Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

The walls of the Han Dynasty Palace were filled with the cries of these officials, who were crying, swearing, and begging for loyalty and mercy.

Liu Xiu looked at the group of officials under his feet who had no integrity and behaved in an ugly manner. A trace of imperceptible contempt flashed in his eyes, but was then suppressed by reason.

He was indeed tempted. If he could recruit this group of people, it would save him a lot of effort.

He slightly turned sideways, leaving the decision to Huo Quji, who was the most furious at the moment, and asked in a calm tone:

"Protector of the State, what do you mean?"

Huo Quji had long been impatient, and upon hearing this, he suddenly let out a thunderous roar that shook the whole area:

"Hmph! A bunch of cowardly rats, caught in two minds and afraid of death! Where were you when the Queen Mother was held hostage by the traitors and her life was on the line? Is there anyone who dares to speak up, dares to offer a plan?"

His voice was like shards of ice, hammering at the hearts of every official begging for mercy: "Now that the rebel leader has been executed and the situation is hopeless, you still want to wag your tail and beg for mercy, just to save your life?"

"How could such a good thing happen in this world? You, as officials appointed by the imperial court, fail to uphold the country and uphold justice in times of crisis. Instead, you join the rebellion and cause chaos. Keeping you in the court is a disgrace to the nation!"

His eyes flashed with murderous intent, and without hesitation, he gave the order in a stern voice: "Huo Guang! Attack! Execute all these cowards who are greedy for life and betray their master for glory on the spot, as a warning to others! Comfort the Queen Mother's spirit in heaven!"

"Yes, sir!" Huo Guang had been waiting for a long time. When he heard the order, a cold light flashed in his eyes and he waved his hand suddenly!

"kill!"

The surrounding border soldiers, who were as ferocious as wolves and tigers, had already been holding back their anger and immediately rushed forward with their swords drawn!

"Do not!!!"

"Your Highness, please spare your life!"

"Mr. Huo, I am willing to donate my family property..."

"You can't kill me..."

The pleas for mercy, curses, and desperate cries were instantly drowned out by the fierce shouts and the horrifying sound of weapons cutting into flesh!

Huo Quji even took action personally, targeting Wang Lang, who was the first to kneel down and beg for mercy!

Wang Lang was so frightened when he saw Huo Quji rushing towards him like a killer that he tried to escape by rolling and crawling, but was kicked to the ground by a soldier.

"Mr. Huo... please spare me..." Wang Lang's begging for mercy came to an abrupt end.

The spear in Huo Quji's hand turned into a cold lightning and stabbed down without mercy!

"Pfft!"

The tip of the spear accurately pierced Wang Lang's throat, pinning him to the ground! Wang Lang's eyes bulged, his body twitched violently a few times, and then he was silent.

Other officials suffered equally miserable fates.

They were unarmed and already terrified, and had no power to resist the butcher knives of the elite border troops.

Some had their heads chopped off on the spot, with blood splattering a few feet high; some were pierced by several spears at the same time and nailed to the ground; some tried to escape but were caught up and hacked to pieces.

The screams came one after another, and soon fell silent.

But in just a moment, the dozen or so ministers who had just been kneeling on the ground begging for mercy had all turned into cold corpses lying in a pool of blood.

Their blood flowed together with the blood of those who had died in the previous battle, completely dyeing this section of the palace wall into a shocking dark red.

The strong smell of blood rose to the sky, making people sick.

Huo Quji slowly drew out his spear, without even looking at Wang Lang's body, and swept his gaze over the former "important officials of the court" there, his eyes cold and resolute.

He purged this last rebel in the most ruthless way.

Liu Xiu watched all this quietly without saying a word from beginning to end.

He knew that this was the way Huo Quji's anger had to be vented, and it was also the price he had to pay to stabilize the situation.

The court is about to undergo a complete reshuffle.

The bloody smell in Chang'an City has not yet completely dissipated, but the change of power does not allow for a moment of respite.

Three days later, in the solemn and dignified front hall of the Weiyang Palace in the Han Imperial Palace, a court meeting concerning the foundation of the country and the direction of the new dynasty was being held.

Inside the hall, gilded bronze pillars stand tall and black curtains hang low.

Under the Danchi, which was once filled with court officials, the number of officials is now obviously much sparser, and many familiar faces have disappeared forever in the bloody storm of the previous day.

The remaining princes, nobles, civil and military officials, and representatives of major families stood in silence with their heads bowed. The atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it.

Everyone could clearly feel the invisible pressure from the new ruler that was spreading from the dragon throne, even though it was suspended in the air.

The melodious sound of bells and chimes broke the dead silence in the hall.

Protected by a group of eunuchs and elite soldiers, Chenliu King Liu Xiu, wearing a black royal robe embroidered with coiled dragon patterns, walked slowly out of the side hall.

The life-and-death struggles and iron-blooded baptisms of the past few days have washed away the last trace of childishness from his face, leaving only calmness, sharpness and unquestionable majesty between his brows.

He stepped onto the imperial steps step by step, and finally turned around to face the ministers.

Without excessive formalities, Liu Xiu's eyes swept over the palace and the others with lightning speed. His voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the spacious hall:

"A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day, and the nation cannot be without a master for a single day. The traitors Chen Pin, Liu Cheng, and others have been executed, but the national crisis has not yet been resolved, and the Chu army is still lurking outside the country!

At this critical moment, I was blessed by heaven and my soldiers fought bravely, so I was able to clean up the palace and restore order in the court.

To reassure the people of the world and to pacify their resolve, I, the king, today, before the spirit of Emperor Gaozu, will succeed the throne and inherit the great dynasty!"

His voice was not loud, but it carried a firm and decisive tone, as if this was not a negotiation but a declaration of an accomplished fact.

His Highness was silent for a moment. Then, with Huo Quji as the leader, all the officials and representatives of the noble families bowed and knelt on the ground. The roar of joy shook the palace:

"Your Majesty, I congratulate you on your ascension to the throne! Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"

Amidst the roar of applause, Liu Xiu, the new emperor of the Han Dynasty, raised his hand slightly and said, "All the ministers, please stand."

When everyone stood up, Liu Xiu showed no sign of indulging in the joy of ascending the throne. He immediately got to the point, speaking at a faster pace, showing a strong sense of urgency:

"However, ascending the throne is only the beginning. The greatest threat now is the Chu army entrenched in Xunyang!

"Chu Ning has evil ambitions, taking advantage of the civil unrest in our dynasty to invade our borders. If we don't repel him, there will be no peace in our country!"

His gaze turned to the mountain-like figure at the front of the military officer line: "Protector Huo Quji, listen to my orders!"

"Chen is here!"

Huo Quji took a step forward, and the clanging of his armor was like a loud bell.

"I appoint you as the Grand General of the Expedition to Chu, in charge of all military affairs in the southeast! Immediately muster your troops, gather the available troops in the capital, and rush to Xunyang!"

"I want you to stop the Chu army from entering the country at all costs. Is it possible?"

Huo Quji knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and accepted the order with a determined look in his eyes: "Your Majesty, I, Huo Quji, obey your order! I will live up to your majesty's trust. If the Chu army wants to pass through Xunyang, they must first step over my corpse!"

"very good!"

Liu Xiu said loudly: "I believe in the Duke of Huguo, you will definitely be able to repel the Chu army!"