The Queen Mother was furious, and the general immediately added insult to injury.

Le Wu jumped out from the first position in the military honors column, waving his banner and shouting, "There must be a traitor in the court. There must be a traitor."

He shouted loudly: "Small Anping Prefecture, mere peasants... My Lords, my Lords, it's just a bunch of peasants rebelling, a bunch of peasants who have never received any military training, have never learned any killing skills, and probably can't even use a crossbow!"

"Millions of troops to suppress the rebellion... Of course, they are all city defense troops, far inferior to the imperial guards under the control of my General's Office and the Five Armies Office."

"But, after all, they are regular troops raised by the imperial court at the cost of millions of people's blood and sweat!"

"Those peasants have never practiced martial arts."

"All these city defense troops have trained before."

"Those peasants eat only bran and vegetables every day."

"These city defense troops eat a lot of fish and meat every day."

"Those peasants spend their whole lives using hoes, pickaxes, and plowshares."

"These city defense troops spend the whole day fiddling with spears, swords, and bows and crossbows."

"Those peasants are a group of lambs waiting to be slaughtered, and these city defense troops are a group of vicious wolves."

"There's no reason why we can't win, there's no reason why we'll be completely wiped out!"

Le Wu strode in front of Zhu Chong and other important officials of culture and education, and the three-foot-long jade board in his hand almost touched Zhu Chong's nose: "There must be a traitor in the court. Otherwise, how could there be such a series of failures?"

Lu Yi stood in the train and almost applauded Le Wu.

It is really amazing that Le Wu, who was born as a butcher who slaughtered dogs and sold meat, could say such a long string of words in one breath and at the same time put the hat of a traitor on the Minister of Culture and Education in the court.

Yin Yuan added fuel to the fire on the throne: "Uncle is right, there must be a traitor. The city defense army is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War and the City Commander's Office. The General's Office and the Five Military Offices have absolutely no chance to intervene, so this traitor can only be someone from the Ministry of War and the City Commander's Office!"

Le Wu waved the board, patted his belly lightly, and said triumphantly: "Of course, Your Majesty, we have to see one thing clearly. Old Wang Pu died in the battle, Wang? was not sure whether to live or die, and the generals of the City Guard Mansion were killed and wounded. Therefore, it is unlikely that the treacherous minister is from the City Guard Mansion."

Yin Yuan shouted in surprise: "Oh??? So the treacherous minister is in the Ministry of War!"

Moro Xiu, the Minister of War of Dayin, strode out of the train. He glared at Le Wu, snorted coldly, knelt on the ground with a "dong", and prostrated himself before Yin Yuan.

"Your Majesty, I am loyal to you and to Dayin. I can also guarantee that all the officials in the Ministry of War are loyal to Dayin."

Looking up, Moro Xiu angrily said, "Your Majesty, please understand clearly that the Ministry of War coordinated the food, supplies, weapons, and horses for the suppression of the rebellion. Apart from that, the Ministry of War did not interfere in the command of the battle at Anping Pass or the mobilization of troops. The suppression of the rebellion was completely annihilated, there must be other reasons. What does it have to do with the Ministry of War?"

Le Wu immediately jumped up: "What, what, what, are you starting to shirk responsibility now?"

The Queen Mother also slammed the table fiercely and said angrily: "Then, Mo Luoxiu, tell me how this rebellion-suppressing army was defeated?"

"Grand Prime Minister, what do you have to say?"

"Wang Pu died in battle, and you recommended Wang? to take over his position as the city commander, and Wang? took over the quelling of the rebellion and continued the battle. You even transferred back the military supervisor Lu Yi who was there to help out in times of crisis to make it easier for Wang? to act."

"Who can tell me how we lost this battle? Who among you will take responsibility for this?"

Zhu Chong and others felt depressed.

'Take responsibility', finally this topic is mentioned.

After a moment of silence, Zhu Chong slowly walked out of the train. He looked at Moro Xiu who was kneeling on the ground, sighed softly, reached out and grabbed Moro Xiu's shoulders, exerted a little force, and pulled him up.

The Queen Mother sneered.

Yin Yuan sneered.

General Le Wu also sneered.

Zhu Chong's behavior can be described as domineering.

Moro Xiu took a step back and stood behind Zhu Chong.

Zhu Chong took two steps forward. He stared intently at Yin Yuan, who was sitting diagonally on the throne, and said in a deep voice, "Queen Dowager, Your Majesty, what we need to do now is not to pursue responsibility, but to quell the rebellion in Anping Prefecture as soon as possible."

The Queen Mother, Yin Yuan, and Le Wu sneered again.

The nobles who had been bargaining outside the hall had now paid their money and returned to the hall in high spirits.

Hearing what Zhu Chong said, a thirty-year-old founding marquis wearing a purple Kunpeng-patterned robe and rubbing a large white jade ring on his left thumb with his right hand laughed out loud: "Oh, if you don't hold them accountable, you're sending troops to Anping Prefecture again? If we lose again this time, who will be held responsible?"

Zhu Chong glanced at the founding marquis and said, "Marquis of Fenyang, please be respectful in the Fuyao Palace."

With a cold snort, Zhu Chong said in a cold voice: "The Queen Mother and Your Majesty need to know that the rebellion in Anping Prefecture is not an ordinary riot. There must be someone behind them. Have the Queen Mother and Your Majesty seen the military intelligence sent by Anping Prefecture? The slogans shouted by those rioters..."

