Yuan Li was very embarrassed.

The officials looked at each other in bewilderment.

Even Wen Hu was completely bewildered.

What does that mean?

A sovereign of a nation expresses his dissatisfaction by farting?

That's pretty clever of you!

Seeing that all the officials had quieted down, Yuan Li and Wen Hu exchanged a glance, each harboring their own secrets.

Wen Hu has his own calculations, and Yuan Li has her own considerations.

Yuan Li knew that although Wen Hu claimed he was only sending troops to intimidate the Western Regions, he would definitely destroy them and expand the territory of Xijing if given the opportunity.

By destroying a few small countries, Wen Hu could achieve the same great feat as Wang Ren, expanding his territory and reaching the pinnacle of his prestige.

With the territory he had conquered, and the people in those places having no connection to Yuan Li, Yuan Li's imperial power would only grow weaker and weaker.

The people of the Western Regions were different from those of the two Jing states. The people of Jing still subconsciously regarded the Yuan family as the legitimate dynasty, so Wen Tai and Wen Hu dared not act rashly.

However, if Wen Tai conquers more territory in the Western Regions, he will no longer need Yuan Li as a puppet and can establish himself as emperor!

Yuan Li was aware of the Wen family's plan, which is why he was unwilling to let Wen Hu lead his troops westward.

Seeing that the news was turning in Wen Hu's favor, Yuan Li quickly gave a wink to several of the officials.

"I think the General's words are inappropriate!"

At this moment, a middle-aged man came out.

Wen Hu looked at the man and said, "So it is Grand Counselor Shen. Is there something amiss?"

Shen Dongzhao asked, "May I ask if the General is a native of Jing?"

Wen Hu pondered the meaning behind Shen Dongzhao's words, paused for a moment, and then said, "Of course."

"Yes! Whether it's Great Jing, Western Jing, or Eastern Jing, we are all Jing people, all subjects of Emperor Jing!"

Shen Dongzhao pointed at Yuan Li and said, "Since you are a Jing person and a subject of Emperor Jing, your primary concern should be to restore the Great Jing and reclaim our Great Jing's territory. Now that the war between Dongjing and Nanzhou is imminent, instead of seizing this opportunity to recover our lost land, we are focusing our attention on small countries in the Western Regions. Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"

"Or have you all forgotten that you are people of Jing, and no longer appreciate the great kindness of the late emperor and the wise rulers of past dynasties?"

Wen Hu laughed and said, "Lord Shen, you have quite the sharp tongue. Using loyalty and righteousness as a pretext and moral blackmail, you are indeed formidable."

Shen Dongzhao said, "What, does the General lack loyalty and morality? If so, then I really can't do anything about you."

Wen Hudao said, "What do my personal loyalty and morality matter in the face of national interests? As long as the path I choose is right, I can disregard loyalty and morality!"

"My words are ultimately much weaker in front of the General's face," Shen Dongzhao said sarcastically.

Wen Hu wasn't angry. He looked at the people behind Shen Dongzhao and asked, "Is there anyone else who objects?"

"I object!"

Cheng Ping stood next to Shen Dongzhao and said, "The people of Jing are not enemies of the small countries in the Western Regions, but those rebels in Dongjing! The Zhao family father and son have acted against the tide of history, installed a young emperor and seized control of the government, and engaged in endless wars, causing the people of Jing in the east to suffer greatly."

Cheng Ping glanced at Yuan Li and continued, "His Majesty is the late Emperor's younger brother, with the purest bloodline, yet he was taken from Changsui by rebels and brought to this harsh and cold land."

"Prime Minister, General, please consider His Majesty's interests and the interests of the Jing people in the east. Recover the lost territory as soon as possible and restore the glory of our Great Jing!"

"At that time, the Prime Minister and the General will surely be remembered in history and be remembered by future generations!"

Ministers gradually gathered behind Cheng Ping and Shen Dongzhao.

"Please, General Pillar of the State, lead the army eastward to conquer Dongjing!"

"Slay the rebels and escort His Majesty back to Changsui!!"

"I urge the Prime Minister and the General to reconsider!!!"

Wen Hu's face finally darkened, and he subconsciously placed his hand on the hilt of his knife.

Upon seeing his action, the opposing ministers instinctively took a step back.

Wen Hu approached them, his gaze falling on each of their faces one after another, but he didn't say much to them. Instead, he walked down the steps, faced Yuan Li, and said, "Your Majesty, do you now share the same opinion as them?"

Seeing the sudden imposing aura emanating from Wen Hu, Yuan Li swallowed hard and chuckled, "I think what Lord Cheng and the others said makes sense. Many soldiers in Xijing are also thinking about going home!"

"Home?"

Wen Hu slowly walked up the steps and said, "It is now the second year of the Xijing New Territory. Xijing has long been their home!"

"Your Majesty, I have explained it to you very clearly. Xijing's current national strength is insufficient to support Dongjing until it is destroyed. Why can't you understand?"

The closer Wen Hu got, the more uneasy Yuan Li felt.

Suddenly, the image of Yuan Xiu being killed flashed into his mind.

Yuan Li smiled ingratiatingly, "If it's not enough to sustain us until Dongjing is destroyed, then let's not be so greedy... We can take advantage of this opportunity to send troops and take Guliang County without difficulty. With the General's bravery, taking Xuzhong County further won't be difficult either. As for Changsui and the other counties, we can wait until our national strength is strong enough to go for them!"

"What I mean is, we don't necessarily have to take back all the lost territory at once; we can take back as much as we can..."

Bang!

Wen Hu suddenly took the golden knife down, without drawing it from its sheath, but slammed it, sheath and all, onto the back of the dragon throne.

Yuan Li was stunned, glancing sideways at the scabbard beside her ear, speechless for a moment.

Shen Dongzhao pointed angrily at Wen Hu and shouted, "Wen Hu, how dare you! In this very court, you dare to lay a knife on His Majesty! You have no respect for the law, no loyalty to the emperor, and no respect for your father..."

Wen Hu suddenly drew his sword and swung it backward, sending the scabbard flying and striking Shen Dongzhao in the chest.

Shen Dongzhao was slammed against a pillar, his chest caved in, and he was already dead.

“Hu’er…” Wen Tai called out.

“Uncle, I can tolerate him saying I have no ruler, but he says I have no father…”

Wen Hu said in a deep voice, "My father did die young, but from then on you treated me no differently than my father. If you say anything about me, then he deserves to die."

Wen Tai placed his hands on his knees, sat upright, and said, "It's never good to have too much blood splattered in the court."

"Yes, I don't want to tarnish the court either, but some people are forcing me to do so."

Wen Hu slowly raised his knife and continued, "In order to reduce bloodshed in the court in the future, I have no other choice but to do this."

Yuan Li saw the murderous intent in Wen Hu's eyes and exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing? Wen Hu, what are you going to do?!"

"I can make you powerful, and I can also destroy you."

Snap!

With a single stroke, Wen Hu severed Yuan Li's head from his body, which rolled down the steps.

Everyone was shocked to see this.

No one expected that Wen Hu would dare to kill the emperor in public!

At least he killed Yuan Xiu in a private space back then, but now he has no scruples at all and is murdering the emperor in public.

Even Wen Tai looked somewhat surprised.

Cheng Ping and the officials who opposed cultural protection instinctively stepped back, their eyes filled with astonishment and despair.

Wen Hu turned to look at them and said, "Don't be afraid. Everyone makes mistakes. As long as you can change, there's still hope. The person who caused you to make those mistakes is gone now, you..."

"Can it be changed?"