Chapter 722: First Volume, Chapter 722: Li Yong in Furious Rage

First Volume, Chapter 722: Li Yong in Furious Rage

The officials exited the Grand Hall with pleasant expressions; Zhang Xiuye could hardly believe his eyes.

He knew that when he left the Grand Hall, the atmosphere inside had already reached a breaking point.

Afterwards, furious roars echoed from within the Grand Hall, worsening the situation drastically.

Zhang Xiuye and the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard had even prepared for a "coup," yet the situation had turned a full 180 degrees?!

This is beyond belief!

Zhang Xiuye rushed into the Grand Hall, only to find the Liang Emperor had already departed; he hurried straight to the Imperial Study.

He saw the Liang Emperor seated behind the Dragon Case, beginning to review Imperial Memorials, his expression lighter than ever before.

Zhang Xiuye grew even more confused and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what exactly happened in the Grand Hall?"

"It's not that this servant dares to pry into secrets, but…"

Before Zhang Xiuye could finish, the Liang Emperor gently interrupted: "I know what you're thinking. I only need to tell you one thing—don't speculate further."

"For now, our great Liang realm enjoys temporary peace; everyone must simply uphold their duties."

With that, the Liang Emperor waved his hand, signaling Zhang Xiuye to withdraw.

When the Imperial Study was left alone with the Liang Emperor, he slowly raised his head, gazing out the window at the sky, and let out a long, slow breath.

Though the saying goes that paper cannot hide fire, what happened in the Grand Hall today will eventually spread throughout Heaven.

Everyone will learn that Qin Feng pulled the empire back from the brink.

But before that, the slower the news spreads, the better.

After all, once the Powerful Clans of the Nan Jing and the Di to the north learn that the Liang Emperor and Qin Feng have reconciled, they will inevitably react—and that will only bring trouble.

As for what happened today, even the Liang Emperor found it unexpected.

He knew Qin Feng was a loyal minister, but he never expected Qin Feng's loyalty to be so resolute—that he would halt at the very brink of dominating the court.

Moreover, Qin Feng's willingness to submit was naturally the best outcome for the Liang Emperor.

The Liang Emperor was tired. He knew Qin Feng was no ordinary man; if they continued to clash, even the Liang Emperor himself might be worn down by Qin Feng.

Today's reconciliation, besides trust in Qin Feng, was more importantly due to Qin Feng's own formidable strength.

The Liang Emperor shook his head with a faint smile: "Ah, Qin Feng, Qin Feng—ever since you returned to Beijing with Li Lang's coffin with clothing, the capital has been tense from within and without, every nerve stretched to its limit."

"Even I thought this internal devastation was unavoidable."

"Yet you, boy, have once again given me a surprise."

"A tremendous surprise!"

"If so, I grant you time—and grant myself time too. As for what comes after, it's no longer my concern."

As the Liang Emperor suspected, less than One Cup of Tea Time passed before the supposedly secret "Grand Hall reconciliation" reached Li Yong in the Eastern Palace.

Li Yong, who had been lying on his couch, holding the Zizhi Tongjian in his hands, leapt upright at Xiao Zhuozi's report.

"What? The Emperor and Qin Feng… reconciled?!"

"Impossible! I know the Emperor best—once he suspects someone, he suspects them until death!"

Before Xiao Zhuozi could answer, Li Yong shook his head with a bitter laugh, realizing it himself.

"Heh, what else can be done? With Qin Feng's power today, who can possibly control him?"

Xiao Zhuozi's face turned ashen; after all, the old saying goes: when one man rises, even his dogs and chickens ascend.

If Li Yong inherits the Great Position, Xiao Zhuozi will become the undisputed Grand Eunuch of the Hou Gong.

Thus, Li Yong's interests are Xiao Zhuozi's interests.

Xiao Zhuozi said gravely: "Your Majesty not only reconciled with Qin Feng, but… he also granted Qin Feng the title of Tianlu Marquis."

"The Tianlu Marquis is the foremost of the One Hundred Marquises; since the founding of our Liang dynasty, only one person has ever been enfeoffed with it—and even then, it was… the late Emperor, to balance power, used the Tianlu Marquis as a pretext when deposing founding meritorious officials."

"To grant the Tianlu Marquis voluntarily is unprecedented."

Upon hearing this, Li Yong dismissed it with a wave of his hand: "It doesn't matter."

