260: First cry, then make a fuss, then hang yourself!

Seeing this, Cao Zhengchun quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Your Majesty, your old servant greets you!"

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand, his gaze passing over him and landing directly on Lu Jiuyuan, who was walking calmly from behind.

There was not much grief or anger on the young emperor's face; instead, he wore a hint of curiosity and... an imperceptible excitement?

He took a few steps to Lu Jiuyuan's front, lowered his voice, and his tone actually carried a hint of approval: "Imperial Uncle, well killed!"

Lu Jiuyuan's eyebrow twitched slightly as he looked at this emperor who did not play by the rules, and he did not speak.

Zhu Houzhao also seemed to feel that his words were inappropriate, so he cleared his throat and lowered his voice even further:

"Those two fools, relying on Mother Empress's favor, were lawless in the capital. I had long wanted to deal with them!"

"It's just that, due to Mother Empress... sigh! Imperial Uncle's actions are deeply to my liking. Although... a bit too forceful, it also helped me and the people of the capital vent our anger!"

He paused: "However, Mother Empress... I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to her. Imperial Uncle still needs to be careful in handling it. I will do my best to mediate for you."

Lu Jiuyuan reached out and directly put his arm around Zhu Houzhao's shoulder, quietly asking, "You rascal, was there a scheme of yours in this?"

"Certainly not, Imperial Uncle, am I that kind of person? If I schemed against you, you can twist my head off!" Zhu Houzhao also didn't act like a stranger to him, saying in a low voice.

"It's a deal!" Lu Jiuyuan said in a relaxed tone, tightening his arm around him slightly.

But it made Zhu Houzhao's scalp tingle.

Zhu Houzhao nodded, then put on the dignified air of the Son of Heaven and said to Cao Zhengchun: "Chief Cao, Mother Empress has been waiting in Cining Palace for a long time. Take Mr. Lu over there.

I... I will arrive shortly."

He was, after all, a bit guilty and dared not immediately face his mother, whose brothers had just died.

"Your old servant obeys the decree."

Cao Zhengchun bowed in response, but his heart was full of bitterness.

Your Majesty, you were quick to slip away, but this mess still falls to this old servant to take the blame!

The group continued forward and arrived outside Cining Palace.

Before even stepping through the palace gates, a heart-wrenching wail could be heard from within.

Amidst the sorrow, there was an endless mix of grievances and accusations.

"Oh, my brothers! How tragically you died! How could you leave your sister alone and depart!"

"How can your sister face our parents in the Yellow Springs hereafter!"

"Lu Jiuyuan! You heartless wretch! This Empress Dowager treated you like her own brother, and the Emperor respected you as an Imperial Uncle. You... how could you be so ruthless!

You are gouging out this Empress Dowager's heart and liver!"

Cao Zhengchun was a bit stunned listening from outside the palace gates. This... seemed a bit different from the expected thunderous rage?

He had already prepared for a fight! It seemed, there was no need to act?

He braced himself and stepped forward to announce: "Reporting to Empress Dowager, Imperial Uncle Lu... Imperial Uncle Lu is waiting outside the palace for an audience."

The crying inside suddenly ceased, then erupted into an even higher-pitched tone:

"Let him in! Let him in to see! See what good deeds he has done, and how he has angered this Empress Dowager!"

The voice was tearful, and rather than a command, it was more of a lament.

Cao Zhengchun turned back, gave Lu Jiuyuan an even more complex look, and stepped aside.

Lu Jiuyuan's expression remained unchanged. He straightened his robes and calmly stepped into Cining Palace.

Inside the palace, Empress Dowager Zhang was not sitting on the Phoenix chair, but slumped on a soft couch, her hair disheveled, her eyes swollen red, her face streaked with tears, and a soaked handkerchief clutched tightly in her hand. She was truly a tearful wreck.

When she saw Lu Jiuyuan enter, even deeper sorrow welled up, and she pounded her chest:

"You've come! Take a good look! See if this Empress Dowager's heart hasn't already been shattered by you!

