BSI Chapter 67 No Feast is Good
Chapter 67 No Feast is Good
"It's really lively."
Why are you all silent?
Emperor Chongzhen had disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes.
The Duke of Cheng and the Duke of Ding, along with a host of nobles, Marquis of Wuding Guo Peimin, Earl of Xuancheng Wei Shichun, Marquis of Fengcheng Li Kaixian, and Earl of Xiangcheng Li Guozhen.
Also arriving late were Grand Secretary Chen Yan and Grand Secretary Wei Zaode.
Also present were Luo Yangxing, who bowed and pleaded guilty, and Fang Zhenghua, Gao Shiming, Li Fengxiang, Cao Huachun, and the eunuchs in charge of various bureaus, including Chu Xianzhang and Zhang Guoyuan.
After reading the letter of surrender, everyone was filled with righteous indignation, their eyes turning red.
"We, your subjects, deserve to die!"
Emperor Chongzhen, sword in hand, gazed upon his assembled officials. He truly couldn't discern the sincerity and genuine intent among them. "You are indeed guilty, deserving of death!"
In just one night.
The British Duke's mansion was burned to the ground, and thieves even sneaked into the palace, coming and going freely, making it impossible to maintain order within the imperial city.
Under the clear night sky, the flickering firelight could be faintly seen.
The surrounding government offices and the five city garrisons reacted quickly and extinguished the fire in time, but they were unable to salvage much.
As bad news kept coming in, Emperor Chongzhen's vision blurred. He knew that things were busy below, but he also seemed to be bored out of his mind.
Holding a sword in his hand, he sees everyone as a treacherous minister.
Reports came from those around him that no one in the entire British Duke's mansion had escaped unscathed.
The Duke of Cheng and several Grand Secretaries exchanged glances and lowered their heads.
Emperor Chongzhen touched the cold imperial desk in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, shaking his head and sighing.
The eunuchs and servants on either side wept silently.
The brocade-clad warriors remained expressionless. Their abilities had diminished further, the nation's fortunes had declined, and the laws had fallen into disuse and were no longer in existence.
"By trespassing into the inner palace and disregarding the imperial city's defenses, is this vital capital so insurmountable that even a mere commoner cannot control it?"
"Without that evil Taoist priest in charge, the Central Plains has descended into chaos."
"If this is the will of Heaven, then I accept it."
Emperor Chongzhen closed his eyes and murmured to himself, feeling a sense of peace in his heart. "When people are extremely speechless, they really do laugh," he said. "Speaking of which, I should thank that celestial official."
At least in the past, people would at least pretend to be loyal and filial.
At least, people like Si Chen still have some principles.
Now, it seems that the dignity and prestige of this central authority have vanished with Si Chen's departure.
"Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance."
The eunuchs were all deeply grieved.
Emperor Chongzhen opened his palm, and a large dragon and tiger seal suddenly appeared on his palm, shining brightly.
This is the seal of the emperor.
It is also a tangible object that embodies the destiny of the Ming Dynasty.
At this moment, several cracks suddenly appeared on the seal.
It then shattered and turned into ashes.
The wisp of green smoke and the dragon's shadow rose straight into the sky, transforming into four illusory figures that went in four directions.
Everyone felt a sudden darkness before their eyes, as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had caved in. They coughed up blood and lost nine-tenths of their strength. Even the toughest men became weaklings.
Above the sky, a dragon shadow that blotted out the sun broke free of its restraints and followed a passing hibernating dragon toward the place where the underworld emperors of all dynasties had resided.
The Hidden Dragon came for this very reason.
Strange phenomena have appeared in various places.
The river turned crimson, and countless ghostly soldiers traveled across the land.
Thunder rumbles in the sky, but no rain falls.
The phantom of the Locust God descended upon the lands of Hejian, and a locust plague was brewing in the north.
And tonight, all the newborns have died.
It was as if, on this ominous night, nothing in the world could find peace.
All the various schools of thought and cultivators in the world are like this.
