The Minister of Works looked in the direction of the voice, his eyes widening in annoyance: "Chi Yan, what do you mean by that? What do you mean I'm guilty? Explain yourself!"

He became increasingly certain that Chi Jingyu was indeed in cahoots with him, and the two of them were working together to frame him. Their intentions were utterly despicable!

Chi Jingyu, who had been glared at, was speechless.

What does it have to do with him?

Although Chi Yan had inadvertently done him a great favor, he still felt somewhat uneasy.

It's obvious why he interfered; it must have been at Shen Tangning's behest.

Chi Yan bowed respectfully before speaking: "As the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire. Since someone has raised this issue, our first task should be to investigate. But Minister, you're beating around the bush. What else could it be but a guilty conscience?"

The Minister of Works was furious, his face turning red and his neck thickening. He knelt down in the center of the hall, looking as if he had been greatly wronged: "Your Majesty, it's one thing for Chi Yan to be arrogant and disrespectful on a daily basis because of Your Majesty's favor, but this concerns my life and fortune. I cannot let him smear me. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for this old minister!"

Chi Yan's expression was subtle. He admitted that he usually acted somewhat arbitrarily, but where did the claim that he was arrogant come from?

Lord Wang, who had a falling out with Chi Yan, had a slight glint in his eyes and cleared his throat: "Yes, Your Majesty, Minister Gong is far superior to Chi Yan in both seniority and official rank. His disregard for others is truly arrogant and presumptuous, and it is shameful to associate with him!"

He heard yesterday that Chi Yan had gone to the Imperial Household Department and disciplined two eunuchs, and he has been feeling uneasy ever since, worried that the other party would come to settle scores with him.

Now that I see him deliberately courting death, I can't help but kick him while he's down.

Chi Yan gave him a meaningful look. He hadn't even settled accounts with this person yet, but he couldn't wait to jump out.

Meanwhile, the ministers who were at odds with Chi Yan watched the show in silence.

This kid has become increasingly arrogant lately; finally, someone can teach him a lesson!

At this point, Emperor Chongde had no choice but to respond. He didn't know what Chi Yan was planning, so he coughed lightly, giving a warning: "Chi Yan, Minister Gong is your senior. A few rumors from the streets are not enough to be believed. What evidence do you have for what you just said?"

After all this rambling, we can finally get to the point.

Chi Yan cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, I am not speaking without reason! To be honest, after hearing those rumors, I took a stroll around Yunlong Weir yesterday and indeed discovered some unusual things."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

Minister Gong lowered his eyes, his heart suddenly tightened, and he quickly went through all the possibilities in his mind.

Emperor Chongde was clearly intrigued: "Tell me about it."

Chi Yan spoke calmly and unhurriedly: "I heard that the Yunlong Weir was built with enormous manpower and resources, and was only completed a few years ago. However, I went to inspect it myself yesterday and found that the river flow was slow on one bank, the water was particularly turbid, and the riverbank was blocked by silt. Could you please enlighten me, Your Excellency?"

Minister Gong's lips trembled as he tried his best to remain calm: "The river flows through areas with poor soil and water conservation, bringing silt from the banks. When it reaches the downstream area, the flow slows down, and silt accumulates. What's so strange about that?"

Chi Yan raised an eyebrow: "Your explanation is somewhat plausible."

Minister Gong secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a smug look appearing on his face: "You're just making a fuss over nothing!"

But then he heard the other party chuckle, a laugh that inexplicably made him uneasy. Chi Yan turned to Emperor Chongde and said, "Your Majesty, I was uneasy, so I went downstream to investigate and found that the embankment was cracked and there were serious signs of water seepage. That's why a lot of silt has accumulated!"