Chapter 223 Just waiting for you to take the bait!
The next day, the Golden Palace.
Before daybreak, all civil and military officials had gathered.
Prime Minister Yun wore a brand new official robe today. He looked energetic, with an uncontrollable sense of pride in his eyes and eyebrows.
In his opinion, Xiao Yu had been forced into a dead end.
The Black Armor Guards could not explore the cold palace, and the spies could not find any clues. Apart from sulking in the palace, the regent who once had all the power in the court was now nothing more than a toothless tiger.
Xiao Yu stood quietly at the head of all the officials, his dark court robe making him look like a handsome jade.
"If you have something to report, please report it. If not, please leave the court—"
The eunuch's shrill voice had just fallen.
A person no one expected stood up tremblingly.
He is an old official of the Censorate, Censor Li.
This old man was notoriously stubborn and stubborn. His favorite thing to do was to criticize anyone who made a mistake. He even dared to contradict the emperor in person. He was an "old stubborn man" who gave everyone in the court a headache.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty has a memorial to report!"
As soon as Censor Li opened his mouth, Prime Minister Yun frowned subconsciously.
"Tell me." A hoarse voice came from behind the bead curtain.
"Your Majesty!" Censor Li cleared his throat. "I've recently been inspecting the capital and have noticed frequent unusual phenomena. The people are feeling uneasy. This is truly worrying!"
"For three days straight, the dog of the butcher Zhang's family in the east of the city barked incessantly at the palace in the middle of the night. The well water at Grandma Wang's house in the west of the city suddenly tasted bitter. And the three-year-old son of the scholar Liu in the south of the city woke up every night, crying and saying he had dreamed of a black-clothed monster flying in the sky."
"The most bizarre thing is the Guan Gong statue in the Guandi Temple in the north of the city. A few days ago, it rained, and the Guan Gong statue actually shed tears of blood. Now the people in the capital are talking about it, saying that this is a warning from heaven. Our Great Zhou... fears that disaster will befall us."
Censor Li spoke with great emotion and deep sorrow.
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Golden Palace was filled with whispers.
These rumors were spread by Chu Xuanyi who had spent an entire night mobilizing his gang of cronies to make up stories.
I didn’t expect the effect to be so good.
Prime Minister Yun’s face turned dark on the spot.
"Ridiculous," he shouted sternly, "Li Yushi, as a censor of the imperial court, you receive the emperor's salary, yet you do not care about sharing his worries. Instead, you use these rumors to destabilize the country and mislead the emperor! What crime should you be punished for?"
Censor Li stiffened his neck and replied fearlessly, "Your Excellency the Prime Minister is mistaken. The people's will is the foundation of the nation! If the people are uneasy, the nation's fortune will be unstable! These may be minor matters, but a single glimpse reveals the whole picture. There must be a reason behind them. As a Censor, I must report anything I hear. What crime have I committed?"
"You!" Prime Minister Yun was so angry that he blew his beard and glared.
Imperial Master Chu Xuanyi slowly stepped out, whisk in hand. He first bowed to the bead curtain before speaking:
"Your Majesty, what Censor Li said is not groundless."
"As the Imperial Master, I have been observing the celestial phenomena for days, and have discovered that the Purple Star above our Great Zhou is dim and shaky. Furthermore, a sinister aura of unknown origin is lingering over the Imperial City like a dark cloud, lingering for a long time!"
"This sinister and insidious aura is the root cause of the frequent strange phenomena in the capital and the public's unrest! After repeated divination and deduction, I have discovered that the core of this aura lies precisely... near the Emperor's bedroom!"
“Nonsense!”
Prime Minister Yun pointed at Chu Xuanyi's nose and angrily shouted, "Chu Xuanyi, how dare you! The Emperor is ill and recuperating, and you dare to say that there is evil spirit in the Emperor's bedroom? Are you openly cursing the Emperor? I think you are the one who is spreading evil rumors and has evil intentions!"
"Prime Minister, please calm down."
Chu Xuanyi remained calm and just glanced at him indifferently.
"It is precisely because the Emperor's dragon body is in poor condition that I must report this observation. This evil spirit is different from ordinary evil spirits. It specifically attacks people's luck and lifespan. If it is not promptly identified and completely eradicated, and allowed to continue, I am afraid... I am afraid it will be extremely detrimental to the Emperor's... dragon body recovery!"
Prime Minister Yun was so angry that he was shaking all over and was about to open his mouth to refute.
Regent Xiao Yu, who had been silent all this time, finally raised his eyes slowly.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister."
"What the Imperial Master said sounds a bit unbelievable. However, it is better to believe it than not to believe it."
He turned towards the bead curtain and bowed slightly.
"The well-being of our Royal Brother is the top priority of our Great Zhou. Regardless of whether this evil spirit is true or false, as long as there is even the slightest possibility that it will affect our Royal Brother's body, we cannot take it lightly."
"I believe this matter is worth it, even if it is just for the sake of peace of mind. What do you think, Prime Minister?
Prime Minister Yun's face instantly turned the color of liver. He pointed at Xiao Yu and said, "You...you...Your Highness, you are making up stories!"
"Prime Minister, I'm only speaking the truth." Xiao Yu's tone remained calm. "Could it be that in your eyes, my brother's recovery is less important than dispelling some so-called 'nonsense'?"
"I second the motion! The Prince Regent is absolutely right. The Emperor's health should be the most important priority."
"I second the motion! I implore the Emperor to grant the Imperial Master permission to perform a ritual to bless our Great Zhou and exorcise the evil spirits for the Emperor."
A group of veteran officials, led by Censor Li, immediately knelt down and responded in unison.
Although the officials of Prime Minister Yun's faction wanted to refute, they could not find any reason to refute under the politically correct pretext of "praying for the emperor".
The entire court instantly split into two factions, arguing endlessly with sharp words.
"quiet!"
Xiao Yu stopped all the quarrels with a low shout
"Royal brother, this matter concerns your holy body. I and the other lords dare not take the initiative. Please let your Highness make the decision personally."
After a suffocating silence, the controlled puppet behind the bead curtain finally spoke with difficulty.
"Ahem... The Regent... and all the beloved ministers, thank you for your kindness."
"Since that's the case... then... let's follow the Imperial Master's advice."
Done!
A cold smile flashed in Xiao Yu's eyes.
"However... the rules in the palace's forbidden areas are very strict. During the ritual, to ensure the safety of the emperor, General Li, the commander of the imperial guards, must supervise the entire process. I wonder... what the Imperial Master and the prince think?"
General Li is Prime Minister Yun's trusted lackey, who was personally promoted by him.
The meaning couldn't be clearer.
Sure, but I'll send my people to keep a close eye on you!
"Also... the ritual is limited to my bedroom, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and the Imperial Garden in front of it. No one is allowed to enter any other areas, so as not to... disturb the harem."
They were scared.
They were afraid that Chu Xuanyi and Ajiu would take the opportunity to run away.
Especially...the direction of the cold palace.
Xiao Yu and Chu Xuanyi quickly exchanged a knowing look, and Xiao Yu bowed again to the bead curtain.
"Your Majesty has thought it through. I obey your command."
The other party took the bait.
Although the bait had two extremely sharp barbs, it was still bitten hard in the end.
As long as the fish comes ashore, it has no control over whose flesh the two hooks will pierce!
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