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

A sliver of grayish-white sunlight peeked through the window.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was in a mess.

The overturned candlesticks, the wax dripping onto the carpet, and the torn clothes scattered all over the floor, stretching from the bedside to near the temple gate.

Zhao Yu slowly opened his eyes, saw the beautiful woman sleeping in his arms, withdrew his hand, got up, and put on his dragon robe as if no one else was around.

The soft rustling of fabric startled Ji Yue from her slumber.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

What came into view was a mess of marks all over the floor.

The scene from last night flashed through my mind.

"what!"

A short scream escaped her lips, and shame and indignation surged into her heart instantly.

Ji Yue suddenly pulled the blanket over herself, wrapping herself up tightly, leaving only her fiery eyes showing.

"You...you shameless beggar, how dare you...how dare you take advantage of someone in distress!"

Her voice trembled, a mixture of anger and shame she herself was unwilling to acknowledge.

Zhao Yu fastened his belt and turned around.

"Taking advantage of someone in distress? Are you out of your mind?"

"Who pounced on you last night?"

"And who is it that is crying and begging me to save you?"

Ji Yue was speechless after being bombarded with his questions, her cheeks flushing red.

"That...that's the effect of the medicine!" she stubbornly retorted. "Don't think that just because you saved me once, I'll submit to you, this fake emperor! I, Ji Yue, would rather die than submit!"

She tried to mask her inner panic with a tough attitude, but little did she know that this blustering appearance only exposed her weakness.

"Preferring death to surrender?"

Zhao Yu sneered, walked step by step to the bedside, and suddenly grabbed Ji Yue's face with his right hand, looking down at her.

"Then why did you agree to my request last night?"

"Besides me, who can protect you now?"

"Can the Zhennan Prince's Mansion tolerate a princess who has lost her virginity?"

"Do you really think Zhao Yu will give you the antidote for your brother?"

Ji Yue's pupils contracted sharply, and her lips turned white from being bitten so hard.

She knew that every word he said was true.

Zhao Yu used her, and the Zhennan Prince's Mansion values ​​reputation above all else; she can't go back.

But her inherent pride prevented her from bowing down to this "beggar" she once despised.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to lift her head, and met Zhao Yu's gaze.

"Alright, I can help you! But you must find an antidote for my brother first! Otherwise, forget it!"

She thought this would give her some control over the situation.

Zhao Yu suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist wrapped in the blanket, and pulled hard.

"what!"

Ji Yue gasped in surprise, and her entire body, along with the blanket, uncontrollably fell into his arms.

"It seems you haven't come to terms with reality yet."

Zhao Yu lowered his head, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, but his voice was icy cold.

"I have plenty of ways to make you talk."

His fingers lightly brushed against her bare, jade-like feet.

The intense heat made Ji Yue stiffen, and her breath caught in her throat.

Last night, memories dominated by the effects of the drug surged back like a tidal wave.

She clenched her teeth, but her body trembled uncontrollably.

Zhao Yu felt the changes in the body in his arms and knew that her psychological defenses were crumbling.

"Who else has Zhao Yu planted in the palace?" He cut to the chase without further ado.

Ji Yue closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling.

She understood that she had no room for negotiation.

Pride and dignity are worthless in the face of her brother's life and her own desperate situation.

After a long pause, she finally uttered a few words in a barely audible voice.

"I...I don't know their real names."

"I only know the code name."

"explain."

"A codenamed 'General' can easily pass on messages."

"There's another one, codenamed 'Physician,' in the Imperial Hospital."

General... Doctor...

Zhao Yu memorized these two code names.

Zhao Yu has quite a few moves.

Zhao Yu loosened her jade feet and said calmly, "Considering you are still a virgin, I will not pursue what just happened. As for the antidote for your brother, I will give you an answer as soon as possible."

As for what you should say and what you shouldn't say after you leave, you know that yourself, don't you?

Ji Yue nodded; she had already guessed that rumors would be spreading outside the capital.

Ji Yue suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out to Zhao Yu, who was leaving.

"Hey, could you send some people to protect the Zhennan Prince's Mansion?"

I'm worried that Zhao Yu might harm my brother.

Zhao Yu thought for a moment and nodded.

"I will have some Imperial Guards keep a close eye on things."

Having said that, he walked out of the hall without looking back.

Ji Yue, left on the bed, blushed and weakly said thank you.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, I picked up the quilt and smelled the lingering scent.

