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墨書 Inktalez
When Liu Guanfeng arrived at the main hall with the two brothers from the Ma Family, he said to the guard at the entrance, "Go and inform His Majesty that I have arrived."
The guard, seeing Liu Guanfeng accompanied by two injured individuals, did not dare to delay and hurried to the main hall: "I report to Your Majesty, Liu Jianyan requests an audience."
"Announce him."
"His Majesty has decreed that Liu Jianyan may enter."
After allowing the two brothers from the Ma Family to be seen, Liu Guanfeng stepped into the main hall. Despite having just experienced a great battle, his clothes showed no signs of damage, nor was there a trace of blood on him.
Standing in the main hall, Liu Guanfeng was accompanied by Xiahou Zhongtian lying down and his seven guards. Liu Guanfeng bowed to Sun Liang: "Your Majesty, I have captured all those who attacked the Execution Ground without letting a single one escape."
At this moment, Ma Weiwu, standing among the military generals, felt a deep sense of dread as he silently prayed that Ma Dabao and the others had not been exposed.
"Liu Aiqing, you have worked hard. Without you, I truly would not know what to do."
"Your Majesty is too kind. I am unaware of how you plan to deal with those who attacked the Execution Ground."
"They are still subjects of Huaxing Kingdom. It would not be appropriate for me to execute them privately. I would like to escort them back; what do you think?"
"Everything is at Your Majesty's discretion."
"Very well. Have someone take Xiahou Zhongtian and his guards back to Huaxing Kingdom and release them at the border." Several soldiers stepped forward to take Xiahou Zhongtian and his seven guards away.
"Your Majesty, I have another matter to report."
"What else do you wish to discuss?"
"Your Majesty, just now when Xiahou Zhongtian and others attacked the Execution Ground, a Ten Thousand People army appeared outside the city."
"A Ten Thousand People army? What do they want?"
"After the Ten Thousand People army appeared, the guards at the city gate not only did not close the gate, but instead opened it to welcome them."
"Where is that Ten Thousand People army now?"
"That Ten Thousand People army has already been captured by my subordinates. The offenders are right outside the hall."
"Bring the offenders in."
Four soldiers carried in the two young masters of the Ma Family and set them down before retreating outside.
"I come to ask you, who are you two? Why did you bring an army here?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, we are the sons of General Ma. After hearing that someone was going to attack the Execution Ground, we immediately brought people to rescue them. However, for some unknown reason, we were injured by Liu Jianyan's subordinates and brought here. Please seek justice for us, Your Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Sun Liang did not get angry but instead smiled at Liu Guanfeng, eager to hear him expose their lies.
Liu Guanfeng stepped forward and bowed to Sun Liang: "Your Majesty, please allow me to ask them a few questions."
"Good, I am very curious to know who among you is lying."
"I would like to ask where you two reside."
"Outside the city, in our family’s estate."
"As far as I know, your Ma Family estate is half a day's journey from Starfall City. How did you arrive here so quickly upon hearing about an attack? Your speed seems too fast."
"We received the notification this morning and hurried here just in time. What happened?"
"Nothing much, it's just that since your people were in such a rush, why do they all look so refreshed as if they had a good rest and weren't tired at all? Also, when you arrived, why did the City Gate Guard open the gates without even asking? Don't forget, you brought an army of Ten Thousand People; aren't they afraid of a rebellion?"
"This matter was arranged by my father long ago to prevent anyone from attacking the Execution Ground, which is why no one asked."
Liu Guanfeng turned his gaze towards Ma Weiwu: "General Ma, was this all arranged by you beforehand?"
At this point, Ma Weiwu had no choice but to step forward: "That's right, it was indeed my arrangement. Liu Jianyan, is there something wrong?"
"Second Brother, General Ma should be under your command now."
Liu Guanyu stepped forward: "That's correct; General Ma is indeed my subordinate."
"Then let me ask you, did General Ma consult you about everything he did?"
