After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 141

The Zhou Residence.

Wu Shanshi was led to the entrance of the bedroom, and a servant courteously offered him a chair. As soon as Wu Shanshi sat down, Zhou Gongdan's weak voice came from the dimly lit room, carrying a scent of sickness and decay, "Thank you for coming to visit me, Your Majesty. I'm really not doing well, and I fear I might infect Your Majesty with my illness, so I had to inconvenience you to sit outside the door."

Wu Shanshi sighed, "Wenning, take good care of yourself. If you need any medicinal herbs, just let me know. You are my meritorious subject, and I can't afford to be without you by my side."

"Your Majesty..." Zhou Gongdan spoke, moved. He coughed weakly twice, and with little strength, he asked, "Does Your Majesty know if General Jia Qing has been released from prison?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Shanshi coldly snorted, and his expression turned indifferent. "When he apologizes, I'll consider releasing him."

Zhou Gongdan fell silent for a moment and advised, "Your Majesty, life in prison is harsh, especially in deep winter. Even if General Jia Qing is skilled in martial arts, he may not withstand this cold winter. If we delay further, he might develop health problems due to the cold."

Wu Shanshi frowned. If others had suggested that he release Jia Qing, he would have already lost his temper. However, because it was Zhou Gongdan, he suppressed his anger. Nevertheless, his already unfavorable mood worsened, and he had no interest in continuing the conversation. He waved his hand and stood up, saying, "I have already sent bedding for him. Let's not talk about this anymore. Rest well, and I'm leaving!"

The attendants respectfully saw off the emperor, and soon, the voices outside grew silent.

Inside the room, Zhou Gongdan got up from the bed and walked to the window, watching Wu Shanshi's figure gradually disappear.

AD

He squinted slightly.

Despite Zhou Gongdan's pale and flushed complexion, his eyes were remarkably sharp. He took the water cup handed to him by someone by his side. His every move did not resemble that of a sick person.

He took a sip of hot tea and said to the people from the Liangliao Institution, "As I expected, without someone to advise him, Wu Shanshi has become even more arrogant and conceited."

Especially after proclaiming himself emperor, he didn't even bother pretending to be magnanimous.

The Liangliao Institution people said, "Sir, your insights are extraordinary."

Zhou Gongdan couldn't help but smile, "It's not that my insights are extraordinary, but Wu Shanshi is too easy to see through."

When surrounded by sycophants, the Wu Shanshi, who had once been propped up by advisers, would undoubtedly slide into the abyss.

The Liangliao Institution people said, "Sir, are you ready? Our lord has instructed us to leave Jizhou no later than the end of this month."

"I have prepared myself after waiting so long for our lord," Zhou Gongdan smiled and replied, "Apart from myself and the donkey I brought, there's nothing else I need to take with me."

The Liangliao Institution people were surprised, "Aren't you taking the wealth you gained in Jizhou with you?"

Zhou Gongdan burst into laughter, a hint of hidden contempt in his expression, "I don't want Wu Shanshi's ill-gotten wealth."

Influenced by Yuan Li's ideology, the people from the Liangliao Institution hesitated for a moment and honestly said, "If you don't mind, can we send this wealth back to Youzhou? It can be used for the army or the Liangliao Institution, as our lord said, money may not be essential, but one cannot survive without it in this world. Even if the enemy's money is dirty, we shouldn't leave it for them. Instead, we can use it for developing the state and benefiting the people."