Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Lu Hui quickly stood up to greet him, bowed, and said, "It's Chief Secretary Wang! I hope you will forgive me for not coming so far to welcome you!"

Wang Lian looked at him, a smile still on his face, and said in a gentle tone, "Just now, when I was hearing the trial, I noticed that Governor Lu was very high-spirited. But as a civil official, you are privately trying a military general without the approval of the commander-in-chief. Isn't that a bit against the rules?"

Lu Hui quickly explained, "What the Chief Secretary said is true, but since the restoration of Yunzhou, there have only been garrisons but no commander. How can this humble official obtain the approval?"

Wang Lian sneered, "The imperial decree states: If a city has no commander, the governor-general must handle the clerkship. So, Governor Lu, you've violated the decree!"

Lu Hui smiled knowingly, but still feigned innocence as he replied, "I was terrified. I had anticipated violating the regulations, and I had already obtained written approval from the Ministry of War."

Wang Lian smiled and said, "Grandmaster Lu, interfering in other people's affairs is not the way to be an official!"

Lu Hui asked, "Does the Chief Secretary think that the Central Military Commission's review is inferior to that of a provincial governor?"

Wang Lian said, "How dare I! How dare Wen Yue question the leaders of the Central Government!"

In an inconspicuous corner outside the lobby, Zhang Jingwei watched all this with a frown.

Even though he was clearly humiliated, why did the Chief Secretary still act so humble? And according to what we learned before, the Chief Secretary is a third-rank official, while the prefect is only a fifth-rank official. There is no need for him to say so many good things.

Lu Hui was puzzled. He couldn't understand why the Chief Secretary of the Royal Palace interrupted the public trial. Was it just because of his violation of the rules? So he couldn't help but ask, "Master Chief Secretary, are you interrupting the public trial today just because of my violation of the rules?"

Wang Lian smiled faintly and said slowly, "Lord Lu, you have misunderstood. This is not why I came here. I came here on the orders of the prince to convey his decree. Lord Lu, please accept it!"

Lu Hui was startled when he heard this, but quickly regained his composure. He bowed and said with a smile, "Master Changshi, you are joking. The king's decree can only be issued in the vassal states, and Yunzhou is not one of the prince's vassal states."

At this moment, a burly man stepped out from behind Wang Lian, his eyes wide with anger. He shouted at Lu Hui, "Lu Hui, how dare you be so bold! My prince has great power in the north, and half of Hedong is the vassal of the Prince of Jin. Who dares to disobey?"

Lu Hui was not afraid at all and responded loudly: "That's just half of Hedong. Yunzhou is only under the jurisdiction of the Sidao Yushi!"

After hearing what Lu Hui said, the strong man pointed at him angrily. When he was about to refute, he was stopped by Wang Lian who was standing beside him.

Wang Lian looked at Lu Hui with a smile.

Lu Hui said calmly, "If the Chief Secretary has nothing else to do, please move outside the courtroom. I still have to try the case!"

At this time, Wang Lian, who had been silent and smiling all the time, finally spoke up and said, "How about Governor Lu listening to the prince's order?"

However, Lu Hui was not swayed by Wang Lian's words. He sneered and replied, "That will have to wait until Prince Jin becomes emperor!"

Faced with Lu Hui's tough attitude, Wang Lian couldn't help but laugh and exclaimed, "Grandmaster Lu is indeed straightforward!"

"I'm very busy with my duties. Please wait for me to finish my trial! If you have anything to say, we can talk in the back hall!"

After Lu Hui turned around and returned to the desk, he slammed the gavel and continued the trial.

Wang Lian was not in a hurry either. He watched quietly from the side with a few strong men.

"Lieutenant Han Ye of the Water Defense Battalion! As a garrison commander, you smuggled armor and committed treason. When managing the Water Defense Battalion, you withheld military pay and oppressed your subordinates. Worse still, you abducted women and took their lives. You are guilty of smuggling, treason, corruption, rape, murder, and treason! Your entire clan will be executed! According to the household register, Han Ye only has two concubines. This evil man will be beheaded soon, and his corpse will be displayed for public display!"

