In order to avoid being criticized again, Li Mu did not stay in Changle Palace for long after he returned.
This way, even if the Demon Sect still had spies in the palace, they would only think that the Empress thought highly of him and would often summon him to Changle Palace to discuss matters of state. They would not spread rumors that he had an affair with the Empress and was a gigolo she kept in the palace.
In the Li Residence, Wanwan and Xiao Bai were in the front and back respectively. Li Mu lay comfortably on a chair, enjoying the service of their little hands.
Although he was comfortable, Li Mu could not help but feel a trace of melancholy in his heart.
The residence was too big and had countless rooms. There were only three of them, and they only slept in one room and one bed. The huge residence seemed especially cold and cheerless.
In short, the residence lacked a mistress.
Just as this thought arose, Li Mu's vision blurred, and a figure appeared in the courtyard.
Xiao Bai's eyes curved as she giggled and said, "Sister Zhou, you're here …"
Wanwan stared at a box in the Empress's hand and asked curiously, "Sister Zhou, what are you holding in your hand?"
Zhou Yi handed the box to her and said, "This is a new type of pastry that the imperial chef developed. It tastes pretty good, try it."
Wanwan did not have time to massage Li Mu's legs. She hugged the box and ran to the stone table with Xiao Bai, impatiently trying out the new pastry developed by the imperial chef.
Li Mu, who had not yet reacted, was still lying comfortably on the chair. Zhou Yi glanced at him and asked, "Are you waiting for me to massage your legs and shoulders?"
The Empress was standing, so Li Mu did not dare to lie down. He immediately flipped over and said, "Your Majesty, please …"
When the Empress lay down where he had been lying, Li Mu realized that the two of them were standing in an inappropriate position.
The Empress was standing, and he could not lie down. Otherwise, it would seem like he was waiting for the Empress to serve him.
However, the Empress was lying down while he was standing. Some things could be seen clearly from a bird's eye view. Li Mu didn't even dare to lower his head.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Li Mu's mind. He walked behind the Empress and said, "Your Majesty, aren't your shoulders a bit sore? Why don't I give Your Majesty a massage? Your Majesty's shoulder massaging technique is not bad …"
Zhou Yi said faintly, "You must've gotten familiar with that vixen when you were in Thousand Fox Country. Back in the palace, I didn't see you being so attentive to me. I didn't expect my subject to be trained by a vixen …"
Li Mu was startled and a thought flashed through his mind.
The Empress was obviously jealous of Phantom Princess. When he was in Changle Palace, he only wanted to come back and find Wanwan and Xiao Bai. He didn't realize that the Empress was hinting at him.
This wasn't the first time Li Mu noticed that the Empress had a strong possessive desire for him.
This didn't mean that the Empress had fallen in love with him. Possessiveness was human nature. She wasn't the only one who wanted to possess Li Mu. Li Mu also wanted to possess her.
Not to mention anything else, if the Empress had another subject who was as good to him as she was to herself, Li Mu wouldn't feel comfortable in his heart.
Li Mu secretly broke into a cold sweat for himself. Fortunately, he came to his senses early. If he persisted until night fell, he would inevitably be beaten up in his dreams.
Zhou Yi looked quite domineering, but she was actually more of a woman than anyone else.
She would never say what was on her mind. Instead, she would let Li Mu guess it himself. If he guessed it right, everyone would be happy. If he guessed wrong, she would vent her anger in his dreams.
It must be because she didn't enjoy the same treatment as Phantom Princess. Her tone was as if she had drunk an entire jar of aged vinegar.
Li Mu took the initiative to put his hands on her shoulders. He rubbed here and there, and finally calmed her down. She lay there comfortably and closed her eyes to rest. She didn't speak anymore.
At a certain moment, Li Mu said softly, "There is an important matter that I would like to discuss with Your Majesty."
Zhou Yi closed her eyes and said, "Speak."
Li Mu organized his words and said, "This time, when I was undercover in Qianhu Country, I discovered something. The reason why most of the demons hate the Great Zhou and hate humans is because of the unfairness between humans and demons in the Great Zhou. When demons harm humans, they will be destroyed by the imperial court. However, humans can kill demons wantonly, take their souls, and steal their Monster Cores. They can even do crueler things to demons. This is actually the root of the conflict between humans and demons. If we want to improve the relationship between humans and demons and promote the stability of the counties, we can only pass the imperial court's legislation …"
Zhou Yi's eyes were still closed. She said, "Most of the courtiers and even the common people have an inexorable prejudice against demons. Many people will oppose this matter."
