I, Kangxi, am here to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming!

It's almost dusk.

The Thousand-Step Corridor on the east side of the Forbidden City, which is usually the main office of the Six Ministries, is now so quiet that only the sound of the night watchman's clapper can be heard.

This tranquility was soon shattered by a series of hurried and orderly footsteps.

Clad in armor, with his hand on the hilt of his sword, Songgotu, followed by over a hundred menacing palace guards, headed straight for the Ministry of War, which controlled the deployment of troops across the land.

"Surround it!"

At Songgotu's command, hundreds of guards rushed into the Ministry of War's office and surrounded the gate.

"Who goes there?! How dare you trespass on the Ministry of War's restricted grounds!"

Before the guards at the gate could react, two cold steel knives were held to their necks. Before they could even scream, they were dragged into the shadows and gagged like two dead dogs.

"Break down the door!"

Without any further ado, Suo'etu waved his hand.

"Bang!"

The vermilion gates of the yamen were violently smashed open, and Suo'etu, exuding a chilling aura, strode in.

However, as the military hub of the Qing Dynasty, the Ministry of War was the busiest government office, handling urgent military situations from all over the country every day.

Today, the official on duty in the main hall is a Mr. Wang, a trusted confidant planted by Ao Bai. He is sitting with his legs crossed, drinking tea, humming a tune, and plotting how to please the Minister so that he can be promoted again.

Suddenly, the gate burst open, and a group of fierce-looking armored soldiers rushed in.

Wang Yuanwailang was startled, and the teacup in his hand crashed to the ground.

He suddenly stood up, looked at the leader, Suo'etu, and recognized him as the third master of the Suo family.

But he didn't panic.

In this city of Beijing, anyone who is a member of Ao Zhongtang can do whatever they want. Although the Suo family is prominent, they still have to bow their heads in front of Ao Zhongtang.

"Song'etu! Have you gone mad?"

Wang Yuanwai pointed at Suo'etu's nose, adopting the air of an official, and shouted sternly, "This is the Ministry of War! Without the Minister of War's order, without Ao Zhongtang's decree, who allowed you to bring your troops in? Do you want to rebel?!"

This is a classic example of information lag; he's still living in the past.

Soetu looked at the clown jumping around with icy eyes.

"By imperial decree! Take over the Ministry of War!"

As he spoke, he pulled out the bright yellow imperial edict from his robes, held it high, and proclaimed loudly: "From this moment forward, all troop deployment documents, official seals, and other official documents of the Ministry of War are to be sealed! No one is to leave or enter without authorization! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

The official was taken aback for a moment, then sneered.

"By imperial decree? By whose decree? The Emperor's?"

He curled his lip in disdain, his face showing contempt: "Lord Suo, don't forget, the military power of the Qing Dynasty is in the hands of Grand Secretary Ao! Major matters such as troop deployment must be approved by Grand Secretary Ao! You think you can appoint the Ministry of War with just an imperial edict from the young emperor? It's a joke!"

With that, the official waved his sleeve and shouted to the stunned clerks around him, "Don't just stand there! Get back to what you were doing! Let's see who dares to touch the Ministry of War's files! I'll send someone to consult with Grand Secretary Ao right now, and let him judge this matter!"

That's courting death.

During periods of power transition, the most taboo thing is someone who cannot see the situation clearly and tries to use the sword of the old era to kill the new officials.

Soetu smiled.

The smile held a hint of pity, but more so, cruelty.

"Seek instructions from Grand Secretary Ao? Very well, I'll take you to see him right away!"

Before he could finish speaking, a cold glint appeared.

"Clang!"

Suo'etu drew his sword, swung it, and sheathed it with fluid, fast movements that were almost imperceptible.

"Pfft!"

Suddenly, a line of blood appeared on Wang Yuanwailang's neck. His eyes widened, and he covered his throat with both hands, making a wheezing sound like a bellows.

Blood gushed out from between his fingers, staining his proud official robes red.

"You...you..."

He stared at Suo'etu in disbelief, then his body went limp and he collapsed, twitching twice before becoming still.

