After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

In the vast banquet hall, all eyes were fixed on Chen Futu.

Liu Longyue stared blankly at Chen Futu. In fact, she felt that it was unnecessary for the lord to personally participate in the bickering between scholars. After all, Zhuge Liang's mouth was like it had been blessed, and all the scholars and officials in the hall combined were no match for him. Why should Chen Futu personally refute it?

Cui Shanwu asked suspiciously, "What advice does the young master have for me?"

Chen Futu raised his sword-like eyebrows, his expression cold. "You say that if I, the young master, hand over my military power and return it to the capital, I can avoid the emperor's suspicion and live a peaceful life?"

“That’s right.” Cui Shanwu nodded.

"As expected of a Confucian scholar, he can spout out all sorts of nonsense without hesitation."

Chen Futu stopped hiding his true intentions and started cursing directly.

Cui Shanwu was so embarrassed that he blushed and turned red in the face.

Other scholars chimed in, "Your Highness, why must you use such hurtful words!"

"When I first went to the capital, I couldn't even see the emperor. No one would talk to me about the power in the northern frontier. On that day, an old eunuch came to me with poisoned wine and forced me to drink it. If I hadn't been skilled in martial arts, none of you would be seeing me today."

Chen Futu coldly stated the facts, and everyone present was shocked, realizing that there was such a hidden story behind it.

Cui Shanwu opened his mouth, "Your Highness, there may be a misunderstanding here."

"Someone, pour Mr. Cui a full cup of wine."

Chen Futu called out, and a waiter brought over a pot of wine. Cui Shanwu and all the guests were shocked to see this.

"Your Highness, what is the reason for this?"

"Mr. Cui is a man of great benevolence and righteousness, devoted to the country. Why not drink this wine and set an example for me, the Crown Prince, to uphold your loyalty? In the future, I, the Crown Prince, will publish your name in the newspapers and proclaim it to the world, so that all the people of the land will remember your great name."

Chen Futu waved his hand, and a waiter immediately poured a cup of wine and handed it to Cui Shanwu.

Cui Shanwu stared at the wine and swallowed hard, cold sweat pouring down his face, while the group of literati made a great commotion.

"Mr. Cui, you can't drink."

"Yes, Mr. Cui, it's not that bad..."

Cui Shanwu was a great Confucian scholar of Guangyuan. If he were to die, Guangyuan's literary tradition would decline.

"You won't drink?"

Chen Futu stood up and, amidst everyone's bewildered gazes, approached Cui Shanwu, personally picked up the wine and handed it to him, saying, "This young master will personally offer you a cup, sir."

Cui Shanwu stared at the wine glass with a flustered expression. He reached out his hand, but just as he touched the glass, he abruptly pulled it back.

He wanted fame, and his purpose in coming to the Northern Frontier was to persuade the Crown Prince to surrender and win a name that would last for eternity. However, while reputation was important, his own life was even more important. He was not the kind of person who would do anything for the sake of preserving his honor.

Time passed slowly, and everyone watched this scene in silence.

Chen Futu gripped his wine glass tightly, staring directly at Cui Shanwu, his brows furrowing, a murderous intent emanating from him. "Hmm?"

The voice came from his nasal cavity, carrying displeasure and doubt.

Cui Shanwu was drenched in sweat and trembling all over.

Their eyes met, and Chen Futu's eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. "Hmm?"

Gudong!

Cui Shanwu was terrified and fell to the ground in a panic. He sat back down with his head down, looking completely disoriented.

The main hall was quiet.

Upon seeing this, Chen Futu laughed heartily, then tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, causing the entire audience to gasp in surprise.

Liu Longyue, Guan Yu, Ma Chao, and the women watching the ceremony behind the curtain, including Liu Longyue and Yan Qing, all exclaimed and stood up, "Your Highness!"

Chen Futu showed the empty wine cup to everyone, then met Cui Shanwu's astonished gaze with a teasing look and joked, "Mr. Cui, this wine is excellent, but it's a pity you are not fortunate enough to enjoy it."

After saying this, Chen Futu returned to the palace with his hands behind his back and a loud laugh.

The banquet was in an uproar.

This is a blatant insult!

At this moment, the personalities of the king and the pedantic scholar are fully revealed.

Chen Futu dared to resist the poisoned wine bestowed by the royal family, while Cui Shanwu was so frightened by the words "crown prince" that he nearly died suddenly. He neither resisted nor drank the "poisoned wine," and like an ostrich, he eventually buried his head in the sand.

Just as Zhuge Liang said, "How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?" Confucian scholars should just focus on their studies and stop talking about imperial power and tactics, lest they become a laughing stock.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the music continue, let the dance continue."

Chen Futu returned to his seat and, facing the astonished and complicated gazes of the crowd, waved his hand. The musicians immediately began to pluck the strings, and the dancers took to the stage to perform. What a peaceful and happy land!

Zhuge Liang slung his feather fan over his shoulder, glanced down at the embarrassed and indignant Cui Shanwu, and said sarcastically, "Mr. Cui, you should only be doing academic research. Don't try to be a smooth talker. You'll only make people laugh."

Zhuge Liang not only killed people, but also destroyed their spirit.

Cui Shanwu lowered his head and remained silent, trembling with shame and indignation.

He and Chen Futu were not the same kind of people at all. For him to try to persuade the prince to surrender was utterly ridiculous.

Moreover, from this moment on, the vast majority of the literati present lost the opportunity to quip and debate in front of Chen Futu.

Behind the curtain, Chen Yuling was still shaken, but her pretty face was full of pride. "He really is my brother. He's getting more and more domineering."

Yan Qing looked through the gauze curtain at the figure in the hall, her face flushed and her heart pounding.

What merit or ability did she possess to have a one-night stand with such a person?

As for the other women, their hearts were pounding, and their admiration for Chen Futu grew deeper with each glance.

Since ancient times, beauties have loved heroes. Chen Futu now possesses the aura of a king, and it is an inevitable trend for him to become emperor. It is impossible for his path to becoming emperor to be stopped by the obstruction of some literati.

As Liu Longyue watched Chen Futu chatting and laughing with the civil and military officials, a strange feeling arose in her heart.

The only one who looked unwell was the delegation. Chen Futu's performance far surpassed that of the Prince of Zhenbei back then. At least the Prince of Zhenbei would not have dared to be so unscrupulous in his contempt for the court and the people of the world.

The banquet continued, and everyone's attention was focused on Zhou Qingzhi, a renowned Confucian scholar who was far superior to Ji Wendao and Cui Shanwu. Even Chen Futu treated him with great courtesy.

Therefore, this opening song and dance performance was merely to ease the atmosphere; the real contest was yet to come.

As the song ended, Zhou Qingzhi suddenly put down his wine cup, smiled, and looked at Chen Futu. "Your Highness, it is a bit presumptuous of us to meet today, but I have a question I would like to ask you."

Chen Futu pursed his lips, "Please speak freely, sir."

"Your Highness has committed massacres in the Western Regions, causing chaos throughout the land. Throughout history, any ruler who has been fond of slaughtering cities has left a bad name in history. Has Your Highness ever considered the consequences?"

He spoke, and everyone fell silent.

As expected of a renowned Confucian scholar, he got straight to the point from the very first word.

This is tantamount to pointing a finger at Chen Futu and asking, "Why are you killing innocent people indiscriminately?" An ordinary monarch would probably be furious, but it is unknown how this prince would react.

Under the gaze of everyone, Chen Futu stared intently at the elderly Zhou Qingzhi, and finally turned his gaze to Zhuge Liang.