Chapter 227: Your highness!
The silence after the final stroke was profound. Pei Rong’s eyes widened, the manic fury in them fading into something hollow and lost. He staggered, the red of his blood bright and garish against the white marble steps of the Jade House.
He reached out, his fingers trembling, as if to clutch at the power slipping through them. But there was nothing left to hold. His knees buckled, and he sank slowly to the ground. The Prime Minister’s breath came in wet, rattling gasps, each one weaker than the last.
Zhao Yan stood over him, his sword lowered but ready, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His own blood dripped down his arm from a shallow cut, but he paid it no mind. His eyes were locked on Pei Rong—watching, waiting.
Pei Rong looked up, his lips twitching into a twisted smile. "You... you think this means you’ve won?" His voice was thin and ragged, but there was still a flicker of defiance in his eyes. "You... you’ll never hold this empire... never."
Zhao Yan said nothing. He simply watched as the final spark of defiance guttered in Pei Rong’s eyes, replaced by the dull glaze of death.
The Prime Minister’s head slumped forward, his blood pooling around him in a slow, creeping tide that spread across the marble like an offering. For a moment, the only sound was the faint drip of blood echoing in the hushed courtyard.
Then, as if the entire empire had been holding its breath, a cheer rose from the onlookers.
It started as a single voice—trembling, disbelieving. Then another, stronger, until the courtyard erupted into a roar of triumph. Soldiers pounded their shields in celebration. Servants wept openly, relief and hope flooding their faces. The bloodied remnants of Zhao Yan’s loyal guards raised their swords high, voices hoarse with victory.
Zhao Yan stood still in the center of it all, his eyes on Pei Rong’s lifeless form. His shoulders were taut, his expression unreadable beneath the flickering torchlight. Victory tasted bitter on his tongue—because he knew this was only the beginning.