"I had no knowledge of this matter."
"General Ma, such a significant issue as someone attacking the Execution Ground, why didn't you report it to your superiors? And then you brought people into Starfall City; what exactly are your intentions?"
Ma Weiwu turned around and knelt before Sun Liang: "Your Majesty, I am wronged. I only acted out of concern for the safety of the country and Your Majesty. I simply forgot to report due to my anxiety; please see it clearly."
"Does such an investigation require Your Majesty's personal attention? Your Majesty, please take a look at these two letters." Liu Guanfeng took out the letters from Ma Weiwu and Xiahou Zhongtian and handed them to the eunuch beside Sun Liang. The eunuch passed the letters to Sun Liang. After reading both letters, Sun Liang slammed his hand on the Dragon Writing Desk:
"Bold Ma Weiwu! You dare to collude with foreign forces; do you know your crime?"
"Your Majesty, I am wronged!"
"Wronged? Look at what Liu Qingjia just gave me." Saying this, Sun Liang threw the two letters in front of Ma Weiwu.
When Ma Weiwu saw the two letters, he realized that the matter had been exposed. Just as he was about to take action, he suddenly found himself unable to move, with Liu Guanfeng's hand resting on his shoulder. At this moment, Liu Guanfeng smiled at Ma Weiwu and said:
"Old General, it's better if you don't move around too much; otherwise, you won't be able to handle it."
With Liu Guanfeng by his side, Sun Liang felt emboldened. He approached Ma Weiwu and said, "General Ma, I initially pleaded with the Liu Family not to hold your actions against you because of your long service and contributions to the country. However, I never expected that you would conspire with outsiders to deal with me."
"Your Majesty, this old minister knows his crimes and humbly requests that you spare my three children for the sake of my past contributions to the country. My death is inconsequential; I ask for your mercy."
"Ma Weiwu, the rebels are you and your wife conspiring together. Your eldest and second sons led the rebellion into Starfall City. This rebellion involves your entire family; how can I spare them? Where is General Liu Guanlei?"
"I am here."
"I now command you to lead five thousand Imperial Forest Guards to capture Ma Weiwu's entire family. Not a single member of the Ma Family is to be spared."
"I accept the order." After speaking, Liu Guanlei turned and left the hall, gathering five thousand Imperial Forest Guards and heading straight for Ma Mansion.
About an hour later, Liu Guanlei returned to the hall to report to Sun Liang. The entire Ma Mansion had been searched, and the household items were being counted. Ma Weiwu's wife, Qian Clan, and his third son, Ma Sanbao, had already been taken to the Ministry of Justice's prison.
"Vigorous, I entrust you with interrogating all members of the Ma Family."
"Yes, I accept the order."
Following this, the Imperial Forest Guards escorted Ma Weiwu and his two sons out. Sun Liang then smiled at Liu Guanfeng and said, "Liu Aiqing, today's events were greatly aided by your presence; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"Your Majesty, you flatter me; I merely did what a minister should do."
"Liu Guanfeng, I have already issued an edict to build another residence next to General Liu's mansion. I hope you won't delay this time."
Since Sun Liang had brought it up so directly, Liu Guanfeng could not refuse any longer. He bowed to Sun Liang and said, "This minister thanks Your Majesty for your kindness."
"Your Majesty, I have one more matter to report."
"Speak freely, my dear minister."
"Your Majesty, I believe that your decision to return Xiahou Zhongtian to the Huaxing Kingdom will not end here."
"Do you think they will come to trouble me again?"
"They will definitely come. Xiahou Zhongtian is a Divine Envoy; he would not have come here without the consent of Yelü Chuxing. Therefore, his arrival here still carries the intentions of the Huaxing Kingdom. Moreover, Sun Yong was able to attain his position solely by relying on the Huaxing Kingdom and promised them generous annual tributes. Now that Sun Yong has been captured and Xiahou Zhongtian has returned heavily injured, do you think they will let this go?"
