Xie Ming

Grand Secretary Li, citing the list of meritorious generals, used this as an excuse to promote Li Huchen to the rank of "Duke of Zhenguo".

Such a scheme must be insidious and cunning.

This move is obvious to anyone with eyes to see; the intention is to interfere and completely muddy the waters of military power in order to divide Xiao's troops.

This behavior, as it brought him close to Xiao Yuanfu in the palace, put him in a dilemma, making him hesitant and uncomfortable.

They exchanged glances, but Qiu Zhizhong interrupted, speaking up for Xiao Yan.

With a flick of his sleeve, he resolutely embarked on the verbal battle.

"Grand Secretary Li, your words are quite absurd."

"Have you not heard that the one who rallied the emperor to the south, escorted the late emperor to the throne, and established unparalleled merit, was none other than Duke Jing?"

"You are a veteran who has come all this way. Others may not know the details, but you should know them!"

"If that's the case, why come now, in the imperial court, to all these officials, to evade the important issues and confuse the public?"

"You bring up the old story of the late emperor's ascension to the throne, but you don't mention Duke Jing at all, only mentioning his subordinate, General Hu Chen. What are you trying to do?!"

"Seniority ranking is not something you can come up with like this."

Qiu Zhizhong argued forcefully, his head held high, his voice resounding throughout the hall.

At the front of the line, Li Erhe turned around and was about to argue, but Zhizhong was quick-witted and seized the opportunity to continue, revealing Li Erhe's thoughts.

"Furthermore, Grand Secretary Li, and all the officials in the hall, you should also be aware of this."

"Duke Jing's command is full of talented generals."

"Besides Li Huchen, those who made great contributions to the country included Sun Peizhong, Xu Jizu, Li Hongsheng, Zhao, He, Chen, Lan and other generals. Each of them took the lead in battle and made numerous military achievements."

"But today, Grand Secretary Li has only promoted one person, Li Huchen."

"Ha, to not mention it when it should be mentioned is nothing short of a case of false advertising." Zhi Zhong's words were sharp.

"You!" Li Shichun was speechless for a moment after being rebuked.

Zhizhong should build on its success and make further efforts.

"You are a civil official, not a military expert. The rewards and punishments for generals are governed by laws and regulations from above, and by the discretion of Duke Jing."

"The Grand Secretary has no right to comment."

"Come here, how dare you make such a presumptuous decision and make a vow on behalf of someone in court."

"The imperial court is a solemn place; how dare we treat it with such childishness?!"

“You brought this up, and all the officials have seen and heard about it.”

"If this gets out, and rumors spread throughout the army, will you be able to bear the blame?!"

"How are you expecting Duke Jing to put himself in this position?"

"Hmph, stirring up trouble, acting recklessly and willfully."

"Grand Secretary Li, do you mean to destroy the entire Ming army at this critical juncture?"

The saying "to kill someone is to destroy their spirit" is quite scathing. This huge accusation has been leveled against Li Shichun, a veteran of three dynasties who has seen his share of ups and downs. But upon hearing this, cold sweat still beaded on his forehead, and he dared not underestimate the situation.

"Chiu Chih-chung, you! Stop spreading alarmist rumors!"

"Well, this is a huge turd, I'm not going to take it."

"We were merely stating the facts, thinking about the difficulties faced by generals and commanders, and intentionally promoting and mentoring younger generations."

"Whether the Ming army is good or bad is the responsibility of Duke Jing, what does it have to do with me?"

"Besides, it's just a matter of mentioning the title of duke."

"Is it really worth scaring you like this?"

How so?

"If Xiao Yuanfu can be the Duke of Jingguo, why can't other meritorious generals be?"

"What kind of outrageous logic is this?"

Li Shichun was guilty, so he stubbornly argued and refused to admit defeat, insisting on his point through gritted teeth.

Hearing that they still hadn't given up, Qi Gang was also anxious. He frowned, stood up, and hurriedly tried to think of a solution, intending to disrupt things with chaos.

Since reasoning doesn't work, it's better to just go all out and make things worse, which might actually be a good way to get out of trouble.

