If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

The imperial city remained awake all night.

The news seemed to have grown legs, bursting out from behind the vermilion walls and seeping into every street and alley.

What began as whispers quickly escalated into a storm that everyone knew about.

Draw a line in the ground and govern accordingly!

These four words are a godsend for some, but a death sentence for others.

Countless second- and third-rate aristocratic families sensed an opportunity. The heads of these families stayed up all night, their eyes bloodshot, plotting how to snatch a piece of meat from the fingers of the giants in this feast of power.

Less than half an hour after the royal messenger set off, a group of aristocratic masters and martial artists led their fast horses and left the imperial city for various parts of Daliang.

The imperial city, which was once teeming with experts, was nearly emptied out in just a few hours.

But things didn't stop there.

The Li family has dropped an even more explosive bombshell.

The Li family will host a banquet at Longyuan Hall in the evening, inviting heads of various families to join in the grand event.

Countless prominent families who received the invitations were shocked.

They all knew that the Li family wanted to use the banquet to establish their position as the leading aristocratic family.

But the problem isn't there, it's in the location—

Dragon Abyss Palace!

That's where the royal family holds state banquets; only the royal family can host them!

The Li family's actions were undoubtedly an attempt to completely trample on the emperor's dignity.

"They've gone mad! The Li family has gone mad!"

"The Li family is really bold; they're sure the young emperor won't dare to cause trouble."

"It seems that the Li family truly deserves to be the head of the aristocratic families."

The fact remains that imperial power has been usurped; no matter how angry the emperor is, it is nothing more than the mournful cry of a caged bird.

Thus, letters of acceptance to the banquet were sent to the Li residence.

……

Qinggang City, Li Mansion.

The banquet hall was brightly lit, and the aroma of wine and meat filled the air.

Li Gang sat in the main seat, his face flushed red from drinking, and he was all smiles.

"Gentlemen!"

He raised his glass, his voice booming.

"The main secret message has arrived!"

Li Gang held up a letter with a sealing wax stamp high and waved it in front of everyone.

"The division of territory into separate domains is now a settled matter! From this day forward, Qinggang City belongs to the Li family!"

His gaze swept over the people present, all of whom were his trusted confidants in the city.

"You are all my right-hand men. When I, Li Gang, become the clan leader in the future, I will certainly share in the riches and glory!"

"Congratulations, young master!"

"Young Master is mighty!"

A chorus of fawning congratulations immediately erupted from below the hall.

A middle-aged man with a goatee stood up, raised his glass, and shouted.

"The young master is a man of great talent and ambition; he will surely become the ruler of Liang in the future! What are the Lu and Zhang families? Do they even deserve to compete with Master Gang?"

"That's right! In my opinion, it should be 'Long live'!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" rose and fell, making Li Gang feel completely relaxed and light as a feather.

He laughed heartily, waved his hand, but showed no humility whatsoever.

"It's too early to claim the throne of Great Liang. But this little Qinggang City certainly needs a thorough cleaning."

He put down his wine glass, leaned forward, and lowered his voice.

"Those old bastards from the Zhang family in the city have always been arrogant and domineering, relying on their armor. I'll seize this opportunity to swallow them up in one fell swoop and eliminate any future trouble!"

Everyone perked up, and the effects of the alcohol wore off considerably.

"Your Majesty is right!"

"I've disliked them for a long time!"

"Please give the order, Your Majesty!"

The group discussed the matter animatedly and quickly devised a detailed plan for the takeover.

Li Gang nodded in satisfaction, and then emphasized it again.

"Listen up, timing is crucial."

"Once the loudspeaker at the city's daily newspaper building blares out the news and it's announced throughout the city, we'll act immediately! That way, we'll have a legitimate reason to attack, catch them off guard, and give them no time to react!"

"Hahaha, brilliant!"

The crowd clapped and laughed, as if they could already see the other families groaning at their feet.

In contrast to the lively and bustling atmosphere here, the atmosphere in a servants' courtyard in the backyard of the city lord's mansion was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Several men dressed in luxurious robes were sitting around a stone table.

