He didn’t know how to contact Wen Yuesheng directly, but he knew that after she left for the frontier, all affairs of the Princess’s residence were managed by a woman named Jiang Lu.

Trusting Wen Yuesheng, who had safeguarded Da Hui and won countless battles, he also chose to believe in Jiang Lu and handed her an important letter.

Delivering news took time. To avoid affecting the war effort, Jiang Lu, after consulting with the Minister of Revenue, used her own funds to cover the shortfall in military supplies and ensured they were sent to the frontier.

This was also the main reason Ye Qiuyun went to the frontier at that time.

The letter was to be delivered directly to Wen Yuesheng and to no one else.

Because the issue of cutting military supplies hadn’t been publicly discussed and Jiang Lu had quietly compensated for the gap, most court officials remained unaware of the matter until now.

Upon hearing this revelation, many officials’ expressions shifted dramatically.

Elder Lu, without hesitation, rebuked, “Months ago, during the critical moment of Haozhou’s invasion, you submitted a proposal to reduce military supplies? Were you even in your right mind?”

Having served for decades, this was the first time many court officials had seen Elder Lu openly curse someone in court.

His face flushed red with fury, revealing the depths of his anger.

The other officials, reflecting on the situation, were filled with fear.

With a powerful enemy at their doorstep, Da Hui was far from assured of victory. Cutting military supplies at such a juncture was as good as undermining the morale of the army.

What was Jiang Gaoran thinking when he proposed this?

Or, perhaps more alarmingly, what was the emperor thinking when he approved it?

Elder Lu’s reprimand targeted both Jiang Gaoran and, more pointedly, the emperor.

In his eyes, the emperor, while mediocre, had at least been capable of discerning right from wrong. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have allowed Wen Yuesheng to join the court, command the army, or deal with corrupt officials so decisively.

These achievements had only been possible with the emperor’s tacit approval. At that time, Wen Yuesheng wasn’t as powerful as she was now, nor did she hold full military authority.

But now, what was the emperor doing?

Not only was he listening to the nonsense of fools like Jiang Gaoran, but he was also disregarding the safety of the frontier!

In his rage, Elder Lu almost fainted.

This kind of foolish emperor didn’t need Haozhou’s armies to take action; his own incompetence could lead the nation to ruin.

“While soldiers are fighting and dying to protect the frontier, you sit here comfortably, filing complaints and proposing budget cuts,” Wang Jinzhi bellowed. “Jiang Gaoran, tell us, what was so urgent that you needed to slash military funding?”

Jiang Gaoran remained silent, his gaze dark.

The decision to cut military supplies had been made long ago, and since no issues arose at the frontier, he assumed Wen Yuesheng had tacitly accepted it.

After all, the cuts weren’t substantial—merely diverting 300,000 taels to establish the emperor’s personal guard.

After a pause, he explained, “After the frontier war began, many soldiers were transferred from the capital to the front. To prevent unforeseen incidents, the funds were allocated to expand the imperial guard.”

The hall fell into a stunned silence.

The Duke of Zhen furrowed his brows and whispered to Xiao Jin, “The recent movements within the imperial guard—could this be the cause?”

Xiao Jin finally shifted his gaze away from Wen Yuesheng and responded gravely, “Most likely.”

Not only had Elder Lü and other senior officials noticed the emperor’s unusual behavior, but Xiao Jin had also observed it.

As a former commander of the imperial guard, Xiao Jin had ties to many of its current officers.

Recently, those officers had repeatedly informed him of changes within the guard.

The emperor had replaced many veteran officers with unfamiliar faces of questionable capability.

Among the three elite forces of the capital, the imperial guard was the most crucial. Such abrupt changes, without evident merit, were highly unusual.

“There must be another hand behind this,” the Duke of Zhen remarked, his gaze heavy as he looked ahead.

Standing there silently was King Jingkang, who had remained expressionless since Wen Yuesheng’s arrival.

“The war at the frontier is crucial,” Jiang Gaoran argued. “But don’t you think the emperor’s safety is equally important?”

“Establishing the imperial guard was to prevent situations like today’s. If someone brings troops into the capital without orders, the imperial guard is the emperor’s last line of defense. Allocating military funds for this purpose—what’s wrong with that?”

He spoke righteously, invoking the emperor’s safety as justification, but his reasoning only fueled Wang Jinzhi’s anger.

Just as Wang Jinzhi was about to lash out, Wen Yuesheng spoke up.

“Last month, at the start of Haozhou’s invasion, the commander of the frontier army led 100,000 soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Haicheng, Haozhou’s border stronghold…”

As for the situation at the frontier, reports came every fifteen days, so most of the court knew about the battles, though only in broad strokes, with little detail.

But now, hearing Wen Yue’s words, many in the hall couldn’t help but change their expressions.

Everyone knew how difficult the frontier wars were.

“You know what would happen if 100,000 soldiers entered enemy territory?” Wen Yuesheng took a step forward, slowly approaching Jiang Gaoran.

