Chapter 161: Qi Han: Hold Cheng Yu Accountable? Me?
“Your Majesty! You should not call the Great Ancestor ‘Grandfather.’ That is a grave disrespect!”
The thick-browed, large-eyed etiquette official radiated an air entirely different from the other ministers.
He had no authority to care why Xiao Wuji was so shocked. The only thing he cared about was the other party’s conduct and deportment.
An emperor’s dignity was worn away in every little detail.
“Your Majesty, such agitation is truly unbecoming of imperial bearing!”
Xiao Wuji widened his eyes and blinked. Then he composed himself, though he had already been shocked beyond words by the contents of the urgent report.
Cheng Yu.
A minor figure of the Jinyiwei who had only recently begun to reveal his edge had actually reached such a level in so short a time?
If he remembered correctly, Cheng Yu had been only in his twenties when he had slain an opponent with Grandmaster-level strength. Such a combat record was truly too astonishing.
Within the entire Great Qian court, he was already an extremely top-tier combatant, second only to a few Grandmaster experts.
The ministers who had been arguing in the hall were also utterly puzzled when they saw that even Xiao Wuji had lost his composure.
“Your Majesty, what is the matter? What happened?”
Xiao Wuji forced himself to steady his mind and recovered his imperial bearing before handing the urgent report to Lu Zhi.
“Minister Lu, read it aloud for all my ministers.”
Lu Zhi struggled to recover from his shock. With a complicated expression, he began reading the urgent report aloud.
“The Jiannan Circuit Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Office reports that Prince Qing’s Remnants have been completely exterminated at Iron Halberd Mountain…”
“According to intelligence obtained by Jinyiwei spies, during the battle at Iron Halberd Mountain in Jiannan Circuit, the current rebel leader Xiao Teng erupted with Grandmaster might, and Cheng Yu slew him…”
“Cheng Zhenjiang appeared… and a Grandmaster battle broke out…”
Hearing this.
Zhao Yi, who had been gloating only moments earlier, was dumbfounded, and his entire body froze.
His grandson was this capable?
The ministers’ eyes gradually widened, and blankness flickered through their gazes.
What… what was all this?
They had been arguing here for half a day, and the entire cause had been Cheng Yu’s actions in Jiannan Circuit.
Yet before they had even finished arguing, the matter over there had already ended completely?
Qi Han and the others of the Moderate Faction, in particular, had abruptly become a joke.
The other side had already exterminated Prince Qing’s Remnants and become a great meritorious subject of Great Qian.
You sent people to hold him accountable, only for them to be slaughtered by people of the Jianghu halfway there.
It was simply an absurd act of self-inflicted humiliation.
Elder Grand Secretary Qi’s expression turned exceedingly ugly. Zhao Yi’s words had truly come true.
He had become a traitorous minister who harmed the court’s interests!
Several old ministers swiftly caught the key point. This was joyous news!
A victory report!
They hurriedly seized the chance to attack the Moderate Faction.
“Did you hear that? My Great Qian’s Jinyiwei has rendered great merit and shaken the world with its might. At a time like this, if you bow your heads to one Army-Breaking Sect, whose ministers are you exactly?”
At these words.
Qi Han and the others were immediately left speechless. With such excellent news arriving, if they continued speaking pessimistically, their motives would no longer be the same!
Their faces showed that they did not know whether they should rejoice or worry.
Qi Han could only grit his teeth and say, “Congratulations, Your Majesty. Your rule has produced a man whose might shakes the world!”
The ministers hurriedly echoed, “Congratulations, Your Majesty!”
A satisfied smile immediately appeared on Xiao Wuji’s face. Every time news of Cheng Yu arrived, the matter would indeed become troublesome, but it always forced those fellows whose loyalty was impossible to distinguish from treachery to bow their heads, allowing him to hold his head high.
“Everyone, how should this matter be judged?”
At these words.
The ministers knew that Xiao Wuji intended to press his advantage while the wind was in his favor, so they quickly offered congratulations for the Great Qian Emperor’s merit and virtue.
This was a wonderful matter!
They surrounded the Great Qian Emperor with a barrage of praise, extolling his merit and virtue, saying that his might shook the world, and that those who rebelled against Heavenly Fate deserved to be destroyed.
Xiao Wuji found every word exceedingly pleasing and could barely keep himself from humming atop the Dragon Throne.
