The Romance of the West Chamber: The Bells are Ringing

But at this moment, I heard Li Shi ordering the two men to ask everyone outside the palace to retreat to the wall, and then said coldly: "Do you know why I scolded you just now?"

The man in black's heart moved. In this way, the attendants, maids, and eunuchs outside the palace would not be able to hear what the three people were saying in the palace. He thought: "What tricks is this dog emperor playing?" So he pressed down and jumped down in no hurry.

Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming looked at each other and were mentally prepared. They immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

They raised their heads and glanced at the emperor secretly, and saw a hint of impatience flashing in Li Shi's eyes. They felt a chill in their hearts, knowing that the emperor was blaming them for not guessing what he was thinking.

Dou Wenchang thought to himself: "Your Majesty just asked the guards to retreat. It can be seen that the reason why he reprimanded us before was definitely for the guards to see."

Huo Xianming had the same thought, and thought: "Actually, His Majesty is willing to accept the methods used by the two of us to punish the people, but he does not want to punish others, because there are inevitably spies planted by noble clansmen among the guards."

So Huo Xianming hurriedly said: "Your Majesty's benevolence towards the people can be seen from the sun and the moon, and it can be seen from the heaven and the earth. It is because the ministers are incompetent, so they can only make this decision."

Dou Wenchang lowered his head slightly and said: "I secretly believe that your Majesty is not blaming me for exploiting the people, but is worried about the villains in the court. I am dedicated to your majesty, but I will never shirk the responsibility to your majesty.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Huo Xianming also said hurriedly, "I care about the imperial court, and I am only willing to contribute a small amount to the country and the people. If your Majesty is dissatisfied with the laws of your Majesty, I am willing to be punished by your Majesty."

"Your Majesty," Dou Wenchang said again, "we made this decision not for ourselves, but for the sake of the court. The people are poor and the country is in trouble. We just want to use some means to stabilize the country's situation."

Huo Xianming followed closely and said: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that this is the behavior of the two of us, and the responsibility naturally lies with me. How can the emperor's saintliness and benevolence be involved in such a trivial matter?"

Li Shi nodded slightly, looked at the two eunuchs with satisfaction, and thought to himself: "These eunuchs are not like those noble families. They have no foundation and can only serve me. It is reasonable to take some measures."

"I understand your loyalty. But you have to be careful to avoid being held hostage by villains." The emperor sighed deeply, with worry in his expression.

Dou Wenchang smiled slightly and assured the emperor: "Your Majesty, I and others must be careful and never let villains take advantage of them. As long as your Majesty sits at the center, the world will be at peace."

Huo Xianming also said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to worry, we will keep the situation stable. If anything happens, we will report it to Your Majesty."

The emperor nodded and motioned for the two of them to stand up.

The man in black who was quietly hiding on the beam of Yanying Hall listened attentively to the conversation between Li Shi, Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming. There was a cold light in his eyes, and he held a deep hatred for everything above the court. The emperor's cunning, the eunuch's cunning, everything made him feel intolerable.

"Just now I thought the emperor had found out his conscience and showed sympathy for the people." The man in black thought, "I didn't expect that it was just because he was the emperor, but he didn't take responsibility!"

The man in black squatted quietly on the beam, his figure hidden in the darkness, like an unnoticed star in the night sky. He was filled with rage and was deeply disappointed with the extent of corruption in the court. He knew in his heart that this was not just an individual's problem, but the corruption of the entire court.

Hearing Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming's extremely flattering words to the emperor, the man in black couldn't help but sneer in his heart. In his opinion, these are a group of villains who are afraid of chaos in the world. He shook his head disdainfully, showing disdain for the so-called "social stability."

Faced with Li Shi's concern, the man in black frowned. He knew that the instability of the regime was fatal to the suffering of the people, but he knew even better that this was not what this group of Machiavellian people really cared about. What they care about is the maintenance of power, not the suffering of the people.

Suddenly, the man in black felt a surge of blood in his heart. He cannot tolerate such oppression of the people, and he must do something, even if it is just a trivial effort, to try to change everything.

At this moment, Li Shi waved his hand and said, "You all should go out. I want to be alone to think about it."

After receiving the order, Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming stepped back and left the Yanying Hall, not forgetting to gently close the door.

Li Shi was the only one left in Yanying Hall.

The man in black waited for a while, convinced that Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming had gone far away, and thought: "This dog emperor has not given any orders, and those guards, maids, and eunuchs will not rashly approach or even enter the palace. This is actually an attempt to assassinate the dog emperor." The perfect time!”

So he jumped down from the beam, holding a sharp knife, and rushed towards Li Shi.

Li Shi suddenly felt a gust of wind above his head. He subconsciously raised his head and saw a man in black rushing from top to bottom like a ghost. Li Shi's pupils shrank suddenly, and he was frightened for a moment. He wanted to shout but was too late.

The man in black quickly took control of the situation, covered Li Shi's mouth with one hand, grabbed the sharp knife with the other hand, and pressed it against Li Shi's throat. In the blink of an eye, the man in black landed on the ground without making a sound, just like a shadow in the night sky.

Li Shi was forced by a sharp knife. Faced with the sudden threat, his body stiffened and he did not dare to express his anger. He could only turn his eyes around, trying to find a way to escape. Feeling confused, he began to examine the man in black in front of him. The man in black's movements were clean and neat. He was obviously not an ordinary assassin, but a skilled master.

The cold eyes of the man in black were unfathomable. His eyes towards the emperor were full of dissatisfaction and anger, as if he wanted to take this opportunity to seek some justice for the people. At this time, the palace fell into silence, with only the faint candle light swaying in the darkness.

The man in black maintained the stability of the situation, but there was confusion in his eyes.

The man in black's voice was cold and low: "Emperor Dog, you are going to die soon, are you afraid?"

Li Shi trembled in his heart. However, he tried hard to maintain his consistent imperial demeanor and shook his head slightly, as if he already knew that death was just an inevitable fate.

The man in black's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he thought in his heart: "As long as this dog emperor doesn't shout for help, the guards, maids, and eunuchs won't be able to hear him if he talks normally."

If Li Shi dared to shout at all, all he had to do was send the sharp knife forward and the Dog Emperor would be speechless.

So, the man in black slightly loosened his hand covering Li Shi's mouth, and said in a disdainful tone: "Emperor Dog, why are you sighing?" The man in black's indifferent tone revealed his contempt for the emperor.

Seeing this, Li Shi quickly regained his composure. He knew it was time to show his calm emperor's face.

Li Shi understood that the man in black was no ordinary assassin, so he chose to comfort him with words in an attempt to win a chance of survival.

"Your Excellency, how can a man live his life without pursuing wealth and glory? I have always thought that for the sake of the court and the people, I will inevitably offend some people sometimes. I hope you can spare my life. How much money will your master give you? I'll double it!" Li Shi said in a leisurely tone, as if he was not facing a sharp knife, but a court meeting.

The man in black heard the emperor's defense and had already expected it. He sneered, the disdain in his eyes even greater.

The man in black sneered, the disdain in his eyes getting worse, and his voice was like a biting cold wind: "I'm not doing this for money, I'm just after your life."

Li Shi had a look of horror on his face, and he asked curiously: "Your Excellency and I have never met, how can I offend you?"

The man in black seemed to be bursting with anger as he replied: "The hatred for killing my father is irreconcilable!"