Chapter 1267: Chapter 1267
Chapter 1267: Chapter 1262: The Dust Settles
The legs kicked wildly in the air, but before long, they completely lost their vitality.
This night was destined to be no ordinary night.
Once the snow began to fall in the north, it was endless. Starting in the afternoon, the snowfall had not ceased.
A large number of guards swarmed into the Ducal Residence, arresting all five hundred-plus members of the household, old and young alike, and imprisoning them. The Ducal Residence was raided in a single night—an event that no one had foreseen.
Everyone had thought that the court battle to decide the fate of the Ducal Residence would take place the next day—regardless of whether the house would fall and be raided, the results would only emerge tomorrow.
The faction loyal to the Ducal Residence and those plotting its downfall were both preparing to conserve their energy for the strategic fight ahead. Who could have predicted that someone would break from convention and make a move overnight, assassinating the Guardian Duke and directly leading troops to raid the Ducal Residence?
Eunuch Wan trembled in fear as he returned to the Imperial Palace to deliver his report. Entering Qianqing Palace, his teeth chattered so violently that he could not manage to speak a word for quite some time.
The Monarch glanced at him dispassionately and asked, “Is it truly so cold outside that it has frozen you ?”
“Your… Your Majesty…” Eunuch Wan collapsed to his knees with a thud and stammered, “It’s not the cold that afflicts this servant, but… but your prediction, Your Majesty—it was correct! Someone truly acted ahead of schedule.”
The Monarch paused, slightly startled, then let out a faint sigh and said, “Jin Shien is dead?”
“Yes… Yes, dead. When this servant arrived, I found him hanging from the beam, having hanged himself.”
“Suicide out of guilt?” The Monarch raised an eyebrow.
Eunuch Wan shook his head nervously and said, “It doesn’t seem so. That frail old man couldn’t possibly climb to such a height, and there wasn’t even a stool beneath his feet.”
“Oh!” The Monarch responded indifferently, “Then, did you kindly provide him with a stool?”
Eunuch Wan was on the verge of tears. How could the Monarch be so uncannily farsighted?
With a mournful expression, he said, “Indeed, this servant thought that, since the man was dead anyway, we should at least have a proper explanation. Suicide by hanging would make a decent story. Not wanting to trouble Your Majesty with this matter, this servant arranged everything carefully before departing.”
The Monarch reclined wearily on the soft couch and closed his eyes.
By dawn the following day, Beijing was in an uproar.
The Ducal Residence had been raided; in a single night, the entire household was eradicated.
Such a monumental event was bound to shock the city’s inhabitants.
Jin Zijin stood beneath the eaves, looking up at the sky.
Snow had fallen for an entire night, likely sealing off the roads in every direction.
It seemed even heaven was intolerant of what had transpired.
Blocked roads were not a bad thing. Heavy snowfall was fortunate indeed—for this way, news of the Ducal Residence incident would not spread. By the time the roads reopened and the thaw of spring arrived after the New Year, everything would be settled.
By then, those who should be arrested will have been, and those who should be executed will also have met their fate. Any further dissent would amount to open rebellion.
And the King of Xining would serve as their cautionary tale.
In court, those who had initially planned to plead for the Guardian Duke’s case before the Monarch were left dumbfounded. One after another, they exchanged helpless looks, cold sweat trickling down their foreheads despite the icy weather.
The thought crossed their minds: Ultimately, it is the Monarch who decides the fate of the realm. He may appear to be accommodating on the surface, upholding the broader picture, but that is because his bottom line has not been breached.
The Guardian Duke, it seems, was truly audacious. Ever since more than a decade ago—perhaps even earlier—he had plotted against the Monarch’s throne.
Not only was he daring, but he was ruthless as well, employing methods that rendered King Jin incapable of leaving descendants, all in order to stage a coup and substitute bloodlines. Turning the Monarch’s dynasty into one belonging to the Ducal Residence was sheer arrogance and delusional ambition!