Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 86 - 85: Cleaning House, She is Little Yin Hu

Chapter 86: Chapter 85: Cleaning House, She is Little Yin Hu

The tremendous aura caused everyone to halt their breaths, the long-absent oppressive feeling descended upon the court once more.

Lu Yuan was never one to speak aggressively or harshly, his tone always refined and graceful, even carrying a hint of gentle affection upon first listen. Yet, this very demeanor made everyone feel as if a sharp blade was hanging precariously above their heads.

In the Jinluan Palace, silence reigned.

Lu Yuan walked steadily to the center, smiled, and repeated, "Your Majesty, this humble servant has returned."

The young Emperor stammered, "Re-Returned, that’s good."

Lu Yuan adjusted the cuffs of his court robes casually, as if chatting idly, and spoke with an air of indifference, "During my absence, some filth made its way into my household. I took the liberty of cleaning up the place, which caused my delay to court. I beg Your Majesty’s pardon."

Cleaning up the household? Wasn’t this outright admitting last night’s events were his doing?

Coupled with his utterly fearless demeanor, it was as though he was declaring: I killed those people, what can you possibly do to me?

Arrogant!

Utterly arrogant!

The court officials and military officers clenched their teeth in fury.

Among those who hadn’t betrayed Lu Yuan—whether out of fear or lack of opportunity—there emerged a deep sense of relief for narrowly escaping the calamity alive.

Lu Yuan smiled and asked, "General Zhou, Governor of the Capital Prefecture, what grand matter were you discussing earlier?"

General Zhou cleared his throat and glanced toward the Governor of the Capital Prefecture.

The Governor hung his head, feigning ignorance as if dead.

It was the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Justice who finally broke the silence and began to explain: several high-ranking court officials and prominent royal merchants had been assassinated over the night. The crime scenes left no trace or clues; the wounds were the only evidence, and they were insufficient to identify the perpetrator.

Lu Yuan remarked, "Governor of the Capital Prefecture, these murders occurred within your jurisdiction. You must thoroughly investigate this matter. Moreover, given the gravity of the case, might I suggest involving the Ministry of Justice as well?"

The Ministry of Justice oversees legal codes and manages prison affairs; while it does handle cases, most of the cases reaching this level are already resolved, merely awaiting review before execution—like the ethically final decree issued by the Supreme Emperor.

When the Ministry of Justice reviews a case, any missing pieces are rectified before dissemination and execution.

The Governor of the Capital Prefecture and the Minister of the Ministry of Justice dared not object and reluctantly accepted the case.

They both understood that the case might eventually be solved, but it would never implicate Lu Yuan.

In just two months, Lu Yuan had eliminated half of his faction’s traitors. But upon his return, rather than orchestrating a cautious scheme, he had directly swung his blade of dominance, hunting down each betrayer mercilessly!

Even if it drained him to his lowest ebb, he would never conceal his sharpness. He preferred dying on his feet over cowering and surviving disgracefully!

At worst, it would come down to mutual destruction—if he were to die, he’d die flaunting his arrogance!

They had long known that Lu Yuan was a madman, but each time, he exceeded their assumptions of madness.

Lu Yuan took note of all the fear and hatred in those present and curled his lips in satisfaction before finally glancing at the young Emperor on the throne, as if remembering to seek his opinion.

"Ah, Your Majesty, do you have any objections?"

The young Emperor flashed a radiant smile and responded, "What Father Lu has said is precisely what I envision as well. Father Lu, you’ve been away for so long, but now you’ve returned. I’ve missed you greatly. I shall immediately host a banquet to welcome you and the brave generals back."

Lu Yuan made only a brief appearance at court, not even sitting at the throne-side seat next to the Emperor. After submitting a list of recommendations for honors and rewards, he used the excuse of physical discomfort to leave.

General Zhou glanced at one of the veteran court officials and said, "Cabinet Minister Yang, didn’t you say last time that if the Emperor didn’t punish Lu Yuan, you’d crash your head into the Jinluan Palace and die?"

Cabinet Minister Yang’s gaze flickered. "I-I never said such a thing!"

