But what everyone feared didn't happen. Instead, there was a cracking sound, and the sword broke into several pieces, the fragments falling to the ground with a series of crackling sounds.
Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene.
Several ministers realized what was going on and angrily cursed.
"What happened?! The weapons used by the soldiers of Fengze Kingdom are made of top-grade black iron. How could they shatter into dust with a single blow?!"
"It's fake! This sword must be fake!"
"Yes! Black iron is the hardest material in the world, how could it be so fragile?"
"Someone is falsifying weapons! Who dares to commit such treason!"
"If enemy troops were to invade, wouldn't our soldiers suffer heavy casualties if they were to use this weapon on the battlefield?!"
A good weapon can enable soldiers to perform better on the battlefield, so no dynasty in history has ever dared to cut corners on weapons.
A battle is as important to a country as weapons are to its soldiers.
"Did you see everything?" An Honghan casually withdrew his hand, then hugged Xi Xizhi's small body and put her down from his arm.
Because Xi Xizhi was so tense, she was a little out of breath just now. She only relaxed after seeing that An Honghan's hand was safe and sound.
Xi Xizhi blinked in confusion, her gaze still fixed on An Honghan's palm, where there was not a trace of injury.
She had expected An Honghan's palm to become a bloody mess after that strike, and she was prepared for it, but this is what happened.
"Chirp chirp..." Xi Xizhi chirped twice at An Honghan, still unable to believe it. She grabbed his hand and looked at it repeatedly.
Xiao Diao's actions completely pleased An Honghan. Although An Honghan did not show a smile, he was very pleased with Xiao Diao's behavior.
"I am fine." An Honghan said this as if to reassure his little ferret.
The surrounding ministers did not understand, only thinking that His Majesty was saying this to calm them down.
"Now, comparing the two swords, you should have noticed the differences, right?" Seemingly dissatisfied with the ministers' slow reaction, An Honghan's words were extremely cold.
Wu Lingyin's face was terribly pale. As expected... His Majesty found out after all.
He thought he had done everything perfectly and that no one would know, but no matter what he did, he still couldn't hide it from His Majesty's eyes. If he still had a sliver of hope at the beginning, he was now completely devastated.
Since His Majesty has placed the two swords in front of everyone, there is no doubt that he knows about that matter.
Most of the ministers who were able to serve in the court possessed extraordinary wisdom. After thinking carefully for a while, they all figured out the truth of the matter.
How dare Wu Lingyin!
Don't they know that the army is the foundation of a nation?! If these swords were actually used on the battlefield, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Although Right Chancellor Liu Fuqing was old, he was not confused. After understanding what was going on, he stroked his beard and said, "Your Majesty, do you mean that General Wu secretly switched the soldiers' weapons?"
To further confirm the truth, Liu Fuqing stepped forward and carefully examined the differences between the two swords.
Upon closer inspection, I indeed noticed the difference.
Although he was a civil official, he had knowledge in various fields. He carefully observed the two swords, especially the broken part of the fake sword, and saw some clues.
The others crowded around, and upon closer inspection, they immediately discovered the problem.
Wu Jianfeng, who was also by An Honghan's side, was terrified when he heard the news.
This time, my brother really can't escape punishment. Secretly switching weapons is a serious crime.
He had thought that if many ministers pleaded on his behalf, His Majesty would at least show leniency and spare his life. But judging from the current situation, it seems that losing his head is now a foregone conclusion.
Wu Lingyin's beheading means that the Wu family's fate is sealed.
Xi Xizhi had guessed from the beginning that the two were different, so she was not surprised by this result.
But... what did Wu Lingyin do after switching the weapons? And why did he switch the weapons in the first place?
Everyone knows this is a serious crime, but who would do such a thing for no reason?
Human greed is nothing more than money and women.
Just by looking at Wu Lingyin, you can tell he doesn't value relationships, so the only thing left is the second point... money.
As expected, An Honghan did not attend. He picked up the three letters from the tray.
"As a general who safeguards the nation, you betrayed the country by substituting weapons for your own selfish desires." An Honghan paused, opened the envelope, and showed it to everyone. "You secretly colluded with Xiyun Foundry to substitute inferior weapons with superior ones, stealing the best ones. What a brilliant idea! I wonder how much benefit General Wu gained from this? And how many important military officials are involved behind the scenes?"
An Honghan threw the envelope away, his anger undisguised.
With his nod, Lynn picked up the envelope from the ground again and handed it to the other ministers for all of them to see.
The courtiers were all greatly shocked after reading the contents of the letter.
Wu Lingyin was pale and kneeling on the ground, seemingly on the verge of fainting at any moment.
"Do you plead guilty this time?" An Honghan's cold voice rang out again.
The sound pierced Wu Lingyin's heart like an arrow, causing his heart to stop beating abruptly.
"General Wu, you...you are truly foolish!" Liu Fuqing angrily threw down the letter, stomped his feet, and shouted, "You are a general of a nation. What has Fengze Kingdom ever done to wrong you that you would do such a thing? Fortunately, there has been no war recently. If there were a war, would you want our entire nation to be wiped out by sending such weapons into battle?"
Liu Fuqing was furious, as if he wanted to tear Wu Lingyin's tendons out of his body.
Although the words were harsh, the meaning was very clear.
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