Chapter 1832 – Chaos in Beiyuan
Even with enemies at the gates, some were still lost in a drunken stupor.
Reports of defeats flooded into the capital, reaching the ears of those in power. Some worried for their future, while others squandered their remaining time with a carefree attitude. The Emperor of Beiyuan, head of the Yi Clan, was undoubtedly among the former; he was anxious about Beiyuan’s future but even more so about the fate of the Yi Clan. In a bid to reverse the tide, he had exhausted all his efforts, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
“Get out—everyone get out—”
Overwhelmed by pressure, he lost control of his emotions, causing the palace maids and concubines serving him to scream in fright, which only added to his irritation.
With a swift motion, he drew his sword, stabbing it into the chest of his nearest beloved, watching as she clutched her heart and slowly fell to the ground, blood soaking the mat beneath her. This brought him a semblance of calm. This was not the first time such madness had occurred; as the war intensified and the enemy advanced, one city after another fell to Beiyuan, turning the once-ambitious Yi Emperor into a deranged tyrant, his temperament more violent and cruel than ever before. The concubines dared not approach him during his rages, fearing he might go mad and turn on them as well.
The “beloved” who suffered his wrath was also ruthlessly climbing the ladder of power; unfortunately for her, she crossed paths with an Emperor in a foul mood.
“Get out—everyone, just get out—”
After killing two more palace maids with his sword, the Yi Emperor finally regained some composure.
Now, because of his outburst, the once-cozy palace felt like an icebox.
At that moment, a eunuch approached the Emperor, presenting him with an item. Seeing it, the Emperor quickly ordered him to bring it forward.
This item was called Celestial Powder, a precious rarity. Upon consumption, it invigorated one’s mind, revitalized men’s ambitions, and relieved stress. The Yi Emperor had been suffering headaches over Jiang Pengji’s attacks on Beiyuan and had grown increasingly reliant on “Celestial Powder.”
After taking the “Celestial Powder,” the irritable Emperor resembled a calmed tiger, lazily reclining on his dragon throne, his expression dreamy and relaxed.
The eunuchs serving him sighed in relief behind him.
With the Emperor calmed by the “Celestial Powder,” they wouldn’t have to worry about him going on a killing spree for a few hours.
Of course, that alone wasn’t enough.
After about fifteen minutes, the Yi Emperor’s complexion flushed, his breath bursting forth hotly.
He uncomfortably tugged at his collar; something below his waist had sprung to life, “Get someone—”
The accompanying eunuch surveyed the room and pointed to a particularly attractive palace maid, signaling her to come forward.
“Celestial Powder” had been popular in Beiyuan for quite some time, an essential for many men.
As mentioned earlier, Beiyuan nobles were quite obsessed with procreation.
Never mind daily favors for their wives and concubines; they’d want to indulge in seven or eight women in one night just to swell their bellies. But with such exploits, there was bound to be a lack of stamina, leading them to turn to “Celestial Powder” to regain their vigor. A quick dose would restore a man’s pride, sharpness of mind, and ensure they stood tall in the bedroom.
The Yi Emperor had been relying on “Celestial Powder” for years now.
Every time after taking it, he would indulge with the concubines and palace maids, expanding his harem considerably.
To facilitate his pleasures, he ordered all palace women—except for those who bore him children, or the ones he fathered—to be entirely available!
Sometimes, when holding feasts to reward his ministers, he even allowed them to freely enjoy the maids he hadn’t touched yet.
Digging deeper, many absurdities had occurred during the reign of the Yi Clan.
The palace maid pointed out by the eunuch looked only about thirteen or fourteen, but she didn’t dare resist and timidly stepped forward.
Before long, screams resonated throughout the palace.
The eunuch who arranged this remained indifferent, mumbling to himself, “Such pity, such sin.”
Not only was the Yi Clan committing sins, but so were their accomplices.
In such a chaotic environment, even those who had a shred of conscience were forced to swim with the tide to seek self-preservation.
Those who refused to comply had long since disappeared without a trace.
Half an hour later, a half-dead palace maid was stuffed into a sack and carried out of the palace, and it was only then that the eunuch attending the Emperor entered.
“What time is it now?”
The Emperor appeared languid, with an unexplainable sense of despair etched in his brows.
The eunuch obediently answered, and with a grunt, the Emperor allowed himself to be dressed by him.
“Go—summon the ministers, we need to discuss how to resist the enemy.”
After the Emperor finished speaking, he yawned, feeling increasingly drowsy, but he had to muster the energy to handle state affairs.
In truth, nothing good could come from the discussion.
Beiyuan’s treasury was empty, its military supplies pitiful; there was no decent army to stop the enemy’s advance.
The Emperor huffed, “In this critical moment for the nation’s survival, what does it matter that the treasury is empty?”
The ministers below couldn’t help but murmur in complaint.
Even a fool wouldn’t ask such a question; with an empty treasury and no funds to equip the military, who would go to war and die?
The Beiyuan court had too many ministers sitting on their hands, benefiting from the public coffers while half-heartedly responding when actual strategy was needed. The Emperor’s intention was clear; with an empty treasury, he wanted the ministers to cough up their own savings to form an army against the invaders!
Seeing the ministers feign ignorance, the Emperor’s anger flared up again.
“All of you are employees of Beiyuan’s treasury, and at such a risky moment for our nation, how can you have no solutions?” When subtle hints didn’t work, he laid it bare and directly scolded the ministers, attempting to press them into providing assets to fill the gaps.
But the ministers were unwilling to comply!
In just a short time, Jiang Pengji had nearly taken over half of Beiyuan; could they really mount a counteroffensive?
The collapse of Beiyuan was already a foregone conclusion; even putting their savings on the line would be like throwing meat buns to dogs—there would be no return.
Only fools would risk their fortunes on a sinking ship like Beiyuan; that wasn’t just getting themselves trapped, but perhaps risking the lives of their entire clan as well.
No matter how the Emperor argued, the ministers engaged in a balancing act, dodging the issue.
At last, the enraged Emperor drew his sword and killed a few ministers whom he simply couldn’t stand.
Faced with the threat of death, a few ministers finally caved, promising to go back and rustle up money and grain.
As soon as they left the palace, their expressions changed.
The Yi Emperor had completely lost his mind; continuing to follow such a tyrant held no future, it was better to side with Jiang Pengji.
By siding with Jiang Pengji, even if they couldn’t maintain their current status, their deep family backgrounds ensured they wouldn’t have to worry about wealth and nobility for the rest of their lives.
These nobles were like blood-sucking leeches; they had drained Beiyuan dry to sustain themselves. Did their wealth not run deep?
Oh, it ran quite deep!
When Jiang Pengji learned of the private efforts to seize and gather the wealth hidden in the families, even she, with her extensive experience, was taken aback.
A small noble family had items meant only for the Emperor, not to mention piles upon piles of gold and silver.
“I thought the Zhong Zhao was the real big fish; I had no idea it was these losers that were actually rolling in it.”
Jiang Pengji coldly laughed as she tossed the account book aside, her desire to raid the big fish’s resources intensifying.
This account book reinforced her determination to wipe out the Beiyuan nobles.
Yet, the Beiyuan aristocracy was always finding new lows to sink to.
Every time, Jiang Pengji felt like she was gaining new insights.
