is what you owe our Prince Bing Jian’s mansion. A decree of self-condemnation, that is what you owe the people of this land. After this matter is concluded, you will naturally face the punishment you deserve. The Great Yu Dynasty is declining day by day, and will continue to face disasters. We do not wish to resort to arms and make life even more difficult for the common people…”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Rui’s eyelashes trembled.
“Therefore, you will personally submit a letter of surrender, and from this day forward, the Great Yu Dynasty will belong to the Hua Xia Celestial Dynasty.”
It was not that Huo Qiyuan wished to seize the Great Yu Dynasty’s throne, but rather that the future trajectory of events pointed in this direction. In fact, not only would there be continuous natural disasters, but neighboring countries might even unite to attack.
However, there was no need to tell Emperor Rui these things. Perhaps Emperor Rui himself was well aware. The Great Yu Dynasty was currently a considerable burden and a mess for any nation.
If not for his father’s constant admonishments since childhood, urging him to always prioritize the common people and the nation, then purely from Huo Qiyuan’s personal perspective, he would not want Su Muqing to inherit this mess.
Considering the current national strength and military power of the Great Yu Dynasty, even if he told her, she would not be able to help. The outcome would be either ceding territory and paying indemnities, or waiting to be invaded and carved up. There were basically no other possibilities.
But the Hua Xia Celestial Dynasty was different. Although it was a new nation established only a few years ago, in these past few years, it had grown to be even more glorious than the Great Yu Dynasty’s peak.
And Su Muqing herself had her own mission. She could not, and would not, watch the common people of the Great Yu Dynasty live in dire straits.
From any perspective, the voluntary submission of the Great Yu Dynasty was the best solution.
Emperor Rui remained silent, and Huo Qiyuan did not urge him. Silence fell once more in the ice chamber.
After a long pause, Emperor Rui looked up, his eyes moist, his vision bloodshot. “Alright…”
That almost whispered “alright” seemed to exhaust all his strength.
Meanwhile,
As soon as the emperor was discovered missing, the entire imperial palace descended into chaos. The eunuch who had been drugged knelt on the ground, trembling, enduring the interrogation from the ministers, and awaiting his death.
Not only the imperial guards in the palace but also the hidden guards who usually remained unseen were now active, scurrying about in search of Emperor Rui.
That the dignified emperor could vanish so silently from the heavily guarded imperial palace was not only unimaginable but a monumental joke.
If the emperor could not be found, or if something had truly happened to him, then not only would the on-duty imperial guards be held responsible, but the hidden guards would also face certain death.
Several princes who had been harboring ambitions immediately converged on the main hall upon hearing of the emperor’s disappearance.
They concealed their inner joy, feigning concern, and discussed with the ministers how to handle the aftermath should something happen to Emperor Rui.
After all, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day! At such a rare and crucial juncture, whoever seized the initiative had the potential to ascend to the throne.
Although the Great Yu Dynasty was no longer what it once was, a starving camel is still larger than a horse. No matter what, it was still the imperial throne, and with such an opportunity, everyone wanted a taste.
Just as the princes and civil and military officials were fiercely debating in the main hall, a young eunuch rushed in to report.
“Reporting to all esteemed officials, His Majesty has been found and has now returned to Yonghui Palace.”
The ministers of the imperial faction, upon hearing this, excitedly made their way to Yonghui Palace. The remaining princes and their supporters exchanged glances.
Wasn’t it said that the entire palace had been searched, and the person was nowhere to be found? Why had he been found now? Wasn’t this just making people rejoice in vain?
The princes, their dreams of the throne shattered, all wore grim expressions. What was infuriating was that they still had to feign happiness and “weep with joy” to visit Yonghui Palace to offer their condolences to Emperor Rui and express their loyalty.
Yonghui Palace was Emperor Rui’s sleeping quarters. When the ministers arrived, they saw the emperor sitting on the bed, dressed in his sleepwear, looking somewhat dispirited.
Su Muqing and Huo Qiyuan, wearing invisibility cloaks, sat on the roof beams observing the scene below.
Seeing the emperor staring blankly at the ground, the ministers and princes, despite their varied thoughts, dared not be the first to inquire what had happened.
Emperor Rui did not know if Huo Qiyuan and the others had left the palace. After agreeing to the conditions he had proposed, they had brought him out of the ice chamber and back to his sleeping quarters. Immediately afterward, the two of them vanished.