Exile: Empty half of the capital and blow up the enemy's palace

Listening to the wailing of Old Marshal Yun, the Emperor felt upset and his temples were throbbing. As everyone knew, the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion had only male descendants, with only a girl like Abao. Everyone in the mansion doted on her like a treasure, especially Old Marshal Yun, who doted on his silly granddaughter Abao. Now that Abao was dead, Old Marshal Yun would not let it go, and neither would the other members of the Yun family.

He raised his hand to rub his forehead, cleared his throat, and tried to calm Old Marshal Yun. "Old Marshal Yun, I offer my condolences. I will thoroughly investigate this matter, give the Duke of the Protectorate a satisfactory explanation, and let Miss Abao's spirit rest in peace."

Marshal Yun turned a deaf ear to the emperor's entreaties and continued to wail, "Ah Bao, your death was so unjust. Grandfather will seek justice for you even if it costs his own life!"

Seeing this, Yun Chengying also wailed: "My poor sister, my poor mother, my poor grandmother, my poor sisters-in-law, my poor nephews, you died so unjustly."

Seeing Marshal Yun and Yun Chengying wailing, Yun Chengxi felt he had to wail a bit too, so he pretended to be extremely heartbroken and wailed, "My innocent family members, our Yun family has been loyal for generations, yet we have suffered such an unexpected disaster. How can you rest in peace in that cold underground?"

Yun Jingzhong said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty! My Duke of Protectorate Mansion has fought on the battlefield for the Great Zhou Kingdom, risking our lives and never having two hearts. Those treacherous villains, with just a few forged documents and a few false accusations, caused my Duke of Protectorate Mansion to be confiscated and exiled, causing my family members to die unjustly. Now that the truth is out, I beg Your Majesty to bring those treacherous villains who framed my Yun family to justice, so that the souls of my family members can rest in peace." His voice was steady and powerful, with unquestionable determination.

Yun Jinghuai also said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, please take charge of our Protectorate Mansion and severely punish those who framed us as a warning to others. We are all united in our Protectorate Mansion and have shed blood for the Great Zhou Kingdom, but this is the end we have received. If the evildoers are not punished, who will be willing to serve Your Majesty and the Great Zhou Kingdom in the future?"

Although his voice was not as loud as Yun Jingzhong's, it carried a chilling chill, like a sharp blade.

Yun Chengyan and others also asked the emperor to take charge of their Huguo Mansion and severely punish those who framed their Huguo Mansion.

The emperor sat on the hastily put together dragon throne, looking at the emotional Yun family members in front of him and listening to their heart-wrenching words. He felt the pressure like a mountain pressing down on him, and secretly hated himself for getting into such a difficult mess.

He knew very well that the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion was filled with hatred. If he did not properly handle the matter and quell their anger, there would be an uproar inside and outside the court, and his own throne might be threatened. Therefore, he had to give the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion a good explanation no matter what.

After a moment's silence, he said, "Rest assured, my dear ministers, I will thoroughly investigate the court, severely punish those who are responsible for the crime, and give an explanation to the Duke of Protectorate."

Upon hearing this, Marshal Yun stared at the Emperor with a sharp gaze and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have nothing to hope for now. I only hope to see those who harmed my Yun family receive the punishment they deserve. If anyone attempts to shirk their responsibilities or engage in favoritism and fraud during this process, I will make them pay a heavy price, even if it costs me my life."

The Emperor nodded slightly, forcing a reassuring expression onto his face. He said, "Old Marshal Yun, I understand your thoughts and am fully aware of the injustice done to the Duke of the Protectorate. I swear in the name of the Son of Heaven that I will severely punish those who framed the Duke of the Protectorate."

Marshal Yun continued, "Your Majesty, not only did our family members suffer unjust deaths, but our mansion was also ransacked, destroying our family fortunes accumulated over generations. Now, we have nothing left in our mansion, not even a bed to sleep in. Your Majesty, please return our property to our mansion."

Return the property of the Duke of Protectorate? How could he have anything to return? He hadn't even seen a hair of the Duke of Protectorate's property! The emperor said angrily in his heart, then calmed himself down and sighed, "Old Marshal, you don't know, a few months ago, an evil creature appeared in the capital, and all the things in the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion were taken away by that evil creature, including the Imperial Palace. Everything that could be taken away from the palace was taken away, and now I have to live frugally."

As he spoke, the emperor wore a gloomy expression. He raised his hand and gently stroked the crude, makeshift dragon throne. With a wry smile, he said, "Look, old Marshal, this dragon throne was originally a symbol of the emperor's majesty, but now it has to be replaced by this shabby old thing. Its former luxurious decorations have been completely stripped away. It's simply because the treasury is empty that we can't afford to repair it or buy a new one."

As the emperor spoke, he was very angry. He was so unlucky that he inherited such a big mess when he became emperor. He was probably the poorest emperor in history.

