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The night passed quietly, and the night slowly faded from the sky over Xianyang City. The streets and alleys that were once bustling with people were now filled with an atmosphere of anxiety.

Yi Huawei fell asleep peacefully in his own mansion, as if the hustle and bustle of the outside world had nothing to do with him. He slept until dawn, until the first ray of sunlight shone gently on the bed through the gap in the window lattice.

After Yi Huawei woke up, he stretched lazily and sat up on the exquisitely carved bed. Lu Zhi and Qiu Ju had been waiting outside for a long time. When they heard the movement in the house, they walked in quietly.

Lu Zhi was graceful, wearing a light blue gown with a curved hem, embroidered with exquisite cloud patterns in silver thread. The cloud patterns seemed to come alive and fluttered gently as she walked. Her hair was combed into a dignified bun, fixed with a mutton-fat jade hairpin, which was inlaid with several round pearls, emitting a soft glow in the morning light.

Qiu Ju was wearing a plain skirt, the color was elegant but very neat, adding a bit of playfulness to her. Her hair was simply tied up with a ribbon, the end of which swayed gently with her movements. Her face was round, with a little baby fat, and her big eyes were black and shiny.

"grown ups!"

The two of them first bowed respectfully to Yi Huawei, and then stepped forward to help him wash and dress. Lü Zhi's movements were skillful and gentle. She first brought a basin of warm water, soaked the silk handkerchief, and gently wiped Yi Huawei's face. Qiu Ju handed him a clean towel, and after Yi Huawei wiped his face, she carefully combed his hair, combing every strand of hair neatly.

After washing up, Yi Huawei came to the study accompanied by Lu Zhi and Qiu Ju.

The study was elegantly decorated. The bookshelves around it were filled with all kinds of bamboo slips and silk books. The air was filled with a faint scent of ink.

"Your Excellency, I am honored to meet you! I am reporting to you..."

Yi Huawei had just sat down on the couch behind the desk when he saw Ada hurried in.

Ah Da looked a little anxious, as if he had something urgent to say.

Yi Huawei raised his hand and waved it gently, interrupting him: "Don't worry, you must be tired after rushing all the way here, go wash up, eat something and come back. It won't take a moment."

"promise!"

After hearing what Yi Huawei said, Ah Da was still a little anxious, but he did not dare to disobey the order. He could only bow and then quickly retreated.

After a while, Cai Yu came up with the food. Cai Yu was wearing a green cloth apron and a blue headscarf. The tray in her hand was filled with a variety of breakfasts, including steaming porridge, which was thick and delicate, exuding bursts of rice fragrance; there were also several dishes of exquisite side dishes, including pickled vegetables and thinly sliced ​​braised meat, which was bright red in color and made people salivate at the sight.

Cai Yu placed the food on the long table and then retreated respectfully. Yi Huawei looked at the food on the table, smiled slightly, and then asked Lu Zhi to start eating breakfast.

Yi Huawei picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of marinated meat and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly, and said with a smile:
"Xiaoyu's cooking skills are really getting better and better. The saltiness is just right, the meat is tender and delicious."

Lu Zhi also nodded gently and responded with a smile: "Yes, sir, Xiao Yu'er's cooking skills are naturally getting better and better with practice, and her appearance is getting more and more outstanding... You know how to pick it up."

"Haha~,"

"grown ups!"

Yi Huawei smiled and started chatting with Lu Zhi. As they were talking, Ah Da, who looked much better, walked in. He had already washed up, combed his hair neatly, and the fatigue and anxiety on his body had faded a little.

After Ah Da saluted, he said respectfully, "Sir, the Black Dragon Guards sent a message that they joined forces with the Imperial Guards last night to completely block Guanzhong and captured a total of 139 evil-minded criminals."

"Oh?"

Yi Huawei raised his eyebrows slightly, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes: "This operation went quite smoothly. It seems that the Black Dragon Guards and the Imperial Guards cooperated well."

Ah Da continued, "According to your orders, we have detained several of Commander Li You's confidants to ensure that the news will not leak out. But I am worried that Li You will become suspicious after a long time. At that time, I am afraid that it will cause unrest. After all, Li You is also quite prestigious in the army. If he notices anything unusual, I am afraid he will not let it go."

