In Changle Palace, Li Mu handed the booklet to Zhou Yi and asked, "Your Majesty, how should we deal with these people?"
Zhou Yi flipped open the booklet and glanced at it a few times. Then, he asked Li Mu, "What do you think?"
Li Mu thought for a moment and said, "I think that the Great Zhou's Imperial Court has been suffering from a chronic problem for a long time. The court officials have formed cliques for personal gain, and in order to suppress dissidents, they will do anything. If we want to cure this chaos, we need to use strong medicine. Your Majesty can also take this opportunity to support some of your trusted aides …"
Zhou Qiong rubbed the space between his brows and said to Li Mu, "I'll leave this matter to you."
Li Mu bowed and said, "I obey."
The booklet Zhou Zhong gave him recorded the crimes of many officials of the two parties over the years. Some of them were corrupt, some of them took bribes, some of them bent the law for personal gain, and some of them abused their power. These records filled the entire booklet.
A month ago, Li Mu felt that the Imperial Court should still be stable.
Over the past month, Li Mu gradually realized that the Great Zhou's Imperial Court had a problem from the root.
Rather than maintaining the stability on the surface and letting them slowly nibble away at the decaying Great Zhou, it was better to cut the Gordian knot and use strong medicine to weaken the old and new factions. At the same time, power would gradually return to the hands of the empress.
When the Empress completely controlled the Imperial Court, whoever passed the throne of the Great Zhou to would have nothing to do with the old and new parties.
Even if the Empress didn't pass the throne to the Zhou Clan or the Xiao Clan, it would be her own business to pass the throne to her own son.
Or, if the Empress's cultivation reached the eighth level, then no matter how strong the old and new parties were, they wouldn't even have the right to protest under absolute power.
In that case, who would dare to bully him in the entire Zu Province, let alone the Imperial Court?
Unfortunately, this could only exist in Li Mu's imagination.
The Empress' seventh level came more from her inheritance than from her own cultivation. Unless she encountered a greater opportunity, the seventh level was the peak that she could reach in this lifetime.
At present, all the Seventh Realm powerhouses that Li Mu knew, including Xuan Jizi, were promoted to the Upper Realm through inheritance.
Zhou Yi leaned against the dragon throne and propped up his head. He said, "I'm a bit tired. Here are a few memorials. Help me take a look."
Li Mu moved a chair and sat in front of the table. He said, "Your Majesty should rest first. When you wake up, the soup in the imperial kitchen will be almost ready …"
Although it was unlikely that a Seventh Realm cultivator would tire herself out, Li Mu didn't forget that the Empress' inner demon had yet to be removed. Suppressing the inner demon was an extremely taxing task. The exhaustion of mental energy was no less than fighting a battle with an expert of the same level.
With Li Mu here, she didn't have to worry about court matters. Zhou Yi leaned against the dragon throne and closed her eyes to recover her mind.
Suddenly, a cloud of fog appeared in front of her. When the fog dissipated, she was no longer in Changle Palace, but in the Imperial Garden.
Zhou Yi quickly realized that this was a dream.
As a Seventh Realm cultivator, she could control her body and consciousness. However, dreams didn't seem to have much to do with a person's consciousness. Instead, it was dominated by another consciousness.
She wanted to withdraw her consciousness from the dream, but she heard a sound coming from the depths of the Imperial Garden.
This made her change her mind. She was also interested in the contents of the subconscious fantasy.
Thus, she walked along the path of the Imperial Garden and slowly walked into the depths. As she walked, the conversation in the depths of the garden gradually became clear.
"This orange is very sweet. It's a tribute orange from Jiangnan. Try it."
"I want you to feed me."
"Nonsense."
"Hmph, you're not even willing to do this for me. You don't love me anymore …"
"Okay, okay, okay. Open your mouth …"
…
In the depths of the garden, there seemed to be a couple passionately in love. Zhou Yi had never experienced love, so she didn't feel envious.
She just felt that even the fragrance of the flowers in the Imperial Garden couldn't cover up the sour smell in the air. Just as she was about to leave, the couple sitting in the pavilion suddenly turned around.
In the pavilion, the other her was peeling the orange with a smile and sending the orange pieces into the mouth of the person in her arms.
And the person nestled in her arms was actually …
Changle Palace.
Zhou Yi, who was lying on the rocking chair, suddenly opened her beautiful eyes. Fine sweat even seeped out of her forehead.
After Li Mu finished reading the last memorial, he inadvertently glanced over and found that the Empress had woken up. Then, he asked with some surprise, "Your Majesty, are you very hot?"
Zhou Yi looked at Li Mu. The scene in her mind appeared again.
She realized that her inner demon seemed to be getting more and more serious.
Li Mu noticed the Empress's absent-mindedness. He waved his hand in front of her eyes and whispered, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty …"
Zhou Yi came back to her senses and said, "I'm fine. You can go back first."
Li Mu said, "The soup in the Imperial Kitchen is ready. I'll go get a bowl for you …"
Zhou Yi waved her hand and said, "No need. I'll let Ah Li leave in a while. You can go back first."
Li Mu tidied up the memorials he had read and put the chair back in place. He said, "Then I'll go back first."
Walking out of Changle Palace, he sighed softly.
The reason he came to Changle Palace was that he didn't know how to face the situation at home. He wanted to sort out his thoughts first, but the Empress obviously didn't give him the chance.
