Chapter 688: The New Emperor Of The Jin Empire
"Ah!" The eunuch screamed in pain as the whip broke his skin, drawing blood instantly.
"You still dare to scream?!"
Annoyed by his shrill screams, Jin Yan gritted her teeth and continued whipping him, her expression growing colder with each strike.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
"Ah! Your Highness, please forgive this servant! Ah!" the eunuch pleaded, but instead of stopping, Jin Yan whipped him even harder.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Annoyance and cruelty flashed across Jin Yan’s eyes as she said, "Keep screaming, and this princess will whip you to death!"
Seeing this, Shi Yixi shook his head in disapproval but did nothing.
Standing at the front of the group, Wu Ruizhan clenched his fists, trying to suppress his anger.
’This kind of woman is unfit to be an imperial princess. This Jin Empire is rotten to the core. It’s indeed the time to end all of this.’
Inside the iron cage, Feng Xiyan heard the whipping sounds. His arms tightened slightly before he released Bai Hanyun.
While Bai Hanyun was still catching her breath, Feng Xiyan lifted the cloth on the other side and looked outside. When he saw Jin Yan whip the eunuch to death, his gaze darkened for a moment before he lowered the cloth.
Bai Hanyun noticed the change in his expression and asked, "What’s wrong?"
Feng Xiyan paused for a moment before he looked in the direction of Bai Hanyun’s voice.
Although he couldn’t see her, Feng Xiyan still looked down and replied in a low voice, "The Seventh Princess of the Jin Empire is whipping an eunuch to death."
When Bai Hanyun heard this, her expression sank.
After a long moment of silence, she finally whispered, "In this world, are the members of the imperial family all like this? Treating people’s lives like weeds that can be trampled at will."
Knowing why she said this, Feng Xiyan pulled her closer into his arms, then replied, "I don’t know..."
"Maybe for some members of the imperial family, the common people’s lives are not as valuable as their shoes. However, I believe that there will be someone in the royal bloodline who treats the common people as their children."
Bai Hanyun fell silent at his words as she thoughtfully looked at the scene outside.
Meanwhile, the sounds of Jin Yan’s whip striking the eunuch’s flesh finally stopped.
Looking at the bloody eunuch lying unconscious on the ground, she flicked the blood off her whip and cursed, "Unlucky!"
After Jin Yan sat back on the sedan chair in a bad mood, her personal maidservant hurried forward and wiped the sweat from her forehead and neck.
As they waited outside, inside the Hall of Benevolence, the Ninth Prince stood before the new emperor of the Jin Empire.
While all the ministers’ and generals’ attention was on him, the Ninth Prince calmly clasped his fists, bowed slightly, and said, "Your Majesty, General Wu and the others have arrived."
Sitting on the dragon throne, the emperor leaned back and supported his chin with the back of his hand. He observed the Ninth Prince but found no expression other than obedience and loyalty.
After a long moment of silence, the emperor calmly ordered, "Summon them in."
Standing at the side, the chief eunuch shouted in a shrill voice, "His Majesty has summoned Great General Wu, the Second Prince, the Seventh Princess, and Imperial Teacher Shi into the Hall of Benevolence!"
As his voice echoed through the surroundings, an eunuch standing outside heard it and hurriedly ran down the long stairs to relay the summons.
A few minutes later, the eunuch stood before Wu Ruizhan and the others, then clasped his hands.
Bowing at a ninety-degree angle, he said, "His Majesty has summoned Great General Wu, His Highness the Second Prince, Her Highness the Seventh Princess, and Imperial Teacher Shi. Everyone, please come with this servant."
Wu Ruizhan nodded, then walked up the stairs, followed by the others.
Since the emperor did not summon the rest, they could only wait outside.
Before long, the group had arrived outside the Hall of Benevolence.
Looking inside, the eunuch announced, "Great General Wu, His Highness the Second Prince, Her Highness the Seventh Princess, and Imperial Teacher Shi have arrived!"
"Let them in," the emperor ordered.
Receiving permission, Wu Ruizhan stepped into the familiar Hall of Benevolence. Looking toward the dragon throne, his eyes flickered with surprise for a second.
’The new emperor is actually the Seventh Prince?!’
Recalling the weak and gentle Seventh Prince from the past, Wu Ruizhan couldn’t help but think, ’He really hid himself well. For someone who could conceal his power for decades, it’s not surprising that he won the battle for the throne in the end.’
’Now, except for the Second Prince, who has Imperial Teacher Shi’s support, I’m afraid that nobody can threaten his throne. It would be interesting to see how the Second Prince reacts to this reversal.’
With this in mind, Wu Ruizhan glanced at Jin Cen. And sure enough, his expression was so dark it seemed as though ink could drip from his face.
Under the gaze of the ministers and generals, Jin Cen had no choice but to bow to his seventh imperial younger brother.
Clenching his jaw, Jin Cen’s eyes turned cold as hatred and unwillingness filled his heart.
’Good, good, good. Seventh Imperial Younger Brother, you are truly well hidden. If not for the sudden death of our Imperial Father, you might still hide your power.’
’The one sitting on that throne should be this prince! Since you dared to take what was mine and betray this prince, then don’t blame me for disregarding our brotherhood!’
Taking a deep breath, Jin Cen followed Wu Ruizhan and clasped his fists. With a slight bow, they said in unison, "This subordinate greets His Majesty. Long live the Emperor for tens of thousands of years."
After saying that, the four of them knelt before the emperor and kowtowed deeply.
The emperor stared at them in silence for a while, then calmly said, "Great General Wu, please rise."
Noticing that the emperor was only addressing Wu Ruizhan, Jin Cen gritted his teeth. However, without the emperor’s permission, no one dared to stand.