The Prodigal Son

In the Imperial Study, Zhao Luan was discussing with several important officials the arrangements for the Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday celebration.

Fifteen minutes ago, her wrist started hurting inexplicably.

She strongly suspected that this was a lingering effect of being struck by lightning because of Qin Yu.

She put her hands inside her sleeves and quietly rubbed her wrists, but the pain still didn't subside.

This made the already irritable empress even more irritable.

Inside the Imperial Study, several high-ranking officials were still engaged in heated discussions.

"To pave the road with thousands of miles of brocade and have ten thousand restaurants set up banquets to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday is absolutely impossible!"

"This is something His Majesty has proclaimed to the world. If His Majesty breaks his promise, wouldn't he be losing the trust of the people?"

"Knowing that our dynasty is going to hold a grand birthday banquet for the Empress Dowager, all the countries have already sent envoys to congratulate her. If we break our promise now, our dynasty will surely become a laughing stock, and our trade with neighboring countries will likely be affected!"

"Your Majesty should ask the Empress Dowager to voluntarily forgo the celebration! This would both preserve Your Majesty's and Da Ning's reputation and prevent extravagance..."

Listening to the argument among the ministers, Zhao Luan couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

When she first ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager ruled from behind the curtain.

The following year, a rebellion broke out in the south, and enemy countries took advantage of the chaos to plunder, leading to a critical situation on the third front of the Daming region.

After suffering heavy casualties, the crisis in Da Ning was temporarily resolved. Through this war that lasted for nearly a year, she gradually suppressed the Empress Dowager's power. Afterward, she demanded that the Empress Dowager completely withdraw from the court!

Although the Empress Dowager agreed under duress, she set a condition: she had to announce to the world that on her sixtieth birthday, "a road paved with brocade for a thousand miles and a banquet held in ten thousand restaurants" to celebrate her birthday.

She knew the Empress Dowager was setting a trap for her, but in order to minimize internal strife and recover her strength as quickly as possible, she still agreed.

There are only two weeks left until the Empress Dowager's 60th birthday.

She had to face the impossible!

She had also considered persuading the Empress Dowager to voluntarily give up the grand birthday banquet.

But the Empress Dowager was setting a trap for her, so how could she possibly give up on her own?

Unless... the Empress Dowager is killed!

However, her mother died early, and the Empress Dowager had raised her.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager had a grandmaster standing behind her.

She must not take this step unless absolutely necessary.

For this matter, she even issued an imperial edict offering a reward: whoever could successfully organize the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet would be rewarded with a fief of ten thousand households!

However, after the imperial edict was posted for several months, Qin Yu, that stupid pig, was goaded into taking it down.

At this moment, Lu Cheng, the Vice Minister of Rites, suddenly suggested, "Since Qin Yu has accepted the imperial edict, this matter can be entrusted to him! If Qin Yu fails to handle it well, it will be Qin Yu deceiving the emperor, and it will have nothing to do with His Majesty or the court! At that time, Qin Yu can be executed to silence public opinion!"

Zhao Luan lowered her eyes. Did Lu Cheng intend to use her to destroy the Qin family?

"This is absolutely unacceptable!"

Minister of War Xue Chengdao immediately stood up to object, saying, "The Qin family is full of loyal martyrs, and now only Qin Yu remains as their sole heir!"

"If Your Majesty executes Qin Yu, wouldn't that discourage the soldiers in the army?"

"Furthermore, although Qin Fumeng was knocked down from the Grandmaster realm by Tuoba Liuyun, he is still the number one person below the Grandmaster level!"

"His Majesty has cut off the Qin family's lineage. Even if Qin Fumeng isn't forced to rebel, he certainly won't be able to serve the country anymore..."

Grandmasters represent the strongest foundation of a nation's military power!

In the entire Great Ning, there are only three Grandmasters left!

To find a loyal and capable heir who could potentially become a grandmaster again?

crazy!

"Isn't what you said inappropriate, Lord Xue?"

Lu Chunqiu glanced sideways at him and said indifferently, "No one forced Qin Yu to take up the imperial edict. He took it himself but failed to handle the matter properly. What's wrong with executing him for deceiving the emperor?"

"According to Lord Xue, does this mean Qin Yu, even if he plots a rebellion, cannot be killed?"

"Are our soldiers soldiers of the imperial court, or soldiers of the Qin family?"

Xue Chengdao paused slightly, unsure how to respond.

That's incredibly hurtful!

Just then, a eunuch rushed in: "Your Majesty, news has come from the imperial prison that Qin Yu has kidnapped Minister Lü's son, threatening his life and demanding a meeting with Your Majesty in the prison!"

Hearing the eunuch's words, everyone in the room was immediately dumbfounded.

That brat from the Qin family is really asking for trouble!

They kidnapped Lü Si and dared to ask the Empress to see him in the filthy Heavenly Prison.

In contrast, Xue Chengdao was so angry that his face turned pale.

He was just pleading for this bastard, and now this bastard is trying all sorts of ways to die in prison!

"Should I go to the imperial prison to see him?"

Zhao Luan's gaze turned icy, and she immediately ordered the chief eunuch, Shangguan Youyi: "Order Yun Ying to personally go to the Imperial Prison! Either make Qin Yu come to see me himself, or she should bring Qin Yu's head to me! Also, bring the prison warden to me!"

