As Wu Min stepped out of the Funing Hall, a dark shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes, and then a boot slammed directly into his face.
"Ouch—"
"Which blind dog dared to hit this official!"
Having just become prime minister a few days ago, with his initial fervor not yet subsided, he was hit in the face with a boot. Wu Min almost instinctively cursed.
"Dog? Master Wu, are you referring to me?"
As soon as Wu Min finished speaking, the Prince of Yue, Zhao Ci, who stood beside Han Jiayan, spoke with a cold sneer.
"Prince, Prince of Yue..."
Seeing Zhao Ci's face clearly, Wu Min felt his head buzz.
Although this fellow had no real power, in terms of royal seniority, the current emperor had to respectfully call him uncle!
The Retired Emperor Zhao Ji was his own brother, the posthumous son of Emperor Shenzong!
If he was a dog, wouldn't that be cursing the entire royal family?
"I wouldn't dare. You called me a dog just now, didn't you? Although I'm a disappointment and a disgrace to my ancestors, I'm not so pathetic yet! Master Wu, you wield immense power. It was wrong of me to hit you today, but you called me a dog. We need to take this matter to the Emperor! If His Majesty doesn't give me justice today, then we'll go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and see if the ancestors of my Zhao family can deal with you!"
As Zhao Ci spoke, he pushed aside the soldiers blocking his way and grabbed Wu Min by the collar.
"Lord Li, please wait outside for a moment! This is a royal affair. As a brother-in-law, I can't just stand by and watch my brother-in-law get bullied! Let's go, and see who dares to stop us!"
With Zhao Ci leading the way, Han Jiayan naturally followed suit!
"Old fox!"
Seeing Han Jiayan's righteous demeanor, even Li Gang couldn't help but twitch his lips, muttering to himself.
Even if Wu Min was foolish, upon seeing Li Gang, he naturally realized that they were deliberately looking for trouble today, waiting for that curse he had just uttered!
It was a pity that words, once spoken, could not be taken back. At this point, how could these two old fellows give him a chance to turn the tables?
Wu Min's confidants had initially stood their ground, refusing to enter the hall with the two of them. But now, seeing Wu Min being grabbed by the neck, how could they dare to say anything more?
While they hesitated, Zhao Ci did not commit the same foolishness. Without a word, he dragged Wu Min by the collar and stormed into Funing Hall.
Zhang Bangchang, who was eloquently trying to persuade the emperor, hadn't finished speaking when Wu Min was unceremoniously thrown into the main hall.
"Your Highness, the Prince of Yue, what are you doing? This is the current prime minister. Are you trying to rebel?"
Seeing Wu Min pushed to the ground by Zhao Ci, Zhang Bangchang's face changed instantly.
If the prime minister's dignity was lost at this moment, it would be as difficult as a fantasy to persuade the emperor.
"Well said, Prime Minister Zhang. You say I'm rebelling? I am the current emperor's own uncle, the Retired Emperor's own brother, and Emperor Shenzong's direct son. Are you saying I'm rebelling?"
As soon as Zhang Bangchang finished speaking, Zhao Ci shot back with a cold sneer.
If Zhao Ji were on the throne, his brother would naturally have to be obedient. But with Zhao Huan, the situation was completely different!
He was just a leisurely prince. The Great Song dynasty governed by filial piety. As long as he didn't commit any serious offense, even the emperor had to treat him with courtesy. Moreover, in this matter today, Wu Min was in the wrong first!
"Your Highness, the Prince of Yue, is right. Prime Minister Zhang, you say the Prince of Yue is rebelling. Are you saying he's rebelling against his own nephew, or his own brother?"
As soon as Zhao Ci finished speaking, Han Jiayan added sarcastically.
"You!"
With the two of them working in tandem like this, even Zhang Bangchang was momentarily speechless.
These two esteemed elders had thrown aside their dignity and were acting shamelessly. As a civil official, he couldn't compete with them...
"Enough! Uncle, do you have something to discuss with me today?"
Seeing that Funing Hall had quickly turned into a marketplace in such a short time, Zhao Huan couldn't suppress his anger and slammed his hand heavily on the table.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this old minister came today with other matters to see Your Majesty. But now, I only want to ask Your Majesty, does the emperor of the Great Song dynasty have the surname Zhao or Wu? Why would I, the current imperial uncle, be cursed as a dog outside Funing Hall!"
As Zhao Ci spoke, he directly sat on the ground.
"I..."
Hearing him say this, even the emperor was momentarily stunned.
"Please, Your Majesty, dispense justice for this old minister. If Your Majesty is displeasured with me, you can take back the title of Prince of Yue bestowed by the Retired Emperor. But to be insulted by such a despicable person, even if I, Zhao Ci, agree, my father, who is in the netherworld, would not!"
After Zhao Ci finished speaking, he began to pat his thighs and cry.
Whether there were tears or not, the appearance of his wailing was thorough.
"Your Majesty, the nation is in peril, and you have taken on this responsibility in a time of crisis. We elders had pooled some silver to offer to Your Majesty as military funds. However, we were blocked outside Funing Hall, told that you were discussing military and political matters with the prime ministers. While encountering such a situation, we could have waited. But the servants at the door were too overbearing! They said they were only following the orders of Master Wu and that no extraneous personnel were allowed to disturb you before Master Wu came out. Even the Commander of Tokyo, who came to report military intelligence, was blocked outside. The Prince of Yue, unable to bear it, threw his boot at them. But unexpectedly, as soon as Master Wu came out, he immediately pointed at the Prince of Yue and cursed him as a dog from nowhere. This old minister also wants to ask, does Your Majesty no longer recognize us imperial relatives? Is it that we are not allowed to contribute to the Zhao family's empire?"
Before Zhao Ci's crying had stopped, Han Jiayan once again sneered and fired at the emperor.
As soon as he finished these few simple sentences, Wu Min, who had been playing dead on the ground, scrambled to his feet.
"Master Wu, is this true?"
After hearing Han Jiayan's words, Zhao Huan's face also darkened.
What he, as emperor, feared most was the isolation from foreign affairs.