I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Upon hearing the words "bastard son," Lu Cheng felt a surge of joy.

Before the corners of his mouth could even turn up, his mind had already automatically filled in the rest of the sentence.

The father was scolding Lu Yuan, the ninth son, who was an arrogant and rebellious son who didn't know his place.

So he climbed up the rope.

"Father is right!"

After Lu Cheng sat in his wheelchair, he continued righteously, "Ninth Brother has no respect for his father and ruler, spouting nonsense in front of everyone, talking about some divine object, clearly trying to deceive..."

I'm talking about you.

Lu Cangqiong spoke in a heavy voice.

Lu Cheng opened his mouth wide, revealing half of his face, his expression frozen on the word "deceive," looking like a cat being choked.

"I……"

"What do you mean, 'you'?"

Lu Cangqiong leaned back and pointed towards Lu Cheng.

"They're reporting important matters to me, what are you yelling about? Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

Lu Cheng's mind went blank for a moment.

He opened his mouth, but after his Adam's apple bobbed up and down twice, he didn't make a sound.

The officials' eyes were all on this place.

Some of the young officials immediately looked down at the floor tiles, their shoulders shrugging, barely able to contain their laughter.

Lu Yuan put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to look at Lu Cheng's multicolored face.

Goodness, this is more vivid than any meme he's ever seen before.

"Someone come here!"

Lu Cangqiong raised his hand, his tone irritated, "Push the Second Prince out. I don't want to see him today."

Lu Cheng was very anxious and reached out to hold onto the armrest of the wheelchair.

"Father... Your son will never dare to do it again... Father!"

The guard ignored him and pushed the wheelchair outside by himself.

The wheelchair creaked on the gold brick floor, and Lu Cheng's voice grew fainter and fainter.

"Father... Your son will never dare to do it again... Father!"

The main hall doors are already closed.

Lu Cangqiong's expression softened slightly, and his gaze fell on Lu Yuan.

The emperor's eyes held an eagerness, much like a child waiting to open a red envelope during the Lunar New Year.

"Tell me, what divine object is it?"

Lu Yuan took out the folded piece of Xuan paper from his sleeve and handed it over with both hands.

Zhou Fu jogged forward to take it, then turned and presented it to the emperor's desk.

Lu Cangqiong unfolded the paper and looked down at a few lines.

His breathing became heavier.

After reading a few more lines, my fingers began to tremble slightly.

After reading the entire document, Lu Cangqiong suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, holding the paper, took three steps behind the imperial desk, and then turned back and took three steps back.

Back and forth, like a caged beast trapped in a cage.

The officials in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment.

What exactly was written on the paper? What could have made the emperor so agitated?

Xie Guangkun craned his neck forward, but couldn't see anything.

Liu Neng also looked bewildered. The anger between the two of them, which had just been arguing, had completely dissipated, replaced by pure curiosity.

Lu Cangqiong finally stopped.

He looked up at Lu Yuan, his eyes burning with passion.

"This was... given to me by someone?"

Lu Yuan nodded.

Lu Cangqiong took a breath, clutched the paper in his hand, and turned to look at Xie Guangkun.

"Xie Guangkun, come forward."

Xie Guangkun quickly stepped forward and jogged to the imperial desk.

Lu Cangqiong handed him the paper.

"Take it back to the Ministry of Works, find the most skilled craftsman in kiln operations, and have them try making it according to the instructions."

Xie Guangkun took it with both hands, glanced at it twice, and immediately fixed his gaze on it.

He looked at it once, then again, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"If this thing... could really be made..."

"Shut up."

Lu Cangqiong interrupted him, his tone turning cold and stern, "From this day forward, the formula for this item shall be classified as a top secret. No more than three people may handle it. Craftsmen shall only know the steps, not the whole story. Anyone who dares to divulge even a single word..."

He paused, then glanced around the hall.

"Exterminate their three clans."

The moment those three words were uttered, all the officials in the hall shuddered.

Xie Guangkun knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, I obey! If there is even the slightest leak, I will offer my head in retribution!"

