Water Margin begins as a captain in Yanggu County

Chapter 228 You seem like the Privy Councilor, you seem like my superior...

Su Wu was busy for only one day. On the second and third days, he dutifully went to the Privy Council office to work.

Throughout history, there have been very few, if any, court assemblies held daily. Some were lazy and held court only two or three times a month, while others were more diligent and held court only a few times a month. There were even lazier officials who did not hold court for twenty years.

In the early days of Emperor Huizong's reign, he was diligent, but gradually he became less so, and now he only holds court every five days, and often he can't even do that anymore.

This refers to formal court assemblies. There are also other forms of meetings, such as smaller meetings between the prime ministers and the emperor.

Even during Cai Jing's reign, there were still meetings of the Council of State Affairs, held every three days, much more frequently than the emperor's. This involved numerous high-ranking officials from various departments coming to the council every three days to receive work assignments from Cai Jing.

To some extent, the system of "attending the capital once every three days," which Cai Jing himself created, replaced a large part of the function of the emperor's court assemblies.

Therefore, to hold a court assembly, one had to wait for the emperor's arrangement.

In the past few days, Su Wu seemed to be very well-behaved, and Tong Guan seemed quite pleased to see that Su Wu came to the Privy Council to perform his duties every day.

Suddenly, many tabloids in Tokyo began publishing articles about the "Damian Prefecture Empty Employees Case." It wasn't that Chen Dong had any special connections, but rather that these tabloids needed to recruit many writers, and many impoverished students took on this job as well.

As for those behind the tabloids, there are imperial relatives, high-ranking officials, and famous figures. It's normal that some dare to write about them and some don't.

Those who dare not write about it are mostly those whose families have real political interests. Those who dare to write about it are either people with high status but little political ambition, such as members of the Zhao family, the imperial family.

Or perhaps he's a true scholar who isn't interested in being an official but is extremely interested in showing off.

Students have their own methods, which is to make up stories. They directly turned the "Empty Salary Bank of Daming Prefecture" into a story, telling how Imperial Censor Li Gang went to great lengths to find evidence of the crime, how Liang Shijie, the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture, ruthlessly carried out the murder, how Su Wu came to the rescue, and how Li Gang was in grave danger...

It's being written in the tabloids, and it's being talked about in the teahouses...

Su Wu knew he had found the right person. The day after meeting Chen Dong, many things began to ferment, and by the third day, public opinion in Tokyo was already in an uproar.

Su Wu worked diligently for two days, just waiting for the court assembly.

On the morning of the fourth day, Tong Guan returned to his office from a meeting at the government office and summoned Su Wu again.

Tong Guan first brought back a message: "The Emperor will hold court tomorrow..."

Su Wu was delighted to hear this, but he concealed his joy and simply nodded.

Tong Guan then asked, "Do you still intend to do it this way?"

Su Wu knew he couldn't hide it from Tong Guan, so he simply nodded...

Tong Guan sighed deeply, and after a long, long sigh, he slowly said, "I thought you had listened to my earnest advice, but I didn't expect you to still insist on doing things your own way. Do you really know the consequences of this?"

Su Wu didn't say much, but nodded.

"Sigh... Ziqing, are you forcing me?" How could Tong Guan not understand?
Su Wu finally answered: "Prime Minister, this matter can only succeed, not fail. I am referring to the campaign against Liao. We must either not act at all, or when we do, it must be with overwhelming force. It is not only to defeat Liao, nor only to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but also to intimidate the Jurchens. Prime Minister... how can we deal with people from the Donghu lands? Wanyan Aguda started his rebellion with three thousand able-bodied men and so easily destroyed the vast Liao territory. Liao is not the greatest enemy; the Jurchens are the greatest enemy! Without the Yanshan Mountains, how can we resist the iron hooves that even the Liao people could not stop from advancing south?"

Tong Guan glanced at Su Wu, showing little surprise, and asked, "Do you really think that far ahead?"

Su Wu nodded earnestly: "Since our lives are at stake, how can we not think more?"

Tong Guan suddenly said, "The Liao people might be able to hold out for a few more years... but I'm afraid you won't last a year or two..."

Su Wu understood Tong Guan's concerns, so he said, "The Liao people won't last many more years; it'll probably only be a matter of a year or so..."

