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

In the Royal Study Room of the Imperial Palace.

After reviewing the memorials, Li Chengfeng put aside the last report on the rebellion of the Five Pecks of Rice Army in Hexi and rubbed his temples tiredly.

The imperial examination had just ended, and it should have been a relaxing moment, but the mood was disrupted by this sudden rebellion.

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the deep night sky outside, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.

"Your Majesty, it's late, it's time to rest." Little Liuzi reminded softly.

Li Chengfeng waved his hand, "I'm not sleepy yet. Go get the map."

Xiao Liuzi retreated as instructed, and soon came back with a huge map of Daqian, which he carefully unfolded on the desk in the imperial study.

Li Chengfeng walked to the map, his eyes fell on the location of Hexi, and his brows were furrowed.

Hexi is located in the northwest of Daqian and has a very important strategic location. Once it is lost, the consequences will be unimaginable.

He used his fingers to move back and forth between Hexi and the capital, muttering to himself: "Hexi...Five Pecks of Rice Army..."

"Zhang Yuan, I hope you won't let me down."

Li Chengfeng said in a low voice, with a flicker of determination in his eyes.

He picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote lines of vigorous and powerful words on the imperial edict.

"Convey my decree and order Hexi garrison commander Zhang Yuan to stabilize the army's morale and appease the people. He must not engage in direct conflict with the Five Pecks of Rice Army."

He paused, then added, "Tell Zhang Yuan that Liu Feng, the King of Pingxi, was only temporarily transferred to Hexi by me. He must return to his fiefdom after the rebellion is quelled. Hexi must have its own army."

After writing the imperial edict, Li Chengfeng handed it to Xiao Liuzi, "Send it to Hexi immediately, without any mistakes!"

Xiao Liuzi took the order and left.

Li Chengfeng continued to stand in front of the map, his eyes deep, as if he could see through the mountains and rivers for thousands of miles and reach the war-torn Hexi area.

He knew that this rebellion was just the beginning.

Bigger challenges lie ahead.

When the imperial edict was delivered to Zhang Yuan, he was discussing with local officials how to deal with the offensive of the Five Pecks of Rice Army.

Zhang Yuan unfolded the imperial edict and read it carefully. The emperor's handwriting was vigorous and powerful, revealing an unquestionable majesty.

After reading the imperial edict, he felt a little relieved.

The emperor's will coincided with his thoughts.

The strength of the Five Pecks of Rice Army cannot be underestimated. A head-on confrontation will definitely not work, and we can only outsmart them.

Li Chengfeng also mentioned that King Pingxi Liu Feng was only temporarily transferred to Hexi by His Majesty. He would return to his fiefdom after the rebellion was quelled, and Hexi must have its own army.

Your Majesty wants to build up his own power in Hexi to fight against the Five Pecks of Rice Army and even... other potential threats.

The problem of the Five Pecks of Rice Army must be solved as soon as possible, otherwise there will be endless troubles.

Zhang Yuan was secretly thinking of a countermeasure in his mind. The King of Pingxi should be here soon.

At the same time, Li Chengfeng was still in the imperial study. He took out Chen Tingshu's test paper separately and read it carefully.

Chen Tingshu's article was not only brilliant in writing but also insightful, especially his suggestions on tax reform, which made Li Chengfeng, who was familiar with the plot, nod his head frequently.

The more he looked, the more satisfied he became.

Finally, he handed out the test papers, picked up his pen and dipped it in ink, and wrote the word "top scholar" on Chen Tingshu's test paper. Then, based on the reform suggestions put forward by Chen Tingshu, he drafted a brief reform plan.

To implement these reforms will inevitably affect the interests of some people and face a lot of resistance.

But he has made up his mind to change this corrupt dynasty and give the people a future where they can live and work in peace and contentment.

He put down his pen, walked to the window, looked at the sky outside which was gradually brightening, his heart filled with hope.

"It's dawn,"

Li Chengfeng said softly, "A new day has begun."

He turned and walked to the desk, picked up the reform plan again, with a determination glittering in his eyes.

These suggestions are exactly what he has always wanted to implement.

Thinking of this, Li Chengfeng wanted to fly to the Prime Minister's Mansion immediately. He wanted to find Song Zelin to discuss this matter.

"Little Liuzi."

Li Chengfeng shouted, "Change clothes, I need to go out for a while."

Prime Minister's House.

"Song Aiqing, accompany me for a walk outside the palace."

As soon as Li Chengfeng stepped into the Prime Minister's Mansion, his voice reached Song Zelin's ears.

