The Xuan Emperor had been in a good mood to begin with, but his face had gone stony now, and his eye was cold on the censors as they hopped up and down attacking Ning Chen.

The cause was word that had just come in. Ning Chen had attacked Gaoan City.

When the Xuan Emperor received Ning Chen's letter asking for help, he had written at once to the Gaoli ruler, asking that the Gaoli Kingdom have Gaoan City lend Qingzhou a hand.

What came back was not a reply from the Gaoli ruler. What came back was the news that Ning Chen had ground Gaoan City's face into the dirt.

The censors' grounds for attacking Ning Chen were that he had moved troops against the Gaoli Kingdom on his own authority and started a war.

As the Great Xuan's Grand Marshal of the Armies, Ning Chen had the right to move troops and dispose of his commanders.

He did not have the right to make war on another state as he pleased.

Moving troops against another state was normally a matter for the ministers to debate and the Xuan Emperor to approve.

For Ning Chen to do it on his own authority was not merely the crime of overstepping. It was lawlessness, plain and simple.

"Your Majesty. Ning Chen is presuming on favor. He moved troops against the Gaoli Kingdom without cause and started a war. Your subject asks Your Majesty to punish him severely."

"Your Majesty. The Gaoli Kingdom and the Great Xuan have always kept out of each other's way. Now Ning Chen has started a war on his own authority, and Qingzhou borders the Gaoli Kingdom. When the Gaoli Kingdom takes its revenge, it is the people of Qingzhou who will suffer for it."

"Your Majesty. In attacking Gaoan City, Ning Chen is forcing the Gaoli Kingdom into an alliance with Nanyue... If the two of them join hands they will be a formidable enemy to our Great Xuan and a threat to the altars of our state. Ning Chen should be punished severely."

The censors…