"Get up." Lu Cangqiong waved his hand.

Xie Guangkun carefully put the paper away and returned it to the train.

Lu Yuan watched this scene and a smile curled at the corner of his lips.

Enough with the groundwork; it's time to get down to business.

"Father."

Lu Cangqiong looked at him.

"Your subject has just signed a pledge to resolve the funding problem within a month. However, your subject has a request."

"explain."

"Your subject requests the temporary allocation authority of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue."

Lu Yuan's tone changed; he was no longer joking and laughing, and every word he spoke was firm and resolute.

"Within one month, both ministries must unconditionally cooperate with your subject."

Liu Neng's face twitched.

Xie Guangkun was also stunned.

"And..." Lu Yuan raised his eyelids, "the power to act first and report later."

A buzzing sound filled the hall.

Liu Neng couldn't stand it any longer, "Your Majesty! This is unreasonable..."

"Granted."

Lu Cangqiong's two words completely shut down the rest of Liu Neng's sentence.

"Bestow upon him the Imperial Sword."

Zhou Fu, who was standing nearby, was also taken aback for a moment, then quickly responded and ordered someone to fetch the sword.

Lu Cangqiong leaned back in his chair and stared at Lu Yuan for a couple of moments.

"in addition……"

He seemed to ponder for a moment before slowly speaking.

"The Phoenix Battalion is now under your command."

As soon as those four words were uttered, all the buzzing in the hall ceased.

Quiet.

Even deathly silence is insufficient to describe the sense of desolation at this moment.

Even Liu Neng forgot to protest.

Xie Guangkun glanced back at Zhao Guoqiang. Zhao Guoqiang's mouth gaped open, and he almost dropped the tablet in his hand.

Phoenix Camp.

Those three words carried more than ten times the weight of the imperial sword in the hearts of the officials.

Lu Yuan himself was stunned.

The Phoenix Battalion was left behind by the late Empress.

The First Battalion has three detachments, each with a thousand women, all of whom are handpicked from among hundreds.

He was skilled in riding and archery, and a warrior. He followed the late empress in her campaigns to conquer half of the Great Yong Dynasty.

After the late empress passed away, the military power of the Phoenix Battalion remained in the hands of the emperor.

It's been twenty years, and I've never given it to anyone.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare.

The three thousand female soldiers were not loyal to the throne, but to the bloodline of the late empress.

Lu Cangqiong's decision to hand over this team today makes his meaning crystal clear.

He returned the late empress's only inheritance to her only surviving son.

Lu Yuan stood in the hall, motionless for a long time.

He lowered his head and, unusually, performed a deep bow.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

Lu Cangqiong looked at his kneeling back, his lips moved, but in the end he said nothing.

He waved his hand.

"Dismiss the court."

The officials filed out.

When they reached the palace gate, several elderly ministers were supporting each other, their legs trembling.

The amount of information presented at today's morning meeting is enough for them to digest for half a month.

……

outside the temple.

At the end of the corridor, Lu Cheng's wheelchair was pushed by two guards to the eaves of the side hall.

He sat there, leaning forward, his eyes fixed on the gate of Qianyuan Hall.

The officials emerged one after another.

He saw Xie Guangkun, he saw Liu Neng, and he saw Zhao Guoqiang.

Everyone had a strange expression on their face, as if they had seen a ghost or won the lottery.

Lu Cheng felt a chill run down his spine.

What exactly happened inside?

Just then, that familiar figure emerged from the palace gate.

Lu Yuan walked with his hands behind his back, exuding a breezy air, a smile that made Lu Cheng's teeth itch with hatred.

A sword was now at his waist.

Crimson gold scabbard with dragon-patterned hilt.

Imperial sword.

Lu Cheng's pupils contracted.

Lu Yuan also saw him.

He slowed his pace, turned a corner in his direction, and strolled over leisurely.

She stood still and looked down at Lu Cheng in the wheelchair.

"Oh, Second Brother, I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to you in the palace earlier."

"Hey, don't you think my sword is pretty?"

As he spoke, Lu Yuan deliberately patted the imperial sword at his waist.