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

"It's so lively!"

Zhao Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone in the hall.

The once bustling Longyuan Palace fell silent in an instant, leaving only the lingering echoes of the music after it had abruptly stopped.

All eyes were focused on the entrance to the palace and on Zhao Yu.

Lu Mingyuan and Zhang Wenyuan exchanged a glance, a hint of schadenfreude on their faces, clearly pleased to see how Li Chengzhi would handle this sudden turn of events.

Li Chengzhi's smile froze on his face, and Li Qiang beside him tensed up, lowering his voice to remind him, "Elder, be careful."

This banquet was an excellent opportunity for the Li family to demonstrate its strength and win over smaller families.

But Zhao Yu's appearance at this moment put them in an awkward position.

If the Li family is too weak in front of the emperor, they will lose face, and those wavering smaller families will inevitably reconsider, rendering their banquet futile.

Conversely, if they were too forceful, they might offend the emperor. Although the emperor's uncle had left the capital, he might return sooner or later, so they had to be worried.

Li Chengzhi's expression quickly returned to normal, and a confident smile reappeared. He turned to Li Qiang and whispered, "Don't panic. You saw how pathetic this little emperor was in court this morning; he's completely no longer a threat. Watch how I handle him."

Upon hearing this, Li Qiang's heart skipped a beat. Clearly, his clan elder hadn't listened to him.

"Elder, wait..."

Before he could speak, Li Chengzhi straightened his robes and walked towards Zhao Yu with a hint of arrogance. He cupped his hands in a perfunctory gesture.

"Your Majesty's arrival so late at night, is there something important? If not, please return to the palace to rest as soon as possible; your health is of utmost importance."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall felt a chill run down their spines.

They were secretly surprised that Li Chengzhi spoke so bluntly; it was quite arrogant.

However, just as Li Chengzhi had hoped, they also felt a greater sense of awe towards the Li family's power.

Lu Mingyuan and Zhang Wenyuan cursed inwardly, "This young emperor mustn't back down. If he does, the Li family will truly rise to power."

Zhao Yu glanced at Li Chengzhi with a faint smile, then slowly walked to the center of the hall and looked around at the various powerful families.

Everyone was somewhat bewildered by that gaze.

Zhao Yu said, "I heard that the Li family is holding a banquet in my Longyuan Palace. People are coming in an endless stream, and it is very lively. I came to see what's going on."

"What, Elder Li, are you trying to drive me away?"

Upon hearing this answer, Li Chengzhi chuckled, convinced that his idea was correct; even the young emperor dared not rebuke him for his overstepping of authority.

Thinking of this, his tone became more assertive.

"This old minister did not mean that, but since Your Majesty has come, I do have some matters I would like to discuss with Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty is young, and the affairs of state are heavy. Perhaps it would be better to confine your movements within the palace in the future, allowing you to focus on recuperating. How about entrusting all matters of the outer court to my Li family?"

The people in the hall were in an uproar upon hearing this; they had not expected Li Chengzhi to be so audacious.

This is no longer just undermining imperial power; it's blatant house arrest of the emperor.

Zhao Yu smiled but did not answer.

Seeing that the other party was not angry, Li Chengzhi smiled and continued, "Furthermore, Your Majesty should return the properties that our aristocratic families mortgaged to the national treasury. There's no need to return the properties; just convert them into silver. My rough calculations show it would be at least ten million taels of silver. I urge Your Majesty to return them as soon as possible."

hiss--

Everyone gasped in shock.

After establishing his own territory, the previously mortgaged properties were secretly returned, so there was no reason for them to be returned. Li Chengzhi was clearly trying to extort money from the emperor.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu did not get angry but instead laughed.

"Elder Li is right, but I don't think ten million taels is enough. After all, you helped me 'raise troops' before, and that merit cannot be ignored. I think twenty million taels would be more appropriate."

These words caused an uproar in the hall.

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, never expecting that the emperor would agree to Li Chengzhi's audacity. It seemed the emperor was truly hopeless.

Lu Mingyuan and Zhang Wenyuan cursed the emperor's incompetence in their hearts, thinking that the Li family was about to take off.

Li Chengzhi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Your Majesty is wise! Your Majesty is wise indeed! In that case, there's no need for Your Majesty to trouble yourself. I will send people to the national treasury to move it myself later."

Zhao Yu waved his hand.

"How can that be? The Li family is the most 'loyal' aristocratic family in the Great Liang Dynasty. How can we let you go and move it?"

Li Chengzhi was already feeling quite pleased with himself and was completely unaware that something was wrong.

Instead, he stepped forward, patted Zhao Yu on the shoulder, and acted like a brother.

"Your Majesty's understanding nature is truly a blessing to our Great Liang! Rest assured, Your Majesty, as long as you stay obediently in the palace from now on, the Li family guarantees that Your Majesty will live a life of plenty!"

The representatives of the smaller families inside the hall shook their heads, secretly thinking that the emperor was completely ruined.

But this is also good; with powerful families in power, those who depend on them can also get a share of the spoils.

Zhao Yu smiled and slapped Li Chengzhi's hand away. He took out a silk handkerchief and wiped his hands, his actions showing a hint of disdain.

"There's no need for Elder Li to worry about that. Elder Li, as long as you can leave happily later, that's better than anything else."

Li Chengzhi's smile froze.

He keenly sensed the hidden meaning in those words and narrowed his eyes.

"What does Your Majesty mean by that?"

"hehe."

Zhao Yu chuckled and casually tossed the silk scarf aside.

"It doesn't mean anything, it's just the literal meaning. Elder Li has worked hard for the country all his life, he deserves a good rest."

After saying that, he raised his hand and waved it.

tread!

tread!

tread!

Immediately, the sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the hall.

Thousands of imperial guards, armed with sharp blades and clad in heavy armor, poured into the Longyuan Palace from all directions, surrounding everyone inside.

The leader was Meng Qianshan, whose long sword gleamed coldly, exuding a murderous aura.

Li Chengzhi's face turned deathly pale instantly. He staggered back a few steps, staring at Zhao Yu in disbelief.

"You... what do you want to do?! You dare to lay a finger on us and see what happens! Aren't you afraid that our family members will drag the entire Liang Dynasty down with them?!"

The others were also startled by the scene, and the banquet was instantly disrupted, with the previous festive atmosphere completely gone.

Li Qiang panicked and rushed forward to protect Li Chengzhi, shouting sternly, "Your Majesty! You should think carefully! My Li family has deep roots throughout Daliang. If you harm us, the people of Daliang will surely pay with their lives!"

Li Chengzhi quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! I advise Your Majesty to think carefully. Stay obediently in the palace, at least you can still be the Emperor of Liang. If you act recklessly, you'll perish together with us!!"

Representatives from other prominent families inside the hall echoed their sentiments.

Even though the Lu and Zhang families cursed the Li family for being fools and going too far, they were now on the same side as the Li family.

Zhao Yu walked unhurriedly to the dragon throne on the high platform of the Dragon Abyss Hall and sat down, a smile playing on his lips.

"To die together? I'd like to see how you intend to make me die with you! Bring me here!"