Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Chapter 239 Alas, you have truly caused me great suffering!

"Thank you for your help, fellow disciples and elders."

Shen Ming cupped his hands in greeting to his fellow disciples who had intervened, a smile returning to his face, and said:

"After we return to our sect, I will treat you all to the best restaurant, and we will drink until we drop!"

"Junior Brother Shen, you're too kind. It's just my duty."

"It's good that Junior Brother Li is safe and sound."

"We have some matters to attend to and cannot stay any longer, so we will take our leave first."

The members of the Xuantian Sect returned the greetings with friendly attitudes.

They had come to help at Shen Ming's request. After the matter was over, they exchanged a few words of pleasantries and then each transformed into streaks of light, flying away into the sky and disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

It was as if it had never existed, leaving only a scene of utter devastation and profound shock.

Silence returned to both the main hall and its surroundings.

But the atmosphere was even more somber and oppressive than before.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, and the corpses lying scattered on the ground silently testified to the horrific scene that had just unfolded.

The officials stood there trembling, their foreheads dripping with cold sweat, stealing glances at Li Wudao and Shen Ming and Li Nanzhi beside him, even their breathing was cautious.

"Li Zheng! You're a beast!"

Suddenly, Li Nanzhi's pretty face turned fierce. She walked a few steps to Li Zheng, who was slumped on the ground, pale as a ghost, and angrily rebuked him:

"I treated you like a brother, yet you bound me and handed me over to the demons for your own gain!"

"My father treated you like his own son, showing you so much care and protection, yet you had the heart to send someone to harm him in secret! Do you have even a shred of humanity left?!"

Then, she looked at Li Jing, who was equally terrified, her eyes filled with anger and disappointment:

"And you too! Imperial Uncle!"

"For your own selfish gain and to consolidate your imperial power, you completely disregarded my wishes and forced me to marry that damned Crown Prince of Liang Dynasty as a bargaining chip for your peace and survival!"

"Did you even ask me if I was willing? Did you even consider a shred of blood ties?!"

Being verbally abused so harshly by a younger girl, Li Jing and Li Zheng's faces turned ashen and extremely ugly, filled with shame and indignation.

Faced with overwhelming power and the threat of death, they didn't even have the courage to refute.

They could only lower their heads and silently endure it.

The Liang Dynasty delegation, not far away, also looked somewhat uneasy when they heard Li Nanzhi directly call their crown prince "bullshit," but they dared not retaliate.

"Why waste your breath arguing with these two beasts who are worse than pigs and dogs? Just kill them!"

Seeing his cousin trembling with anger and her face flushed red, Li Wudao's last bit of patience was completely exhausted.

Having said that, he flipped his hand and took out a long sword with a cold, sharp gleam. His eyes were as cold as ice as he walked step by step toward Li Jing and his son.

One emperor, in order to preserve his throne, did not hesitate to cede territory, pay indemnities, and sell his daughter to seek peace, thus losing his country and humiliating his nation.

To seize the throne, he dared to murder his own uncle; his heart was wicked, and keeping him alive would only bring disaster.

Seeing Li Wudao approaching with a sword, his killing intent palpable, Li Jing and Li Zheng completely broke down.

"No...don't kill me!"

"Young Master Li! Young Master Li! We know we were wrong! We really know we were wrong!"

The two men scrambled to Li Wudao's feet, tears streaming down their faces, kowtowing repeatedly. Where was even a trace of the dignity of an emperor and prince?

"Please! Spare our lives! We're willing to give up the throne, we're willing to be your slaves! We just beg you to have mercy!"

"........"

The assembled officials watched this scene with incredibly complex expressions.

There is sorrow, contempt, and even more so, a deep sense of powerlessness at the end of a dynasty.

The monarch and crown prince of a country, in front of an enemy delegation and a full court of officials, fawned and begged for mercy, displaying their utterly shameful behavior.

The last vestiges of dignity of the Great Yu royal family have been completely lost.

Li Wudao lowered his deep eyes, calmly gazing at the two people whose feet were like mud beneath their feet, his tone cold and detached:

"You don't know you're wrong, you just... know you're about to die!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a flash of sword light appeared!