He exempted Song Zelin from the ceremony. He felt dizzy all the way, which was definitely due to staying up all night. He simply asked the prime minister to go out for some fresh air.

By the way, let me talk about my thoughts that night.

Song Zelin quickly stood up and agreed.

He noticed that Li Chengfeng didn't look very good today, and thought that His Majesty hadn't slept all night again.

The two men changed into casual clothes and walked out of the mansion without riding horses or taking a sedan chair.

In order not to attract attention, Li Chengfeng deliberately chose a secluded alley with only a few small vendors. The alley was filled with the atmosphere of the city with hawking sounds coming one after another.

The aroma from a noodle stall wafted over, and Li Chengfeng stopped.

"Song Aiqing, are you hungry?"

He turned to look at Song Zelin with a hint of smile in his tone.

Song Zelin was slightly stunned, then reacted and quickly replied: "Your Majesty, I..."

"Today there is no king or minister, only you and me."

Li Chengfeng interrupted him and walked to the noodle stall, "Boss, two bowls of plain noodles, please."

The noodle stall owner was a thin old man. He quickly made two bowls of noodles and placed them in front of Li Chengfeng and Song Zelin.

"My two guests, please enjoy your meal."

Li Chengfeng picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of noodles and put it into his mouth, savoring it carefully.

The noodles are chewy and the soup is delicious. Although it is a simple plain noodle, it has a unique flavor.

After finishing his noodles, Li Chengfeng took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

"Boss, no need to look for it."

As he spoke, he stood up and was about to leave.

Song Zelin quickly stood up, only to see Li Chengfeng pull out a handful of silver coins from his sleeve and place them under the bowl of noodles without making a sound.

At this time, Su Yuan walked to the noodle stall unsteadily, waving a folding fan.

"Boss, give me two meat buns."

His tone was arrogant, with a hint of dandy frivolity.

Just as the noodle stall owner was about to take the buns, Su Yuan saw the change that Li Chengfeng had placed under the bowl.

He rolled his eyes, and while the boss wasn't paying attention, he slipped the change into his sleeve, then took the buns as if nothing had happened.

Li Chengfeng saw all of this, but he remained calm. Song Zelin followed Li Chengfeng's gaze.

"Sir, this is Su Yuan, the son of the Deputy Director of the Seal Verification Department."

Li Chengfeng raised his eyebrows. When he heard the name, he remembered the test paper full of flattery when he was grading it.

"Master, please stay."

He opened his mouth and called out to Su Yuan.

Su Yuan stopped and turned around impatiently. He found it was a stranger and asked in confusion: "What's the matter?"

Li Chengfeng walked up to him and looked him up and down. "You look very impressive, so you must be a scholar. Are you going to take the imperial examination?"

Su Yuan raised his chin arrogantly, "Indeed, I am the son of Su Dezheng, the Deputy Director of the Seal Verification Department of the Ministry of Personnel, Su Yuan."

"Oh? Lord Su's son?"

Li Chengfeng pretended to be surprised, "Excuse me, my dear. The results will be announced in a few days. Are you sure?"

Su Yuan said confidently, "Of course, getting a place on the imperial examination is just a piece of cake."

Li Chengfeng smiled, but his words were inevitably laced with sarcasm.

He despised the people who were illiterate but could climb to a high position by relying on their family.

"Sir, you are full of confidence, but this imperial examination is no joke. I hope you will not underestimate the enemy, lest..."

He paused deliberately, "I failed the exam."

Su Yuan's expression changed, and he looked a little unhappy. "What do you mean?"

Li Chengfeng shrugged, "I have no ill intentions. I am just giving you a friendly reminder."

"After all, if you fly too high, it will hurt if you fall down."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and returned to his seat, no longer looking at Su Yuan.

Su Yuan glared at Li Chengfeng fiercely, snorted coldly, and turned away.

"Sir, why are you..."

Song Zelin asked in confusion.

Li Chengfeng took a sip of the noodle soup and said, "Did you see that? He just took the small change I left on the table."

Song Zelin was shocked. He thought it was just a reward from His Majesty for his boss's hard work and didn't take it too seriously.

He didn't expect to be touched by the villain. He stroked his beard and came to a conclusion.

"This person is so greedy for petty gains that he is not fit for great use."

Li Chengfeng nodded. "A Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel can be so unscrupulous, accepting bribes right under the Emperor's nose, not to mention he's a member of the Right Prime Minister's party. Sooner or later, I will punish them all."