The military officers cursed incessantly, realizing this was not a promise but a naked threat.
"You..."
The Grand General, his neck craned, eyes nearly bulging from their sockets, wished he could unsheathe his broadsword and sever the scions of these civil officials right there and then, if not for the rule against weapons in court. If they couldn't live like men with integrity, it was better to become eunuchs without backbone, sparing future generations the blight upon their Great Li.
"Enough!"
A voice laced with fury thundered from above, effectively stifling the Grand General's curses. Seeing the Emperor’s angry visage, the Grand General glared fiercely at the Grand Secretary before him, unable to speak despite his simmering rage, his face flushing red with suppressed fury.
The Grand Secretary, with a look of disdain, swept his gaze over these simple-minded, brawny military men and turned to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, though we do not agree with dispatching troops at this moment, our Great Li officials have died in your Lin Yuan capital. Lin Yuan must provide an explanation to our Great Li. We advocate for peace, but we are not spineless cowards who will retreat indefinitely. Our Great Li cherishes its border populace and does not wish to engage in large-scale conflict with Lin Yuan, causing bloodshed. However, this does not mean Great Li fears Lin Yuan. If..."
He paused for a beat, glancing quickly at the military officers beside him, and declared with fierce determination, "If the other party cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, then let General Wen lead the troops to capture Mo City."
General Wen's eyes lit up upon hearing this, only to immediately glare at the Grand Secretary again, grumbling, "You old fox, what's with all this convoluted nonsense? If you ask me, what's there to talk about? Let’s just lead the troops..."
"You shut up!"
The civil official turned abruptly and roared his reprimand.
If they were called foolish, they truly were foolish, as stupid as pigs, utterly imbecilic!
"Dispatching troops is not the objective. It is a deterrent when all else fails, a declaration that while our Great Li desires peace, we do not fear war. You, a mere military man, do not understand, so do not interject. Just listen!"
"Zhang Yafu, don't think I won't dare to beat you just because you're older. In the end, aren't you just afraid of that Ji Jinmo? What a disgrace!"
"Afraid? We civil officials have no fear of Ji Jinmo. It is you military men, so many of you, yet not a single one capable of contending with him. Your very existence is a disgrace to Great Li."
"You..."
The assembled military officers flushed crimson at the insult, their anger surging, ready to roll up their sleeves and fight Zhang Yafu. The princes in the hall observed with cold eyes, harboring no good feelings towards these old geezers. The plight of their Great Li was inextricably linked to these overly powerful imperial relatives.
"Enough! Do you still have any regard for me, your Emperor?"
The Emperor of Great Li, seated firmly on his dragon throne, slammed his hand on the armrest, leaning forward slightly. His imperial might pressed down, and at his gaze, everyone dared not but lower their heads.
"Seventh Son!"
He slowly quelled his anger, his gaze falling upon his seventh son, Yu Chengxuan.
Yu Chengxuan stepped forward and responded, "Your Father."
"You shall represent me and make a journey to Lin Yuan." His deep voice echoed throughout the grand hall. Zhang Yafu, upon hearing this, abruptly looked up, "Your Majesty..."
Sending the seventh prince, Yu Chengxuan? This was not appropriate!
This task, if handled well, would bring no merit, but if handled poorly, would only invite infamy. What was the Emperor's intention? Could it be that he was wary of their Zhang family?
Yu Chengxuan's maternal concubine was his own sister.
"You find it inappropriate, my dear minister?"
The Emperor of Great Li looked at Zhang Yafu with a half-smile, not allowing him to finish his words. Zhang Yafu gazed at the Emperor on the throne, whose eyes were now etched with wrinkles. This was no longer the puppet emperor he had enthroned twenty years ago.
The power of the Zhang family had been gradually declining over the years, rendering them unable to control the court's affairs. Though he was reluctant for Yu Chengxuan to take on this task, he dared not say more.
Yu Chengxuan stood tall, his bearing resolute, his mist-blue long robe accentuating his handsome demeanor. His dark, luxuriant hair was tied up with a white jade hairpin. His sword-like brows and starry eyes exuded noble elegance.
He looked up and said to Yu Wenyi, "Your son accepts the decree!"
He accepted the thankless task without any hesitation.
Yu Wenyi nodded with satisfaction, though he mused how much better it would be if this son did not have Zhang family blood.
...
"Seventh Prince Yu Chengxuan?"
Ji Hong received the state letter from Emperor Yu Wenyi of Great Li. When the envoy from Qin died in the imperial hunting grounds, Ji Hong had anticipated that Great Li would dispatch another court official to Lin Yuan. However, he had not expected them to send a prince.
Seventh Prince?
The eldest legitimate son of Consort Zhang?
What was Yu Wenyi planning?
Ji Hong frowned, feeling a sense of annoyance. He was already struggling with how to deal with the Great Li princess, and now a prince had arrived. What was that old man Yu Wenyi truly plotting? Regardless, no person from Great Li could afford to have another incident within their Lin Yuan.
"Instead of worrying about this, you should focus on investigating your own harem."
A cold voice drifted lazily through the air, circling before finally reaching Ji Hong's ears. Ji Hong looked up, glancing at the person who had appeared at some unknown time, and couldn't help but click his tongue.
"You've been investigating for so many years, what have you found?"
After a two-second silence, the person slowly replied, "In fact, there are some leads, but..." He looked at Ji Hong, his voice gradually weakening.
Ji Hong's brows furrowed slightly, and he slapped the memorial onto the desk.
"Whoever it is, they must not be spared."
...
The next day, Ji Hong issued several imperial edicts in succession.
He posthumously conferred titles of nobility, appeased the court officials, and... citing Mu Baiyu's victory in the imperial hunt, specially appointed him as a Imperial Guard with the right to carry a sword.
Fifth Rank.
He was permitted to move freely within the imperial palace.
...
With the issuance of several imperial edicts, Nan Shiying sensed something unusual.
Ji Hong had actually made Mu Baiyu an Imperial Guard with the right to carry a sword? What did this mean? Was he placing the third-generation legitimate son of the neutral Prince Gong’s manor under surveillance, or was there another reason?
Nan Shiying stroked his chin. Before he could ponder further, Ji Jinmo spoke of the Great Li Emperor's seventh son: "In the Great Li court, the imperial relatives are deeply entrenched. This seventh prince's maternal concubine is the legitimate daughter of the Zhang clan of Great Li. Yu Wenyi was originally placed on the throne by the Zhang clan."
Nan Shiying uttered an "oh," feeling a pang of sympathy for the Great Li Emperor's predicament. The imperial power and the aristocratic families had always been in a state of mutual restraint and utilization. With such a faction of imperial relatives, it was no wonder Great Li had developed into its current state.