After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

"How should we deal with Wanbaolou?" Fang Tong asked.

Wu Dongjia curled his lips and smiled: "They said they will continue to investigate, and when the truth is revealed, they will definitely compensate my brother and sister-in-law."

This means that Wanbaolou doesn't agree with Rongji pushing the shopkeeper out to take the blame?

Fang Tong and his wife were quite satisfied. They couldn't take care of the matter anymore and left it to Wu Dongjia to handle.

Not long after Wu Dongjia left, the couple fell asleep.

The cell smelled bad, but they had been nervous and anxious all day because of the competition, so they slept soundly.

The jailers patrolled several times during the night, but they didn't wake up.

At dawn, quite a few people were already standing at the entrance of the palace.

A middle-aged man with dark skin, thick and deep eyebrows, wearing a bright red official uniform, stood with his hands behind his back.

Many people cast secret glances at him.

Some colleagues also came to say hello.

"Master Zhou, you're here early."

"No one is as diligent as Lord Wang."

"Haha, you're welcome. Working for state affairs is our duty. But outside of state affairs, there are always some things that require compromise. It's not worth it to get yourself involved."

Lord Wang stroked his beard and smiled kindly.

There was no less threat in the words.

Lord Zhou said politely, "I am the Imperial Censor, and I only perform the duties of an Imperial Censor."

Lord Wang sneered: "Don't refuse a toast, or drink the penalty wine."

An official who comes from a family of doctors and has no reputation in the capital, yet he wants to meddle in other people's affairs?

Lord Zhou didn't hear anything, but he felt bitter in his heart.

When he was young, his father was already very famous in the Imperial Hospital.

At that time, he had also studied medicine for two years. But he witnessed his father being framed and imprisoned for treating a nobleman. If it weren't for the Empress's intercession, his father would probably have died that time.

From then on, he knew that no matter how skilled a doctor was, in the eyes of the nobles in the palace, he was no different from a servant.

Only by being an official and a true scholar can one have the right to speak.

Now, he has become a scholar, but in front of the powerful, he can only be threatened.

"Go up!"

A long, shrill voice came.

Officials entered the hall one after another, led by several princes, and then the Prince of Ning.

The crown prince claimed to be ill and did not attend court, but the other princes were all very active.

They were wary of each other, but they disliked Prince Ning even more. What was the son of a prince always meddling in?

After the officials entered the hall, a middle-aged man dressed in bright yellow, with a thin face but bright eyes, appeared.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

"Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

All the ministers stood up and saluted.

The emperor sat on the throne slowly and then raised his hand slightly.

"Everyone loves you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" everyone said in unison, then stood up and sat down again.

The emperor's sharp gaze swept across the entire hall.

"Last night, there was urgent news from the border that the young general had captured two cities in Xiaonanman. If he could capture Az City as well, he could march straight to the royal city and capture Xiaonanman."

"However, the Nanman people have already proposed peace talks and are willing to pay compensation to end the war."

"What do you think, my dear ministers?"

The ministers were stunned at first.

They didn't expect that the major general's progress would be so rapid while the capital was still debating whether it was appropriate for the major general to go to the border and why General Meng was defeated and captured.

Someone was surprised.

"Great joy! Your Majesty, this is God's blessing on our people, and on you! In my opinion, we should let the young general bravely advance and completely subdue the small southern barbarians to prevent future troubles."

"Very good, very good. In the past twenty years, the little southern barbarians have repeatedly come north to harass our border. Now that the situation at the border is very good, we should make a concerted effort to stop them."

"The young general is a genius, and it is a blessing for our dynasty to have such a powerful general."

There are also some pragmatic ones.

"That's not right! Your Majesty, although the young general is brave, the national treasury is in dire straits. We've already increased taxes once to support the battlefield. According to the list submitted by the Ministry of War, that amount is clearly not enough. If we increase taxes again, I'm afraid the people will suffer."

"Your Majesty, it would be great to capture the little Nanman directly, but if we continue to fight, our soldiers will also die. It is better to cut the losses in time."

"Haha, such a soft touch. We've prepared so much for this battle, and we've sacrificed so much. Victory is so close, yet we're giving up, leaving behind endless troubles for the future."

The calm Eighth Prince suddenly spoke.

He rarely participates in government affairs and has a bad relationship with Your Majesty.

But they are brothers from the same mother, and no one in the court dares to look down on him.

"Lord Wang, are you going to ignore the future for the sake of short-term benefits? That's extremely foolish."

"Royal brother, I'm afraid our imperial examination system still has loopholes, which is why someone like Lord Wang is able to sneak in."

That's too rude.

