Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Chapter 234 The man who came back from the dead

Zhao Yi's expression changed slightly.

He subconsciously cast an inquiring glance at the figure standing at the head of the court officials.

Shen Huaimin lowered his eyelids and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Zhao Yi immediately made a decision.

Seeing him looking around and not making a move, Li Jing grew impatient and said in an unquestionable tone:

"Did you ignore my words?! Didn't you hear me order you to kill him?!"

Zhao Yi raised his head, his face filled with bitterness and helplessness. He clasped his hands and said frankly, "Your Majesty, please forgive us! It is not that we are disobeying your imperial decree, but rather... we are simply powerless to do so!"

"This boy's strength is unfathomable. If we subordinates rush forward rashly, it will be tantamount to throwing our lives away. Your Majesty, please consider this carefully!"

"presumptuous!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing felt his authority had been challenged like never before, and he was furious, saying:

"You are imperial guards, receiving the emperor's salary and serving him faithfully! How dare you now cowardly defy the emperor's decree and openly disobey his orders?!"

"Are you trying to rebel?!"

What happened next made Li Jing's eyes narrow suddenly, and his heart sank to the bottom!

Zhao Yi simply ignored his roar.

Instead, he turned around and walked quickly to Shen Huaimin, who had been silent all along, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.

Their attitude was even more respectful than towards him, the emperor: "Lord Duke!"

This scene, like a thunderclap, resounded in everyone's hearts.

Li Jing stared intently at Shen Huaimin, his eyes icy and piercing, and said, word by word, "Shen... Huai... Min! What do you mean by this?"

"Now you're not even bothering to cover it up? Are you planning to openly rebel today?!"

Shen Huaimin finally raised his head. "Your Majesty, what makes you say this? This old minister does not understand."

He remained unfazed, his gaze calmly meeting Li Jing's fiery stare, and said indifferently:

"This old minister simply believes that what Commander Zhao said was a wise move to save the lives of the Imperial Guards."

He paused, his tone tinged with a hint of admonition: "Your Majesty, for the sake of the late Emperor, this old minister once again advises you: stop."

"Young Master Li... is not someone you can afford to offend. If this continues, it could lead to irreversible consequences."

"It's a rebellion! It's all a rebellion!"

Li Jing instantly flew into a rage, almost roaring, his voice hoarse, "You damned traitors! Traitors and rebels! You all deserve to die! You deserve to be torn to pieces!"

He pointed at Shen Huaimin and launched into a tirade of abuse: "You old bastard! Over the years, I've practically granted every request you or your Shen family could ask for, showering you with endless favors!"

"But how have you treated me? Ah! You have betrayed me, colluding with the murderer of my prince to plot a rebellion!"

"Do you deserve the kindness the late emperor bestowed upon you?! Do you deserve the trust I placed in you?!"

But Shen Huaimin's face also darkened, and a suppressed grief and murderous intent that had been pent up for many years was faintly revealed.

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly: "Favor? Trust? Hahaha..."

His laughter was desolate, filled with endless sarcasm, as he said, "You... should know better than anyone how my two sons, who were decorated with great military achievements and should have been guarding the borders for the country, died on the frontier!"

Li Jing's expression suddenly changed, alternating between pale and flushed.

"Indeed! It was my order!"

Now that the pretense was over, he decided to stop pretending and said with a sinister grin, "To be precise, it was Father Emperor's order!"

"If you must blame someone, blame the Shen family for their overwhelming achievements and the fact that their protégés and former subordinates are all over the army. I... had no choice but to do this!"

"This land belongs to the Li family, not the Shen family!"

Shen Huaimin slowly closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, as if to inhale all the pain and resentment that had been building up for decades into his lungs, and then slowly exhale it.

When he opened his eyes again, all that remained in them was a cold, resolute gaze.

"This old minister understands the late emperor's concerns..."

"Therefore, although I harbor immense resentment, for decades I have always been diligent and conscientious, fulfilling my duties as a subject, and have never truly harbored any thoughts of rebellion, all for the sake of preserving this Great Yu empire."

"But what about you, Your Majesty!"

