A spacious empty area appeared on the vast platform of the noble class.
Few people were willing to stir up this trouble.

“Presumptuous!”

Jiang Rumou stepped out directly, standing between Tian Xili and Liu Yingqi.
Even though this Prime Minister was known for his gentle demeanor and rarely showed anger, even being mockingly called “Dough Prime Minister” by some, he couldn’t help but become furious at this moment.
His “婆婆臉” (likely refers to his face turning red with anger) was flushed crimson.
“What are you two trying to do before the Imperial Ancestral Temple?! Isn’t it enough to make a fool of yourselves at this time? Do you have to embarrass yourselves before the ancestors as well?!”

Cao Jie stepped forward, his hand already on his sword. It seemed as though he was ready to strike down the two nobles with his sword at the Emperor’s command.

“Lord Prime Minister!”

Tian Xili was stunned for a moment, as if he had just realized.
He turned towards the main platform, towards the steps decorated with dragons, and bowed deeply: “Your Majesty, do you remember the old agreement of Changming Prefecture?”

On the dragon steps, there was a deafening silence.

Tian Xili maintained that deep bow, completely still.
Even with his Divine Arrival cultivation, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Thump!

At this moment, Liu Yingqi knelt down directly: “We have roared before the Imperial Ancestral Temple, a capital offense!”

Tian Xili’s posture visibly stiffened, but he dared not move.
“Ignorant fool!” He wished he could jump up and kill Liu Yingqi on the spot, but he could only rage in his heart.

Each breath of the Qi Emperor’s silence weighed a thousand catties on his back.
The heavenly might felt like a prison, making it almost impossible for him to breathe!

He didn’t know how long passed. In his struggle with fear, Tian Xili felt as though he had lived an entire lifetime.
The Emperor on the dragon throne finally spoke slowly: “What does Marquis Gaochang wish to instruct me?”

Thump!

“This subject is terrified!”

Tian Xili also knelt down, his head touching the ground, his hands stretched out above his head and pressed flat on the ground as well.
He was extremely fearful and humbled.
“How can this subject, with such meager virtue and ability, be qualified to instruct Your Majesty!”

Jiang Wang watched this scene, feeling the awe-inspiring power of the current Qi Emperor even more.
With just a period of silence and a question, he had crushed the spirit of the Marquis of Gaochang, grinding his aggressive questioning to dust.

The Qi Emperor slowly said: “I would like to hear why Marquis Gaochang is so enraged today.”

“I beg Your Majesty’s discerning judgment.” Tian Xili knelt on the ground, his voice trembling, and said: “The unfilial son of the Tian clan, Tian Anping, accidentally killed Liu Shentong of the Fufeng Liu clan in a dispute that day. This immoral and unlawful act deserves capital punishment.
Fortunately, due to Your Majesty’s benevolence, Tian Anping was spared the death penalty and was only demoted to the Inner Prefecture and confined for ten years.
In Changming Prefecture, the Tian clan and the Liu clan made an agreement to compensate the Liu clan for the death of their prodigy with all the Tian clan’s possessions. Yuan stones were transported by carts, precious pearls were measured by the peck, secret techniques, Dao arts, weapons and armor were given whenever possible. This subject, Tian Xili, deserves this responsibility for failing to raise his son properly, and even losing his fortune should be accepted! At that time, the Liu clan also agreed not to bring up this matter again!”

“However!”

He pressed his hands on the ground and raised his head, looking up in the direction of the dragon steps, his face filled with grief and indignation: “This subject has just received news that Liu Xiao of the Fufeng Liu clan, after forcefully killing the city guards, has entered Jicheng!”

Everyone was in an uproar!

Only then did people understand why, with the composure of the Marquis of Gaochang, he would be so unwise as to openly clash with Liu Yingqi on an occasion like this!
Killing guards and entering the city was tantamount to declaring war.

What other reason could Liu Xiao have for entering Jicheng today?

It was nothing more than to kill Tian Anping!

Some people looked at Liu Yingqi with less frivolity in their eyes.
They hadn’t expected the Fufeng Liu clan to still possess such spirit!

The Emperor’s voice descended from the dragon steps, like the entire sky collapsing: “Viscount Xuanhuai, what is your explanation?”

