"Since you came up with the idea, you should take charge of this matter."
Hua Zhi's mind went blank. Was this... he was trying to kill her
"If you can't do it well, not only you, but everyone in the Hua family will go to the border and stay there forever."
Hua Zhi's body felt a little weak, and she was even shaking. When she was ready to die, she was not afraid of anything and dared to say anything. But when she knew that she had passed the critical moment of life and death and had lost the courage to support herself, she belatedly felt the fear.
Still unwilling to lose her composure, she slowly softened her stiff back and knelt on her heels, sorting out her current situation in this short period of time.
The emperor probably didn't want her life from the beginning, so what was his purpose? To scare her and then give her an impossible task? If that was all, there was no need to say that sentence that made her shudder. Could it be... this was a test for her? What kind of result did the emperor want? Was this the result he wanted
Putting all these aside, the canal cannot be built just like that.
"According to historical records, the construction of the Weihe River cost countless silver and money, more than five million civilians were recruited, and countless people were killed and injured. It took twelve years to reach its current scale. Although the canal that Your Majesty wants to open is not as large as the Weihe River, it is by no means a small river. May I ask how much manpower, material resources, and silver Your Majesty can invest now?"
"No." The emperor replied very bluntly, "If I have everything, I can just hand it over to the Ministry of Works. Why would I need you to come?"
"Then please ask your majesty to find someone else. I don't have the ability to do that. Your majesty, there is no need to threaten me with my family. If I can't do something, I can't do it no matter how many people I kill."
"I heard that your business is making a fortune."
"Even if I offered my entire fortune, it would still be far from enough. And it's not just a matter of money. The main problem is the lack of manpower. Most places have already performed corvée labor this year."
"When necessary, the people can be asked to perform more corvee labor. This is not uncommon."
Hua Zhi knew that not only had there been such incidents, but there had been quite a few of them. However, doing so had never been beneficial to the national strength and would only make life more difficult for the people. She was born into the Hua family, and was born rich and wealthy, living a life of the upper class. Even when the Hua family fell, the life they lived was by no means comparable to that of ordinary people. She had never witnessed their difficulties with her own eyes, but she had also grown up reading history books and knew a lot.
"Your Majesty thinks it's worth it to stir up public resentment for a canal that is not necessary?"
The common people were no different from ants to the emperor. In this imperial study, he did not hide anything. "It is worth it if I can be remembered forever. Just like Weihe, he paid such a high price back then. Everyone called him a tyrant, but history books still have to remember that Weihe was built by him. No matter how wrong he was, he still had to acknowledge his merits."
"Even if I am called a tyrant because of this?"
The emperor's expression was distorted. If given a choice, who would want to be a tyrant!
"I have another question. What if the remnants of the Chaoli tribe attack us when we are digging the canal? All the laborers are used to dig the canal. Where can the Ministry of War get more soldiers? Even if we go to the canal to recruit soldiers..." Hua Zhi sneered, "Are we going to send these skinny recruits to die?"
The emperor also turned cold, "Hua Zhi, don't think I won't kill you."
Hua Zhi would not be so stupid as to seek death when she knew she had a chance to survive, so she lowered her eyes and closed her mouth, just as she was well-behaved and honest when she first entered the imperial study.
Seeing her like this, the emperor's evil fire faded away. If he hadn't been impressed by her brain, he would not have kept her when he knew what Yan Xi had done for her!
"I want to open this canal. All you have to do is to do it for me. Everything else is nonsense to me. Think it through before you reply to me. Remember, you only have one day, An Yi, to send her out of the palace."
An Yi bowed and retreated to Hua Zhi's side, waiting for Hua Zhi to stand up.
Hua Zhi's feet were so numb that she could no longer feel anything. She propped herself up and stood up, trying her best to stand straight and direct her feet to move forward. However, her legs were so numb that they felt like they were being gnawed by millions of ants, so she lifted them a little low when she stepped over the threshold. She fell out directly, hitting her face on the ground and groaning in pain.
Gu Yanxi had been listening to the noise outside with her ears perked up. Now she was sure that the knife hanging over Azhi's head had been removed. After hearing such noise, she could no longer bear it. She opened the door and ran out to hug the disheveled Azhi into her arms, using such force as if she wanted to embed her into her body.
Hua Zhi was stunned for a moment, then hugged him back tightly. She turned around in front of the King of Hell's Palace, and so did Yan Xi. Looking over Yan Xi's shoulder, she saw Shaoyao holding the medicine box, smiling and reaching out to her.
Shaoyao, who was unusually calm, suddenly had red eyes. She rushed over and hugged the two of them, crying breathlessly, and kept shouting, "Huahua... Huahua..."
Hua Zhi felt extremely weak and her vision went dark. She closed her eyes calmly and endured the moment. She bit down on the tip of her tongue with all her strength. Severe pain came over her and the smell of blood instantly filled her mouth. She felt a little more energetic.
An Yi reminded, "It's getting late, the young lady should leave the palace."
Hua Zhi glanced at the horizon and saw that it was already dusk.
Gu Yanxi picked up Hua Zhi and was about to walk out. Lai Fu chased after her from the imperial study, "Your Majesty, please come in."
Gu Yanxi paused for a moment, "I'll send Ah Zhi out first."
"The emperor asked me to remind you that your identity cannot be exposed." Lai Fu looked back. The imperial study seemed especially dark under the sunlight. He squinted his eyes but couldn't see the emperor's expression clearly. He just guessed that it would not be good.
"Wait for me." Gu Yanxi carefully put the person down and went to the side hall. After a while, he came out with a different person.
Hua Zhi had only seen this face once, when Yan Xi revealed his identity, the fourth-rank sword-bearing guard Wu Liang.
Picking the person up again, Gu Yanxi strode out. Shaoyao chased after him, carrying the medicine box on her back, completely forgetting that she was not allowed to leave the palace on easy occasions.
Compared with the various inspections when entering the palace, leaving the palace can be said to be smooth sailing.
No one knew whose carriage was waiting outside the palace gate. The fact that Gu Yanxi was holding someone did not affect his agility. He didn't care that there was a coachman sitting on the carriage and just stepped into the carriage.
The groom did not dare to offend the person rushing out of the palace, so he asked cautiously, "You are..."
Shaoyao followed closely, snatched the whip from his hand and kicked him off the horse, "The Seventh Constellation is recruited."
As soon as the name of Qisusi came out, the groom dared not say anything more.
Shaoyao waved the whip to drive the carriage, knocking on the outside of the carriage and said, "Brother Yan, come out and drive the carriage quickly. I'm going to go see Huahua."
Gu Yanxi ignored her and laid the person down carefully. He looked at the purple and bloody wound on her forehead and wanted to say something, but found that he couldn't utter a word.
He felt the protection that this woman, who had always been emotionally calm, showed him. The outburst of emotion was like a fire that could melt him even through the door. He thought that he would like to nourish her with his own flesh and blood.
This person is his.