Only these four serious criminals were tried in the morning, and the remaining accomplices will be tried in the afternoon. It is estimated that the trial will last until late at night.

When Lu Hui arrived at the back hall, he did not receive any food, but Wang Lian and several lieutenant generals from Yunzhou broke into the back hall in such a blatant manner.

"Lord Lu is very courageous." Wang Lian said with a smile.

"You are too kind, Chief Secretary. I wonder what the King of Jin's intention is?" Lu Hui said straight to the point.

"The prince said he only wants two people, one is Han Ye who can fight, and the other is Wang Jue who is good at accounting. Wang Jue's crime is relatively minor and he has been acquitted! Han Ye is crazy again now, why not do him a favor? All the silver seized will belong to the prefect. After the matter is completed..." Wang Lian explained his purpose and whispered in his ear, "Hedong Road is still short of a deputy inspector!"

"Hmph, I am an official appointed by the court. How can I obey the prince's orders!" Lu Hui looked righteous.

"Lord Lu, why must you be so stubborn? The court is in turmoil now, and Prince Jin is very powerful. It is not impossible for him to ascend to the throne in the future. By then, you will be a loyal minister, how glorious it will be." Wang Lian advised.

"I am paid by the emperor and I must be loyal to him. As for anything else, I cannot obey your orders," Lu Hui said firmly.

Wang Lian said "good" three times, then smiled and said, "Good, good, good. It seems that you, the Prime Minister's party, are indeed very strong-willed. If the Prime Minister asked you to release the person, I'm afraid you would definitely do it!"

Lu Hui's eyes widened as he shouted, "The Prime Minister is not as conscienceless as you!" His voice was filled with anger and dissatisfaction, as if he wanted to refute these people completely. However, Wang Lian remained unmoved. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a contemptuous smile.

He slowly raised his hand, holding a roll of yellow silk embroidered with delicate patterns. The roll of silk seemed to exude a mysterious and solemn atmosphere, which made people feel awe.

Lu Hui widened his eyes and stared at the thing in Wang Lian's hand, with an ominous premonition in his heart.

Suddenly, he realized what it was—an imperial edict! His face instantly turned as pale as paper, and a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Lu Hui's legs softened and he knelt down involuntarily.

He said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, I bow to you and ask your Majesty's health!"

The entire scene fell into a dead silence, everyone stunned by this sudden change. Wang Lian, however, stood high above them, looking down at the people kneeling on the ground, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, be well!" Wang Lian bowed in response, then opened the imperial edict and read aloud, "By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor decrees that Han Ye, the captain of the Yunzhou Water Defense Battalion, is guilty of heinous crimes. Your capture is truly remarkable. I order you to promptly hand him over to the Ministry of Justice. This case is of grave importance and I urge you to consider the overall situation!"

"I accept your order..."

Lu Hui took the imperial edict and quickly read the contents again to check its authenticity. He had seen the imperial edict once, and that edict was still kept at home.

The late emperor issued an imperial decree to the Lu family, ordering him to study in the Imperial College.

Although the handwriting is different, the seal is exactly the same. There is a string of scientific text on the scroll, which is really exactly the same.

Lu Hui put away his previous arrogant attitude and said, "Sir Wang, you are confusing me with the royal decree and the imperial edict!"

Wang Lian laughed and said, "Ha, Governor Lu is indeed a loyal minister of the court. He is now very rich. Can I take Han Ye with me now?"

Lu Hui waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, don't worry. His Majesty's order is to take Han Ye to the capital, and the official document needs to be stamped by Liu Tongzhi."

Wang Lian sneered, "Wouldn't Governor Lu be willing to overstep his authority?"

"No rush, no rush. Liu Tongzhi will arrive tonight, and all the formalities will be completed tonight. The Chief Secretary can wait at the Yunzhou Posthouse for one night. I will immediately have someone prepare the best food and accommodation."

Wang Lian paused and wanted to continue asking for the release of the person, but finally accepted it with a smile.

"Then I'll have to trouble Governor Lu!"