The Year of Lihua: She Was Reborn

These muddled days passed by...

In the palace hall, the atmosphere was so heavy that it seemed as if water could drip out, making it hard to breathe.

Everyone lowered their heads and looked submissive, not daring to make a sound, for fear of breaking the suffocating silence.

The emperor, sitting high on the dragon throne, was as pale as paper. He tightly covered his heaving chest and said.

"Qicheng suffers from drought year after year, leaving the people with nothing to harvest. The land is so dry and cracked it's become a second desert city. The canal has been under construction for two years, so why can't the Huai River flow into Qicheng?"

The emperor's forehead was covered in sweat and his lips were trembling slightly. It was obvious that he was in great pain.

The emperor, with a tired and solemn expression, reached out and grabbed the thick stack of memorials in front of the dragon table. His arm trembled slightly, and he threw it to His Highness as if he had used up all his strength.

Not only was there an earnest petition written in blood, but it was also spread out in front of the ministers like a sharp sword.

This sudden action caused an uproar in the court. The ministers, dressed in various official uniforms, panicked and fell to their knees with a thud, their foreheads pressed tightly against the ground, not daring to even breathe.

"Where exactly did the relief grain and funds allocated by the imperial court go? Immediately send an imperial envoy to investigate this matter thoroughly. We must get to the bottom of it! Those who commit corruption, bribery, and favoritism must be severely punished. Otherwise, it will be difficult to quell the public resentment..."

The emperor's voice rose an octave when he was excited, but he soon stopped talking, paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and his expression relaxed a little. He asked in a gentle tone.

"My dear ministers, who can take on this important task and go to Qicheng to investigate?"

"Your Majesty, I believe that Junior Justice Zuo Yun can go, and we can send Major General Zuo Nian to escort him. These two brothers, one is good at solving cases, and the other is good at catching criminals."

General Hua bowed and strongly recommended it.

The emperor glanced calmly at the left commander who had his head lowered, and then looked at the three sons of the Zuo family.

I couldn't help but admire in my heart: This Zuo family is really prosperous. Just by marrying a wife, they have been able to expand the Zuo family. And their sons are all talented in both literature and martial arts...

General Hua raised his head slightly and glanced at His Majesty's expression for a few times. His expression relaxed slightly, and then he continued speaking.

"Your Majesty, such a large amount of disaster relief supplies has been swallowed up. I'm afraid the forces behind it are extraordinary. Send another hundred powerful guards to secretly protect the two lords."

"Prime Minister Luo, what do you think about this matter?"

The emperor asked casually to Prime Minister Luo, who looked down at him with a serious, somewhat melancholy, yet seemingly nonchalant expression.

Prime Minister Luo, who was nearly sixty years old, was trembling slightly, and a few strands of pale hair were exposed from under his official hat. He tightly grasped the white jade tablet in his hand, and his fingers kept shaking.

"Your Majesty, I believe this plan is feasible... This arrangement is quite appropriate..."

Prime Minister Luo spoke very slowly and incoherently.

The emperor was not angry. Instead, he relaxed his serious sitting posture and listened patiently.

"In that case, let's decide it this way!"

Seeing this, Yu Zongguan, who was standing by, gently moved the whisk in his arms, then straightened his body, took a step forward, and shouted loudly:

"Zuo Yun, Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple, and Major General Zuo Nian stepped forward to receive the imperial decree. Zuo Yun, Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple, was appointed as the special imperial envoy to Qicheng City to investigate the theft of disaster relief supplies. Major General Zuo Nian was appointed as the deputy imperial envoy to assist in handling the case!"

"We obey your orders!" The voices were in unison and loud, echoing throughout the court.

Zuo Yun and Zuo Nian looked at each other, then took a step forward at the same time, moving one step closer to the center from both sides.

Their steps were steady and their movements were coordinated, as if they had practiced countless times beforehand. Then, side by side, they took three steps forward together.

Every step was solemn and dignified, revealing awe for the emperor.

When they were close enough to the emperor, they stopped and bowed slightly.

Zuo Yun held the longer tablet with both hands, with his left hand supporting the bottom and his right hand on top; Zuo Nian held the slightly shorter tablet with both hands, also holding it carefully.

Then, they all performed a standard bow to the emperor to express their obedience and respect for the emperor's order.

"Dismiss the court!" As Chief Steward Yu's high-pitched voice rang out, the ministers in the court stood up one after another and left the hall one after another.

However, at this moment, Chief Steward Yu swept his majestic gaze over the crowd and shouted, "General Hua, please stay. I will see you in the Imperial Study!"

His voice was not loud, but it was full of irresistible power.

As soon as he finished speaking, Manager Yu gently waved the whisk in his hand with an elegant and smooth movement.

Then he turned around and supported the emperor who was sitting on the dragon throne, and slowly stood up. The emperor seemed a little weak and needed the support of Yu Zongguan to walk.

The two of them slowly walked towards the huge screen, and their figures gradually disappeared behind the screen.