What he said was true, and not just him, but all the officials in the hall understood. Since the assassination attempt during the military drill, it had been impossible to keep this matter a secret.

Now, the Emperor wanted to investigate to see if others were involved.

As for the Wu An Marquis’s embezzlement…

“The person who spread the news about the Wu An Marquis’s embezzlement has been arrested. After questioning him, we learned…” Yan Wei paused before continuing, “This person also comes from Hao Zhou.”

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was shocked.

One official exclaimed, “Are you saying that, even now, there are still spies from Hao Zhou in the military?”

“Exactly.”

At that moment, everyone’s heart sank.

The Imperial Guards, the most elite troops of the capital, now had spies from Hao Zhou hidden within them.

The thought alone was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

Before this, the army’s faltering morale had already created a tense atmosphere within the court. Now, hearing this news, many who had been holding their anger in check could no longer contain it.

The first to speak out was General Zhen Guo.

He stepped forward and said loudly, “Your Majesty, the army’s morale is faltering, and now there are spies from Hao Zhou sowing discord. If this continues, it could lead to even greater chaos!”

“I respectfully ask Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the Imperial Guards and root out the Hao Zhou spies to restore the army’s morale!”

As soon as he spoke, many military generals stood up in agreement.

“Your Majesty, Hao Zhou’s ambitions are clear. If we don’t intervene now, the situation will be irreparable!”

“The enemy’s methods are insidious, and they’re targeting the heart of our military. Hao Zhou must have already prepared for an attack, and if we don’t restore morale, the entire frontier will fall!”

“Please, Your Majesty, investigate the Imperial Guards!”

This was no small matter.

Not only military officials but even civilian officials could feel the looming danger, and they all stepped forward to demand an investigation.

The Emperor’s face darkened as he listened, but he did not speak.

“Everyone wants an investigation. In this situation, who doesn’t know we need one? But can anyone tell me who will do the investigation? How will we investigate? How do we restore the army’s morale?” After a brief pause, Lord Zhongyong spoke up.

At his words, the entire court fell silent.

Wen Xun, standing among the officials, couldn’t help but think of a figure after hearing Lord Zhongyong’s words.

He paused for a moment, and as he looked up, many others in the hall shared the same thought.

It seemed they all had the same idea.

Wen Xun’s expression changed again and again.

The Palace Guards are no ordinary force. It is one of the Imperial Guard regiments, well-known to all. The entire Imperial Guard of the Great Hui Empire is under the Emperor’s control.

While it is common for the princes to temporarily hold the titles of the main commanders of the three Imperial Guards before the annual military drills, this is merely an opportunity for them to showcase their abilities during the drills. In reality, true military power lies with the Emperor.

To investigate the matter at hand, a person must be chosen who is not entangled in the power struggles of the various factions.

Of course, such a person is not limited to Wen Yuesheng alone.

However, there is another extremely important factor in this situation.

That is, the restoration of military morale.

Of all the issues at hand, what could be more motivating to the troops than Wen Yue Sheng regaining control of the military?

It should be remembered that after Wen Yuesheng relinquished the Imperial Gold Waistband, her troops, initially appearing weak during the first desert drills, ultimately won the top spot in the final military drill.

Although it was due to a disheartened army and many soldiers lacking enthusiasm during the drill, as well as Wen Yuesheng’s resignation of the Gold Waistband in response to this, it ignited a fierce determination within the troops.

It is precisely because of this that she is the only one suitable for this role.

Let us not forget why she relinquished the Gold Waistband in the first place, and consider how she is viewed by the soldiers now.

If the goal is to restore military morale, root out the spies and traitors within the ranks, and infuse the military with unprecedented strength, no one else but Wen Yue Sheng could achieve this.

But everyone is aware of how she was removed from the court previously.

Thus, after the Duke of Loyalty and Valor spoke, the entire court fell silent.

Prince Jingkang stood aside, lowering his gaze, and with a slight smirk, he watched the proceedings.

They all knew who the candidate was, but no one dared speak up in front of the Emperor.

This was because they all remembered how Wen Yuesheng had angered the Emperor and lost her Gold Waistband.

Though Wen Yuesheng wished to return to the court, it was not that simple.

The Emperor had already taken back the Gold Waistband, and there was no reason to grant it back.

As this thought crossed his mind, a man stepped forward.

This official was someone Prince Jingkang barely remembered. His rank was not high, and he rarely spoke in court.

He was almost invisible.

And yet, this unassuming, almost unknown official stood up.

Breaking the silence, he spoke clearly: “The investigation and purification of the Palace Guards is urgent. I am not a military official, and I am not familiar with the internal affairs of the Palace Guards, so I do not have any good suggestions.”

He continued, his tone firm and clear: “But I know, if we are to restore military morale and reverse the current state of disarray, this task can only be entrusted to Princess Si Ning.”

The entire hall went quiet.

This eerie silence was not due to surprise at the candidate he recommended, but because of the unexpectedness of this official speaking up at all.

Everyone in court knew that this official was just an ordinary, low-ranking official, unremarkable compared to the high-ranking ministers or generals. And yet, his words carried more weight than those of the high-ranking officials who had their own agendas.

He seemed to represent the will of the people.

After this, even more unexpected events unfolded.

