The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 603: If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext.

The iron-fisted edict chilled the court officials to the bone. As they left the Golden Palace where they discussed state affairs, the sunlight shone down, yet they felt an icy chill emanating from their bodies. They looked at each other, each seeing the horror and fear in the other's eyes.

The emperor had not attended court for many days, but when he did attend, his domineering presence and the decrees he issued left everyone speechless with fear.

I am not afraid of the emperor's cruelty, but I am more afraid of the emperor's magic.

The aura of majesty emanating from Tantai Wuji was not merely the majesty of an emperor, but contained much more. However, no one dared to speak of it openly, even if terrifying thoughts welled up in their hearts, they dared not utter a word of it, for he was the emperor, wielding imperial power and possessing the arts of divination.

Zeng Guangchuan and several others stumbled and rushed toward Shen Qinghe, who was now covered in blood. They trembled all over and used their trembling hands to check for his breath. It was a very weak breath, but he was still breathing.

"Quickly, go back." Zeng Guangchuan said, "Don't go back to the Shen family, send it to Wanshi Shop, and send someone to invite Master Gong Qi to come."

Shen Qinghe's eyelids twitched, and he struggled to open them. Seeing Zeng Guangchuan, his lips moved slightly: "Demon..."

She only managed to utter two words before completely fainting.

Zeng Guangchuan's eyes welled up slightly. He understood what Shen Qinghe meant. He was saying that Tantai Wuji was possessed by a demon. He had his doubts. After enlightenment and the attainment of the Dao, how could his personality change so drastically?
Moreover, Tantai Wuji's actions were ruthless and could deter villains, but as the saying goes, "oppression leads to rebellion." He acted like a tyrant, and one day he would turn against himself, losing the hearts of the people and the world. Did he not understand the key point, or did he simply not care?
Regardless, the times have changed. Perhaps the divination results from the Imperial Observatory indicate that this is what will happen. Once a dynasty produces a tyrant and a tyrannical regime, it will surely perish!

Tantai Wuji stood on the high place watching the officials disperse, a cold smile curving his lips. Before, he had held back, fearing that Lang Jiuchuan would entangle him, but now he was no longer afraid.

He is the emperor. As long as he is on the throne, he can do whatever he wants with this dynasty. Whether the people suffer and complain, or live in peace and prosperity, it all depends on his will.

What magic cannot do, power can.

He wanted to use the shackles of the dynasty to slow her down.

This is just the beginning.

He can no longer enjoy the nation's fortune, so he will become a tyrant who inspires awe and fear, plunging the world into darkness.

News of what happened at the morning court session quickly spread outside the palace and even reached the Lang family. When Jiang Che and the others guarding the Lang family heard the news, they were furious. They said to Fu Qi, "That old monster must have taken over the emperor's body. Isn't he afraid that Xiao Jiu will come to kill him? How dare he be so blatant?"

Fu Qi's expression was solemn: "This is an open conspiracy, and also a formal declaration of war. To put it bluntly, now the barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes. He has completely gone mad and is no longer pretending!"

Previously, Tantai Wuji was mindful of his physical body and could endure hardship for its sake. However, now that his physical body has been taken away by Lang Jiuchuan and Fengya, his weakness is gone, and he has nothing to fear.

His current identity is that of the emperor, wielding great power and a mighty army. With a mere word, he can cause corpses to pile up for miles, which is far more effective than magic.

Apiao frowned and said, "One is the open scheme. He has made the whole of Dadan a mess and can also hinder Xiao Jiu's progress. That's one thing. If Dadan really falls into chaos, people will inevitably die, and the energy of this land will become gloomy and chaotic, breeding more demons and monsters."

“Maybe this is what he wants too.” A thought flashed through Fu Qi’s mind. “He lost his physical body. He either needs to find a way to get it back or find another way. Either way, he needs to strengthen himself. He absorbs luck to repair his body and soul. Could he also absorb this bad luck for his own use?”

The use of yin energy isn't entirely unusable; it's just that the techniques employed are sinister. Jiang Che said, "Xiao Jiu hasn't returned yet, so there's no point in discussing this. What's urgent now is how to protect the Lang family. They're already at our doorstep. Should we confront them head-on? That would be disobeying an imperial decree!"

"At this point, defying the imperial decree is fine. Since he's not going to pretend anymore, a complete breakdown in relations is inevitable." A-Piao said coldly, "Let's all get moving. By the way, is that kid hidden properly?"

"rest assured."

Jiang Che leaped onto the roof and saw a large group of black-armored guards galloping towards them on horseback. His tiger eyes turned even more golden as he said, "They're here."

Boom boom boom.

The shock of thousands of troops running through the streets frightened the people in Wujing City, who huddled in a corner, fearing they would become innocent bystanders and wonder what had happened and why the Imperial Guard had been mobilized.

"I've heard that Fairy Lang is a demon. The real Lang Jiu Niang is long dead. The current Lang Jiu Niang is possessed by a demon. She even conspired with evil spirits to kill the Imperial Preceptor and the Holy Maiden. Shen Qinghe, the director of the Surveillance Bureau, was only able to defend her a little, but he was flogged fifty times, his family property was confiscated, and he was exiled. Now it's the Lang family's turn to suffer."

"How could that be? The antidote for the corpse poison plague was developed by Fairy Lang. She's practically a living bodhisattva. How could she possibly be a demon?"

"If His Majesty says she is, then she is!"

Inside the Marquis of Kaiping's residence, everyone turned pale in the face of the sudden disaster.

They never expected that Emperor Jian'an would suddenly target the Marquis's residence, or more accurately, Lang Jiuchuan.

How could this be? Before, Lang Jiuchuan was a living bodhisattva praised and appreciated by everyone. She saved so many people. Even when they left the mansion, people would give them fruits and eggs. How did she suddenly become a sorcerer in the emperor's mouth?
The claim that he is a sorcerer is utter nonsense!
The Kaiping Marquis's residence was in complete chaos. Lang Zhengping gathered everyone together and angrily said, "No one is allowed to make a scene, and no one is allowed to cry. Hold back your tears. If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason. This is a trap set against my Lang family. Everyone, shut your mouths and don't say anything inappropriate."

Although everyone looked ashen-faced, no one dared to say that the trouble was solely caused by Lang Jiuchuan. They shouldn't be implicated; they were all surnamed Lang and came from the same lineage. They had received the benefits and glory she brought, so why should they sever ties now that disaster was imminent?

Even if they distance themselves, can they avoid this disaster? Everyone understands the principle that we all prosper together and suffer together!
Even the most selfish Lang Cailing didn't dare to say anything unpleasant. Although she was willful and stupid, she knew very well that betraying her right now would not do her any good and would only bring her infamy.

Although Lang Zhengping calmed people down, the women still went limp when they heard the commotion outside.

"Boss, come with me. You men, protect the women. If the Imperial Guards rush in, don't fight them. But if anyone in the manor dares to cause trouble, kill them!" Lang Zhengping glanced at the servants, his eyes warning.

"Yes."

Outside the gate, the commander of the Imperial Guards dared not let anyone barge in. Instead, he looked at the several highly respected people blocking the main gate and felt a headache coming on.

"Anyone who dares to enter and disturb the Lang family will have to step over my dead body!" Master Xue, holding a statue of Confucius, squatted in front of the Marquis's mansion with an air of arrogance.

(End of this chapter)