As Zhao Yu stepped out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the morning light pierced through the thin mist, casting a pale golden hue over the majestic palace.

The air was still cool with dew.

A figure was already waiting, bowing, under the eaves outside the hall.

"His Majesty."

Qiu Ping's voice was not loud, but it was very clear.

Zhao Yu hummed in agreement, but did not stop walking. He straightened the cuffs of his dragon robe as he headed toward the imperial study.

Qiu Ping followed with small steps, always maintaining a distance of three steps.

As they walked, Zhao Yu gave instructions:

"Qiu Ping, the Jinyiwei's opponents nowadays are all at the Celestial Realm. The Grandmaster and Innate Realm spies are no match for them. I'm entrusting you with two tasks. One is called 'Physician,' who works in the Imperial Hospital. The other is called 'General,' who can easily send out messages from the palace."

Qiu Ping cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to fulfill your orders."

"The 'physician' is your responsibility to investigate." Zhao Yu's instructions were simple and clear. "Start with the imperial physicians who have been active recently, investigate them one by one, but be careful. This person should be quite skilled in poisons."

"If you find them, don't alert them; just tell me."

Qiu Ping responded, "Yes."

"Another matter concerns the Imperial Guards. Take some time to bring out the Grandmaster-level experts from the Embroidered Uniform Guards. We'll need them tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Go."

Qiu Ping bowed and took his leave. After a few steps, his figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Zhao Yu pushed open the door and entered the imperial study, but the hall was empty.

He did not sit on the dragon throne, but walked to the huge map.

This map encompasses the vast territory of the Great Liang Dynasty, but now many places are circled in vermilion ink, indicating that they are cities occupied by the rebel army.

Doctor...

That's easy. The Imperial Hospital isn't that big; Qiu Ping has plenty of ways to find him.

The troublesome one is that 'general'.

He could be called a general, and he could also easily deliver messages from the palace.

The area narrowed down immediately.

They were either high-ranking officers in charge of the Imperial Guards or heads of the eunuch administration who held real power.

The Meng family father and son, Meng Qianshan and Meng Baishan, have been on his pirate ship from the beginning, and now that they've become in-laws, their loyalty is beyond question for the time being.

So who's left?

Zhao Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the map.

Since we can't guess, let him reveal it himself.

A plan quickly took shape in his mind.

Lure the snake out of its hole!

……

The next day, the morning court session began.

Civil and military officials lined up on both sides, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Since Zhao Yu purged the court, the atmosphere in the entire court has changed.

From the past intrigue and deceit.

Everyone acts in their own self-interest.

Now, the place is thriving, and all the newly appointed officials want to make a name for themselves and let Zhao Yu see their talents.

Zhao Yu was naturally optimistic about these things, but he also knew that there were many greenhorns around, so he couldn't delegate too much authority to them. He had to let them hone their skills through long-term work.

"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

Qiu Ping's high-pitched voice echoed in the Golden Palace.

A silence.

Just when everyone thought today would end uneventfully, Zhao Yu, sitting on the dragon throne, suddenly spoke.

"My beloved ministers, I have something to announce."

Everyone's spirits were lifted.

"Recently, the affairs of the state have been going smoothly, and there is a sense of prosperity in various places. I am very pleased." Zhao Yu's voice was calm and steady, and it resonated in every corner of the hall.

"I have decided that in three days I will go to the Buddhist temple in the eastern suburbs to pray for the prosperity of my Great Liang and for the eternal glory of the nation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire court was filled with excitement.

They went outside the city to offer sacrifices to Heaven.

This proves that the civil servants have something to do again.

What's the best way to get attention?

Of course, it's about showing your boss your achievements while you're working!

"Your Majesty is wise."

"We will definitely handle everything properly."

But Prime Minister Wang Zhang frowned.

Go outside the city to offer sacrifices to Heaven?

This kind of thing is time-consuming and laborious, and there's not much benefit to it, so why do it?

As a capable minister, it's understandable that he wouldn't understand.

But thinking of the series of reforms His Majesty had recently ordered, he felt relieved.

"It's good to offer sacrifices to Heaven once; we'll take care of everything else anyway."

The ministers worked very efficiently and quickly finalized the work process.

The morning assembly was also coming to an end.

"Dismiss the court!" Wei An shouted at the top of his lungs.

But just then, a servant outside the hall came to report.

"Your Majesty! The Imperial City Prefect has urgent business to discuss!"