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

Corpses lay scattered across the pavilion, layer upon layer, almost covering the entire central area. Blood pooled in a pool, slowly flowing out, even overflowing the low steps.

Ran Ming walked to the imperial steps, holding the big knife that was still dripping with blood. His body and face were covered with blood spots, like a demon returning from hell.

He bowed and clasped his fists, his voice hoarse with excitement from the killing just now:

"Your Majesty! All the traitors have been executed! Thirty-seven in total, not a single one escaped!"

Chu Ning then drank the last bit of wine in the glass and placed it on the table.

He stood up and glanced at the messy and bloody slaughterhouse for the last time, his eyes still cold and indifferent.

"Clean it up."

He gave the order calmly, as if he was just asking someone to clean the dirty room.

Then, he turned around, waved his dark robe sleeves, and without stopping, walked away from the imperial garden pavilion that had just been soaked in blood.

Behind him, there was only blood rising into the sky, corpses on the ground, and the figures of Ran Ming and the soldiers quietly cleaning up the mess.

In Chang'an City, the last old force that could threaten Chu Ning's absolute rule was eradicated in the most direct and cruel way in the imperial garden this afternoon.

Once the news gets out, it will surely shock the entire Han area and even all the forces in the world that are still waiting and watching.

Chu Ning used this dripping blood to once again declare to the world that those who obey me may not prosper, but those who oppose me will surely perish!

The bloody smell in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden has not yet dissipated, and the strong smell of rust seems to be condensed in the air, and even the warm summer breeze cannot blow it away.

Ran Ming was directing the soldiers to clean up the scene silently and efficiently. The corpses that once represented supreme power and wealth were hastily put into body bags and dragged away from the pavilion.

The sticky blood was washed away by clean water, and the blood-mixed water meandered and seeped into the soil, leaving only a large dark red mark that was difficult to remove for the time being.

Chu Ning didn't even look at it, as if the Shura Field had nothing to do with him.

He walked calmly, his dark figure passing through layers of palaces and heading straight to the imperial study deep in the palace.

There, there was another person waiting, a person who had a completely different stance in this bloody purge against the aristocratic family.

In the imperial study, candlelight was bright, illuminating the classics on the bookshelf and the maps on the wall clearly.

Li Bi stood respectfully, his hands lowered, his mind quivering with anxiety. Although his posture was a little awkward due to his unhealed back injury, it was more of a feeling of inner anxiety.

He vaguely knew why His Majesty was hosting a banquet for the noble families tonight, but he never expected it to end in such a cruel way.

The palace servants' hurried whispers and the unusual solemn atmosphere faintly coming from afar made him feel a wave of palpitations.

When he heard the steady footsteps outside the door and the eunuch's message, Li Bi immediately calmed down, endured the pain in his back, and bent his body into an extremely humble arc.

Chu Ning stepped in, bringing with him a faint smell of blood.

He looked calm, as if he had just taken a stroll in the imperial garden, and walked straight to the imperial desk and sat down.

"Your Majesty, I, Li Bi, pay my respects to you!"

Li Bi's voice trembled slightly as he bowed deeply.

"Flat body."

Chu Ning waved his hand casually, his eyes fixed on Li Bi's frightened face. He got straight to the point, his tone as calm as if he was stating a trivial matter:

"Those dozens of aristocratic family heads, ignorant of current affairs and stubbornly unrepentant, have just been executed by me in the Imperial Garden."

"..."

Although he had a premonition, when Chu Ning confirmed the news in person and said it in such a nonchalant tone, Li Bi still trembled all over as if struck by lightning, and his face turned pale in an instant!

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with extreme shock and disbelief!

Dozens of heads of aristocratic families!

That is a behemoth that represents the most powerful family in the entire Han area, with its roots spread for hundreds of years and its influence permeating every corner of the place!

Your Majesty... Your Majesty actually captured them all and killed them all right here in the palace, after such a feast?!

This... this is simply earth-shattering!

Isn’t he afraid of causing a violent backlash in the entire Han area?

Who among these aristocratic families doesn't maintain a considerable number of private soldiers? Who doesn't have a vast network of relationships?

Once they learned that their master had died tragically in the palace, would they let it go?

This Chang'an City, no, the entire former Han territory, is likely to be in turmoil soon!

Countless thoughts flashed through Li Bi's mind in an instant, impacting his rationality like a raging storm.

He wanted to say that His Majesty's move was too risky, that stability should be prioritized at this time, and that he wanted to remind those aristocratic families of their hidden power.

But when the words were on the tip of his tongue, looking into Chu Ning's deep, calm eyes, and thinking of the heads hanging high outside the Meridian Gate and the West Market Gate, all the words of advice were suppressed by a cold fear.

He didn't dare to question, let alone accuse.

He could only transform his fear and worry into a more humble attitude, and said in a dry voice, following Chu Ning's words:

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty is mighty and mighty! Such ungrateful people truly... truly deserve to die!"

He paused, but ultimately could not suppress his worry about the situation. He cautiously reminded him in a tone that was purely for His Majesty's consideration:

"However, Your Majesty, these people have special identities after all. They died in the imperial palace, and their families are very powerful. After hearing the news, I'm afraid... I'm afraid they won't let it go, and they might even resort to desperate measures."

He secretly looked up to observe Chu Ning's expression. Seeing that he was not displeased, he continued to add, emphasizing his strength:

"These big families all have their own private soldiers, some numbering in the thousands, others in the hundreds, all of whom are brave enough to fight."

"They are intermarried and share the same blood. We must not underestimate them. If they unite to cause chaos, I'm afraid..."

He didn't finish his words, but the meaning was clear - this would be a huge upheaval.

However, Chu Ning's reaction remained indifferent.

He nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with Li Bi's assessment of the aristocratic families' armed forces. However, his tone lacked any worry, instead carrying a sense of indifference, as if everything was under control.

"It's nothing, just a bunch of chickens and dogs, a rabble."

He bent his fingers and tapped the map on the imperial desk with his knuckles, his eyes as sharp as a knife:

"I will send a massive army to wipe out these people, as well as any of their followers who may cause rebellion, one by one, completely eradicating them."

"Chang'an City is under immediate curfew. No one is allowed to enter, but no one is allowed to leave! I want to see who dares to jump out at this time. I can clean them up immediately to avoid trouble in the future."

These understated words imply a determination for an even more bloody purge and iron-fisted suppression.