The Emperor's Lethal Intent

Inside the Ganquan Palace, the smoke of ambergris curled up in the air.

Wang Hao dismissed the eunuchs and maids, sitting alone behind the wide red sandalwood imperial desk. His fingers slowly stroked a warm suet jade pendant, the delicate touch from his fingertips unable to calm his heart.

"The structure of the 330,000-strong army has finally been sorted out."

He closed his eyes, and the faces in the camp outside the city, fed with money and land, full of fanaticism and bloodthirstiness, appeared in his mind. The skeleton of the new army had been propped up, and the official positions of Guard Commander and Regiment Commander had also been distributed. This imperial army finally completely bore the name of Wang Hao.

But this was not enough. Far from enough.

Wang Hao knew very well that in this bizarre high-martial world where martial arts flourished and imperial power co-ruled with aristocratic families, mere interest binding was the most fragile. Today he could buy the morale of the army with silver, and tomorrow those aristocratic families with profound backgrounds could buy it back with double the price.

What truly made the army an invincible blade was the absolute control of thought, those two new words he had forcibly stuffed into the ancient military camp—"Political Commissar" and "Chief of Staff".

Just as he was calculating how to thoroughly implement these two positions and weld military power to his dragon throne, a crisp mechanical voice suddenly sounded without warning deep in his mind.

"Ding! Intelligence Sign-in System triggered!"

"Today's top-secret intelligence has been updated, please check it, host."

"Ding, the sign-in reward for the North Army Camp has not been opened, do you accept?"

Wang Hao suddenly opened his eyes without any hesitation and immediately clicked on the system panel deep in his consciousness.

As lines of scarlet text emerged one by one in his mind, the calmness on Wang Hao's face was peeled off bit by bit, replaced by a monstrous murderous intent so strong it almost materialized.

[Intelligence (1): Zhang Wuji, the Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, handed in his tally to enter the palace overnight, attempting to meet the Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace. Zhang Wuji plans to use the Empress Dowager's pressure on His Majesty's "filial piety". Using the excuse of "abnormal celestial phenomena, brutal factory guards, disturbing the people's livelihood, and angering heaven," he will try to persuade the Empress Dowager to issue an edict forcing His Majesty to retract his order, completely abolish the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and sever His Majesty's eyes and ears.]

[Intelligence (2): The civil official group, led by Zhang Wuji, has secretly conspired in their mansions. They are preparing to jointly memorialize the throne at the grand court assembly in three days, using the excuse of "civil officials knowing the military, and using the civil to control the military is the ancestral system of the Great Zhou." They plan to forcibly insert civil officials from the Six Ministries and the Censorate to serve as the "Political Commissar" and "Chief of Staff" positions of His Majesty's newly established imperial army. In this way, they aim to usurp the nest and seize absolute control of the newly formed imperial army.]

Dead silence.

The Ganquan Palace fell into a deathly silence.

"Crack—"

A very slight cracking sound echoed in the empty hall. The priceless suet jade pendant in Wang Hao's hand was actually forcibly squeezed out a few cracks by him.

"How bold... truly how bold!"

Wang Hao laughed in extreme anger, a low sneer echoing in his chest. He stared fixedly at the intelligence panel in the void, his eyes seemingly trying to pierce space and swallow Zhang Wuji's hypocritical old face alive.

"Old dog Zhang Wuji, I haven't freed up my hands to confiscate the properties of you bookworms, yet you're already eyeing my peaches!"

He knew too well the sinister intentions of this group of civil officials.

What was "filial piety"? In the Great Zhou, ruling the world with filial piety was the strongest shackle civil officials used to put around the necks of successive emperors! Once the Empress Dowager was truly bewitched by Zhang Wuji and used an edict to pressure him in front of the people of the world, if he defied the edict, it would be "unfilial," and he would lose the hearts of the people; if he obeyed the edict and abolished the factory guards, Wang Hao would instantly become a puppet emperor enshrined like a clay bodhisattva by the Cabinet!

What made his murderous intent soar even more was Zhang Wuji's second move.