Like the cold moonlight flashing by, a fleeting glimpse of beauty.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two heads, filled with terror and despair, flew up and rolled to the ground, blood gushing from their necks like a fountain.

The two headless corpses swayed and collapsed helplessly to the ground, their bright yellow dragon robes and python robes quickly staining red with blood.

There was dead silence in the hall.

The courtiers stared blankly at the two corpses, their eyes vacant, their hearts filled with mixed emotions, and remained silent for a long time.

The emperor and his heir of the Great Yu Dynasty did not die under the iron cavalry of the enemy state, nor did they perish in a palace coup, but ultimately fell to the sword of a young boy...

How ironic, how tragic, this ending!

"this......."

The members of the Liang Dynasty delegation looked at each other, their hearts pounding with shock.

They never expected that this mission would witness firsthand the swift and bloody change of the supreme ruler of a dynasty.

Just then, Shen Huaimin, who had been silently observing, gave a wink to the "pragmatic" Zhao-surname commander.

Zhao Yi understood immediately and clapped his hands vigorously.

Soon, a general entered the hall carrying a tray covered with bright yellow brocade.

On the tray was a brand new imperial robe, embroidered with a nine-clawed golden dragon in gold thread and inlaid with bright jewels and jade!

Shen Mingxin understood and stepped forward, taking the heavy and luxurious imperial robe from the tray with both hands.

Then, amidst everyone's astonished, bewildered, and complex gazes, he walked up to Li Wudao, who was still somewhat dazed, and said with a slight smile:

"Senior Brother Li, it's cold and windy, please put on another layer of clothing."

Without waiting for a reply, he casually draped the bright yellow imperial robe—symbolizing supreme power—over Li Wudao's shoulders!

Almost at the same time.

The old Duke Shen Huaimin suddenly flung his cloak behind him and knelt on one knee before Li Wudao, his voice loud and firm, echoing throughout the hall:

"A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day! Li Wudao, a direct descendant of the Li imperial family, possesses both literary and military prowess, and his cultivation is unparalleled. Furthermore, he is a true disciple of the Xuantian Sect. He is truly the chosen one!"

"Your humble servant Shen Huaimin earnestly requests Your Highness to follow the will of Heaven and the people, ascend the throne, revitalize the Great Yu, and protect all the people!"

........

"Your Highness, we humbly request that you ascend the throne!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yi and other generals who had already pledged allegiance to the Shen family, as well as some officials who reacted quickly, immediately followed suit and knelt down in unison.

With someone taking the lead, the rest of the ministers, who were still in shock and confusion, understood the situation immediately.

The change of the throne is a foregone conclusion!

The young man before us is unstoppable in terms of strength, background, and the "momentum" he is currently displaying.

The courtiers exchanged glances, and finally, one by one, with mixed feelings, they bowed to the young man in the imperial robe, shouting:

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, respectfully request that Your Highness ascend the throne!"

"This……"

Li Wudao stared in astonishment at the imperial robe that had suddenly appeared on his shoulder, and felt a little strange after hearing Shen Huaimin's words.

It seems that his lineage is just a collateral branch, so how did he suddenly become the legitimate royal family?

Looking down, at the mass of kneeling officials, Li Wudao's gaze fell on the "eager" and "resolute" faces of Shen Huaimin and Shen Ming.

He couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation, shaking his head and sighing, "Alas, you...you've really...caused me so much trouble!"

Ultimately, with the support and strong advice of Shen Huaimin and others, [the decision was made].

Li Wudao was half-pushed and half-forced to sit on the supreme dragon throne.

When he sat down again, wearing a bright yellow imperial robe, and looked down at the kneeling officials below, a feeling completely different from before arose spontaneously.

It was as if an invisible force of good fortune had been bestowed upon me, and my vision and state of mind seemed to have broadened considerably.

It is a sense of control, having power in one's hands and the power to decide life and death, and also a sense of responsibility for hundreds of millions of lives.

His deep gaze swept down, settling on the Liang Dynasty delegation that remained standing, their expressions shifting.

Li Wudao's eyes suddenly turned cold. He instantly got into character, his imperial majesty naturally radiating outwards, and said indifferently:

"You audacious commoners! Why do you not kneel before me?!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable chill and oppressive force, booming through the Golden Palace like thunder.