"Even if it were Duke or even a non-imperial king, what does it matter? Merely an empty title—without real authority, no matter how grand the rank, it's worthless."

"I believe that as long as no real official post is granted, there's no cause for concern."

Xiao Zhuozi's eyes darkened: "Your Highness, what if I told you that besides the Tianlu Marquis title, he was also granted the entire Northern Border as his fief?"

Li Yong, who had just been so nonchalant, froze in place.

He stared at Xiao Zhuozi with an icy, chilling gaze—even Xiao Zhuozi had never seen such a look.

"Say that again."

Xiao Zhuozi swallowed hard, nervously saying: "Your Highness, it's absolutely true!"

"After the reconciliation in the Grand Hall, the Emperor first appointed Qin Tianhu as Grand Commandant."

"Then he revised state policy: no one may ever again propose appointing a Grand Protector while His Majesty reigns—but to ensure smooth governance, he temporarily appointed a Junior Protector, assigning Minister of Court of Imperial Stud Chen Zheng to the post."

"Finally, he granted Qin Feng the title of Tianlu Marquis and bestowed upon him the Northern Border as his fief."

Li Yong's face turned ashen, his body stiff on the couch, his eyes filled with murderous hatred: "So now, including Beixi County, the entire Northern Border belongs to Qin Feng as a rightful lord?!"

Xiao Zhuozi hurriedly reminded: "Your Highness, it's Tianlu Marquis—a Marquis title…"

Crack!

Li Yong swept the tea cup from the table; it smashed against the wall with a sharp crack.

"Marquis! Marquis, what a joke! He gave Qin Feng the entire Northern Border—officially not a king, but effectively one!"

"Has His Majesty gone senile?!"

These words sent Xiao Zhuozi crashing to his knees in terror, bowing his head like a pounding pestle: "Your Highness, please calm yourself—do not speak such treasonous words!"

"Though this Eastern Palace is filled with His Majesty's men, one must fear the unlikely—should this reach His Majesty's ears, the Great Position may…"

Xiao Zhuozi dared not continue.

Since he began serving Li Yong, he had never seen Li Yong so furious.

You know, Li Yong's single "endure" tactic utterly wore down the second prince Li Qian, yet now he has completely lost his composure and is loudly cursing His Majesty—this is simply inconceivable.

【62】 You know, Li Yong's single "endure" tactic utterly wore down the second prince Li Qian, yet now he has completely lost his composure and is loudly cursing His Majesty—this is simply inconceivable.

【62】 Li Yong's famed "Endurance" maxim had once worn down Second Prince Li Qian; now, he was completely thrown off balance, shouting insults at His Majesty—this was simply unthinkable.

Could it be that Qin Feng was too much even for the Seventh Prince?

Li Yong was beyond rage, several times on the verge of screaming, but at the last moment held himself back.

His fury stemmed from the fact that the Liang Emperor's move had utterly destroyed all the years of effort he had invested.

Inheriting the Herald is easy; gaining the people's submission, that is hard!

If you cannot make the Civil and Military Officials bow to you, even seated firmly on the Dragon Throne, you will be dragged down—how high you sit, the harder you will fall!

Li Yong had long understood these stakes as clearly as if they were written in ink on his palm.

The Liang Emperor's reconciliation with Qin Feng naturally had its positive side: from now on, Liang's internal strife had come to an end; the Emperor could now focus entirely on eliminating the Jiangnan Lin Family and the Nan Jing Powerful Clans.

Once these two threats were removed, Liang's domestic governance would be complete—improving People's Livelihood and solidifying the regime alike.

Qin Feng would surely throw his full strength behind the Liang Emperor, striking at the Powerful Clans internally and resisting powerful enemies externally.

All future policies would proceed smoothly, achieving Half the Effort, Double the Result.

But the problem was, this move was a nightmare for Li Yong.

Qin Feng and the Liang Emperor shared a unique bond—they were not merely ruler and subject, but… confidants.

Even if they refused to admit it, the truth remained: Qin Feng understood the Liang Emperor better than anyone, and the Liang Emperor trusted Qin Feng more than anyone—these two were truly kindred spirits!

As long as the Liang Emperor remained on the throne, Qin Feng would willingly serve as a subject—but once the Liang Emperor stepped down and Li Yong ascended, would Qin Feng ever submit so easily?!