These colleagues are speaking so righteously, but do they know what His Majesty is thinking? If he had intended to confront Yunwu Kingdom head-on, he wouldn't have delayed for so many years; he would have done so long ago.

As the emperor, the supreme ruler, even if he wanted to cede cities for peace and stability, he would not say it out of respect for his status as the monarch.

Therefore, ministers like myself are needed to step forward and relieve the ruler's worries.

So what if I am attacked by the masses and condemned by thousands for being cowardly and weak? His Majesty certainly doesn't think that way. This is my chance to prove myself, and I must seize this opportunity.

What should we do if we really want to beat this guy up? Wei Junpei and other ministers were gritting their teeth with anger as they looked at Ma Yongfan, especially several military officers.

However, the civil and military officials were not naive youngsters, and they understood Ma Yongfan's intentions. Reason kept them calm as they looked at the person on the dragon throne.

What Ma Yongfan said, and how he said it, is the most crucial thing, and that's who he is.

Similarly, Ma Yongfan was also excited and eagerly awaited the reaction of the person on the dragon throne.

"Minister Ma, your courage in defying public opinion is indeed commendable. But do you truly understand me?" Emperor Jiade asked expressionlessly.

He was able to sit on the dragon throne for so long because he wasn't a brainless tyrant. How could he not understand what this Hanlin Academy scholar was saying?

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was merely stating the facts and trying to ease Your Majesty's worries. I know that this action is inappropriate and will damage the prestige of my Fengliang Kingdom."

but……"

"Enough." The emperor couldn't listen anymore. He really didn't have the energy to waste his time listening to people who were trying to figure out his thoughts and curry favor with him.

"I am truly incompetent. Otherwise, why would I have promoted someone like you to the Hanlin Academy? My court needs officials who can truly relieve my worries and offer good advice to the people."

"It's obvious you're not, so immediately take off your official robes, hand over your official seal, and go back to where you came from," the emperor said coldly.

"Ah? Your Majesty, I was wrong. Please give me another chance." Ma Yongfan didn't expect this. He panicked, his legs went weak, and he knelt down to beg.

Emperor Jiade waved his hand impatiently, and the Imperial Guards on both sides of the palace gate immediately stepped forward, roughly pulled off Ma Yongfan's official hat and robe, and dragged him out.

"Your Majesty is wise." Wei Junpei and the other ministers came to their senses and bowed in unison.

Emperor Jiade looked at the ministers, at the way they looked at him, their expressions, and especially at Old Wei's stubborn reaction, and unconsciously straightened his posture again.

Just as they were about to speak and continue discussing how to deal with the border war in Huazhou City, another message came from outside the hall: "Report! Urgent report from the border."

The emperor's fist clenched involuntarily under his sleeve, and the civil and military officials also looked uneasy. The urgent report of the enemy invasion had just arrived yesterday, and now another urgent report had arrived. Could it be even worse news?

Could it be that Huazhou City is in grave danger, or has it fallen...?