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

"What does the Right Prime Minister think should be done with the Five Pecks of Rice Army in Hexi?"

Li Chengfeng's tone was calm, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.

Qi Daokun's eyes rolled, and he considered his words for a moment: "I originally thought that I should send someone to negotiate with the Five Pecks of Rice Army first, and persuade them with reason and emotion, perhaps we can turn hostility into friendship."

"Oh?"

Li Chengfeng raised his eyebrows. "So, what was the outcome of the negotiations with the Right Prime Minister?"

Qi Daokun's heart trembled, and he thought of Zhang Yuan who went to the negotiations with him.

The little emperor asked this question with a determined look on his face. Could it be that he guessed something?

At this point, Qi Daokun made up his mind.

He exaggerated how brutal and cruel the Five Pecks of Rice Army was, saying that the official granaries in Hexi were emptied by the Five Pecks of Rice Army and that they harassed the people in the city. He even made up some completely false stories and spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he had seen them with his own eyes.

As Li Chengfeng listened to Qi Daokun's description, his brows furrowed and his expression became increasingly gloomy.

He slammed the table and shouted angrily, "How dare these traitors act so recklessly! I must wipe them out and serve as a warning to others!"

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Seeing that Li Chengfeng seemed to take it seriously, Qi Daokun finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to persuade him again.

"This matter still needs to be considered carefully. Don't act impulsively."

Li Chengfeng smiled and said, "Don't worry, my dear Qi. I have already sent Liu Feng, the Prince of Pingxi, to suppress the rebellion. I believe there will be good news soon."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Qi Daokun hurriedly praised him, but he couldn't help cursing in his heart.

He originally wanted to use this opportunity to let Wang Lu settle in Hexi to consolidate his power, but he didn't expect the little emperor to take such a ruthless action.

Now I have no choice but to give up Hexi for now and just hope that Li Chengfeng doesn't find out more clues.

"Qi Daokun!"

Suddenly a loud shout was heard in the court, and all the ministers were frightened.

Qi Daokun was so frightened that he knelt down directly.

Li Chengfeng slammed the table, his voice rising several degrees: "You're old and still don't know how to be steady! I think you've been in a high position for too long!"

"I asked you to go to Hexi to appease the people and provide relief to the victims, but you angered the Five Pecks of Rice Army and forced them to rebel!"

"When war breaks out, countless lives are lost. Do you want all the people in the world to call me a tyrant?"

Qi Daokun broke out in a sweat instantly. He was almost unable to bear all the twists and turns.

Even the civil and military officials in the court did not dare to say a word for Qi Daokun.

Qi Daokun prostrated himself on the ground, trembling as he explained, "Your Majesty, please calm down! I absolutely did not intend to provoke the Five Pecks of Rice Army! Every word I say is true, and I dare not deceive Your Majesty!"

As he spoke, he secretly looked up to observe Li Chengfeng's expression. Seeing that Li Chengfeng's face was still gloomy, he felt even more frightened.

The golden bricks on the throne room were icy cold. Qi Daokun pressed his forehead against the ground, not daring to breathe.

Li Chengfeng, sitting on the dragon throne, looked down at him condescendingly, his eyes full of disappointment.

It's like really entrusting a loyal minister with an important task, but in the end the result is far from what was expected and disappointing.

"Qi Aiqing, please get up."

Li Chengfeng's tone softened a bit. "I know you're also thinking about Daqian, but your method is a little... too radical."

Qi Daokun stood up tremblingly, lowered his head, and did not dare to look directly into Li Chengfeng's eyes.

Li Chengfeng paused and continued, "Lord Qi, I appreciate your hard work and great contributions, so I will be lenient with you this time."

He paused deliberately, his eyes sweeping over the prince and the others, before he slowly said, "I have decided to demote you two ranks and keep you in office while guilty."

When Qi Daokun heard this, his body swayed and he almost fell down.

Being demoted twice in a row! This was a huge humiliation for him!

He suppressed the anger in his heart and whispered, "Your Majesty... Thank you for your grace."

Demoted twice! How dare this little emperor humiliate him like this!

