I transmigrated to ancient times and became a king with a title equal to mine.

Gong Bing suddenly targeted Ma Gui, and Wan Ning, the magistrate of Hanshan County, also jumped out and shouted, "I agree. And Lord Wu Yizhi, you are an imperial envoy, yet you defied the imperial decree and did not return to the court to report. What are you doing here?"

The wind has shifted; the discussion has turned into a prank.

The sudden shift in the wind caught Wu and Ma, along with their officials loyal to the Southern King, off guard.

Just then, Gu Zhong, who had been confined in the yamen, swaggered out in his neat official robes, waving his hand as he walked and said, "Men, seize the two wanted criminals, Wu Yizhi and Ma Gui!"

Prefect Gong Bing of Lishui stood up and shouted, "Fang Ming, what are you standing there for? Arrest him!"

Ma Gui slammed his gavel and roared, "Gong Bing, do you want to rebel?"

"Rebellion?" Gong Bing roared coldly, "You are the ones who rebelled, as well as Prince Long Bin of the South. You have used the Emperor's decree to establish an independent kingdom in Lishui, and you have even dared to disobey the imperial edict of the Regent."

Gong Bing strode forward, snatched the gavel, slammed it on the table, and shouted, "Lord Gu is a capable general handpicked by Empress Xiao, representing the will of the Regent!"

"Fang Ming, take down these two corrupt officials!"

The head constable, Fang Ming, and his constables were stunned for a moment, then surrounded Wu Yizhi and Ma Gui.

Wu Yizhi's guards immediately drew their swords and confronted the constables. Seeing this, the military officers in the hall who supported the Prince of Nan also drew their swords, and there was a high possibility that the two sides would fight.

Wu Yizhi didn't know what Nan Wang had gone to do, but he believed that Nan Wang was definitely alright.

This can be seen from Ma Gui's words and confidence, something someone who has served as an official in front of the Emperor for decades.

Wu Yizhi said in a deep voice, "All my guards, step back! Let's see who dares to touch me!"

"Huh?" Gong Bing was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at the old man and asking, "Who are you trying to scare like this?"

Wu Yizhi sneered, "You can catch me, but can you take me out of the yamen?"

Gong Bing and the others were startled: What's going on? Has this old fox laid an ambush nearby?

Gu Zhong knew Old Wu very well, and his heart tightened. He turned around, walked to the window, poked a hole in the window paper, and peeked out: My God! The street outside the yamen was full of people.

Ma Gui was revered as an upright official by the people of Lishui. Three generations of the Ma family served as prefects of Lishui, yet all three generations remained impoverished. Ma family descendants married daughters from poor families, and all the Ma family daughters married poor scholars.

In particular, Ma Gui insisted on marrying his third daughter to Zhang Wanhe, a beggar, and the young couple made a living by fishing on the shore of Lihu Lake year after year.

Who wouldn't like such a good official?

Gu Zhong knew that if Ma Gui and Wu Yizhi were taken away, the people of Lishui City would definitely kill them.

Gu Zhong's triangular eyes darted around three times, and after gritting his teeth, he said in a deep voice, "The two traitors, Ma and Wu, are extremely dangerous. This imperial envoy has decided to execute them immediately!"

"Execute immediately! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

"Huh?" All the officials were shocked.

Wu Yizhi looked up at the sky and sighed, "I originally wanted to avoid a bloody battle between my own people, but I never expected that you were determined to kill me. Alas, we are all subjects of the Great Xia, why must we fight each other?"

Captain Zhao Zhengyong shouted, "Nanwang's guards, listen up! We swear to protect the two lords with our lives!"

"twitter!"

Dozens of guards and some constables instantly surrounded Wu and Ma, protecting them.

A number of Fang Ming's constables had already defected to Ma Gui's side. Fang Ming said with a wry smile, "We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate."

Having said that, he drew his sword and pointed it at the guards, saying, "Your act of defying the court is a crime punishable by the execution of your entire family. I will strike you dozens of times; those who lay down their weapons will be spared."

