The villagers all left the village and headed to the paradise that Ye Li had previously found.
Before heading to the capital, Ye Li wanted to visit the border region to see what the situation was like there.
So, what is the capital city that he used to long for now like?
Let's go back a few days, to the day when news of the Divine Elephant Army being defeated by the Northern Barbarian Wolf King at the border reached us.
"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court is dismissed..."
A group of officials entered the main hall, and sitting on the dragon throne before them was the current emperor, Liu Jie, the ninth emperor of the Daqian dynasty.
Beside him stood Li Zhi, the current prime minister.
"My beloved ministers, if you have something to report, please do so. If not, please withdraw from court. I need to return to the inner palace to rest."
The emperor looked weary of court affairs, and the prime minister beside him smiled at the ministers, causing many officials to lower their heads.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report. The border has been breached, and the barbarian wolf king has led tens of thousands of his people to plunder our Daqian."
Wherever they went, people suffered and cries of despair filled the land…
"So, Zhang Aiqing, what do you want to say?"
He rested his right hand on the dragon throne, propped his head up, and looked down at the men below.
He remembered this guy; he was only a fourth-rank official and a mere scholar. The fact that he dared to be the first to step forward at this time probably wasn't entirely his idea.
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you send our imperial troops to suppress the bandits and restore peace to the land."
The emperor on the dragon throne remained silent, but the prime minister beside him spoke up at that moment.
“Scholar Zhang, you just said that you are restoring peace to the world. Are you questioning the peaceful and prosperous era created by His Majesty?”
Or perhaps you harbor some resentment towards His Majesty and are using the matter of the barbarians as a veiled criticism?
"No, I..."
With such a serious accusation leveled against him, he instinctively wanted to refute it, but the Prime Minister didn't give him the chance.
"Your Majesty need not worry about that Northern Barbarian Wolf King. In addition to the Divine Elephant Army, my Great Army also has the Heavenly Tiger Army, the Iron Lion Army, and the Fire Ox Army. Furthermore, the capital city has the invincible Dragon Guard."
"The mere wolf king is nothing but a small dog in front of Da Gan, insignificant and easily destroyed."
"Haha, the Prime Minister is right. The Prime Minister's words are much more pleasant to hear, unlike those of the people below."
While chatting and laughing with the prime minister, the emperor waved his hand, signaling the guards on both sides to drag the person who had just spoken away.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I'm innocent! I really didn't..."
Before he could finish speaking, two sticks slapped him across the mouth, and he couldn't say anything more.
The other ministers in the audience had originally planned to mention disaster relief and the peasant uprising.
Given the current situation, they dare not even mention it.
"Well, it seems that all of you ministers have nothing else to say. Let's adjourn the court session here."
As everyone left the main hall, they looked at the trace of blood on the steps outside, still shaken.
"How long do you think our great dynasty can last? Ever since that treacherous minister seized power, the court has become a complete mess..."
"Hey, you can't say things like that carelessly. If someone hears you, you could lose your head."
The group huddled together, complaining about their experiences over the years.
The prime minister, Li Zhi, was a minister left behind by the late emperor. I originally thought he was a loyal and virtuous man, but I never expected him to be such a treacherous and rebellious traitor.
According to their understanding, of the taxes collected by the emperor under various pretexts, at least half of the portion that could enter the capital was handled by the prime minister.
The remaining half was handed over to the prime minister's cronies, and it's uncertain how much of it will actually be of any use.
"The real traitor has already revealed himself. His true nature is that of a fox. He is a truly wicked and evil person who will bring disaster to the country and its people."
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