Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Seeing his flustered appearance, Emperor Jing frowned and said, "Is there anything else? If not, go back and rest early."

"Oh, there's one more thing. Liu Jin went to speak with Eunuch Guo tonight and fainted halfway through."

"The Imperial Hospital has already examined him and sent him back to his room to recuperate."

Emperor Jing asked doubtfully, "When did this happen? Why didn't I know about it?"

Li Yuanzhao acted as if nothing had happened: "It just happened recently. I only heard Liu Jin mention it on the way."

Liu Jin echoed, "Yes, Eunuch Guo was talking to this servant when he suddenly felt weak and fainted, but it's not a big problem."

Emperor Jing was stunned for a moment, then sighed.

"Indeed, Eunuch Guo is getting old. Tell the Imperial Hospital to prepare more tonics for him so he can rest for a while."

"Father, someone in the Eastern Palace sent a few top-quality ginseng roots to your son. I find them hard to drink, so why not give them to him?"

"There's no need to trouble the Imperial Hospital. I'll have someone prepare them and send them over directly. Otherwise, it would be a waste."

Emperor Jing looked at Li Yuanzhao with satisfaction: "Alright, do as you say... It's good that the Crown Prince knows how to care for others. Fang Qing has taught you well. You don't need to worry about him. Once things have calmed down, I'll call him back. If there's nothing else, you can leave. I'm still busy."

Li Yuanzhao grinned: "Your son takes his leave!"

After paying his respects, Li Yuanzhao hurriedly returned to his palace with Liu Jin.

Upon arriving at the palace, he saw that Guo Tianyang was already awake, but he was tied up like a dumpling.

Seeing Li Yuanzhao enter the room, he looked at Li Yuanzhao with terrified eyes, whimpering incessantly.

Li Yuanzhao casually drew the knife from a guard and held it against Guo Tianyang's chest, smiling: "I'll let you speak, but you mustn't shout. If anyone hears, this knife will go in!"

"Woo woo woo woo woo!! Unh!" Guo Tianyang's tears were about to fall. He nodded vigorously, like a large, constantly wriggling silkworm cocoon.

To suffer this at his age, the imperial seal must have been stolen by the Crown Prince!

He's really audacious, daring to do such a thing!

The cloth stuffed in his mouth was removed, and Guo Tianyang immediately began to breathe heavily.

He pleaded: "Your Highness!! Crown Prince, what are you doing? What did this old servant do wrong?"

The knife was still against his chest when Li Yuanzhao revealed a devilish smile: "Help this prince write a few imperial edicts."

What! Forge imperial edicts!!?

Guo Tianyang suddenly felt electrified, wishing the Crown Prince would really stab him to death.

He shook his head frantically: "No! Absolutely not! Without His Majesty's oral decree, it's absolutely impossible. Your Highness, you might as well kill me!"

"A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated!"

Li Yuanzhao didn't care and sneered: "No, someone once told this prince that a scholar can be humiliated, but not killed!"

"If you're not afraid of death, then I'll humiliate you to death!"

"First, I'll pluck all the hair from your body, then I'll strip you naked and hang you on the city wall! And publicize it in the newspapers!"

Guo Tianyang's heart was ashen, his eyes vacant.

It must have been that damned Fang Zhengzhi who said such shameless words. Even after leaving, he's still disgusting people? The Crown Prince has gone astray!!

Gradually, Guo Tianyang's tears fell.

He said in a mournful voice: "Your Highness! Have you thought about His Majesty by doing this?"

Li Yuanzhao said shamelessly: "Of course! I'm doing this for his own good. With no wars, Father has lost his vigor from back then!"

"If I don't push him, he won't know how much potential he has!"

How filial!

Guo Tianyang closed his eyes in pain.

"Come, untie him. Eunuch Guo is so old, and you're still tying him up so tightly. It's really too much!"

The guards on both sides reluctantly went up to untie Guo Tianyang.

As the ropes fell to the ground, Guo Tianyang's old face wrinkled into a chrysanthemum. The chill on his neck told him that the Crown Prince seemed to be serious.

Damn it! Fang Zhengzhi deserves to die! The Crown Prince has gone too far!

It used to be okay to just play around with tigers and leopards! Now he's so audacious that he's even forging imperial edicts!

With a knife to his neck, Guo Tianyang was forced to the table and sat down obediently.

On the table, the seal and blank imperial edicts were already laid out, along with many blank sheets of paper.

"Writing is death, not writing is also death. What is there to think about at this point!"

"Write it, push everything onto this prince. I've already told Father that you're ill and recuperating in your room."

"The imperial edict will be written by this prince, imitating your handwriting! I stole the seal all by myself! You don't need to worry!"

Guo Tianyang swallowed bitterly, his voice hoarse: "What should I write?"

"Write to order the Jianjiang, Lin, and Yunlu prefectures to renovate the prefectural offices, build more temples, and start large-scale construction."

"And encourage feasting and entertainment, and the construction of houses among the people! You can embellish the details, but the meaning should be there."

Guo Tianyang closed his eyes and said in a trembling voice: "Your Highness, this is absolutely impossible. The world will be full of criticism, and His Majesty has already said so at the court meeting!"

"Moreover, His Majesty has always disliked Buddhism. Now, building more temples... His Majesty will definitely be furious! Crown Prince, this old servant's death is not important! You must consider yourself!"

Li Yuanzhao was expressionless and snorted coldly: "Consider? Consider what!"

"No matter how many temples there are in the world, this prince can have them built and can also make them disappear overnight!"

"If the reputation is bad, it can be made good! The newspaper is in this prince's hands. If the people are confused for a moment, this prince will make them understand!"

"But if a life is gone, then it's really gone. Even if Father has power over the world, what can he do? Can he bring people back to life!"

"Write it quickly!"

Guo Tianyang stared blankly at Li Yuanzhao, and a gleam of light couldn't help but appear in his eyes.

He's so similar! The Crown Prince's appearance at this moment is exactly the same as His Majesty's when he was young.

Unrestrained and arrogant, looking down on everything, as if all the etiquette in the world cannot restrain him....

It's just that the Crown Prince at this time is more outrageous and bolder!

Guo Tianyang sighed deeply and silently lowered his head and began to write.

Soon, an imperial edict was written. Only the seal was left to be stamped. Guo Tianyang was about to stamp it out of habit.

Li Yuanzhao immediately stopped him: "No need! This prince will stamp it. Write a few more identical copies!"

Guo Tianyang was dumbfounded: "Why is that!"

Li Yuanzhao revealed two rows of white teeth: "One edict is not enough, three consecutive edicts must be issued! Only then will the local officials not doubt Father's will, otherwise, they will send letters to inquire, wasting a lot of time back and forth."

Guo Tianyang had already given up struggling and picked up his pen to write again.

Is there a difference between one edict and a hundred? Either way, it's death! Write it!

After writing several in a row, Guo Tianyang looked at Li Yuanzhao wearily: "Is that enough?"

Li Yuanzhao looked at the written imperial edicts and smiled with satisfaction.

Then he took the seal and stamped them all DuangDuangDuang!

After the imperial edicts were rolled up, Li Yuanzhao pushed the blank paper on the table in front of Guo Tianyang.

"Continue writing... Write each one more sloppily, preferably imitating my handwriting, so that Father won't suspect you..."