Upon hearing this, Ji Zeyu remained expressionless, merely lowering his eyes to look at his black boots, showing no opinion whatsoever regarding His Majesty’s words—as if he hadn’t just witnessed Li Qitian’s panicked appearance.

Li Qitian naturally understood Ji Zeyu’s temperament. He had always been cold toward others, and even though he was utterly loyal in handling court affairs, sometimes it was still difficult to hear agreeable words from his mouth. His silence meant he didn’t take this matter to heart. Though Li Qitian didn’t want people to see him in that state, Ji Zeyu’s speechless demeanor was truly unlikable.

Taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, Li Qitian recalled the sequence of events mentioned in Ma Cheng’s memorial. His mood, which had just relaxed, tensed up again with anger.

“If it’s not rebellion, judging by Ma Cheng’s meaning, the people of Danfu County seem to have suffered great injustice.” Li Qitian coldly curved his lips. “Building my future mausoleum, they’re quite good at putting on airs, even running to Pang Zhixi to petition. They really know how to choose people.”

Li Qitian’s words made Ji Zeyu frown directly. Though the statement seemed to have no main point, it greatly expressed His Majesty’s displeasure. He was already displeased that the people wouldn’t peacefully build the imperial mausoleum, and he was even more displeased that these people had gone to seek Pang Xiao’s help in petitioning.

Clearly, Li Qitian had forgotten that Pang Xiao’s position as Chief Supervisor of Imperial Mausoleum Construction was one he himself had appointed. With the main official overseeing mausoleum construction present, would the people really come to the capital to petition instead?

But Li Qitian disliked Pang Xiao, so naturally whatever Pang Xiao did or said was wrong.

Ji Zeyu wanted to speak a few words in Pang Xiao’s defense, but after a moment’s thought, he still swallowed his words to avoid arousing more suspicion from Li Qitian.

Thus Ji Zeyu fell silent again, and after a long while finally managed to say, “His Majesty should still consider the people’s petition.”

Seeing Ji Zeyu like this, Li Qitian found it quite boring. Sometimes these block-headed ministers weren’t even as good at speaking pleasantly as the personal attendant Xiong Jinshui, who knew how to say things that made one comfortable.

This was why the Son of Heaven inevitably developed complex feelings toward the palace eunuchs who served him personally—at least after spending time together day and night, growing closer was human nature.

Li Qitian said in a deep voice, “I will naturally consider it. It’s just that these troublesome people dare to be evasive about my imperial mausoleum. Great Zhou has people from all corners of the world—do they think my imperial mausoleum can’t be built without them?”

Speaking to the point of anger, Li Qitian heavily slammed the desk.

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger.” Ji Zeyu and Xiong Jinshui both knelt and performed grand obeisance.

Magistrate Cheng had knelt outside the main camp for an entire day without receiving Pang Xiao’s summons, so he knew either His Highness was truly critically injured to the extreme, or his own actions had displeased His Highness, and even if His Highness had awakened, he didn’t want to see him.

Actually, regarding Pang Xiao, Magistrate Cheng didn’t hold the same disdain and hostility as other officials of the Lu faction. In his heart, the dynasty’s stability was most important. Pang Zhixi, as a meritorious minister who expanded territory, had rendered invaluable service. Moreover, he was upright in character and had no intention of sacrificing the people of Danfu County.

His willingness to reveal the local truth without concealing all the difficulties during mausoleum construction showed he wanted to take responsibility. His actions made Magistrate Cheng quite admire his character.

It was just uncertain how the Son of Heaven would judge this matter.

However, he had ultimately schemed against someone—this was an undeniable fact. He couldn’t make Pang Xiao completely forget this matter. Having offended was having offended; he didn’t expect Pang Xiao’s forgiveness.

Magistrate Cheng struggled to stand up in the evening.

Having knelt for so long, his legs felt like fake legs. Magistrate Cheng stood in place for quite a while before limping toward the county seat.

Many young men from the three major families in the city had been ordered to watch and investigate at the city gates. Seeing Magistrate Cheng actually returning with a limp, everyone rushed to support him and report back home.

The patriarchs and elders of the three families had been paying attention to outside conditions for a long time. They had thought the magistrate would be punished by His Highness, never expecting His Highness wouldn’t do so—the magistrate had actually returned safe and sound.

“Sir, what exactly is the situation now? The court sent troops—are they going to harm the people of our Danfu County?” Patriarch Yu asked the question everyone wanted to know.

Magistrate Cheng smiled slightly. Though his legs hurt terribly, he could still speak with the people in a relaxed manner.

“You’ve all seen those cavalry, haven’t you?” He turned to point at the newly added large camp area. The horses were being managed uniformly by the Five Military Camp personnel. Looking from afar, the scene of snow-white tents scattered and stretching in the camp appeared particularly magnificent under the evening sunset’s glow.

It was as if those troops hadn’t even charged up yet, but their hooves were already trampling on people’s hearts.

The people all turned ashen-faced, momentarily not knowing what to do.

“We saw them, we saw them. Sir, what should we do now?”

“Yes, sir, when we originally took our families’ children to the prefectural office to seek justice from His Highness, weren’t we following your advice? You can’t abandon us now!”

