The crack of Liu Hao's fist against General Wang's jaw echoed through the silent throne room like a gunshot. For a heartbeat, nobody moved. Even the guards holding Wang were too stunned to react. The General's head snapped back, his body going limp for a second before the guards hauled him upright.
"Liu Hao!" Qingxue's voice sliced through the air, sharp and cold. "How dare you! You are in my presence, in my courtroom. You have no right to lay a hand on a prisoner who was in the middle of a royal confession!"
Liu Hao pulled back, his chest heaving, his knuckles white. He tucked his hand into his sleeve, covering his fresh wound and bowed low, his face a masterpiece of fake remorse. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I… I lost control. Hearing that this man murdered my colleague, Prime Minister Xiao, and my friend, General Wei… the rage simply took me. I couldn't stand to hear his lies a second longer."
