Meanwhile, within the palace walls, an air of solemnity and coldness prevailed.
Marquis Weiyuan and his associates were all forced to kneel before the grand hall.
The Emperor nonchalantly placed his pieces on the chessboard, the crisp sound resembling a tolling bell of fate.
As dawn broke, Chen Zhong had men carry crates of musket into the palace. "Emperor, the musket from estate are all here, and the craftsmen have been apprehended and thrown into the dungeons."
Only then did the Emperor put down his chess pieces, his gaze calmly fixed upon the members of the rebellious faction below. Decades of imperial rule had endowed his gaze with an overwhelming intensity that left all unable to meet his eyes.
A long silence followed, broken by his faint words: "Marquis Weiyuan, we have been rather lenient with your Liang family."