All the ministers in the main hall fell backward.

Even Murong Anle was stunned.

He said, "What is Xu Qing up to? Turns out he's messed things up."

The top scholars and third-ranking scholars, appointed by successive emperors, were all disciples of the emperor.

If they are given an official position in the future, they can say that they are the emperor's protégé and will have more opportunities than others.

Moreover, unless it's a serious crime like treason or corruption, no one wants to offend the emperor's protégé.

In the five years since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has only conducted one imperial examination, appointing one top scholar and one third-place scholar as his only disciples.

Yang Yong's position in the imperial court was not one that could be shaken by ordinary people.

Isn't Xu Qing's current behavior a slap in the face to the emperor?

Is Xu Qing courting death?

Li Xuanji squinted, glancing at Xu Qing, the Minister of Justice, and then at his own Empress.

Murong Yue got tired of sitting, and she moved to the edge of the dragon throne at some point, resting her arm on the armrest and supporting her chin, seemingly deep in thought.

Murong Yue was indeed thinking.

She felt she had used her brain enough today.

Of all the things Xu Qing just said, only one word was useful: "状元郎" (Zhuangyuanlang).

She knew the ticket to infiltrate the human base, but she didn't know where she picked up a box of food from, which the guards said was called "Top Scholar Dumplings".

So she remembered the word.

Hearing those familiar words again now brings back a lot of emotions.

As I was thinking about it, I suddenly felt hungry again.

Murong Yue looked down at her stomach.

Seriously? This new shell is way too hungry... Waaah—

"Report—"

A young eunuch scurried in, bent low, and knelt on the ground. “Your Majesty, Prefect Yang Yong of Suizhou requests an audience.”

Not to mention small court assemblies, even large court assemblies are not attended by Yang Yong, a prefect sent to the countryside.

If there's no work to do, I can't easily come back.

But there are times when I return to Beijing...

Xu Qing impeached Yang Yong at the small court assembly today, and Yang Yong appeared shortly afterward.

And they appeared openly and honestly.

Li Xuanji frowned slightly. His Majesty's current condition might make it difficult to handle this situation...

If His Majesty makes any decisions that are too ill-timed, he still needs to take remedial action in time.

Murong Yue matched the name 'Yang Yong'.

Is he the one who deserved to be beaten up, as mentioned earlier?

Yes, it must be this person.

She couldn't help but nod, giving herself a thumbs up for her exceptional memory.

Seeing her nod, Ah Hao stepped forward and said, "Xuan."

When Yang Yong strode in, he kept his eyes straight ahead, exuding an air of righteousness. He knelt down respectfully and kowtowed three times.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Listen to that, what a wonderful blessing.

Murong Yue nodded again.

Seeing this, Xu Qing's heart suddenly sank.

Although His Majesty is wise, would he really punish his own disciples?

Wasn't his behavior today too impulsive? Besides, Yang Yongming was clearly in Suizhou, so why did he appear here so quickly?

But the die was cast, and the arrow had to be released.

He simply snorted coldly.

"Lord Yang, as far as I know, His Majesty has not summoned you back to the capital, has he?"

"I haven't even submitted my impeachment memorial yet, and you've already shown up. Is it really such a coincidence?"

Yang Yong is thirty-five years old this year, which is quite young among the prefects, and he also has an old-fashioned style that is inconsistent with his age.

"Lord Xu, although you have never served in a local area, you should know the custom that prefects return to the capital to report on their duties at the end of each year, right?"

Xu Qing was taken aback.

He didn't expect Yang Yong to use this excuse.

And it's so flawless that no one can find fault with it.

Upon hearing Yang Yong's words, the other adults kneeling on the ground secretly shook their heads.

Xu Qing, that hothead, was no match for Yang Yong.

Murong Yue has now changed from resting her chin on her hand to sitting cross-legged.

Such undignified behavior would never have happened before His Majesty fell ill.

But now, apart from Ah Hao and Li Xuanji, no one pays attention to this.

Murong Yue is now somewhat in a gossip-watching mode.

Of course, he was genuinely planning how to enjoy the show, and after comparing several options in his mind, he still thought Xu Qing was delicate and had a delicious brain.

She has her own way of classifying humans, and this newcomer can't do it.

Despite their youth, they have loose skin, a pointed head, and actually very small brains.

The two men started arguing in the imperial court.

Xu Qing was going all out. "As the Minister of Justice, it is my duty to uphold justice in the Qing Kingdom."

"Putting everything else aside, just take this Suizhou murder case as an example. If I hadn't happened to be in the capital and happened to encounter the victim filing a complaint with the emperor, this case would never have reached the Ministry of Justice!"

Li Xuanji lowered his eyes slightly.

Despite the foundation laid by the retired emperor and the construction efforts of the empress over the past few years, the Qing Kingdom's national strength has been steadily increasing, but it still harbors corruption and filth.

In places where imperial power doesn't reach, the prefect is like a local tyrant.

Yang Yong is probably not an isolated case; the difference lies in the degree to which he deceived his superiors and subordinates.

Yang Yong was a protégé of the emperor, so he was naturally bold.

At this point, Yang Yong was seething with hatred.

Even though they had all the people under control, one of them still managed to escape.

Running away was one thing, but to think they were so bold as to go all the way to the capital to file a complaint with the Ministry of Justice was even more audacious. And the worst part was that Xu Qing, that idiot, actually accepted it.

Fortunately, he made thorough preparations as soon as he received the news.

They rushed to the capital without stopping.

With His Majesty's approval, he no longer believed it.

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