"yes!"

Shangguan Youyi immediately accepted the order and left.

Zhao Luan suppressed her anger and coldly looked at Lü Chunqiu: "How did Lü Si manage to get into this heavily guarded prison?"

Lü Chunqiu's face stiffened, and he bowed, saying, "This humble subject has failed in his duty to educate his son; I beg Your Majesty..."

"I'll settle accounts with you and your son later!"

Zhao Luan interrupted Lü Chunqiu, then waved to several ministers, "I have some matters to attend to, you may all leave!"

"We take our leave!"

The ministers bowed and took their leave.

Concerned for his son's safety, Lü Chunqiu spoke again, "Your Majesty..."

"Step back!"

Zhao Luan rebuked him sternly.

Lu Chunqiu's face stiffened. After hesitating for a moment, he bowed and took his leave.

A fleeting smile crossed Zhao Luan's face as she watched Lü Chunqiu's retreating figure.

Lü Chunqiu was a staunch supporter of the Empress Dowager!

Trespassing into the imperial prison!

That's a good charge!

Perhaps this could allow Lü Chunqiu to help him persuade the Empress Dowager to give up the impossible birthday banquet!

……

Soon, Yun Ying arrived at the imperial prison with several imperial guards.

Qin Yu strangled Lü Si and sat in the corner of the prison wall, almost completely obscuring his body from Lü Si.

"Take it down!"

Yun Ying coldly ordered the imperial guards to seize the jailer, then glared at Qin Yu, "His Majesty's decree: Either you go see her, or I'll bring your head to her!"

What the hell!

Qin Yu's eyelids twitched.

This female demon is absolutely unreasonable!

"You wouldn't suddenly attack me while I'm seeing His Majesty, would you?"

Qin Yu asked tentatively.

Yun Ying didn't bother to answer, and directly drew her sword: "My name is Yun Ying, you can resist to the bitter end!"

Yun Ying?

Qin Yu's eyelids twitched.

Yun Ying, Shangguan Youyi!

These two women are the Empress's two most trusted generals.

One is the head of the bodyguards, and the other is his personal secretary.

At the same time, they are also the Empress's number one die-hard fans.

The empress ordered them to kill their own fathers, and they didn't hesitate for a second.

"Fine, I'll go. Why are you being so fierce?"

Even if you're timid, you can't lose your fighting spirit.

Qin Yu slowly stood up, his hand still around Lü Si's neck.

Under the escort of Yun Ying and the others, Qin Yu finally left the prison.

He kept his arm around Lü Si's neck the whole way, but Yun Ying didn't make a move against him.

Qin Yu only felt relieved when he arrived outside the Imperial Study.

As Yun Ying escorted them forward, the Empress's gaze inadvertently swept over Qin Yu's wrist.

Qin Yu also secretly observed the Empress.

Upon seeing the Empress dressed in women's clothing, Qin Yu's eyes involuntarily activated the auto-aiming system.

His eyebrows were like distant mountains with sharp edges, and his eyes were like cold stars covered in frost. Just sitting there, he exuded an air of majesty.

Her legs stretched out incredibly long; it was obvious that beneath that dark imperial robe lay a pair of exceptionally long and shapely legs.

Top-tier uniform allure plus incredibly long legs!

Awesome!

As Qin Yu was secretly sighing, the jailer knelt down with a "thud," trembling and wailing, "I know my crime, Your Majesty, please have mercy."

Zhao Luan glanced indifferently at the jailer and said sternly, "Men, take this man away and give him twenty strokes of the cane!"

Only twenty strokes of the cane?

Qin Yu secretly curled his lip.

This female demon isn't as scary as the legends say!

Just as Qin Yu was muttering to himself, Zhao Luan's gaze suddenly fell on him, deliberately emphasizing, "Flip him over and hit him!"

Flip...flip it over and hit it?

Qin Yu suddenly shuddered.

Ok!

He took back what he had just said.

This female demon is too cruel!

She's clearly making an example of someone!

"Your Majesty, spare my life!"

The jailer was so frightened that his face turned pale and he kept begging for mercy.

"Drag him away! Beat him!"

Zhao Luan waved her hand impatiently.

"yes!"

The imperial guards faithfully carried out the Empress's orders.

"what……"

Soon, screams like pigs being slaughtered could be heard from outside.

Thinking of the brutal scene of the prison warden being turned over and beaten, Qin Yu subconsciously clenched his crotch, and the shackles binding Lü Si tightened abruptly due to his tension.

The next moment, the pain in Zhao Luan's wrist suddenly intensified.

Zhao Luan frowned, secretly wondering.

What happened?

At this moment, Lu Si, who was suffocating again, subconsciously struggled and grabbed Qin Yu's hands, scratching and clawing at them.

"hiss……"

A sharp pain shot through the back of Zhao Luan's hand.

Zhao Luan frowned, her gaze suddenly falling on the back of Qin Yu's hand.

Looking at the shackles on Qin Yu's wrists and thinking about her own inexplicably painful wrists, Zhao Luan felt a sudden pang in her heart.

Could it be that the strange lightning bolt created some kind of bond between him and Qin Yu?

If he's in pain, will I feel pain too?

As this thought crossed Zhao Luan's mind, she was filled with horror...