Upon hearing Lord Li's slanderous remarks, Lin Zaozao could no longer sit still. With a cold expression on her face, she walked up to Lord Li, reached out her hand, and firmly grasped his greasy chin, speaking in a cold voice.
"Lord Li, you claim that Third Prince Ye Yi has gained a lot of weight overnight, suggesting that he is a monster.
If, hypothetically, you were to suddenly gain a significant amount of weight, would that not prove that you, too, are a monster?"
Confronted by Lin Zaozao's icy gaze, Lord Li's neck instinctively shrank back. However, he realized that a person's weight cannot simply increase or decrease at will.
So, he suppressed his fear and, with a stiff neck, said, "I cannot suddenly become fat. If I were to gain weight within a day, I would be willing to accept the punishment from Third Prince Ye Yi."
"Tch! You worthless scum! It's not a matter of whether you're willing to obey now, but rather that you have no choice.
I'm asking you this question not because I want you to pin the blame on Third Prince Ye Yi before your death."
[System, I have transferred the illness away from this worthless scum. Can the random reward you give me be gaining 300 pounds in weight?]
[Host, this system can assist you. However, there are conditions to be met.]
[What conditions?]
[In the following time, please do your best to help others transfer their illnesses. This system hopes you can accumulate more abilities, allowing this system to achieve great mastery as soon as possible.]
"Alright, no problem. My dear and responsive sweetheart of a system, I wish us a pleasant cooperation this time!
By the way, system, what kind of technique are you practicing now? Is it the Sunflower Manual? But in the first step of the Sunflower Manual, one must first castrate oneself.
Be careful, my dear system. Do you have that thing? How would you go about it? Should I record a video for me to broaden my horizons?"
[Get lost, you idiot! Worthless host. Call me your dear and responsive sweetheart of a system when I'm useful, and curse me as a dog system when I'm not!
I can't castrate myself, but if you provoke me, I'll play dirty and make your husbands unable to perform, making them castrate themselves too!]
"Hey hey hey! I was just joking! System, why are you getting so angry? This is our 'love-hate relationship,' how can you involve others in it?"
[Get lost, you worthless host!]
"Alright, alright, I'm leaving. System, you can practice your self-castration technique at your own pace!"
After the argument with the system, Lord Li, who stood facing Lin Zaozao, suddenly expanded like a balloon. His body continued to grow until his clothes burst open, turning him into a large mass of flesh.
As Lin Zaozao looked at this pile of disgusting flesh in front of her, her eyes were filled with scorn. It couldn't be helped that she was ruthless. Once the label of "monster" was attached to Ye Yi, he would never be able to clear his name in this lifetime.
She, Lin Zaozao, had a bold heart and didn't care what others said about her, but it was different for Ye Yi.
Although Ye Yi was a prince of a country, based on her interactions with him in the Falling Water Village, she observed that he had a very introverted personality. He would ponder over even the most casual remark made by others.
If he were to bear the burden of this notorious reputation today, he would definitely feel uncomfortable in his heart. Moreover, he was going to ascend the throne of the Canglan Country in the future, and she couldn't allow even a drop of dirt to be splashed on him.
"Ming Zhu, you, you are the notorious one!"
Lord Li, who had transformed into a big round ball, stared with wide eyes and pointed at the trembling Lin Zaozao.
"Lord Li, you're mistaken! I am not notorious, I am a lucky star descended from heaven! I am specifically here to save good people and punish the wicked."
"Notorious, you're notorious!"
Listening to Lord Li repeatedly calling her notorious, Lin Zaozao couldn't be bothered to waste any more words with him.
Fine, let the blame be directed at her now. As long as Ye Yi was safe, let her be the notorious one!
Lin Zaozao didn't mind, but someone else disagreed. Ye Yi walked up to Lin Zaozao and pulled her to his side.
He extended his hand and slapped Lord Li with a palm strike.
The next second, Lord Li, who had fallen to the ground, was like a big round ball, blown outside the council hall by Ye Yi's palm strike.
With a "thud" sound, Lin Zaozao peeked her head out from behind Ye Yi. She looked into Ye Yi's eyes, which were now sparkling like stars.
Impressive, truly impressive.
That Lord Li, together with his 300 pounds of flesh, now weighed at least 400 pounds. Ye Yi managed to slap the big round ball outside with just one palm strike.
Ye Yi's internal strength was extraordinary.
Just as Lin Zaozao was staring at Ye Yi with starry eyes, Xiao Liuli's voice made her body involuntarily tremble.
"Bring Lord Li, the traitor, outside and execute him with a thousand cuts as a warning to others! Remember, let the executioner use the dullest knife, slowly cutting him piece by piece. Don't let him die until the last piece of flesh is cut off."
Listening to this emotionless command, Lin Zaozao slowly turned her head and saw Xiao Liuli's frosty expression.
