Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 39 Drawing a cake to satisfy hunger is not as good as having plenty of wine and meat.
On the reviewing stand, the night wind howled, causing Chen Ye's bright yellow dragon robe to flutter loudly.

He didn't give a long speech, nor did he offer any inspiring platitudes.

Because these days there are no fools. Trying to convince people to work for you with just a few empty words is pure delusion.

Instead of just making empty promises, let's get practical.

"Bring wine, meat, and money!"

Soon, barrels of fragrant wine and basins of copper coins worth ten or a hundred were brought up and distributed according to rank.

Food and drink are plentiful, money and cash are plentiful—that's Chen Ye's attitude.

The Imperial Guards soldiers, whose eyes had previously held a hint of complexity and hesitation, were now eating heartily, their mouths brimming with grease, their bags still clutching their newly issued rewards. Their gazes toward the figure on the high platform also underwent a subtle change.

Perhaps this emperor was indeed absurd and muddle-headed, but he was truly devoted to his own people.

This is enough.

This is exactly the effect Chen Ye wanted.

First, make them feel that they are not bad as emperors; that's the first step.

Tong Lei, standing to the side, glanced furtively at the emperor in front of him, both shocked and puzzled. He felt that His Majesty's figure seemed particularly unfathomable tonight.

Meanwhile, news that the emperor had inspected the Imperial Guards late at night and lavishly rewarded the soldiers quickly spread among the high-ranking officials of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

Cui Mansion.

"What does he want to do? What exactly does he want to do?!" At this moment, Wang Yuanzhi's face no longer showed his usual composure, but instead showed a trace of undisguised panic.

"First he claimed to be ill and refused to see us, then he secretly ordered Xuanjizi to be transferred away, and now he's actually going to inspect the Imperial Guards! Brother Cui, this isn't just unusual, this is a show of force against us!"

Cui Lang's expression was equally unpleasant; he too was wondering what Yang Zhao was up to.

"Brother Wang, please calm down. Even if Yang Zhao wanted to work hard to revitalize the court, he has no chance now. After all, the situation has deteriorated to this extent. I don't believe he has any magic tricks to turn things around."

“But… what if?” Wang Yuanzhi understood the reasoning behind Cui Lang’s words, but he was still somewhat worried.

“What if…” A sharp glint flashed in Cui Lang’s eyes, “If something really does happen, then don’t blame us for being impolite.”

Late at night, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was warm and cozy, with the gentle fragrance of incense.

Chen Ye took off his dragon robe, wearing only a bright yellow casual outfit, and leaned against the soft couch, closing his eyes to rest.

A white-haired chief eunuch walked in silently with small, quick steps, carrying an ebony tray on which dozens of green-headed ivory plaques were neatly arranged.

"Your Majesty, it's late. Shall we choose a concubine?" The head eunuch's voice was high-pitched and thin, his face plastered with a fawning smile.

Chen Ye slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the dominoes, and then waved his hand.

"No need, I'm a little tired today."

The head eunuch was taken aback.

Tired?

This is not His Majesty's style. You know, in the past, he was always indulging in revelry every night.
The head eunuch subconsciously raised his head and met Chen Ye's gaze.

What a pair of eyes those are!

It was no longer the turbidity and madness of the past, but as deep as an ancient well, looking at itself with scrutinizing eyes.

The head eunuch trembled with fear and quickly lowered his head, not daring to even breathe.

"Yes, slave, please resign!"

He dared not utter another word, hastily bowed and took his leave, exiting the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Only after stepping outside and being buffeted by the night wind did the chief eunuch realize that his back was soaked with cold sweat.

He discovered that His Majesty had indeed changed. He was no longer the manic, mad, and cowardly monarch he once was. Instead, he was like a ferocious beast lurking in the darkness, ready to devour anyone at any moment, sending chills down one's spine.

A moment later, the chief eunuch met with Situ Wang Yuanzhi, who had come in person, in a secluded corner.

Wang Yuanzhi slipped a heavy gold ingot into the other man's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "How is it?"

The head eunuch wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, lowered his voice, and recounted what had just happened.

After hearing this, Wang Yuanzhi's face turned so gloomy it could drip water.

Because he realized the seriousness of the situation.

An emperor indulging in wine and women is not frightening, nor is an emperor seeking immortality or Taoist arts. What is frightening is an emperor who suddenly becomes detached from worldly desires and begins to reorganize military affairs!

This is no longer just out of control; it's a sign of a backlash!
He could no longer remain calm, and immediately turned around and rushed to the Cui residence that very night.

"We can't wait any longer, we must act immediately, otherwise things might get complicated!"

While things were turbulent on one side, Chen Ye had already quietly left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

He changed into the dark purple eunuch robe, reverting to his sinister and intimidating appearance as an old eunuch. He then wandered through the intricate palace alleys deep within the imperial city, finally arriving outside the Cold Palace where the thousand young girls were imprisoned.

"Ancestor!"

The eunuch in charge of guarding him was so frightened when he saw him that his legs went weak and he scrambled over to pay his respects.

Chen Ye let out a cold snort from his nostrils, taking it as a response.

"Are those people inside still behaving themselves?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, they are all behaving themselves perfectly well!" the eunuch replied, bowing and scraping. "Especially since His Majesty issued the decree the other day, instructing that they be treated well, we servants have not dared to be negligent in the slightest, and have been served the finest wine and food at every meal!"

"Hmm," Chen Ye nodded indifferently, "Well done. We are all His Majesty's dogs, so naturally we must carry out His Majesty's orders properly."

"Our ancestors were right!"

After dismissing the eunuch, Chen Ye stepped inside.

A sense of oppression washed over us.

Hundreds of young girls, in the prime of their lives, huddled like frightened lambs in a cold corner of the palace. When they saw Chen Ye's pale, sinister face, they were instantly filled with immense fear, trembling like leaves.

Chen Ye's gaze swept across the faces of the girls, finally settling on one of them.

This is a fair-skinned girl with a stubborn look in her eyes; she is none other than Wu Xiaorui, the little bell girl from the Cai Zi Men sect.

Upon seeing her, Chen Ye couldn't help but nod secretly.

Fortunately, she is fine.

However, he didn't say much, but turned to instruct the eunuchs in charge of guarding the area.

"Look closely, these are all people His Majesty values. Their food, clothing, and daily necessities must not be lacking. If I find out that anyone dares to neglect them, you'll be in for a world of hurt!"

"Yes, yes! Don't worry, Your Majesty, we understand!" the guarding eunuchs repeatedly agreed.

Chen Ye said no more, flicked his sleeve, turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the deep night.

Only when the suffocating, chilling atmosphere completely disappeared did the girls in the cold palace seem to come back to life. Their tense bodies went limp, and many of them began to sob softly again. An atmosphere of despair enveloped everyone like a dark cloud.

Only Wu Xiaorui and a few other girls from the Cai Zi Sect remained somewhat calm. After all, they were women who had ventured into the martial world, and their temperaments were far more resilient than those of ordinary young ladies.

(End of this chapter)