The restaurant is on the second floor!
This place has been booked by these few guests; there are only a handful of people on the entire floor, but they are no ordinary people.
The restaurant manager personally supervised the serving of dishes, but dared not show the slightest displeasure. He could only lower his head and remain submissive, not daring to utter a sound, for before him stood the most distinguished man in all of Great Ning.
Emperor Li Anlan of the Great Ning Dynasty!
The shopkeeper was terrified. The voices of the people outside were quite loud and had naturally reached the second floor. These guys really dared to talk so much.
He was trembling with fear the moment he frowned!
He couldn't help but look at the old man opposite the emperor, and couldn't help but admire him. The old man was calmly drinking his tea, as if it had nothing to do with him. His composure was truly remarkable.
"You may leave!"
Li Anlan waved his hand, dismissing the shopkeeper, and then looked at the old man opposite him.
" Lu Yafu, although you have resigned from your post, you are still a subject of my Great Ning. How can you not worry about the safety of my Great Ning at all! Haven't you seen what people outside are saying?"
His eyes held a hint of anger; this old fellow no longer considered himself a subject of the Great Ning.
Sensing the anger in the Emperor's tone, the surrounding guards trembled and quickly lowered their heads.
"Your Majesty, the situation in Great Ning is very dangerous. The people's worries are not unfounded!" Lu Yafu said with a straight gaze.
He naturally knew why the emperor had summoned him, but to be honest, he really didn't want to get involved. This was a hopeless dead end, and if they couldn't break free, then Great Ning was basically finished.
Upon hearing Lu Yafu's words, Li Anlan couldn't help but sneer, "Hmph, what danger is there to speak of? Just those pirates and barbarians?"
"Why!"
Lu Yafu sighed; the Emperor was still too presumptuous.
Great Ning is now surrounded by enemies on all sides. How could the Lin family in the north remain indifferent? The two of them will surely take advantage of Da Ning's misfortune, which is Great Ning's greatest crisis.
To make matters worse, the Emperor sent people to provoke Xiliang, which only gave the Lin Clan father and son an excuse.
Great Ning is in big trouble.
He put down his teacup, looking half-dead, and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, you should know what I'm talking about. A hundred pirates are no match for one ambitious Prince of Xiliang!"
What's more, this Prince of Xiliang's father is the Prince of Northern Liang, which makes it even more terrifying!
After saying that, he put down his teacup.
This is a very murky situation, and he doesn't want to get involved!
" Lin Yi!"
Upon hearing the words "Prince of Xiliang," Li Anlan's face instantly darkened; this was precisely his deepest concern.
This scoundrel launched a campaign against the Northern Barbarians Northern Barbarians without authorization, and in one fell swoop, he destroyed two of their defenses. Now, no one knows where he has advanced to.
If it weren't for this kid, he wouldn't be in such a sorry state!
Seeing Lu Yafu looking half-dead, his expression darkened even further. This old guy was pretending to be dying; it was obvious he didn't want to get involved anymore!
He invited Lu Yafu for tea, which was essentially just an attempt to use Lu Yafu's influence to ease the tense situation in Great Ning. But the old man doesn't seem to be falling for it.
These days have indeed been difficult for him; in fact, he's been overwhelmed with problems.
Because of the chaotic situation in the coastal areas, that damned Guan Yu has riddled the coastal regions with holes, forcing Qin Li to abandon his plan to lure the enemy into a trap and now he has to put out fires everywhere.
The key issue wasn't just the problems in the coastal areas; there were also problems with the southern chieftains and the Western Regions. Coupled with the slow progress of the war in Xiliang, it would be strange if he wasn't having a headache.
Even more serious problems have emerged, causing many powerful families to become uneasy and begin to stir.
This is what he is most worried about. If ordinary people have objections, it's not a big problem, because they can't shake the foundation of Great Ning.
But aristocratic families are different!
Not only do these powerful families hold a superior position, but they also have the ability to cause great trouble, which is why he is very wary of them.
Although former prime minister Lu Yafu has seemingly resigned from office, his influence is considerable. Using him to suppress these restless aristocratic families is a perfect example of leveraging their strength against them.
After a moment's thought, Li Anlan said in a deep voice, " Old Lu, Lin Yi alone can't turn the world upside down. If his father can't do it, neither can he!"
"No!"
Lu Yafu shook his head and sighed, "Your Majesty, Lin Yi is even more terrifying than his father! His arrangements in Xiliang have won over the entire Xiliang. Now that Your Majesty is heading north to quell the rebellion, I'm afraid even the common people will side with Lin Yi!"
He had personally been to Xiliang, so he naturally knew the situation Xiliang. Great Ning no longer had anything to do with it; it had completely fallen under Lin Yi's control.
The Emperor's attack on Xiliang has given Lin Yi a handle to use against him, which could be a fatal mistake.
Li Anlan's expression stiffened; he naturally understood what that meant.
The Northern Expedition was progressing slowly, not only because of the formidable strength of the forces themselves, but also because the people of Xiliang had provided significant assistance. According to reports, the people of Xiliang were helping the Xiliang rebels attack the soldiers of Great Ning, which undoubtedly proves this point.
Lin Yi, that scoundrel, is really good at winning people over.
Just as he was about to speak, there was a sudden commotion outside.
"Urgent dispatch from the Great Wasteland Commandery! Get out of the way!"
A rapid clatter of hooves swept past, and then Li Anlan heard the last thing he wanted to hear.
Great Wasteland Commandery!
Ning Kun!
This is Ning Kun's urgent dispatch, meaning something serious has happened. Otherwise, Ning Kun would never have used such a powerful dispatch.
He glanced at Lu Yafu and said in a deep voice, " Old Lu, I need to return to the palace. Come with me; something must have happened!"
After saying that, he winked at Wei Kuang, who was standing to the side.
The latter understood immediately and walked directly in front of Lu Yafu.
" Old Lu, please!"
Forehead!
Looking at the burly Wei Kuang, Lu Yafu's face stiffened. He sighed and got up to follow him.
When you're in the world of martial arts, you're often not in control of your own destiny!
Upon arriving at the palace, several high-ranking officials had already come upon hearing the news.
Li Anlan immediately examined the urgent intelligence report, and upon reading its contents, his pupils constricted, and he slumped back onto the dragon throne.
This scene made Lu Yafu's heart skip a beat.
Something that could cause the Emperor to lose his composure like this must be something truly momentous. Looking at the memorial on the ground, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Grunt!
The senior officials exchanged glances, a sense of unease creeping into their hearts. Could Ning Kun have already died? That would be a terrible thing.
Their gazes fell upon Zhang Zhiwei, the former Imperial Physician, who was now the new Prime Minister. It was up to him to step in!
Cough cough!
Seeing the looks in everyone's eyes, Zhang Zhiwei couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. In the end, he still steeled himself and stepped forward, whispering, "Your Majesty, has something happened during the suppression of the rebellion in the north?"
"It would be better if the suppression of the rebellion in the north went wrong..." Li Anlan said in a deep voice.