The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

The atmosphere in the court on the second day was completely different from the day before.

The noise and quarrels of the past disappeared, replaced by a dead silence, where even the sound of breathing could be heard clearly.

Li Chengfeng sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes sweeping over the shivering ministers below.

Yesterday's thundering measures obviously frightened these old foxes.

Liu Zhenshan was executed and the crown prince was deposed. This was just his first step.

Someone still needs to clean up the mess in Xijing.

Abolition of feudalism? No, now is not the time.

Xijing is an important military town of the Great Zhou. If the vassal state is withdrawn hastily, it will easily cause unrest in the military morale, which will be counterproductive.

After a long moment, Li Chengfeng slowly spoke, "Although the case of Prince Pingxi's rebellion has been settled, the situation in Xijing remains complex. We need a capable general to assist the new Prince of Xijing. Does anyone have any recommendations?"

As soon as these words were spoken, a subtle buzzing sound suddenly sounded in the court.

Although the ministers did not dare to look up, they began to whisper to each other in private, guessing what the emperor was thinking.

They looked at each other, and no one dared to speak rashly.

Xijing is now a hot potato, and anyone who goes there will be in trouble.

If the matter is not handled properly and the emperor is displeased, losing office is the least of the problems; you may even lose your head.

Li Chengfeng's gaze fell on Song Zelin. "Song Aiqing, what do you think?"

Song Zelin stepped out and bowed, "Your Majesty, I believe that Lu Mingyuan, the Minister of Revenue, is qualified for this position."

"Lu Mingyuan?"

Li Chengfeng pondered for a moment. He had some impression of this person. He was prudent and impartial in his work. He was a rare and capable official.

"Does he have experience in local governance?"

"Your Majesty, although Lord Lu has been working in the Ministry of Revenue, his talents are by no means limited to this."

Song Zelin replied calmly, "I have heard that Lord Lu traveled extensively in his early years and is quite knowledgeable about local affairs. He is also fair and just, and is deeply loved by the people."

Li Chengfeng nodded. "Alright, I'll send Lu Mingyuan to Xijing to assist Liu Feng in stabilizing the situation. My dear Lord Song, I'll leave this matter entirely to you."

"I obey your order!" Song Zelin saluted again.

Li Chengfeng trusts Song Zelin very much, and the people he recommends are also Li Chengfeng's people.

As for Liu Feng, Li Chengfeng knew during the poetry meeting that this boy had a different philosophy from Liu Zhenshan, and it was even more impossible for him to resent him.

Liu Feng still knew clearly which was more important, the dead King Pingxi or the living emperor.

This trip to Xijing is equivalent to taking the military and political power of Xijing into his own hands.

Li Chengfeng glanced at the ministers again. Seeing that no one spoke, he continued, "Liu Xu, the son of Liu Zhenshan, has shielded his father from treason. The evidence is irrefutable. His crime is unforgivable. He must be executed immediately!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was another uproar in the court.

Although Liu Zhenshan's rebellion was a foregone conclusion, everyone thought that the emperor would at most place his son under house arrest to prevent future troubles.

However, he did not expect that Li Chengfeng would be so decisive and directly order him to be beheaded.

Cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of many ministers. They began to be thankful that they had not chosen the wrong side, otherwise, they might be the ones to be beheaded today.

"I have thought over and over again. Xijing is a strategic military base of the Great Zhou Dynasty and cannot be left without a master for a single day.

Li Chengfeng ignored everyone's reaction and continued, "Liu Zhenshan's second son, Liu Feng, may be young, but he is a loyal and honest man, and he did not participate in the rebellion."

"I have decided to appoint Liu Feng as the new King of Pingxi and take over the affairs of Xijing."

This imperial edict, like a thunderclap, exploded in the silent court.

Deposing the crown prince and executing the traitors were all within the expectations of the ministers.

But no one expected that a new king would be established.

They originally thought that the most reasonable approach would be for Li Chengfeng to take this opportunity to abolish the fiefdom of King Pingxi and return the military power of Xijing to the central government.

