"Yang Chengming? Why was he here?"
Hearing the announcement outside, Chu Jinghui instinctively paused, but in the end, he still gestured for Yang Qing to enter.
Yang Qing's figure slowly came into Chu Jinghui's view.
He had yet to recover fully, and because his injuries this time had been so severe, his complexion looked particularly dreadful.
"Your humble servant bows before Your Majesty!"
Yang Qing first approached Chu Jinghui and bowed.
Chu Jinghui waved a hand. "Dispense with the formalities. Tell me, why have you come here?"
Yang Qing declared in a clear voice, "Naturally, I have come for the three thousand Shadow Guards within this Taoist Temple."
"Your Majesty, since ancient times, sovereigns and ministers have each had their proper place and bounds. Your Majesty must not let Chancellor Wei's few words sweep aside the proprieties that should govern this matter."
Wei Sizhong, who was also kneeling nearby, addressed Yang Qing. "Yang Chengming, what do you mean by that? Have you forgotten how His Majesty was attacked all those years ago?"
"Besides, Northern Liang has always eyed our dynasty like a tiger watching its prey. One careless move, and we could lose the entire game!"
"That is precisely why I did not dare tell Your Majesty the truth about these Shadow Guards!"
As he spoke, Wei Sizhong turned to Chu Jinghui once more. "Your Majesty, every word I have spoken comes from the bottom of my heart!"
Seeing Wei Sizhong behave this way, Yang Qing also raised his voice. "Your Majesty, I believe Chancellor Wei is using his past achievements to threaten you!"
"Your Majesty must not lightly trust such a disloyal, unrighteous man again!"
"If Chancellor Wei truly wished to protect his sovereign, he could easily have informed Your Majesty alone when these Shadow Guards were first established."