The night before dawn is always especially dark and cold.

Against the backdrop of the dark sky, the remnants of the Wild Sand Empire have quietly gathered in the secret room of the Prime Minister's Mansion. The dim candlelight was filled with the smell of corruption, as if it was darker than the sky outside.

"My lords, that reckless man of Darius has fallen. Those bandits from the Red Pavilion are menacing, how should we deal with them? A courtier dressed in brocade asked with a panicked expression.

Another courtier with a mustache chimed in, "Yes, Darius is just a bunch of warriors, and there is nothing to fear. But in the camp of the Red Pavilion, there are princesses from Shendu, the queen of Ice Wolf Castle, and they are afraid that they will not be able to fool. ”

A fat man with a gloomy face glanced at everyone, "You're right, the Red Pavilion is gaining momentum now, and we must be careful. ”

He smiled dryly, "But you don't need to panic too much, the empire is just a new emperor, it's not a big deal." Without us, would the empire still function? ”

There was a burst of light-hearted laughter from the chamber.

"It's still the Prime Minister's foresight."

"Chancellor Thattyr is really our backbone."

"We will only look forward to Prime Minister Thattyr."

"As long as we people continue to play our part in the palace, life will continue to be the same."

The bearded minister immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face, "What the prime minister said is extremely true, the entire empire is indeed under the control of our power. ”

Prime Minister Thattyr lit up a few lost leaves, took a beautiful sip, and then said slowly, "No matter what their origins, it is not easy to control a state machine. Just like in the past, give them some false illusions, and after a while they will get used to it. ”

The minister in splendid clothes clapped his hands again and again, "The Prime Minister is right, who is not greedy for glory and wealth, we can first advocate the 'princess of guns' Lydia, treat her as the new empress, and send her some jewels—what woman can resist the charm of jewels?" ”

The mustachioed minister also chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! We also have to show her supporters that we're working for her. By the way, stuff them with a little bit of goodness......"

"Yes, you can also co-opt some vendors, let them monopolize grain and cloth in the market, and then take the opportunity to raise prices. Let's make a good deal first, and it will also make it impossible for Lydia to govern the country with peace of mind. Another traitor chimed in.

The prime minister nodded frequently in the smoke of the misty leaves, "Yes, yes, let them slowly start to enjoy the taste of power, that feeling of being drunk ......"

"My lords, I think these are just expedient measures for now." A minister in a yellow and green robe suddenly stood up, "The bandits of the Red Pavilion have a large army in their hands, and if they don't get rid of them for a day, they are just a sword hanging over our heads." ”

Although these ministers are corrupt and pervert the law, they do one thing after another when it comes to internal struggles.

The prime minister's squinting eyes picked at him, "Huh? So what do you think? ”

The minister sneered, "We still have the Sixteen Roads Lord stationed outside, what if we invite them to come here to watch the ceremony in the name of the enthronement ceremony, and then stage a show to escort the King Qin?" ”

The mustachioed minister smiled, "It makes sense, when the time comes, we will go to the countryside to find a child, and say that he is the heir of the Emperor of the Wild Sand, and support him to inherit the throne......"

"Brilliant plan! Coup! Prime Minister Thattyr raised his thumb and praised repeatedly, "Then we will try to break up their military power and blast these hillbillies out of the palace once and for all." At that time, I am afraid that the power in our hands will be even greater. ”

Everyone laughed tacitly.

……

As soon as the next day began the meeting, the traitors could not wait to take the initiative on the topic.

They preached Lydia's wisdom and prowess, saying that she must become the empress of the Wild Sand Empire, carry on the legacy of the previous emperor, and lead the country to prosperity.

"Your Royal Highness, you possess incomparable wisdom and courage, and you are the greatest warrior the empire has ever seen, and you are a role model in the hearts of our people." One traitor flattered, "You should ascend to the throne and become the supreme ruler of our empire, so that your name will live on forever." ”

Another traitor immediately chimed in: "Your Majesty, you are the hope and future of the empire. Only you can lead us to light and victory. Please accept our suggestion to hold an enthronement ceremony, sacrifice to the gods, and become the empress of the Wild Sand Empire! ”

"That's not what ...... today," Axe's weak voice was quickly drowned out by the clamor of the traitors.

The more they talked, the more excited they became. They began to describe the pomp and circumstance of the future enthronement ceremony, the sacrificial ceremony, the military parade, the coronation ceremony, and the pardon ceremony, all of which were solemn and pompous.

