"You can all stop shaking exactly like frightened dogs," Madam Li told them.
"I have already made other arrangements to pay the Emperor's tribute."
For a second, nobody spoke. The silence inside the grand Audience Hall was very suffocating as every clan elder was staring directly at Madam Li.
Then the hall broke into noise as several elders supporting Madam Li who did not know what Madam Li had up her sleeve, but they immediately straightened up, their eyes brightening as if they had just found the elixir of immortality.
One gray-haired elder stroked his beard and smiled, "As expected of Madam Li. Always one step ahead."
Another elder laughed softly, "I said it before. The Gu Clan cannot rely on the old guard. Some people always talk big, but when trouble comes, they stand there with empty hands."