“Any small mistake or unforeseen event, and these 100,000 lives could be lost within the borders of Hao Zhou.”

“The military supplies you speak of reducing—what you are actually cutting are the weapons the soldiers use on the battlefield, the armor on their bodies, and the medicine they rely on when injured.”

“What’s the harm?” Wen Yuesheng ’s voice, cold as ice, echoed in the heat of late spring. “Now let me tell you exactly what harm there is.”

“Guards!” Wen Yuesheng ’s command rang out, and several soldiers clad in black armor immediately entered the hall.

These soldiers were battle-hardened men who had fought fiercely on the front lines.

Their aura was chilling, and as they entered the hall, having overheard Wen Yuesheng ’s words, they were already seething with anger.

Their cold, resolute eyes fixed on Jiang Gaoran.

“Take this incompetent fool who dared to reduce military supplies, this useless man, and drag him before the army of the Great Hui. Execute him as an example for all!” Wen Yuesheng ’s expression was emotionless as she spoke. “Use his blood to honor the Great Hui banner!”

With a single command, countless generals responded in unison.

Jiang Gaoran’s face turned pale. He never expected that in the face of his seemingly justified reasoning, Wen Yuesheng would show no hesitation in ordering his execution right before the emperor.

He was stunned and panicked, instinctively looking up at the emperor.

In front of the entire court, Jiang Gaoran cried out, “Your Majesty! Wen Yue entered the capital without a summons and even brought soldiers into the palace. She must have treasonous intentions! Your Majesty, please see reason and do not allow her to harm the court!”

“Please, Your Majesty…” Before he could finish, a soldier from the battalion covered his mouth and dragged him away.

After Jiang Gaoran was dragged out of the hall, Lü Ge Lao and Wang Jin-zhi, while slightly calming down, did not look pleased.

They both understood that the root of all this disturbance was the emperor.

They didn’t know how the emperor would react to Jiang Gaoran’s accusations.

If the emperor became enraged and ordered action against Wen Yuesheng , would she relent?

And if the emperor did act against her, it would forever stain her reputation in history as a traitor.

With the emperor still alive and the three royal princes—Prince Jingkang, Prince Wei Yangwang, and Prince Yong’an—standing by, if the emperor decided to move, the Great Hui would be plunged into chaos, its people drowning in blood.

For this reason, Lu Ge Lao had to suppress his own emotions.

He stood beside Wen Yuesheng and, speaking in a voice only she could hear, said, “Your Highness, please, do not act.”

Lu Ge Lao was not a weak man, but he knew too well that those who rose to power unjustly could create huge turmoil.

Furthermore, he didn’t want Wen Yuesheng to be tainted with a reputation of usurpation.

She was a hero to the people of Great Hui, the one who had brought about monumental change both in the court and on the frontier, and the one who had led the army to victory against Hao Zhou.

She should not rise to power with such a stigma.

Wang Jin-zhi, hearing Lu Ge Lao’s words, said nothing but his expression grew heavier.

If the emperor insisted on such a course of action, these veteran officials would stand as a shield in front of Wen Yue.

The moment Wang Jin-zhi’s thoughts had crossed his mind, the emperor suddenly rose from his seat.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, the emperor swayed slightly.

Perhaps enraged, he raised his hand and pointed directly at Wen Yuesheng , shouting in a fierce voice, “You are seeking death!”

The moment these words left the emperor’s lips, the entire court felt a chill.

Wang Jin-zhi didn’t even look at Lü Ge Lao but immediately stood, speaking without hesitation, “Princess Sining has served the country and the people. It is men like Jiang Gaoran, treacherous and corrupt, who deserve death!”

“If His Majesty intends to punish Princess Sining, I will share her fate!”

The hall fell into stunned silence.

No one had expected that Wang Jin-zhi, an elder who had shown signs of wanting to retire in recent years, would speak in such a manner.

Behind him, many officials from the faction of the ‘clear stream’ ministers were moved.

They exchanged glances, and though none of them spoke, they all stepped forward together, quietly and in agreement.

“We also stand with her.”

Though most of them were not young, their voices rang out just as powerfully as any young official’s.

They were civil servants, not soldiers, and this was how they would defend the hero of Great Hui.

Within Taihe Hall, Wen Yuesheng stood in her black gown, her back surrounded by officials in scarlet robes.

She did not respond to Lü Ge Lao’s words, but after the officials spoke, she lifted her head and locked eyes with the emperor.

The emperor, clearly unprepared for the support Wen Yuesheng had garnered among the court officials, staggered under the weight of his fury. He pointed at the ministers, gasping for breath in rage, unable to speak.

At this moment, High Spring, who had been by the emperor’s side, was the first to react.

After a brief pause, he suddenly shouted, “Your Majesty!”

Before anyone could process what was happening, the emperor, unsteady from the exertion of his anger, collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.