It was now lunchtime. In the Imperial Palace, the officials of the various government offices began to walk out in groups.
An official looked at Li Mu walking out of Changle Palace and said with emotion, "What is a favored official? This is a favored official. The number of times he goes to Her Majesty's bedchamber is more than the number of times he goes to the Secretariat …"
Another official said, "What is he holding in his hand? It looks like a book …"
When his eyes swept over the book in Li Mu's hand, he inexplicably shivered. He crossed his arms and said, "It's cold. Tomorrow I'll have to wear more clothes …"
Li Mu walked out of the Imperial Palace and all the way back to the Li Residence.
He stood in front of the gate, but he didn't step in.
It was hard for him to imagine what it would be like if Li Qing and Liu Hanyan appeared at home at the same time.
In Liu Hanyan's eyes, Li Qing was undoubtedly Li Mu's ex-girlfriend.
Although they had never confirmed their relationship, Li Mu couldn't deny that Li Qing was indeed his first love.
If it wasn't for fate, the person sleeping next to him every night might be someone else.
When a wife meets an ex-girlfriend, and the current master of the Li Residence meets an ex-master, it would be good if the two didn't fight. It couldn't be a happy and harmonious sisterly relationship, right?
The gate of the residence suddenly opened. Xiao Bai ran out of the courtyard and asked in confusion, "Benefactor, what are you doing at the gate?"
Li Mu rubbed her head, took a deep breath, and stepped into the house.
There wasn't the awkward atmosphere he imagined. Li Qing and Liu Hanyan were sitting in the courtyard and talking. They were neither too enthusiastic nor too distant.
Li Mu walked into the courtyard and said, "I'm back."
No one paid attention to him. Liu Hanyan looked at Li Qing and asked, "Where was Miss Li's previous room? I'll ask Wanwan to help you tidy it up."
Li Qing said, "No need, I'll tidy it up myself."
Liu Hanyan shook her head and said, "This used to be your home, and it will still be your home in the future. You don't have to be so polite in your own home …"
What Li Mu was worried about didn't happen. Liu Hanyan, who had always been stingy in relationships, was so magnanimous that he couldn't believe it.
At night, when Li Mu was about to go to his room to sleep, the bedroom door slammed shut just as he reached the door.
In the room, Liu Hanyan said gently, "From today onwards, you'll sleep in the study."
Her voice was very gentle, but the words she said were as cold as an iceberg.
Late at night, on the small bed in the study, Li Mu hugged Xiao Bai and stroked her smooth fur. Only then did he feel some warmth in his heart.
She was the only one who would stay by his side all this time …
In a certain residence in Nanyuan.
In a secret room, a soft conversation could be heard.
"Zhou Zhong has left Shen Du today and has been sent to the border counties."
"The two consecrators escorting him are our people."
"This person can't be left alive. He betrayed us and knows too many of our secrets. If he doesn't die, he'll always be a disaster."
"Don't worry, I've already made arrangements. He won't be able to reach the border counties …"
…
In a certain county in Great Zhou.
Under the night sky, a stream of light streaked across the sky and landed on a mountain.
A consecrator looked at Zhou Zhong who was standing at the bow of the flying boat and said, "Come down."
Zhou Zhong looked at the vast wilderness and asked, "My lords, are we going to sleep here tonight?"
The consecrator said, "What? You're a criminal official. Do you want to stay in a high-class inn?"
He looked at Zhou Zhong and couldn't help but ask, "Lord Zhou, you're a smart person. Why did you do such a stupid thing? Why did you give up your position as the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice? Why did you choose to go to the north to die …"
The other consecrator said impatiently, "Why are you talking nonsense with him? Just do it. We'll enjoy ourselves outside for a while before returning to Shen Du …"
Zhou Zhong looked at them and asked, "You want to kill me?"
The consecrator said, "Lord Zhou, are you so naive as to think that you won't have to die if His Majesty shows mercy?"
Zhou Zhong said calmly, "You're deceiving the emperor."
The consecrator laughed coldly and said, "If we kill you, we'll burn you to ashes with the True Samadhi Fire. Who would know? Anyway, you criminal officials will all die in the hands of ghosts and demons in the end."
Zhou Zhong asked again, "You really want to kill me?"
The consecrator extended his hand. A ball of blazing flame floated in his palm. He walked towards Zhou Zhong and said, "In your next life, be a smart person."
Zhou Zhong looked at him and said softly, "Deceiving the emperor is a crime punishable by death."
Poof.
The flame in the consecrator's hand suddenly went out.
It wasn't that he canceled his spell. It was that his spell had no more mana to support it.
The moment Zhou Zhong finished speaking, his head and body suddenly separated. The wound was as smooth as a cut. Blood splattered three feet high.
With the death of his physical body, his Nascent Spirit left his body. His expression was full of fear. He subconsciously wanted to escape, but in his confusion and fear, he slowly dissipated.
In the blink of an eye, a fifth realm cultivator's physical body was destroyed and his soul dispersed.
Seeing his comrade die in such a strange way, the other consecrator's face turned pale. He turned around and fled without hesitation. His body streaked across the sky like a stream of light and quickly disappeared into the night sky.
On the mountain top, Zhou Zhong said, "Come back."
The consecrator who fled rolled back and appeared at his previous position.
Zhou Zhong looked at him and asked, "You haven't finished your work. Where are you going?"
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