The snow had not yet stopped, and the cold wind, carrying ice pellets, lashed against the carved window frames, making a soft, rustling sound.
Morning light streamed through the carved windows of the Golden Palace, casting dappled shadows inside. The pale light fell on the court robes of the civil and military officials, making the gold thread embroidery on the brocade robes gleam.
The Golden Palace was solemn at this moment, and all the ministers subconsciously looked ahead.
The Minister of Revenue knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold gold bricks, his voice hoarse: "Your Majesty! In the three northern prefectures, the snow is three feet deep, and more than 10,000 people have frozen to death! In Liangzhou, houses have collapsed, disaster victims are displaced, and people are even resorting to cannibalism!"
He held up the memorial with trembling hands, his voice filled with grief.
He then kowtowed heavily before the main hall: "I beg Your Majesty to suspend the Penglai Palace project, allocate funds for disaster relief, and save the people of my Great Liang!"
"Bang!"
Emperor Liang slammed his hand on the dragon desk, causing the jade seal on the desk to bounce. His face beneath the crown was ashen and ruthless.
"The rebel army led by General Weiwu has already captured two granaries in Liangzhou. Now that funds are being allocated for disaster relief, how will military pay be distributed? Are you old fogies trying to let the traitors march straight to the capital?"
A few sparks flew from the ambergris incense burner in the corner of the palace, as if echoing Emperor Liang.
“But Your Majesty…” the old prime minister stepped forward tremblingly, “the granaries of Liangzhou Prefecture are empty, if not…”
"Enough!" Emperor Liang slammed down the memorial in his hand. "I just received the news of victory yesterday. The rebels will be quelled soon. When that happens, our Great Liang will be peaceful and prosperous, and the world will be at peace again. What could be more important than this? Dismiss the court!"
After Emperor Liang passed away, he always considered himself a great emperor of all time, believing that since his ascension to the throne, the people had enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous era.
Now that this rebel army has emerged, it's like provoking the emperor himself; how could Emperor Liang tolerate it?
"A bunch of old geezers. I think they just want to take this opportunity to line their own pockets. They never provided disaster relief in previous winters. Why is this year different?"
"Without eliminating the rebels, our Great Liang will never have a day of peace. The mighty rebels of Liangzhou are the most important thing!"
Emperor Liang complained to the eunuchs beside him, and they all agreed, since whatever the emperor said was right!
Inside the main hall, a group of ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Sigh, let's leave!" The Minister of Revenue shook his head helplessly.
The old prime minister stood up shakily, looked in the direction the emperor had left, and finally couldn't help but burst into a tirade, his aged voice booming through the hall: "You tyrant! The people of Liangzhou are exchanging children to eat, yet you only care about yourself!"
His withered fingers pointed directly at the dragon throne, the cuffs of his official robe stained with brick dust from his earlier kowtow. "If the late emperor were still in power, he certainly wouldn't have allowed the people to be displaced. You..."
"Father!" A vice minister quickly stepped forward and covered his mouth.
"Why are you stopping me, you unfilial son? You are a heartless wretch..." the old prime minister roared again.
"Haha, don't get me wrong, this is my dad scolding me. He said I'm heartless!"
The vice minister hurriedly dragged his father away, and everyone couldn't help but sigh.
…
The Eastern Palace.
The prince's fingertips caressed the jade teacup as he listened to his confidant recount the farce in the court. His heart pounded, and he quickly said, "Go and invite Mr. Xie."
A scholar in a blue robe emerged from behind the screen, with a bronze abacus hanging from his waist instead of a jade pendant.
“Your Highness,” he said, his fingers clicking the abacus beads, “today’s commotion in court may be a golden opportunity!”
The Crown Prince nodded in agreement, also feeling it was a very good opportunity. If his father was unjust, then he shouldn't be blamed for being unjust in return!
"Go and contact my maternal grandfather immediately, discuss the timing with him, and ask him what his plans are!"
"Remember, you absolutely mustn't let anyone find out!"
The man holding the bronze abacus nodded, turned, and left.
…
The Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Emperor Liang kicked open the gilded palace door, where the snake woman was playing with a gilded incense burner, her tail tip curling around it.
The main thing is that there's a small gray ball hiding inside this incense burner, secretly sleeping there.
Upon seeing him enter, the snake woman rolled her eyes.
"You beast!" Emperor Liang grabbed the inkstone from the table and smashed it down, the black ink splashing onto the vermilion pillar like winding tears of blood. "Even you dare to despise me?"
Snake Girl: "????"
What did she do to deserve this? Did the emperor discover that she was dancing in the main hall?
The emperor of a nation is such a petty wretch; his heart is smaller than a fingernail!
The snake woman glanced at her with her scarlet vertical pupils, but after thinking it over carefully, she ultimately withdrew them.
Anyway, the emperor is about to die, so there's no need to talk to a dead man; it's bad luck!
Emperor Liang regained his composure and said calmly, "If you don't behave, I'll have to seal away all your power and send you to the harem to be an ordinary concubine."
"I think this method is excellent, and it can also temper your arrogance! Perhaps it can even produce an even more capable son for me!"
The snake woman stared in shock once again at her crimson vertical pupils.
What? This old man is trying to make a move on her?
Enraged, the snake woman hid the incense burner in a corner and used a magic trick to deceive the eye.
The next moment, it swung its tail and charged forward.
"You dog emperor, say another word?"
"You beast!"
A sudden gust of wind arose inside the hall, causing the snake woman's dark green scales to stand on end. Her snake tail swept across, snapping a three-inch-thick golden nanmu wood table in two with a "crack".
The jade beads on Emperor Liang's crown swayed violently, and nine colorful energies burst forth from his sleeves, forming a shield of light in front of him.
"boom!"
The snake's tail lashed out at the Qi Yun Light Shield, causing dust to fall from the ceiling of the palace.
The little gray ball hidden in the incense burner was startled awake, and poked half its head out of the burner opening, its beady eyes wide open.
What's going on? Why did they start fighting?
Does that beautiful snake woman have a chance of winning? The little gray ball of fluff watched intently from the other side.
"I should have skinned you alive long ago!" Emperor Liang brought two fingers together, and a crimson aura shot out like an arrow, grazing the snake woman's cheek and scorching her scales.
However, the snake woman's blood jade hairpin, which had transformed into a small snake, suddenly sprang up and charged forward.
"Clang!"
The two gilded palace doors collapsed with a crash, terrifying the palace servants outside who fled in terror.
The little gray ball of fluff took the opportunity to roll to Emperor Liang's side and suddenly "poof" spat out a mouthful of black mist.
"Cough cough... What... thing?" In the instant Emperor Liang's vision blurred, the snake's tail had already coiled around his waist. As the scales contracted, the golden threads of his dragon robe tore apart inch by inch.
"Your Majesty!" A shout suddenly came from outside the palace from the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Seven-colored aura burst forth from Emperor Liang, and the snake woman was thrown away by the sudden burst of power.
Unwilling to give up, she used her last bit of strength to whip her tail off Emperor Liang's crown, and then leaped onto the roof beam.
Hmph, this is what happens when you try to make a move on her!
The little gray ball had already slipped back to the incense burner, pretending to be an ordinary charcoal ball.
Seeing the incense burner tremble, the snake woman thought to herself, "Oh no, that little dumpling has actually escaped!"
It's just that she was fighting too intensely and didn't notice anything!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