He took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in his heart. Good, very good! He secretly swore to himself that he would make Li Chengfeng pay the price!

Fortunately, the young emperor didn't seem to suspect anything. Even if Qi Daokun was demoted, there were still people in the court working for him.

Li Chengfeng turned to Qian Youliang again. The latter lowered his head, fearing that Li Chengfeng would vent his anger on him.

"Lord Qian, do you think my handling of this matter is appropriate?"

Qian Youliang wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly replied, "Your Majesty is wise! This move not only maintains the dignity of the court, but also gives Master Qi a chance to reform himself. It truly kills two birds with one stone!"

Li Chengfeng didn't say anything, just smiled faintly.

How could he not know that although Qi Daokun was demoted twice, given his influence in the court, his official position did not mean anything.

"My dear ministers, if you have nothing to report, please withdraw from the court."

After kneeling in greeting, the ministers left the Golden Palace.

After Li Chengfeng got so angry, who would dare to mention the imperial examination? They didn't want to walk into his trap.

The Hexi government office at this moment is completely different from its former prosperous scene.

There were few pedestrians on the streets, most shops were closed, and the air was filled with a depressed and tense atmosphere.

Liu Feng has led his army to the Hexi government office. He is wearing black armor, a sword at his waist, and scanning the surrounding environment with sharp eyes.

The army lined up outside the government office, with flags fluttering and a murderous aura in the air.

When Zhang Yuan got the news, he hurried out to greet him.

He walked quickly to Liu Feng and bowed, "I, Zhang Yuan, pay my respects to the King of Pingxi!"

Liu Feng had heard that the post of prefect of Hexi had been temporarily taken over.

The person in charge of the Seal Verification Department of the Ministry of Personnel was cautious and thorough in his actions. This time, Li Chengfeng entrusted Hexi to such a great man, which probably saved him a lot of trouble.

He dismounted, helped Zhang Yuan up, and patted him on the shoulder: "Master Zhang, there's no need to be so polite. You've worked hard on the journey."

Zhang Yuan smiled without any unnecessary emotion, "Your Highness, you have come from afar and must be exhausted. Please come into the mansion and rest."

Liu Feng followed Zhang Yuan into the government office, and the two of them sat down in the main hall.

Zhang Yuan poured Liu Feng a cup of tea and asked straight to the point.

Liu Feng took the teacup and took a sip. "His Majesty has ordered me to temporarily stay in Hexi to cooperate with Lord Zhang to deal with the Five Pecks of Rice Army."

Zhang Yuan nodded. Li Chengfeng had already made this clear in the imperial edict.

"Your Highness, the Five Pecks of Rice Army has been quite active recently."

"However, the people in and around the city are safe for now. There is still a lot of food left from the disaster relief, which can help to stabilize the people's hearts for the time being."

He paused and continued, "But this Five Pecks of Rice Army, led by their leader Zhao Jun, comes to rob food every once in a while, and they also rape women. They do all kinds of evil, which is really hateful!"

Liu Feng put down his teacup and tapped his fingers on the table. "The Five Pecks of Rice Army is acting so ostentatiously. I'm afraid someone is secretly supporting them."

Zhang Yuan agreed with this. It seemed that the new King of Pingxi was also a sharp and intelligent person.

"I think so too, but... I haven't found any conclusive evidence yet."

"Your Majesty, be careful when facing the Five Pecks of Rice Army."

When Zhang Yuan thought that Liu Feng was the one who actually faced the rebels, he couldn't help but worry and gave another instruction.

Liu Feng was quite angry when he heard the crimes of the Five Pecks of Rice Army.

"Don't worry, Master Zhang. I will definitely fulfill my mission and completely wipe out these Five Pecks of Rice Army!"

He stood up and walked to the window, his eyes fixed on the army ready to go outside the government office, and said in a firm tone, "The people of Hexi, I will definitely protect them!"

Zhang Yuan stood up and walked to Liu Feng's side. Following Liu Feng's gaze, he saw that all the soldiers were in high spirits, their armor shining in the sun.