Hearing someone bring this up, the others also cast aside all consideration for face and began talking about this matter in a confused jumble.

Magistrate Cheng was somewhat speechless.

Everything he had done was for the stability of the Great Zhou dynasty, but these people before him completely didn’t understand his actions and even harbored resentment, hoping to drag him out as a scapegoat.

These ignorant people!

Magistrate Cheng shook his head and said, “If this magistrate truly didn’t care about you, I would have left long ago. Would I still be kneeling here to beg for mercy at this time and place?”

The people who had been discussing noisily immediately grew solemn upon hearing Magistrate Cheng’s words. In their great terror, they had selectively ignored some things. Now reminded, they naturally knew their complaints were unreasonable.

They had indeed followed Magistrate Cheng’s advice, but that advice was given when the patriarchs and elders of the three families were present, and they had actively sought out Magistrate Cheng to think of a solution. Without their request, why would Magistrate Cheng, as a court-appointed official, have gone to such lengths?

Everyone couldn’t help but fall silent.

Seeing this, Magistrate Cheng softened his tone and said, “Rest assured. As the local parent official, this magistrate knows what should be done. This magistrate will memorialize His Majesty, state the facts, and request His Majesty’s judgment. Such direct access to the imperial hearing—I believe His Majesty, as a founding enlightened ruler, will never disappoint you.”

The three family patriarchs, along with the elders and people, were all overjoyed upon hearing this and couldn’t help but kneel together to kowtow to Magistrate Cheng.

“Thank you, sir! Thank you so much, sir!”

With Magistrate Cheng’s guarantee, their chances of survival increased by another layer. If His Majesty knew the inside story, he might understand their difficulties and not punish them for the crimes of treason and assassinating His Highness.

Magistrate Cheng returned to the government office. After seeing his wife and young child, he didn’t hesitate much, first ordering his household servants to escort his wife and child back to their hometown to serve his grandmother. Bidding farewell freely amid his wife and child’s tears, he returned and lit a lamp to write his petition.

Magistrate Cheng’s memorial roughly described the truth of this incident, but most importantly, it clearly expressed his request not to continue building the imperial mausoleum.

Magistrate Cheng knew that once this memorial reached His Majesty’s hands, he would most likely have no way to survive. But beyond fear, there was more joy at his scheme’s success.

Regardless of whether he lived or died, for any normal ruler who wanted dynastic stability, after such an incident occurred, he wouldn’t continue building the imperial mausoleum—at the very least, he’d have to wait until this turmoil passed. Once he had such thoughts, they could use the limited silver for the coming natural disasters. His plan would be completely successful!

Magistrate Cheng was full of joy and excitedly ordered someone to send out the memorial.

Because the matter in Danfu County was quite urgent, the memorial quickly reached Li Qitian’s hands.

After Li Qitian read it, he immediately smashed all the blue and white porcelain vases in the imperial study, frightening the eunuchs led by Xiong Jinshui so much that they all knelt and kowtowed, not daring to make the slightest sound.

“This useless thing! And those troublesome people! Every one of them is pressuring me! I am the ruler of a nation—building a mausoleum at my age, it might not even be finished by the time I pass away, yet they’re still being evasive! That Danfu County magistrate, with poor governance causing great chaos, instead of properly apologizing, actually dares to request that I not continue building the imperial mausoleum. He simply doesn’t take me seriously!”

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger.” Xiong Jinshui’s voice was gentle and cautious.

But Li Qitian’s chest heaved violently with anger, like a bellows being pumped, wheezing and gasping roughly.

Li Qitian paced for a while and was about to draft an edict when someone announced from outside the hall.

“Your Majesty, a secret memorial from Prince Zhongshun.”

Li Qitian’s temple veins throbbed, and only after a long while did he calm his anger and read through Pang Xiao’s so-called secret memorial.

The sequence of events written there was more detailed than what Magistrate Cheng had written, clearly describing the tragic situation where barely one in ten Danfu County laborers had survived, and explaining that this incident was truly understandable, requesting His Majesty to consider dynastic stability and absolutely not punish the people.

Li Qitian sneered coldly—Pang Zhixi was still the same as ever.

Did he, as emperor, not know how to treat the people well? Could he personally take the lives of ordinary people? Was he the only one, Pang Zhixi, who had a heart of benevolence toward all people?

Li Qitian immediately drafted an edict and ordered it to be swiftly delivered to Danfu County.

On the third day of Pang Xiao’s “serious injury” recovery, a palace eunuch from the Son of Heaven’s side arrived in Danfu County bearing His Majesty’s edict.

These past few days, the people of Danfu County had been living in deep suffering, unable to eat well or sleep peacefully, constantly on edge, fearing the court would issue an order any moment for the cavalry stationed outside the city to charge directly in. How could they resist then?

The panicked emotions made even the air thick. The people were all so despairing they dared not leave their homes, and even the rows of shops on the main street had closed their doors. The city presented a scene of complete desolation.

There were also those who trusted Magistrate Cheng, believing he would certainly plead for them.

But immediately someone spoke the despairing truth: “In His Majesty’s eyes, Magistrate Cheng and we are all in the same group, right? He might even think we’re troops Magistrate Cheng used for rebellion!”