Puppet Emperor 06

After this incident, Fang Zhiyi requested to go out for a stroll. Teng Shuchang thought about his recent behavior and didn't raise any objections.

"It is fine if Your Majesty wishes to take a walk, but you must be accompanied by my men."

"It's a deal!" Fang Zhiyi was overjoyed.

Teng Shuchang once again felt sorrow for the people of the Li Dynasty.

Fang Zhiyi then began his vacation life. He changed his clothes and swaggered onto the streets with several of Teng Shuchang's subordinates. That night, he spent his time either listening to music and drinking or admiring beautiful women on the street. He was generous with his money, and the soldiers following him also reaped the benefits.

"What do you guys think people live for?" Fang Zhiyi asked after a few cups of wine.

Among the men following him was a deputy general, who also took a sip and replied, "What else could it be? Fame and fortune."

Fang Zhiyi shook his head and looked at another man with blurry, drunken eyes. "You tell me."

"To marry a wife and have kids."

"Hahahaha," the others roared with laughter.

"Your Ma... Master Huang, what do you say?" The deputy general looked at Fang Zhiyi. He had heard about Fang Zhiyi's lack of seriousness, but this was his first time seeing it. This emperor was completely different from what they understood an emperor to be; he put on absolutely no airs.

"What else? To get drunk while there is wine today, and to experience the myriad flavors of life!" Fang Zhiyi spread his arms. "Have you ever seen anyone come into this world and leave it alive?"

These words made the men present fall silent.

"Mother of God, the Emperor really is different. Unlike those civil officials in our Great Mang, who speak in ways no one can understand."

"That does seem to make sense."

Fang Zhiyi laughed, "Right? Do you think being an emperor is comfortable? I don't know about you soldiers fighting wars, but do you know what kind of life I live?"

He began to pour out his grievances, and the soldiers, who had never heard an emperor talk about his own life, all listened in a trance.

"Isn't that too much? They even time you when you go to the latrine?"

"What did you think? Seeing people kowtow to you, everyone thinks you're glorious, but in the end, it's not even as good as being a local wealthy landlord," Fang Zhiyi curled his lips.

"True, hearing you say that, I feel that being an emperor isn't that great either," a young soldier nodded.

The deputy general slapped him. "As if you could ever be an emperor anyway."

"My dream is to be a local wealthy landlord, wandering the streets every day with a few lackeys. I'd look at any novelties I find, and at night, I'd visit these romantic pleasure houses, tsk tsk tsk."

A burst of laughter erupted.

Although he didn't live in the palace, as a puppet emperor, he still had to attend the morning court.

At the court the next day, Fang Zhiyi was in high spirits, while Teng Shuchang, sitting to the side, could barely keep his eyes open.

Fang Zhiyi still acted like an incompetent ruler, completely indifferent to state affairs.

Xie Wanyuan stepped forward once again: "Your Majesty..."

"Men! Drag him out and beat him! Give him forty heavy strokes!"

Xie Wanyuan was dumbfounded. "Your Majesty, I haven't even spoken yet?" He had pondered for a whole day what Fang Zhiyi's previous words meant, but still couldn't figure it out.

"I don't care if you've spoken or not, beat him!"

The guards who came in grabbed Xie Wanyuan but looked toward Teng Shuchang. Teng Shuchang dazedly heard the word "beat" and instantly opened his eyes. "Step down, step down."

The guards cupped their fists and retreated.

"My Emperor, you can't just beat people up at the drop of a hat." Teng Shuchang felt his mind was a mess.

"Just seeing him makes me angry," Fang Zhiyi huffed.

Teng Shuchang smiled bitterly. He really didn't dare let Fang Zhiyi act recklessly; with his behavior, the world would probably fall into chaos very soon.

"Then you do it! You do it!" Fang Zhiyi simply closed his eyes.

Xie Wanyuan glanced at Teng Shuchang. "Your Majesty, this humble subject can take the beating, but please allow me to finish speaking."

"Nowadays, the world is in turmoil, and the people are destitute, yet Your Majesty led men to forcibly rob the commoners' wealth. This action..."

"Did you hear that? Beat him!" Fang Zhiyi suddenly jumped up. "Let me tell you, Xie Wanyuan, I'm not the one beating you today, General Teng is! I am beating you on behalf of General Teng!"

Teng Shuchang hurriedly hugged Fang Zhiyi. "No, no, no."

"He insulted me! You might be able to tolerate it, but I can't! Men! Chop him up! He's no longer allowed to be an official! Take off his hat!"

Teng Shuchang tightly held onto Fang Zhiyi. As the courtiers watched this comical scene, a trace of disappointment flashed in Xie Wanyuan's eyes. "This humble subject will go receive the beating himself. I hope Your Majesty will consider the sake of the people and think clearly!" He took off his official hat.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Teng Shuchang repeatedly pacified him. "Grand Scholar Xie has an upright character. Let him scold a bit, it's fine, it's fine! You there! No one is allowed to lay a hand on Grand Scholar Xie!"

Xie Wanyuan didn't look back; he just walked out of the hall with his head held high and his chest puffed out. "Xie Wanyuan has come to receive the court flogging!"

But the guards didn't even look at him.

A moment later, Xie Wanyuan looked back at the furious Fang Zhiyi, Teng Shuchang holding him back, and his colleagues' faces full of mockery. A sense of desolation welled up in him. He bent down, gently placed his official hat on the ground, and then strode outside.

A light rain began to fall from the sky.

Watching that red official robe gradually walk into the rain, the figure from behind was full of loneliness.

Fang Zhiyi sighed in his heart. He thought of a former minister, who was also a solitary official. They always dared to walk in the opposite direction of everyone else. Even if no one understood them, they persisted in the dedication within their hearts.

Teng Shuchang could do nothing about Fang Zhiyi, but what happened perfectly matched his expectations.

Let the people of the Li Dynasty see this. Your great incorruptible official Xie Wanyuan is constantly being pushed aside by your emperor, to the point where he can't even be an official anymore! When the day comes that the people are completely disappointed in the Li royal family, they can rightfully change the dynasty.

Of course, there was still a long way to go before then.

For example, today's memorials to the throne.

Thinking about how Fang Zhiyi, as an emperor, was out having fun, while he, a great victorious general, had to do this frustrating work here, Teng Shuchang felt very strange.

Why did it feel like Fang Zhiyi was the one who had conquered the capital, and not him?

But thinking about it, wasn't this exactly what the King wanted? Fang Zhiyi acting as a hands-off emperor, while the real power was firmly grasped by Great Mang.

However, even more shocking news arrived that night.

"You're saying Fang Zhiyi ran into his son again? Fang Fengqi?" Teng Shuchang rubbed his eyes.

His subordinate bowed his head and replied, "Yes."

"And then?"

"At the time, Fang Fengqi had set up a stall at the bridgehead to write inscriptions for people. The Emperor seemed to be drunk. Upon seeing him, he became furious and went up and kicked his stall over."

"Ah?"

"If Deputy General Guo and the others hadn't held him back, Fang Fengqi would have been thrown into the river by him."

Teng Shuchang smiled bitterly. It seemed that being stuck with Fang Zhiyi was hard not only for the people of the Li Dynasty but also for his own son.

But the more outrageous Fang Zhiyi was, the more beneficial it would be for them in the future.