Because the shock was too great, the few eloquent and persuasive officials were momentarily unable to respond.

At that very moment, the General of the Kingdom had already jumped up, pointing at their noses and cursing fiercely.

“You worthless bastards, your mouths are full of nonsense!”

“You talk about loyalty to the country and chaos, yet it’s all pure nonsense!” The General of the Kingdom was furious, directly pointing at them and shouting, “When the Princess was in charge of the Guard Army, training the soldiers and arranging the formations, where were you hiding like pests?”

“Destroying military discipline? You bunch of fools, what do you know about military discipline?!”

“Is it your lips that produce the so-called military discipline?”

The few officials, who were usually so powerful and high-spirited in the court, had never been subjected to such treatment.

After the barrage of insults, their heads were spinning, their vision going dark.

After a moment, one of them, trembling with anger, said, “General! This is in front of the Emperor, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony! How can you treat us so disrespectfully?”

“Disrespectfully? You should be grateful this is in front of the Emperor! Otherwise, I would have dragged you to the army camp today, and beat you until you cried for your mother!” The General of the Kingdom roared.

Usually quiet, the General’s massive, powerful physique had been overlooked.

Now, as he stood, it was clear that he was a giant, far larger than the two civil officials combined.

Beside him, the Duke Zhonghong, “In the northern city training grounds, the Guard Army has only been trained under the Princess for a little over ten days.”

“Yesterday, during the Guard Army’s monthly drill, they defeated three other training camps by themselves and won first place.”

“You talk about military discipline, about the Princess breaking the imperial order, but it was the soldiers under her command who defended the land of Da Hui!”

The General of the Kingdom sneered, “A bunch of hypocritical fools talking about morality.”

“You say a woman shouldn’t hold military power? Fine. Next time when the Haouzhou army attacks, let you bastards go fight them.”

“You go to the advancing enemy and say, ‘We can’t kill this coward. We have to follow the military law and let you run twenty miles before we chase you.’”

“That’s not right, General,” a military officer nearby interrupted, “With this man’s abilities, he’ll probably wet his pants before even seeing the battlefield.”

The civil officials in the hall were dumbfounded.

The Prince of Wei Yangwang was stunned.

What was going on with these military officers today?

Had they all gone mad?

But yes, they had gone mad.

The Lu family was full of loyal heroes, and the General of the Kingdom had stubbornly defended them all these years.

For many years, under the rule that valued literature over martial arts, even though he had ideas, they were hard to implement.

At a time when it was revered to be scholarly, he didn’t have good soldiers, strong warriors, or powerful warhorses, nor did he have an unbeatable iron cavalry.

Without the proper tools, even the most skilled person cannot achieve their goals.

Though he was full of passion and wanted to conquer Haouzhou, he knew that alone, he could never succeed.

What’s worse, in recent years, because of the instability at the border, the court had started to pay more attention to military officers, but how had they shown that attention?

They wanted strong generals, but there was no training, no process, only the result.

For years, they couldn’t even distribute the military wages properly, yet they wanted the soldiers to fight for Da Hui’s survival.

It was laughable.

When Princess Sining took over, he hadn’t thought much of it. But after seeing the Guard Army’s drill yesterday, his blood boiled with excitement.

The soldiers under the Princess seemed to have undergone a complete transformation. Although they were still not as strong as the best troops in the court, they had shown the greatest improvement in the years the General had been observing.

Not only in combat, but even their spirits and energy had transformed as if they were new men.

And this had all been accomplished in just over ten days. If given more time…

When the General of the Kingdom returned from the training ground yesterday, even his breath was hot with excitement.

No one, not even the soldiers, longed for strength more than they did because, on the battlefield, they were literally fighting for their lives.

Under such circumstances, these good-for-nothings were now saying that because the Princess was a woman, she should hand over her golden command token?

The General of the Kingdom laughed in fury, “While the soldiers are risking their lives on the front lines, you worthless bastards, who’ve never even stepped onto a battlefield, are here talking about military discipline.”

“What is military discipline? Is it your petty political squabbles or that Sun Mingyuan should not have been killed? The Princess killed Sun Mingyuan, what are you afraid of?”

“Afraid that you’re like Sun Mingyuan, a worthless piece of trash who will have his head chopped off by the Princess sooner or later?”

“Or are you afraid that the soldiers of Da Hui are too strong and will easily step on your donkey face?”

The General of the Kingdom sneered, “Let me tell you now, every inch of Da Hui’s land is guarded by Da Hui’s soldiers. Their discipline and their future won’t be tainted by your nonsense.”

“If you continue to use military discipline to cover up your vile intentions, when the three armies conduct their annual drill, I’ll be the first to use you as a sacrifice!”

The hall fell into dead silence.

The officials who had been condemning Wen Yue Sheng for days had never expected such a response.

Indeed, Wen Yuesheng had no foundation in court, but she possessed an ability that others could only envy.

Unlike civil officials, military officers truly fought for their lives on the battlefield.