Liu Yingqi, who was kneeling on the ground, only dared to slowly raise his head at this moment, allowing people to see—
His tear-streaked face!

He just knelt there, in front of so many people, and began to cry bitterly: “A father has lost his son, a clan has lost its talent, generations of effort have been destroyed in an instant, a hundred years of future cut down with one strike. Your Majesty, how can this subject explain!?”

This is something the Emperor could not easily respond to.
Regardless of the reasons that day in Changming Prefecture, it was an undeniable fact that Tian Anping killed Liu Shentong and was not sentenced to death.
Whether it was because the Emperor valued talent or relied more on the Tian clan, the handling of the matter was indeed unfair.
Liu Yingqi’s grief and pain were known to all at the time.
As a dignified hereditary viscount, crying in this manner couldn’t help but evoke pity.

At this moment, it was naturally the Prime Minister’s turn to step forward.
A large part of the standard for judging whether a Prime Minister is competent is whether he is good at bearing responsibility for the Emperor. This “responsibility” is not liability, but rather blame.

Jiang Rumou said with a cold face: “The matter of that year has long been settled, and it was also agreed upon by you, Liu Yingqi. One case cannot be treated as two cases. What we are discussing today is the crime of Liu Xiao’s forced entry into Jicheng!”

Liu Yingqi propped himself up, kneeling, and said through tears: “Although Liu Shentong was my son, he grew up by Liu Xiao’s side. Their relationship was half master and apprentice, half father and son. I, Liu Yingqi, am incompetent and cannot comfort my deceased son. Liu Xiao, with his Divine Arrival realm, has suffered for nearly ten years and finally could not bear it. That was his choice, and I cannot explain it for him. Your Majesty!”

He then heavily kowtowed to the Emperor again.
His forehead collided with the ground with a clang.

“Whether Liu Xiao lives or dies is entirely up to the Holy Judgment, and the Liu clan dares not interfere! Liu Yingqi has been rude at the great ceremony today, disrespectful at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, making the world laugh. My crime is punishable by death. I humbly request Your Majesty to bestow a blade, and this subject will commit suicide!”

Chongxuan Sheng narrowed his eyes and watched the drama, only having two words in his heart – “Your mother!”

Who said the Liu clan wasn’t ruthless?
Who mocked the weak Liu clan that could only be helped by the wind?
When the Liu clan is ruthless, there is nothing left for others!

First, there was Liu Xiao, with his Divine Arrival cultivation, dragging Tian Anping to be buried with him.
Then there was Liu Yingqi, at this great ceremony, determined to drag Tian Xili to die with him.
He had only shouted a sentence and made a gesture, and it was considered rude at the ceremony and disrespectful at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, deserving of suicide. What about Tian Xili, who actively shouted and almost started a fight?

Although Liu Yingqi was of average ability and limited in capability, he was by no means foolish.
Even if he were truly a fool, harboring nearly ten years of hatred, he should not be underestimated.
Tian Xili’s attempt to make an issue of Liu Xiao’s attack on the city at the great ceremony to gain sufficient leverage for the Tian clan was a sign of good political cultivation.
However, Liu Yingqi had no room to maneuver. He couldn’t overturn the case from that year today, much less criticize the Emperor for being unfair.

So he chose…
To drag the other party to die with him.

A Viscount Xuanhuai, whose heir would be changed in the next generation, dragging a Marquis Gaochang, who was in his prime, to die.
A patriarch of the Liu clan, whose influence was waning, dragging a patriarch of the Tian clan, who was still among the top noble families, to die.

It seemed like it wouldn’t be a loss no matter how you calculated it.

But how can something like life and death be simply calculated?
And how many people can face it calmly!

Liu Yingqi today is truly令人刮目相看 (made people look at him in a new light)!

Even the Qi Emperor was silent for a moment!

At this moment, although Liu Yingqi was humble and appeared to be at the mercy of others, he was not actually afraid.
If the Liu clan was to be held accountable, he, Liu Yingqi, would be replaced as heir anyway, and his descendants would not inherit the title of Viscount Xuanhuai.
If Liu Yingqi was to be held accountable, he had already offered to die, so how else could he be held accountable!
If people are not afraid of death, how can you scare them with death?
He had nothing, and he was less afraid than Tian Xili!