Marshal Yun raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise as he said, "Your Majesty, this talk of evil? I've spent my entire military career fighting countless battles, and have faced the brink of life and death many times, yet I've never heard of anything so absurd."

The Emperor listened to Marshal Yun's words and said, "Old Marshal, this evil spirit is truly incredible. I found it hard to believe at first. But many mansions in the capital have been affected by it, and all kinds of things have disappeared without a trace. The ministers are furious and have come to me to ask for a thorough investigation and to restore peace to the capital. However, the people I sent to investigate have found nothing. The evil spirit seems to have supernatural powers, appearing and disappearing without a trace."

The emperor added, "The Marquis of Pingyang's family and the Shangshu's family also had their heads shaved by that evil creature. Two large black circles appeared under their eyes for no apparent reason, and they can't be washed away no matter how hard they try."

Marshal Yun listened to the emperor's words and realized that it was his granddaughter who did it. He laughed heartily, but remained expressionless. He only frowned slightly, pretending to be in deep thought, and said, "It seems that this evil spirit is very powerful."

The emperor sighed deeply and said helplessly, "This evil spirit is extremely powerful. I even suspect that it has come specifically to disrupt the peace of our Great Zhou Kingdom."

As he spoke, the Emperor suddenly thought of something. He looked at Marshal Yun and said, "Old Marshal, the Duke of the Protectorate has always been loyal and brave. Old Marshal, you are even more experienced and wise. Come and help capture this evil creature and recover the lost items of the Imperial Palace. As long as you can recover the lost items of the Imperial Palace, I will definitely not treat you unfairly."

Marshal Yun shook his head upon hearing this, his voice heavy with sorrow as he spoke, "Your Majesty, I am filled with the grief of losing my loved ones. A-Bao is gone, and so many of my family members have suffered such tragic misfortunes. I am truly exhausted. These past few days, every time I close my eyes, I see the tragic deaths of my family members. I am so lost in thought that it's difficult for me to concentrate on catching the evil spirit."

After saying this, he raised his head slightly, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Your Majesty, think about it. My Yun family has been loyal to the Great Zhou Kingdom for generations, but now we have come to such a fate. How can this old minister not be heartbroken? At this moment, this old minister just wants to be at home in peace and remember my deceased relatives."

After saying this, to prevent the emperor from targeting his children and grandchildren, he added, "Your Majesty, everyone in our Yun family is now immersed in the endless pain of losing their loved ones. Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth children, who used to be lively and active, are now silent and absent-minded all day long, often even bumping into things while walking."

Yun Chenghao, Yun Chengxi and Yun Chengying, whose names were called, immediately understood what he meant.

Yun Chenghao's eyes were empty, as if he had lost focus, and he kept muttering, "My family members died so tragically..."

Yun Chengxi's originally straight back suddenly bent, and he sat on the ground as if overwhelmed by grief and wailed, "Grandma, Abao, Mom, sisters-in-law, nephews, I miss you so much..."

Yun Chengying was the most exaggerated. He first wailed, then held his head with both hands, his body trembling slightly, and his voice was filled with tears: "A Bao, my dear brother misses you so much..."

The Emperor felt a terrible headache watching this scene. He secretly groaned inwardly, but he had to force a look of concern on his face. He said, "My dear ministers, please accept my condolences. I know you are deeply saddened at this moment. The Duke of Huguo's family is full of loyal and brave people. I am also heartbroken to see such a disaster. Everyone, rest assured, recuperate at home. I will find someone else to capture the evil spirit."

Upon hearing what the Emperor said, Marshal Yun clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty is so wise and considerate of our Yun family. I am deeply grateful. But Your Majesty, now that the Protectorate's mansion has been ransacked, we don't even have a bed for our children and grandchildren to sleep in, let alone a place to rest properly."

The emperor was distraught as he listened, and couldn't help but complain in his heart: "This Protectorate Mansion has one problem after another. I just took over the throne and I was overwhelmed by this mess. Now I have to solve the problem of furniture for them. The national treasury has been emptied. How can I afford to buy them so much!"

But he still maintained a concerned expression on his face and said, "Don't worry, Marshal Yun. Even if I have to tighten my belt, I will not treat you unfairly. I will immediately instruct the Ministry of Internal Affairs to pick out some suitable beds, tables and chairs from the supplies that can still be allocated, and send them to the Duke of Protectorate's Mansion as soon as possible, so that you, my dear ministers, can settle down for the time being and rest in peace." After that, he waved his hand, signaling the eunuch beside him to convey the order immediately.

Upon hearing this, Marshal Yun said, "Your Majesty is so kind and righteous. Even though the national treasury is in trouble, you still save money and think of our Protectorate Mansion. This old minister is truly moved. Now that the national treasury is empty, we should understand. Your Majesty, please dismiss the servants assigned to the Protectorate Mansion. This will also save your Majesty some expenses."