Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"Duke Zhenguo, please take a seat."

Zhao Huan, weeping and wailing, dragged Shen Lang by the hand into his side hall and forced him to sit beside him.

After the Chu envoys were all seated, Zhao Huan continued, "Duke Zhenguo, considering the long-standing diplomatic relations between Song and Chu..."

"Please, you must give me some advice. I have no idea how to deal with the current situation."

Shen Lang: "Your Majesty, this is your country's internal affair. As an envoy sent to your country on diplomatic mission, how can I interfere in such matters?"

"Lord Zhenguo, please, I'm begging you."

Zhao Huan stood up and made a gesture as if to kneel down again.

Shen Lang quickly helped him up: "Your Majesty, why are you like this? As the ruler of a country, you should not be so cowardly. You should be brave enough to use your energy to solve the current situation."

"But I... I don't even know where to begin," Zhao Huan choked out. "I ascended the throne in such a muddled way. After my father passed the throne to me, he never bothered with anything else."

I'm currently packing up my valuables and antiques, planning to move to Jingyang and settle down there, no longer wanting to concern myself with matters in the capital.

I have no one at my disposal, and I truly do not know what to do. I have long heard that the Duke of Zhenguo is resourceful and wise.

I only hope you can provide me with a solution, so I can put my mind at ease.

"Alas, Your Majesty, aren't you putting me in a difficult position?"

Shen Lang sighed helplessly, glanced at the bewildered Zhao Huan, and was about to make up an excuse to brush it off.

Ye Fan, who didn't want to keep focusing on Zhao Huan, suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, do not worry. I have a plan that can help Your Majesty stabilize the situation."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang immediately swallowed back what he was about to say.

Zhao Huan was immediately drawn to Ye Fan's words, took a closer look at him, and couldn't help but ask Shen Lang, "May I ask, Duke Zhenguo, who is this gentleman?"

Shen Lang smiled and said, "I forgot to introduce you to His Majesty. This is Ye Fan, the third son of the Prime Minister of our Great Chu, who is the Deputy Envoy on this mission to your country."

"Ah, so it's the eldest son of the Ye family!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan immediately stood up and greeted him with a smile.

"I have overlooked Young Master Ye just now. I hope you will forgive me. Please come forward and take a seat, Young Master Ye."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Ye Fan thanked Zhao Huan, flicked his robe, and went straight to sit down next to Zhao Huan.

"Humph."

Seeing this, Shen Lang knew that Ye Fan was eager to make his presence known to Zhao Huan, so he simply let them have their fun and let them make a fuss.

As soon as Ye Fan took his seat, Zhao Huan asked impatiently, "Young Master Ye, you just said you had a way to help me get through this predicament? Please tell me quickly so that I can be at ease."

Ye Fan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the enemy is at our gates and the situation is tense. If the Song Dynasty wants to overcome this calamity, the court and its officials must be of one mind to resolve this crisis."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan nodded repeatedly and continued to ask, "Then how can we unite the emperor and his ministers in the court? Please teach me, Young Master Ye, how."

Ye Fan began to offer his opinions: "Your Majesty ascended the throne in a time of crisis, thus gaining the right to rule. However, this alone is not enough. You still need to establish your authority to intimidate your ministers."

Zhao Huan asked anxiously, "How should I establish my authority?"

Ye Fan simply got up and began pacing back and forth in the hall, displaying the demeanor of a literary master.

"The greatest problem leading to the current state of the Song Dynasty is the growing estrangement between the emperor and his ministers. Your Majesty's first step should be to issue an edict to punish the officials who committed crimes during the reign of the retired emperor."

The likes of Cai Yuanchang and Tong Daofu brought disaster to the country and its people, deceiving the emperor and causing widespread resentment throughout the court. This led to the Song Dynasty's precarious situation.

Your Majesty should severely punish these treacherous officials who have brought disaster to the country and its people. Only in this way can you stabilize the hearts and minds of the people and the court, and then support capable officials who support Your Majesty to govern.

In this way, His Majesty can both establish his authority and win over the hearts of his court officials, thus securing a foothold in the court.

