The capital city was in an uproar!
Before everyone could fully recover from the joy of Lord Lin's safe return, another piece of news swept through the capital like a thunderbolt.
Shang Mozheng, the Regent King, had been thrown into the Heavenly Prison by the emperor!
According to eyewitnesses, the scene was truly spectacular.
The Golden Guards and the Feathered Forest Guards beside the emperor were all mobilized. They surrounded the Regent King's mansion so tightly that not even a mosquito could fly in. Under such a heavy siege, the Regent King was sent to a solitary cell in the innermost part of the Heavenly Prison and was personally guarded by the Golden Guards.
The court's actions were so swift that it only took half a day to arrest and imprison the king. No one understood the emperor's intention. Why would he arrest the king for no reason?
After much thought, they believed that the emperor was taking out his anger. The cause, of course, was General Zheng's embezzlement case. It was the Regent King who had recommended him at that time.
Surprisingly, this idea gained the approval of many. After all, the young emperor's previous willful actions had left a deep impression on them. Naturally, they thought this was also a willful act on his part.
Many people were immediately unhappy!
They could understand that the emperor was young and his actions were not steady, but they couldn't accept that he had imprisoned the Regent King. If it hadn't been for the king, how could Great Qi have achieved what it was today?
For the emperor to imprison him now was to repay kindness with enmity!
Over a decade, which wasn't too long but also not too short, was enough for people to forget the bloodshed of that year and the Regent King's undisguised ambition.
Now, the common people only remembered his painstaking efforts for Great Qi over the years. Coupled with the contrast of the inexperienced young emperor, people would only remember more of the Regent King's goodness.
Naturally, before the year was over, there was another incident of people kneeling outside the palace gates in the capital.
When Shang Luoze heard this news, he was surprisingly calm.
It wasn't the first time. Over the past few days, he had already gauged the Regent King's popularity among the common people. This act of kneeling outside the palace gates was well within his expectations.
However, what did high popularity among the common people matter?
Shang Luoze stroked the memorial in his hand. There was a storm brewing in his eyes, but a smile played on his lips. As long as the evidence was still in his hands, Shang Mozheng would never be able to turn things around!
"Decheng, how many people are kneeling outside the palace?"
"Your Majesty, there are at least a hundred people," Decheng replied carefully. He thought this answer would anger the emperor, but instead, the emperor just let out a soft "hmm" and then said, "If I remember correctly, tomorrow is a day off, isn't it?"
"Your Majesty has a good memory. Tomorrow is indeed a day off."
That meant there would be no court session tomorrow. The timing was perfect!
"I see," Shang Luoze said, then he devoted his attention back to the memorials and didn't spare a single glance at the common people outside.
Longxi
Shang Luoshu had decided to go to Yuheng Pass. Although his original plan was to return to the capital in a few days, the current situation in the Western Rong region was indeed more severe.
After making this decision, he didn't hide it from Lu Yinxi.
"I'll go with you!" Lu Yinxi replied firmly.
"Yuheng Pass is different from Yangxian. The environment there is harsher, and the enemies we'll face will be more ferocious. Xi'er, have you really thought it through?"
"No matter how ferocious they are, they're still human," Lu Yinxi replied. In the doomsday world she once lived in, weren't those zombies without any signs of life ferocious?
Yet she still managed to survive in such an environment.
Afraid that he would say something to reject her, the young girl added, "Shang Luoshu, I'm your fiancée. What I want is to be by your side, not be thousands of miles away, constantly worrying about whether you've eaten well, dressed warmly, or been injured!"
Shang Luoshu fell silent. His thick, black eyes stared intently at the young girl in front of him, then he reached out and pulled her into his arms. His chest was burning hot.
"Okay, let's go together."
When Su Tao excitedly came to Lu Yinxi's courtyard, this was the scene he saw.
The sun was setting in the west, and the golden sunlight gently enveloped the two of them. The tall and handsome man held the young girl in his arms possessively, while the young girl clung to the outer robe around his waist dependently. It was a serene and heartwarming scene.
At that moment, it seemed as if there were only the two of them in the world. No matter who appeared, they would be the destroyer of this beautiful picture.
Su Tao suddenly felt a tightness in his heart, as if something that should have been his had been taken away by someone else.
"Master..."
The servant called out uneasily. Su Tao didn't respond. He just walked away expressionlessly, holding the brocade box in his hand. Inside was the rouge he had wanted to give to Lu Yinxi as a token of gratitude.
But now, it seemed unnecessary.
When Uncle Su heard that his niece was also going to Yuheng Pass, he accidentally dropped a fine blue-and-white porcelain vase.
"Ridiculous! Xi'er is a girl. How can she go to such a dangerous place?"
That night, when Lu Yinxi was packing her luggage, her small courtyard welcomed two, no, three noble guests: her uncle, aunt, and her dear elder brother.
"Xi'er, you can't go to Yuheng Pass!"
As soon as he entered the door, Lu Yinjian directly stated the purpose of his visit. "The environment there is harsh, and the local people are tough. You'll only suffer there as a girl."
"Xi'er, your elder brother is right," Aunt Su joined in. "It's too hard in Yuheng Pass. Why don't we just stay in Longxi and wait for the king to return safely?"
"Xi'er, be obedient!" Uncle Su finally made the decision.
During their consecutive attacks, Lu Yinxi didn't get a chance to say a word. However, as their voices faded, the room returned to its original silence.
After a long time, when they didn't hear the young girl's response, Aunt Su asked carefully, "Xi'er, what's your opinion?"
The answer they got was two overlapping voices.
"I'm going to Yuheng Pass!"
"Xi'er will go to Yuheng Pass with this king."
After a night, the number of common people kneeling outside the palace gates increased. The Feathered Forest Guards had been on high alert there to prevent any accidents.
"Decheng, how's the situation outside?"
Since there was no court session, Shang Luoze got up a bit late today. He was having breakfast under the service of the maids.
Decheng felt that he was increasingly unable to understand the emperor's mind, but he still replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, there are even more people outside today than yesterday."
"Really?"
The young emperor's tone rose slightly. He was obviously very satisfied with the answer. After all, the more people there were, the faster some news could spread, right?
After having breakfast slowly and reading a few memorials, Shang Luoze finally waited for the person he wanted to see.
"Your Majesty," the person knelt down and saluted. He exuded a menacing aura. He was actually the leader of the Feathered Forest Guards. "Over a thousand people have gathered outside the palace gates."
"Good!"
The young emperor stood up from the dragon throne, unable to hide his joy. "It's time to release those pieces of evidence!"