Fang Ming winked at Ma Gui, as if to say, "You'd better think of a solution quickly, this is all I can do."

Fang Ming suddenly shouted sternly, "Axemen, get ready! Listen to my count!"

"One", "Two"

As Fang Ming slowly announced the numbers, the air in the council hall began to freeze.

People's hearts are beating faster and faster...

"Eight"

"Nine"

Zhao Zhengyong and Du Shan stood guard in front of the two adults, ready to fight to the death.

Seeing that the two adults remained unmoved, Fang Ming sighed inwardly and had no choice but to grit his teeth and open his mouth to recite "ten".

Just then, a loud voice rang out from outside the hall.

"Imperial edict has arrived! All civil and military officials of Lishui County, please receive the edict!"

"Oh?"

"An imperial edict has arrived?"

Everyone except Wu and Ma was taken aback.

Under the protection of the Imperial Guards, Lan Tianpeng entered the hall as if surrounded by stars.

"Lord Lan?"

When Gu Zhong saw him holding the golden imperial edict, his heart skipped a beat.

Gu Zhong was all too familiar with this imperial edict and the Golden Guard that followed.

Lan Tianpeng walked to the front of the main hall and said sternly to the crowd, "What are you all standing there for? Do you intend to refuse to accept the imperial decree?"

Upon seeing this, the Imperial Guards drew their swords in a flash.

With a whoosh, dozens of people knelt down.

Lan Tianpeng glared at the officials with eyes like swords, then paused on Gu Zhong's face, startling Gu Zhong so much that he immediately lost control of his bladder.

"By the grace of Heaven, I, the King, traveling incognito, have the good fortune to witness the peace and prosperity of the nation and the flourishing of agriculture, which greatly pleases me. My ninth son, Longbin, is indifferent to fame and fortune, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the country and its people. He has built the great cannon, expanded the territory at Danyang, and forced the Dongjiang Kingdom to submit, wiping away the humiliation of the Great Xia for twenty-one years. This is a great achievement. I am extremely pleased and hereby bestow upon Longbin the titles of King of the South, Grand Marshal of the Heavenly Treasure, and his fiefdom: wherever the flag of the King of the South flies, all will be the royal land. So be it!"

"..."

The officials were dumbfounded. How could a king be conferred such a title? If the Southern King's banner was planted in the capital, then the capital would also belong to the Southern King?

Ma Gui, Wu Yizhi, Zhao Zhengyong, Fang Ming, and others were in high spirits and kowtowed, chanting, "Long live the wise and benevolent ruler! Long live our lord! Long live the lord! Long live the lord!"

"My lords, please rise, no need for formalities!"

Lan Tianpeng handed the imperial edict to the Prime Minister, then turned to Fang Ming and asked, "What happened before?"

Now that Fang Ming had someone to rely on, he recounted what had happened.

Lan Tianpeng asked coldly, "Gu Zhong, is this the Second Prince's intention, or are you villains falsely conveying the imperial edict?"

"This……"

Gu Zhong was so frightened that he lost control of his bladder, and the area where he was paralyzed was covered in yellow fluid. When Lan Tianpeng asked him this question, he was even more terrified and speechless.

More than a year ago, the imperial envoys were all stranded in Lishui. Among them, Gu Zhong was placed under house arrest, Wu and Yu served the Prince of Nanjing, but Lan Tianpeng mysteriously disappeared.

Upon hearing the imperial edict, people realized that the Emperor himself was also serving the Emperor, and that Lan Tianpeng, the top martial arts expert in the palace, had been attending to him all along.

Lan Tianpeng didn't need Gu Zhong to explain anything. He said in a deep voice, "When the turmoil occurred in Lishui County, Gu Zhong used the Second Prince's edict to support the rebels. His crime is unforgivable. He shall be executed!"

The captain of the Imperial Guards swung his sword, and with a thud, Gu Zhong's head fell to the ground.

Gong Bing and Wan Ning were so frightened that they fainted.

"**, you're in charge of the interrogation!"

"As ordered!"

In extraordinary times, severe measures are absolutely necessary!