"I see..." Zhao Huan nodded repeatedly, his eyes sparkling with wisdom (though perhaps a little dim-witted).

On the other side, Shen Lang held his teacup and swished the lid throughout, his face completely expressionless.

"But Prime Minister Cai and Grand Commandant Tong are former officials of the retired emperor, have a close relationship with the emperor, and their cronies are spread throughout the court and the country."

"If I were to harm them, and my father were to blame me, what would I do?"

Ye Fan turned around and said righteously, "Your Majesty, you are the true Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. From the moment you sat on the dragon throne, everything in the world belongs to you."

The treacherous officials like Cai Yuanchang and Tong Daofu have brought the Song Dynasty to such a state; removing them would only bring joy to all the people of the land.

Even if the Emperor Emeritus misunderstands Your Majesty, he will surely understand you once he understands Your Majesty's intentions!

"Is this really necessary?"

Zhao Huan was clearly quite moved by Ye Fan's impassioned words.

However, he hadn't made up his mind yet and hesitated, "What if Prime Minister Cai's supporters turn against me?"

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Cai is merely a favored minister of the retired Emperor. Now, the Great Song Dynasty belongs to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty were to punish this treacherous minister..."

And by publicly revealing his crimes, how dare those henchmen stand up to threaten Your Majesty? I dare assert that the treacherous minister's cronies, upon learning that Your Majesty intends to punish Cai Yuanchang,

They will certainly be busy distancing themselves from him to protect themselves and will pose no threat to Your Majesty. The situation is tense right now; Your Majesty, please make a decision soon, or things may change."

"This……"

Zhao Huan got up and began pacing back and forth in the hall, clearly still struggling with how to explain things to Zhao Ji after dealing with Cai Yuanchang and the others.

However, he was now, after all, an emperor. After weighing the pros and cons, he immediately came up with a compromise: "Very well, I will issue an edict tomorrow."

The crimes of Cai Yuanchang, Tong Daofu, Gao Wei, and others were publicly announced, their official positions were revoked, and they were allowed to return to their hometowns.

You were simply dismissed from your posts, not convicted. This way, when Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) inquired about the matter, there would be a way to explain it to him, and the atmosphere between father and son wouldn't become too tense.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Ye Fan bowed respectfully to Zhao Huan.

Upon witnessing this scene, Ban Dingyuan clenched his fists involuntarily.

Ye Fan now looks more like a subject of the Song Dynasty.

Only Shen Lang remained calm and composed, letting the two lovable clowns "show their true feelings in times of trouble."

"Young Master Ye is truly a man of great talent. Your insightful remarks have enlightened me greatly, like a sudden awakening or the clearing of the clouds to reveal the sun. Please accept my bow!"

As Zhao Huan spoke, he was about to kneel down before Ye Fan.

Ye Fan hurriedly stepped forward to stop him: "Your Majesty, you must not do this. You are the ruler of a country, and your body is of immeasurable value. I truly cannot accept such a favor."

Zhao Huan's eyes reddened: "Young Master Ye, please allow me to address you as 'Master.' Your talent is like the bright moon in the sky, dispelling all the pent-up emotions in my heart. But now, with the Jin army pressing in, how can we repel them?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I am unworthy of it."

Ye Fan was flattered and then said to Zhao Huan.

"Your Majesty, although the Jin soldiers are arrogant, their bandit nature is hard to shake off, and they have not changed their inherent tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong. As long as Your Majesty reforms the court..."

With the emperor and his ministers united in their desire for war, and a call drawn from across the land to defend the capital in a show of force, the Jin army would surely dare not advance rashly. In this way, the siege of Bianzhou could be lifted.

Seeing Ye Fan's unwavering confidence, Zhao Huan felt emboldened and gripped his hand tightly, saying excitedly:

"The Great Chu is truly a land of outstanding people and abundant resources. It is regrettable that within the borders of my Great Song, there is not a single person who can compare with you, sir. If I were to have your assistance, the Great Song would surely have hope for a revival..."