Chapter 838: Chapter 838

The sword qi pierced through the void, directly penetrating Duke of Cheng’s left shoulder, instantly shaking his figure back, and violently smashing him into the wall of the Imperial Study Room!

A loud noise ensued, and the entire study room shook violently. Books on the bookshelf scattered all over the floor, the wall collapsed with a bang, and Duke of Cheng spat out a mouthful of blood.

The bloodline within him was torn by the sword qi. He struggled to get up but didn’t even have the strength to stand!

A single point of sword qi, terrifying as this!

"Did no one tell Duke of Cheng to watch his attitude when speaking to this prince?"

Wang Siyun’s voice suddenly turned cold, the terrifying aura of the Peak of the Celestial Immortal exposed without a doubt, suppressing everyone present. Even Luo Ying outside the door had a drastic change in his expression, unable to move an inch.

The only one smiling calmly at it all without intervening was Wang Mingyu.

"It seems that peaceful days have lasted too long, making everyone forget about the distinction between superior and subordinate!"

As soon as Wang Siyun finished speaking, a muffled groan was heard from everyone within the study room, except for Emperor Wang Mingyu. A hint of blood seeped from the corners of their mouths!

"Do you think you deserve an explanation from this prince? Do I, Wang Siyun, need a reason to kill?"

Wang Siyun’s gentle aura transformed suddenly, becoming incomparably icy, causing the people in the study room to sweat profusely, drenching their clothes instantly.

This oppressive force was too powerful, making it impossible for them to breathe.

"Does the prince not recognize the laws of our dynasty?"

Grand Tutor Zhangsun Mingyang gritted his teeth and spoke each word with difficulty. It wasn’t that his speech was slow, but that the oppressive aura made it extremely hard to speak at all.

"After living in peace for so long, some have forgotten the distinction between king and minister! Our dynasty’s Wang family is the ruler, and you are the ministers. The ruler orders, the minister obeys - do I need to remind the Grand Tutor of this principle?"

Wang Siyun’s eyes flashed with a cold light. With a flex of his fingers in the void, a powerful force pressed down on Grand Tutor Zhangsun Mingyang, bending his once-straight form!

Zhangsun Mingyang spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his front garment red. His face turned deathly pale, filled with anger and resentment!

With a cry of alarm, the Empress Zhangsun found her body immovably restricted by a force. Desperately, she looked towards the high-seated Emperor Wang Mingyu, begging.

"Your Majesty! My Zhangsun lineage has always been loyal to the dynasty, with no divided loyalties. We do not seek to hold onto our grievances about our clan elder’s death. Please, Your Majesty, be lenient!"

Only now did Empress Zhangsun realize that Emperor Wang Mingyu had gathered everyone not to uphold justice, but to teach them that the world belongs to the Wang family!

Evidently, the relationship between these brothers wasn’t as discordant as rumored!

"What is the Empress saying? Right now, the prince is explaining things to everyone. Didn’t you all request an explanation? Why, is the prince’s explanation unsatisfactory?"

Wang Mingyu remained unmoved, not making any effort to stop Wang Siyun’s actions. In his view, the current degree of repression wasn’t enough!

"The Shadow Tiger Master infiltrated the Northern Territories on their own, without the Royal Palace’s permission, which is intolerable!"

"The Cold Wolf Army left their guarding post without orders, besieging the cultivator sects and breaking the peace treaty between our dynasty and the sects. The prince intervened just in time to prevent a disaster, an act of righteousness which we all admire!"

Upon hearing the Emperor’s stance, two great dukes immediately spoke up. They were the founding fathers of the dynasty and understood the Emperor’s thoughts distinctly. Everyone present understood those words perfectly.

Anyone who didn’t admit fault now probably wouldn’t get another chance to bow later!

"Oh? Are Duke of Qin and Duke of Shan speaking from their hearts?"

"Then, from now on, please ensure that the Tiger Division Wolf Cavalry under your command do not leave the troops without a royal edict or an order from the Ministry of War. Do you understand?"

Wang Siyun spoke each word slowly and clearly, like thunder reverberating within the Sea of Consciousness of the five dukes, imprinting deeply.

