MY PRINCE HUSBAND HAS SEVEN WIVES AND I AM HIS FAVOURITE!
Chapter 195: Well, he is dead now

Chapter 195: Well, he is dead now

Their defiance was brave.

Foolish.

Deadly.

Before the last word had finished echoing in the hall, a silver slash sliced through the air. It was so fast, so clean, that the officials barely saw it happen. One moment, Minister Fang was standing, his chest heaving with righteous fury—and the next, he was on the floor.

Blood gushed from his throat in a horrific spray.

Gasps turned to screams. Some officials staggered backward, slipping on the slick marble stained red. Others dropped to their knees, paralyzed with fear.

Standing at the center of it all, as calm as if he had simply spilled wine on a silk robe, was none other than the Prime Minister.

He flicked the blood from his sword with a languid hand, his expression unreadable.

"He did say... over his dead body," he said with a small shrug. His voice was far too relaxed for the chaos around him. "Well, he is dead now."

He looked at the remaining ministers, his eyes glittering with cruelty.

"So does that mean I may sit on the throne?"

The grand hall, once a place of solemn counsel and royal dignity, had never witnessed such madness. The scent of blood hung thick in the air, mixing with the heavy incense that still burned in tribute to the late emperor. It was an eerie clash of sacred ritual and utter chaos.

The court officials stood frozen, as though struck by lightning. The body of Official Ren Wei, once a loud and loyal defender of the crown, lay motionless on the palace stones, crimson spreading beneath him like a cruel bloom. His last words—"over my dead body"—still echoed in the air, mocking the silence.

"Are you crazy?!" one of the senior officials finally shouted, his face pale with horror. His hands trembled as he pointed a shaking finger toward the bloodied figure. "Did you just kill Ren Wei?!"

The Prime Minister—Pei Rong—stood as if untouched by the magnitude of what he’d done. He held the sword loosely in one hand, casually wiping the blade clean with the edge of his silk robe as though it were nothing more than a daily chore. His dark eyes gleamed with something more dangerous than mere arrogance—certainty.

"I killed him," he said, his voice as calm as a still lake. "Was there something unclear about his statement? He said ’over my dead body.’ So I helped him fulfill his wish."

Gasps broke out across the chamber. Some ministers stumbled back, others clutched at their sleeves in fear, while a few stood paralyzed, their mouths agape but without words.

"You—you’ve gone mad!" another official cried, taking a step back. "This is treason! Blasphemy! You dare spill blood in the sacred palace halls—"

"Treason?" Pei Rong repeated, tilting his head to the side like a curious predator. He turned, not to the speaker, but to the rest of the gathered officials, surveying them with slow, deliberate calculation. "No. This is reform."

At that moment, one of his armored men chuckled from the shadows. "Gods above, boss, that cut was so clean and sharp! Like slicing through air! That guy didn’t even have time to blink."

"Silence," Pei Rong snapped, though his lips curled slightly. "This is a time for solemnity, after all."

Another man, clad in black and red armor, stepped forward. "Should we take the rest of them in, My Lord?"

The Prime Minister waved a hand dismissively. "No need. They will fall in line... eventually. Won’t you?" His gaze shifted again to the trembling cluster of officials. "You are loyal to the empire, aren’t you? Then be loyal to the new empire."

Silence stretched long and taut across the room.

Finally, someone whispered, "What do you intend to do? Take the throne? You’re not royal blood. You have no claim."

Pei Rong smiled. It was the kind of smile that twisted the stomach and made one wonder if they had just invited a demon into their home. "The son of the Empress is royal enough. Once the world knows the crown prince is dead, the people will cry for stability. And what better stability than the first prince taking the throne... under my guidance, of course."

"You intend to puppet the throne?!"

He stepped forward then, his boots echoing loudly, commandingly. "I intend to save this empire from ruin. From cowardly princes who run from duty, from officials too afraid to make hard choices, from women with too much influence in politics! I will restore order. Even if I have to bury the entire court to do it."

The threat was loud. Clear. And horrifying.

In the long, trembling silence that followed, one by one, the officials began to bow—not in loyalty, but in fear.

Pei Rong sheathed his bloodied sword and turned, his robes brushing against Ren Wei’s lifeless hand as he walked away. He did not look down.

Pei Rong didn’t even spare a glance at Ren Wei’s lifeless body as he walked away, his steps slow and deliberate, as if blood hadn’t just been spilled in the heart of the empire. Behind him, silence stretched like a blade. The remaining court officials stood frozen in place, their expressions a mix of disbelief and horror. One of their own... murdered. So casually. So publicly.

Was this really happening?

A man who just days ago had been confined behind prison bars was now striding freely through the palace, surrounded by heavily armed guards, acting as though he already ruled the land.

Their eyes followed Pei Rong’s back, and a terrible truth dawned in their hearts: this man had planned everything. Every death, every move, every silence in the court... all of it. And they hadn’t seen it coming. How long had he been weaving this web?

One of the guards flanking Pei Rong turned slowly to the stunned officials. A jagged scar split his face, and his teeth gleamed as he grinned darkly.

"If any of you old fools think of doing something stupid," he hissed, raising his sword and running his tongue along its edge, "I’ll cut off your limbs one by one. I like watching men crawl."

The officials trembled.

This... this wasn’t just a coup.

It was a complete takeover.

And then, from the courtyard, a messenger ran breathlessly into view, shouting with forced cheer, "Prepare! The coronation will take place in two days! The new Emperor shall ascend the Dragon Throne!"