Li Mu said, "I think that the people of the 36 counties are the people of the Great Zhou. In the Great Zhou, the demons who abide by the laws are also the people of the Great Zhou. Although the demons are not as numerous as the common people, they can develop intelligence or take human form. They all have cultivation and the power they produce is far greater than that of the common people. If the demons in the Great Zhou are united, they will condense the Emperor's Qi faster and Your Majesty will be able to escape as soon as possible."
Zhou Yi's eyes suddenly opened. She looked around and said, "Since you think it's right, then do it boldly. I will always be behind you …"
…
Morning court.
An official's spittle flew everywhere. "Absurd, simply absurd. What does the life and death of the demons have to do with the court? The court is the court of the common people, not the court of the demons. If they even have to care about the matters of the demons, then how busy will the local officials be? How many cultivators make a living by killing demons? Won't the court become the enemy of those cultivators?"
A different voice said, "Lord Yan's words are wrong. In this way, the demons will certainly hate the court much less. It will be beneficial in easing the conflict between humans and demons."
"I agree. Humans and demons are all living creatures. If the demons are willing to abide by the laws, then the Great Zhou may be able to accept them."
"Our Great Zhou's Celestial Empire must have the magnanimity of a Celestial Empire."
Another official stood up and said, "Lord Yan's words make sense. The counties can't even manage their own matters. How can they have the time to care about the demons?"
Another person agreed. "This is the biggest joke in the world. Our human court is making decisions for the demons. How will the Demon Kingdom view us? How will the Shen Kingdom and the Yong Kingdom view us? Our Great Zhou will become the joke of all the other countries!"
"The court is protecting the demons. This is simply unprecedented!"
"I object!"
"I also object!"
… …
Once this topic was raised, it caused a strong reaction in the court. Although a few officials agreed at the beginning, they were quickly drowned out by voices of opposition.
There were even officials who stood up and questioned, "Just whose suggestion was it? Stand up and let everyone see!"
Li Mu slowly walked out and said, "It was me."
As he walked out, the voices of discussion in the court gradually quieted down. Finally, they completely disappeared. You could hear a pin drop.
Although Li Mu often did not attend court for several months, no one dared to look down on him.
Both the old and new factions combined had been defeated by Li Mu. The students of the Academy had been arrogant for a while, but now they were as obedient as sheep. Even the Zhou clan and the Xiao clan, after their successive defeats, had to avoid the sharp edge, not daring to oppose Li Mu directly.
The official who had just asked Li Mu to stand up stood in a daze. He was completely stupefied.
In this instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
It was over!
He did not expect that the person he had attacked was Li Mu. After court, he would definitely suffer the revenge of this powerful official of the Great Zhou. The beautiful concubine he had just married would probably not be able to sleep for more than a few nights. The new house that he had just lived in for a year would also become someone else's after it was confiscated …
He would probably have to sleep in the cemetery with excellent Fengshui that he had chosen for his old father in his hometown, Nanjun …
A moment later, the official wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead and said seriously, "Lord Li's suggestion is truly wonderful. Not only can this move alleviate the conflict between humans and demons, it can also stabilize the various prefectures, and it can also subtly divide the demon kingdom. This official's respect for Lord Li is like a torrential river, endless and unending. It is also like an overflowing river, unable to be controlled once it starts flowing. With Lord Li in the imperial court, it is truly the blessing of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the common people …"
Another official who had objected looked at this person with disdain. He strode out and said with righteous indignation, "Demon race, so what if they are demons? Demons are also born and raised by their parents. As long as they are in the Great Zhou, they are the people of the Great Zhou. I have long disliked those cultivators with evil intentions!"
"Uniting the demon race can strengthen the national strength of the Great Zhou …"
"I strongly recommend that the Department of Worship recruit some demon experts. The various yamens should also eliminate discrimination and fully utilize the role of demons. Using demons to control demons can greatly reduce the pressure on the local yamens to govern the areas under their jurisdiction …"
"The Ministry of Revenue can register these demons as demon citizens. The demon citizens are also the people of the Great Zhou and are protected by the laws of the Great Zhou. They also have to bear the responsibility of protecting the country …"
…
At some point, the officials in the court no longer objected to this matter. Instead, they began to make plans for the implementation of this matter.
After brainstorming and discussing for a while, everyone unexpectedly discovered that the benefits of uniting the demon race seemed to far outweigh the disadvantages. It could even create a new structure that had never been seen since the establishment of the Great Zhou …
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
