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

The Golden Palace.

The imperial carriage slowly came to a stop, and Zhao Yu walked on the red carpet to the throne.

The civil and military officials inside the hall had been waiting for a long time. When Zhao Yu arrived, they all knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

A loud voice echoed within the solemn and majestic hall.

Zhao Yu walked to the dragon throne, slowly sat down, and raised his hand.

"Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The crowd rose and lined up on both sides, heads bowed, not daring to look directly at the emperor's face.

Li Fu'an stood to one side with his head bowed, looking like a puppet, and shouted, "Speak if you have something to say, otherwise the court is adjourned—"

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes, whether intentionally or unintentionally, were focused on the head of the officials.

Prime Minister Gan.

However, Prime Minister Gan narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he were in deep meditation, seemingly oblivious to the gazes around him, and did not make the slightest move.

Surely this old man Gan isn't going to sit idly by?

Zhao Yu was secretly making plans in his mind.

If there's really no action, then I'll have to take the stage myself today.

The effect will be much worse.

Just then, several civil officials exchanged glances.

Finally, the overweight Minister of Revenue stepped forward from the group and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, I am prepared to remonstrate even at the cost of my life!"

He slammed his head against the cold floor tiles, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty, please issue a decree to negotiate peace with the Wolf Kingdom!"

What a kind person!

Zhao Yu was overjoyed, but remained outwardly calm, and asked indifferently, "Is there anyone else who wants to join the Minister of Revenue in remonstrating to the death?"

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Revenue revealed a confident smile.

They all agreed yesterday that they wouldn't punish everyone!

If more than half of the ministers in the court were to remonstrate with him to the death, His Majesty would surely agree to peace talks no matter how unwilling he was!

However, the hall was eerily quiet.

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

Apart from the Minister of Revenue's heavy breathing, there was nothing else.

Zhao Yu's voice rang out again, tinged with amusement: "So, only the Minister of Revenue is willing to die for his principles? Very well, very well, truly commendable courage!"

What?!

Minister of Revenue, Fatty Dong, turned around abruptly, only to find that his colleagues, who had been calling him brother yesterday and vowing to speak up for the people together, were now all bowing their heads, wishing they could bury their faces in their official robes.

"You...you!" Fatty Dong trembled with rage.

Several ministers who were being stared at by him exchanged embarrassed glances and quickly lowered their heads.

Lord Dong, this really isn't our fault!

We originally planned to die together in our remonstrance.

But who would have thought that when I came to court this morning, Prime Minister Gan sent someone to deliver a message.

"His Majesty has decreed a change in the guards stationed outside the palace."

Isn't this obviously an attempt to kill someone?

What they wanted was "to remonstrate to the death," not to die!

"You faithless scoundrels! I am ashamed to be associated with you!"

Fatty Dong cursed angrily, knowing he couldn't count on these spineless cowards. He turned to Zhao Yu on the dragon throne and said with a face full of grief and indignation, "Your Majesty! Holding the border to the death will only lead to our demise and endanger the entire city! I implore Your Majesty to consider the well-being of the people and immediately negotiate peace with the Wolf Kingdom!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than one of the military officers stepped forward.

It was none other than Meng Qianshan, the great general of the Meng family.

"Peace talks? Peace talks! I think you're a traitor secretly colluding with the Wolf Kingdom!" Meng Qianshan retorted angrily.

Fatty Dong's face flushed instantly, and he roared, his neck stiff, "My heart is for the Great Liang, for the people, as clear as the sun and moon!"

"good!"

On the dragon throne, Zhao Yu suddenly slammed his hand on the table and laughed.

"What a bright spot! Minister Dong always speaks of serving the people, and his integrity and incorruptibility must be enough to earn the respect of the world."

Fatty Dong's heart skipped a beat, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and straighten his neck even more.

"That's just how it is!"

"Good!" Zhao Yu praised again, "In that case, I agree to your peace negotiations!"

Upon hearing this, Fatty Dong's face lit up with ecstatic joy, and he immediately kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for considering the people's welfare! Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhao Yu chuckled and waved his hand.

"No rush to express gratitude."

His voice suddenly turned cold.

"Didn't you say you were willing to die to remonstrate? I can accept your advice, but you must die. Otherwise, what's the point of 'remonstrating with your life'?"

The smile froze on Fatty Dong's face.

He panicked, completely panicked.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty! I am a good official who speaks out for the people, you cannot kill me!"

"Oh, right." Zhao Yu nodded as if suddenly realizing something. "I also need to ensure that you are a good official who serves the people. Where is the Minister of Rites?"

The Minister of Rites instantly broke out in a cold sweat, trembling as he stepped forward: "Your subject... Your subject is here!"

Zhao Yu stared at him and said, word by word, "Draft an edict to announce to all the people of the city. Today, the Imperial Guards will search Minister Dong's house. Let all the people of the city go and see for themselves whether our Minister Dong is a corrupt traitor who colludes with the enemy or an upright official who speaks out for the people!"

"This...this is probably not in accordance with etiquette..."

Before the Minister of Rites could finish speaking, he met Zhao Yu's cold eyes, and the rest of his words caught in his throat. He quickly changed his words.

"Yes! Your Majesty, I obey!"

Fatty Dong swallowed hard; cold sweat had already soaked his back.

He certainly embezzled a lot of money at home, but... but most of it was hidden in a secret room, so it should be fine, right?

Zhao Yu's voice rang out again.

"Now, we beg you, Minister Dong, to die for the people!"

"Guards! Drag Minister Dong to the Meridian Gate and beat him to death!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two guards clad in armor and wielding long swords strode in, grabbed Fatty Dong's arms on either side, and dragged him out like a dead dog.

"No! Your Majesty! You can't kill me! Killing me will destabilize the people and destabilize the army! Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty—!"

Fatty Dong struggled frantically, his pitiful pleas for mercy echoing throughout the entire Golden Palace.

However, the pleas for mercy were quickly dragged out of the hall and gradually turned into even more miserable screams.

After a few muffled thuds, the screams abruptly stopped.

The world fell completely silent.

Inside the hall, the civil and military officials were silent as if they were cicadas in winter, their faces ashen, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Everyone felt that the emperor before them was far more ruthless than the previous one.

They're like completely different people!