Puppet Emperor, the Empress Wields All Power and Calls a Deer a Horse

Chapter 41 The Situation in Qingzhou! Officials Want to Abandon the City and Flee!

At this moment!

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, within Qingzhou.

Rebellions broke out among the cultivators across Qingzhou, and demons ran rampant.

Looking around, the scene was one of devastation.

Countless lives were lost, corpses littered the land, and destruction was everywhere.

However, the scene shifted.

Inside the majestic and grand hall of the Qingzhou state government, there was a scene of indulgence and revelry.

Numerous Qingzhou officials were holding a grand banquet, exchanging toasts and cups, enjoying themselves without a care.

It was as if they were completely oblivious to the chaos in Qingzhou, the rampaging demons, and the countless lives being lost.

At the head of the banquet sat Lin Lei, the governor of Qingzhou. He raised his cup, his face flushed with intoxication.

“Governor, the barbarian beast tribes have now besieged us with an army of millions.”

“The imperial reinforcements have yet to arrive. With only Qingzhou’s defensive formations and a few strong cultivators, I’m afraid we cannot resist their overwhelming numbers. Shouldn’t we hold fast and defend Qingzhou to the last?”

One of the Qingzhou officials spoke with a grave expression.

Hearing this, Lin Lei put down his cup and sneered coldly, bursting into curses:

“Hold fast? Hold fast for what?!”

“Do you really want to die at the hands of the barbarian beast tribes’ million-strong army?”

“Tomorrow, we shall abandon Qingzhou and retreat to the capital!”

Upon hearing this, the faces of the Qingzhou officials changed drastically.

They gasped in shock and fearfully said:

“My lord, you mustn’t!”

“His Majesty’s edict commands us to hold Qingzhou and wait for reinforcements.”

“If we flee, and His Majesty finds out, we will face execution, and our families will be wiped out.”

The officials trembled as they spoke, their voices filled with panic.

“Fools!”

“The edict is just a scrap of paper. It’s the Empress Dowager who holds power in court now. What does the Emperor matter?”

“If you follow me, I promise you’ll be safe.”

Lin Lei arrogantly patted his chest, smiling confidently.

The Qingzhou officials might not have understood that the chaos in Qingzhou had been orchestrated by the Empress Dowager herself.

As the governor of Qingzhou and a trusted confidant of the Empress Dowager, Lin Lei knew everything.

He only needed to carry out the Empress Dowager’s plan and return to the capital.

Promotion, wealth, and endless luxury awaited him.

As for the lives of the Qingzhou officials?

He cared not in the slightest.

His only goal now was to convince the officials to abandon the city with him, let Qingzhou fall, and complete the Empress Dowager’s scheme.

Of course, these were thoughts Lin Lei would never voice in front of the other officials.

Seeing Lin Lei’s confidence, the officials made up their minds to flee as well.

If they stayed, with the imperial reinforcements delayed and the beast army at their gates, death was certain.

Escaping to the capital was their only hope for survival.

“To serve the Emperor and fulfill one’s duty!”

“You bunch of cowardly traitors, do you still consider yourselves officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty?”

Suddenly, from the corner of the hall, a cold, furious voice rang out.

A stern-faced, middle-aged official in official robes stood up and slammed his cup to the ground, startling the others.

“I thought we gathered here to discuss strategies to defend against the barbarian beast tribes’ army.”

“Instead, you conspire to abandon the city and flee. You are nothing but treacherous rebels and despicable scoundrels.”

The middle-aged official’s icy gaze swept over the other officials, his face full of disdain.

“How dare you, Chen Wuya!”

“Do you still think you’re the top scholar personally chosen by the late Emperor?”

“You’re just a minor official in Qingzhou now, and you dare to speak against me!”

“Guards, arrest Chen Wuya at once and throw him in the dungeon. He will be executed on another day!”

Lin Lei’s face twisted in anger. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, glaring at Chen Wuya with murderous intent.

This middle-aged official was Chen Wuya, the secretary of Qingzhou.

But his background was far from ordinary.

Chen Wuya had once been the top scholar of the Great Zhou Dynasty, personally chosen by the late Emperor, a brilliant talent and a capable statesman.

But in the court, his upright nature earned him many enemies, and he was eventually framed by treacherous officials and exiled to Qingzhou to serve as a lowly secretary.

Witnessing the scene, the other officials could only shake their heads and look at Chen Wuya with pity.

Once the Emperor’s chosen top scholar, with a bright future ahead of him,

Yet he now faced such a miserable fate — it was truly tragic.

In the next moment, several Qingzhou guards clad in black armor, towering and intimidating, stormed into the hall, ready to drag Chen Wuya to the dungeon.

“Haha, I never expected to see such a good show while coming to Qingzhou to quell the unrest. This trip was not in vain.”

At that moment, a mocking voice echoed through the hall.

A frail old man in a gray robe had appeared out of nowhere.

Seeing the old man, several officials recognized him, their faces paling as they lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

Lin Lei’s eyes darkened upon seeing the old man. Internally, he cursed.

Damn it!

The Empress Dowager’s message said that the Emperor hadn’t even begun to mobilize troops or send strong reinforcements to Qingzhou.

So why was Left Prime Minister Xue Wuyan here?

How was he supposed to carry out the Empress Dowager’s plan now?

“Haha, Prime Minister, you’ve come at the perfect time. We were just discussing how to quell the unrest in Qingzhou!”

Lin Lei, with a beaming smile, quickly approached Xue Wuyan, bowing humbly.

Though Lin Lei was the governor of Qingzhou, his rank was far below that of the Left Prime Minister of Great Zhou.

As the saying goes, one must bow when under another’s roof.

Xue Wuyan stroked his beard, his gaze cold and fixed on Lin Lei as he sneered:

“I saw everything from the shadows. No need to explain, Governor Lin.”

“In Qingzhou, rebellions run rampant, demons wreak havoc, and countless lives are lost.”

“Yet you, Governor Lin, sit idly by, neglecting your duties, and plan to abandon the city.”

“From this moment, I hereby remove you from your position as Governor of Qingzhou and order your immediate imprisonment to await His Majesty’s judgment.”

Xue Wuyan’s voice was cold, showing no mercy to Lin Lei.

Before coming to Qingzhou, Xue Wuyan had already learned from the Emperor that the Qingzhou governor was secretly colluding with demonic sects and the barbarian beast tribes.

Lin Lei’s plan to abandon the city only confirmed his treachery.

As for the other officials who dared to conspire with Lin Lei, they too were unforgivable.

However, Qingzhou still needed them to maintain stability for now.

Once the unrest was resolved, they would be dealt with in due time.

“Prime Minister, removing a governor requires an imperial decree.”

“Even as the Left Prime Minister, you cannot overstep the law to dismiss me.”

Lin Lei was panicking now. If he lost his position and failed the Empress Dowager, his death was certain.

“Prime Minister, I have the Empress Dowager’s backing. Let’s forget about today’s events, and you will be richly rewarded.”

Mentioning the Empress Dowager gave Lin Lei some confidence, as he straightened his back and smiled.

“Abandoning the city is punishable by death!”

“Unless His Majesty personally issues a pardon, you had best surrender quietly.”

Xue Wuyan coldly glanced at Lin Lei, unmoved by his threats, and spoke with righteousness.

“Prime Minister, are you really not going to give me any face?”

“Qingzhou is my territory. Do you really think I fear you?”

Lin Lei’s face twisted with fury, his eyes narrowing dangerously as killing intent radiated from him.