At the start of the morning court session, the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness, who had requested leave the previous day, finally appeared in the court.
Many court officials stared at him, and Yu Jingxuan stood at the forefront of the civil officials, giving him a provocative look.
Marquis Zhongyi raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and stepped directly to the front of the military officers.
"Attend court! If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court is adjourned!" Ruan De shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report." As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Jingxuan stepped forward impatiently.
Clearly, yesterday the civil officials sent out advance troops to probe the situation, and today it is he, the high-ranking and powerful civil official, who will strike hard to directly crush the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness, leaving him no chance to recover.
"Speak, Minister Yu," the Emperor waved his hand.
“Yesterday, my colleagues and I wrote a proclamation to condemn the Jiang family. Today, the Marquis of Zhongyi happens to be in court, so I would like to ask him to explain it.”
"read!"
Yu Jingxuan immediately took out the proclamation, raised his voice, and began to read it with great passion: "The Jiang family originated in Huaiyang, fought alongside Emperor Gaozu to conquer the world, and protected the world for Emperor Taizong..."
When he read the part calling on all people of ambition to unite and fight against the river, his voice was full of vigor, and his resounding tone echoed throughout the hall for a long time, resounding and inspiring.
"good!"
After he finished reading, someone couldn't help but shout out loud. If they weren't in the Hall of Light, they probably would have applauded and praised him.
"Lord of Loyalty and Righteousness, what do you think of this proclamation of condemnation?" the emperor asked slowly, his demeanor clearly that of someone watching a show.
"Your Majesty, this proclamation is nothing but the barking of a dog; we may as well ignore it," said the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness calmly.
His words instantly angered countless civil officials.
"Lord Zhongyi, how can you utter such vulgar words in the Hall of Light? Isn't that an insult to the Emperor's ears!" Yu Jingxuan immediately raised his voice and questioned.
Marquis Zhongyi scoffed, "Where was my statement vulgar? Lord Yu is a scholar, how can you not tell the difference? What's the difference between what I said and what you all said? Aren't we all just spouting four-character phrases? If you really want to hear vulgar language, then I'll satisfy you. That proclamation was utter nonsense, what are you all barking about?"
"You brat, how dare you!" someone couldn't hold back and shouted out.
"Hahaha, if I am a coward, what are you barking dogs worth!" Marquis Zhongyi retorted without any politeness.
He even threw his head back and laughed, exuding an air of untamed arrogance.
This infuriated the group of civil officials. Yu Jingxuan, in particular, had a gloomy face and a fierce look in his eyes. When he looked at the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness, it was as if he were looking at a dead man.
Despite the murderous glares, the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness remained undaunted.
"Gentlemen, the enemy's gaze is far more ferocious than yours. With such a tender look in your eyes, you should go home and see your wives!" He even had the mood to make a sarcastic remark, speaking in a very sarcastic tone.
“Your Majesty, I hereby impeach the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness once again. This is the Hall of Light, yet he spoke disrespectfully and defied Your Majesty’s authority. I beg Your Majesty to punish him!” Yu Jingxuan said immediately.
Marquis Zhongyi also bowed respectfully and said to the person on the dragon throne, "Your Majesty, I have come to your defense that Minister of Rites Yu Jingxuan has shown no respect for rank. I was speaking about these civil officials, but I didn't say a word about you. Yet, Minister Yu says that I am showing contempt for you. Your Majesty, what does Minister Yu mean by this? Do these civil officials intend to rebel?"
“You’re being unreasonable!” a civil official nearby said.
“You’re spouting nonsense!” Marquis Zhongyi retorted.
"You are utterly vulgar!" Another civil official stepped forward to challenge.
"I admit it. After all, all you know how to do is spout fancy nonsense, and you don't do anything serious!" Marquis Zhongyi readily admitted.
This statement immediately sparked another round of controversy.
The generals around him couldn't bear to look, and even the emperor himself couldn't help but facepalm. The Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness really knew how to provoke.
Look at him, all by himself, he's practically engaged in a heated debate with a group of scholars.
"Your Majesty, I hereby impeach all the officials who have slandered me. They have formed a faction with the Wei family for personal gain. I have raised the son of that scoundrel Wei Xian for fifteen years, doing my best to raise him, hiring famous teachers and entrusting him with the care of renowned generals, hoping that he would be both learned and skilled in martial arts. But the Wei family not only took advantage of my family, but also mistreated my own son, beating and scolding him every day, and even having the thought of killing him several times when he was young."
“This is a family feud. I led men to surround the Wei family and seek justice. What does it have to do with the other officials in the court? Moreover, the crimes committed by the Wei family are not limited to replacing my son. They have also oppressed the people, forced innocent women to their deaths, seized land, and so on. There are witnesses and physical evidence to prove it.”
"But these adults have become blind and deaf, unable to see or hear, only knowing how to deal with me. They not only slander me at every turn, but also write a proclamation to denounce me to the world. What are they doing? I have only ever heard of writing proclamations to denounce traitors. Over the years, the Jiang family has sacrificed countless lives on the battlefield to protect the safety of the Great Li Dynasty. The whole family is loyal and righteous, but they are turning black into white and want to put my Jiang family to death."
"Your Majesty, I reasonably suspect that they are not only colluding with the Wei family for personal gain, but also traitors who betray the country and seek to drive loyal ministers like myself to their deaths, leaving only these worthless and wicked individuals to offer slanderous advice and disrupt the court!"
The Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness spoke in a deep voice, unlike Yu Jingxuan who shouted at the top of his lungs, but his words were heard by everyone inside and outside the hall, clearly indicating that he had used his inner strength.
The sound reached the ears of several people, deafening them.
Jiang Yiping was indeed a rough man. He read mostly military books and knew very little about the Four Books and Five Classics.
However, he had led troops in battle for many years and then worked his way up in the imperial court, clashing with these civil officials several times and experiencing numerous factional struggles. He was quite familiar with these old rivals.
They've also learned a lot about empty rhetoric. Civil officials are best at seizing on a small matter and constantly trying to elevate themselves, always clamoring that these are traitors and rebels who deserve to be executed.
He was simply retaliating in kind, which instantly terrified everyone.
"Your Majesty, this is a misunderstanding. I had no such intention. Marquis Zhongyi is slandering me!" Yu Jingxuan immediately apologized.
"Your Majesty, I have no misunderstanding. Yu Jingxuan looks exactly like a treacherous minister. He is clearly up to no good. He is absolutely capable of harming loyal officials. I urge Your Majesty to take him down quickly, lest he corrupt the civil officials and spend his days just spouting nonsense and framing people, doing nothing of substance!" Marquis Zhongyi immediately chimed in, even resorting to personal attacks.
The military officers standing behind the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness all looked at him with admiration.
As expected of a seasoned warrior, he even excels at using tactics in verbal battles. His dazzling attacks, which initially appeared chaotic, were actually well-organized and multifaceted, with a wide range of attacks. If any of them struck a nerve with the emperor, it could trigger an explosion.
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