On the contrary, Feng Beichuan's fighting spirit has been aroused by this back and forth, not to mention that he didn't take Emperor Xingchang's words seriously at all.
Since we're going to fight, let's fight until we get to the bottom of it!
"Your Majesty is mistaken. You are certainly a benevolent ruler, but on matters of principle, I believe that even unintentional mistakes should be punished as a warning. What is the difference between going to court without a tablet and going to the battlefield without a weapon? If we go to a more serious level, is the Prime Minister suspected of disrespecting the government and the Emperor?"
Feng Beichuan's analysis was very logical and reasonable. In just a few words, he magnified a very small mistake into something much more serious.
Emperor Xingchang was also a naturally suspicious person. After Feng Beichuan's instigation, he even began to doubt whether Bai Yuanshan really harbored rebellious intentions towards him.
"Your Majesty! I have served in the court for decades. If I truly harbored disloyal intentions, I would not have waited until my twilight years. My loyalty is as clear as day!"
Bai Yuanshan spoke with a strong and resounding voice. He stepped forward and knelt down for a long time, as if only in this way could he express his attitude.
These words moved even the usually cold-blooded and ruthless Emperor Xingchang. Looking at the white-haired old man kneeling before him, he thought about how old he must be and how difficult his life must be. Besides, he and the old man naturally had mutual interests. If he couldn't even trust his own people, then there would be no one in the world he could trust.
"Prime Minister, please rise. I didn't say anything, why are you doing this to yourself..."
Seeing that the emperor had spoken, several ministers who were on good terms with Bai Yuanshan stepped forward to help him up.
Feng Beichuan's face immediately darkened, and he stared straight at the person on the dragon throne, his eyes revealing a chilling intent: "So, Your Majesty intends to let this matter rest?"
Emperor Xingchang felt uneasy under his gaze and looked at the other ministers, hoping that someone would step forward to help him out of this predicament.
Unfortunately, none of these good-for-nothings, whom we've been supporting with the national treasury, are of any help now; none of them want to get involved in this mess.
Seeing that the emperor was slow to express his opinion, Feng Beichuan was dissatisfied and then said, "If Your Majesty insists on being a benevolent ruler, then I have nothing to say. But I am afraid that in the future, this will encourage others to take advantage of your benevolence and do wrong things."
Faced with this relentless pursuit, Emperor Xingchang was inwardly groaning. He felt frustrated and couldn't understand how he, as the emperor, could be led by the nose over such a trivial matter. He was clearly the Son of Heaven above all others.
Despite his anger, Feng Beichuan's words made sense. He was genuinely afraid that one day his subordinates would no longer respect him as emperor, and that would mean his downfall.
"I will accept any punishment from Your Majesty without uttering a single complaint!"
At this moment, it was Bai Yuanshan who stepped forward again to fight alone.
The old fox is indeed an old fox. Having served under the emperor for decades, Bai Yuanshan naturally knows how to understand the emperor's thoughts. His words now are not out of true righteousness, but merely an attempt to give Emperor Xingchang a way out.
As long as the current predicament can be resolved, everything will be fine. Moreover, he is confident enough to believe that even if the emperor really wants to punish him, he will not make things too difficult for him.
Emperor Xingchang was no fool; he naturally understood Bai Yuanshan's purpose. If it weren't for the many eyes watching him in the court, he would have been extremely grateful to his beloved minister Bai.
"Since that's the case, then I'll punish you with half a year's salary as a small punishment to serve as a warning. I hope that Bai Qing will not do anything similar again in the future."
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. I will certainly follow your instructions carefully."
Bai Yuanshan bowed respectfully, then turned and retreated with the air of a victor.
Feng Beichuan suddenly realized that he was the real joke.
After all that hard work and wasted breath, this is the result I got in the end?
The punishment Emperor Xingchang gave to Bai Yuanshan was hardly a punishment at all. How much profit could half a year's salary possibly bring? As the prime minister, Bai Yuanshan had seen all sorts of good things over the years. Why would he care about such a small amount of salary?
Even if he were fined for ten years, let alone six months, it would be a negligible result.
What a wise and benevolent ruler!
Feng Beichuan gave a self-deprecating twitch at the corner of his mouth, his dark eyes, sharp as blades, staring straight at Emperor Xingchang.
He was indeed a benevolent emperor, because with just an imperial edict, he could easily destroy what he wanted to destroy, without even having to do it himself, since there was always someone to act as his executioner.
Suddenly, a raging fire ignited in my heart, and something called hatred erupted from it. The fire burned brighter and brighter, as if it would burst forth from the depths of my heart at any moment.
Emperor Xingchang also felt that burning gaze. He felt as if it was trying to see through him, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
"The Regent is upright and incorruptible; he shall be awarded half a year's salary!"
By some strange twist of fate, Emperor Xingchang bestowed another honor upon Feng Beichuan, as if only by doing so could he calm his anxiety.
"Let's adjourn the court; I'm feeling a bit tired!"
Before Feng Beichuan could step forward to express his gratitude, Emperor Xingchang hastily announced the adjournment of the court.
This is a rare occurrence. Not to mention that Emperor Xingchang has always been a diligent and conscientious worker, never making a single mistake in governing the country, he usually speaks with such enthusiasm that he could talk all day long when he attends court. So why would he ask to adjourn the court session on his own?
However, since the emperor had spoken, everyone dispersed and breathed a sigh of relief. Only Feng Beichuan remained expressionless, showing no sign of having just received a reward.
Before leaving the main hall, Bai Yuanshan finally couldn't hold back. He glanced at Feng Beichuan with a livid face and then turned and left.
In fact, Bai Yuanshan's complexion was no better than Feng Beichuan's. Although it turned out to be a false alarm, he had encountered various problems since early morning, so it could be said that he had an unlucky day.
What bad luck!
After leaving, Bai Yuanshan couldn't help but spit on the ground. Now, all he wanted to do was get back to his residence as soon as possible.
Feng Beichuan stood alone in the main hall for a while, his face tense. After a long while, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his face slowly returned to its usual calm and composed appearance.
All of this was observed by one person.
Are you alright?
Li Chang'an stepped forward to Feng Beichuan's side and sensed that the man's aura was still quite low, so he asked a question casually.
"What's done is done, let's hope for the future. Enough is enough..."
Feng Beichuan waved his hand, a rare look of sadness appearing on his face.
However, his sadness vanished quickly, so quickly that Li Chang'an doubted whether what he had just seen was an illusion.
"Is Your Highness concerned about me?"
The man's smile was like a spring mountain, and his eyes were like the stars in the sky.
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