The impact of fear far surpasses any threat.
The dagger pierced the carotid artery in his neck without resistance, instantly staining the white tablecloth before him crimson. Blood gushed out, flowing down Grand Duke Shuysky's body, soaking his magnificent robes, and staining the golden floor of St. George's Hall.
Grand Duke Shuysky struggled desperately, trying to dislodge the blade, but Tuchkov's blade continued to penetrate deeper, widening the wound. The gushing blood continued to spray, turning the face of the high-ranking nobleman sitting opposite Grand Duke Shuysky red.
This scene of throat-slitting was more bloody and shocking than anything else. Some timid noblemen trembled with fear, their heads held firmly in place by guards, forced to watch the entire bloody spectacle.
Only Grinsky and Belsky remained relatively calm as they watched the Tsar's execution. They had never imagined that Ivan IV would use such methods to assert his sovereignty over them. It was also a subtle warning to the others; he could slit the throats of everyone present, just as he had killed Shuysky.
Grinsky's hand, gripping the fork, turned pale. He suddenly remembered the numerous guards Ivan IV had deployed at the palace gates, and Tuchkov's sudden disruption made Grinsky increasingly feel that the other was manipulating the young Tsar to eliminate political rivals.
Damn it.
The firelight flickered slightly, and the fork, bent slightly by Grinsky, reflected his pale, gloomy face. He had never felt so bad; the Tsar, while sweeping them away to ascend the throne, had also become his greatest obstacle.
Grinsky's mind was a mess. Tuchkov had already completed the killing—Grand Duke Shuysky's fierce struggle had turned into limp, powerless arms hanging down. Blood loss was fading his consciousness; he felt increasingly exhausted. Darkness was engulfing him from all sides, and facing his only savior, Ivan IV, his eyes held only fear and despair.
They could no longer control the thirteen-year-old Tsar.
Shuysky slowly closed his eyes. Before losing consciousness, he only saw a chaotic banquet hall. Amidst the bloody executions, some high-ranking nobles collapsed, breaking free of their guards and attempting to escape from the devil's chamber.
Ivan IV watched the chaotic hall with interest, while Tuchkov, his hands stained with blood, shielded the young Tsar.
At the moment Grand Duke Shuysky collapsed, many grand dukes thought Ivan IV had gone mad and was about to turn on them. However, all the exits were now blocked, and only Ivan IV coldly observed the group's distraught expressions.
Then he stood up and slammed his fist on the table.
"Quiet down!"
Ivan IV's words stunned everyone. Coupled with the drawn swords of the guards, the others could only suppress their will to survive and were forced by the guards to walk towards the banquet table.
Grinsky and Belsky exchanged a glance in the chaos, remaining silent on the matter. Opposing Ivan IV now was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. The entire Kremlin had become a cage, imprisoning all the grand dukes. Ivan IV,
his expression grim, scrutinized the grand dukes and said, word by word, "Listen carefully, all of you. From now on, without my order, no one is allowed to leave this dining room. I will only say this once. If anyone dares to leave..."
He crossed his hands, resting his chin on them, and coldly helped the lifeless Shuysky to his seat, saying, "You can try?"
This was the most nerve-wracking dinner the grand dukes had ever eaten in the Kremlin. They would occasionally glance up at the indifferent Tsar, then quickly lower their heads again, absentmindedly chewing their food. The grand dukes, likewise, dared not look up at the gruesome corpse, displayed so starkly before them, a symbol of the Tsar's swaggering power.
Every second was torture.
Finally, when the banquet ended, the grand dukes rose to bid farewell to the Tsar.
Surprisingly, Ivan IV did not stop them, but nodded, gesturing for them to leave.
Having received the Tsar's generous permission, they eagerly headed outside, trying to breathe fresh air instead of filling their lungs with the pungent smell of blood. Just as they reached the door, someone couldn't help but squat down and vomit, expelling all the nausea they had suppressed.
Grinsky and Belsky quickened their pace, leaving them behind. Although they were equally uneasy, they wouldn't make a fool of themselves before the Tsar like those inexperienced lords.
Grinsky reached the Kremlin entrance, but the scene before him made him stop, his eyes widening in shock.
Corpses swaying in the wind on gallows assaulted his vision.
They were women of the Shuysky family, lined up side-by-side, hanged on crosses. Their faces held the terror of their impending deaths; the poor women probably wouldn't have believed they would be hanged by the very monarch they served.
They must have been killed here during the banquet, for one purpose only:
to serve as a warning to the other grand dukes—to oppose Ivan IV and face certain death.
Belisky, standing behind Grinsky, was equally pale. He clenched his fists as he looked at the swaying corpses. Ivan IV's intentions were clear: anyone who dared to stand in his way would be the next corpse.
"Your Majesty… this is a warning to others. If we dare to act rashly again, will we be the next to be dealt with?"
Belisky couldn't understand why Tsar Ivan IV had completely changed in just a few days. He had completely shed his cowardice and timidity, becoming a bloodthirsty tyrant.
"What a terrible person… I hope that after Shuysky dies, he won't appear again…"
"How could that be, Belisky, you are too naive. If you want to live, we must form a court alliance to resist the Tsar's relentless pressure."
Grinsky looked at the swaying, obese corpse, like dead pigs hanging on iron hooks, swaying precariously in the cold wind.
He said with a chill, "Because this is only the beginning, my friend."