A Tribute to the Legendary Pressure-Eating King-Li Yingluo

The warmth from before had vanished, replaced by a deathly silence.

Li Yingluo slumped back onto the soft couch, her breathing becoming rapid, her mind a complete mess.

The pressure from the eight Xuanmen was like eight mountains pressing down on her, and Emperor Sheng's indifference made her feel isolated and helpless.

What to do?

Preservation Ye Li?

That's tantamount to directly making enemies of eight Xuanmen sects! These are eight genuine Martial Dao supreme beings!

Ye Li used every means at his disposal in the Southern Territory to kill two powerful figures.

Our side is just starting out, with a shallow foundation; how can we withstand the wrath and targeting of these behemoths?

But if we lose Ye Li is like losing the sharpest sword in her hand, losing her greatest asset in intimidating all sides and attracting allies!

I've finally seen a glimmer of hope, is it really going to be extinguished like this?

No! We absolutely cannot lose Ye Li!

But how should we deal with the pressure from the Xuanmen (Daoist sect)?

Li Yingluo was in a state of utter confusion. She suddenly looked up at Baiyue, who had returned, and said urgently, "Go and invite Mr. Chen and Mr. Liu. Tell them to come and see me immediately!"

Chen and Liu were the two strategists she had recently recruited.

He is said to be quite renowned for his wisdom in the local area, and has recently been quite active in his work.

Before long, two middle-aged men dressed in scholar's robes were led in.

Their faces held just the right amount of respect and concern:

"Your Highness summoned us urgently, and we dared not delay in the slightest. But we wonder what urgent matter it is?"

Li Yingluo didn't care about anything else and directly revealed the whole story of the eight Xuanmen sects jointly pressuring Ye Li to be dismissed, along with Emperor Sheng's attitude.

Her face was filled with anxiety. "This matter is extremely urgent! In your opinion, what should I do?!"

Mr. Chen and Mr. Liu exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and solemnity in each other's eyes.

Mr. Chen stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke:

"Your Highness, please do not be anxious. This matter... is indeed thorny. Lord Ye's swift and decisive actions have certainly enhanced Your Highness's prestige, but they were also somewhat hasty."

"Killing a Supreme Being is already earth-shattering, let alone the fact that he is currently purging those local Mountain Gate in the Southern Territory... Alas! Even from the few rumors I've heard, it's already far too ruthless. It's only natural that the Xuanmen are furious."

"Brother Chen is absolutely right." Mr. Liu shook his head and bowed to Li Yingluo above, saying, "Lord Ye has made outstanding contributions, but his actions are too flamboyant; he seems to lack the understanding of the art of concealing one's abilities."

"The most obvious sign is that after his triumphant return from the Yunze Continent, he did not immediately return to the capital to pay homage to Your Highness and report the details to you. Instead, he continued his purge in the Southern Territory!"

"Even with the power of a governor, isn't he being a bit too arbitrary?"

Li Yingluo listened to their words, her brows furrowed.

Previously, they were only focused on the benefits brought by Ye Li, but now, after being reminded by these two, they suddenly realized something.

Ye Li has performed such a tremendous feat, yet not a single message has been sent back to her, his lord!

Mr. Chen observed the changes in her expression, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and lowered his voice to say:

"Your Highness, the Xuanmen is in turmoil at this moment. If Your Highness insists on protecting Lord Ye, you may bring trouble upon yourself, which is not the wise thing to do. Moreover, Lord Ye has made great contributions. Directly dismissing him may discourage the soldiers, which is probably not Your Highness's intention."

"Then what should we do?" Li Yingluo asked anxiously.

Mr. Liu stepped closer and offered a suggestion. "Your Highness, Lord Ye's actions this time were indeed excessive. Why not temporarily revoke the 'Governor's Gold Medal' bestowed upon him as punishment, and also to silence the Xuanmen?"

"Of course, this is not a dismissal, but merely a suspension of his governorship, allowing him to reflect on his actions behind closed doors for a period of time."

Mr. Chen nodded repeatedly, adding, "His Highness withdrew the gold medal, and seeing that His Highness had punished him, the Xuanmen's anger naturally subsided somewhat."

"And Lord Ye, having suddenly lost his power and finding himself constrained at every turn, will surely appreciate His Highness's balance of kindness and authority!"

"Once this turmoil has subsided, Your Highness can find another pretext to return the gold medal to him. After this incident, Lord Ye will surely understand that all his honor and disgrace come from Your Highness, and he will definitely be more careful in his words and deeds and loyal to Your Highness in the future!"

"In this way, we can both appease the anger of the Xuanmen and win over Ye Li's heart. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Listen to his slow, deliberate narration.

Li Yingluo, seated on the high seat, couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart, and her eyes gradually brightened.

No wonder even the Father Emperor likes to listen to advice; this idea sounds perfect!

This way, we can avoid directly confronting the pressure from the Xuanmen sect, protect Ye Li, and make him more considerate of our feelings in the future!

Especially the last point, it really hit the nail on the head...

"Excellent! Very good!"

The paleness on Li Yingluo's face faded, and she regained her radiance. "As you two gentlemen suggest! Baiyue!"

"This servant is here." Baiyue's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but she still immediately stepped forward to respond upon hearing this.

She understood better than these two strategists who only knew how to use words and phrases to maintain balance that General Ye was not someone who could be bound by ordinary means of kindness or coercion.

"Draft my decree immediately!" Li Yingluo straightened her back, her tone resolute. "Ye Li governor of the Southern Territory, has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion of the Cold Palace, but his actions were too cruel, and he failed to return to the capital to report in time, which also constitutes dereliction of duty."

"His 'Governor's Golden Token' is hereby revoked immediately, his post as governor is suspended, and he is ordered to use his seal and be dispatched to the Southern Territory at full speed!"

Chen and Liu wore relieved smiles, saying they had "shared the burden with their master," and bowed in unison. "Your Highness is wise!"

Li Yingluo nodded in satisfaction, a self-satisfied smile playing on her lips.

She could almost see Ye Li's bewildered and helpless expression when he received the imperial edict, and she could also see Ye Li returning to her with a heart full of realization and gratitude after the storm had passed, serving her with even greater loyalty.

As for the pressure from those eight mysterious gates?

With her plan combining carrot and stick, it will probably come to an end soon.

The center of the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Sheng gently stroked the smooth jade box containing the Treasure Medicine of the Immortal Realm with his fingertips, not even raising his head, and casually asked Eunuch Zhang had returned to report:

What did she say?

"His Highness didn't say anything, but he said he understood," Eunuch Zhang replied respectfully.

"Um."

Emperor Sheng nodded slightly, not seeming to care too much about the matter.

Given his status, it would be inappropriate for him to directly intervene and protect Ye Li, but it would be quite appropriate to send Li Yingluo, who is a princess, instead.

This move was indeed intended to test the three women.

But to be honest...

How many hearts and benefits did she just gain by leveraging the overwhelming momentum Ye Li had created in the Southern Territory?

Anyone with even a modicum of the mind of someone in power should know at this moment what attitude to adopt.

Therefore, rather than a test, it was more like helping Li Yingluo gain favor with Ye Li.

Emperor Sheng composed himself and turned to Eunuch Zhang was standing below the throne, and instructed him:

"Draft the decree. I have already dispatched General Li to the Western Territory to reinforce the defenses. I have ordered the Eldest Princess to accompany him after completing her disaster relief work in the Southern Territory, to assume the position of inspector, and to report to me in secret any developments."

After saying this, he pushed the jade box in his palm out as well, adding:

"Furthermore, give this item to Governor Ye as a token of my appreciation."