Who Gave You the Nerve to Defy Me!?

Liu Minghan, Minister of Revenue, had only just stepped back when Zhang Ancang, Imperial Censorate Vice Censor-in-Chief, strode forward with his court tablet in hand, his voice booming like a great bell. "Your Majesty, this humble subject has a matter to report!"

Li Chen raised a hand slightly. "Speak."

Go on, let the performance begin!

With Li Chen's permission, Zhang Ancang fixed a blazing gaze on Feng Huai, Minister of Justice, and spoke sternly. "Your Majesty, I impeach Feng Huai, Minister of Justice. It has been nearly half a year since His Highness the Crown Prince passed away. This case has drawn the attention of the entire nation and left the people anxious and fearful. Yet to this day, Feng Huai, the Minister of Justice responsible for investigating it, has made no substantive progress whatsoever. I dare to ask Minister Feng: why is that?"

Feng Huai's expression darkened at those words, but he remained composed.

Hearing that someone was impeaching him had given him a fright. He had thought they were accusing him of joining the Second Prince the night before to plot rebellion. Instead, it was only this trifling matter.

Zhang Ancang had impeached Feng Huai because he had been one of the Crown Prince's former followers.

After the Crown Prince died, many of his subordinates had pledged allegiance to other factions. Only a handful of men like Zhang Ancang still remembered his kindness and wanted to uncover the truth and secure justice for him.

Feng Huai, the impeached Minister of Justice, slowly stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Your Excellency the Censor is mistaken. The Crown Prince's case is tangled and complex, involving many parties. It cannot be solved overnight. Your Majesty, ever since taking charge of this case, I have not dared slacken in the slightest. I have conducted interrogations day and night and verified evidence from every quarter, striving to reconstruct the truth. Though there has yet to be a breakthrough, I continue to devote my full effort to it and would never dare treat it carelessly."

That was pure empty talk. Whenever an investigation got nowhere, anyone could say the same thing.

Feng Huai was a slippery old veteran with decades in officialdom. He had no shortage of stock phrases for fending people off.

Zhang Ancang sneered. "Minister Feng, are you not simply shirking responsibility? Half a year is enough to turn the entire capital upside down and interrogate countless suspects. And what is the result? The case remains shrouded in mystery, and the murderer still walks free. Minister Feng, are you actually capable of solving this case? Or is there something else you are hiding, something you dare not reveal?"

Under that barrage, Feng Huai began to lose his composure and glared at him. "Your Excellency the Censor, that is utterly baseless. I am devoted to serving the nation and obtaining justice for His Highness the Crown Prince. What could I possibly be hiding? If Minister Zhang has a grievance against me, he may state it plainly. Why must he press me so aggressively?"

Then the two began trading insults, moving from affairs of state and family matters to personal attacks.

Zhang Ancang simply refused to let Feng Huai go. If he lacked the ability, he should retire and return home. If he dared not speak, he should hand over his information or grant access so Zhang Ancang could investigate at the Ministry of Justice himself. He insisted on uncovering the truth for the Crown Prince.

Having served as an official for many years, Feng Huai grew angrier and angrier as someone pointed at his nose and berated him.

In the Imperial Court, the ministers murmured among themselves, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Li Chen looked as though he were enjoying a show. You two keep arguing. Don't mind me.

This was a regular feature of the Imperial Court. Listening to two ministers tear into each other could actually yield some information.

After arguing for nearly fifteen minutes, Zhang Ancang cupped his hands toward Li Chen again. "Your Majesty, I do not mean to make things difficult for Minister Feng. But this case concerns the very foundation of our nation and the spirit of His Highness the Crown Prince in heaven. I have no choice but to argue my case. I beg Your Majesty to discern even the finest autumn hair and uncover the truth soon, so the people's hearts may be put at ease."

After hearing all that, Li Chen naturally understood. Leaving the Crown Prince's death unsolved indefinitely was no solution.

