northernbook Chapter 1123 Hand-made Sand Table
Chapter 1123 Hand-made Sand Table
The sand table was meticulously handcrafted by Liang Chongyue, and he even used red and white double lines to simulate the monsters' movements from last year and this year.
Once the sand table was fully reconstructed, Liang Chongyue's comparison route became clearer.
"Here, here, and here."
Liang Chongyue compared the sand table with the drawings to further confirm the habitat of these monsters.
It's still too scattered.
Liang Chongyue used her consciousness to scan the photos on the panel one by one.
These monsters seem to have different groups as well.
They live in groups in this mountain range.
There is some distance between them, the furthest being separated by a mountain.
This was undoubtedly the biggest obstacle on her way to capture him.
Liang Chongyue stood silently in front of the sand table. She wanted to end the capture operation with minimal casualties.
"Does Your Majesty intend to arrest anyone?"
When Li Yu'an asked, Liang Chongyue simply nodded in response.
"I recall that this mountain range will be at its most fertile in a month. Does Your Majesty intend to act before then?"
Although Li Yu'an has been staying in the inner palace all these years, Liang Chongyue has never restricted the expansion of his power.
She only has one child, Minglang. Besides him, Li Yuquan's family doesn't have many other children.
She kept an eye on Li Yu'an in the court, giving him power unlike that of other empresses and concubines.
With this, Li Yu'an could stay in the harem.
"If it fails the first time, the people His Majesty wants to capture will scatter and escape, which will be even more dangerous then, won't it?"
Just as Liang Chongyue had expected, Li Yu'an had already guessed who she was going to arrest.
"Yes, it is indeed dangerous."
Seeing that His Majesty was not going to hide anything from him, Li Yu'an offered his suggestion.
"If Your Majesty is certain that those monsters are all within this mountain range, in a critical moment, you could still..."
If Li Yu'an hadn't brought this up today, Liang Chongyue would have almost forgotten what kind of person he used to be.
"Although this move is ruthless, it can eliminate future troubles. This is merely a suggestion from Your Majesty, and Your Majesty may choose not to adopt it."
Liang Chongyue stood beside the sand table, staring intently at Li Yu'an.
"That's a good idea. I will keep your suggestion in mind."
Whether or not to adopt it is another matter.
It is indeed inhumane.
Liang Chongyue had a similar, but more humane, method.
Liang Chongyue slept soundly through the night, and early the next morning, he approved the request to replace the Duke of Dingguo with Xiang Zheng.
Some in the court felt that Xiang Zhengde was unworthy of his position, and a dispute arose in the court.
Liang Chongyue listened quietly, after all, in this kind of matter, whoever has the right to speak is right.
Rather than the Duke of Dingguo's mansion changing hands, these people would rather the Duke of Dingguo's mansion just continue to decline.
From the Duke of Dingguo's mansion to the Marquis's mansion, and then to the Earl's mansion.
If an incompetent person were to take the position of Duke of Dingguo, we might see this scene very soon.
Once the arguments among the people below had subsided, Liang Chongyue rose and announced the adjournment of the court.
The ministers were left behind as they departed from the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
"His Majesty has finally left, and I think Lord Shu is almost out of things to say."
"Yes, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion will eventually have a new person in charge. To be honest, it doesn't matter to us who it is."
"Lord Shu is also pitiful. He got on Lord Ning's ship. He has to say everything that Lord Ning can't say. I hope the new Duke of Dingguo won't hold a grudge against Lord Shu."
"You're starting to feel sorry for others now? When Master Shu was living a very successful life all these years, he didn't think of you, his old classmate, at all."
Amidst this murmur of discussion, Xiang Zheng bid farewell to several colleagues and went directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The people who followed her out looked at Xiang Zheng's back with envy in their eyes.
“Apart from Princess Yongle, oh no, Duke Dingguo, I have never seen His Majesty treat anyone so well.”
"Then you are indeed ignorant. Go back and read more books."
The discussions never stopped until Xiang Zheng completely left the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
After all, no one had believed that the Duke of Dingguo would entrust his entire family business to Princess Yongle when he was in the prime of his life.
The changes from Princess Yongle to Duke Dingguo are self-evident.
When Xiang Zheng arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Liang Chongyue had already started having breakfast.
"You've arrived? Eat with me."
Xiang Zheng was already very familiar with this kind of scene.
After skillfully washing his hands, he sat down and dined with His Majesty.
The rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping is practically meaningless to Your Majesty, if Your Majesty so desires.
"So, did you get the tiger tally?"
No sooner had Liang Chongyue finished speaking than Xiang Zheng was startled by His Majesty's intuition and sneezed.
Is it alright for Your Majesty to be so blunt?
Liang Chongyue rolled her eyes at Xiang Zheng.
"So you've been busy for half a year, so busy that you didn't even have time to go to the palace to see your child and stay overnight, and in the end you only got the empty title of Duke of Dingguo?"
Liang Chongyue froze, her chopsticks still in her hand, feeling that all she had to do was say "yes" to Xiang Zheng.
She had lost all interest in continuing her meal.
"Of course, I got it."
Xiang Zheng took out a small sachet from her bosom, took out the tiger tally inside, and handed it to His Majesty.
Liang Chongyue picked it up and checked it; there was nothing wrong with it.
It's the piece she gave me as a reward back then.
Not long after she successfully ascended the throne, her eldest uncle handed over the tiger tally along with the military power of the Xiang family army.
Liang Chongyue did not fully retrieve it; this small tiger tally could mobilize at least 70,000 Xiang family troops.
"This is it. Keep it safe. Come with me into the mountains in half a month to catch a bunch of monsters."
Lord Fei sent someone to inform Xiang Zheng about this matter yesterday.
Although she has been on the battlefield all these years, she has not neglected her martial arts training at all.
"Very well, Your Majesty's words will guide our swords."
After finishing her breakfast, Xiang Zheng went to Cining Palace to see the children.
Liang Chongyue began reviewing the memorials.
"Alas, I miss my children a little."
Yunling stayed by His Majesty's side the whole time, listening to His Majesty mention for the third time today that he missed His Highness the Crown Princess.
She didn't know what to say.
It's obvious to anyone with eyes that His Majesty just needs someone to help him review the memorials.
After finishing his official duties, His Majesty stopped mentioning missing His Highness the Crown Princess.
Liang Chongyue finally finished dealing with all the government affairs and lazily lay back.
"I don't miss Minglang as much now. Come, let's take a stroll in the Imperial Garden."
Yunling followed with a smile.
In the final days of late summer, every breeze that swept through the palace carried a rich fragrance of flowers.
Liang Chongyue strolled with Yunling through the Imperial Garden, her Imperial Garden, which had been closed for so long.
It's finally caught up with one-tenth of the excitement that my scumbag father experienced back then.
From afar, one can still see her concubines drinking tea, chatting, practicing swordplay, and enjoying the scenery in the pavilions of the Imperial Garden.
"Compared to them, my hardships are beyond words."
Yunling looked at the concubines in the distance and thought of when they first entered the palace.
Each of them was ambitious and wanted to win His Majesty's complete favor.
A few years later, he came to terms with reality.