“Then, what do you think of Thousand-Household Commander Cheng Yu?”
Qi Han hurriedly cupped his hands and stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, a great victory is a great victory, but Cheng Yu’s wolfish ambition has become increasingly apparent. He attacked Prince Qing’s Remnants without authorization. It is all well and good that he won this time, but what if he had lost?”
The smile on Xiao Wuji’s face stiffened. It was partly because Elder Grand Secretary Qi did not know what was good for him, but also because what the other party said was true.
Cheng Yu acted far too unpredictably. For a subject of an emperor, that was not a good thing!
“Minister Zhao, I wish to ask how you view this matter.”
Zhao Yi was still dumbfounded for a moment by the combat record of his eldest grandson.
He truly had not expected that Cheng Yu could slay an enemy with Grandmaster-level strength and even clash with Cheng Zhenjiang.
Good grandson!
That was exactly how it should be done.
“Replying to Your Majesty, the matter of Thousand-Household Commander Cheng Yu is very simple. He must be rewarded. Greatly rewarded!”
As soon as these words were spoken, before the Great Qian Emperor could respond, Qi Han reacted first.
“Impossible! Cheng Yu is a man with no regard for sovereign or father. How can his arrogance be encouraged?”
Cheng Yu’s relationship with the Great Qian Jianghu had already become utterly irreconcilable.
If the court rewarded Cheng Yu, its relationship with the Jianghu would absolutely take a sharp turn for the worse. All the efforts people like them had made earlier would be wasted.
Zhao Yi glanced at Qi Han. He was too lazy to argue with him. If he argued any further, it would only make him seem as if he lacked confidence in his grandson.
He even raised an eyebrow. “Elder Grand Secretary Qi speaks reasonably! I only wonder how exactly this should be arranged?”
Qi Han had not expected Zhao Yi to refrain from arguing at all. Although he found it somewhat strange, he still said, “Naturally, he should be punished! Merit does not offset his offenses. That boy must be punished!”
Zhao Yi nodded in approval and looked puzzled. “How should he be punished?”
Qi Han raised his head and looked toward the Great Qian Emperor. “Your Majesty should issue an imperial edict commanding him to come to the capital and await judgment!”
“What if he does not come?”
“Does not come? That would be even easier!” A ferocious expression appeared on Qi Han’s face. “If he does not come, that means he disrespects Your Majesty. Then just have…”
As he spoke excitedly, Qi Han suddenly froze.
If Cheng Yu refused to obey the edict, then according to the law, he certainly had to be arrested and dealt with.
The problem was that Cheng Yu had slain an expert among Prince Qing’s Remnants who had unleashed Grandmaster-level strength. Who would go and arrest him?
“Have…”
As the Commander of the Jinyiwei, Lu Zhi was Cheng Yu’s direct superior.
He hurriedly gave an awkward smile. “If Your Majesty gives the order, I will certainly risk my life and fulfill my duty!”
Risk his life!
A Ninth Rank martial artist like him would be courting death by provoking Cheng Yu, who had such a combat record!
When Qi Han heard this, he was instantly stunned. That was right. How many people in Great Qian could guarantee that they could take Cheng Yu down?
If they wanted to convict him, who would deal with whom might not be certain!
The current Cheng Yu had thoroughly grown into a force to be reckoned with. He was no longer the little local Jinyiwei Banner Captain he had been in the beginning.
Zhao Yi immediately revealed a mocking smile.
“Elder Grand Secretary Qi is an important minister of Great Qian. Why don’t you go personally? If you push him too far, you can just die loyally for the country.”
Qi Han shuddered all over and said stubbornly, “Could he actually dare to act against a court-appointed official?”
At that moment.
Lu Zhi spoke quietly.
“I forgot to read it just now. Rebels appeared in Jiannan Circuit, and the region entered wartime conditions. Circuit Intendant Gao Song and Imperial Envoy Inspector Xu Quan betrayed their own side and delayed the opportunity for battle, so both were killed by Thousand-Household Commander Cheng…”
A Circuit Intendant. An Imperial Envoy Inspector. Two Third-Rank high officials!
Killed by Cheng Yu!
The court was instantly shaken, and Qi Han in particular was so frightened that he collapsed to the floor.
Cheng Yu truly dared to kill people of the court!
Sending him to hold Cheng Yu accountable would be sending him to his death!