A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

The eunuch in charge of the seal's high-pitched voice pierced the silent killing intent in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

All the officials knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

The old lady withdrew her gaze, leaning on her cane as she slowly knelt down.

The movements were slow, but the back was ramrod straight, and the kneeling posture was more imposing than that of a standing person.

Lu Song also knelt down.

His posture was respectful, his forehead almost touching the ground.

A string of sandalwood prayer beads slipped out of her sleeve, making a very soft clinking sound on the white marble floor tiles.

Emperor Yuanxi emerged from behind the dragon throne, a gentle smile on his round face.

His gaze first fell on the old lady, paused for a moment, then moved to Lu Song, and then looked away.

"All of you, rise."

All the officials rose.

The moment the old lady stood up, her cane struck the floor tiles with a thud.

It wasn't heavy, but the echo in the Hall of Supreme Harmony was excellent, and the muffled sound reverberated to every corner.

Emperor Yuanxi settled on his dragon throne, picked up his teacup, and hadn't even had a chance to speak—

"His Majesty."

The old lady's voice rang out first.

All the officials' eyes turned to him. Everyone had been waiting for this moment.

The matriarch of the Wei family traveled a long way from Yanmen Pass back home, and today is her first time attending court.

What is she going to say?

Want to be held accountable?

Do you want a reward?

Should we confront Lu Song directly and break off relations?

The old lady took a step forward, her iron cane striking the ground with a soft sound, yet as steady as the base of a city wall.

"In the Battle of Yanmen Pass, the Wei family army annihilated 500,000 Northern Rong troops, with 30,000 soldiers killed in action."

She paused for a moment.

"The Wei family has no objection to the rewards for this battle."

There was a moment of silence in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

no comment?

The civil officials on the left exchanged glances, their faces filled with confusion.

Last time, Lu Song openly delayed the bestowal of rewards in court, and that old man Zheng Anshi almost got into a fight with him.

Everyone assumed that the old lady had returned to the capital to settle this score.

She then said she had "no opinion"?

The old lady didn't give them time to process it and continued speaking.

"Wei Zhao, the tenth son of the Wei family, has led an army of 230,000 westward to reinforce Yumen Pass."

These words changed the atmosphere in the Hall of Supreme Harmony once again.

"The Western Qiang besieged Yumen Pass for over a month, and the Zhenxi Army was struggling to hold it off alone. Wei Zhao volunteered to lead his troops to provide support."

The old matriarch's gaze swept across the hall, finally settling on Emperor Yuanxi's face.

"The entire Wei family had only one thought in mind—to do everything in their power to protect the people of the Central Plains."

After saying this, she slammed her cane on the ground and returned to her position.