"Want to snatch the positions of 'Political Commissar' and 'Chief of Staff'? Want to play 'using the civil to control the military'?" Wang Hao chewed on these words through gritted teeth in his heart.

These two positions were the absolute core of his settling down, his lethal weapons prepared to conduct "ideological construction" for the 330,000-strong army and ensure the army was loyal only to the emperor.

If that bunch of pedantic civil officials, whose mouths were full of benevolence, righteousness, and morality, but whose stomachs were full of male thieves and female prostitutes, became political commissars, what ideas would they instill in the soldiers? Loyalty to the Great Zhou? Loyalty to the imperial court? No! They would only imperceptibly tell the soldiers to listen to the "civil officials," to listen to the "aristocratic families"!

Once they succeeded, this tiger and wolf army that he had just fed with real gold, silver, and land would be re-wooed and divided within three months, thoroughly infiltrated by the civil official group, and turned into private troops used by the aristocratic families to fight against imperial power!

"Zhang Wuji, oh Zhang Wuji, you really are an old fox. You see the problem sharply and strike with a killing blow, directly digging at my lifeblood."

Wang Hao slowly opened his hand, letting the broken jade pendant smash onto the gold brick floor, making a crisp sound.

"But despite all your calculations, you miscalculated one thing." The anger on Wang Hao's face suddenly completely restrained. "Do you think I am an emperor who will quote classics and play chess according to the rules with you in the court?"

"Since you want to flip the table, then I... will smash this entire chessboard for you!"

Wang Hao stood up abruptly, his wide sleeves whipping out an explosive sound in the air. He walked quickly to the door of the main hall and shouted sharply into the empty darkness:

"Someone! Summon Eastern Depot Director Wei Zhongxian, Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Pei Jingzhe, and Western Depot Director Yu Huatian! Tell them to roll their asses to the Ganquan Palace immediately!"

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!" The three of them knelt on one knee in front of Wang Hao in unison.

"Lord... what are your orders?" Wei Zhongxian bowed his head deeply onto the gold bricks, his voice shrill but revealing an unconcealable bloodthirsty excitement. He knew that His Majesty was truly angry, and someone was going to be in big trouble tonight.

Wang Hao looked down from above at his three fiercest hounds of the Great Zhou, a cruel arc hooking up the corner of his mouth, his tone as cold as the sinister wind blowing from the Nine Hells:

"I just received a secret report. There are still remnants of assassins active in the capital, and they plan to assassinate the sovereign again!"

As soon as these words came out, Wei Zhongxian, Pei Jingzhe, and Yu Huatian all shuddered simultaneously.

What kind of shrewd people were the three of them, especially Wei Zhongxian, a flash of realization instantly flashed in those eyes.

Were there assassins? That didn't matter!

If His Majesty said there were assassins, then there definitely were assassins! Even if it was a stray cat in the imperial garden, tonight it must be a traitor colluding with the Tartars!

His Majesty was going to strike first and set off a shocking case!

"Not only that," Wang Hao didn't give them time to think carefully at all, continuing to drop bombshells, "These rebels also have a large number of accomplices in the capital, and even court officials are involved, keeping bizarre evil spirits in their homes, intending to rebel and subvert my Great Zhou's territory!"

"Bang!" Pei Jingzhe, this slippery fellow, knew how to act. He smashed his fist on the ground and looked up murderously: "Please give the order, Your Majesty! I will take people right now to hack these traitors into a thousand pieces!"

"Pass down my decree!"

"First, order Cao Zhengchun, the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Horses Directorate, to take the Commander of the Imperial Guards and mobilize immediately! They are to take full control of the inner nine gates and outer seven gates of the capital! From this moment on, the entire city is under martial law, entry is permitted, but no one is allowed to leave! Tell them that without my imperial edict, even if a single carrier pigeon flies out of the capital, I will chop off their heads!"

