Qi Yi recalled the essay he wrote during the Imperial Examination and his bold words at the Qionglin Banquet, and finally looked up at Emperor Jingyuan: "Your Majesty, I once vehemently advised, but did Your Majesty listen?"

Emperor Jingyuan’s face darkened, his cold eyes like frost staring at Qi Yi: "Are you blaming me for not increasing taxes? But without increasing taxes, where would the silver come from to fight Da Rong? Should we kill the noble families and confiscate their assets for money? You have vehemently advised me not to casually turn against the noble families, so what do you mean now?"

Qi Yi said, "Indeed, I said those words, but I also disagreed with Your Majesty increasing taxes. Great Chu has been founded for only three generations and has been at war with Da Rong for many years. The Northwest drought from a few years ago has not yet recovered. We should implement benevolent governance, reduce taxes, and let the people recuperate; then recruit more scholars from poor families, and in twenty years, Great Chu will be prosperous. Scholars from poor families will replace more than half of the noble families. By then, Your Majesty can retaliate against Da Rong and avenge the nation!"

"Twenty years? I can’t wait that long. I want Da Rong to be destroyed in five years!" Emperor Jingyuan had long been displeased with Da Rong and could not wait twenty years to destroy them.

Qi Yi said, "Your Majesty, twenty years is already fast. To establish a dynasty that prospers for a hundred generations, building the foundation takes at least thirty to fifty years."

With a bang, Emperor Jingyuan grabbed the teacup beside him and directly smashed it on Qi Yi’s head, causing a cut: "Enough, do you also think my dream of a dynasty for a hundred generations is insane?!"

"Calm your anger, Your Majesty!" The Chief Eunuch, seeing this, hurriedly led all the palace maids and eunuchs to kneel.

His Majesty trusted Lord Qi a lot. If he really killed Lord Qi, he would regret it once he calmed down, and then punish these servants for not stopping him.

Qi Yi, however, did not kneel, but stood firmly with his head bleeding, looking straight at Emperor Jingyuan with a taunting smile.

Given Great Chu’s current situation, it’s hard to say if even a hundred years would be enough for complete stability. Will God give Great Chu a hundred years?

Qi Yi is a very passionate civil minister. He originally wanted to say these words, but he thought of Ah Shu... She and the children were still waiting for him at home, and he couldn’t lose his life in the palace.

If he died, Ah Shu would be widowed.

In such times, how would she survive with two children?

However, that taunting smile of Qi Yi triggered Emperor Jingyuan once more, inflaming him again: "Someone, drag Qi Yi away and whip him twenty times!"

With a sudden commotion, a team of Yu Lin Army stormed in like lightning and dragged Qi Yi out, punishing him outside Mingwei Palace.

This was the military whip used by the Yu Lin Army, one strike could tear the flesh.

Luckily, the Yu Lin Army colonel knew Qi Yi was favored by Emperor Jingyuan and didn’t dare to be too harsh, but after twenty whips, Qi Yi was severely injured and unconscious.

Emperor Jingyuan only felt somewhat relieved after the punishment... No matter who it is, anyone who wants him to spare Da Rong, deserves to die.

He might let go of the noble families, or even Duke Wei’s faction, but Da Rong must be destroyed!

"Send him home," Emperor Jingyuan instructed, and then returned to the harem, heading to Princess Consort Yi’s residence.

Princess Consort Yi was none other than Miss Ran.

After Miss Ran’s legs recovered, she rested for a while, overthrew her stepmother, and was arranged by her family to enter the palace. Now, with her son, she has been honored as a concubine.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Princess Consort Yi kneeled with her son and saluted Emperor Jingyuan.

Emperor Jingyuan saw her, helping her up personally: "No need for formalities, my beloved concubine."

Then scolding the palace staff: "What’s wrong with you servants? How dare you let Princess Consort Yi take care of the Eighth Prince herself!"

Everyone in Princess Consort Yi’s palace hurriedly knelt to apologize.

Princess Consort Yi smiled: "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty. It’s not their fault; I wanted to learn from the commoners to raise Dun’er myself."

Princess Consort Yi had a pleasant and comforting smile, which made Emperor Jingyuan feel at ease. He hugged her saying, "Only you, my dear consort, are pure-hearted in this palace, unlike those demon women, who were all sent by their fathers and brothers to watch me!"

Princess Consort Yi was startled. What has stirred him up again? 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

But Princess Consort Yi was quite experienced in this, she looked at Emperor Jingyuan and said, "Your Majesty, you said, my palace is your home, now that you’re home, let’s not talk about those troubling things."

She smiled again: "I’ve prepared millet porridge, stir-fried mulberry leaves, and some vegetarian cakes. It’s hot now, the meal is just right. Would you hold Dun’er while I serve the food?"

"Of course." Emperor Jingyuan had held the Eighth Prince before, naturally taking him, while Princess Consort Yi went to serve the food.

The palace eunuchs and maids saw this, secretly thinking: High, really high! Princess Consort Yi may not be the great beauty of the palace, nor from the most prestigious family, but her tactics are brilliant. She doesn’t compete or fight, making both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager fond of her, and interacts with His Majesty like ordinary couples, making him treat her palace as home, voluntarily helping with the Eighth Prince.

If given ten more years, she might ascend to become the Empress.

Everyone in Princess Consort Yi’s palace understood clearly, serving even more attentively; if Princess Consort Yi becomes Empress and Eighth Prince becomes Crown Prince, their future would be bright.

...

Emperor Jingyuan spent a comfortable night in Princess Consort Yi’s palace, meanwhile the officials in Zhili felt utterly miserable.

They originally thought after the mass suicides of the elderly, the Emperor would surely rescind the decree, or at least reduce the taxes.

However, not only were the taxes not reduced, but continued to be enforced, and the officials managing Zhili were punished with salary deductions, demotions, and even received twenty floggings by the officials delivering the imperial edict.

After the floggings, the official delivering the edict said: "The Emperor stated it was the bloodbath at Longshan Prefecture by Da Rong that cannot go unavenged, so taxes must be collected promptly. If the troop deployment is delayed, the officials face extermination of their clans."

With these words, officials in Zhili had no choice but to use even more brutal methods for tax collection, causing more deaths in Zhili.

Young Master Dou placed spies in the Capital, and the situation in Zhili quickly reached the new bank.

Gu Jin’an and others, upon hearing, were shocked, while He Jinseng and Gu Dexing were almost fainted with fright.

Young Master Dou had no leisure mocking them, either, as he received the news, he was equally scared, Lord Emperor was truly formidable, unsurprisingly seasoned in military camps, his methods were brutally straightforward, leaving no room for maneuver.

"Any news on Lord Qi?" Gu Jin’an calmed down and asked about Qi Yi’s situation: "Lord Qi has been kind to my family, he is upright and intolerant of injustice, working by the Emperor’s side makes me worry for his safety."

Emperor Jingyuan is indeed a madman, with a violent and unpredictable temper. If Lord Qi couldn’t refrain from speaking some truths, he might suffer greatly.

Young Master Dou: "Lord Qi, indeed, was beaten by the Emperor, but he’s not dead, still alive, currently recovering at home."