"Why do you think that way? Haven't the Liao people stabilized their battle lines recently?" Tong Guan was genuinely puzzled.

There are two key points here. One key point is that the Liao people have indeed gradually stabilized the situation, which is obvious to all. Therefore, the risk of failure for the Song army to attack Liao has become much higher.

Furthermore, if the Liao people can truly stabilize the situation and the two sides are locked in a stalemate, with neither able to gain the upper hand, the Jurchens may cease hostilities at any time, and the Jin and Liao may also have the possibility of making peace.

The current situation is trending in that direction. In other words, if the Liao people can hold their ground, the Song army will be caught in a bitter battle even if it launches a northern expedition.

The Liao army is now composed of elite troops who have been battle-hardened countless times. As for the Song army, the only question is whether they will win more or lose more.

The situation was changing rapidly, so Tong Guan had to think about what would happen if the Northern Expedition failed.

Another key point is that Su Wu also knows that although the Liao people seem to have stabilized the situation, internal strife is brewing and their self-destruction is imminent. The commander of the Eastern Route Army, Yelü Yudu, will directly surrender to the Jin, and the collapse is imminent.

Su Wu knew all this, but he didn't know how to tell Tong Guan. He couldn't very well tell fortunes, could he?

Su Wu could only say, "Perhaps the Grand Chancellor is unaware that Yelü Yanxi is not a capable ruler. The struggle for the throne within the Liao Kingdom is currently in full swing, and Yelü Yanxi is unable to control it. Among them, the struggle between Xiao Fengxian, the Northern Privy Councilor, and Yelü Yudu, the commander of the Eastern Route Army, is the most intense. The struggle for the throne among the Liao people has always been bloody. Once chaos breaks out, the situation in the Liao Kingdom will inevitably deteriorate rapidly!"

Tong Guan was taken aback and asked Su Wu, "Where did you get this information from?"

Su Wu thought for a moment and then said directly, "I took Li Gang and we crossed the border from Cangzhou to Yanjing!"

"Huh?" Tong Guan was quite shocked this time.

Su Wu nodded seriously: "Go and return quickly. It will only take about ten days. I met one person, Li Chuwen, the Liao prime minister. Zhao Liangsi is currently in Yanjing, by Li Chuwen's side..."

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Tong Guan was really angry.

Su Wu bluntly stated: "I want to... take all the credit for myself!"

This is not a lie; that's exactly what Su Wu thought. He subconsciously felt that Wang Fu and Tong Guan were both untrustworthy regarding the campaign against Liao, and Su Wu could only trust himself.

Tong Guan laughed in anger: "Take all the credit for yourself? You're so blunt, yet you're trying to annoy me. Why are you bringing this up now?"

Su Wu was also helpless and said, "I am also afraid that the Grand Chancellor will tell these things to the people in the court. If the matter is not kept secret, it will surely be exposed!"

Su Wu thought so too. Historically, Li Chuwen was executed after his failure, so Su Wu was naturally extra careful.

"Who are you guarding against? Me? Prime Minister Wang? Or the Emperor?" Tong Guan asked with a stern face, surprised by many things.

The most unexpected thing was the impression of Su Wu.

Not long ago, Su Wu was a trusted general who was grateful, capable, and obedient.

When I turned around, everything had changed!

It's even difficult to describe what kind of role Su Wu has become...

Su Wu was even more blunt: "Prime Minister, I'm wary of everyone!"

"You, you, you..." Tong Guan pointed at Su Wu, his fingers trembling, and said, "This is outrageous! Outrageous! This is defying the heavens!"

"Prime Minister, I have said several times that the campaign against Liao is unlike anything before. We can only win, not lose. Let me say a few more words: If we lose, the destruction of our nation will be imminent. If we gather the strongest armies of all the tribes of our Great Song, we will not even be able to defeat the Liao. The Jurchens will see us as nothing more than chickens and dogs. Their iron hooves will sweep south in an instant. At that time, which prefecture in the Great Song will dare to say that it can defeat the Jurchens who carry the power to destroy our country? The land of Hebei has not been at war for a hundred years. How can we face such tigers and wolves coming from the mountains and forests?"

Su Wu's words would have little meaning if spoken to others, but they might have been truly meaningful to Tong Guan, since Tong Guan at least knew the true state of military affairs in the world.

