Xue Daoming said nothing.
Hu Xiaotian continued, "Perhaps Your Majesty thinks that by lying in bed, you can deceive everyone under heaven, create trouble for Li Chenzhou, and throw Great Yong's court into chaos. But..." He glanced at Dong Bingtai. "To my mind, hurting others without benefiting yourself serves no purpose at all!"
Xue Daoming snapped, "What did you say? Do you know whom you're speaking to? One command from me, and your head will fall!"
Not a trace of panic appeared on Hu Xiaotian's face. He smiled. "The Great Yong Emperor certainly cuts an imposing figure. But even if you kill me, can you preserve the realm your ancestors left you?"
"Insolence!"
Hu Xiaotian's expression remained as still as an ancient well. "If Li Chenzhou and I both stood before you, and you could choose one of us to eliminate, whom would you rather kill?"
For Xue Daoming, this was hardly a question. Deep in his heart, the man he hated most was Li Chenzhou, and the man he most wanted to kill was Li Chenzhou. Compared with him, Hu Xiaotian was not nearly so hateful.
Hu Xiaotian said, "There is good reason for the saying that the onlooker sees clearly while the player is lost in the game. Li Chenzhou isn't the only enemy Your Majesty faces. This Yong Capital Rat Plague is no natural disaster, but a man-made calamity caused by Black Hu Beast Tamers. The Prince of Yan, Xue Shengjing, colluded with Black Hu to engineer it. Your Majesty should know his purpose."
By now, Xue Daoming had gradually calmed down. Hu Xiaotian's words gave him much to ponder.
Hu Xiaotian continued, "Li Chenzhou arrested quite a few people today, most of them for spreading word that plague had broken out in Yong Capital. His motive