readsfreenovel Chapter 200 The Emperor Questions
Chapter 200 The Emperor Questions
When Mu Lanfeng heard this, the anxiety in his heart was slightly relieved and he nodded slightly.
Li Zeqi did not dare to delay, and immediately ordered his servants to prepare the carriage. He hurried back to his room and changed into a proper court dress. He exuded an air of majesty.
Soon, everything was ready. Li Zeqi took Mu Lanfeng on the carriage and galloped towards the palace.
On the night of New Year's Eve, although there was a festive atmosphere on the streets of the capital, Li Zeqi's mind was not on this at all. He frowned and kept thinking in his mind how to report this urgent military situation to his father so that the court could send troops to rescue Shaoze Pass as quickly as possible.
Mu Lanfeng sat aside, full of worries, looking outside through the car window from time to time, just hoping to reach the palace as soon as possible.
The carriage stopped in front of the palace gate, and Li Zeqi and Mu Lanfeng got off. When the guard saw that it was Li Zeqi, he saluted and let them pass.
The two of them hurriedly walked towards the imperial study. The eunuchs and palace maids they met along the way saw that Li Zeqi was in a hurry and did not dare to ask any more questions, so they all avoided him.
Arriving at the door of the imperial study, Li Zeqi took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and then raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.
"Come in." The emperor's calm voice came from inside.
Li Zeqi walked in and pulled Mu Lanfeng in with him. The emperor was sitting behind his desk reviewing memorials. When he saw the two of them come in, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Your son pays homage to His Majesty, Father. May Your Majesty have a happy new year." Li Zeqi bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" Mu Lanfeng also followed suit and bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities. It's New Year's Day. Why are you here instead of celebrating at home?" The emperor put down his pen, looked at the two of them and asked.
Li Zeqi said nothing more, and directly presented the note that Mu Lanfeng had given him to the emperor, and said solemnly: "Father, the Xilin army took advantage of my Longyuan New Year to attack Shaoze Pass. Our troops were weak and could not resist. Shaoze Pass is now in danger, and it may take two days for the battle report to reach you. I am worried about the delay in the battle opportunity, so I come to ask you to send troops to rescue immediately."
The emperor slowly took the note, his eyes were like deep pools, he narrowed them slightly and began to examine it carefully.
As his eyes moved across the word on the note, his expression became increasingly gloomy, like the sky before a storm, so gloomy that water could almost drip out.
His brows slightly frowned, a hint of suspicion flashed in his eyes, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, but that smile was chilling. Then he slowly opened his mouth and said, "Where did this news come from?"
Mu Lanfeng paused slightly, knowing clearly that the emperor in front of her was suspicious by nature. She had expected the emperor to ask this question even when she was on her way to the palace.
She took a deep breath, then said calmly, neither servile nor arrogant: "Your Majesty, this news was obtained by Xian Chengfeng of Baisheng Tower. His source of information has always been accurate and reliable. I hope Your Majesty will understand it."
The emperor naturally knew the owner of Baisheng Tower who was famous in the world.
This person is quite prestigious in the underworld, and the news he spreads has never been wrong and has always been accurate and reliable.
However, the incident with the crown prince was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, which caused huge waves in the emperor's heart.
From then on, the emperor seemed to be in a fog, and he became more alert to everything around him. Even with people he had always trusted, he had to be more careful to prevent any unexpected events.
The emperor frowned, his eyes seemed to be filled with storms, his expression was solemn and serious, his eyes were fixed on Li Zeqi, and he asked, "Fourth Brother, what do you think?"
An uncontrollable anger welled up in the heart of Prince Yan Li Zeqi. He had never imagined that at this critical moment when the military situation was burning, his father was still doubting the authenticity of the news.
His face instantly became as gloomy as the dark night before a storm, and his eyes were burning with anger, as if to burn everything in front of him to ashes.
He unconsciously clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he wanted to concentrate all his anger on his fists.