The lobby was deathly silent.

All the Ministry of War officials were terrified. This was a fifth-rank official appointed by the imperial court! Just like that... he was killed like a chicken?

Suo'etu flicked the blood off his knife, kicked aside the corpse of Wang Yuanwailang, and surveyed the entire room with a chilling gaze: "Listen up! Ao Bai committed treason and has been executed on the spot by the Emperor!"

"Who else wants to consult Ao Bai? Step forward, and I'll see them off!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, leaving everyone terrified.

Ao Bai... is dead?!

The arrogant and fearless Manchurian warrior, Ao Zhongtang, is dead?!

Fear spread among the people like a plague.

"Seal off the gate! Search!"

At Songgotu's command, the guards behind him pounced on the various guardhouses like wolves and tigers.

"Seal all the cabinets! Pack up all the troop deployment tokens, documents, and records, and take them with you! Not even a piece of toilet paper with writing on it is allowed!"

"yes!"

The Ministry of War was instantly thrown into chaos.

Just then, a dark figure slipped out of the lobby amidst the chaos, hugging the wall as it tried to run towards the back door.

He was a clever man in charge, and was highly regarded by Ao Bai. When he heard that Ao Bai was dead, his first reaction was not to surrender, but to go and report the news!

As long as this news gets out, to the Minister of Personnel, or to the Bordered Yellow Banner camp outside the city, there is still a chance for things to turn around!

He ran very fast and was about to reach the back door.

"Whoosh!"

A sharp arrow pierced the night sky with a shrill whistle, precisely striking his back.

"what!"

The man screamed as the immense force propelled him forward, pinning him firmly to the vermilion door, his hand still clutching the secret letter he hadn't yet had time to send.

Blood dripped down the arrow shaft, pooling into a glaring red stain on the threshold.

Without even turning his head, Songgotu coldly said, "It seems there are still some who disregard my words."

His gaze swept over every trembling official present.

"I will say this one last time: Ministry of War, seal off the area! Entry is permitted, but exit is not!"

"Anyone who thinks their neck is stiffer than this door is welcome to try again."

Dead silence.

Absolute silence.

The few leaders who had just been clinging to hope and whose eyes were darting around now all had their heads down in their pants, not daring to breathe.

Looking at the still convulsing corpse on the door panel, they finally realized something:

Tonight, there's no dinner party, no bureaucratic wrangling.

Tonight, people are going to die!

"Did you all understand?" Soetu suddenly raised his voice and shouted.

"I understand... I understand!"

A group of usually arrogant high-ranking military officials now resembled a pack of cowardly dogs, shrugging their necks as they spoke.

"Get to work!"

After uttering two words, Songgotu no longer glanced at the terrified officials and sat down in the original seat of the Minister of War with an air of authority.

At that moment, the entire Ministry of War was like a machine being violently dismantled.

Dozens of elite guards rushed into the archives, some sealing it, others packing it into boxes. The imperial edicts, tallies, and seals that usually symbolized supreme military power were now roughly swept into boxes like a pile of scrap metal.

"The Minister's personal seal has been found!"

"The troop deployment and settlement register is here!"

"Three ledgers for embezzled funds from the Jingji Military Camp have been seized!"

Each report was like a slap in the face to those officials.

In less than half an hour, the Ministry of War, which controlled the deployment of Qing troops, was completely paralyzed.

But this is not enough.

Soetu stood up, walked to the door, and looked at the long, secluded thousand-step corridor outside.

This is the location of the Six Ministries, the heart of the Qing Empire. If this heart is not temporarily stopped beating, the poisonous blood flowing out will ruin the Emperor's important affairs.

"Pass on the order!"

Soetu's voice pierced the night, cold and devoid of any warmth.

"Seal off the entire Thousand-Step Corridor!"

"Ministry of War, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Works... all six ministries are strictly forbidden from allowing anyone to leave! Tell the brothers to keep their eyes peeled! Tonight, if even a mouse crawls out of one of those ministries, it'll be chopped in two!"

"Yes, sir!"