In the past, I was connected with the fortunes of the Ming Dynasty, cultivating myself with the help of the dynasty's national destiny. Favorable winds propelled me to the clouds. Today, the towering tree has suddenly fallen, and I deeply feel what it means for a great building to collapse.
Over three hundred years, countless merits and karmic debts accumulated were suppressed.
All the former Torchbearers and Ashbringers have revealed their true forms.
Overnight, Duke Cheng, Zhu Chunchen, and Duke Ding, Xu Yunzhen, turned from black hair to white, aging more than ten years. They were the most deeply involved with the dynasty, and when retribution came, they were the first to fall.
The same was true of the other nobles; their lifespan and strength seemed to be stripped away layer by layer.
They will take back everything they owe the world, with interest.
If it weren't for the fact that the precious medicines and spiritual materials he had consumed in the past were so potent, he would have already met the founding emperor.
Those scholars were even worse.
Grand Secretary Chen Yan had two of his supernatural powers severed overnight.
Many more torchbearers completely lost all their supernatural powers.
Overnight, he was transformed into an ordinary person.
They were completely powerless to resist.
They can only be slaughtered at the mercy of others.
Those who had served as officials and enjoyed the government's salary were all like this.
From north to south.
This phenomenon is even more appalling.
Duke Xu Hongji of Wei sat up in his bedroom with a start, looking at his aged skin and missing teeth, and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Xu Yunjue pushed open the door and entered, "Father!"
Xu Hongji's eyes were glazed over. He seemed to see chaos sweeping across the land. In the south, countless slaves and servants rose up in rebellion, slaughtering clans. In the land of literature and art, in the places of prosperity and splendor, fire was everywhere.
"Be careful...slave transformation..." Xu Hongji gripped Xu Yunjue's hand tightly, as if he wanted to engrave these words into his eldest son's bones.
"I know, I know, Father! I'll call upon the Great Healer to extend your life! And those Catholics, and the devil, they'll surely find a way!"
"No, you don't know anything..."
Xu Hongji sadly discovered that there was nothing he could do.
They were the ones who started this fire.
In the cotton-producing area of Songjiang, beneath the looms of three thousand households lay the anger of countless people; in this prosperous land of literature and scholarship in Jiangnan, families were torn apart and lives were lost.
Extreme prosperity inevitably creates a distorted world.
This is the spark of human reform and renewal.
Every dynasty has experienced this.
Who can withstand it?
The Duke of Wei, who ruled over 30% of the land in the south, was actually afraid.
What brings you prosperity, you will also bring you ruin.
Faced with the backlash of karma accumulated over three hundred years, even the greatest power could not save his life.
Countless precious medicines were poured into this body, but to no avail.
It was like a bottomless pit, where all spirituality was swallowed up and transferred to another world.
Xu Yunjue held the body of the Duke of Wei and wept bitterly.
As the shadow of the hibernating dragon swept across Suzhou.
Prince Fu, Zhu Yousong, and Prince Tang, Zhu Yujian, silently felt that the dragon vein above their heads had been freed from the restraints and curses of the dragon vein master, and the dragon vein that had been suppressed for a long time was now flowing within their bodies.
Inside the Fushe Society, the cultivators now appeared gaunt and withered.
Qian Qianyi, Yi Zhi, Zuo Liangyu, the Governor-General of Huguang, Chen Mingxia and Chen Zhilin of the Chen family of Haining, Huang Zongxi and other famous scholars of the time all fell several levels of fame overnight.
Families like the Shen family of Changzhou in Suzhou, prominent families who had passed the imperial examinations, maintained their power and influence throughout the Wanli reign. Shen Shixing, who served as a paperhanger for the empire, was no less powerful than his family during the Ming Dynasty. His second son, Shen Yongmao, his third son, Shen Yongjia, and his grandson, Shen Shaofang, all served as Minister of the Court of Imperial Studs.
At this moment, they can only close their doors to visitors, even if those affected are the least affected.
But on Shuangyu Island, Zheng Zhilong was overjoyed. "The Duke of Wei is dead! Hahaha, finally I'm free!"