Si Fengwu shot him a cold glare, his killing intent almost palpable.
"You and I have a past grudge, and I never expected a narrow-minded person like you to treat the Xuanjia Army well. I won't even mention your mistreatment of the Xuanjia Army.
But the Zhenguo Army, under the command of the Southern King, is a crucial force for guarding Beizhili.
You still allowed Yue Yuanting to sell off military rations and weapons, mixing moldy rice into the soldiers' rations.
You sold the latest military equipment, forcing the soldiers to fight the Northern Wei army with inferior weapons that were worse than mere firewood.
Feng Qingheng, is your head filled with straw?"
Si Fengwu, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, was not exactly a father to his soldiers, but he at least could not stand to see someone disregard the lives of his soldiers so much.
It was only out of extreme anger that he wasted so many words on Feng Qingheng at this moment.
The ministers had long been stunned by the succession of scandals. Feng Qingheng was still raging in vain.
"Si Fengwu, you dare to slander me!
It was clearly you, driven by personal vendetta, who silently withdrew the Xuanjia Army, handing over the gate of Beixiaoguan on a silver platter, which led to the current defeat!
It's a pity that Father Emperor still considered you his own brother. If he had known you would be so heartless, Father Emperor and Empress Dowager should have strangled you, you ungrateful wretch, when they found you!"
The dignified ruler of a nation was shouting like a common shrew.
Si Fengwu calmly replied, "When my brother and Empress Dowager saved me, they only had the shadow guards from Wufeng Hall with them. You seem to know quite a lot, don't you?"
Feng Qingheng's face stiffened, then he said smugly, "So what if I knew it long ago?
Don't forget, you promised Father Emperor that you would protect the Great Gan Dynasty and its people. If you dare to touch me, Father Emperor will never forgive you..."
He still thought Si Fengwu was the same person who endured everything out of gratitude. Feeling that he had found Si Fengwu's weakness, he proudly threatened him.
But Si Fengwu only looked coldly at the Southern King, "You can now read what you have in your hands, let your Emperor have a clear head."
The Southern King did not hesitate. He opened the imperial decree and began to read aloud.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I know my time is short, but I am filled with regret that there is no successor to the throne.
The Third Prince, Feng Qingheng, has an impure heart and is incapable of great achievements. However, he is the only son I have. I temporarily pass the throne to the Third Prince, Feng Qingheng.
If within three years, Feng Qingheng does not engage in any actions that endanger or harm the nation, you shall all assist in maintaining the eternal stability of the empire.
If Feng Qingheng proves to be an incompetent and foolish ruler, the Regent, Feng Qingheng, may depose him and restore order, thereby protecting all the people of Great Gan.
Respect this decree!"
As soon as the Southern King began to speak, Feng Qingheng knew things were not good.
When he heard that Feng Qingheng had an impure heart and was incapable of great achievements, he wanted to stop the Southern King from reading further. However, a group of black-clad guards blocked the few guards he could command.
He wanted to act himself, but Lu Qingwan's whip was already twitching restlessly in her hand.
Her intent was clear: if he dared to move, Lu Qingwan's whip would appear on his face.
After the Southern King finished reading the imperial decree, everyone in the hall was stunned. After extreme shock, there was complete silence.
"Impossible! Father Emperor knew Si Fengwu was nothing but a bastard with no parents. How could he have handed over Great Gan to him?
Feng Qingheng roared in disbelief, his voice hoarse. His bloodshot eyes and lost gaze, however, told everyone that he himself knew very well that the late Emperor's will read by the Southern King was genuine.
Seeing Feng Qingheng's disgraceful behavior, Grand Tutor Chi stepped forward.
"Since Your Majesty does not believe it, shall this old man read another imperial decree left by the late Emperor?"
He stepped forward, sighed, and took out the imperial decree he had kept for a long time. "You may not believe it, but the content of the imperial decree in my hands is exactly the same as the one in the Southern King's hands.
The late Emperor must have foreseen this situation, which is why he left identical imperial decrees to me, the Southern King, and Prime Minister Wen."
As he spoke, he held the imperial decree high and repeated what the Southern King had said to the officials.
The officials were all deeply shocked. Grand Tutor Chi then added,
"Earlier this year, my son fell ill, and I believe all my colleagues are aware of this..."
Before he could finish, Feng Qingheng shouted in panic, "Old man, shut your mouth!"
His anxious and guilty demeanor shocked the officials. Lu Qingwan chuckled.
Seeing Feng Qingheng about to make a scene, Lu Qingwan shook her head. Two secret guards rushed to a higher position, blocking Feng Qingheng's path down from the platform from left and right.
Lu Qingwan then smiled and said, "Elder Chi, you may continue."
Grand Tutor Chi bowed respectfully to Lu Qingwan, and then said, "Today, I want to tell my colleagues that my son was not ill, but had all ten of his fingers broken by Your Majesty using a clamp."
The ministers were in an uproar upon hearing this. Gu Ci'en, the Minister of Dali Temple, who valued rules the most, rushed to ask, disregarding the important discussion about the succession of the empire.
"May I ask Elder Chi, what offense did Lord Chi commit for His Majesty to use such brutal torture on a master painter?"
Chi Yunshen was a renowned master painter across the three kingdoms. His hands were his second life.
Setting that aside, Great Gan had never had a habit of torturing civil officials.
It had to be said that Gu Ci'en had truly voiced the thoughts of all the ministers.
Elder Chi's exquisite goatee trembled slightly with anger upon hearing this.
"His Majesty somehow learned that I could imitate other people's handwriting. He ordered me to forge an imperial decree in the name of the late Emperor.
The forged imperial decree was to force the Regent's Consort, who was living alone at the time, to hand over the Xuanjia Army's military seal, and to order the Regent to marry him, this so-called true Son of Heaven, under the guise of the Heavenly Phoenix.
Naturally, I refused. He then tricked my son into the palace under the pretext of transcribing sacrificial texts for the late Empress Dowager.
He also deliberately leaked the news to the Regent's Consort, creating pressure from both sides, forcing the Regent's Consort to hand over the military seal...
Such despicable conduct, to call oneself a ruler of a nation!"
After Grand Tutor Chi finished speaking, he was still gasping for breath from anger.
The ministers were in an uproar. Feng Qingheng and Si Fengwu had a past grievance, so the ministers could understand whatever despicable methods Feng Qingheng used against Si Fengwu.
However, to inflict such brutal torture on an innocent civil official to seize the Xuanjia Army's military seal was truly eye-opening for the officials.
At this point, there was no need for Si Fengwu to speak further. Chen Jianzhang, the Minister of Revenue, directly said, "Prime Minister Wen, the Southern King also summoned you. Could it be that you also have an imperial decree from the late Emperor?
If so, why not reveal it as well? I am also very curious to know what more atrocities my nephew, the Emperor, is capable of?"
Gu Ci'en and the Censor also echoed their agreement.
Prime Minister Wen then slowly walked out.