After all, Xijing was a strong military power, and successive Pingxi Kings had commanded large armies, posing a potential threat to the imperial court. Now that Liu Zhenshan had rebelled, it was a perfect opportunity to reclaim military power.

But Li Chengfeng did the opposite. Not only did he not abolish the fiefdom, but he also established a new King of Pingxi!

What is the purpose of this?

The ministers looked at each other, their hearts filled with doubts and confusion.

The silence lasted for a moment, and a slightly shrill voice broke the frozen atmosphere.

"Your Majesty is wise! This arrangement will not only appease the soldiers and civilians of Xijing, but also stabilize the situation on the border. It truly kills two birds with one stone!"

The one who spoke was Qian Youliang. He smiled flatteringly, as if the shock just now had nothing to do with him.

Someone took the lead, and the other ministers followed suit, and thunderous shouts of "Your Majesty is wise" resounded throughout the hall.

Although they were confused, they did not dare to say much at this moment and could only agree and praise the emperor's wise decision.

Who knows what the emperor is up to? If you say something wrong and anger him, it would be a waste of time.

Li Chengfeng was really fed up with the flattery of these hypocritical old foxes and waved his hand impatiently.

"My dear ministers, do you have anything else to report?"

"Your Majesty, there is something I don't understand."

Li Chengfeng narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew what Qian Youliang was going to say, and it was nothing more than about Qi Daokun's return to the court.

"What questions does Qian Aiqing have?"

"Regarding the case of the Prince of Pingxi's rebellion, I believe that Right Prime Minister Qi Daokun played an indispensable role.

“If Prime Minister Qi had not exposed Liu Zhenshan’s conspiracy in time, the consequences would have been disastrous.

"Isn't it a bit inappropriate that Prime Minister Qi is still unemployed at home?"

Li Chengfeng certainly knew Qi Daokun's "merit". Without the "evidence" provided by Qi Daokun, it would be difficult for him to bring down Liu Zhenshan so easily.

But only God knows how much of Qi Daokun’s selfish motives are behind this “merit”.

"Qian Aiqing is absolutely right."

Li Chengfeng pretended to be silent. "Prime Minister Qi has indeed made great contributions to suppressing the rebellion. I have also been considering this matter. However, Prime Minister Qi previously claimed to be ill and took leave. Has he recovered now?"

"Your Majesty, I visited Prime Minister Qi a few days ago. He was in good spirits and in good health, but he was still feeling a bit depressed and I'm afraid he couldn't let go."

"Oh? Feeling depressed?"

Qian Youliang sighed, his face filled with grief. "I imagine Prime Minister Qi feels aggrieved because he was previously framed by a villain and suffered an unjust accusation. Now that the truth has been revealed, I hope Your Majesty can clear Prime Minister Qi's name and restore his official position to appease the people."

Li Chengfeng complained in his heart that the abacus beads were about to fall on his face.

Everyone knows that what he is talking about are old things when the late emperor was still alive. Do you really think he knows nothing?

Qi Daokun was impeached for corruption and bribery, and the evidence was solid. If he had not withdrawn in time and put all the blame on a scapegoat, he would probably still be in jail now.

Now, he has been "unjustly accused".

"Qian Aiqing's words make sense."

Li Chengfeng remained expressionless. "Since Prime Minister Qi is no longer seriously injured, let him return to the court and resume his duties. I believe that Prime Minister Qi will continue to work hard for Daqian."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Qian Youliang immediately shouted, and other ministers echoed him.

Song Zelin lowered his head and said nothing.

He knew that Li Chengfeng was referring to the evidence secretly provided by Qi Daokun.

Although Li Chengfeng did not mention a word in the court, any discerning person could see that without Qi Daokun's help, Li Chengfeng would not have been able to overthrow Liu Zhenshan so easily.

He also knew that Li Chengfeng kept Qi Daokun not because he had any real merit, but because the emperor still needed him.