The five dukes of Qin gritted their teeth, replying in low voices with extreme unwillingness, but they had no power to resist and had to nod in submission.

Wang Siyun’s realm far exceeded that of everyone present. They didn’t even have the notion of putting up a fight, let alone the strength to battle.

Originally thinking to use Emperor Wang Mingyu to curb Wang Siyun, but now it seemed that the relationship between these brothers was much better than their understanding.

"Your subject! Understood!"

"All right, take Duke of Cheng down first!"

With a wave of Wang Mingyu’s hand, Wang Siyun withdrew his oppressive aura. The four dukes of Qin sighed in relief, quickly bowing to the Emperor and saying,"

"Your subjects take their leave!"

The four dukes of Qin lifted Duke of Cheng and quickly exited the study room, fearing that the Emperor and the prince might change their minds at any moment.

The five hurriedly left, and after departing from the imperial palace, they did not return to their army but gathered at the Duke of Qin’s mansion. Without Wang Siyun’s oppression, Duke of Cheng recovered substantially.

After all, Wang Siyun’s sword qi was a warning, not a lethal blow!

"I can’t swallow such humiliation!"

As soon as Duke of Cheng entered the mansion, he fumed with rage. As one of the dynasty’s founding fathers, he had never suffered such indignity!

"You must swallow it!"

Duke of Qin sternly rebuked. The current situation left no room for choice. The Emperor clearly favored the Guardian Sun King.

Over the years, the covert actions they had taken were definitely noticed by the Emperor, who merely refrained from intervening. Now with the Zhangsun family making a move, a reprimand was due.

"Big brother is right. Today, the Emperor showed the utmost leniency. We’ve been navigating between various factions for years, never offending anyone. Particularly with the Zhangsun family, we’ve met every request they had!"

"To the point where the Cold Wolf Army was completely wiped out, and we even dared to meddle in the prince’s affairs. This was indeed overstepping; a reminder could do us good to recall that this world’s surname is still Wang!"

Following Duke of Qin’s statement, Duke of Shan immediately voiced his agreement, acknowledging that the Shadow Tiger Master’s entry into the Northern Territories was indeed without Emperor Wang Mingyu’s permission but was an unauthorized covert operation.

"Fourth elder, especially you, better behave!"

"From today, summon your Black Tiger Division back entirely, keep them stationed at the main army headquarters, and do not allow them to move without my orders!"

When Duke of Qin issued his command, even though Duke of Cheng was deeply unwilling, he could not dare to dispute. Among the five great dukes, Duke of Qin had absolute authority.

"We followed the Emperor and established a vast empire. Today, in this era of peace, the Emperor has not discarded us after crossing the river, but rather granted us ducal positions, unparalleled reverence, and respect by the people. Such honor should be cherished!"

"Henceforth, all military matters, especially troop movements, must go through me. From today, I will oversee the army headquarters, and all matters, big or small, should not be decided without consulting me. Regarding major decisions, we five will deliberate together as per the customary rules!"

It seemed that Duke of Qin had resolved to implement reforms, openly declaring his intent to stay at the army headquarters.

Seeing Duke of Qin’s firm attitude, the four dukes of Cheng responded in unison, having no objections, for Duke of Qin’s decision was currently the best choice.

To avoid further pursuit from the Emperor, not only must they show their attitude, but they must also take action!

In the Imperial Study Room, after the five great dukes left, only the Grand Tutor, Empress, and Minister of Dali Temple, Du Heng, remained.

In fact, Du Heng was the most innocent one. Any movement in the Dali Temple required Emperor Wang Mingyu’s approval. Moreover, Du Heng didn’t care much about the few men who died, as the necessary information had already been brought back by Noble Consort Yang Yulan.

But Du Heng knew well that today’s gathering was a lesson from Emperor Wang Mingyu about what should and should not be done.

"Du Heng, you may step down!"

Wang Mingyu waved his hand. Du Heng had seen and heard enough to understand, and there was no longer any need for him to stay, for the ensuing discussion likely involved a royal secret which he was not qualified to know!