The change happened in an instant. Before the prime minister could even hide the murderous look on his face, someone held a cold knife to his neck.
The young emperor, who was sitting at the head of the table, stood up and walked to the prime minister, who looked on in horror.
His face no longer held the naive innocence of someone who was unaware of the ways of the world; instead, it was clear and bright, but his eyes were unfathomable, revealing nothing about him.
At this point, the Prime Minister already knew that their grand undertaking had absolutely no chance of success.
But when did this young emperor discover everything?
Yi Mu had no intention of saying much to him, and only told him ten words.
"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place."
The prime minister is just a lackey of the Duke of Pingguo; the real big fish is that old scoundrel.
Yi Mu walked into the courtyard and saw the old man being forced to kneel on the ground. Despite his advanced age, he did not appear dejected and his back was straight.
Yimu asked someone to bring a chair and sit down in front of him.
"The Duke of Pingguo and the ancestors of the Beimen family once conquered the Sufeng Kingdom together. When I was young, I heard my father say that the Duke had saved the Holy Ancestor several times, disregarding his own life."
He paused, looked at the old man, and asked with a smile, "Are you unwilling to accept that you've done so much for Su Feng, only to receive the title of Duke, so you want to rise higher?"
The Duke of Pingguo showed no fear on his wrinkled face; he looked at the young emperor before him with considerable authority.
"How difficult it was for our Holy Ancestor to conquer this empire! He worked himself to death in the end. How have you, these muddle-headed juniors, managed to preserve it?"
The old man spat fiercely: "Small border countries have never been a threat, but you, my son, have only been in power for three years and have already lost seven or eight cities to them."
Yi Mu's smile faded, and he raised an eyebrow.
"So, it seems the Duke desires my throne because he's dissatisfied with my governance of Sufeng. But though you are old, you can't be deaf and blind. The Regent has already recaptured that city during his campaign against the Yuezhi, don't you know that?"
The Duke of Pingguo retorted righteously, "That was all thanks to Beimen Lin. Without him, what would you be worth?"
There was really no way to talk to him about this now.
He shook his head and laughed, "The Duke of Pingguo is a veteran of three reigns, how come he doesn't even understand the strategies of the monarch? Have you ever seen an emperor who always leads troops into battle? He should fulfill his duties in his position. Generals lead troops into battle, while civil officials offer advice and strategies."
Before the Duke of Pingguo could speak, Yi Mu interrupted him without any hesitation.
"You are being unreasonable. Originally, I intended to grant you permission to stay in the Duke's mansion for life, out of consideration for your lifelong service to Su Feng, but now..."
The Duke didn't care how he was dealt with; he was going to live much longer than others anyway, so he didn't care how he died.
He straightened his chest and said in a loud voice, "The victor is king, the loser is villain. I have nothing to ask for."
Yi Mu sighed with great regret.
"Your Excellency is truly stubborn. In that case, I hereby sentence you to spend the rest of your life worshipping Buddha at the Thousand Buddha Temple, and you shall never return to the Duke's Mansion. As for the descendants of the Duke's Mansion..."
Duke Pingguo did not expect him to be so ruthless.
The rebellion was actually orchestrated by him alone; none of his sons or grandsons in the household supported him.
He is guilty, but his family should not be implicated.
"If His Majesty were a wise ruler, he should not have implemented the system of collective punishment!"
Even when asking for favors, the old man remained this assertive.
Yi Mu, who was speaking in a heavy breath, smiled.
"I am preparing to reshuffle the court. I have heard that several sons of the Duke's family will participate in next year's imperial examination. I am very much looking forward to seeing them achieve good results."
In other words, he will not dismiss the talents of the Duke's descendants because of the Duke's rebellion.
Duke Pingguo was speechless for a long time. After Yi Mu turned around, he kowtowed to him heavily.
Su Feng is saved; this muddle-headed little emperor has finally come to his senses.
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