General Zhou then turned to Imperial Censor Wang. "Lord Wang, you love censuring Lu Yuan the most. How come you’re not doing so this time?"

Imperial Censor Wang waved his sleeve dismissively. "I censure people based on evidence, alright?"

When he lacked evidence, he refrained from raising charges.

However, with undeniable proof, he’d send even his father to prison!

After court adjourned, the young Emperor summoned Zhang Feihu.

Zhang Feihu had been stationed at the border for many years and had few opportunities to see the Emperor. The last time he entered the Imperial Study Room, it was still the Supreme Emperor seated there; now, it was the Supreme Emperor’s son.

"This humble servant greets Your Majesty,"

Zhang Feihu saluted.

"Rise, General Zhang," said the young Emperor.

The Imperial Study Room also housed the Minister of War and several other Ministers of Military Affairs.

Zhang Feihu exchanged greetings with the crowd.

The young Emperor first showered Zhang Feihu with lavish praise before asking, "The list of commendations doesn’t include Old General Song—was he overlooked?"

Zhang Feihu explained Song Biao’s actions in defying military orders.

The Minister of War spoke respectfully, "The Grand Commander has never been on the battlefield, so he lacks experience. Old General Song acted for the greater good, refraining from attacking immediately. It can be considered forgivable, can’t it?"

Zhang Feihu replied, "I, Old Zhang, cannot agree! While it’s true that when it comes to military talent... the Grand Commander is slightly less capable than I am, the Grand Commander excels at recognizing talent, strategizing, exhibiting divine foresight, and commanding from behind the scenes. Which soldier doesn’t admire him? Old Song wanted to show him who’s boss—I understand that. But demonstrate prowess through battle accomplishments! Deliberately losing and delaying military affairs—that sort of behavior is utterly contemptible!"

While some suspected Lu Yuan of targeting adversaries, the commendation list included Han Ci, who claimed top merits in the battle at Feng County.

The Minister of War, an old acquaintance of Zhang Feihu, glanced at him and said, "You’ve gotten better at speaking eloquently."

Zhang Feihu thumped his chest. "The Grand Commander said that a military general must also read more books!"

Seeing Han Ci’s name on the list, Zhang Feihu remarked, "The assassination attempt on Great General Han must have nothing to do with the Grand Commander—the Grand Commander isn’t that kind of person."

After this, the young Emperor asked about the border situation, including negotiations with King Qi of Beiliang. Zhang Feihu reported everything faithfully, noting he had personally witnessed King Qi storming out of the command tent in a fit of rage, harboring untold frustration and an unspent fury capable of murder but restrained.

The Minister of War asked, "So, it really was the Grand Commander who persuaded Beiliang to surrender?"

Zhang Feihu looked at him in shock. "Could it be false? Six thousand troops witnessed it! And I must correct you—it wasn’t persuasion; it was defeat! Victorious without combat, that is the pinnacle of strategy!"

Following this, Zhang Feihu proudly recounted numerous exploits of Lu Yuan. To those present, the version he painted seemed utterly unlike the Lu Yuan they once knew.

When Lu Yuan first took command to defend the border, everyone believed his excessive confidence and recklessness would result in an inevitable heavy loss, forcing him to return only to find his political base dismantled and his prospects ruined.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yuan not only achieved tremendous victories but also won the hearts and morale of the troops at the border.

"Who succeeded Yin Hu?"

The young Emperor asked.

Zhang Feihu replied, "Oh, Meng Xiaojiu!"

"And who is Meng Xiaojiu?" The young Emperor was unfamiliar with the name.

Zhang Feihu smiled and said, "The Grand Commander’s guard!"

After Zhang Feihu exited, the Minister of War sighed heavily and said, "In the court, there is no one left who can rein in Lu Yuan."

The young Emperor gazed toward the Western Regions. "Summon the Prime Minister back to court."

...

Outside the South City Gate, a man clad in dark robes with white hair gazed at the towering city walls and exhaled a long breath, saying, "Finally arrived in the Capital City. Should I visit Monkey Shen’s daughter first, or go find Little Yin Hu?"