He then raised his hand and began to curse, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Li Shichun, you old scoundrel!"

"By disregarding the nation and the army, and acting recklessly, are you trying to become a traitor to the country?"

"This war isn't over yet, is it?"

"So you're in such a hurry to divide up Duke Jing's military power?"

“If you traitors and villains were to succeed, the entire army would surely be thrown into chaos.”

"When the Northern Barbarians break through our lines, their iron hooves will trample over us." "Where will you then flee in panic?"

They may not have the ability to defend their country, but they are all adept at fighting amongst themselves.

"If even the regents of the court are like this, how can they not chill the hearts of the soldiers and generals on the front lines?!"

"You've got chicken feathers in your ears, you're deaf to the hardships of the outside world, and you're only focused on gossiping and plotting behind people's backs."

"Do you want your country to perish, your monarch to perish, and your state to collapse?"

"You outwardly proclaim yourselves to be upright and honest, yet behind the scenes you engage in such deceitful and petty acts. I, Qi Gang, disdain to associate with you."

"Not worth discussing things with, not worth discussing things with!"

Qi Gang's insults were scathing, each sentence piercing the heart.

After this incident, Li Shichun, known for his fiery temper, immediately lost his composure and started to argue, making the situation even more awkward.

"you you!"

"Qi Gang, you're a failed scholar."

"How dare you bark and bite like this in front of others!"

"You think you're worthy to ruin me? You fucking dare!"

"Something that crawls out through someone's back door."

"How dare you spew filth in front of me at such a grand court assembly!" Li Shichun was caught off guard and didn't realize it for a moment.

Seeing the situation, Qi Gang added fuel to the fire, pressing his advantage to escalate the situation until it was completely out of control.

"You old scoundrel!"

"Stop rambling on and on."

"A filthy, rotten-hearted old thief."

"They're just using these underhanded tricks to try and put our Great Ming Dynasty in danger."

"If the Jurchens really attack, then you'll get what you want! Isn't that right?!"

"You are clearly aiding the enemy, a traitor of the Northern Barbarians!"

"Tell me, behind the scenes, how many dirty and sordid dealings are going on that are still unknown to others?!"

"Let's be frank, how much money did you accept to justify causing this trouble?" Qi Gang retorted sharply, not backing down.

"You scoundrel! You mad dog!"

"A shameless scoundrel who talks nonsense."

"I am a former official of the late emperor. When I was a lecturer in the Eastern Palace, I became his student."

"The snowflakes flutter from the emperor's temples, and the old minister's heart shines as bright as cinnabar."

"Who do you think you are? This is outrageous! This is utterly absurd!"

Li Shichun was furious. He flung his court robes, puffed out his beard, glared, and his face turned red. He looked ready to start a fight.

Seeing that the situation was turning sour, why did Li Er want to ruin his plans? Lin Zengzhi, who was hiding in the shadows, was shocked by Li Er's lack of shrewdness and thought that it was impossible for him to share the same ideas.

However, now that things have come to this, he can hardly extricate himself from the situation.

Having no other choice, and to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, Ye had no way out and no foolproof method. He could only rush forward to dissuade and forcibly pull Li Shichun back, trying to smooth things over with his expression.

"Oh dear, what kind of situation is this? Okay, okay!"

"This is a court discussion in the main hall."

"Let's stick to the facts and stick to the facts."

"Don't throw around such nonsense all the time. It's an insult to culture, an insult to culture!" Lin Zengzhi tried to salvage the situation.

However, Qi Gang was unwilling to provide supplies.

"Li Shichun wreaked havoc on the court, pursued personal gain, and misled the army."

"If this crime is not punished, it will be against all reason and justice." He continued to shout, putting on a defiant stance, displaying an attitude that left no room for argument.

"You bastard!"

"You brat, I'll fight you to the death!"

Li Shichun was completely caught up in the situation, driven by anger and unable to pull himself out.

Seeing that the situation was favorable, Xiao Jingchuan seized this opportunity and immediately launched an attack in court to turn the tide.

"shut up!"

"Shut up, all of you!"

(End of this chapter)