Yinyuan interrupted Zhu Chong with great interest: "I know, I know, their slogan is 'Purge the emperor's side, kill the traitors', which shows that there are indeed treacherous ministers around me."
Zhu Chong and a group of important cultural and educational officials were so angry that their eyes almost popped out of their heads.

Zhu Chong said sternly: "It is 'Red Lotus appears, enjoy peace'... It is 'Red Lotus Goddess, descends to the world to bring peace to the people'!"

Zhu Chong said in a hoarse voice: "Everyone, think about the records of the last years of the previous dynasty... When the previous dynasty collapsed and the country was shattered, how many rebels shouted this kind of religious slogans? This time, the rebellion in Anping Prefecture..."

Among the nobles, many dukes and marquises started to scold at the same time.

"Grand Prime Minister, be careful with your words. How dare you compare the previous dynasty to this one?"

"Your Majesty, I request that the Prime Minister be dragged out and severely punished with a thousand sticks. The Prime Minister has spoken ill of us and is cursing the fate of our Great Yin nation!"

"Queen Mother, it is obvious that this Prime Minister has ulterior motives. He actually compares our peaceful and prosperous dynasty with the previous dynasty where people were living in misery!"

There was a chaotic noise in the hall. The nobles who had just been fined a large sum of money were like a group of wounded dogs, and they pounced on Zhu Chong frantically.

Zhu Chong was at a loss what to do when the nobles suddenly rose up. He shouted angrily, but who would listen to him?

After two consecutive defeats, the losses of soldiers and baggage were minor matters. The biggest loss was Zhu Chong's prestige and the influence of his cultural and educational officials in the court.

In the past, these cultural and educational officials used countless mouthpieces to promote themselves and portrayed the cultural and educational officials as geniuses in governing the country, as if each of them was omnipotent. It was under their governance that Dayin has its current peaceful and harmonious situation.

But the two major defeats immediately tore off the fig leaf on the faces of cultural and educational officials.

The nobles were surprised and even more delighted to find out - Oh, it turns out you are just a bunch of waste!

Originally, the nobles thought that they were the only ones who were a group of fat pigs that ate, drank, defecated and urinated, rolling around in muddy ponds all day long.

However, since you gentlemen of culture and education are just like us, a bunch of fat and incompetent pigs, then we must drag you into the muddy pond and roll around together.

For a time, all kinds of sarcasm and ridicule emerged one after another, and some people even called for Zhu Chong to be beaten and killed.

Le Wu yelled at the top of his lungs: "Queen Mother, Your Majesty, what the Prime Minister said makes sense. The rebellion in Anping Prefecture is not such a simple matter... Therefore, I request a fight. I request to dispatch the Imperial Guards to forcefully annihilate the rebels in Anping Prefecture!"

Le Wu shouted loudly, looking quite excited and crazy.

But his eyes were extremely calm, just like when he was selling meat on the street, holding a butcher knife, aiming at a big fat dog, ready to kill it with one blow.

When Wang Pu died in the battle, Le Wu realized that something was wrong in Anping Prefecture. A secret spy group controlled by Jia Yu from the General's Office sent capable personnel to Anping Prefecture to investigate the news.

Some reliable intelligence has been reported back these days.

There are some weird things in Anping Prefecture, and they are sensational weird things.

Le Wu doesn't mind taking advantage of Wang's defeat to grab a big piece of fat from Anping Prefecture and various cultural and educational families!

As expected, upon hearing that Le Wu had volunteered, Zhu Chong and a group of important cultural and educational officials refuted at the same time.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the Imperial Guards are the foundation of the country and should not be moved lightly." Zhu Chong said loudly: "I request that you continue to draw elite soldiers from the city defense army to form a quelling army and march to Anping Prefecture."

Zhu Chong used Yuan Gang, his voice was as loud as thunder, drowning out the voices of others.

"Since the general is interested in suppressing the rebellion, how about asking the general to provide a batch of excellent weapons, armor, and war horses for the imperial guards?"

Zhu Chong looked at Le Wu sideways.

Le Wu sneered.

Among the military commanders, Le Shan suddenly spoke up: "Even if we give you the weapons of the Imperial Guards, will you be able to win? Also, where are you going to draw troops from? The Chengwei Mansion in Gaojing has been emptied, right?"

Zhu Chong and others' faces changed slightly.

That’s right, with the two armies dispatched to quell the rebellion, the city defense forces under the jurisdiction of the City Commandant’s Office in Gaojing City had been completely withdrawn.

Although on paper, the city defense army under the jurisdiction of the City Commandant's Office in Gaojing City should still have nearly 10 million troops - roughly 2,000+ market towns, each with around 5,000 garrisons.

But in reality, those nearly 10 million troops only exist on paper.

Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable to have nearly 10 million people’s unpaid salaries?

But things like drawing a salary without working have to be done secretly. If outsiders find out, it will be fatal!

Zhu Chong and others looked at Le Shan with deep eyes. They felt even more depressed. Le Shan was Le Wu's nephew, and he actually said such words. Could it be that Le Wu had been spying on the strength of their Chengwei Mansion?

Le Wu smiled, and was about to take advantage of the situation to chase and give them a good beating, when a purple-robed eunuch ran into the Fuyao Palace with a pale face. As soon as he entered the door, he knelt on the ground with a thud, and his body slid forward along the smooth ground for more than ten feet.

"What's the matter? Why are you so flustered?" Yu Changle started to scold him when he saw him like this.

"Queen Mother, Your Majesty, Earl Dongqi... Earl Dongqi has rebelled!"

The purple-robed eunuch hissed, "Dongqi Bo used the unexplained sudden death of the crown prince Qi Lu as an excuse to issue a proclamation and rebel."