Yi Huawei put down the chopsticks in his hand, wiped his mouth gently, then leaned back on the couch and smiled leisurely: "You think too highly of them! This matter is fine and will not affect the overall situation. Although Li You has some prestige, in this Xianyang city, everything must be arranged by us. Those evil-minded people thought they could plan something in secret, but they didn't know that they had already fallen into our trap. The outcome will be revealed soon. Take my token and go down. After the court meeting, all the officials who did not attend the morning court will be taken to the dungeon to await their fate. Those who dare to resist will be killed without mercy! ”

After hearing what Yi Huawei said, Ah Da still had some doubts in his heart, but he also knew that Yi Huawei had always been very thorough. Since he said so, he must have been very sure. So Ah Da respectfully took the token handed over by Yi Huawei, bowed again and said, "Yes!"

Then he turned and walked out of the study, and the tall figure quickly disappeared outside the door.

Yi Huawei looked at Ada's departing back, narrowed his eyes slightly, and pondered in his heart the various situations that might happen in the next court meeting.

He knew very well that this operation was of great importance and that any carelessness might cause an uproar, but he also believed that with his own planning and the loyalty and ability of his subordinates, he would be able to handle everything properly and restore Xianyang City to its former tranquility and order.

Seeing Yi Huawei lost in thought, Lü Zhi asked softly, "Sir, are you worried about the court meeting?"

Yi Huawei came back to his senses, looked at Lu Zhi with deep eyes, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a confident smile: "It's just a small matter, nothing to worry about. Ah Zhi, tell me, are they greedy, or am I too harsh?"

Lu Zhi nodded slightly, and replied solemnly and firmly: "Your Excellency's move is beneficial to the people and is the foundation of our Great Qin for eternity. Those nobles only care about their own interests and don't care about the lives of the people. Your Excellency implemented the Equal Field Order to allow more people to have land to farm and survive. This is a great thing, but they resisted because it affected their own interests."

As she spoke, Lü Zhi frowned slightly, her eyes full of worry as she said, "Sir, the aristocratic resistance this time is not to be underestimated. They have a deep foundation in the court and many followers, and now many officials have colluded with them secretly. Although we have the support of His Majesty, I am afraid they will use all kinds of insidious means to undermine the implementation of the Equal Field Order. Moreover, there are many rumors spread by them among the people, which has caused some people to misunderstand the Equal Field Order and make people panic."

Yi Huawei listened to what Lu Zhi said and smiled: "Humph, do they think they can stop me like this? If those officials dare to continue to collude with the nobles, they will not be forgiven easily. As for the rumors among the people, I have arranged for the Black Dragon Guards to go to various places to publicize the Equal Field Order so that the people know our original intention."

"Your Excellency is wise. However, the Black Dragon Guards have limited numbers. If the nobles unite, I'm afraid..." Lu Zhi said with some concern.

Yi Huawei sneered: "If they dare to unite and openly confront us, it will be a crime of treason. If necessary, the imperial guards will assist us."

After hearing this, Lü Zhi felt relieved, knowing that Yi Huawei always planned things carefully. But she couldn't help but remind him, "Sir, you need to be cautious about this matter. Some of the imperial guards have close ties with the nobles. What if they turn against us at a critical moment..." Yi Huawei narrowed his eyes slightly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes: "I know what's going on. I have sent people to keep an eye on those wavering people in the imperial guards. If there is any unusual movement, I will take the initiative to deal with it."

"Sir, what you need to do next is to stabilize the court, appease the people, and suppress the gentry." Lu Zhi said.

Yi Huawei patted Lu Zhi's hand gently and smiled: "Although the situation in Xianyang City is complicated, it won't cause any trouble!"

At this moment, Qiu Ju quietly reported from outside the door: "Sir, it's almost time, we should prepare to go to the court."

Yi Huawei stood up, straightened his robe, and said, "Take your time to eat. I'll go and see what tricks those people can come up with at the court meeting."

"I'll see you off, sir!"

Lu Zhi stood up, took the cloak from Qiu Ju's hand and helped Yi Huawei tie it up carefully.

………………

"Your Majesty has issued an order: All officials enter the palace——"

The long voice of the Minister of Ceremonies echoed in front of the empty palace, and the ministers filed in one after another.

However, compared with the bustling scene of the previous grand court meeting, the team at this moment seemed sparse. In the court hall, the seats that were full in the past were now more than half empty, making the atmosphere solemn.

Everyone's eyes were on Yi Huawei, who was standing under the throne with a calm look.

Yi Huawei's expression remained the same, with a slight smile on his lips. When his eyes swept over, everyone lowered their heads involuntarily.