What Wen Yuesheng was teaching them would become their lifeline on the battlefield.

Every military officer with a clear head and no affiliations understood this well.

Moreover, after yesterday’s drill, it was evident that the Princess’ soldiers had undergone an amazing transformation.

How could an ambitious general like him be content to let Haozhou’s iron cavalry march into their territory?

And now, due to factional struggles, they wanted to pull Wen Yuesheng down?

If that was the case, they would have to ask the thousands of soldiers whether they agreed.

“If anyone still wants to bring up these baseless rumors and ask the Emperor to take back the Princess’ golden command token, tonight, I’ll take the Guard Army, with nearly 4,000 soldiers, to wait outside your homes!”

“We’ll see if the capable ministers of Da Hui can find us a general stronger than the Princess!”

The military general’s strong stance exceeded everyone’s expectations.

The General of the State’s outburst of curses directly disrupted the formation of the civil officials.

Just moments ago, an eloquent official, caught in the glare of his fierce tiger-like eyes, couldn’t get a word out. After a long pause, he stammered, “Your… Your Majesty… in front of the Emperor! How could the General be so crude…”

The General of the State sneered. “Do I need to speak politely with dogs like you?”

The official, furious but unable to match his level of aggression, turned bright red as he tried to argue back but couldn’t find the words.

Since the General of the State spoke, the Emperor had not shown any reaction, which made everyone realize the Emperor’s stance.

Impeaching Wen Yuesheng was futile.

Wen Yuesheng was not without support—at least among the military officers, her ability and leadership were respected, and they were firmly loyal to her.

When these military officers went into action, ordinary people wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

After the General of the State’s outburst, some people still refused to give up and attempted to continue writing impeachments.

However, after yesterday, the direction of the impeachment changed.

They no longer spoke of taking away Wen Yuesheng’s golden waist token, but instead focused on the matter of her killing Sun Mingyuan and the others without consent.

Today, the General of the State did not lose control like he had the previous day, which made the officials think they might have a chance.

But no sooner had the morning court begun than the General of the State issued an order, and four thousand soldiers surrounded the homes of those officials who had written the impeachment.

The sight of so many military officers startled the capital’s Imperial Guards, who almost thought there was an emergency.

The civil officials, waking up early, looked out to see a sea of soldiers outside their doors. They almost thought they had angered the Emperor and committed an unforgivable crime, fearing they would be executed along with their families.

Some of the more faint-hearted officials almost fainted from the shock.

The Yushi Tai officials, who prided themselves on being righteous and cared most about their reputation, had never expected such an outcome.

What Wen Yue Sheng had done was widely seen as a great act in the eyes of the people and students. While the court officials attacked her, the common people hadn’t yet learned the full story.

But once so many soldiers appeared, even those who didn’t want to know could no longer ignore it.

Soon, the whole city of the capital was filled with anger.

Because the Emperor had ordered the General of the State to reprimand the Imperial Guards, they had only stayed at the officials’ doors for a single morning before being withdrawn.

But the public outcry only intensified.

The Imperial Guards followed the Emperor’s orders, but the people did not.

What they knew was that the Princess of Si Ning had done well by dealing with corrupt officials, and the fact that she had not been rewarded for it, but instead faced unjust accusations, seemed completely unreasonable.

So, the homes of the officials who had impeached Wen Yue Sheng were surrounded by an enraged crowd of common people.

These officials, who had once wielded their power freely in the court, never imagined that they would face such a backlash one day.

The people’s method of expressing their anger was simple—throwing rotten eggs and leaves at the officials’ doors and spitting whenever they passed by.

Moreover, the students from various academies also wrote passionate articles criticizing these unscrupulous officials.

What Wen Yue Sheng had done had touched the interests of every student.

In Da Hui, even a student from a respectable background could still be controlled by powerful officials above them. Without someone strong enough to stand up for them, like Sun Mingyuan and his collaborators, they could easily have their achievements and status taken away.

It was only Wen Yue Sheng’s iron-fisted approach that could prevent such malfeasance.

Thus, the students were rallying together at every literary event, vehemently criticizing these corrupt officials.

The civil officials, who were used to making things out of nothing, never expected to be met with such articulate and clever opposition.

Within three days, four out of the eight officials who had impeached Wen Yue Sheng had fallen ill.

Others, although still dragging themselves to court, were as silent as chickens, not daring to speak a word against her.

The ongoing party strife was rendered meaningless in the face of the overwhelming public opinion.

The common people, uninterested in which faction was in power, only wanted a stable life.

Duke Xu’s faction, having been involved in the eldest prince’s downfall, had lost all standing. Even Duke Xu himself had lost his official position.

In such a turbulent climate, no one dared to cause more trouble.

The noisy voices had faded, leaving only the Empress Dowager’s illness, which seemed to have worsened.

But this was still not enough.

After the impeachment matter was thoroughly extinguished, not long after, Zhang Yulin, who had been sent to the eastern provinces, returned to the capital.

