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Everyone could clearly see that the Minister of Revenue, Li Yang, dared to brazenly distort right and wrong and call a deer a horse in the court because he had powerful backing. As for who was behind him, the entire court knew but dared not speak, lest they offend that person.

They could only stand by helplessly and watch Li Yang distort the truth, right in front of everyone.

Time passed in silence.

Then, an elderly official with a resolute expression, dressed in court robes, stepped out of the ranks. His eyes locked on Li Yang, and he burst into angry reprimand:

“Li Yang, you are truly brazen and reckless! You dare to distort right and wrong, calling a deer a horse in the court? Do you think we are all blind here?”

“You have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor! According to the laws of the Zhou Dynasty, this warrants the extermination of your entire clan!”

Suddenly, Li Yang was startled by the voice, but soon his face twisted in fury. “You old fool! How dare you roar in the court and openly defy your superior? Do you want to die?”

Li Yang couldn’t believe that there was still a minister who dared to speak for Gu Changsheng.

Can this man not see that the Empress Dowager, not the new emperor, is the one truly in charge today?

In this court, whatever the Empress Dowager says is law, and the emperor is merely a wet-behind-the-ears boy.

At that moment, Gu Changsheng, sitting on the dragon throne, observed the scene with a calm expression. His gaze fell on the official who had spoken up, and information from his system flashed before him:

[Name: Gao Yuan] [Position: Deputy Minister of Revenue] [Cultivation: Peak King Realm] [Loyalty: 80]

Gao Yuan was a veteran of three reigns of the Great Zhou Dynasty and now served as the Deputy Minister of Revenue under Li Yang.

Originally, Gao Yuan was the Minister of Revenue, but because he refused to align himself with the Empress Dowager, he was demoted.

The Empress Dowager had supported Li Yang’s rise to the position.

Seeing Gao Yuan’s loyalty score of 80, Gu Changsheng was quite pleased.

In this entire court, Gao Yuan was one of the most loyal. His courage in speaking out today was commendable.

Gu Changsheng thought that once he removed Li Yang, he could restore Gao Yuan to his former position.

“How dare you, Gao Yuan! I am the Minister of Revenue, and you dare speak to me like this?” Li Yang’s face was filled with disdain as he glared at Gao Yuan.

Before, he might have feared Gao Yuan, but now, with the backing of the Empress Dowager, he had nothing to fear.

Li Yang turned to the court, his tone cold and threatening: “All officials, step forward. Those who believe this creature is the Red Flame Dragon Horse, stand on the left. Those who believe it’s a sika deer, stand on the right.”

At his words, the officials’ expressions shifted. Li Yang was blatantly distorting reality, forcing the court to lie. The ministers weren’t blind—they could all see the truth. But they also knew that Li Yang’s actions were backed by the Empress Dowager, meant to send a warning to the new emperor.

Under the oppressive atmosphere, many ministers reluctantly moved to the left side to support Li Yang.

About seventy percent of the officials, either loyal to the Empress Dowager or fearing her power, sided with Li Yang. Watching this, Gao Yuan’s face grew despondent. He glanced up at Gu Changsheng on the throne and sighed.

This is the end. With this public humiliation, the new emperor’s authority will be utterly shattered.

Li Yang, seeing the ministers support him, was elated. In his mind, the young emperor was nothing more than a pawn, and with the Empress Dowager backing him, he could act without consequence. Even if the court knew he was lying, no one dared speak out against the Empress Dowager.

But then—

A cold hum resounded throughout the hall, carrying with it an overwhelming pressure of imperial authority.

Gu Changsheng, his face stern and his eyes narrowing, locked onto Li Yang and spoke coldly: “Minister of Revenue, are you aware that the crime of deceiving the emperor is equivalent to treason, punishable by the extermination of your entire clan?”

The court fell silent, and the atmosphere grew suffocating. The ministers felt a growing tension, as if something major was about to happen.

Li Yang stared in disbelief at Gu Changsheng.

Is the emperor really so blind to the situation that he would dare to continue down this path?

The Empress Dowager, too, was taken aback. She couldn’t understand why Gu Changsheng was acting so boldly.

Does he have some hidden plan?

But after thinking it over, she smirked inwardly.

Gu Changsheng, only eighteen and still at the innate stage of cultivation, is a mere puppet. What could he possibly have up his sleeve?

“Your Majesty, I have always acted with a clear conscience and loyalty to the Zhou Dynasty. I have never deceived the emperor,” Li Yang said, standing straight, his voice loud and forceful.

He knew he had committed the crime of deceiving the emperor, but he was certain that with the Empress Dowager’s protection, no one would dare touch him—not the ministers, and certainly not the emperor.

“Hmph!” Gu Changsheng’s cold snort echoed through the hall. His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he looked at Li Yang.

His voice reverberated throughout the palace, “I am the Son of Heaven, the supreme ruler of the land. If I say you have deceived the emperor, then you have deceived the emperor.”

The entire court was stunned into silence.

The new emperor’s words were shockingly domineering. Even the previous emperor hadn’t spoken with such authority.

“Your Majesty, I have been wronged!” Li Yang’s face was filled with terror. He could feel the emperor’s killing intent, and his body trembled as he fell to his knees.

“Silence!” Gu Changsheng’s voice thundered.

“Minister of Revenue Li Yang has committed the crime of deceiving the emperor, distorting truth and falsehood. According to the laws of the Zhou Dynasty, this warrants the extermination of his entire clan. Royal Shadow Guards, arrest him immediately.”

At these words, the hall erupted into chaos.