"What do you suggest then?"
"I have not yet thought of a solution; we will need to rely on everyone."
Sun Liang pondered for a moment: "Very well, let us conclude today's morning court here. General Liu, Liu Jianyan, and Old Chancellor, please come to my study later; the rest may leave."
All officials from Cui Wenwu had already withdrawn. Liu Yong'an, Cui Jinchong, and Liu Guanfeng were led by a young eunuch to Sun Liang's study. Shortly after, Sun Liang entered wearing a set of light clothing. As he entered, the three men simultaneously paid their respects.
Sun Liang waved his hand: "This is my study, not an official place; there is no need for excessive formalities. Please take your seats."
The three took their seats and waited for Sun Liang's inquiry: "My dear ministers, you three are now my right and left arms; each is indispensable. The issue raised by Liu Guanfeng in the morning court is something we should seriously consider. If the Huaxing Kingdom truly sends someone, how should we respond?"
Old Chancellor Cui Jinchong thought for a moment: "Your Majesty, I believe this matter is not easy to resolve. If they really send someone, their condition will certainly be an increase in tributes, and it will be higher than what Sun Yong offered during his reign. If we refuse, they will surely use that as an excuse to attack us."
"What should we do then? Although our country has not been at war under Sun Yong's rule these past few years, our treasury has been nearly depleted due to his extravagance. If we are faced with war soon, I do not know if we can withstand it. General Liu, what do you think?"
Liu Yong'an stood up and said: "Your Majesty, as a military general, I will defend every inch of our land. However, if we truly face a strong nation like Huaxing, I do not have much confidence."
At this moment, all three men in the room turned their gaze towards Liu Guanfeng. Liu Guanfeng lightly cleared his throat and stood up: "Your Majesty, this matter is actually quite simple; it depends on whether Your Majesty wants to fight this war."
"Liu Jianyan, what do you mean by that?"
"Your Majesty, if you don't want to go to war, it's quite simple. Just agree to their demands, and then you only need to add an extra ten percent on top of the taxes collected by Sun Yongding."
Upon hearing Liu Guanfeng's words, Sun Yong's eyes widened. "How can this be? You saw how the people were during my reign; they were already struggling to make ends meet. If we add another ten percent, I estimate that within two months, our Starfall Kingdom will no longer exist in the Knight's continent."
"If you agree to their terms, your throne will be secure," Liu Guanfeng further probed Sun Liang.
At this moment, Sun Liang glared at Liu Guanfeng. "Liu Aiqing, I regard you as a hero who helped me reclaim my throne, so I won't hold this against you. I just hope you won't speak further on this matter. If it comes to that, I'd rather fight to the death than compromise."
Seeing that Sun Liang was genuinely angry, Liu Yong'an kept signaling Liu Guanfeng with his eyes. Meanwhile, Cui Jinchong smiled at Sun Yong. Ever since learning that Liu Guanfeng had become a Divine Knight, Cui Jinchong felt an inexplicable trust towards him. What could a young man who had reached the Divine-Level Expert status not accomplish?
Noticing Cui Jinchong's expression, Sun Liang shook his head helplessly. He had originally wanted to hear the opinions of the three ministers but found that two of the older ones had no ideas while the younger one was suggesting something reckless.
"Old Chancellor, what time is it? Why are you still so calm? Quickly think of a solution for me," Sun Liang urged.
Cui Jinchong smiled slightly. "Your Majesty, please calm down; being anxious won't help. The reason Liu Jianyan asked you that earlier was to gauge your determination. Since you've already resolved to stand firm, you can leave the rest to Liu Jianyan. I believe he won't let you down."
Only then did Sun Liang begin to reflect on Liu Guanfeng's words and gradually eased his mind. "Old Chancellor is right; I was a bit too anxious earlier. Liu Jianyan, do you have any plans? Please share them."
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