Xiao Rongyan nodded.

“Yue Shi…” Murong Li called to Yue Shi and said, “Ninth Uncle has traveled day and night, returning dusty from his journey. Send someone to the Regent’s residence to inform them that Ninth Uncle will stay in the palace tonight.”

Xiao Rongyan hadn’t planned to stay long in Yan capital anyway, so whether the Regent’s residence was prepared or not made no difference to him.

Yue Shi cupped his fists and responded: “Yes!”

“Ninth Uncle, please…” Murong Li respectfully invited Xiao Rongyan to ascend the high platform with him. After seeing Xiao Rongyan sit in the Regent’s position, he then sat down on the dragon throne.

Murong Li’s cold eyes looked at Minister Meng, who knelt on the ground, not daring to rise: “Minister Meng, regarding your deceiving the Empress Dowager to place me under house arrest, I can overlook it. But as an important minister of the Yan court… You formed factions for personal gain, incited the Empress Dowager to disregard the people’s lives, forbade medicinal herbs from entering Great Zhou cities, and sealed Yan’s borders to prevent Great Zhou’s medicinal herbs from entering Yan territory…”

“This humble minister did everything for Yan! I beg Your Majesty to see clearly—now that our Yan has contracted the epidemic, it’s a natural disaster. Only by dragging the cities we’re gambling with Great Zhou into it, even dragging all of Great Zhou into it, can we have a chance of victory!”

“During epidemic disasters, it’s precisely when our Great Zhou and Yan should work together with united hearts. Otherwise, once the epidemic spreads—one infects ten, ten infect a hundred—any city that contracts the disease will have mountains of bones. When the people are gone… even if we win the national gamble, what good would it do?” Murong Li’s chest surged with blood and qi. “Minister Meng was once considered a great scholar, admired by students in his early years. How can he now not understand even the principle that ‘the people are the foundation of the state’?”

Minister Meng’s throat rolled, unable to say a single word in his defense.

“From Great Zhou’s Emperor down to all officials, for the sake of the people’s lives, they chose this method of national gambling with our Yan when they held all advantages of timing, geography, and popular support… to determine victory with our Yan and unify the realm! And what about our Yan court? You, as an important minister of the Yan court, a court minister… yet you treat the people’s lives as worthless grass, attempting to use the lives of people who once shared life and death with our Yan to win this gambling agreement! Shameful! Truly shameful!”

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!” The court ministers kowtowed and shouted.

Murong Li looked at the court ministers kneeling throughout the hall. He knew… regarding Minister Meng and his mother disregarding the people’s lives just to win the national gamble, although not many among these ministers participated, most of them had agreed to it. Otherwise, they would have been eliminated long ago…

For example, the Regent’s faction—if Ninth Uncle had returned any later, they would probably have been completely purged.

And Murong Li also understood that the ministers who followed Ninth Uncle, though dissatisfied with him being a young ruler, still worked wholeheartedly for the court. Otherwise, Ninth Uncle wouldn’t have entrusted them with important responsibilities before leaving.

“This time, whoever… participated with Minister Meng in this matter, whoever transmitted the epidemic into the cities allocated to Great Zhou—will you stand forward and confess your crimes yourselves, or… shall this prince have people investigate and find out, then exterminate entire families? Choose for yourselves.” Xiao Rongyan’s tone was casual.

As soon as he finished speaking, court ministers crawled forward on their knees: “Your Majesty, Regent, please see clearly! This humble minister… this humble minister did this all for our Yan!”

“Your Majesty! Regent… this humble minister was following orders from the Empress Dowager and Minister Meng!”

With someone taking the lead, the court ministers’ confessions seemed to have found direction, all pushing everything onto the four words “following orders.”

“Your Majesty, Regent, please see clearly! We humble ministers were all following orders!”

Xiao Rongyan’s gaze swept over them, and he spoke: “How you followed orders, go explain clearly at the Court of Judicial Review yourselves.”

After Xiao Rongyan finished speaking, he looked at Murong Li: “Those demoted by the Empress Dowager… including the Minister of Revenue and ten other officials, this prince has already sent people to invite them back. Next, those who should vacate positions should vacate them, those who should be killed should be killed! Those whose families should be exterminated should have their families exterminated. Your Majesty is the Emperor—you shouldn’t need this prince to teach you how to handle this.”

“What does Ninth Uncle mean by this?” Murong Li heard something unusual in these words. “Is Ninth Uncle planning to go out again?”

“Now the epidemic rages, and the people are panic-stricken. We need imperial family members to appear to stabilize popular sentiment!” Xiao Rongyan stood up. “This prince wishes to depart immediately to inspect the epidemic areas and comfort the people!”

“But Ninth Uncle…” Murong Li felt uneasy.

“Your Majesty has grown up… you have your judgment on many matters. This time’s troubles arose from not being guarded against the Empress Dowager and being soft-hearted, but this is also something Your Majesty must experience in growing up. Your Majesty must become an emperor who can stand alone.” Xiao Rongyan looked at Murong Li. “Ninth Uncle could support you when you were young and guide you forward, but now you’ve grown up. Which path to take… You are the Emperor, you decide! You… are Yan’s guide.”

Hearing these words, Murong Li’s eyes ached, and hot tears surged; his heart filled with anxious uncertainty.

He knew everything Ninth Uncle said was right, but hearing him say it… he always felt like Ninth Uncle was abandoning him because he had handled his mother’s matter improperly.

Previously, he dared make decisions in court because he knew that no matter what, Ninth Uncle was behind him. Even if he made mistakes, Ninth Uncle could clean up the mess for him.

If Ninth Uncle weren’t in court, he wouldn’t have confidence.

“Ninth Uncle!”

“Your Majesty…” Xiao Rongyan bowed formally to Murong Li. “Your Majesty has grown up. This subject believes in Your Majesty!”

“Ninth Uncle!” Murong Li clenched his fists. He was afraid… afraid that even before the national gamble ended, he would have to go find Sister Bai.

But he clearly knew that Ninth Uncle was Sister Bai’s husband, that Ninth Uncle’s wife and children were all in Great Zhou. He was now Yan’s emperor—what right did he have to force Ninth Uncle to stay in Yan?

He was a nephew, but staying in Great Zhou was the Ninth Uncle’s wife.

Murong Li’s tightly clenched fists slowly relaxed. He was clear in his heart… Ninth Uncle had already sacrificed too much for Yan. He couldn’t be so selfish as to force Ninth Uncle to stay for his own sake.

Perhaps it was time to let Ninth Uncle follow his heart and be with his wife and children forever.

Thinking this, Murong Li bowed formally to his Ninth Uncle: “Ninth Uncle… take care on your journey!”

Xiao Rongyan looked at Murong Li’s expression as if he was about to cry and guessed that Murong Li had probably misunderstood, estimating that little A’Li thought he was planning to fake his death and escape during this inspection of epidemic cities.

Coming out of the great hall, Xiao Rongyan turned to Yue Shi beside him and said: “Later, after morning court ends, personally go tell little A’Li not to overthink. Now that he’s grown up and can stand alone, this prince is very pleased. He doesn’t need this prince to act as regent anymore. I hope he can do his utmost to correct Yan and become a true ruler. Before the national gambling agreement ends, this prince will naturally guard Yan, so let little A’Li rest assured.”

Yue Shi nodded: “Yes!”

Xiao Rongyan walked down from the high platform with his hands behind his back. This time, his trip to the epidemic-stricken areas also had his selfish motives.