Even if my two brothers had a thousand faults and ten thousand wrongs, you could have admonished them, scolded them, or even broken their arms and legs, but why did you have to take their lives!

How do you expect this Empress Dowager... this Empress Dowager to live on!"

As she cried, she secretly observed Lu Jiuyuan's expression from the corner of her eye. Seeing that he remained calm, her heart grew even more bitter, and she suddenly stood up from the soft couch, making as if to crash into a nearby pillar!

"This Empress Dowager won't live! My own brothers are gone, and this sworn brother is also so heartless. What meaning is there for this Empress Dowager to live!"

The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs were scared to their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and rushed forward to hold her back tightly.

"Empress Dowager, please calm your anger!"

"Empress Dowager, please take care of your Phoenix body!"

In the midst of the chaos, the Empress Dowager struggled, crying out: "Let me go! Let me die cleanly!

Let me go down to accompany my two ill-fated brothers!"

Lu Jiuyuan stood there, quietly watching the Empress Dowager perform this act of crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide. Only when the Empress Dowager was somewhat exhausted from crying did he slowly speak:

"Elder Sister."

This one word, "Elder Sister," caused the Empress Dowager's wails to suddenly halt.

Lu Jiuyuan looked at her: "I killed them not for personal grievance, but for the laws of the land.

An imperial decree had already been issued, and they openly defied it, roaring at the imperial messenger, which is akin to rebellion.

If this trend continues, the nation will cease to be a nation. As an Imperial Uncle, and having a sworn brotherhood with you, Elder Sister, both publicly and privately, I cannot sit idly by while Your Majesty's prestige is harmed and your good name is tarnished."

"If they dared to defy the imperial decree today, tomorrow they would dare to commit even more rebellious acts. By then, the implications would be even greater, and it would wound Elder Sister's and Your Majesty's hearts even more.

Long pain is not as good as short pain. My action today may seem heartless, but in reality, it is to protect Elder Sister and the last shred of dignity for the Zhang family."

"Speak like a normal person! Why are you using such formal language in front of me?"

"Those two committed many evil deeds and were foolish. They were used as pawns, ruining our relationship, and deserved to die!"

The Empress Dowager choked on his blunt words, and her crying stopped.

She raised her swollen eyes, looking at Lu Jiuyuan in disbelief: "You... you killed someone, and you're still so self-righteous?"

"Precisely because they were foolish, they died where they should have." Lu Jiuyuan's tone was calm, merely stating a simple fact:

"They were used as pawns to sow discord between us, my sister and I, to test my bottom line, and to disrupt the court.

If they didn't die now, they would die tonight. If they didn't die, how could the mastermind behind them give up?

Today they dared to let their servants forcibly abduct women and defy imperial decrees. Tomorrow they would dare to commit even more lawless acts that could implicate the entire Zhang clan.

Elder Sister, can you protect them for a while, can you protect them for a lifetime? You can protect them while you are alive, but when you die, who will protect them?"

He took a step forward, his gaze as sharp as a sword, piercing directly into the Empress Dowager's heart:

"Or are you saying, Elder Sister, that you would rather see the Zhang family dragged down to eternal damnation by these two fools, than protect these two fools?"

The Empress Dowager was speechless by his question. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

How could she not know what kind of people her two brothers were? It was just the Bloodline affection that made her soften and indulge them again and again.

Now, with Lu Jiuyuan ruthlessly tearing off this fig leaf, the bloody reality lay before her, making her shiver.

Lu Jiuyuan looked at her pale face, his tone softened slightly, but still carried an undeniable resolve:

"I killed them to cut off the dark hands reaching towards the Zhang family, and to extinguish the flames that could potentially burn Your Majesty and you, Elder Sister.

I will bear this bad reputation. I will accept this Karma."

"If Elder Sister hates me or blames me for this, I have nothing to say.

But if anyone tries to stir up trouble with this, no matter who they are, my sword will not recognize them either."

The Empress Dowager stared blankly at Lu Jiuyuan: "So I should thank you then?"

"You're welcome! This is what I should do!"