Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

The tightly closed gates of Weiyang Palace slowly opened, and Jiang Mengxuan, greeted by the Imperial Guards, stepped out of the palace first.

Ye Mo followed closely behind, and the other officials also went out with complicated feelings.

A faint smell of gunpowder filled the air, and what the Empress and her officials saw were rows of people crouching on the ground, trembling incessantly.

All around, a squad of Imperial Guards soldiers in azure uniforms patrolled the area, while in the distance, a barbed wire fence covered with caltrops was erected, and a squad of heavily armed Imperial Guards soldiers firmly controlled the exit.

"This is……"

boom--

Before they could recover from their shock, a gunshot rang out, causing the officials to tremble involuntarily.

Looking up, I saw a guardsman not far away shoot a rioter in the head with a bullet, and then rush up and knock another guy who was about to run away to the ground with the butt of his rifle.

This scene filled all the officials, including Ye Mo, with fear in their eyes.

Only Jiang Mengxuan stood calmly in front.

Her phoenix eyes gazed intently, revealing her exceptional beauty.

"These are my new army, an army that obeys only my orders!"

She screamed wildly in her heart.

Ye Mo whispered to his side, "Your Majesty, who are these people...?"

"Prime Minister Ye, do not doubt, this is my new army, the Imperial Guard!"

"The Imperial Guard..."

Ye Mo was shocked. Jiang Mengxuan had actually secretly assembled such a powerful army?

The fact that this army was able to quell the unrest outside Weiyang Palace in such a short time shows that it can definitely be described as elite.

Looking at the corpses scattered everywhere and the tens of thousands of rioters who were terrified, Ye Mo became even more convinced of his judgment.

"No wonder! Before his death, the late emperor repeatedly instructed me to assist Your Majesty. So that's the meaning behind it."

"Your Majesty's ability to quietly raise an elite force truly demonstrates your meticulous planning. The late Emperor was protecting my Ye family."

At this moment, Ye Mo began to frantically imagine how to improve his relationship with the Empress.

Jiang Mengxuan didn't have many thoughts; she was simply captivated by the outstanding performance of the Imperial Guards.

"His Majesty!"

Suddenly, Shen Lang's voice rang in her ears.

Seeing that cold and handsome face that she hadn't seen for over a month, Jiang Mengxuan's lips curled into a smile, her eyes veiled with a faint mist.

Why is this man so reliable?

Composing herself, she finally asked, "Shen Lang, how is the situation right now?"

"Your Majesty, after a secret investigation by the Jingwei Division last night, it has been confirmed that this unrest in Jinling was instigated by someone behind the scenes."

All the major and minor offenders have been recorded here by your humble servant. Please review them, Your Majesty.

Shen Lang took out a register and handed it directly to the Empress.

Jiang Mengxuan took the roster but didn't open it immediately. Instead, she continued to ask, "What is the current situation regarding casualties?"

Shen Lang replied, "This time, when the Imperial Guards entered the city, they killed a total of 427 rioters in front of Weiyang Palace, wounded more than 340, and injured over a thousand others in the stampede. Of those injured, 146 have been confirmed dead."

The number of martial artists killed was 97. As for the defenses within the city, there has been no news yet. I estimate we will have results by the afternoon.

The cold, hard numbers, when announced, sent chills down the spines of all the officials.

Finally, someone couldn't help but say, "Shen Lang, do you really dare to lay a hand on ordinary people? Aren't you afraid of a backlash from public opinion?"

"Screw public opinion!"

Unexpectedly, Shen Lang glared at the idiot and started cursing at him, which really shocked the officials.

"Public opinion comes and goes all day long, who do you think you are, you piece of trash?"

As he spoke, Shen Lang ignored the officials' astonished reactions and directly grabbed a trembling mobman, dragging him in front of the civil official who had been scolded.

"Come on, tell this official what the people's will is! Speak up!"

"Uh... sir, please spare us! Yes, it was Young Master Mu who secretly gave us ten taels of silver."

It really has nothing to do with me inciting the neighbors to cause trouble! Sir, have mercy! Have mercy!

Nakarami was already utterly shocked by the scene of the guards killing people, so he naturally blurted out everything he knew.

The civil official was speechless and could only say in a low voice, "You can't use foul language. You can talk things out properly. This is simply an insult to civility."

"What did you say? An insult to civility? Come here, come here..."