Shen Huaimin's voice suddenly rose, filled with thunderous rage, and he said:

"You are incompetent and tyrannical, utterly incapable of shouldering great responsibilities! You favor treacherous officials and persecute loyal ministers! As a result, the power of the Great Yu Kingdom has declined day by day, the people have suffered, and resentment has risen everywhere!"

"Now they've gone even further, selling out the country for personal gain, making concessions at every turn, ceding territory to sue for peace! All so that you alone can live a life of ease on this dragon throne... coveting that fleeting moment of glory!"

"Have you ever cared about the lives of the people under heaven?! How can you face your ancestors in the afterlife?!"

At this point, he suddenly turned around.

Facing the young man seated high on the dragon throne, he cupped his hands, bowed, and performed a solemn salute, his voice resounding throughout the entire Golden Palace:

"I, Shen Huaimin, humbly beg Young Master Li, for the sake of the countless suffering people of the Great Yu, to execute this tyrannical ruler, cleanse the court, and restore order to the world!"

Li Wudao's lips curled slightly, forming a cold arc. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

He dropped his lazy expression, leaped down from the dragon throne, his white robes fluttering, and strolled leisurely toward Li Jing, who was pale and terrified below.

Every step he took felt like stepping on Li Jing's heart.

"You...you stay away! Protect the Emperor! Quickly, someone protect the Emperor!!"

Li Jing's face showed obvious panic. He staggered backward, knocking over the ceremonial guards behind him, looking utterly disheveled.

Just now.

A smug and cold laugh suddenly came from outside the Golden Palace:

"Father, don't panic! None of these rebels will escape today!"

Before the words were finished, the eldest prince, Li Zheng, strode into the hall, surrounded by a group of heavily armored and imposing guards.

A smug, confident smile played on his lips as he swept his gaze over Li Wudao, his eyes filled with resentment and murderous intent.

What's even more unsettling is that an elderly man was following him.

The old man's hair was so thin that he was almost bald, with only a few strands of white hair sticking to his scalp like withered grass.

As soon as they entered, everyone felt a wave of death emanating from the old man, as if he had just crawled out of his grave.

He was hunched over, so thin he was practically skin and bones, as if a gust of wind could blow him over. His loose, old robe hung loosely on his body.

His eyes were cloudy and dull, and he walked unsteadily into the main hall, leaning on an ebony cane.

It even gives people the illusion that he might collapse to the ground at any moment, his body completely falling apart.

The old man's appearance initially did not attract much attention.

Many people thought he was just the eldest prince, an old man who was brought from some obscure corner of the world and was nearing the end of his life.

However, when the several white-haired old ministers carefully examined the body, their eyes widened and their bodies trembled violently.

Those senior officials stared intently at the old man who had one foot in the coffin, their voices trembling with disbelief as they exclaimed:

"Is...is it you? His Majesty Emperor Wen...is it Emperor Wen?!"

The two characters “Emperor Wen” seemed to possess some kind of mysterious magic, instantly capturing everyone’s attention!

Swish!Swish!Swish!

Countless gazes were filled with surprise, bewilderment, and a growing sense of horror.

Everyone focused their attention on the unassuming old man from all directions.

Emperor Wen – Li Wenshan!

This name was as heavy as a mountain to the ministers of the Great Yu present!

He was the restorer of the Dayu Dynasty and a true pioneer. He reigned for 260 years, and his achievements in both civil administration and military affairs were truly brilliant!

During that most difficult period, amidst the covetous gazes and encirclement of the five powerful neighboring states, the territory of Dayu was forcibly expanded by one-third.

This ushered in a golden age known by historians as the "Reign of Wen and Yuan," a period of great prosperity where the national treasury was full and the people lived in peace and happiness.

The assembled officials stared intently, unable to recover for a long time, their astonishment and bewilderment filling them with confusion.

its not right!

As early as thirty-five years ago, it was rumored that Emperor Wen's lifespan was coming to an end, and the whole country was dressed in mourning.

His portrait still hangs in the most central position of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where it is worshipped by emperors and people of all ages.

How could someone who was confirmed dead and buried in the imperial mausoleum more than 30 years ago possibly... how could he still be alive?!