Everyone present knew clearly that the struggle between the nobles and Zhao Gao had reached the point of being irreconcilable. This was not a dispute that could be easily resolved, and there was no possibility of a peaceful ending. Either Zhao Gao would bow his head and surrender, and from then on his prestige would be destroyed and he would become the object of scorn by everyone; or the nobles would be defeated in this contest and their vitality would be seriously damaged. No matter what the outcome, one side would fall in this cruel struggle, and the side that fell would pay a heavy price.

The civil and military officials were filled with thoughts and remained silent about the issue of equal distribution of land. They did not dare to make any public comments on the surface, but kept thinking and calculating in their hearts. Everyone was weighing the pros and cons, thinking about which side they should stand on, or how to protect themselves in this storm.

"Your Majesty is here, all officials are here to greet you--!"

The Minister of Ceremonies shouted again.

Hu Hai, wearing a gorgeous dragon robe, walked out of the corridor slowly. After scanning the court, he frowned slightly, with a look of surprise on his face. He walked towards the throne step by step.

Seeing this, all the civil and military officials below stood up and saluted in unison. Their expressions varied, some looked solemn, some had flickering eyes, and some lowered their heads, as if they were deliberately hiding their emotions.

"Your Majesty, long live your Majesty, long live the Great Qin!"

All the ministers shouted in unison, their voices echoing in the hall, but the voices lacked the passion of the past and were more uneasy.

"Gentlemen, please do not bow. Stand upright!" Hu Hai waved his sleeves, and the wide sleeves drew an arc in the air, but it no longer had the majesty of the past.

"We thank Your Majesty!" The ministers saluted again.

“………, where did everyone go today, Teacher?” Hu Hai looked at the seats in the court that were mostly empty, his eyes full of confusion. He turned his head and looked at Yi Huawei in surprise.

Yi Huawei bowed slightly, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and turned to look at Wang Wan and Li Si, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes, but it seemed that he did it on purpose: "Prime Minister Wang, Prime Minister Li, at the court meeting today, did the major government offices not receive the imperial edict from His Majesty?"

Wang Wan secretly groaned in his heart. When he heard Yi Huawei's name being called, he slowly stood up and bowed deeply to Hu Hai, with a solemn expression: "Your Majesty, I am guilty. From yesterday to today, the government has received a total of more than 300 resignation letters from officials..."

"Now, the only person left in the Office of the Minister of Internal Affairs is Lord Wang and a few minor officials. There are only a few people left in the government. If this continues, the entire court will be paralyzed..."

"Your Majesty, how should we deal with the officials who submitted their resignations and did not attend the court meeting today?" After a while, Wang Wan asked Hu Hai with a serious look. This matter had a huge impact and was related to the stability and operation of the court. There must be a clear and proper explanation, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

Looking at Hu Hai, Wang Wan's eyes revealed a hint of anxiety, his brows furrowed, waiting for Hu Hai's response.

Yi Huawei still looked calm. He took a step forward, bowed and said, "I think these officials are openly defying the emperor's orders, which is really treason. This trend must not be allowed to continue. If they are not severely punished, where will the dignity of the court be in the future? The most urgent task is to immediately send someone to conduct a thorough investigation to find out who is behind these people's disloyalty."

Hu Hai heard what Yi Huawei said and nodded slightly, with a flash of anger in his eyes: "Teacher is right. I'll leave this matter to you. These bastards are so bold. I will kill all three of their clans!!"

Hu Hai's voice rose a few degrees due to anger, which sounded particularly harsh in the empty hall. His words were full of the majesty and anger of an emperor.

As soon as these words came out, the whole audience was in an uproar. The ministers looked at each other with horror in their eyes. Some ministers were secretly glad that they were not involved, some were worried about the officials who submitted their resignations, and some were thinking about what impact this move would have on the court situation. The whole hall was suddenly filled with noise and discussion.

"Your Majesty, I am resigning. It is not your turn to stop me!"

Yi Huawei's indifferent voice spread throughout the Xianyang Palace: "Your Majesty, please follow the wishes of the officials and agree to their resignation. But at the same time, the Tingweifu and the Guofu should keep a detailed record of those who resigned. Anyone who participated in this resignation will never be allowed to enter the officialdom again in his life, and no government office in Daqin will be allowed to employ him. Their descendants will also be prohibited from entering the officialdom for three generations!"

There was a determination in Yi Huawei's eyes. He wanted to use such tough measures to maintain the authority of the court and let everyone understand that the officials of the Qin Dynasty could not come and go as they pleased. If they chose to leave, they had to bear the corresponding consequences.

(End of this chapter)