Chapter 219

Upon seeing the scene, all the people were astonished and stared at Mu Haoda kneeling on the ground in a daze.

Guo Zhengxiong also stared at Mu Haoda with an astonished look. Instantly, he had a sense of foreboding but still didn’t want to give up.

“Mu Haoda, what’s your problem? I asked you to capture Xuanyuan Mo. What are you doing?”

Xuanyuan Mo glimpsed Guo Zhengxiong struggling in front of him and slightly curled his lips, saying aloofly, “Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Mu Haoda said respectfully.

Having got up, Mu Haoda ignored Guo Zhengxiong’s yelling, directly walked to the hall and knelt on one knee, “I’ve come late. Your Majesty, please forgive me.”

Mu Haoda’s words directly dispelled Guo Zhengxiong’s hopes and also showed his stance.

Those officials instantly gained their hopes back while the mutinied officials felt the opposite.

Xuanyuan She was instantly dumbstruck to hear Mu Haoda’s words. Now, he realized that he was done this time.

Guo Zhengxiong stared at Xuanyuan Lie, his eyes flashing. At that moment, he finally understood Xuanyuan Lie’s ability. Xuanyuan Lie appointed him as the general but his sons were all six-rank or seven-rank captains. If his sons and grandsons enjoyed high posts in the army, he wouldn’t fail due to Mu Haoda today.

Xuanyuan Lie looked at Mu Haoda on the ground and glimpsed Xuanyuan Mo against the sunlight, his eyes flashing, “Governor Mu, you came in the nick of time. Of course, you’ve done nothing wrong. Just rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Mu Haoda got up respectfully and waved at the soldiers behind.

Those soldiers immediately went forward to take down Guo Zhengxiong, Xuanyuan She and Pang Qian.

Guo Zhengxiong tried hard to struggle and shouted, “Mu Haoda, how dare you disobey the military order!”

Mu Haoda looked at Guo Zhengxiong who acted like a clown, his eyes glistening with disdain. Guo Zhengxiong was dying but he still dared to yell at the moment.

Mu Haoda cracked a scornful smile and said with a sneer, “General Guo, don’t sling mud at me. I’m loyal to the country and His Majesty. Since when did I disobey the military order? Instead, His Majesty has entrusted important duties to you and granted you so many benefits, but you turn out to be such an ungrateful person. You scheme to rise in rebellion and collude with foreign enemies to betray our country. You deserve to die.”

Guo Zhengxiong glared at Mu Haoda with red eyes, “All of you, just wait. Even without Mu Haoda, I still have 150,000 soldiers. I must smash you to pieces.”

Xuanyuan Mo sneered, “As I said, the 200,000 soldiers belong to the Baihu Empire. Remember?”

Then, Xuanyuan Mo directly pulled out Mu Haoda’s saber and instantly moved to Guo Zhengxiong. He put the saber on Guo Zhengxiong’s neck and stared at Guo Zhengxiong’s terrified eyes, saying coldly, “They don’t belong to you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xuanyuan Mo slashed his saber. Instantly, a head rolled to Xuanyuan She’s feet.

“Argh…” Staring at the bloody head, Xuanyuan She directly went weak at the knees with a ghastly pale face.

The others were all astonished to see the bloody scene. Some timid ones even vomited on the spot. And some mutinied officials even passed out.

After killing Guo Zhengxiong, Xuanyuan Mo directly walked in Xuanyuan She’s direction with the saber.

“No… No… Mo…” Xuanyuan She screamed in a fluster and retreated in horror.

“Father… Help me…” Xuanyuan She used up all his strength and got up. He sprang to Xuanyuan Lie’s feet, “Please help me… Mo wants to kill me…”

Xuanyuan She held Xuanyuan Lie’s thighs and wailed tearfully.

Xuanyuan Mo looked at Xuanyuan She crying, the corner of his mouth twitching. Since when did he want to kill Xuanyuan She? He just wanted to return the saber to Mu Haoda.

Xuanyuan Mo directly threw the saber to Mu Haoda. Mu Haoda immediately caught it.

Mu Haoda glimpsed the clean blade of the saber and felt frightened inwardly. He cut off a head but the saber was not stained with blood at all. It was good enough to prove that ordinary people couldn’t compare with Prince Zhan in terms of speed and cultivation base.

Xuanyuan Lie looked down at Xuanyuan She, his eyes glittering with pain. Regretting was of no use. If Xuanyuan She didn’t attempt to seize the throne, Xuanyuan Lie would let him live a wealthy life.

Mo looked aloof but Xuanyuan Lie knew his son well. If Mo seized the throne, as long as She and Hao didn’t do anything wild, he wouldn’t hurt them. However, if either of them ascended the throne, they wouldn’t let go of Mo. Particularly, the two women were around.

“Eldest Prince has colluded with foreign people to rise in rebellion. Now, he shall be reduced to an ordinary civilian and put in the capital prison. He shall be beheaded on a selected date,” Xuanyuan Lie stared at Xuanyuan She and said word by word.

Xuanyuan She was shocked to hear that and gazed at Xuanyuan Lie in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that his father wanted to kill him. He thought no matter what he had done, his father would spare his life anyway.

