He cupped his hands in salute, then withdrew.
After Gao Lan left, Liu Xie rose and stretched, then left the Wen Room Hall humming a little tune and headed toward Zhen Mi's palace.
If he did not do this, where would he find sufficient grounds when it came time to bring down the blade?
Chapter 506: Liu Xie: My rules are the rules
While Jia Xu ordered a thorough investigation into the rumors, the Cui Residence had also erupted into an uproar.
"Which one of you was responsible for this fine piece of work?!"
Cui Yan was flying into a towering rage, furiously questioning the clan heads present, his entire body trembling with anger.
"How could anyone spread a rumor that the great drought arose because the Son of Heaven slighted Confucian learning and violated the established laws of the ancestors?!"
"At best, this is an attack on the Son of Heaven, damaging his reputation; at worst, it is harboring treasonous designs and deliberately plotting rebellion!"
"You may not want to live, but I do!"
Cui Yan slammed the table as he cursed, his handsome face flushed crimson with rage.
His fury was entirely due to the rumors circulating recently.
The rumors claimed that this great drought, the likes of which had rarely been seen in decades, had arisen because the Son of Heaven slighted Confucian learning. When he heard this rumor, he felt as though the sky were about to collapse.
Two months earlier, the Son of Heaven had personally issued a decree ordering the Imperial Court to plan drought relief and disaster preparations, spending untold sums in the process.
Two months later, the drought had arrived on schedule. Scorched earth stretched for a thousand li along the Yellow River, and countless commoners had survived thanks to the Imperial