They were the illegitimate sons of the Li family who held military power.

Li Gang is about to take action against the Zhang family, and as the military commanders, they naturally won't be kept in the dark about the news.

And that's why fear spread through their hearts.

Li Shiqi, who was in the lead, had a calm expression. He looked at the brothers who commanded the most troops and spoke first.

"His Majesty has agreed to a policy of governing from a designated area. Once today's events are over, I fear our military power will be taken back by those scoundrels from the legitimate line. What do you think?"

A man with a hideous scar running from the corner of his eye to his chin on his left cheek slammed his fist on the stone table.

His only remaining right eye was filled with hatred.

"Just because they lost the last battle, they blew out one of my eyes! Now they want to take my troops? Dream on!"

The man gritted his teeth and spoke each word clearly.

"At worst, we'll both go down in flames!"

Beside him stood a man whose face was relatively intact, but whose expression was full of worry.

"Thirty-one, don't be impulsive. Even if we really rebel, what can we do? If we break the clan rules, there will be nowhere for us to hide in this vast world, and we will surely die."

"Whether you hand it in or not, you'll die!"

Li Shiqi let out a long sigh, his voice filled with helplessness.

"A son born of a concubine is worse than a dog."

He remained silent for a long time before finally raising his head.

"Go back and prepare for battle. When the time comes, we'll see how things unfold and see if we really have to go down a path of mutual destruction."

The group exchanged glances, all seeing despair in each other's eyes. They responded with a heavy sigh and then dispersed.

An eerie silence enveloped every city of Daliang.

The people sensed an unusual tension in the air, and every household stayed indoors, with few pedestrians on the streets.

Around noon, a fast horse burst through the city gate, kicking up dust. The messenger on horseback carried the imperial flag and headed straight for the Daily News Pavilion in the city center.

Everyone was alarmed.

People came out of their homes and gathered curiously under loudspeakers in various places, eager to hear what earth-shattering events had occurred in the imperial court that day.

Sizzle... sizzle...

After the piercing crackling of electricity, a somber voice rang out from the city's loudspeakers.

"The Royal Daily Press reports... Today may be the last time the Royal Daily Press reports for everyone."

"I regret to inform all citizens of Great Liang that this morning at court, the major aristocratic families, citing 'misleading the people,' advised His Majesty to grant them permission to govern their own territories..."

"His Majesty's efforts to persuade him were in vain, and in the end... he agreed."

boom!

The whole city was in an uproar.

After a brief silence, came a torrent of angry curses and weeping.

"That damned aristocratic family! May they die a horrible death!"

"His Majesty……"

"Oh my God!!!"

Countless people felt heartbroken and resentful for that young emperor.

In stark contrast to the sorrow of the common people, bursts of barely suppressed jubilation erupted from the mansions of the city's most prominent families.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Li Gang laughed greedily, his eyes filled with madness.

"From this day forward, this world belongs to our family! It belongs to the Li family! And in the future, it will belong to Li Gang!"

He stood up abruptly and gave a stern order.

"Guards! Order my clansmen to immediately proceed to key points throughout the city, take over the city's defenses, and drive all the emperor's men out!"

"yes!"

Several direct descendants excitedly accepted the order and left.

Li Gang turned to the assembled soldiers of the concubines in the courtyard and ordered, "You... those in command of troops, follow me to surround the Zhang family!"

"Yes."

The illegitimate sons responded listlessly.

Seeing this, Li Gang felt a surge of displeasure and secretly resolved that once everything was completely settled, he would find a pretext to kill all these disobedient illegitimate sons.

He didn't bother to look at them again. While thinking about how to deal with these people in the future, he led a large group of men and blocked the Zhang family's gate with great momentum.

Panic gripped the Zhang residence.

Li Gang excitedly raised his hand, about to shout.

"Those scum of the Zhang family, prepare to die..."

Before the words were even finished, the city's loudspeakers, amidst the eerie silence, began blaring electrical noises once more.

zizi——