"Especially the ritual of worshipping the rabbinic gods, which is the heart of the Wild Sand Empire, is a sacred ritual for Her Majesty the Empress to communicate with the gods." One traitor said enthusiastically, "This is not only a sign of gratitude to the gods, but also a symbol of power." ”

"At the parade, we will demonstrate the glory and power of our empire." The mustachioed traitor also quickly stood up, his eyes flashing with ulterior motives, "Gorgeous costumes, the insignia and colors of the new royal family, these will all become witnesses to the history of our empire." ”

The traitor in brocade clothes also hurriedly came out and flattered, "Your Majesty, this is the enthronement costume we have prepared for you. This is my proud work, which fully demonstrates the majesty of imperial power and your personal charisma, and will make you the most dazzling ruler of the empire. ”

Another traitor continued: "Empress Lydia, you will be the protagonist of this ceremony, and your every action will touch the hearts of countless people. We will congratulate you with the most honorable etiquette and the most exquisite arrangement. ”

Their suggestions were disturbing, like a contagious picture slowly unfolding in Lydia's mind.

Gorgeous costumes, the insignia of the new royal family, the royal flag, the crown of the empress...... It all swirled around Lydia's eyes like a merry-go-round, dazzling her.

These traitors took great pains to curry favor with the future empress.

It's a pity that Lydia is not the kind of person who is keen to be the emperor, and after experiencing the beatings in history and politics classes, she knows very well what these hypocritical courtiers are trying to do.

All they want is a puppet emperor, and then they can do whatever they want under this puppet.

You must not be fooled by them.

Lydia secretly warned herself that once she accepted such a temptation, she would be drawn into the vortex of power and desire, unable to extricate herself.

But the flattering courtiers were all eloquent, and Lydia had to admire their eloquence. In the face of their repeated bombardment, Lydia, who can speak well, couldn't think of any effective response for a while.

"I'm not interested in being the emperor or anything." Lydia tried to force an explanation, "Thank you for your loyalty, but now it's more important to let the people of the Wild Sand Empire live a peaceful and stable life......"

"Her Majesty's words are very true!" Prime Minister Thattyr squinted his eyes and said loudly, "It is precisely because of this that the Wild Sand Empire cannot be without a leader for a day, and we should support Her Majesty the Empress together." ”

Prime Minister Thattyr's words instantly ignited the atmosphere of the entire council hall, and all kinds of cows, ghosts, snakes, and gods showed their coquettishness, and used various inexplicable languages to praise Lydia for a round of high-intensity praise:

"Her Majesty the Empress will be the greatest ruler in the history of our empire, and your wisdom and courage will lead us to prosperity and glory."

"It is our honor to prepare the enthronement ceremony for Her Majesty the Empress, who is both wise and brave, and it is an honor for the entire empire!"

"Yes, the enthronement ceremony should show the majesty and characteristics of our empire, reflect the roughness and arrogance of the Wild Sand Empire, and let everyone see the unparalleled bravery of Her Majesty the Empress."

"That's right, we should invite the surrounding princes, and the lords of the sixteen roads should all come here to watch the ceremony......"

Syllable!

The door of the main hall of parliament was slammed open, and a figure wearing a long black fluffy skirt and holding a feather fan strode in with a smile on her face.

Black condensation?

Lydia seemed to have caught a savior, and thought to herself: I haven't seen her all morning, why is she only here now, and this kind of occasion should be dealt with by a social cow like her with courtesan attributes.

"The little woman just heard that someone mentioned 'to invite the Sixteen Road Lords'?" Hei Ningxue walked up to the main hall with a light smile, followed by more than a dozen servants, each carrying a wooden box in their hands.

Lydia suddenly had a bad feeling in her heart.

Hei Ningxue smiled and said, "What a coincidence, those distinguished guests have already arrived." ”

With that, the servants behind her put down the wooden box in the center of the main hall. Everyone opened it together, and a frightened scream immediately sounded in the hall.

Sure enough, the wooden box contained human heads.

The head of the Lord of the Sixteen Roads.

The courtiers were suddenly sweating and trembling with fear. Under their horrified gaze, Hei Ningxue lifted the hem of her skirt and made a simple salute to Lydia, "Princess Sainte." ”

Then, she took a few steps back, lifted the hem of her skirt again, and bowed to the throne with the highest kneeling, "Maid Black Ningxue, pay homage to the supreme 'Lord of the Red Pavilion'." ”

Her serious appearance shocked everyone present. They turned to look at the throne, only to find that there was a man dressed in black beside Lydia at some point—sitting there without smiling and expressionless, but there was a chilling murderous aura between his eyebrows.

Bu smiled and moved his fingers, motioning for Hei Ningxue to step aside.

His eyes were arrogant, as if he was looking down on these stupid and humble ants from a height of tens of thousands of meters. But if anyone dares to look at him, they will find that his gaze is as cold as a knife, and the moment they meet, they can pierce into the darkest corners of people's hearts.

Prime Minister Thattyr just looked at him for a moment, and his face turned pale with fright, and he hurriedly lowered his head.