Huo Sangang sent someone out to deliver a message, and when he looked up, he saw the guards beside Empress Yan standing in front of the door. His eyelids twitched.
"General, Her Majesty requests your immediate presence."
Huo San went with a heavy heart.
As expected, the Seventh Prince and his men were already waiting there, along with many lieutenants who were eyeing him menacingly.
"Your Majesty." Huo San stood up and bowed.
Empress Yan sighed: "General Huo, military orders are absolute, and you again..."
"Your Majesty!" Huo San interrupted Empress Yan in time: "The Seventh Prince only managed to defend the city successfully this time, which cannot be considered a great victory. Therefore, this humble general believes that now is not the best time to carry out the operation."
The Seventh Prince sneered and turned around, his silver armor gleaming coldly. When he looked at Huo San, his eyes were full of contempt and mockery.
Knowing he was guilty, Huo San didn't dare to meet the Seventh Prince's gaze. He put his hands behind his back, looking self-righteous.
"So, defeating Northern Chu doesn't count as a great victory? Does General Huo mean that annihilating the entire Northern Chu army is what counts?" the Seventh Prince retorted.
Huo San's face flushed red: "When did I ever say that?"
"General Huo!" Empress Yan said coldly, glancing around at the prominent figures in the army who were also witnesses.
She couldn't really cover for him, so she said with a gloomy face, "The Seventh Prince's morale was greatly boosted when he went to war, so he naturally won the battle. General Huo's word is his bond, so don't let a small matter cause a big loss and make people underestimate the Huo family's reputation."
"Your Majesty..." Huo San panicked. If he were to receive fifty strokes of the cane, wouldn't he be crippled?
How can he then earn merit?
How will they lead troops into battle in the future?
The Seventh Prince said, "With a formidable enemy at hand, the Southern Frontier is in dire need of manpower. If General Huo is willing to kneel down and offer a cup of tea, I can forgive and forget what happened."
Huo San's expression changed slightly.
Empress Yan gave Huo San a wink. If he knelt down now, Huo San would never be able to establish his authority in the army again. But if he didn't admit it, he would definitely be looked down upon by the other deputy generals, which would also damage his reputation.
In the military, nothing is more important than prestige.
After a moment's thought, Empress Yan quickly made a decision for Huo San: "General Huo, you must accept the consequences of your bet!"
Huo San gritted his teeth: "This subordinate accepts the punishment!"
Empress Yan breathed a sigh of relief and gave Prime Minister Yan a wink. Before she could speak, the Seventh Prince said, "Guards, execute Huo San on the spot with fifty strokes of the military rod!"
"Seventh Prince..." Empress Yan was taken aback. When she saw the anger in the Seventh Prince's eyes, she pursed her lips and swallowed back her words of pleading.
Fifty strokes of the military rod were delivered to Huo San's back without missing a single one.
Huo San gritted his teeth and refused to make a sound. His back was already covered in blood, and his lower body was numb from the pain. His face was ashen, and large beads of sweat slid down his cheeks. He stared at the Seventh Prince with a gloomy gaze.
He looked at her like she was looking at an enemy.
The Seventh Prince looked down at Huo San with undisguised mockery, which angered Huo San so much that he fainted.
"Someone, carry General Huo away and have the imperial physician treat him immediately."
"yes."
The matter of the military order is temporarily put to rest.
As everyone was about to leave, Empress Yan sent people to stop the Seventh Prince.
The seventh prince stopped in his tracks.
After everyone had left, Empress Yan stood up, supporting herself on a chair: "A-Yin, you've vented your anger on Huo San, so you should calm down too, and not make a big deal out of it."
"Making a scene?" The Seventh Prince's lips curled slightly. "This kind of incompetent fool is not fit to be a general. His arrogance and conceit have caused the deaths of countless people."
Empress Yan remained silent, letting him eloquently accuse Huo San of all his inaction.
After the person finished speaking, he asked, "What are your plans next? Northern Chu has allied with five other states to attack the Southern Frontier. The situation is critical. Are you... confident in your ability to succeed?"
His legs and feet were getting uncomfortable from standing for so long, so he simply sat down, resting one hand on his knee, his face radiating a chilling aura.
"What does Your Majesty wish to say?"
Empress Yan said earnestly, "Ayin, I know that with your abilities, you can definitely turn defeat into victory. You are a brilliant strategist and the God of War of the Southern Frontier. With you here, the army has hope."
Changing the subject, Empress Yan drawled, "However, I am worried that you will show mercy to that woman on the battlefield."
The Seventh Prince frowned.
"Ah Yin, you must promise me that you will not show any mercy."
"Ah Yin, Zhao Jiahua betrayed us long ago..." Before Empress Yan could finish speaking, she clutched her chest, feeling unwell. Her face suddenly turned pale, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Aokiji rushed forward in a panic: "Your Majesty!"
"Imperial physician, someone come quickly!"
Empress Yan's small face was filled with pain. She bit her lip tightly, her face turned bluish-purple, and her lips also turned purplish-blue.
The seventh prince frowned.
Soon the imperial physician arrived and diagnosed Empress Yan: "Your Majesty, your condition has flared up again."
Empress Yan was curled up in pain as Qingzhi carried her back to the bed. She was in so much pain that she almost bit her lip until it bled. She looked as if she had been pulled out of the water, and her whole body was soaked.
The Seventh Prince remained seated, calmly observing the scene.
Two hours later
Empress Yan finally fell into a deep sleep.
The imperial physician promptly put away the silver needles and waited by the side.
Qingzhi's legs went weak and she knelt down beside the Seventh Prince: "It was Zhao Jiahua who sent a letter to Her Majesty, but she poisoned the letter, causing Her Majesty to be poisoned and suffer from unpredictable attacks, causing her unbearable pain. Your Highness, you must seek justice for Her Majesty."
The Seventh Prince was skeptical of this statement.
Afraid that he wouldn't believe her, Qingzhi added, "Half a month ago, Zhao Jiahua wrote a letter that I saw with my own eyes. It was a letter that I wrote to Qilang personally."
Shichiro?
The Seventh Prince scoffed, saying that Zhao Jiahua had never called him that before.
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