"Yes, sir!"
Zhu Fei readily agreed.
Just then, Sima Lie asked again, "Where are the ten guards I gave you?"
Upon mentioning the ten guards, Zhu Fei's expression instantly turned serious.
He said respectfully, "They are all resting in the manor now!"
"Okay, you should always carry them with you to protect your safety, and make sure they are properly placed."
Sima Lie gave some meaningful instructions.
"This humble general will remember." Zhu Fei cupped his hands in a respectful gesture once more.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, you may leave!"
Sima Lie waved his hand coldly.
But Zhu Fei's eyes darted around, and instead of leaving, he pretended to be troubled and cupped his hands, saying, "Prime Minister, this humble general does indeed have something to say."
"Hmm?" Sima Lie frowned. "What is it?"
Zhu Fei hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said:
"This humble general wishes to request 300,000 taels of silver from the Prime Minister!"
Sima Lie's eyebrows twitched a few times. He narrowed his eyes and asked coldly, "What do you need the money for?"
"Ahem, Prime Minister, you are unaware of the situation. I am new to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and have no power base of my own. Those descendants of military nobles are all former subordinates of Jia Zhengjin, and they have many complaints about me. That is why I need some money to win them over so that I can better serve you in the future."
As Zhu Fei said this, he put on a fawning smile again.
Sima Lie frowned deeply, pondered for a moment, and then slowly nodded and said, "After the Jia family betrayed the truth, Jia Zhengjin and his cronies, relying on their status as descendants of military nobles, have indeed become much more arrogant."
"Since you're so willing, then I'll agree. But General Zhu, remember this! If you take the money today and I ever need your Imperial Guards, and you can't handle it, don't blame me for turning on you without mercy!"
Sima Lie said coldly, and Zhu Fei immediately nodded in agreement.
"Steward, take General Zhu to collect the silver first, then see him off."
"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister!"
Zhu Fei quickly kowtowed several times, then followed the steward away.
...
Meanwhile, in the palace, the night passed quickly.
Qin Yu woke up and turned his head to see that the beauty in his arms was still sleeping peacefully. Zhao Yan's fair skin was still flushed with a faint blush, especially her pair of snow-white legs, where her knees were red and swollen, obviously exhausted from last night.
Qin Yu couldn't help but recall how gentle and tender she had been last night, letting him do whatever he wanted.
Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat, and his throat bobbed a few times.
He suddenly felt a burning sensation again, and unable to resist the itch, he rolled over onto Zhao Yan and began to knead and roll her with his large hands.
Zhao Yan let out a soft moan, immediately awakened by the sudden noise. Opening her eyes, she saw a pair of burning eyes, full of terrifying aggression.
"emperor……"
This wasn't the first time Zhao Yan had seen that look in his eyes. She immediately realized what Qin Yu wanted to do, and her face flushed red. But before she could utter a word in her panic, she heard Qin Yu's deep, hot voice in her ear:
"My beloved concubine, I was too rough with you last night. Come, let me give you a good thrashing."
Qin Yu's voice was urgent, which frightened Zhao Yan into a panicked refusal, "No, Your Majesty, it hurts, please spare Yan'er."
Qin Yu's eyes darkened, and while stroking Zhao Yan's delicate skin with his large hand, he coaxed her with a wicked smile, "Don't be afraid, I will be gentle, just a little bit."
"Your Majesty...you! I will not believe you!"
Qin Yu had already tricked her with this rhetoric more than once last night. Every time she let her guard down, she was met with a storm of criticism!
"Your Majesty! No... My sister will be back soon too."
Zhao Yan's pretty face was flushed, and she felt very shy.
After all, the Emperor is her sister's rightful husband. If her sister were to see him in public, she would be mortified!
Zhao Yan begged for mercy, but Qin Yu did not give in. He grabbed her slender waist and began to ravage her domineeringly.
Now, Qin Yu had a deep understanding of the switches on and off this proud and beautiful body. In just a few rounds, Zhao Yan in his arms was panting heavily, her body limp, and she had no strength left to resist. Only her red lips were still pleading.
Just when Zhao Yan was in the most panicked moment, Qingzhu's urgent voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.
"Your Majesty, Abbot Liu has sent a message saying that an antidote to the Soul-Capturing Powder has been developed, and that there has been a major discovery regarding Sima Jing's identity. He requests your presence."
"oh?"
Qin Yu was slightly taken aback; for him, both of these were pieces of great news.
Zhao Yan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Your Majesty, state affairs are important. You should go there as soon as possible."
"Are you so eager for me to leave?"
Qin Yu's gaze fell on Zhao Yan.
Zhao Yan was stunned, and after a long while, she stammered:
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty only..."
Qin Yu smiled slightly, reached out and gently flicked the tip of her pert nose, interrupting her, "I was just teasing you. Be a good girl and wait for me to come back! Don't worry, your sister isn't coming back to the palace tonight!"
Qin Yu knew that important matters were at hand, so after getting up and dressing, he hurriedly headed to Qingyun Temple.
Upon arriving at Qingyun Temple, Hu Pan had already been waiting there for quite some time.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects," Hu Pan said respectfully.
"No need for formalities." Qin Yu waved his hand, his expression turning serious, and asked, "Has Li Geng escaped his predicament?"
Hu Pan smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "General Li is fine now."
"That's great." A relieved smile appeared on Qin Yu's face.
"By the way, Minister Hu, you also need to pay more attention to protecting the other loyal ministers who have been persecuted by Sima Lie in the imperial prison. Save as many as you can."
"Your Majesty, I understand. Rest assured, this is my duty," Hu Pan said solemnly.
The two walked and talked.
They talked about the current situation of the loyal ministers who were imprisoned in the imperial prison. Qin Yu had already instructed Hu Pan to protect these pillars of the country and to rescue them one day so that they could be put to use by him immediately!
Moreover, having endured the horrific torture of the imperial prison without betraying his cause, he saved himself the trouble of being tested and probed.
After a conversation, Hu Pan suddenly thought of someone, and his expression instantly turned serious.
"Your Majesty, there is an official whom I believe must be rescued as soon as possible," Hu Pan said in a deep voice.
"who?"
Hu Pan lowered his voice: "General Li Dingbang, who is being held in the number one cell in the Heavenly Palace, is in critical condition these days!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu immediately frowned: "What's wrong, General?"
This old General Li Dingbang was indeed mentioned by the true emperor and Xuejian during their conversation. He had followed the late emperor in his campaigns since childhood, rising from an unknown soldier to the rank of Grand General through his meritorious service in beheadings! He was known as the Butcher of the Great Xia!
He single-handedly created the most elite Xuanjia Iron Cavalry of the Great Xia Dynasty. Wherever their iron hooves went, they were invincible. Even Zhao Hu respected them greatly, and they had extremely high prestige in the army!
General Li was upright and honest throughout his life. He clashed with Sima Lie repeatedly because he could not stand Sima Lie's abuse of power and chaotic politics. He also wrote several memorials to obstruct the real emperor's selection of beauties. As a result, he was dismissed from his post and left to stay at home by that useless man!
With Li Dingbang no longer in charge of the army, Sima Lie and his ilk quickly emerged to seize power.
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