Chapter 50

Prime Minister Pei moved his lips but was speechless.

“There are many wealthy and powerful families in the capital, not just the Chu family. Corrupt officials are not limited to Minister Chu alone,” Yan Donghuang’s voice was cold and hard, her eyes filled with icy disdain.

“But only Minister Chu embezzled military rations and disregarded human lives, so I must make an example of him to vent the anger of the Qingluan Army soldiers!”

The ministers and censors behind her looked uncomfortable when they heard this, but they also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Too much purity means no fish. There are few truly uncorrupt officials in the court. The greater the power, the higher the position, the more unexplained wealth they have, and few can withstand scrutiny. They had initially worried that the Grand Princess would investigate everyone, but now they realized Minister Chu’s greatest crime was not embezzlement but his malicious intent and deliberate delay of rations, which was a life-threatening act.

The Grand Princess had to kill him to appease the military.

Prime Minister Pei was silent for a moment, then advised, “Minister Chu violated the law and should be dealt with by the Emperor.”

“The ones who almost starved to death were the Qingluan Army, the ones who fought desperately against foreign enemies but were mistreated were the Qingluan Army, and the only ones with the right to deal with Minister Chu’s family are the Qingluan Army,” Yan Donghuang’s attitude was firm. “Corrupt officials are the result of the Emperor’s indulgence. Does the Prime Minister think I would believe the Emperor can handle this impartially?”

Prime Minister Pei was once again speechless.

“Grand Princess, you are mistaken,” Censor Yan sternly said. “If those with military power think like you, where is the Emperor’s authority? How can the Emperor govern the country—”

Yan Donghuang coldly looked at him, “If the Emperor fears meritorious officials, plots against his siblings, indulges corrupt officials, and allows them to embezzle military funds and rations, then such a ruler will only destroy the legacy of his ancestors and is unfit to be Emperor!”

Censor Yan’s face changed dramatically, and he was too shocked to speak.

The other officials, also pale from Yan Donghuang’s imposing presence, instinctively shrank back and looked at each other. They had indeed come with the determination to remonstrate to the death. But when Yan Donghuang asked them to bring their families and kill them one by one in front of her, their courage was shaken, and a subtle sense of retreat arose in their hearts. After all, whether it was ten years of laborious study or striving in the court, it was mostly for themselves and their families, for success and glory, for the protection of their descendants, and for the prominence of their families.

If they even harmed their own relatives, what would be the meaning of their lifelong efforts?

And now, Yan Donghuang, with an unflinching face, harshly criticized the Emperor for being foolish, indulging corrupt officials, and plotting against meritorious officials… each accusation was irrefutable. They might have vehemently denied and argued if these words had come from someone else. But Yan Donghuang had countless merits; even the late Emperor was proud of her. Her soldiers were known for their strict discipline, never abusing their power. Since the Grand Princess took command alone, she had never lost a battle. The current Emperor’s smooth ascension to the throne owed much to the Grand Princess.

Shortly after the Emperor ascended, the Grand Princess was sent to the border and had no conflicts with the Emperor. Yet, within three years of his reign, the Emperor had eliminated four brothers, leaving only Prince An. The Grand Princess was poisoned by her husband on her wedding night, and Sheng Jing’an directly pointed to the Emperor.

When rations were delayed last year, was Minister Chu also acting under the Emperor’s orders and deliberately trying to let the Qingluan Army die at the border?

The ministers were not fools. Once these doubts arose in their hearts, their trust in the Emperor seemed to collapse instantly. They were not Yan Donghuang, nor were they the Emperor’s brothers. But they understood the principle of “when the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold” better than anyone. They had studied hard for ten years and understood the importance of strong generals and soldiers to the country.

Once the soldiers’ hearts were cold, their combat effectiveness would be greatly weakened, and the country would be in danger. The Emperor and his ministers could quickly become captives of a fallen nation.

The ministers looked solemn and remained silent.

“Prime Minister, please go back.” Yan Donghuang spoke again, “The enmity between the Emperor and me will not involve innocent people. Go home and spend more time with your family. You can enter the palace to meet the new ruler when the dynasty changes. No one will accuse you of being traitors, and all the blame will not fall on you.”

As soon as the words “dynasty changes” were spoken, the ministers knelt in unison, “Please reconsider, Grand Princess!”

Prime Minister Pei’s expression tightened, “Grand Princess, you have been poisoned. The urgent task is to have the imperial physicians find a way to detoxify you. Otherwise, even if you force the Emperor to retreat, your life will be in danger, leaving a mess behind. Wouldn’t that be worse…”

“Don’t worry, Prime Minister,” Yan Donghuang said calmly, “I will make all the necessary arrangements.”

Prime Minister Pei sighed silently. He turned to look at the elite soldiers in their cold, stern military uniforms.

These elite soldiers, who should have been facing the enemy on the battlefield, were following the Grand Princess to force the palace today. They were fearless and unconcerned about any consequences, and their unwavering loyalty was equally unsettling.

Prime Minister Pei knew the Emperor was no match for the Grand Princess. As long as she abandoned moral, social, and traditional constraints, the Emperor could not win against her. The imperial guards, carefully selected from the palace, were no match for these battle-hardened soldiers.

Scenes from before the Emperor’s ascension and his ruthless elimination of dissidents after ascending flashed through Prime Minister Pei’s mind. He turned to his colleagues and said calmly, “The Grand Princess has strong military power, and we cannot stop her. It is a shame. If you insist on staying here to persuade the Grand Princess, I will stay with you. If you wish to go home and wait for news, I will not stop you.”

Yan Donghuang turned and entered the mansion, leaving them to decide for themselves. However, as she turned, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. She staggered and unexpectedly spat out a mouthful of blood, “Pfft.”

“Your Highness.” Feng Yaoguang swiftly caught her, his voice trembling uncontrollably, “Your Highness.”

“Grand Princess.” Prime Minister Pei hurriedly stepped forward, “Are you alright, Grand Princess?”

Yan Donghuang gently closed her eyes, suppressing the pain in her chest, “I’m fine.”

Without another word, Feng Yaoguang carried her quickly to the Qingluan Courtyard, shouting coldly, “Summon the military physician immediately!”

The guards quickly obeyed and left.

Back in the Qingluan Courtyard, Feng Yaoguang placed Yan Donghuang on the bed. His eyes were filled with undisguised panic, and his voice was unsteady. “How do you feel, Your Highness?”

Yan Donghuang gently closed her eyes and rested against the headboard for a moment, “The poison is acting faster than I expected.”

Seeing her expression and hearing her speak normally, Feng Yaoguang frowned, “Do you think it’s acting too quickly?”

“No, too slowly.” Yan Donghuang opened her eyes, “Perhaps Yan Ming was too confident that the poison would control me, or he was too confident that Sheng Jing’an could remain calm and wait until the poison took effect to tell me the truth. So he used the Seven-Day Poison, not realizing that these seven days would be enough to bring them to ruin.”