Mu Zian's voice wasn't loud, but every official present could hear it clearly.
Gong Zhengming stared silently at Mu Zi'an's retreating figure.
Who would have thought that this young man would uphold the backbone and spirit of the Great Li?
Xiao Yu stood with his hands behind his back before the dragon throne, staring at Mu Zi'an in disbelief.
Unexpectedly, he didn't even leave himself a way out.
Xiao Yu gazed intently at Mu Zi'an, who stood in the center of the main hall.
His gaze swept across the faces of the officials, which held expressions of astonishment, disdain, and sarcasm.
The hall was silent; you could hear a pin drop.
After a moment, Xiao Yu spoke in a deep voice.
"I can give you this opportunity."
"But this matter is extraordinary; if anything goes wrong, it will surely cause unrest in the military camp."
"If we lose..."
Xiao Yu paused for a moment, then continued.
"Just be my son-in-law and don't get involved in state affairs anymore."
Mu Zian could naturally sense the favor Xiao Yu showed him in his tone.
But at this moment, a man's dignity does not allow him to back down.
"My lord, I obey the order!"
As Mu Zian's voice faded, the court assembly came to an abrupt end.
But the ripples it caused were only just beginning.
As the officials left the hall, Mu Zian turned to leave as well.
Gong Zhengming, with his full head of white hair, silently stopped beside Mu Zi'an and stroked his beard as he spoke.
"You are even more fiercely independent than your father."
"Although we managed to protect the Ninth Princess, we have also completely offended Liu Yi's faction."
"I'm afraid I'll find it very difficult to move an inch in this court from now on."
Mu Zian glanced at the old man beside him, who, though aged, had his back ramrod straight, and smiled.
"I laugh as I brandish my sword to the sky; whether I stay or go, my heart and soul remain with the Kunlun Mountains."
Gong Zhengming was stunned by what he heard, and seemed to be lost in thought as he watched Mu Zian's departing figure.
After a long silence, Gong Zhengming murmured.
"Your father didn't make it, and I don't know where you'll end up."
"To be an enemy of the world is not so easy."
........
Inside the Prime Minister's residence in Dali, the capital city.
Liu Yi threw the wooden box that Mu Zian had given him onto the ground.
The wooden box cracked open, revealing the pink gauze inside—a silent mockery.
"Outrageous! This shameless brat! How dare he insult me like this!"
Feng, who had fainted, has now regained consciousness, though his face is still pale.
His eyes were lifeless at that moment. The reputation he had painstakingly built up over a lifetime had been completely destroyed by a single piece of clothing from Mu Zi'an.
The other ministers who received gifts from Mu Zi'an all wore expressions of anger.
"We are all officials appointed by the imperial court! How can we be so humiliated by a mere child!"
"Even Mu Zhanying back then never dared to point his finger at us and hurl insults like this!"
At this moment, all the court officials were shouting incessantly, just like shrewish women in a vegetable market!
The Minister of War rose in anger and addressed Du Yuheng, who was seated in the main seat.
"Master Du! Are we just going to endure this like this?"
The others echoed this sentiment!
Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Du Yuheng suddenly opened his eyes.
His cold, sharp gaze swept over everyone, and instantly! The previously noisy hall fell silent.
Du Yuheng took a deep breath and said.
"Don't you think you've lost enough face today?"
Everyone trembled upon hearing this.
Du Yuheng picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then said.
"I have my own arrangements for this matter, so you need not worry."
"Our duty as officials is to benefit the people of the world. How could Mu Zian, young and impetuous, possibly understand our good intentions?"
"His Majesty has said that if he cannot persuade the soldiers and officers in the camps, he shall never again be involved in state affairs."
"With this move, Mu Zian has cut off his own escape route. He wants to become a hegemon, but we are not Zhang Han."
Liu Yi asked curiously.
"I wonder what Master Du's plans are?"
Du Yuheng put down his teacup and lowered his voice.
"People's hearts are hard to appease. As long as we shift the blame onto Mu Zi'an, he will naturally suffer a crushing defeat."
A moment later, everyone in the hall showed joy on their faces.
"Master Du's move is brilliant!"
"We can strip Mu Zian of his power without bloodshed. No matter how eloquent Mu Zian is, he will be unable to defend himself."
"Very well! Let's see how Mu Zi'an fulfills his boast!"
Immediately, a burst of cheerful laughter echoed through the main hall of the Du residence.
......
Inside the Pei family mansion in the capital.
After Pei Liang's lineage was completely wiped out, the resources he left behind were instantly divided up among the other branches.
Although the Pei family has completely faded out of the ranks of top-tier families, as the saying goes, "when a whale falls, all things are born."
The extinction of the main branch of the Pei family is definitely a cause for celebration.
Pei Jianzhi's lineage naturally also received a considerable share of the benefits.
However, at this moment, Pei Jianzhi stood respectfully at the back door.
A middle-aged man handed him a letter and said softly.
"If you can accomplish this, your reinstatement will be a piece of cake."
"Don't disappoint my master."
Upon hearing this, Pei Jianzhi tremblingly accepted the envelope, then said with a fawning expression.
"Please rest assured, sir, I will do my utmost."
The middle-aged man nodded, and then his figure disappeared into the distance.
Upon returning to his room, Pei Jianzhi excitedly opened the letter.
After reading the letter carefully and making sure I had memorized its contents, I immediately burned the envelope to ashes with a candle.
After doing all this, Pei Jianzhi shouted.
"Someone, go to Chunjiang Tower and prepare a feast."
"I'm hosting a banquet for some colleagues tonight."
Upon hearing this, the servant immediately went to do so.
Inside the room, Pei Jianzhi revealed a sinister smile.
"Mu Zi'an! I'd like to see how you're going to get out of this mess!"
As night fell, Chunjiang Tower was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.
After the banquet ended late at night, a piece of news suddenly spread like wildfire through the military camps in the capital.
The current Duke of Zhenguo, Mu Zi'an, is determined to protect Princess Xiao Xiuning, with whom he is betrothed.
Despite the opposition of his officials, he wanted to send the soldiers of the capital garrison to the frontier to fight against 100,000 Xiongnu cavalry.
They'd use the lives of those worthless soldiers to protect their love.
The Beijing garrison was immediately in an uproar!
There's no need to recount how crazy the things Mu Zi'an did to express his love for Lu Yunxue back then.
This is practically a criminal record.
Therefore, these soldiers of the Beijing garrison firmly believed the news that Mu Zi'an was willing to exchange his own life for Xiao Xiuning's.
At this moment, all the soldiers in the Beijing garrison were furious, wishing they could tear Mu Zi'an apart and skin him alive.
Even within the Trapped Camp, rumors were circulating at this moment.
In an instant, the entire Beijing garrison became a powder keg! It was just a spark away from exploding!
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