CHAPTER 1272: CHAPTER 1272: THE IRON-BLOODED EMPEROR, GAINS THE TYRANT TITLE

The Grand Tutor left the Capital City half a month ago, and not long after, he heard that in Liangzhou, Bingzhou, and Youzhou, all officials involved in the case were executed on the spot.

A total of over a hundred officials were involved in the local grain price inflation and the murder of the Minister of Revenue, the worst offenders were punished by the extermination of nine generations of their families, and thousands were led to the execution ground to be beheaded.

When an Emperor is enraged, millions of corpses lay strewn; it is no idle talk.

Xiao Jun’an sent the Grand Tutor to the three provinces of Liangzhou, Bingzhou, and Youzhou, carrying several imperial edicts, to rightfully eliminate the local Aristocratic Families.

Thousands were beheaded, blood flowing into rivers, a scene extremely gory.

Under the influence of those with ulterior motives, this incident was enough to brand Xiao Jun’an with the tyrant’s title.

The downfall of the Aristocratic Families that stood for hundreds of years shook everyone to their core, impacting countless people’s interests.

Daqian had only recently repelled the Huns back to their homeland, with their royal family almost completely wiped out, ensuring no further invasions into the Central Plains for the next twenty years.

Sadly, before the common people could rejoice for a few days, they were once again thrown into panic by Xiao Jun’an’s ruthless tactics.

Some said he was bloodthirsty and cruel, with too much vicious energy on him, which invited heavenly punishment like the floods in the south and the droughts in the north.

Rumors of Xiao Jun’an being unfit to be Emperor quickly spread from the local provinces to the Capital City.

Night.

In the Palace, Weiyang Palace.

Huo Yuning, dressed in bright yellow nightwear, stood in the courtyard, looking up at the starry sky.

The light of the Imperial Star in the night sky was dim, outshone by the dazzling radiance of Greed Wolf Star, gradually engulfing the faint Imperial Star.

This was a very bad omen indeed.

Huo Yuning had recently been observing celestial phenomena and found Xiao Jun’an’s situation to be extremely perilous.

The Greed Wolf Star was on a ferocious path, its brilliance enough to crush the Imperial Star, indicating that this individual was in the Capital City and of noble status.

If Huo Yuning remembered correctly, Xiao Jun’an’s brothers who did not participate in the power struggle had all gone to their domains to live obediently; however, there was one uncle in the Capital City—Prince Rui’an.

Her brow suddenly furrowed, and she quickly started calculating with her hands.

After a moment, her slender fingers stopped.

Huo Yuning stared down at her hands, her expression a mix of frustration and reluctance.

It was indeed curious; whenever she calculated the fortune of that damnable Emperor, she was always thwarted by an invisible force.

Xiao Jun’an’s fate was truly peculiar; could he, perhaps, have a greater destiny than his father, otherwise how could she, the Little Princess of Fengdu in the Netherworld, fail to detect his fortune?

"Empress—"

A deep and pleasant voice rang out, and Huo Yuning looked up.

Xiao Jun’an, dressed in casual attire and accompanied by Eunuch Anjin, walked over leisurely. The moonlight bathed him, as if cloaking him in a hazy layer of gold, standing like an elegant, otherworldly immortal banished to earth.

Huo Yuning raised her eyebrows, her beautiful face breaking into a slight smile, "Why is His Majesty not sleeping in the middle of the night, coming here instead?"

Xiao Jun’an took a cloak from Eunuch Anjin’s hands and naturally draped it over Huo Yuning.

His face bore a gentle smile as he softly spoke, "I’ve just finished reviewing documents. The Palace Attendants mentioned the Empress had not yet rested, so I came to see."

Huo Yuning pulled the cloak around her, her tone teasing, "Then you really are quite busy."

Xiao Jun’an seemed not to mind her jest, looking up into the boundless night sky.

The two stood side by side in front of the palace corridor, and amidst this quiet atmosphere, an indescribable warmth quickly surged.

Huo Yuning massaged her sore neck, and lazily inquired, "Spit it out, what do you need from me?"

She didn’t believe that the Emperor would pay a visit to Weiyang Palace in the dead of night just for a look-see.

Without a need, one would not visit the Hall of Preserving Harmony; surely, he must need something from her.

Xiao Jun’an seemed conflicted about his next words, rapidly twirling the green jade ring on his thumb.