My strength increases by one percent every day; I can destroy stars with my bare hands.

After a moment of silence in the hall, a mocking voice rang out.

"Grand Commandant, what a fine phrase, 'Please punish His Majesty,' you say."

The Imperial Censor Han Yu strolled out slowly, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"The policy of marriage alliance was advocated by the Grand Commandant despite the opposition of others."

"Back then in the imperial court, the Grand Commandant solemnly swore that the grassland people valued their promises and would not break their alliance."

"Now, five experts at the Transcendent Realm are surrounding and killing my Great Yan generals. Is this what the Grand Commandant meant by 'keeping one's word'?"

The two have always been at odds, and now that he has a chance to cause trouble, how could he let it go?

Qin Huaiyuan neither looked up nor spoke.

Zhao Chongwu stepped forward and spoke up for Qin Huaiyuan.

"Lord Han, now is not the time to assign blame. The grassland people have broken their promise. The urgent matter is how to deal with them, not to kick them while they're down."

"Adding insult to injury?"

Han Yu sneered, not wanting to let the matter drop easily.

"General Zhao speaks so lightly. The marriage alliance strategy ruined a princess and almost cost a Transcendent Realm general his life, and now you can't even utter a word of accusation?"

"you……"

Zhao Chongwu's face flushed red, but he didn't know how to refute it.

That's enough.

The emperor's voice dropped, interrupting the argument that was about to erupt.

His gaze shifted from Qin Huaiyuan to the Left Prime Minister Gu Yanqing.

"Left Prime Minister, what's your opinion?"

Gu Yanqing remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Your Majesty, I believe this matter needs to be considered in two parts."

"Firstly, the fact that the steppe people ambushed and killed General Li shows that Huyan Lie had no sincerity in the marriage alliance from the very beginning."

"He just wants to use the pretext of a marriage alliance to lull the court into a false sense of security and take the opportunity to weaken the strength of our Great Yan."

"Secondly, General Li single-handedly defeated five powerful experts from the grasslands who had reached the Transcendent Realm. This was a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune."

"If it weren't for General Li's exceptional strength, the outcome of this battle would have been unimaginable."

Thirdly…

He paused, glanced at Qin Huaiyuan, and then looked at the emperor.

"The Grand Commandant's recommendation for a marriage alliance was intended to buy time for the court, not to invite trouble."

"In my opinion, it is premature to hold anyone accountable at this time. The most urgent task is to respond to the grasslands, and..."

He hesitated for a moment, but then said it anyway.

"And General Li mentioned in his battle report that Princess Zhaoyang was temporarily staying in Ganquan County."

In Li Xuancang's memorial, the topic was almost mentioned only briefly at the end.

"The marriage procession was attacked. To ensure the princess's safety, they will remain in Ganquan County for the time being. We will discuss returning to the capital once the situation stabilizes."

One sentence caused the emperor's expression to change repeatedly.

Li Xuancang made this decision without consulting the court or the emperor.

He took it upon himself to leave a princess in his territory.

This is usurpation, this is utter disrespect.

But no one dared to say it.

Because what happens after it's said? What will happen then?

Should we send someone to Ganquan County to bring the princess back? We'd have to ask Li Xuancang if he agrees.

Issuing an imperial edict to reprimand Li Xuancang for abusing his power? What if he angers Li Xuancang and then amasses his own army and becomes powerful?

Li Xuancang had just defeated five powerful experts from the grasslands at the Tongxuan Realm, proving that his strength was greater than anyone had imagined.

It would be unwise to provoke him at this time.

The emperor's gaze swept across the faces of his ministers, and all he saw were avoidance and evasion.

No one stood up to say, "Li Xuancang's actions were inappropriate and should be reprimanded by imperial decree."

No one suggested that "someone should be sent to bring the princess back to the capital."

Everyone is waiting, waiting for someone else to speak first, waiting for the wind to blow and waiting for a safe position.

The emperor felt very tired. He was the emperor, but in the court, he had to outwit and outmaneuver everyone, leaving him exhausted.

"Alright."

The emperor spoke, his voice filled with an indescribable weariness.

"We'll discuss Princess Zhaoyang's matter later. General Li was acting to protect the princess, which is understandable. This matter... will be put on hold for now."

The moment the words "put on hold for now" were uttered, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

No one asked "when will it be put on hold?" At this time, Li Xuancang was at the height of his power, and no one dared to oppose him without reason.

Han Yuzhi, however, was not about to give up. He changed the subject and pointed at Qin Huaiyuan.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Commandant's recommendation of a marriage alliance has caused the court to lose face, and General Li has narrowly escaped unscathed."

"If this matter is not investigated, who will dare to take on any official duties in the court in the future?"

His words sounded grand and dignified, but anyone with discerning eyes could see that Han Yuzhi wasn't trying to hold anyone accountable.

He was using the attack on Li Xuancang to weaken Qin Huaiyuan's faction.

Qin Huaiyuan was a representative figure in the military, with his protégés and former associates spread throughout the military, and his influence was deeply entrenched.

Han Yu has always been his adversary, and now that the marriage alliance has gone awry, it's practically handing him a handle to use against him.

Qin Huaiyuan didn't speak, but the people behind him couldn't sit still any longer.

Fang Zhenhai, the Vice Minister of War, stepped forward, his voice booming.

"Lord Han, you are mistaken! The Grand Commandant's proposal for a marriage alliance was a last resort, a desperate measure taken when the court was in dire straits with no troops available."

"If the marriage alliance hadn't stabilized the grasslands, how could General Li have felt secure enough to march south and pacify Yangzhou?"

Han Yu's face darkened: "Does Lord Fang mean that the Grand Commandant has rendered meritorious service without any fault?"

Fang Zhenhai replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "What I mean is that the Grand Commandant has both merits and demerits, but the merits and demerits cancel each other out."

"Merits and demerits cancel each other out?"

Han Yu sneered, "Lord Fang, you have quite the nerve. A marriage alliance almost cost the lives of a princess and a great general. Is that what you call balancing merits and demerits?"

Seeing that the situation was about to escalate, Gu Yanqing stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this old minister believes that although the Grand Commandant has made mistakes, they were for the sake of the country and its people. He should be fined half a year's salary as a punishment."

As soon as Gu Yanqing said this, everyone's eyes fell on him.

A six-month salary deduction is practically the same as no deduction at all.

"As for General Li, the court can bestow some treasures upon him as a gesture of appeasement."

The emperor nodded slightly, agreeing with Gu Yanqing's suggestion.

"Let's do as the Left Prime Minister says!"

Han Yu was very dissatisfied, but he knew that things were hopeless, so he said nothing more.

And so the argument came to an end.

Everyone tacitly agreed that no one would mention how to retaliate against the grassland people for their betrayal.

At this point, the fact that the nomads of the grasslands did not invade was already a stroke of good fortune for them.

The Great Yan is now riddled with holes, like an old man on his deathbed; how could it dare to retaliate against the grasslands?

Soon after, the imperial court's rewards arrived, along with its arrangements.

Neither the court nor the emperor punished Princess Zhaoyang, nor did they demand that she return to the capital immediately.

"Princess, the marriage alliance is over. Do you wish to return to the capital?"

Li Xuancang asked Princess Zhaoyang for her opinion, and she could now return to the capital with peace of mind.

"General Li, may I stay here a little longer?"

Princess Zhaoyang didn't want to leave, didn't want to return to the cold palace, and looked at Li Xuancang with anticipation.

Li Xuancang smiled slightly, "Of course."

After receiving Li Xuancang's consent, Princess Zhaoyang smiled beautifully.

"Thank you, General Li."