Since he had left, there had been no news from the eastern regions, and Wu Yong had been worried. But seeing the calm demeanor of Duke Zhongyong, he kept his concerns to himself.

Now that Zhang Yulin had safely returned to the capital, Wu Yong finally felt relieved.

What he hadn’t expected was that Zhang Yulin wasn’t just returning safely.

Before he left, no one knew that a rebellion had broken out in the eastern regions, and the situation was quite serious. Zhang Yulin’s forces were small, and they were at a disadvantage.

Though the exact dangers were unknown to others, it was clear when Zhang Yulin entered the capital riding a massive warhorse, completely black with a formidable presence.

Zhang Yulin, being exceptionally tall and strong, could only ride this horse, a rare breed from the Hezhou region, a prized specimen.

This horse, as tall as a small mountain and robust, could not be ridden by ordinary men. But under Zhang Yulin’s command, it moved effortlessly.

Together, Zhang Yulin and the horse made such a thunderous noise as they moved that it seemed as though they were shaking the very heavens.

He rode this imposing warhorse, holding the severed head of the rebellious general from the eastern provinces, all the way back to the capital.

Wherever he passed, everyone bowed and stepped aside.

His presence was so powerful it felt like an entire army had arrived.

Coincidentally, it was also the Empress’s birthday.

These days, the turmoil involving the military officers in the court had been well known in the imperial harem.

So, for the Empress’s birthday, instead of the usual banquet, a martial arts competition was organized in the arena, to celebrate the Empress’s birthday and honor the soldiers who had contributed greatly to Da Hui.

This event was officially called a “martial feast,” where soldiers participating in the competition would be heavily rewarded by the Empress.

The officials below were all sighing in amazement, feeling that the Yong’an Prince’s family had just gained a great advantage.

Leading the group were Wen Yue Sheng and the Lu family’s twin siblings, along with a few soldiers from the northern training grounds, all riding horseback at full speed.

Wen Yue Sheng, at the forefront, wore a black and gold dress with a crimson gold lotus crown on her head, her expression cold and indifferent.

Behind her, a group of mighty generals followed.

As soon as they appeared, they drew the gaze of everyone in the room.

Those sitting in the tents below were astonished. “The princess is here too?”

“Isn’t that obvious? To reward the army, the defending generals naturally need to be involved, and the princess is still a general in the defending army.”

Though this was the case, many people’s impressions of Wen Yuesheng were still stuck on her awkward engagement with the Yong’an Prince.

No one had expected that one day, her identity would change so drastically. The once disregarded Princess of Sinning had now become a prominent figure.

Some whispered in surprise, “I thought that after the broken engagement, the Empress would stop being kind to the princess.”

“You don’t understand. Compared to the princess’s conflicts with other princes, this engagement is nothing.”

Prince Heng Guang had lost his arm, and the Jingkang Prince had lost his maternal family.

In comparison to these enmities, the relationship between Wen Yuesheng and the Yong’an Prince seemed calm.

But that was only when ignoring everything else.

After all, Wen Yuruo was still sitting proudly next to the Empress.

Opposite her sat Xiao Jin.

Hearing the synchronized sound of galloping hooves, Xiao Jin raised his eyes and saw Wen Yue Sheng arriving like a ray of light, with Lu Qinghuai, her companion, handsome and smiling, speaking with her in a lowered voice.

Wen Yuesheng couldn’t be bothered to listen to his chatter and quietly asked, “Is your rib healed?”

Lu Qinghuai: …

No humanity.

The court had been bustling for several days, but only today did Wen Yue Sheng appear.

As soon as she entered the inner hall, countless dark gazes fell upon her.

“The Duke of Xu’s faction stirred up some trouble, but they didn’t leave empty-handed.”

Below, the officials murmured, “At least they’ve delayed the princess’s promotion.”

Had it not been for those interruptions, Wen Yuesheng would have made a significant achievement by killing the civil officials and uncovering the Crown Prince’s secret weapon production.

After this event, many officials no longer viewed Wen Yue Sheng as an ordinary woman.

She now wielded real power, and the only thing lacking was an official title.

But since she was already a princess, the title could be kept or discarded.

After all, titles were just symbolic, the true power lay in the authority one held.

Just as those thoughts lingered, a loud, earth-shaking sound echoed.

The heavy hooves of a horse, different from any other general’s in the capital, drew everyone’s attention.

Looking up, they saw Zhang Yulin sitting high on his horse, wearing black armor, looking like a divine warrior shaking the heavens as he rode forward.

This mighty warrior, upon reaching the hall, reined in his horse.

The huge horse neighed and Zhang Yulin swiftly dismounted, holding the head of a rebel general in his hand, announcing loudly, “Zhang Yulin has not failed the mission!”

His voice rang out, resounding through the hall.

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

Many didn’t know exactly what Zhang Yulin had been sent to do, but the bloodied trophy he carried was the clearest proof.

It even carried a powerful deterrent.