What's the difference between this and directly saying that Lord Wang is unworthy of his position? He even provoked the emperor.

As expected, the emperor slapped his armrest and scolded him, "Old Eight, what nonsense are you talking about? We are just expressing our opinions in the court, don't spread rumors and cause trouble."

Lord Wang fell to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his face.

"Your Majesty, I beg you to understand. I have diligently studied the books of the sages for twenty years. I dare not claim to be a genius, but I was able to place first in the imperial examinations thanks to my genuine talent and knowledge. Yet, I have been humiliated like this today. I... I..."

Perhaps because he cried so pitifully that he was out of breath, Lord Wang didn't say the rest of the words for a long time.

The Eighth Prince sneered.

"Why does Lord Wang feel humiliated and want to bang his head against the pillar in court to prove himself?"

"You! You! You're going too far."

Lord Wang pointed his finger at him with trembling anger.

The Eighth Prince stood up, walked in front of him, and knelt down one step in front of him.

But when I was kneeling, I "accidentally" stepped on his foot.

"Brother Emperor, you must make the decision for me! I only spoke a few truths, but you, Lord Wang, are so narrow-minded..."

Lord Wang's eyes almost popped out of his head when he was blamed for something else.

The emperor was angry and helpless, so he picked up a memorial and hit the eighth prince on the head.

"Shut up!"

"Old Eight, if you have nothing else to do, go spend more time with the Queen Mother. You don't have to attend the morning court all the time."

The Eighth Prince responded, turned around and left, his movements very skillful.

This was not the first time he was kicked out of the morning court.

The ministers didn't even look at him, as they were also used to it.

Compared to Prince Ning who was highly valued by the emperor, the Eighth Prince seldom participated in political affairs, and his occasional opinions were ignored because he was too sharp-tongued.

Seeing that the troublesome person had left, the emperor took a deep breath and said gently: "My dear Wang, please get up."

"Yes, I lost my composure."

Lord Wang got up and wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve to straighten his appearance.

The dispute in the court was far from over.

"I think we should send a message to the young general and ask him how confident he is in taking down the little Nanman. If we can do it in one go, that would be great. If there are any difficulties, we can then consider peace talks."

"Sir Chen, you're a civilian. If you don't understand battlefield matters, don't speak nonsense. What general can be sure of victory before a battle? The battlefield situation changes rapidly, and swords have no eyes. How can you expect the young general to make an assessment?"

Some generals couldn't help but object.

If they really followed what Master Chen said, wouldn't they have to report every time they went out to fight? If they were so confident but were defeated, wouldn't they be beheaded when they returned?

"That makes sense. In my opinion, we should directly consider peace talks. First, asking the small southern barbarians to provide compensation can alleviate the shortfall in the national treasury. Second, we can use marriage to subtly influence the small southern barbarians, so that they will learn from our Central Plains ways and refrain from barbaric behavior."

Lord Wang spoke again.

The second prince couldn't help but step out.

"From what Lord Wang said, it seems that the little Nanman is seeking peace, but they want our princess to marry?"

Shouldn't the defeated Nanman be given as a bride?

"It's ridiculous. Since ancient times, only losers have wronged the princess."

Many ministers were misled by his words and started discussing the marriage.

There are also those who are keenly aware that the wind direction is wrong and remain silent.

Lord Wang was quite confident.

"No! As a superior nation, isn't it only natural for our dynasty to send its princess to educate the Southern Barbarians?"

The Second Prince smiled coldly, "Really? I wonder if Your Majesty has chosen a princess? Or is he prepared to offer his beloved daughter?"

"I think General Meng's daughter would be suitable."

Lord Wang's words brought peace to the court for a moment.

A few days ago, there were many people supporting him.

Although the major general won several victories at the border, it did not affect the overall situation.

Moreover, General Meng's improper command led to the defeat of the war, so he was guilty.

Pushing Meng Lan out can weaken the power of General Meng's Mansion and quell the war, killing two birds with one stone.

But the situation is different now. The young general is brave and good at fighting, and he beat the little southern barbarians into a pulp.

The young general is General Meng's disciple. At this time, if Meng Lan is pushed out, it will probably discourage the hero.

The emperor, however, remained unmoved. He simply said, "General Meng has served the country and is seriously injured. I cannot bear to allow his daughter to marry at this moment. Besides, the Empress Dowager and General Meng's daughter are very close."

"Your Majesty, matters of state are of paramount importance. You cannot be indecisive. If General Meng is truly loyal to you and patriotic, offering his daughter for marriage, he should feel honored."

Lord Wang is unwavering in his provocation.

"Pfft."

A laugh came.

Everyone looked over and saw Jin Yunting slowly walking out.