These words left Tong Guan speechless for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought.

In the past two days, Su Wu has become much calmer, reflecting on many things and considering various countermeasures. Last time, when he couldn't persuade them, he took direct action and began to pressure them. Now that he has used all the methods of pressure, he still wants to try to win them over again.

After all, when it comes to the court assembly, the difference between having Tong Guan and not having Tong Guan is significant.

Su Wu remained silent and waited.

Tong Guan pondered for a long time, sometimes drinking tea, sometimes sighing...

After having several rounds of tea with Tong Guan, Su Wu spoke again: "Prime Minister, this time, you truly must heed my advice... If we are defeated this time, not to mention the number of casualties among my soldiers, morale will be severely damaged. If we were to face the Jurchens again, how could we possibly fight them? The same applies to the armies in the Northwest. Only by winning this battle, preserving our elite troops, and maintaining morale, can we perhaps deter the Jurchens... Therefore, this time, we must do everything in our power to achieve victory. This is a matter of national importance, and it is also our future!"

"Your scheme..." Tong Guan sighed again.

After sighing several times, Tong Guan continued, "Your scheme... Alas... Ziqing, am I getting old?"

Upon hearing this, Su Wu looked at Tong Guan and, after a brief examination, felt that Tong Guan seemed to have aged considerably, his energy and spirit diminished, appearing as if he had aged seven or eight years in the blink of an eye.

Su Wu quickly said, "Prime Minister, I have never had any ulterior motives. This time, you must help me. Only then will there be any chance of me being remembered in history. You cannot trust Cai Jing. He is only thinking about his return to the position of Prime Minister. He is only concerned with the wealth and power of his Cai clan. He wants to return to the position of Prime Minister and then have his son Cai You succeed him. This is his long-term plan. How can he possibly return to the position of Prime Minister?"

Su Wu asked, while also looking at Tong Guan.

Tong Guan looked at Su Wu and could only wave his hand weakly: "You speak!"

"After the defeat in the campaign against Liao, he naturally returned to his post as prime minister!" Su Wu declared firmly.

Tong Guan withdrew his gaze, braced himself on the armrests of the chair, and stood up. He slowly walked a few steps forward to the door of the cell...

Looking to the left, there is the main hall of the Privy Council; looking to the right, there are the various offices of the Privy Council.

People coming and going: officials, clerks, runners...

Su Wu walked over to Tong Guan and started watching...

But then Tong Guan suddenly said, "You seem more like the Privy Councilor, more like my superior..."

Su Wu quickly replied, "This humble official and the Grand Councilor are essentially one entity!"

Tong Guan waved his hand back and forth in front of Su Wu, trembling slightly, and slowly said, "Eight thousand miles of rivers and mountains, two or three hundred prefectures, tens of millions of people, and a million soldiers in armor, why are we walking on thin ice? Why?"

why?

Su Wu couldn't answer. From the founding ancestor of the Song Dynasty to Tong Guan before him, everyone was involved, and everyone was guilty.

But Su Wu knew what to say: "Being a prime minister is truly a difficult position!"

What Tong Guan wanted was this kind of resonance!
Tong Guan turned his head and said, "You have made my path even more difficult. After tomorrow's court assembly, you and I will be thorns in the side of all the officials. Even the emperor will dislike us..."

It's understandable that Cai Jing disliked it, Wang Fu disliked it, and even Liang Shicheng disliked it.

Why was the emperor also displeased? Wasn't this eliminating a traitor to his empire?
Why was the emperor not pleased?

It's quite simple. Every day, the officials in the court say that the world is in great shape, that there is peace and prosperity, and that the people live in peace. He himself has enjoyed this atmosphere for more than 20 years.

Now, this beautiful dream has been shattered in front of the emperor, causing such a commotion. The emperor may not be able to say anything, but subconsciously, can he be happy?

Isn't it just like making the emperor lose face in front of the whole world?

Many things seem to disappear if no one speaks of them; the emperor can only revel in his own satisfaction, for the world is in his hands, and things couldn't be better...

In other words, the emperor was already used to everything going smoothly, and the people around him always provided positive emotional value. Su Wu insisted on making the emperor experience negative emotions... How could the emperor be happy?

Su Wu understood, but he only said one thing: "As long as we win the war against Liao, nothing else matters! Power, popular support, even if the emperor is slightly displeased now, he will be overjoyed tomorrow!"

