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

At the crossroads of the long street, the gates of hell open.

Li Xu rode on horseback, followed by three thousand fully armed elite infantrymen from the Commander's Office.

They stood like a group of silent statues, blocking the only way to the Ministry of War and the inner city.

The torches fluttered in the wind, casting long shadows of them, making them look like a group of ravenous demons ready to devour their prey.

"Whoa!"

Minister of War Gachuhale reined in his horse and looked at the suddenly appearing army before him, his pupils contracting sharply.

Those were soldiers from the Infantry Commander's Office!

"That's... Li Xu?"

By the light of the fire, Gachuha recognized the young man leading the group. He was an imperial bodyguard, a servant born into a bondservant family, who always stood beside the emperor during court sessions.

"A good dog doesn't block the way!"

Although Gachuha felt a little uneasy, he still maintained the dignity of the Minister of War.

He spurred his horse forward, brandishing his whip and pointing at Li Xu, shouting, "Li Xu! You dog of a lackey! Are you blind? I am the Minister of War! I have urgent military business to attend to and must return to the yamen. Tell your men to get out of here immediately! Otherwise, I will charge you with treason!"

At this very moment, he was still trying to use his official authority to suppress people.

Li Xu stared expressionlessly at the enraged old man, a mocking smile playing on his lips, and slowly raised the golden token in his hand:

"By imperial decree: Minister of War Gachuha, a high-ranking official of the court, has not served his country but has instead formed cliques for personal gain, colluded with rebels, and committed heinous crimes deserving of death!"

"Gachuha, your path has come to an end!"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured directly over Gachuha's head.

To join the rebellion? To incite rebellion?

This is a direct determination!

"Bullshit! Utter nonsense!"

Gachuha's face turned deathly pale, and he roared fiercely, "I am utterly loyal to the Qing Dynasty! This imperial edict is fake! It's a forged decree! I demand to see Grand Secretary Ao! I demand to see the Empress Dowager! Get out of my way! All of you, get out of my way!"

As he spoke, he suddenly spurred the horse's flanks, attempting to force his way out of the blockade.

"Ao Zhongtang?"

Li Xu sneered, slowly raising the musket in his hand, the dark muzzle pointing at Gachuha's chest.

"No need to rush, Ao Bai is already waiting for you down there. If you go too late, you might miss the first bite."

"What did you say?!"

Gachuha shuddered, and extreme terror finally showed in his eyes.

Ao Bai is dead? How is that possible?!

"I don't believe it! I am the Minister of War! I am a high-ranking official of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner! You, a mere bondservant, dare to kill me? Where do you get the guts? Be careful, or I'll slaughter your entire family and desecrate your ancestral graves!"

Gachuha roared hysterically.

"court death!?"

Li Xu narrowed his eyes, his finger on the trigger.

Normally, he would never dare to speak to a high-ranking Manchu official like this, but things are different now!

"Bang!"

A loud bang echoed through the long street.

Flames spewed forth, and smoke billowed.

The roar of Minister of War Gachuha abruptly stopped, a bloody flower burst open in his chest, and he was sent flying backward as if struck by a heavy hammer, crashing heavily onto the bluestone pavement.

Those eyes were wide open, staring intently at the night sky, as if they couldn't believe it even in death that a mere bondservant dared to kill a Manchu Minister of War in the street!

"master!"

"Murder! Murder!"

The servants of Gachuha were terrified and thrown into chaos.

Li Xu blew away the smoke from the muzzle of his gun, not even glancing at the corpse on the ground, and coldly ordered: "Minister of War Gachuha, who resisted arrest and plotted rebellion, has been executed on the spot! Anyone else who dares to resist will be considered an accomplice and killed without mercy!"

At his command, the soldiers behind him charged forward like wolves and tigers, wiping out Gachuha's servants and guards.

Although he killed Gachuha, Li Xu was still not satisfied. He dispatched 500 men to Gachuha's residence, confiscated his property, and exterminated his entire clan!

"You want to kill my whole family? I'll kill your whole family first!"

Li Xu glared at Ga Chuha and spat fiercely.

Soon, the Ministry of Personnel's residence turned into a battlefield.

However, tonight's killing spree had only just begun. Li Xu, without stopping and covered in the smell of gunpowder, headed straight for his next target: Asiha, the Minister of Personnel.

.......

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the entire capital in a somber atmosphere.

The three thousand elite soldiers of the Infantry Commander's Office, like a group of demons crawling out of hell, shattered the tranquility of the long street with their torches in hand and their steps perfectly synchronized.

The firelight illuminated half the sky and also reddened Li Xu's young yet cold face.

At this moment, he was no longer the little follower who followed the emperor around all day, but a "living Yama" who held the golden token and the power of life and death.

The Minister of Personnel, Asiha, was having a sweet dream while embracing his newly acquired concubine when he was suddenly awakened by a commotion.

"Master! Something terrible has happened! There are soldiers everywhere outside! Our manor is surrounded!" The steward rushed in, scrambling and tumbling, his face pale with fright.

Asha was furious and rushed to the front hall, still wearing his clothes.

The gate had been smashed open, and countless heavily armed soldiers poured in like a tide, completely surrounding the courtyard.

"How dare you! Which unit are you from? How dare you trespass into the Ministry of Personnel's residence! Do you have a death wish?!"

Asiha, relying on being Aobai's confidant, was used to being arrogant and didn't take these soldiers seriously at all.

He pointed at Li Xu, the leader, and cursed, "Who are you? Who gave you the audacity to mobilize troops to surround my residence?!"

Li Xu, mounted on his horse, looked down at the old man who was still putting on airs, his eyes as if he were looking at a dead man.

He slowly unfurled the imperial edict in his hand, his voice icy and chilling: "By imperial decree: Minister of Personnel Asiha, as a high-ranking official of the court, has not thought of serving the country, but instead has sided with the rebels and aided and abetted the tyrant. His crimes are unforgivable!"

"What?!"

Asheha was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale instantly.

"Sympathizing with the enemy? That's a crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan!"

He forced himself to remain calm and shouted, "Where is Minister Ao? I demand to see Minister Ao! This is a frame-up! I demand to see the Emperor!"

"Ao Zhongtang?" Li Xu smiled contemptuously. "That old scoundrel has already left and is waiting for you down there!"

"Dead?!"

Asha felt dizzy, but he didn't want to accept his fate.

How could a high-ranking Manchu official, the Minister of Personnel, die at the hands of a mere guard?

"You're talking nonsense! This imperial edict is fake! I am the Minister of Personnel, and you, a lowly bondservant, dare to..."

"Bang!"

A sharp gunshot rang out, interrupting his roar.

Asha had a bloody hole between his eyebrows, his eyes wide open, and he fell straight backward. Even in death, he didn't understand how this "servant slave" dared to actually fire a gun.

Li Xu blew away the smoke from the muzzle of his gun, his face expressionless: "The traitor Asiha resisted arrest and plotted rebellion; he has been killed on the spot!"

He glanced around at the trembling Manchus and said coldly, "What are you looking at? A bunch of traitors!"

"Men, execute all these traitors!"

"What?!"

Before anyone could react, the soldiers, who had been poised to attack, pounced on them like wolves.

In an instant, screams and pleas for mercy echoed through the night sky from the Minister of Personnel's residence.

"His Majesty has said, evil must be eradicated completely!"

Li Xu touched the still-warm pistol at his waist, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

Hong Xiguan gave him a secret order: In this round of arrests of Ao Bai's henchmen, kill those who can be killed, and kill those who cannot be killed, one by one! Leave no one alive!

For Li Xu, this was not cruelty, but loyalty.