So Li Chen nodded lightly. "My minister speaks reasonably. Feng Huai, as Minister of Justice, solving this case is your responsibility. I will give you another three months. You must uncover the truth and allow no one to escape justice. As for Zhang Ancang, as Imperial Censorate Vice Censor-in-Chief, you have the authority to exercise oversight. I permit you to examine the Ministry of Justice's files on the Crown Prince's case and ensure that it is handled fairly and impartially."

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Li Chen's response. He had both urged Feng Huai to investigate and allowed Zhang Ancang to look into it himself. Now Zhang Ancang could hardly claim Li Chen had denied him the opportunity.

Besides, Li Chen had given Feng Huai three months without saying he would punish him if he failed. It was, in fact, a perfectly satisfactory answer.

The assembled ministers thought the matter had been settled for now. Since the investigation had gotten nowhere for so long, there were surely many obstacles involved.

Zhang Ancang had just accepted the decree and expressed his gratitude, but Feng Huai refused to accept it.

He declared bluntly, "Your Majesty, this absolutely must not be done. The Ministry of Justice is a vital institution of the court, responsible for the nation's security. Numerous confidential records are stored there. The Previous Emperor entrusted the ministry to this humble subject as a mark of his confidence in me. If Imperial Censorate Vice Censor-in-Chief Zhang comes to investigate, he risks overstepping his authority. I ask Your Majesty to retract those words!"

Everyone was stunned.

By invoking the Previous Emperor, this veteran minister was openly challenging the new emperor.

To put it plainly, he was relying on his seniority, his important office, and his years of hard work and distinguished service to pressure the new emperor.

Li Chen frowned. "Try saying that again."

Anyone could hear that Li Chen was displeased.

But Feng Huai seemed to have let his anger go to his head. Li Chen had already stripped him of many privileges, and now he wanted to let someone else meddle in his Ministry of Justice?

Having long resented Li Chen, Feng Huai continued, "Your Majesty, I do not mean to contradict you. But this was entrusted to me by the Previous Emperor. It cannot be treated as child's play!"

"Very well. Then I'll send you to meet the Previous Emperor!"

Li Chen gave a contemptuous snort. With a mere lift of his hand, a powerful, pure surge of energy tore through the void and arrived in an instant!

In that instant, space convulsed, and the mountains and rivers trembled!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Feng Huai, Minister of Justice, exploded!

Despite his profound cultivation, he had no chance to resist. He died instantly!

Every inch of his body exploded. His bones burst into powder, while his flesh, skin, and blood were blasted together into pulp.

A dark red patch of blood splattered across the floor, while a bloody mist drifted through the air.

The force of the explosion shook the entire imperial palace. No one knew what had happened; they could only feel terrifying energy spreading relentlessly outward from the Imperial Court.

Worst off were the ministers around Feng Huai, whose faces were splashed with blood.

Li Chen's display was so staggering that it surpassed all worldly imagination, leaving every minister in the Imperial Court stunned!

The military officers had all cultivated, and most remained standing. A whole swath of civil officials, however, had been hurled away by the shock wave and now lay on the floor, wailing.

Now every minister was thinking, No wonder His Majesty always seemed to have nothing to fear. No wonder even the Empress Dowager dared not rule from behind the curtain. Is this the might of the Saint Realm?

It was their first time witnessing a Saint Realm powerhouse strike from such close range. Their eyes had truly been opened.

Li Chen had no intention of indulging an old minister like Feng Huai.

I gave you a chance, and you just had to fucking defy me, huh?

You won't obey me, and you think you can use the Previous Emperor to pressure me?

You demand I retract my order, and you even dare say I'm treating this as child's play?

You think you're so fucking impressive, don't you!

Every other word out of your mouth is the Previous Emperor. Well, I've sent you to meet him!

Happy now that you don't even have an intact corpse left?

Why did you think I wouldn't dare kill you? Who gave you the nerve to defy me!