The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

"Yes!" the eunuchs responded in unison, their movements swift and efficient.

Ye Jiuchen slightly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the emperor above him, before slowly sitting down. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, as if a gentle breeze could easily blow him over.

"Thank you, Your Majesty..." Ye Jiuchen said weakly, then plopped down on the floor without any hesitation. His posture was downright arrogant and domineering...

"Ninth Brother, you are not fully recovered and there is no need for you to come to court today. If there is anything, you could have simply sent someone to inform us. Why did you have to come all this way in person?" the Emperor said earnestly.

Ye Jiuchen did not answer, but suddenly turned his gaze to Dongfang Zheng beside him, his eyes sharp and questioning, "Brother, I have heard that some people have been neglecting the morning court because of their lust for beautiful women. Is this true?"

Dongfang was startled and hurriedly knelt down, saying in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, this is indeed the case, but I have already been punished by the Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Ye Jiuchen couldn't help but let out a cold laugh: "Hmph, is it really enough to just punish them with a three-month salary deduction? I think the laws in this court are far too lenient."

Emperor Ye Erxiao's face turned somewhat gloomy. He looked at Ye Jiuchen in front of him and couldn't help but feel a surge of dissatisfaction!

"Ninth Brother, I have already dealt with this matter, so you don't need to pursue it any further." He tried his best to keep his voice calm, but he still couldn't hide a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.

Ye Jiuchen seemed oblivious to the emperor's change in mood, and he persisted in his opinion: "Your Majesty, I am merely stating the facts and have no other intentions. However, such things must never happen again, otherwise, what will become of the law?" After saying this, Ye Jiuchen casually began to play with the ring in his hand and fell silent.

Seeing this, Emperor Ye Erxiao could not say anything more and could only sigh inwardly.

Just then, the Left Chancellor stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, the Regent is right. A mere three-month salary deduction is hardly acceptable; it will hardly convince the people! This old minister believes that the salary deduction should be for a year, along with a one-month suspension from morning court sessions. Only in this way can the court demonstrate its respect for the law and gain the people's trust. Otherwise, if everyone imitates this behavior, wouldn't the court's laws become mere decorations?” His words were forceful and resonated with many ministers.

Seeing this, the eldest prince quickly stepped forward and said, "Father, I think the Left Chancellor's punishment is a bit too harsh. Although this matter was indeed somewhat inappropriate, it did not cause too much of an impact. Such a severe punishment may cause dissatisfaction among the officials." His words also received support from some people.

Following this, other ministers also expressed their opinions.

"Your Majesty, I believe the Left Chancellor's words are reasonable..."

"Your Majesty, I believe the Crown Prince's words make sense."

"emperor…"

"emperor…"

Some agreed with the Left Chancellor's proposal, believing that the punishment should be severe; others echoed the Crown Prince's opinion, feeling that excessive punishment would be counterproductive. The court was immediately plunged into a heated debate.

Dongfang was standing there, drenched in sweat. How had things gotten so serious...?

Emperor Ye Erxiao was also in a real bind!

The emperor sat on his dragon throne, listening quietly to the ministers' discussions. His brow was slightly furrowed, clearly troubled about how to handle the matter.

On the one hand, he didn't want to punish Dongfang Zheng, who was his confidant, and he understood that if he didn't deal with him seriously, it would inevitably affect the authority of the law. On the other hand, punishing Dongfang Zheng would further strengthen the power of his ninth brother's faction.

If they don't punish him, what will happen to Ninth Brother...

Emperor Ye Erxiao is caught in a dilemma!

Ye Jiuchen's lips curled slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips as he watched the crowd argue. He knew in his heart that the Left Prime Minister was using this as an excuse to deliberately target Dongfang Zheng.

"Alright, everyone quiet down." Emperor Ye Erxiao slammed his hand on the table, silencing the argument abruptly. "Since that's the case, let's proceed according to the Left Prime Minister's suggestion. Dongfang Zheng, do you have any objections?"

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your mercy," Dongfang Zheng said, bowing his head, his voice trembling slightly.

"Alright, let's adjourn the court." Ye Erxiao waved his hand and was about to leave.

“Your Majesty, I have another matter to discuss…” Ye Jiuchen spoke again, his voice echoing in the empty palace.

Ye Erxiao frowned slightly; his patience was wearing thin. "Ninth Brother, what else do you want?" he asked, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

Ye Jiuchen said calmly, "Your Majesty, my body can no longer withstand the hardships of the battlefield. Therefore, I have decided to relinquish my military command and relinquish control of the 100,000-strong army."

Upon hearing this, Ye Erxiao was overjoyed. The military tally was a relic left to Ye Jiuchen by his father, the Emperor, to prevent him from taking action against him.

Thinking of this, he sighed to himself, "Father really favors Ninth Brother..."

Ye Erxiao couldn't wait to ask, "Ninth Brother, where is that military tally now?" His eyes were full of expectation as he looked directly at Ye Jiuchen.

Ye Jiuchen calmly fiddled with the ring on his finger, seemingly unaware of Ye Erxiao's eagerness. After a moment, he spoke leisurely: "Your Majesty, we can discuss the matter of the military tally later. I have an idea to slightly amend the laws of our dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Ye Erxiao was slightly surprised, but more so by his desire for the military tally. He suppressed his anxiety and asked, "Ninth Brother, which law do you wish to amend?"

At this moment, he only hoped to obtain the military tally as soon as possible. As for matters of law, as long as they were not excessive, everything was negotiable.

After all, Ye Jiuchen commands the entire army of the Celestial Empire, a total of 600,000 men. He himself only has 50,000 Imperial Guards. Now that Ye Jiuchen is willing to give up 100,000 troops, it is already an unexpected bonus.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" the Left Chancellor warned, his tone tinged with worry.

"Left Prime Minister, what do you mean by this? The Prince is in poor health and is not suitable to guard the border. What good will handing over the military seal do?" The Right Prime Minister finally found an opportunity to speak, his voice revealing a hint of dissatisfaction and urgency.

"Hmph! The military tally was entrusted to the Regent by the late Emperor. You, Right Chancellor, were present when the late Emperor passed away, weren't you? At that time, the late Emperor clearly stated that the Emperor would manage state affairs, while the Regent would command the army. Have you forgotten all of this?" The Left Chancellor's words were sharp, and his questioning left the Right Chancellor speechless, unable to utter a single word in response.

"You..." The Right Chancellor opened his mouth, wanting to refute something, but ultimately failed to utter a single word.

At this moment, Ye Jiuchen waved his hand, indicating that the Left Prime Minister did not need to continue.