Other officials who usually kept silent followed suit, one by one. Many of them held real power despite having low-ranking positions, while others had worked their way up from humble origins through the imperial exams.

Among them, the highest-ranking official was Yan Wei, the Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicature. Yan Wei had earned the Emperor’s trust and had been tasked with investigating this matter, so he had no reason to speak out.

Yet, he did.

Yan Wei spoke: “The frontier soldiers are the most important defense line of the Great Hui Empire. In my view, there is nothing more important than stabilizing the military’s morale.”

“Princess Si Ning is indeed the key to restoring military morale. No one else can accomplish this.”

“Your Majesty, the issue of spies in the Palace Guards was uncovered by Princess Si Ning. And judging by the current situation, no one in the army possesses the decisiveness and methods of the Princess to eliminate the traitors. Such strength is precisely what is needed now.”

“The morale of the army is the most crucial issue…”

The officials who stood up, whether discussing the traitors or the restoration of morale, all pointed to one person.

Prince Jingkang’s expression turned grim.

But it didn’t stop there. After these officials, another figure emerged, someone no one had expected: Wang Jin Zhi, the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Cabinet.

Wang Jin Zhi spoke directly: “The army’s morale is in disarray, and people’s hearts are unstable. This not only affects the frontier but also the safety of the capital.”

“Before the Princess, no one noticed the movement of the Marquis of Wu’an, and after her, spies in the Palace Guards created chaos. The disturbance was only discovered after the fact.”

“The chaos in the army has existed for a long time, and there are those with ill intentions working to undermine it. If there is no decisive person in control, the first to lose control will not be the frontier defense, but the capital itself!”

As he spoke, the entire hall fell silent.

What Wang Jin Zhi said struck at the very heart of the current turmoil in the Great Hui Empire.

Unlike the generals present, Wen Yue Sheng had the strength, the military authority, and, importantly, the support of the army.

With enemies closing in, how many more years could the Great Hui Empire afford to delay?

If Wen Yuesheng did not return to the court, the military would be doomed by the accumulated corruption and the threat of spies from Hao Zhou.

One after another, officials stood up.

Together with the previous officials, their numbers far surpassed those who had supported Wen Yue Sheng’s execution of Princess Furuo.

The court officials were in a daze.

No one had imagined that, just a few days after Wen Yuesheng relinquished the Gold Waistband, the entire court would rise up to bring her back.

She had relinquished the Gold Waistband, but it was also the military morale of the entire army that was revived.

Just as some hoped she would be punished by the Empress Dowager, many officials were now pleading for her return to the court.

This scene was astonishing, not just because Wen Yue Sheng was a woman, but because even the princes in the court had never received such treatment.

The Emperor, his gaze unreadable, swept over the officials who stood.

The more he understood these people, the more he realized they could not have conspired together.

Yet today, they had all come together to request Wen Yuesheng’s return.

Standing aside, Gao Quan too seemed unable to understand what the Emperor was thinking.

Though he couldn’t say for sure, if Wen Yuesheng were brought back to the court, what would become of the royal family’s dignity?

After all, the Emperor had publicly taken back the Gold Waistband in front of the entire court.

But if they didn’t act, the disarray in the military was a great danger.

Surrounded by enemies, if the Emperor ignored the situation, what would happen if Hao Zhou invaded? The blame and consequences would be dire.

Conflicted, he looked up and suddenly saw someone slowly step forward.

The figure was dressed in crimson robes, tall and imposing.

As this person stepped forward, the entire court fell silent.

Even Prince Jingkang, with his darkened expression, looked up, his gaze narrowing.

No one had expected Yan Ling, the cold and distant official, to speak up today.

Since joining the court, Yan Ling had always kept aloof from such matters, observing from the sidelines while others fought for power.

No one had expected him to make a move today.

With his usual indifference, he spoke: “Since the Gold Waistband has been taken back, there is no reason to grant it again.”

The entire court went deathly quiet.

Many officials caught their breath.

According to Yan Ling, does this mean Wen Yue Sheng has no chance of returning to the court?

Xiao Jin raised his eyes, deeply staring at him.

Even the Emperor’s gaze grew deeper.

Under the scrutiny of all, Yan Ling continued, “For this year’s military drill, the defending forces won first place. According to protocol, it should be the duty of the commanding generals to take the roll call.”

At these words, the officials exchanged puzzled glances.

How did the conversation shift from stabilizing the military morale and investigating the spies to a roll call?

Some were confused, while others quickly realized the implication, their hearts racing.

Especially Wang Jin Zhi, who almost immediately said: “So, Lord Yan’s point is that the Emperor’s will cannot be contradicted.”

“Since the Princess has returned the Gold Waistband, there is no reason to give it back. So…”

Yan Ling spoke directly: “The army still needs a Commander of the Palace Guards.”

The Commander of the Palace Guards!

This was the position formerly held by the Marquis of Wu’an.

But it seemed Yan Ling was suggesting an even more powerful position.

Under his implication, Wen Yuesheng would not just regain the Gold Waistband, but would be elevated to the Commander of all four defending forces and the Palace Guards!

Could Yan Ling really mean this?

Wang Jin Zhi’s lips twitched in disbelief.

This wasn’t simply about returning the Gold Waistband to Wen Yue Sheng.

This was about her entering the court as a true military leader, holding official power and military command.