“What you said… isn’t entirely unreasonable…” Tong Guan nodded.

He continued, "If we lose, then everything will be over, both of us. So be it. If we lose, I won't care about being remembered in history. I'll be old and die soon. As for you, you won't care about anything either. You'll be a traitor and a villain, despised by the world. In the history books, you'll be like Zhao Kuo, infamous for eternity. How tragic..."

Tong Guan looked bitter; it was Su Wufei who had bound him to this desperate path...

Su Wu said, "Those who accomplish great things throughout history have all done it this way! They are willing to risk their lives for great things and not forget their lives for small gains! If you want to be remembered in history, there is no one who does not take risks. Only by facing dangers can you be recorded in history."

"If I listen to you this once and it works out, everything will be wonderful. If not, before I die, I will inevitably curse Su Wu for deceiving me with his slander and bringing disaster to the country and the people! In that case, let that historian curse you more and curse me less..."

Tong Guan was too exhausted to speak.

Su Wu was unsure whether Tong Guan was telling the truth or not. Was he really thinking that way, or was he just teasing him?
But looking at Tong Guan's expression, it didn't seem like a joke... Or perhaps, Tong Guan really had no other pursuits in his life, and only cared about what would happen after his death?

However, that didn't matter anymore. Su Wu simply said, "It is I who have brought disaster to the country and its people, and the prime minister has been deceived by me!"

Tong Guan then said sternly, "Go back now, see you at the court assembly tomorrow!"

Su Wu bowed deeply, then left.

Tong Guan returned to his seat and sat there for a very long time, neither seeing anyone nor speaking...

The moon shines brightly, but many people find it hard to sleep...

Inside the imperial city, the emperor was berating someone, asking Liang Shicheng, who was serving him, "What kind of memorial did Zhang Shuye submit? He wrote so much, full of nonsense, it's outrageous! If he were to say such things, wouldn't the empire be thrown into chaos? He's a fear-monger, a man who seeks fame through his outspokenness! Besides, isn't the matter of Daming Prefecture still under investigation? The prime minister, the chief minister, and all the other officials are investigating it, aren't they? Why does a mere prefect like him need to speak out?"

Liang Shicheng nodded: "Your Majesty is right. We need not look at these people's memorials any further. Let's look at the others."

The emperor tossed one memorial aside, picked up another, glanced at it a few times, and said, "These are uninteresting matters. I'll reply with a few words, but in the future, there's no need to waste the efforts of the messengers on such matters. Don't bother bringing them again..."

He opened another letter, just a few lines long, and the emperor himself wrote a reply with one sentence: "I am well, are you well?"

The emperor's expression improved considerably, and upon opening another letter, he beamed with joy: "Another auspicious omen has appeared in Jiangnan, not bad, not bad... Tell him to send the auspicious omen to the capital to see what kind of wonder it is."

Just as he was about to turn the pages again, the emperor seemed to grow tired and said as he turned the pages, "Tonight we'll watch the final performance."

Liang Shicheng nodded: "There are very few rulers as diligent in governing as His Majesty throughout history!"

After flipping through the memorial a few times, the emperor's face darkened: "This Wang Zhongshan, when invited to court, he refused. I thought he just wanted to be a rich man, which was none of his business, but he still had to say more. He's an old man who acts like he's superior, saying that Li Gang is a censor and shouldn't be punished. When did I say I wanted to punish Li Gang? This is outrageous!"

"Your Majesty is tired and should go to bed. There is a court session tomorrow..." Liang Shicheng was also frowning. Something was wrong with this matter. Why were people submitting memorials about this so frequently?
In fact, Liang Shicheng had privately stopped some things, such as the memorial of Chen Guan, the censor. He kept these because he thought that what they were talking about should not be inappropriate.

There were simply too many memorials to handle each day, and I never expected that a slight lapse in attention would lead to such a mistake...

Zhang Shuye has been behaving very honestly lately... What's going on with Wang Zhongshan? What does this have to do with this shrewd old man?
Early in the morning, at the court assembly, the emperor, still half asleep, began to get up, wash, and dress.

Outside the Zuoye Gate, officials lined up, waiting for the palace gates to open.

Cai Jing was in the front, Wang Fu was behind, and Tong Guan was behind.

