If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

Attracted by the sound, everyone turned to look at the passageway.

One after another, fully loaded carts slowly drove by, their wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs with a dull thud.

"It's...it's food!"

A gasp suddenly erupted from the crowd.

"Food! It's food!"

"My God! It really is food!"

The people were instantly in an uproar.

"We're saved! We can finally have enough to eat!"

"Great! Finally, we have food!"

Cries and cheers mingled together.

Compared to the love and hatred between important figures, ordinary people care more about having enough to eat and wear.

Whoever can provide them with enough to eat and wear is their god!

Prime Minister Gan's face turned ashen; he clearly hadn't expected there to be so much grain.

He stared intently at the carts, his cane creaking in his hand.

Zhao Yu glanced at it, a smile playing on his lips, and slowly spoke.

"If I remember correctly, before the Wolf Army attacked, Minister Dong was in charge of supplying the northern border with provisions, wasn't he?"

Gan Chengxiang bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I never expected that Dong Zuo, who appears honest but is actually greedy, would dare to withhold military rations."

Zhao Yu smiled.

"Deduction? I'm afraid it's more than that?"

"What does Your Majesty mean?"

Zhao Yu smiled but did not answer.

Instead, he turned around and sat on the chair that had been prepared for him, picked up the tea and took a small sip.

"Someone, please have a seat!"

Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Gan felt a sense of unease.

But seeing the Imperial Guards bring over chairs, he had no choice but to sit down.

The civil officials in the square looked at each other in bewilderment, but seeing that the prime minister had already sat down, they had no choice but to sit down as well.

However, the panic on their faces was undeniable; they seemed restless and uneasy.

Under these circumstances, everyone began to appreciate the scene.

The convoy was still arriving in droves.

At first, a single cart transported grain, then two carts ran side by side, and finally three carts moved in unison.

The piles of rice and grain in the square grew taller and taller.

The excitement on the faces of the people quickly faded, replaced by shock.

Then came... anger!

"My God, I could never grow this much grain even in several lifetimes!"

"If we had this much food, why would we have fled so far to get here!"

"Doggy! My Doggy! If it weren't for these corrupt officials, you wouldn't be dead!"

"Don't panic, everyone. There might be more to the story!"

"I'll hide it from you, why are you buying fried dough twists!"

"ah!!!!"

As the screams of the crowd subsided, what remained was a deafening roar.

"Corrupt officials!"

"Corrupt official!"

Prime Minister Gan felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the people in the crowd with eyes that seemed to devour anyone they could.

The other civil officials trembled all over.

If it weren't for the Imperial Guards separating the people, they had no doubt that these people would have rushed up and torn them to pieces.

The convoy continued.

Time passed little by little.

The last fully loaded flatbed cart came to a stop.

The convoy ended, but! The rice pile also turned into a spectacular rice mountain, and people had to look up to see the top.

The sunlight shone on Mount Mi, reflecting a dazzling light.

Zhao Yu put down his teacup and turned to look at Prime Minister Gan.

"Prime Minister Gan, I feel that Dong Zuo's actions are not like withholding military rations, but rather like embezzling them." After saying this, he pretended to be puzzled.

"Hiss... Prime Minister Gan, what do you think Dong Zuo wants all this grain for?"

He couldn't possibly finish it all by himself, and even the entire Dong family couldn't finish it in ten years, right? Could it be... that they sold it to the Wolf Army?

thump!

Prime Minister Gan knelt directly on the ground, bowing his head.

"Your Majesty! This old minister has failed in his duty; he failed to discover Dong Zuo's wolfish ambitions!"

Zhao Yu chuckled.

"Didn't the Prime Minister previously praise Dong Zuo for his integrity? How come he's now accusing Dong Zuo of having wolfish ambitions?"

Gan Chengxian hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this old minister was deceived by that Prefect and Dong Zuo. It must be that the two of them colluded to make this old minister mistakenly believe that Dong Zuo was a great philanthropist!"

Upon hearing this, the prefect's eyes rolled back and he fainted on the spot.

Yellow liquid seeped from the official's trousers, and a foul odor filled the air.

Zhao Yu looked at the other civil officials.

What do you think?

The other civil officials knelt down one after another, their voices filled with panic.

"I was also deceived by that scoundrel Dong Zuo!"

"Your Majesty, spare me! I know nothing!"

His forehead slammed against the ground with a loud thud, like a percussion instrument.

Zhao Yu's gaze fell on Dong Mo.

"Minister of Justice, tell me, Dong Zuo is guilty of human trafficking, embezzling military rations, and treason. What is his punishment?"

Dong Mo stammered.

"This...this..."

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he looked at Prime Minister Gan with both eyes, trying to ask for help.

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Gan bowed his head and knelt on the ground without turning his head back.

Having lost his focus, he could only swallow hard.

"It should be... a capital offense."

Meng Qianshan had been holding back for a long time, and upon hearing Dong Mo's words, he immediately pointed his finger at Dong Mo's nose and cursed:

"Bullshit! Just for embezzling military rations, one should be executed along with their entire family!"

You dare say it's only a capital offense!

Dong Mo's face turned deathly pale.

"But...but Dong Zuo is a member of the Dong family, a pillar of the nation. For...for the sake of Liang, his sentence should be reduced."

"Heh, what a fine idea, 'for the sake of the Great Liang, the sentence should be reduced'."

Zhao Yu stood up, his smile vanishing instantly, and said coldly:

"Did the Dong family, for the sake of Liang, really raise a man like Dong Zuo, who left the people of Liang homeless and starving, allowing the wolf army to sweep deep into Liang's northern border?"

