Qin Yu snorted coldly, showing that he didn't take the powerful families of Southwest China seriously at all.
"this……"
The group of people were completely helpless.
This foolish emperor was truly ignorant and incompetent to the extreme; he even dared to say something like ordering the imperial envoy to be killed.
Seeing that Sima Lie still had something to say, Qin Yu quickly spoke first.
"Do my esteemed ministers have anything else to discuss?"
Upon hearing Qin Yu's words, all the officials below remained silent.
Emperor Qin Yu is now just a figurehead; even if they have something to report, they are too lazy to do so in court.
But just as everyone fell silent, an official in a green robe stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
The official in the green robe bowed and said.
"What is it?"
Qin Yu glanced at the man.
Although he did not recognize the man, judging from his official robes, he should be Yang Zhiyuan, the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture.
“Your Majesty, a heinous assassination occurred in the capital the other day. The victim was An Yuntai, the commander of the Western City, one of the four battalions in the capital. I have been investigating this case for a long time, but I still haven’t found the murderer. That’s why I wanted to report this to Your Majesty.”
Yang Zhiyuan immediately recounted the events.
The moment he opened his mouth, Sima Lie's expression changed drastically.
Although he had strictly ordered his subordinates not to inform the tyrannical emperor of An Yuntai's assassination before he found a new replacement commander.
But he overlooked the Prefect of Jingzhao.
Upon hearing that someone had been assassinated, Qin Yu immediately became anxious.
"What? Someone actually dares to assassinate a high-ranking official in the capital? This... does this mean that the assassin might also be trying to kill me?"
As Qin Yu spoke, she looked around with a terrified gaze.
His cowardly appearance immediately aroused the contempt of the officials.
But they also became worried, fearing that they might become the next target for assassination.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, that assassin would never dare to enter the palace. I am reporting this matter to you today so that you may reappoint the commander of the Western City Camp. Otherwise, the Western City Camp will remain leaderless for too long, which may lead to trouble!"
Yang Zhiyuan said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Sima Lie, who was not far away, immediately frowned.
"Prefect Yang, if I remember correctly, this matter should not be within your jurisdiction, should it?"
Sima Lie's expression was frighteningly gloomy.
However, Yang Zhiyuan simply smiled calmly at his threatening and indifferent gaze.
"Your Excellency is too kind. These four battalions in the capital are the key defensive line protecting the capital. If any one of them has a problem, it will have huge consequences. So even if it is not within my jurisdiction, I hope to stabilize the situation as soon as possible."
Upon hearing Yang Zhiyuan's words, Qin Yu, seated on the dragon throne, nodded.
"Lord Yang is right. It's time to choose a new commander. Let me see who would be the best fit..."
As Qin Yu spoke, his eyes began to sweep over the group of military officers below.
Upon seeing this, Sima Lie and Ma Shangtao exchanged a glance, both becoming somewhat nervous.
Although many generals in the court had defected to them, none of them were to the extent that they could entrust the Western City Camp to them with complete confidence.
"You, the big guy with the dark face, I think you're pretty good at fighting, you should be the commander!"
At this moment, Qin Yu suddenly pointed at a general and shouted.
The dark-faced general's expression immediately lit up with joy.
He was only a seventh-rank military officer, and now he only held a sinecure.
He became the commander of the West City Camp in the blink of an eye, and he felt like a pie had fallen from the sky.
"minister……"
The dark-faced general immediately prepared to express his gratitude.
But at that moment, Sima Lie interrupted him first.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't. The four battalions in the capital are of utmost importance; they must not be treated so casually."
Sima Lie cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Qin Yu.
However, Qin Yu frowned and said, "Didn't Lord Yang just say that if the West City Camp is leaderless, trouble might arise?"
Upon hearing Qin Yu's words, Sima Lie frowned.
"Your Majesty, may I have three days? In three days, I guarantee I can find a new commander who is both loyal and capable."
Sima Lie knew that it was no longer appropriate to deceive the incompetent emperor at this time, so he gave a specific time.
At this moment, Ma Shangtao also came out.
“Indeed, Your Majesty. As the Minister of War, I also believe that the position of commander of the Western City Camp should not be assigned arbitrarily.”
Seeing that the two of them had said this in turn, Qin Yu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
The dark-faced general gestured as if he wanted to say something, but seeing the gloomy expressions on Sima Lie and Ma Shangtao's faces, he had no choice but to retreat.
After a moment, Qin Yu finally raised his head.
"Very well, we will do as the Prime Minister says."
Seeing that Qin Yu agreed, Sima Lie and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If Qin Yu were to randomly assign someone to take this crucial position, their losses would be enormous.
With this incident, Sima Lie no longer cared about causing trouble for Zhang Tang.
After the court session ended, Sima Lie returned to the Prime Minister's residence in a rage.
Ma Shangtao and the others followed suit.
Upon returning to his residence, Sima Lie immediately closed the door to discuss matters.
"What's wrong with Yang Zhiyuan? If he hadn't been so talkative, we wouldn't be in such a passive position!"
Sima Lie snorted coldly, wishing he could cripple Yang Zhiyuan right now.
He originally had plenty of time to carefully select people, but now he only has three days left.
"Hmph, a mere Prefect of the Capital, I can easily cripple him if I find an opportunity."
Ma Shangtao snorted coldly.
Seeing the two of them looking angry, Qiu Beiming frowned slightly and then spoke.
"Prime Minister, Lord Ma, this is a trivial matter and need not be taken to heart for now. In my opinion, the most important thing now is to think about who among us is suitable to be the commander of the West City Camp."
Upon hearing Qiu Beiming's words, everyone fell silent.
Sima Lie pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhu Fei.
"Zhu Fei, I asked you to recommend a few people. Have you thought of any candidates?"
Zhu Fei is now very much favored by Sima Lie, so he trusts Zhu Fei, who seems to have little ability, more than the others present.
"I've...I've thought it through. Godfather, please take a look at this list."
Zhu Fei scratched his head and pulled a piece of paper out of his clothes.
The steward of the Prime Minister's residence immediately stepped forward, took the list, and handed it to Sima Lie.
Sima Lie glanced at Zhu Fei's list, then frowned almost imperceptibly.
"Your Excellency, may I have a look at it?"
Seeing that Sima Lie's expression was not good, Qiu Beiming spoke up.
Sima Lie then handed the list to him.
After reading it, Qiu Beiming looked at Zhu Fei with a cold smile.
"General Zhu, if I'm not mistaken, these are all your former subordinates, aren't they?"
Upon hearing Qiu Beiming's words, Zhu Fei, who had just been full of anticipation, immediately changed his expression.
He then knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"Godfather, although I recommended these people mostly because of our relationship, they are definitely just as loyal to you as I am."
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