With the sovereign in a towering rage, the whole court went as quiet as cicadas in the cold.

A mutiny on the southern frontier was no small thing.

Normally, in a case like this, the court would try to win the men over gently first and fight only as a last resort.

But from the look of it, the An Emperor meant to go straight to fighting.

Li Hanru bowed. "Your Majesty, please think again. Sending troops would wear out the people and waste the treasury. Couldn't we send someone to the southern frontier to talk them around?

Yuan Long and the others have done great service. Perhaps they lost their heads for a moment and did this... Should we give them one more chance?"

The An Emperor's face was icy, her voice low. "They've done great service? And Yue Congyun hadn't?

They dared to butcher a senior general of the army. If that isn't treason, what is?

If this emperor let it pass without a word, what answer would there be for the late Prince Regent? What answer for General Feng?

Still, it isn't that this emperor won't give them a chance. If they obey the edict and come back to the capital, this emperor can leave them one way out.

If they're too stubborn to see reason, then don't blame this emperor for showing no mercy."

Li Hanru didn't dare say another word.

Clearly the An Emperor was set on dealing with Yuan Long and the others.

Then again, this time they really had gone too far. They had actually killed Yue Congyun.

The An Emperor said gravely, "Minister of Rites, Minister of Justice, hear the edict!"

Li Zhixing and Feng Gaojie hurried to kneel and spoke as one. "Your subjects are here!"

The An Emperor said, "The two of you are to send men to the southern frontier at once and find out exactly how things stand there."

The two of them said together, "Your subjects obey!"

The An Emperor got to her feet and waved a hand irritably. "If there's nothing else, dismissed... Heye, summon Geng…