𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 || 敵の旦那様 (𝐁𝐋) ✔ [COMPLETE]

19. Quagmire

The Emperor glanced at him briefly, an expression of irascibility flitting across his face.

"And you think your skin and flesh would compare to the numerous treasures my arsenal had carried?" A thin tinge of furious mockery had laced his tone when he said the words, "Really now, General?"

Haoran couldn't refute what his emperor proclaimed. He bowed his head shamefully as he said, "This subject deserves death."

"Indeed you do."

The one who spoke this time wasn't Emperor Guang, and the entire hall fell abruptly silent as their eyes wandered the court looking for the source of the voice. The spectators and everybody else who curiously hunted for this very brave man who dared to speak against the general when he had an implicit personal conversation with the Emperor also felt immediate awe when they saw a man in gold official robes walk out of the tens of courtiers seated within.

Holding his pot belly that was fastened by a rich gold-plated belt, it was the minister of revenue who had come forward haughtily with evident ill-intentions oozing off of his unrefined countenance. His palms were clammy as he walked towards the general, who was still kneeling down and folding his hands behind him in interrogation. A rigorous sense of superiority filled him as he looked down at the general.

"You definitely do deserve to die, Imperial General." There was a vicious smile plastered on his face. "Oh Suns, I dare not offend the General that served as the shade and shield of the Blazing Sun Empire for so long. I dare not! Hence I ask you to pardon me, indeed, but..." His distorted smile widened. "What you managed to destroy is not a treasure that could be valued by money and was not something that belonged to the Zhou family ancestors; it was the precious arsenal of our great Imperial Royal Majesty—a direct heirloom passed down by the divine bloodline. And his Majesty directly entrusted such an immeasurably valuable treasure with you and you...."

He took on the posture of a man who was agonizing over something that was lost and continued, "You failed to protect something so invaluable, and that in itself makes you a befitting fit for immediate death. I'm sure that the Emperor thinks so too. Isn't that so, Your Imperial Royal Majesty?"

The emperor, however, made no sound. Understanding that the emperor did not share the same sentiments, the minister's face reddened.

He coughed to cover up his embarrassment and spoke, "Indeed, His Majesty is ever merciful and would never inflict such extremities, even on such an irresponsible person as yourself. Therefore, General, I ask you pleadingly. If you have an ounce of gratitude towards the monarch for everything he has done to you, and if you were to call yourself a man of honor," his orbs flashed with concealed delight as he said this. "You would leave your Imperial Sword on the ground, resign from your official duties as the imperial general, and destroy the Zhou Family emblem to atone for your sins."

The entire hall gasped at his audacious statement, and some even applauded his sense of courage to challenge the general. The imperial general was a figure of authority that had been granted the title of 'second to the divine blood', which essentially alleviated him from an ordinary status of nobility such as what the minister of revenue beheld. Hence the only time that the general could be exploited at will was when he had been openly disdained by the emperor, such as this, and this minister was going at it ubiquitously, even going as far as to drag the general's "honor" into the game—the general's critical point of weakness—to make him give up his title.

"I acknowledge everything the minister said, and I admit to my mistakes. I am apologetic beyond what words can express and have no recompense for the sins I have committed, indeed. However." The general, who had been kneeling all this time, slowly stood up and looked the minister dead in the eyes. "My honor and atonement are between my monarch and myself. I am the humble subject of the one sitting on the throne and I only take orders from His Majesty's imperial decree. Anybody else who dares intervene..." he said dangerously.

"...Should know that while spilling blood in the royal court is forbidden, anywhere else is this Imperial General's blood ground. I would especially love to drain the blood of someone." Haoran glared at the minister icily and took a step forward, making the minister stumble.

"Who doesn't know their place and walks in front of the monarch without awaiting permission to speak or kneeling? Who does your lowly self think itself to be? Kneel!"

When the minister of revenue heard this, he knew instinctively that the tables had turned. He immediately got to his knees, kneeled with his head bowing down, and repeatedly cried, "My apologies, Your Imperial Royal Majesty, I dare not; this lowly one dares not."

The emperor remained silent, looking gravely between the general and the minister, and changed his posture to one of contemplation.

Thoroughly embarrassed, when the Minister saw that the Emperor had no intention to support the general as he usually would, he now changed targets. Wiping his face off of the crocodile tears, he sneaked an ugly peek at Fu Lin and opened his mouth. "Your Imperial Royal Majesty, it might be presumptuous of me to say this, but it wasn't just the general who had graced the Empire of the Blazing Sun with disgrace; it was also his newly married spouse!"

Fu Lin, who was kneeling, turned his head sideways, startled.

"Oh?" Emperor Guang raised an interested eyebrow. "And what has he done to gain such blasphemous comments from the minister?"

"Indeed, Your Imperial Royal Majesty." The Minister clapped his hands jovially; now he could finally get some revenge back for the humiliation he had faced earlier, even if it was only trash talking the Zhou family and the General's spouse. "Your Royal Self wouldn't believe the atrocities this lowly one had heard about the General's spouse. It seems he had eloped with Zhou Manor on their very nuptial night! He had also taken part in burning down some parts of the Zhou Manor and wandered about the streets in beggarly clothes! Such disgrace!" Saying so, he laughed maliciously and continued, "And he also apparently has a habit of walking the roof of the Zhou Manor in his inner garments; have you heard of such disgrace before your Majesty? No indeed, humph!"

The minister paused and looked at Fu Lin's face, expecting his face to be rolling around in an expression of absolute shame. Fu Lin, however, continued to listen disinterestedly, almost yawning from within. Seeing his disconcerted face, the minister almost exploded in anger.

He sneered and said slowly, measuring each word, "Hah, it appears that the monarch of the Great Empire of Silver Mountain is indeed quite the frivolous ruler—to raise this kind of person as the last prince. What a lousy empire and emperor indeed!"

When Fu Lin heard this, he visibly froze. His lashes drooped, and his body raised from a kneeling position to a half-kneeling position. His expression invisible, he mumbled something like "...better."

"What is it, Seventh Prince Fu Lin?" The minister mimicked the voice of a vulture that had spotted the best remains it had in a while—sickening and venomous. "Unlike the Silver Mountains, we do not slander people behind their backs in the Empire of the Blazing Sun; we are forthright and ask people things to their faces. So, what do you want to say?"

"I said," Fu Lin clenched his jaw as he spoke, "that you Blazing Sun fools are no better!"

A deadly silence followed. Tension sizzled in the air as everyone widened their eyes.

"You think you are in any position to slander the likes of the Great Silver Mountains?!" Fu Lin's voice burned through the minister's eardrums as he got up, leveling his sight with the emperor, his voice full of contempt. "Also, is the monarch of the Blazing Sun any better? Do not make me laugh! He sits there all high and mighty, allowing his courtiers to walk all over and cause a ruckus within the royal court—if this is the standard of behavior you've set for the head of the country, then you have no right to equate yourself to the Great Silver Mountain! As if your monarch isn't any lousier—"

Fu Lin's words immediately died when a gleam of silver ran over the tattered remnants of his clothes and pushed against his slender neck.

It was the General—he had unsheathed his imperial sword with thundering speed, slashing it against Fu Lin's throat, the tempered iron blade heaving onto his throbbing pulse.

"Apologize," General Haoran growled. "Apologize to my Emperor."

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