Arranged in this order: the officials of the Council of State Affairs, the officials of the Secretariat and Chancellery, the officials of the Ministry of Personnel, the Three Departments, the Six Ministries, the Censors, the Remonstrance Officials, Su Wu standing in the middle, the Privy Council…

There were also the Hanlin Academy, Kaifeng Prefecture, the Imperial Academy, the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of State Ceremonies, the Court of Judicial Review...

There were also the Palace Guard, the Imperial City Guard, and even the Heavenly Martial Army supporting the Japanese army...

The third rank is indeed a high-ranking official, whether placed in a local area or in the capital.

However, there are quite a few third-rank officials here. You can easily count thirty or forty of them. In particular, there are many old men with white hair in the imperial academy. Their official ranks are not low. Of course, they do not have much power, but they are close advisors to the emperor.

Both Chen Guan and Li Gang were in the ranks.

As soon as the left side gate opened, Cai Jing slowly stepped forward, followed by the others. Cai Jing was merely dismissed from his post as prime minister, which theoretically meant he would no longer concern himself with the specific administrative affairs of the court. However, Cai Jing remained Grand Tutor, Grand Master of the Three Offices, and Duke of Lu.

Cai Jing's eldest son, Cai You, needs no further introduction; he already held the titles of Grand Master of the Palace, Military Governor of Zhenhai Army, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and Grand Secretary of the Xuanhe Hall.

Cai Xiao, the third son, served as Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

Cai Tao, the fourth son, is a scholar-official in the Huizhou Pavilion. If nothing unexpected happens, he will also become a Grand Secretary in the not-too-distant future!

Cai Tiao, the fifth son, was the son-in-law of Emperor Huizong's beloved daughter.

Cai Jing's younger brother, Cai Bian, was also the son-in-law of Wang Anshi, the former prime minister. Cai Bian's son was currently a Hanlin Academician, and his future prospects were undoubtedly bright…

Just look at the political power of this family; if the country hadn't fallen and the family hadn't perished, who could have shaken it?
It's no wonder that Li Gang was pessimistic and Tong Guan was worried...

In the imperial court, everyone stood in rows. Not to mention the Cai family's cronies, there were already several members of the Cai family among them. Cai You was in Suzhou. If Cai You were also there, he would be standing in the first row, standing with Tong Guan.

Once everyone was in position, the emperor arrived. He did not wear a dragon robe, but only a Taoist robe. He sat on a high platform, which was not high, just a few steps higher. This was an ancestral rule of the Zhao family, signifying that they shared the world with the scholar-officials and were not aloof.

"May Your Majesty be well!"

The officials did not kneel, but simply bowed.

"Rise! There's absolutely no need for such formalities!" The emperor has always been kind and magnanimous.

The old eunuch Liang Shicheng stood by, but remained silent, while the middle-aged eunuch Li Yan called out, "Speak quickly if you have something to say, otherwise the court is adjourned!"

Is there anything wrong?

Even when there were other matters to attend to, Cai Jing remained silent, keeping to himself and remaining calm and composed. The emperor even offered him a seat in the court, but he refused.

Minister of Rites Cai Xiao made a few remarks, saying that the preparations for the imperial examinations should proceed as usual.

Then someone mentioned something strange, saying that in the capital region and Luoyang, people were saying that a "Black Omen" monster was eating children. The emperor was shocked to hear this and ordered the government officials and Taoist priests to investigate...

Next, let's talk about auspicious omens. Anyway, there are always auspicious omens during court assemblies...

The Three Departments will discuss the recent expenditure situation of the imperial court...

After all that had been said, the emperor seemed tired, and the eunuch Li Yan asked, "Is there anything else to report? If not, the court is adjourned!"

Actually, this is the closing remark.

However, before the court session could end, Li Gang had already come out with his ceremonial tablet in his hand, bowing deeply and saying, "Your subject has a report to make."

The emperor was getting impatient. He recognized Li Gang, the former Imperial Censor, and raised his hand, saying, "If it's about Daming Prefecture, there's no need to say more. Let the ministers investigate further before making a decision. If it's something else, then you can say a few more words."

Li Gang knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I impeach Liang Shijie, the garrison commander of Beijing and the prefect of Daming, for embezzling military pay, committing bribery and corruption, and enriching himself, which has caused unrest, demoralization, and loss of combat effectiveness among the troops in Daming Prefecture!"