Xuanyuan Mo under the stairs was shocked to hear Xuanyuan Lie. Obviously, he also didn’t expect that Xuanyuan Lie would be so determined.

The officials shook their heads with a sigh, nodded in approval, showed sympathy in their eyes and looked surprised.

Xuanyuan Lie stared at Xuanyuan She’s astonished face, his eyes faintly glittering with tears.

No matter how cowardly and ridiculous Xuanyuan She was, he was still Xuanyuan Lie’s son. No matter what wrong he had done, as the father, Xuanyuan Lie could forgive him. However, Xuanyuan Lie was not only a father. His position as an emperor prevailed. As an emperor, he couldn’t forgive a rebel regardless. Even though this rebel was his son, he still had to think for Mo’s sake and clear the road for him. The road to the throne was always brutal.

Xuanyuan Lie concealed the attachment in his eyes and stared at the others, saying coldly, “Guards, take Eldest Prince down.”

Xuanyuan She instantly came to his senses and held Xuanyuan Lie’s thighs tightly, crying, “Father, I’m wrong. I’m really wrong. I dare not. Please give me another chance to clean up my act…”

Before Xuanyuan She finished saying, two soldiers came forward and dragged him down forcibly.

“Father…” Xuanyuan She struggled, but no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t get away from the soldiers.

“Mo, Mo, help me. I don’t wanna die. I really don’t wanna die…” When walking across Xuanyuan Mo, Xuanyuan She held his right thigh, “Mo, I didn’t mean to. It was Guo Zhengxiong who tempted me. No. He made me. I didn’t really want to rise in rebellion. Mo, please intercede with Father for me. I want nothing now, as long as I can survive.”

Xuanyuan She clutched Xuanyuan Mo and implored.

Seeing the imploring in Xuanyuan She’s eyes, Xuanyuan Mo was hesitant. If he couldn’t do the time, he shouldn’t do the crime. Since Xuanyuan She had done it, he must pay the price. It wouldn’t make any difference who he was.

The two soldiers recognized that Xuanyuan Mo didn’t mean to help, so they dragged Xuanyuan She away sensibly.

Even after Xuanyuan She was dragged out of the hall, the people in the hall still could hear his screams continually.

“Father, help me…”

“Mo, I’m wrong…”

“I don’t wanna die. I really don’t wanna die…”

The hall was in silence. Everyone had mixed feelings.

Xuanyuan Lie looked at Pang Qian and slightly narrowed his eyes, “Pang Qian has been favored by His Majesty but rather than return the favor, he has risen in rebellion. Now, he shall be dismissed from his post and reduced to an ordinary civilian. His whole family will be exterminated.”

Upon hearing his verdict, Pang Qian closed his eyes in pain. His whole family was exterminated. It was his personal desire that got his whole family killed.

He prostrated himself and kowtowed to Xuanyuan Lie, “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He knew that the familial extermination was already the lightest punishment for him.

After Pang Qian kowtowed, someone immediately went forward to take him out.

Xuanyuan Lie turned to the dozen officials kneeling on the ground, “Put them into capital prison and behead them on a selected date.”

Upon hearing that, the officials all shouted, “Mercy, Your Majesty…”

Yet, no matter how they shouted, their fate couldn’t be changed. Actually, since they showed support for Xuanyuan She, their ends had been fated.

This incident ended. Since the sinners had got punished, meritorious ones must be rewarded.

Xuanyuan Lie glanced at Mu Haoda and slightly curled his lips, “Mu Haoda.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Mu Haoda instantly went forward and knelt on one knee.

“Mu Haoda has assisted in putting down the rebellion. Now, he has been promoted as the First-rank Great General.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Mu Haoda was ecstatic to hear that and immediately kowtowed with a bow.

Xuanyuan Lie looked at Mu Haoda, his eyes slightly glittering. He let Guo Zhengxiong take over the post of great general from Guo Zhengxiong not only because he had put down the rebellion but also because he was loyal to Mo.

Xuanyuan Lie was satisfied to look at Xuanyuan Mo. At least, one of his sons was good.

“Xuanyuan Mo, Prince Zhan is a man of valor and astuteness. I’m deeply satisfied with him. Now, he is designated as the crown prince with the certificate, jade seal and residence of the Eastern Palace.”

Upon hearing that, the officials had mixed feelings, including surprise, happiness and disapproval. Yet, none of them dared to step forward and object. In the past, maybe the officials who supported Eldest Prince or Second Prince would step forward and object. However, after Eldest Prince failed to rise in rebellion, everyone witnessed how capable and fierce Prince Zhan was. No one would step forward to object at the moment.

Upon hearing that Xuanyuan Lie designated him as the crown prince, Xuanyuan Mo wanted to object by instinct. However, when he saw the imploring glimmer in Xuanyuan Lie’s eyes, he bit his tongue at once. As time went by, he felt that this superior man had been old.

He flicked his robe and knelt on one knee, “Thank you, Father.”

Upon hearing that, the officials all knelt, “Long live Your Majesty Emperor. Long live Your Highness Crown Prince…”