"Let go, what are you doing? Let go."

Shen Lang grabbed the civil official's hand and pushed him in front of the crowd.

"Tell me, is the current situation civilized or uncivilized? Can your civility solve these problems?"

"You useless piece of trash, you tremble at the slightest provocation! If we relied on you, your Great Chu would have perished long ago!"

The civil official was so frightened that he kept backing away.

"Shen Lang, you mustn't be rude."

Jiang Mengxuan stopped Shen Lang from making a scene.

"From now on, the security of the capital will be temporarily taken over by the Imperial Guards. All relevant government offices must fully cooperate with Shen Lang's actions. Any disobedience will be considered treason. Do you understand?"

"The ministers obey the order."

At this moment, the officials no longer dared to underestimate the young empress before them, and for the first time, they genuinely acted with the respect due to a ruler and his subjects.

After delivering the imperial edict, she looked at Shen Lang again.

"Shen Lang."

"The humble position is here."

"From this day forward, you will temporarily assume the position of Prefect of Jingzhao, continue to command the Imperial Guards, and arrest and clean up these lawless and disorderly parasites on my behalf."

Shen Lang frowned and looked at Jiang Mengxuan with some surprise.

No, Empress, this is different from what we agreed upon.

I'm going to hand over military power and evidence of crimes to you. You'll handle the rest of the cleanup, and I'll step back and count my money.

Why am I still being asked to handle this now?

You're being far too obvious in your role as a hands-off manager.

Seemingly noticing the doubt in Shen Lang's eyes, Jiang Mengxuan added, "I trust you to handle things."

I also gave him an approving look.

"Your subordinate obeys!"

"From now on, you should address me as your subject."

"Your humble servant obeys."

Even if he was unwilling, Shen Lang had no way to back down at this point.

Upon seeing this, Ye Mo quickly understood the Empress's intention.

"His Majesty is using this matter to carry out a major purge of the entire Jinling gentry. Any scions of noble families who were directly or indirectly involved in this petition will likely suffer."

The only person by His Majesty's side capable of accomplishing this task is Shen Lang. After this, Shen Lang will undoubtedly become a thorn in the side of the aristocratic families.

At that time, Shen Lang would have no other choice but to rely on His Majesty, becoming a lonely minister at His Majesty's beck and call..."

Thinking of this, Ye Mo smiled slightly.

"Your Majesty, what a brilliant strategy! Former Emperor, now I understand why you, amidst so many princes and princesses, faced immense pressure to pass the throne to Your Majesty."

Jiang Mengxuan had no idea that she had unintentionally risen to a higher level in Ye Mo's mind.

In fact, her thoughts were similar to Ye Mo's guess.

The reason for asking Shen Lang to handle this matter was simple: she was fully aware that she could not handle it as efficiently as Shen Lang.

An emperor must first recognize his own shortcomings before he can find ways to make up for them.

If I were to take action myself, I would face pressure from all sides, and if I couldn't withstand it, I wouldn't be able to achieve my goals.

But Shen Lang is different. He's the kind of person who won't act until he sees a clear benefit. He's ruthless and decisive, making him the best candidate to strike at the Jinling gentry class.

Moreover, the Imperial Guard was just a decoration in his own hands, but in Shen Lang's hands, it could exert unprecedented combat power.

For example, if it were me today, even if the Imperial Guard were armed to the teeth, would I really order them to open fire when facing a mob?

Jiang Mengxuan wasn't sure, after all, ideas and actual actions are two completely different things.

Giving Shen Lang authority was the greatest sign of her trust in him.

What I fear most is that Shen Lang won't answer.

Fortunately, Shen Lang did not refuse this time, which finally put his mind at ease.

"Lu Meng!"

"My subordinate is here!"

"Start calling roll according to the list above. Those who are dead should be crossed out, and those who are alive should be dragged out and imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison. The rest should be registered and sent home to await military orders!"

"Yes!"

Lü Meng accepted the roster.

Shen Lang looked at the Empress again: "Your Majesty, everything in Jinling will return to normal in two or three days at the earliest, and at the latest within five days. Please wait for good news."

"I await your good news."

Jiang Mengxuan nodded heavily.

Watching Shen Lang's busy figure, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

So this is what it feels like to be able to rely on someone?

At this moment, the Empress no longer seemed to feel alone.