The Emperor frowned: "I have already said that this matter will be discussed again and again. The ministers will uphold justice. Why do you keep nagging like this, trying to cover up your corruption and abuse of power!"

Li Gang didn't care about any of that and just kept saying, "I also want to impeach Liang Shijie for raising assassins, hunting down censors, and plotting to kill court officials!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" The emperor said bluntly. How could he believe this?

Li Gang disregarded all else and continued, "I will also impeach the officials in the court, for they are corrupt and treacherous, deceiving the emperor and colluding with him to bring disaster to the country and its people!"

The emperor had already stood up: "Li Gang, what are you trying to do? Tell me, what exactly do you want to do?"

Su Wu was astonished. He never expected that Li Gang's words would anger not Cai Jing and others, but the emperor. The emperor was so furious.
Is this reasonable?

Cai Jing remained silent, while Wang Fu spoke quietly: "Imperial Censor Li has always been known for his straightforwardness in the court. Today, he has really gone too far. The principle of a subject being straightforward is that too little is false and too much is hypocritical. As for this matter, we will send people to investigate and then make a decision."

Li Gang knelt on the ground, thrust his tablet forward, kowtowed repeatedly, and cried out in tears, "Every word I have spoken is true. Your Majesty must not be deceived by treacherous officials. Your Majesty is wise and discerning; you must not blindly believe what others say!"

"To disbelieve you is to blindly believe what others say?" The emperor felt a sense of rejection throughout his body.

Not far away, an old man carrying a ceremonial tablet came out, knelt beside Li Gang, and kowtowed: "This old minister vouches for the truth of Imperial Censor Li's words. Please, Your Majesty, discern the truth."

When the emperor saw Chen Guan, the censor, he noticed that recently, memorials impeaching Chen Guan had been flying like snowflakes, and the emperor had read countless of them. Seeing the old man kneeling down, the emperor asked, "What does this have to do with you?"

"Every man has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation. The affairs of the nation are all related to us scholars!" Chen Guan's face was full of sorrow. He knew that the reason why Li Gang could not succeed today was because he did not understand and was too young.

But, I would risk my life to accompany you, to do my utmost, and I have no regrets.

The emperor was not a harsh person; he simply waved his hands to the left and right, saying, "Minister Cai, Minister Wang, I'm too lazy to get entangled with him. You talk to him, you talk, you talk..."

Cai Jing remained silent, as if to avoid suspicion, since Liang Shijie was his son-in-law, and if he spoke, it would seem as if he were protecting him.

Wang Fu then said, "Imperial Censor Li, Prime Minister Chen, this matter cannot be rushed. Go back and wait... As for the talk of raising assassins to ambush and kill officials, such things are unheard of in our Great Song Dynasty. Do not speculate or speak nonsense..."

Chen Guan glanced at Li Gang beside him, and Li Gang met his gaze. Chen Guan shook his head, and although he didn't say anything, his eyes spoke volumes, telling Li Gang, "Forget it, let it be..."

Can Li Gang back down?

Of course, he couldn't. He kowtowed repeatedly on the ground, crying out, "Your Majesty, I have all sorts of evidence. Please take a look, Your Majesty, and be wise!"

The emperor was startled by the loud shout: "Shouting like this in the court, what kind of decorum is this? I have seen your evidence. The censor's memorials never go through the Hall of State Affairs, they go straight to my desk. They are nothing more than some account books..."

Li Gang looked up, and for a moment, he felt only powerlessness, helplessness, and despair...

In the end, he went to see Su Wu...

Su Wu, holding his official tablet, stepped forward without kneeling. He walked to the very front and said, "Your Majesty, Imperial Censor Li's words are all true. I am your witness!"

Looking around, all the civil and military officials were astonished!

Wang Fu suddenly turned his head, his eyes wide, and looked at Tong Guan again...

Cai Jing, who had been calm and collected, slowly opened his eyes and looked at Su Wu.

In the Censorate and the Privy Council, everyone was watching closely.

Even the emperor was stunned, looking at Su Wu with a puzzled expression!
(Guys, I felt a bit more confident yesterday, so it was difficult to write, and I'm writing slowly today...)
(End of this chapter)