"Second, Wei Zhongxian! The agents of the Eastern Depot are to turn out in full force and seal off all roads leading to the Imperial Palace, especially those leading to the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility! Under the guise of capturing assassins and rebels, strictly forbid anyone from disturbing the Empress Dowager. If any court official dares to approach the Imperial City by even half a step without my handwritten decree..." Wang Hao paused, a bloody glint flashing in his eyes. "Kill them without mercy!"

"Third, Pei Jingzhe, Yu Huatian! The Embroidered Uniform Guards are to immediately arrest people across the city according to the list I will provide! Raid the estates of those officials who usually clamor the loudest and are the most corrupt! The Embroidered Uniform Guards will lead the arrests, and the Western Depot will send people to supervise the entire process. Every tael of silver and every land deed confiscated must be transported intact into my privy purse! If anyone dares to pocket a single copper coin at a time like this, I will execute their entire nine clans!"

"Your servants obey the decree!" The three men responded in unison, a fanatical, vicious light flashing in their eyes at the same time.

This was no hunt for assassins; this was clearly a targeted, massive purge and plunder of the entire civil and military court!

"Wait."

Just as the three were about to rise and leave, Wang Hao suddenly called out to stop Wei Zhongxian.

He slowly walked up to Wei Zhongxian, bent down slightly, and said word by word in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Wei, my companion, remember this: that old dog Zhang Wuji will definitely bring people into the palace tonight to see the Empress Dowager."

Wei Zhongxian's pupils shrank slightly. "Does Your Majesty mean... we should take Zhang Wuji as well..."

"No, Zhang Wuji is the Junior Minister of the Grand Secretariat. He represents the dignity of scholars across the realm and is the mouthpiece of the aristocratic families. It is not yet time to back them into a corner and force a full-scale rebellion."

Wang Hao's eyes revealed a rationality far beyond his years. "You will personally lead men to intercept him. No matter who he brings, no matter how he tries to pressure you with ancestral laws or the Empress Dowager, you must stand your ground and nail him right there!"

"Then," Wang Hao extended a finger and lightly tapped Wei Zhongxian's shoulder, "right in front of Zhang Wuji, drag out the Right Censor-in-Chief Feng Xiang, the Director of the Bureau of Equipment Shen Jian, and the rest of them from his entourage. Strip them of their official robes and arrest them right on the street!"

Wei Zhongxian's heart gave a violent twitch.

Feng Xiang was the Right Censor-in-Chief, the leader of the pure stream within the civil official faction whose sole purpose was to fire shots and bite at opponents. Shen Jian, the Director of the Bureau of Equipment, was Zhang Wuji's trusted aide, holding the incredibly lucrative power over logistics and horse allocations.

His Majesty intended to viciously slap Zhang Wuji in the face in front of the whole world, severing his mouthpiece and his money pouch!

"As for the charges..." Wang Hao chuckled lightly. "They are readily available. Just say they colluded with assassins, committed embezzlement, and harbored evil spirits. And claim the evidence is irrefutable!"

"Your servant understands!" Wei Zhongxian trembled with excitement, heavily knocking his head against the floor in a resounding kowtow. This task of publicly humiliating the Junior Minister of the Grand Secretariat suited the great eunuch's tastes perfectly.

"Tonight, your servant will definitely let these usually arrogant aristocratic families know that the sky of this Great Zhou Dynasty belongs solely to Your Majesty!"

Wei Zhongxian let out a shrill laugh, sprang to his feet, and along with Pei Jingzhe and Yu Huatian, retreated from the Sweet Springs Palace, vanishing into the night in an instant.

Wang Hao sat back down behind the imperial desk, his gaze piercing through the open palace doors toward the palace gates.

The night breeze blew in, carrying the faint but dense sound of armor plates rubbing against each other from the outer perimeter of the imperial palace, as well as the gruff shouts of the Imperial Guards mobilizing.

"Zhang Wuji, don't you love playing conspiracy games, preaching filial piety, and using the civil to control the martial?"

Wang Hao sneered, picked up the completely cold tea on the table, and downed it in one gulp.

"Tonight, I will teach you a lesson. In the face of absolute violence, your so-called schemes and mouth full of righteousness are not even worth a fart!"