Dong Mo trembled all over. "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Zhao Yu gritted his teeth and said with murderous intent, "I have said that in my Great Liang, the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people!"

Since Dong Zuo committed human trafficking, embezzled military rations, and betrayed the country, his entire clan should be executed!

Meng Qianshan shouted loudly.

"Guards, throw Dong Mo into jail!"

Tap tap tap...

Two soldiers in armor stepped forward.

Upon seeing this, Dong Mo's psychological defenses completely collapsed.

He gritted his teeth, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

"Zhao Yu! If you dare lay a hand on my Dong family, my Dong family will perish with you! I... my Dong family will make all the people of Daliang pay the price..."

sieve--

puff!

The sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Immediately following was the sound of flesh being pierced.

"Well......"

Dong Mo looked down at his chest.

There was another opening, and bright red blood gushed out like water bursting its banks.

He looked up, staring incredulously at the person in front of him.

"Prime Minister Gan... you..."

"Dong Mo, how dare you defy the Emperor!"

Prime Minister Gan spoke loudly.

He pulled out his cane.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle~ Blood splattered.

Dong Mo writhed twice like an eel before collapsing straight to the ground.

Fresh blood flowed down the ground...

"Du"

Prime Minister Gan slowly turned around, his blood-stained cane striking the bluestone slab.

He didn't look at Dong Mo's corpse on the ground, but instead turned towards Zhao Yu, his knees buckled, and he knelt down heavily.

"His Majesty!

I have failed in my duty!

I never imagined that the Dong family was so corrupt and so utterly wicked!

"Your Majesty, I voluntarily resign from the position of Prime Minister to atone for my sins against the people!"

Boom!

Prime Minister Gan slammed his head heavily to the ground, his gray hair falling loose.

That old fox is really something.

Zhao Yu sneered inwardly.

First, he acted decisively and killed Dong Mo, then pinned all the blame on the Dong family.

Now he has voluntarily resigned from his official post, using retreat as a strategic move.

In this way, much of the raging anger he felt in the hearts of the people subsided.

He has gone to such lengths; if I were to hold a grudge now, I would appear heartless and earn a reputation for being callous and ungrateful.

Well thought out.

Zhao Yu slowly got up, walked to Prime Minister Gan, and personally helped him up.

"What is the Prime Minister doing? Please rise quickly."

Prime Minister Gan stood up, but still bowed, looking fearful and remorseful.

Zhao Yu sighed.

"I do not want to lose a pillar of the nation like the Prime Minister."

However, the Dong family's actions were far too egregious!

Prime Minister, look at these people, see the despair on their faces, and listen to their cries!

Even a single glance at it is unbearable to me; it feels like my heart is being torn apart!

If I don't give them an explanation, how can I live with myself?

Prime Minister Gan immediately echoed, his voice choked with emotion.

"Your Majesty is wise! This old minister knows his mistake."

After retiring from officialdom, this old minister is willing to devote all his wealth to helping these displaced people, building houses for them, and assisting them in rebuilding their lives and starting new families, in order to atone for his past sins!

After saying that, he knelt down again.

"This old minister kowtows in gratitude for Heaven's grace!"

"Okay." Zhao Yu nodded, which was taken as an agreement.

He stopped looking at Prime Minister Gan and instead turned his gaze to the kneeling, trembling civil official.

"You are all responsible for the affairs of the Dong family!"

The same thought crossed everyone's mind: It's over!

However, Zhao Yu changed the subject.

"However, with the great battle approaching, the Wolf Army is eyeing us covetously."

The matter of punishment should be postponed for now.

As for your respective properties in the city, you shall hand them all over within three days to be used as war supplies in preparation for the upcoming great battle.

If anyone disobeys or conceals property...

Zhao Yu didn't finish his sentence, but the civil officials all understood what he meant.

"My lord, I obey your order!"

"Your Majesty, we kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's divine grace!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The civil officials who had survived the ordeal wept bitterly and kowtowed desperately to Zhao Yu.

The venue is ready; now all that's left is to mobilize the participants.

Zhao Yu turned around and faced the hundreds of thousands of people.

He walked to the high platform in front of Mount Mi and looked at the people who still harbored some anger.

He put on a sorrowful expression.

"I received my mandate in a time of crisis, and ascended the throne amidst a time of peril!"

I know you hate, you resent!

I hate these corrupt officials who treat your lives like dirt!

"I resent the injustice of Heaven, which has left you homeless and starving!"

His words resonated deeply with all the people.

Zhao Yu changed the subject, his expression turning indignant.

"but!

Is hatred and resentment enough to achieve anything?

Look behind me!

Everyone looked at the enormous mountain of rice.

"This grain was squeezed from your blood and sweat by the Dong family! Now, I'm returning it to you!"

But can you hold out?

Now, those treacherous wolves have breached the borders of my Great Liang, slaughtered my cities, and killed my people!

They have only one goal: to take away your last chance to live!

Take this mountain of rice! Take your wives and daughters! Turn you all into their slaves!

Are you willing?

"I don't want to!" A burly man roared from the crowd, his eyes red.

"I don't want to!"

"We don't want to!"

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

The roars of hundreds of thousands of people converged into a deafening sound wave.

Their anger found a new outlet.

The resentment towards the imperial court turned into hatred towards the invaders!

Zhao Yu drew the Emperor's Sword from his waist, pointed it at the sky, and shouted hoarsely.

"I assure you! From this day forward, there will be no more people in Great Liang suffering from hunger and cold!"

"Anyone who offends our Great Liang, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"

"kill!"

"kill!!"

"kill!!!"

The overwhelming response sent tremors through the entire imperial city.