Huangfu Xingchen didn't know what to say. He snorted and stopped looking at him.
"We are the masters here now, so hurry up and write the abdication decree," Wu Caiwei urged, fearing that things might change as dawn approached.
"We are father and son, and what is yours is mine. How about I keep this position for now? I can bestow the title of Crown Prince upon you, allowing you to succeed to the throne legitimately." If possible, the Emperor still wanted to continue his reign, after all, supreme power held a fatal attraction.
"I'm afraid I wouldn't even know how I died. You would pass the throne to me? Why would I believe that?" Huangfu Xingchen found it ridiculous. If he believed him, he'd be out of his mind.
"I can guarantee it. I will write the imperial decree now, and you will be the future emperor," the Emperor hastily assured him, fearing his disbelief.
"Stop struggling pointlessly. I came today to be the emperor. Be sensible and abdicate quickly, or I will destroy all of you. Don't forget, I have lived alone in the capital for so many years, and I have no feelings for any of you," Huangfu Xingchen warned one last time.
"You rebellious son, attempting a palace coup and rebellion! I will announce your crimes to the world!" The Emperor, hearing that there was no room for negotiation, immediately threatened him.
"I should have come a little later, and you two could have reunited in the underworld, saving you the trouble of bothering me," Huangfu Xingchen said, then directly addressed his confidante behind him, "Tie him up."
"Yes." Someone immediately stepped forward. Ignoring the Emperor's struggles, they took out ropes and tied him up.
Seeing that he couldn't resist, the Emperor began to curse, "You are unworthy of being a son, and you deserve to be struck by lightning."
Huangfu Xingchen saw a piece of cloth on a table not far away, grabbed it, and stuffed it into the Emperor's mouth. "I don't know what will happen to me in the future, but I know that you and your son are in for trouble."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's eyes widened. He made muffled sounds in his mouth, his face filled with anxiety.
"Everyone, split up and capture all the masters in the palace!" Hearing this, the Emperor struggled even more fiercely.
Soon, the Empress and the princes and princesses of the harem were brought in, weeping. An Yun found someone who had defected to them and asked them to identify if everyone was present.
The person looked and said somewhat flusteredly, "Reporting to the general, one prince is missing."
"Oh? Which prince?" Huangfu Xingchen asked with interest.
"The Empress's youngest son, the Eighth Prince," the person replied with certainty.
Huangfu Xingchen nodded, acknowledging the information. "Split up and tidy up the palace, and by the way, inquire about the Eighth Prince's whereabouts. We must find him."
"Yes," An Yun quickly responded, leading the way and assigning tasks to them.
"What do you plan to do with them?" Wu Caiwei pointed at the royal family members.
"First, lock them up in the cold palace and place them under house arrest," Huangfu Xingchen said, feeling a bit of a headache. These people were the most dangerous, yet he couldn't touch them.
The interests of a whole string of people were tied to each royal family. He believed that if anyone from among them stepped forward, others would definitely respond. This was why emperors throughout history liked to eradicate them completely.
Another reason he couldn't touch them was that, in the eyes of outsiders, they were all his relatives. If a person didn't care about his own family, who would dare to support him?
When dawn broke, Wu Caiwei specifically sent someone to the Bai residence to report that they were safe and to check on the situation of the Bai family.
She intended to stay and fight alongside Huangfu Xingchen. Although the capital was occupied by them for now, the war was only half over. She didn't believe the remaining vassal kings would have no desire to contend for power.
Huangfu Xingchen gave brief instructions and then led his men to guard the capital's city walls, while Wu Caiwei stayed behind to handle the aftermath.
For the next few days, they were incredibly busy. Wu Caiwei focused on identifying which individuals in the harem could be used and which could not. She also contacted various aristocratic families and wealthy merchants in the capital to prepare sufficient provisions.
The blacksmiths in the capital were also summoned and worked day and night to produce various weapons.
The remaining soldiers in the capital, as well as those from the few remaining vassal kings, were grouped together and closely supervised to prevent any uprisings.
In just a few days, they had organized the capital into a semblance of order. Whether the other vassal kings were intimidated or had other plans, a temporary peace settled over the court.
This time, Huangfu Xingchen did not rush to establish his authority like King Lu. Instead, he first purged the aristocratic families from the court and vigorously promoted scholars from humble backgrounds.
The atmosphere in the court was refreshed, and the scholars from humble backgrounds were all energized, knowing that this emperor was different. They exerted their talents to the fullest and strived to perform well.
The remaining aristocratic officials, fearing they would be dismissed by the emperor like their counterparts, also became diligent. The court was filled with a scene of prosperity.
Under Huangfu Xingchen's decisive actions, everything gradually moved towards order. There was no lack of resistance during this process, but his methods were extremely brutal. In his view, if not stopped in time, more people would have sacrificed. Naturally, some people disliked his ruthlessness, but for the sake of their families, they could only endure it silently.
Once the court was in order, he directly issued the decree to abolish the feudal lords, requiring each vassal king to return to the capital with their families. Su Dan Novel Network.
The moment he issued the decree, his trusted troops were ready for battle.
He expected the various vassal kings to either react or drag their feet in coming, but he didn't expect some to arrive quite quickly. The first to arrive was King Li.
King Li did not even return to his prince's mansion. He rushed to the imperial palace, dusty from his journey, and requested an audience with the emperor.
Huangfu Xingchen agreed without a second thought. Although the decision was somewhat rash and risky, he didn't believe that the other party could harm him, especially since he had been continuously practicing his cultivation since arriving in this world.
As soon as King Li arrived at the main hall, he immediately knelt and kowtowed to him, "Your humble subject pays respects to His Majesty."
Huangfu Xingchen raised his eyebrows with interest. Even his address had changed, indicating he was intelligent. "King Li is so eager to see me, you must have something to say, right?"
"Your Majesty is wise. I have received the decree to abolish the feudal lords. Whether you believe me or not, I have no ambition for the throne. The reason I came so urgently is to talk about my unpromising brother," King Li said, raising his head slightly, hoping to see Huangfu Xingchen's expression. Unfortunately, he was disappointed. Mr. Huangfu had already become an old fox and would not let him easily discern his thoughts.
"King Wei killed King Wu," Huangfu Xingchen stated the facts.
"Your humble subject heard about it. It is precisely because I heard about it that I feel I am asking for too much. However, I can never forget my mother's dying wish, holding both our hands together and asking us brothers to look after each other. This is my only request. If Your Majesty agrees, I can relinquish my military power and live in the capital with my family from now on, never to leave again," King Li quickly declared.