Sheng Fu

Chapter 1032 Harsh Sound

With a slight wave of his sleeve, the Emperor opened a narrow passage in the palace area.

In a short while, Xie Yiming brought this member of the Purple Gold Alliance to His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, we have captured a member of the Purple Gold Alliance, whose background and origins are still unknown. This is a matter of great importance, and we dare not make decisions on our own. Therefore, we have brought the person here to Your Majesty." Xie Yiming knelt down and kowtowed in respect.

After becoming a Wuji powerhouse, Xie Yiming escorted prisoners of the same level to His Majesty for the first time. His emotions were in turmoil. Before His Majesty could speak, Xie Yiming remained in a kowtow position.

Even when this member of the Purple Gold Alliance stood before His Majesty, he still kept his spine straight.

However, the next moment, a cracking sound was heard, and the man instantly knelt on the ground, his kneecaps shattered, his face contorted in agony, his teeth clenched, and he was writhing in excruciating pain.

"You have rendered meritorious service, my dear minister. Rise and speak." The Emperor looked at Xie Yiming with a playful smile.

The Human Emperor could easily see that this member of the Purple Gold Alliance was being invaded by the Netherworld True Essence. In the Human Emperor's eyesight, if Xie Yiming were to fight this person one-on-one, even if he could win, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.

Xie Yiming slowly stood up, bowing his head slightly, not daring to meet His Majesty's gaze.

Unlike young people like Yuwen Jun, Xie Yiming may seem carefree and unconventional, but he has always been a person who abides by the rules.

"Sending people to me in such a grand manner is quite an idea, but I want to know whether this is your strategy or someone else's?" the Emperor asked Xie Yiming.

In the Emperor's impression, Xie Yiming is quite sensible, but he is rather lax in his specific tactics and strategies, and so far, he has no outstanding achievements.

Xie Yiming was speechless for a moment. After thinking it over, he decided to be an honest man in front of His Majesty.

"It was Yuwen Jun's idea," Xie Yiming replied.

There's no other way but to not be an honest person. As the Human Emperor, he can naturally sense that the Demon Queen is currently within the human realm.

The emperor was not surprised by this.

"King of the South, please step down for now. In the coming days, do your best to maintain order and control the situation. If you find yourself unable to do so, you may come to the capital to report at any time," the Emperor said casually.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yiming kowtowed again and replied, "Yes, sir!"

With that, Xie Yiming left the place.

A moment later, a commander of the Imperial Guards, whose face was covered in armor, came up behind His Majesty the Emperor.

"Take this man away and place him under house arrest. Serve him with the best wine and meat. He can live in many ways, but he cannot die," the Emperor whispered.

Without further interrogation, the Emperor was well aware of Yuwen Jun's intentions.

As long as this person lives well within the capital, it will inevitably arouse suspicion and doubt among the other members of the Purple Gold Alliance, and internal strife may occur.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the Imperial Guard commander, his face covered in armor, replied in a resounding voice.

……

North Palace.

The excitement continued as Fu Cheng, atop the high platform, delivered a rousing speech, displaying immense power and winning thunderous applause.

"The world should have changed long ago!" someone exclaimed.

Duanmu Zhi looked around and saw that most people's faces were filled with heartfelt enthusiasm, wanting to create a new landscape in this era and truly do something of lasting benefit to the country and its people.

Throughout history, rulers have been meticulous in their planning and devised ingenious strategies, yet they have consistently failed to consider the true feelings of ordinary people at the bottom of society.

If given a choice, who would want to spend their whole life toiling in the fields?
Who would willingly be born to be a servant or maid?
Everyone should have at least one opportunity to choose.

In reality, many people come into this world in a daze and die in a daze. But tonight, the Northern Prince's Mansion is destined to be filled with laughter and joy, and an unexpected event will spoil the mood.

From the crowd emerged an elderly man who appeared to be around fifty years old. He was overweight, dressed in a brown brocade robe, with small eyes and a bulbous nose. It was unclear whether his ruddy complexion was due to drinking a few cups of wine or simply his natural ruddy complexion.

"Your Highness the Northern King has spoken at length about the benefits of the new policies. I wonder if Your Highness is aware of their drawbacks?"

As soon as this person spoke, the bustling Northern Prince's Mansion suddenly fell silent.

The man bowed to those around him, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "I am Zhang Ren, a minor county magistrate in Yunhan Prefecture. I am not a high-ranking official. My words may sound harsh, but I have to say a few words."

"I made you laugh."

For a moment, the members of the Northern Seven Laws, as well as Duanmu Zhi, all cast heavy glances at Zhang Ren.

In fact, many people in the crowd cast fierce glances at Zhang Ren.

Seeing this, Zhang Ren was not afraid. Instead, he laughed loudly and said, "I have only spoken these heartfelt words, and some people already have the intention to kill me."

"Since the new policy ensures equality for all, everyone has the opportunity to speak out."

"But now it seems that the new policy is not like that."

Clearly, Zhang Ren came prepared and was not one to be intimidated.

Upon seeing this, Fu Cheng, who was on the high platform, quickly raised his hand to appease the assembled heroes. Then, with one hand behind his back, he said to Zhang Renyan with a gentle expression, "Tonight, you may speak freely. Every voice is worth listening to."

"I wonder what instructions you have for me tonight, sir?"

Zhang Ren cupped his hands in a fist salute to Fu Cheng, forcing a not-so-sincere smile, and said, "It is truly my honor to be addressed as 'Sir' by Your Highness. I am overwhelmed with gratitude."

Fu Cheng readily agreed, saying, "You flatter me. The Northern King is a human being, and so is the county magistrate. There is no greater equality than this."

Zhang Ren's expression hardened, then he clapped his hands.

Soon, two strong young men arrived with a widow and her child.

When the crowd saw the orphan and widow, their expressions turned somber.

His mother was about twenty years old, dressed in rags, barefoot, and looked fairly good, but she was pale and thin, and it was unclear how long it had been since she had taken a bath, as she smelled of something sour.

The child was about five years old, completely naked, emaciated, with timid eyes, as if afraid that the people around him would eat him.

Fu Cheng frowned slightly.

Guo Shenghe, Gao Zhi, and the others also clenched their fists in secret. Although they knew what Zhang Ren'an was up to, they really couldn't find a legitimate reason to take action against him.

Given the current situation, there are countless people who share Zhang Ren's stance.

Zhang Ren glanced at the angry expressions on everyone's faces, then said to Fu Cheng in a firm voice, "Recently, public opinion has been surging and rampant, to the point that many local officialdoms have lost their original stability and order."

"As everyone can see, this orphan and widow came from a poor background and lived a difficult life."

"Before the new policy was announced, my mother and child made a living by selling pancakes on the street. Although life was hard and they didn't earn much money, they were able to make ends meet."

"But now, due to the public opinion surrounding the new policies, public sentiment has been lost, order has been disrupted, and our local officials are facing mountains of government affairs, yet we don't know where to begin, and basic prices are rising."

“The lives of ordinary people at the bottom of society are already difficult. With the rise in prices, many people are unable to make ends meet and dare not spend money casually. As a result, the pancake stall of this widow and her child also declined.”

"Even though the new policies are brilliant, innocent people are about to starve to death."

"May I ask, Your Highness, what is the solution to this predicament?"