When Xiao Liuli's gaze met Lin Zaozao's, a bashful smile quickly appeared on his face.
Oh my goodness! When did her Xiao Liuli become a yandere! Sometimes terrifying, sometimes gentle.
She could think of executing Lord Li as a way to deter others, but Xiao Liuli took it a step further, cutting off the flesh piece by piece with the dullest knife, not allowing him to die.
This method was indeed ruthless.
But Lin Zaozao couldn't help but say that Xiao Liuli's method, though cruel, was the most appropriate.
You see, just as Xiao Liuli's voice fell, those who had wanted to be insolent in front of Ye Yi immediately shut their mouths.
Now, the entire council hall immediately quieted down.
But what Ye Yi and Xiao Liuli did next left Lin Zaozao stunned.
Ye Yi turned around, pulled Lin Zaozao to sit on the chair at the top of the hall, and then loudly proclaimed with the abdication decree in his hand.
"Prince Ye Nuo, listen to my orders!"
"At your service!"
"I will marry a prince from a foreign country as a peace envoy. From this day forward, you will be in charge of the Canglan Country, and you must not act against it."
Night Yi's words stunned the civil and military officials in the grand hall. Night Yi hadn't firmly established his throne yet! Yet he willingly passed the throne to his younger brother.
But then Xiao Liuli's words shocked the officials even more.
"Night Nuo, I obey."
Xiao Liuli straightened his back and looked at Night Yi and Lin Zaozao, who were already standing beside the imperial throne. He walked up to them and knelt down before Night Yi and Lin Zaozao.
"As the newly crowned Emperor of Canglan, I am willing to offer Canglan Country as a dowry and send my elder brother to Han Country for a marriage alliance!"
"What? Xiao Liuli, are you out of your mind? This is the Hall of Government Affairs, not a child's play. How can you offer an entire country as a dowry and send it off with your elder brother?"
Lin Zaozao pulled Xiao Liuli, who was kneeling on the ground, and said helplessly.
"Yes, I am, I am that foolish person. Sister, Canglan Country is already in a state of ruin and decay. Sister, with the abilities of my elder brother and me, we simply cannot save it.
Instead of letting Canglan Country decline under our control, I'd rather place it in your hands and give it a chance to be reborn.
Sister, please accept Canglan Country! If you and my elder brother have children in the future, consider it a gift from your little uncle to the child!"
Facing Xiao Liuli's earnest gaze, Lin Zaozao turned to look at Night Yi, seeking his agreement.
"Zaozao, accept Canglan. I know that if it weren't for my face, the iron cavalry of Han Country would have already breached Canglan's borders and reached Lan City.
As Night Nuo said, Canglan Country has fallen into disarray under the rule of my mother. With the abilities of Night Nuo and me, we truly cannot hold onto it. Rather than letting the people of Canglan suffer in the future, it's better to hand Canglan over to you now.
With Han Country, with you, with High Priest Hanye and the National Master, the people of Canglan will no longer have to suffer."
Meeting Night Yi's sincere gaze, Lin Zaozao sighed softly and held the hands of Night Yi and Xiao Liuli. She walked in front of the civil and military officials and declared loudly,
"From this day forward, Canglan will belong to Han Country. I will be your new Emperor. Those who refuse to submit will be executed!"
Hearing Lin Zaozao's resolute and powerful voice, Ruoqiu's mother, the Right Auxiliary Minister, looked at her with disdain in her eyes.
The situation hadn't reached its final stage yet. How could they think they could bring Canglan under the control of Han Country with just their words?
As long as she was here, it was simply impossible!
But in the next moment, except for her and a few officials, everyone else knelt down on the ground and respectfully performed the formal ceremony of kowtowing to Lin Zaozao.
"I, Zhang Liang, hold the position of Minister of Rites, and I bow to Your Majesty Ming Zhu!"
"I, Zhao Ziyi, hold the position of Left Front General, and I bow to Your Majesty Ming Zhu!"
"I, Chai Yue, hold a high-ranking position, and I bow to Your Majesty Ming Zhu!"
"..."
"..."
Listening to the successive voices, Ruoqiu's mother, the Right Auxiliary Minister, turned her head and looked in shock at the people kneeling on the ground.
Could it be that all the civil and military officials kneeling on the ground were...
The Right Auxiliary Minister turned back and met Lin Zaozao's cold gaze. In just one glance, her confidence of having the upper hand disappeared without a trace.
Lin Zaozao walked up to the Right Auxiliary Minister, who was also the mother of Nuoqiu. In the face of her fearful gaze, Lin Zaozao's eyes were filled with mockery.
How could she bear to drug her own son and send him to the bed of that old woman, who was the Empress Canglan, a woman who bullied the weak and feared the strong?
