"Your Majesty, I have rendered no meritorious service..."
"How can you say that? When Gao Rou rebelled, you held command in the Imperial Palace and put the matter to rest. Now that the army in Hebei refuses to obey imperial edicts, you are once again stepping forward to settle things."
"With all those achievements together, are they still not enough to warrant appointing you General Who Guards the North?"
"Leaving everything else aside, what achievements earned He Zeng and Chen Ben their appointments as generals?"
Yang Hu had never imagined that the emperor had delayed rewarding and appointing him because he was saving everything up to give him something big.
For a moment, Yang Hu did not know how to answer.
Cao Mao continued, "Uncle, when I first wanted you to help me, you were the only one who spoke the truth."
"Now that matters have come this far, I am no longer a puppet. Once I remove the General of the Guards this time, I will be the Son of Heaven who holds real power over all Great Wei. I wish to uphold the altars of soil and grain and bring prosperity to all under heaven. Uncle, can you come and help me this time?"
Yang Hu's face flushed red.
He hurriedly bowed his head. "I am willing to assist Your Majesty, even if it means dying ten thousand deaths!"
Cao Mao burst out laughing. "Now I will never need to worry again."
Compared with the other ministers, hearing Yang Hu say those words was far more reassuring.
For the rest of the journey, Cao Mao began seriously considering how to deal with Sima Zhao.
It would be best not to kill Sima Zhao. Killing him would not make it impossible to inherit the Grand General's legacy, but it