He was clearly just a young man who had just entered officialdom, but he had an outstanding appearance and exuded an indescribable aura, like an immortal.

"Your Majesty, I have behaved badly and I beg you to punish me."

"Oh? My dear Jin, I wonder why you are laughing?" The emperor narrowed his eyes.

"I find what Your Excellency said to be truly ridiculous. If we were not in the court, I would have thought that we were in the Little Nanman Kingdom, and that Your Excellency was trying so hard to profit for the Little Nanman."

Jin Yunting's eyes were cold.

Lord Wang's face turned red with anger.

"You little brat, are you saying I'm collaborating with the enemy and committing treason? Slander! This is slander!"

"Lord Wang misunderstood. I didn't say that."

"I simply feel that General Meng is a man of unyielding character. He has fought in battles for over a decade and made tremendous contributions. Can a single defeat erase General Meng's loyalty?"

"General Meng's only daughter, Miss Meng Lan, has taken on her father's style. She even saved the Queen Mother yesterday, which shows her character."

"Both father and daughter are loyal to the court and His Majesty. Lord Wang is forcing them apart. Is he trying to sow discord between General Meng and His Majesty? Or does he have some ulterior motive?"

"If Your Majesty really listens to your humble opinion, how will future history books comment on this matter?"

"Lord Wang, you are disloyal and unrighteous." The last sentence was like the final verdict.

"Jin family kid, you are making presumptuous assumptions and are short-sighted..."

Lord Wang lost his temper and started cursing at him, pointing at his nose.

"Alright!" the emperor suddenly said, his attitude unfathomable: "Since we can't agree on this matter, let's put it aside for now."

Everyone was stunned.

There is still a war going on at the border. If they put it on hold for a few days, the young general might actually destroy the small southern barbarians.

What else will we discuss then?

No, it seems that the emperor himself is inclined to directly subdue the small southern barbarians.

But he seemed to have some reservations and was only giving the Major General a chance in a tactful way?

"My dear ministers, do you have anything to report today?" The emperor ignored their thoughts and forcibly changed the subject.

Jin Yunting quietly returned to his seat.

He actually doesn't quite understand.

The emperor had also been to the battlefield, and he was decisive and resolute in his actions.

He should be very clear that the situation is very good now. He can directly capture Xiao Nanman and send people to garrison there, disrupt the nobles and civilians of Xiao Nanman, and divide them up into various places in the Central Plains.

It can bring long-term stability and expand territory.

However, the emperor never made a clear statement, as if he was deliberately indulging the disputes among his court officials.

This is strange.

Could it be that the Emperor was worried that General Meng's achievements would overshadow his own? Did he not want him to return safely?

Did it also affect the major general?

Thinking of this, Jin Yunting's heart sank.

How many great generals died because of the emperor's suspicion.

If the emperor holds such an idea and secretly goes along with it, then General Meng and Major General will probably be in great danger.

The court was silent for a while, and Prince Ning was the first to make a report.

He made great progress in the resettlement of beggars in the capital, which he was responsible for.

He set up three orphanages in the capital, specifically to take in orphans under the age of ten, the elderly and the disabled.

As for beggars over ten years old, he had already negotiated with others to move them to Taiyuan Prefecture, where there were large tracts of wasteland.

The county government would settle them down, initially providing them with work-for-relief and allowing them to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land.

The emperor nodded with satisfaction, praised Prince Ning in public for his thorough work, and asked several princes to learn from him.

The princes agreed on the surface, but they couldn't hide the coldness in their eyes.

The Crown Prince is seriously ill, and this should be their time to shine, but why is Prince Ning always causing trouble?

There were also ministers reporting on the construction of canals and the recurrence of piracy in coastal areas.

The emperor gave them ways to settle down.

Suddenly, an imperial censor stood up.

"I impeach Fang Tong, a Ninth-rank Agricultural Assistant, for his overbearing and lawless behavior, for riding his horse in the street and causing the death of an elderly man."

"I accuse Fang Tong, the Ninth-Rank Minister of Agriculture, of being unfilial. It is Your Majesty's kindness that a farmer's son can hold an official position, but he has forgotten his roots. I have heard that his biological father has no one to support him and has no one to rely on in his old age."

"I have a letter from my father, in which he specifically asked me to look after the Zhang family. However, Grandpa Zhang died tragically. I cannot explain this to my father. Today, I want to seek justice in the court."

There was a fair-faced young general, with tears in his eyes, who knelt down heavily.

"General An, which Zhang family are you talking about?" someone asked.

"It was the old man who was hit to death in the street by Fang Tong. Grandpa Zhang was my father's adoptive father." General An said shockingly.