through which torrential rain was pouring down. "The roof is broken," he said, "You have to pay for it."Emperor Jian immediately replied, "No problem.""You just scared this palace, you have to compens...Chapter 675: Pleading for Mercy

Li Chen did not target the bureaucracy, nor the cabinet.

He was only targeting Shangguan Zhao from the very beginning.

Now, we are going to kill Shangguan Zhao.

Today's events, seemingly a struggle for Shangguan Zhao's life, are actually a clash between the two major political groups: the cabinet and the East Palace.

If Shangguan Zhao were to die, Zhao Xuanji would inevitably become desperate and lead the fearful civil officials in a rebellion.

If Shangguan Zhao had not died, Li Chen's authority would have been shattered. Not only would he have been looked down upon by the civil officials, but the prestige he had painstakingly built among the military officers would also have been lost.

Nobody wants to follow a leader who will stand by and watch them be mistreated and wronged without speaking up.

As soon as Li Chen finished speaking, the Imperial Guard he had already controlled immediately stepped forward to apprehend Shangguan Zhao.

The smile on Shangguan Zhao's face vanished. He never expected Li Chen to be so bold as to risk a palace coup just to kill him. His heart pounded in his chest, and he cried out, "Grand Tutor..."

"Who dares to move!"

Zhao Xuanji let out a loud shout, causing the two inner guards to instinctively halt their steps.

"

Only to see Zhao Xuanji's face was as cold as ice, he gritted his teeth and said: 'I am Zhao Xuanji, Grand Scholar of the Cabinet, who has served in the Cabinet for over ten years. I have devoted myself to the court with all my heart and soul, without any slack. Today, facing the mountains and rivers of the Qin Dynasty, the ancestors and forefathers, I will never stand idly by as the prince is so cruel and kills loyal ministers!'

"

"What a formidable elder statesman!"

Li Chen laughed furiously, saying: “No matter how hard you try, no matter how much effort you pour into it, no matter how many decades or centuries you dedicate to the court, a subject will always remain a subject.”

To put it plainly, you are nothing more than a servant to the imperial family. And any fool can be a servant.

"With that, Li Chen leaned in slightly, whispering into Zhao Xuanji's ear at a volume only they could hear: "All your power is bestowed by your father. You dare to betray him The monarch's authority is supreme. You are nothing but a dog raised by the monarch's will. This prince may be a prince, but even a prince is subject to the emperor."

Ignorant of Zhao Xuanji's instantly livid expression, Li Chen stood straight and said coldly, "Are you the Imperial Guards of the Great Qin Court, or the Imperial Guards of the Cabinet"

If you are one of the Imperial Guards in the Inner Court, then go with the Grand Tutor.

If I were a guard within this palace, why wouldn't you obey my orders

This statement is extremely serious.

Two hesitant eunuchs from the palace guards were startled, stopped hesitating, and immediately stepped forward, one on each side, to restrain Shangguan Zhao. They dragged him away directly.

Shangguan Zhao cried out for help in a loud, desperate voice.

Li Chen looked at the group of officials who were itching to plead, and said coldly: “Anyone who dares to beg for mercy again will be executed together. Let's see if there are more of you or if this palace has more swords to chop off heads.”

This sentence, coupled with Li Chen's cold gaze, ultimately forced the civil service group to back down.

Most importantly, Zhao Xuanji didn't speak.

Zhao Xuanji didn't speak, and they were like a group of dragons without a leader, becoming a loose collection of sand.

And when Shangguan Zhao saw that he was about to be dragged away, and no one spoke up for him, he finally couldn't bear the fear in his heart, and shouted to Li Chen: "Your Highness, Your Highness, spare my life!"

"The lowly official was merely blinded by lard for a moment, with no intention of deliberately framing anyone!"

"Spare me, Your Highness..."

Shangguan Zhao struggled frantically, even scraping his face against the threshold of Taihe Hall and using his fingers to cling to it desperately, unwilling to be dragged away.

After much struggle and pleading, he was reduced to tears, his official robes disheveled, his official hat long since fallen to the ground, looking utterly pitiful.

Even so, he was still pleading desperately.

"General Su Pingbei, say a good word for me to His Highness and spare my life. Just treat me as nothing, dismiss me, even exile me if you must, just please don't kill me…"ecks on the work of their subordinates and receives a satisfactory reply."I will notify the troops stationed near Changbai Mountain. When they arrive, I will have the commanders from both sides negoti...