Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey!

Moreover, it was just said the Ruyang King would still help them in the expedition, nonsense! If he were the Ruyang King, he certainly wouldn’t help the Emperor in an expedition anymore. Is he mad? The court doesn’t even treat him like a human, and he helps others to weaken himself.

The Emperor asked himself, if he were the Ruyang King, he would have rebelled long ago.

Moreover, the Ruyang King’s performance is absolutely loyal. How can Tuotuo with one empty phrase summon the Ruyang King to the capital, if not for his Brother Wang’s loyalty to the court?

To someone so loyal, how could he force him to rebel step by step?

Moreover, Old Hama was right; Tuotuo is now already the head of the civil servants. Among the six ministers of the court, except for the Ministry of Rites which is Old Hama’s domain, all the rest are Tuotuo’s former subordinates. In such a situation, court affairs could almost be decided by his word alone.

But now he is not satisfied, and he starts eyeing military power. As Old Hama said, the power of civil servants added to that of the military, what is that? Isn’t that the imperial power itself?

Thinking of this, he looked coldly at Tuotuo. As an emperor, he would never allow anyone to touch his imperial power.

In fact, after the Eight Kings’ Biography was brought out, Tuotuo no longer defended himself, because he knew it was meaningless.

The Emperor would not go to war with the entire military group for him. Madness! To go to war with all the vassal kings for someone who wants to seize his imperial power, how foolish would that be!

At this moment, he knew he must not defend himself; any words in his defense would become sharp swords aiming at him after the Emperor realized what’s happening.

"Lord Prime Minister, what do you think of this matter?"

The Emperor glanced indifferently at Tuotuo, Tuotuo took a deep breath, turned his head towards the Emperor, and said: "Your Majesty, I am at fault!"

"Oh, how is Lord Prime Minister at fault?"

The Emperor looked at Tuotuo and asked, Tuotuo said: "I am stationed at the Central Secretariat, reviewing provincial documents daily, seeing reports of rebels everywhere, while the local vassal kings suppress ineffectively, causing the situation to worsen. I am burning with anxiety about national affairs and thought if I could rely on my power for the court to unify suppression of the rebels, thereby increasing efficiency."

"Who would have thought, good intentions resulting in a bad affair, as Old Hama said, I am already at the pinnacle of civil servant power, but if I also hold military power, wouldn’t I be on par with Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"

"But at that time, all I thought about was how to lessen national worries, to ease Your Majesty’s burden. Your Majesty is my benefactor. Without Your Majesty, I would still be just an editor at the Hanlin Academy. It was Your Majesty’s gracious favor that brought me to where I am today. I dare not forget Your Majesty’s kindness for a moment."

"So I committed such a great error, but I truly have always been loyal to Your Majesty, with no other intentions. Now I realize it, but it’s unfortunately too late, regretting my past as it is!"

Saying this, Tuotuo directly performed a grand act of homage and said: "I, Meliqi Tuotuo, plead with Your Majesty for heavy punishment, to set an example for all the ministers of the world, not to tolerate my actions; I ask Your Majesty for heavy punishment!"

Tuotuo knelt on the ground, crying out for severe punishment full of tears.

Those who didn’t know might really think he was a loyal minister for the country and people.

Old Hama looked at Tuotuo like this, his gaze slightly narrowed. One must admit, this Tuotuo indeed has some skill. Even in such a situation, he can still be so calm and composed, even stirring up the Emperor’s emotions. One must say, to reach his current position, Lord Prime Minister Tuotuo indeed has something.

Old Hama looked at the Emperor and saw that after listening to Tuotuo’s words, the coldness on the Emperor’s face immediately began to merge and thaw.

Seeing the Emperor like this, Old Hama’s eyes widened. Good heavens, this couldn’t even kill him.

This was almost forcing the princes to come to the capital for royal service, yet the Emperor still didn’t want to kill Tuotuo. Old Hama even suspected Tuotuo might have cast a spell on the Emperor.

At this moment, the Emperor cleared his throat and said: "Hmm, I have already made a decision on this matter."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at the Emperor, waiting for his response. The Emperor said: "Left Minister Tuotuo, not respecting the Holy Decree, making private decisions, causing the princes to suffer, unforgivable crime!"

"Now strip him of all his official positions, demote him to a commoner, and exile him to serve in the army in Yunnan!"

"Ah, Your Majesty, this punishment is too severe, too severe!"

Upon hearing that Tuotuo was to be exiled to serve in the army in Yunnan, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel immediately stood up and shouted: "Your Majesty, the punishment is too severe, too severe!"

Upon hearing this, before Old Hama could speak, the Emperor glanced at him and said: "Oh, you think it’s too severe, well then, you accompany him."

"Ah!"

The Minister of the Ministry of Personnel’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect to bring trouble upon himself, so he looked at the Emperor and said: "Your Majesty, that is not what I meant, not what I meant at all!"

The Emperor listened and said: "Since you are loyally serving your lord, I cannot chill your heart; I hereby dismiss the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Chao Lu, and exile him to Yunnan with Tuotuo."

"Ah, Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Chao Lu immediately wanted to plead for injustice, but the Emperor ignored him and immediately followed up: "Furthermore, convey my decree to immediately head to the Great Buddha Temple to welcome the Ruyang King, and promote the Ruyang King to the rank of Three Pearl Prince, continuing to command the White Deer Army, suppressing the Jiangnan Five Routes and Eighty-One Prefectures."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing the Emperor’s words, Wang Baobao originally felt the punishment for Tuotuo was too light, but he was now very pleased. After all, the Ruyang King was only a Commandery Prince before, not the most noble of princes.