Princess Promotion

In the magnificent court of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the ministers were like treetops swaying in the wind, with their discussions rising one after another.

Ever since the throne of Qi was inherited by a female emperor, Yao Chuguang, the court officials of the Western Zhou Dynasty began to make various speculations and calculations.

"Your Majesty, Qi has been at war for years, and the treasury must be empty. Now is the best time for us to attack!" A bearded minister said excitedly.

"Not only that, we heard that the empress killed her father and brother, and people are in panic. There must be resentment in Qi. How can we miss such an opportunity?" Another thin minister echoed, with greed in his eyes.

The Western Zhou Emperor sat upright on the dragon throne. His gaze swept across the ministers and finally stopped on Fu Hongxuan.

Fu Hongxuan has always advocated peaceful coexistence with Da Qi, but now he seems a little isolated.

Fu Hongxuan stood up and insisted on his point of view: "I still believe that it is wise to coexist peacefully with Da Qi."

The emperor turned his gaze to the shrewd and calculating Prime Minister. "Declaring war directly would be exhilarating, but it would be unreasonable, and we know very little about the true situation in Qi."

"Why not send an envoy to Qi to find out the truth? If we can gain benefits without moving a single soldier, wouldn't that be wonderful? As for whether to go to war, we can make long-term plans later."

The Prime Minister's words eased the atmosphere in the court a little, and even Fu Hongxuan did not raise any objections.

The emperor nodded slightly, seeming quite satisfied with the prime minister's proposal.

However, when the envoy brought back the news that Yao Chuguang boasted that he could defeat the Western Zhou Dynasty in just one month.

The Western Zhou emperor was furious and almost ordered troops to be dispatched immediately.

Fu Hongxuan's brows knitted together, realizing something was amiss. "Your Majesty, if Qi's treasury is truly empty, angering Western Zhou at this moment will do no good to Qi."

"Yao Chuguang's move must have deeper meaning. She must have made some preparations. Da Qi may not be able to fight a protracted war, so her next move must be swift and deadly. She is probably trying to provoke us in order to lure us into her trap."

"Lord Fu, what's wrong with you? Are you so timid even by a woman?" A young minister sneered, his words full of contempt.

"Yes, Lord Fu, you are a pillar of our Western Zhou Dynasty. How can you be so weak?" Another minister echoed, his tone revealing impatience.

The emperor's eyes were as cold as ice in winter as he stared at Fu Hongxuan standing before his ministers.

Fu Hongxuan stood tall and straight, without any fear on his face, even when facing the emperor's suspicion and dissatisfaction.

"Fu Hongxuan, you have repeatedly opposed my decision. What is your intention?" The emperor's voice was cold and stern. Every word was like a sharp sword, pointing directly at Fu Hongxuan's heart.

Fu Hongxuan raised his head and looked directly at the emperor: "Your Majesty, everything I do is out of consideration for the country and the people. If war breaks out, innocent people will suffer."

A hint of impatience flashed in the emperor's eyes, and his fingers tapped lightly on the armrests of the dragon throne. Every tap seemed to intensify his inner anger.

The emperor felt threatened by the fact that Fu Hongxuan controlled a large number of troops, and the rumors about Fu Hongxuan among the people made him even more resentful.

Those rumors that "only knew Fu Hongxuan but not the emperor" were like sharp blades that hurt his self-esteem.

He began to suspect whether the minister had ulterior motives, and the fate of the Emperor of Qi served as a wake-up call for him.

A memorial accused Fu Hongxuan of treason, claiming that Empress Yao Chuguang of Qi had fled to the border of Western Zhou, where Fu Hongxuan happened to be.

The memorial hinted that the two had been secretly in collusion for a long time. The reason why Fu Hongxuan had always opposed sending troops was because he was colluding with Yao Chuguang, intending to wait until Qi recovered its vitality and then use Qi's power to counterattack Western Zhou.

After the emperor finished reading the memorial, the doubts in his heart immediately dissipated, and all his doubts seemed to have found answers.

Emperor: "I heard that Yao Chuguang, the Queen of Qi, had contact with you at the border. What kind of deal did you have?"

Fu Hongxuan's expression remained calm as he replied, "Your Majesty, I have no personal relationship with Yao Chuguang. Everything I have done is for the peace of the Western Zhou Dynasty. I don't understand why such rumors have spread, but I swear to heaven that I have no second thoughts."

The emperor's lips curled into a cold sneer. "Swear? Your oath is nothing but an empty promise to me. You were so brave when facing the barbarians, but now you appear so weak before a woman. It's truly ridiculous."

A trace of pain flashed across Fu Hongxuan's eyes, but he remained firm, saying, "Your Majesty, I am not weak, but I know the cruelty of war. I do not want to see the soldiers of the Western Zhou Dynasty sacrificed in vain, nor do I want to see the people of both countries suffer endlessly."

The emperor's patience had reached its limit, and his voice was filled with unquestionable authority: "Enough! I don't need your explanation, I only need your loyalty. Since you cannot prove your innocence, I can only act according to the law of the land."

"Come here, arrest Fu Hongxuan and throw him into jail. We will deal with him after we find out the truth."

Following the emperor's order, several guards came forward and surrounded Fu Hongxuan.

Fu Hongxuan did not resist. He looked at the emperor deeply.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the court was so heavy that water could almost turn into ice.