"Father!" His voice was trembling with a hint of suppression. "Xian Chengfeng's reputation in the martial arts world is not unfounded. Baishenglou's information network is spread all over the place, and its accuracy is obvious to all. Now Shaoze Pass is in danger. Every moment of delay may cause countless soldiers to die in vain and plunge the people of Longyuan into dire straits. Could it be that Father is going to ignore Shaoze Pass because of the past?"
Li Zeqi's chest heaved violently as he tried hard to control his emotions.
The emperor frowned, a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes: "How dare you! It is not your turn to dictate how I act. The war in the west has its own battle report. Can't you let me verify it?"
Li Zeqi took a deep breath, trying hard to control his anger and trying to calm himself down.
"Father, I have no intention of usurping the throne!" He spoke earnestly, his eyes fixed on the emperor. "This time, Xilin launched a war without declaration. Their behavior is so bad that it is infuriating to both humans and gods. I think that the normal process of transmitting war reports is slow during the Spring Festival. Even if everything goes well, it will take at least three to five days. Moreover, if there is any mistake or delay, the news will not reach your hands for several days. By then, Shaoze Pass will have fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the gates of Longyuan will be wide open. The people will suffer miserably, and our dynasty will be in an irreparable situation! I hope your Majesty will understand."
Seeing this, Mu Lanfeng hurriedly stepped forward, knelt down and saluted, saying: "Your Majesty, I dare to guarantee with my life that this news is absolutely true. The soldiers at Shaoze Pass are fighting desperately, but the enemy is coming fiercely. They really can't hold out for too long. I hope Your Majesty will make a decision quickly and send troops to rescue them!"
The emperor looked at Mu Lanfeng questioningly, his eyes like cold arrows, "Humph, you guarantee it with your own life? Do you know the consequences of deceiving the emperor? You are just a commoner girl, why should I trust you?"
Mu Lanfeng met the emperor's sharp gaze without any fear. "Your Majesty, although I am of low status, I also know the righteousness. I have nothing to do with the soldiers of Shaoze Pass. If it were not for the urgency of this matter, how could I risk my life to come here? Your Majesty, time is running out now. Every moment of delay will cause more soldiers to lose their lives. Once Shaoze Pass is lost, the enemy will surely march straight in. Longyuan will be devastated. How can Your Majesty face the people of Longyuan?"
The emperor frowned slightly, but the suspicion in his eyes did not dissipate. "How can I easily send troops based on your few words? If we fall into the enemy's trap, who will bear the responsibility?"
Mu Lanfeng was extremely anxious and said earnestly again: "Your Majesty, Xian Chengfeng of Baisheng Tower is well-known in the martial arts world, and his information has never been wrong!"
The two looked at each other and saw deep helplessness in each other's eyes.
Mu Lanfeng bit her lower lip so hard that blood almost seeped out. Her anger was boiling, but it was suppressed by the suspicious emperor in front of her.
Li Zeqi clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force. He had never hated his father's suspicion as much as he did at this moment, but the emperor's majesty was like a mountain, so how could he easily shake it?
"Father," Li Zeqi clasped his fists again, his voice a little hoarse from suppressing his emotions, "Your Highness understands your concerns, but the opportunity for battle is fleeting. If we hesitate any longer, we may lose more than just Shaoze Pass! Your Highness begs Your Highness to send a vanguard troop first, which can give the soldiers at Shaoze Pass some hope."
The emperor remained unmoved, his brows still furrowed, his eyes scanning between the two of them.
Seeing this, Mu Lanfeng's eyes were red. She knelt down suddenly and said, "Your Majesty, I know you are cautious, but this matter concerns the lives of thousands of people. I am willing to go with the vanguard troops. If there is any mistake, I am willing to die to apologize. I only hope that Your Majesty can make a decision as soon as possible and don't let Shaoze Pass become a sea of blood."
The emperor just shook his head slightly, "Don't mention this matter again. I will make a decision after I have verified it clearly. Before that, don't act rashly."
After saying this, he waved his hand, as if to dispel the topic that was upsetting him.
The anger in Li Zeqi's eyes was almost extinguished, turning into deep sorrow. He knew that with this delay, the fate of Shaoze Pass would be like a sword hanging by a hair, and could fall into the abyss at any time, while they could only watch helplessly.