Chapter 29: I Am Going to Lose My Temper

Soon, the news of Liu Xie regaining consciousness spread throughout the entire city of Luoyang.

The fact that the Emperor had been unconscious for two days and two nights following an assassination attempt had already set the entire city in an uproar. Various aristocratic clans were secretly stirring, and the undercurrents of the capital had already experienced a wave of bloodletting. After all, there was no one who was not interested in that seat of power; of all things in this world, human desire is the most abundant.

Liu Xie had been assassinated, and this brush with death had left a deep impression on him. Thus, he was furious now, and he intentionally let others see that he was furious. Ancient wisdom often said that when a Son of Heaven is enraged, a million corpses fall, and blood flows for a thousand miles.

At this moment, Liu Xie sat on the dragon throne in the deliberation hall with a cold expression. Below him stood the ministers, eyes fixed on their own noses in deep contemplation, while Wang Yun, Gai Xun, Ma Teng, and a group of military commanders looked at him on the throne with faces full of surprise. Liu Xie was their anchor; if anything were to happen to him, all their previous efforts would vanish like bubbles, leaving them with nothing to show for their labor.

However, seeing Liu Xie’s icy countenance, no one dared to step forward with words of congratulation. Consequently, a strange, eerie silence persisted in the court for nearly a quarter of an hour.

Finally, it was Liu Xie who broke the silence, but his first words sent a chill through the hearts of everyone present.

"Who was the commander on duty at the city gate a few days ago?"

Liu Xie’s voice was calm, almost flat, as if he were asking a casual greeting. A deathly silence filled the hall; no one dared to step forward. Liu Xie was not in a hurry. He sat there quietly, watching the ministers below, each of them harboring their own secret agendas while pretending to be indifferent. None of them wanted to answer his question, for fear of being linked to the events of the past two days.

After an unknown amount of time, someone finally stepped out. Gai Xun stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "The city gate commander for the past few days was the former Luoyang city defender—Ouyang Jie!"

"Where is he?" Liu Xie asked, looking at Gai Xun.

Gai Xun replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Ouyang Jie disappeared yesterday."

"He fled alone?" Liu Xie raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, just him alone."

"Then I suppose he won't be found. Since he cannot be found, confiscate his property and execute his nine clans," Liu Xie said lightly, as if speaking of a trivial matter. It was indeed trivial; Ouyang Jie was clearly a scapegoat prepared in advance and held no real value.

"How has the capital been these past two days?"

Upon hearing Liu Xie’s question, a pot-bellied, middle-aged civil official stepped out from the crowd. Gai Xun looked closely and recognized him as the Magistrate of Luoyang, Sima Xuan, who had clashed with him in the hall two days prior. (Author’s note: Not related to the family of Sima Yi.)

Sima Xuan held his tablet and walked high-profile to the steps before Liu Xie, boasting grandly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, since your return to the capital, the public order has improved significantly, and the people are living in peace and contentment..."

Liu Xie looked at him with a strange expression and asked, "Didn’t your son have his legs broken a few days ago?"

Upon hearing this, Sima Xuan’s face fell. His son had been ignorant of the rules, causing trouble at the Duobao Market, and had been thrown out with both legs broken. Such a scandal was not something to be mentioned in public. Although he was the Magistrate of Luoyang, he was insignificant in the face of the power of the Da Sui He (The Emperor's secret intelligence agency). Therefore, after considering the consequences of opposing the Da Sui He, Sima Xuan decisively said, "Your Majesty might be mistaken. My son simply fell and accidentally broke his bones; it is nothing serious!"

Not everyone was ignorant of the Da Sui He; on the contrary, for some of the long-established clans, the memory of the organization was etched into their very marrow. Thus, at least half of the people in the court knew that the Da Sui He stood behind the Duobao Market. Hearing Sima Xuan say this so crisply, Liu Xie couldn't help but look at him with a new sense of respect.

"Have General Yuan and the others returned?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, they said they were returning yesterday to suppress the bandits as soon as possible," Sima Xuan replied respectfully.

Hearing this, Liu Xie couldn't help but let out a cold snort. Suppressing bandits? They simply didn't take him, the Emperor, seriously; their true motive was to rush back and consolidate their territories. However, this happened to be within Liu Xie’s plans, so he couldn't be bothered to argue over such matters; there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with them later.

"Wang Yun, how are the tasks I assigned to you coming along? Have there been any problems?" Liu Xie shifted his gaze to Wang Yun, who had been standing silently on the side.

Upon hearing Liu Xie’s voice, Wang Yun immediately stepped out and said respectfully, "Reporting to Your Majesty, everything has been fully arranged, and we are working hard to prepare!"

Liu Xie nodded with satisfaction, his eyes showing a great deal of approval as he looked at Wang Yun. Wang Yun truly lived up to his reputation; as a historical figure worthy of recording in the annals, his competence was indeed impressive. Leaders always prefer subordinates who are efficient and capable.

Liu Xie was no exception. Therefore, his opinion of Wang Yun improved significantly, and he decided to incorporate him into his future plans. Wang Yun sensed the Emperor’s favorable gaze and felt a bit smug, casting a triumphant glance at Sima Xuan. Liu Xie noticed this and felt amused; it turned out the two were competing in private as well. However, as long as it did not threaten the foundation of the state, it was of no consequence.

Subsequently, Liu Xie’s expression turned solemn. "Gai Xun, Ma Teng, hear my command!"

"At your service!" Gai Xun and Han Sui (Ma Teng's associate) looked at each other and stepped forward in unison.

"Previously, commoners reported to me that people were gathering for fights at night, and the assassins who targeted me remain at large! I order both of you to lead your troops to patrol the city these next few days," Liu Xie said, looking at them. "You are authorized to execute first and report later!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers below were in an uproar. There was no such thing as commoners complaining to the Emperor; it was a joke—ordinary people might not see the Emperor even once in their entire lives. This was merely an excuse for Liu Xie. As for what Liu Xie intended to do, they could not guess, but they dared not try. The mere phrase "execute first and report later" had effectively stunned the officials.

There were indeed no commoners seeking an audience; Liu Xie’s true goal was to focus on the deep-rooted aristocratic clans in Luoyang. None of these clans were clean when it came to the assassination at the Zuixian Tower. Liu Xie intended to properly discipline these ambitious families. He might not be able to take down the giants, but he could certainly trim the smaller fish, while also filling the state's empty coffers.

Thinking of this, the corners of Liu Xie’s mouth curled up. The ministers below watched his mischievous smile, feeling quite perplexed. It would not be long before they understood the meaning of that smile. This was a case of killing the chicken to warn the monkey; the clans were the chickens, and the onlookers were the monkeys.

Liu Xie knew very well that this action wouldn't yield massive results, but it was a warning to those in the shadows—a way to "beat the grass to startle the snake"—letting them know that he, the young Emperor, was not a soft persimmon to be squeezed at will. He was the Emperor, and he had his own temper. If he chose to vent his anger, they had no choice but to endure it. As long as they dared to jump, he dared to strike them down.