Gu Shang wasn't too surprised to see this,he had actually anticipated something like this, but he had never imagined the emperor to lead it.
He straightened his robes and posture with a calm expression and turned towards the emperor without sparing a single glance at the Grand Governor.
"Your majesty, whatever you want to know, you can ask me.
The grand governor is not fit to question me because of his rank, even if he's been appointment by you, it still does not fill the gap between us in status.
Besides we wouldn't want people to think that you are too afraid to even question me, and need to hide behind the grand governor, would we?" Gu Shang asked calmly.
The hall became eerily silent, "This Gu Shang wasn't really a fan of mincing words, was he? The officiala thought to themselves.
Though the emperor was powerless, they still had to treat him with some level of respect, even the Grand Governor was no exception when it came to this, but from what they were seeing today the Young Grand General wasn't going to show any form of respect or courtesy at all
The emperor couldn't help but secretly clench his fist beneath his robes.
Why must Gu Shang always stand against him, and do it so publicly without even giving him face? He secretly asked himself.
"Very well, then I'll question you myself!" The emperor said.
Over the past few years, you've had several opportunities to invade the neighboring empires and clans surrounding us.
Why haven't you taken those opportunities?
Also, why did you marry the queen of the Du Kingdom without permission from the court? Don't you think you are abusing your power a little too much?" The emperor asked.
"Your majesty, you must have heard wrong, though it's true that in recent years we've had some success in repelling enemy forces from the neighboring empires, we've never had enough rations or weapon to carry out a siege or invasion.
Ever since military power was handed down to me, I've never received a single grain or well polished sword from the imperial court, I wrote so many reports edging the court to send us rations but none were answered.
In this conditions, how are we supposed to march forward? Surely your majesty does not expect me to lead a million hungry soldiers on a siege, do you? We would die of hunger before even reaching enemy territory.
If anybody deserves to ask questions here, then it should be me.
I want your majesty to tell me why the court refused to send us rations and only sent us worn out armors and swords?
Was the imperial court trying to starve us to death as we shed blood on the borders to protect the nation" Gu Shang asked in calm yet chilly voice.
The emperor was speechless.
Indeed when he had been crowned as emperor, he knew he had to get rid of the Grand General, no emperor would be willing to share his power with another, and he was no exception.
He had ignored the reports on purpose in hope that, the grand general would suffer defeat and die while defending the borders, if he was to deny them rations or any support.
But contrary to his expectations,the Grand General kept winning battles and some way some how, he had also increased the strength of the army and completely restructured it.
In the past, the armie of the empire was a coalition of the private armies belonging to the nobles called the 'Coalition Defense Troops'
But after the young general took over the army, he disbanded and dissolved the coalition and reformed the army, forming The Lion Fang Guards, Purple Qilin Cavalry and Dragon Claw Troops.
Because of such changes, even the emperor himself didn't know how powerful the army was.
"Cough..Cough ...We'll never know the truth of the matter since you've already executed the minister in charge of war and personnel"
The emperor quickly recovered. Gu Shang raised an eyebrow, "Oh them?" He remembered those nobles he executed when he first arrived.
"Then what about marrying that....queen from the lower kingdoms? I hear you even station a heavy number of Lion Fang troops to guard that kingdom, am I right? The emperor asked.
"Your majesty, I'm pretty sure that I'm free to marry whomever I wish to marry, besides there's nothing wrong with dispatching a few soldiers to guard my wife" Gu Shang said nonchalantly with a blunt tone along with it which was really irritating to the other official gathered in the hall.
The emperor couldn't believe his ears. Gu Shang had 200,0000 soldiers stationed in the Du Kingdom, was 200,000 a joke to him?
The emperor cleared his throat, "indeed, your marriage is no longer your private affair, have you forgotten that you've been conferred the title Prince Of The North.
This title makes you part of the royal family, this means all your marriages must be marriages bestowed to you my the imperial clan"
The emperor said with a firm tone. To be honest when he conferred Gu Shang that title he didn't think much of it, but who would have thought.
He glanced at the Grand Governor way and they both nodded.
A huge frown formed on Gu Shang's face, he never thought that the powerless title the emperor casually bestowed to him as a reward could be used as a weapon against him.
He glanced back at the Grand Governor as he wondered what they intended to do with it, though he had a guess, he wasn't sure the emperor would be stupid enough to do so.
The emperor cleared his throat and signalled the chief eunuch to read out an imperial edict.
Gu Shang narrowed his eyes, they had been prepared for him for sometime now, it would seem.
It seems that today he has fallen into a huge trap set by the Grand Governor and emperor, but he had to admit that he was impressed.
He suddenly saw through the trickery of the emperor and the grand governor, all that nonsense about questioning him was all leading to whatever was in the edict.
The eunch stepped forward and opened the edict, all the officials went on their knees with the exception of the Grand General and Governor, they only slightly bowed their head.
No matter how arrogant they were, this was still an edict by the son ordained by the heavens itself.
"From now onwards, the Grand Governor shall be promoted to a core member of the imperial clan, he shall also gain access into the inner garden of the imperial palace and shall receive the honor of meeting the emperor without a summon.
He shall be granted a hundred thousand taels of Gold, Twenty Thousand low grade spiritual crystals and Ten Thousand medium grade spiritual crystals.
His shall also be given the entirety of the fief of Han Prefecture....."
Gu Shang sneered, this may sound all grand and all, but this were all things Gu Shang already had in the first place, all the so called privileges the emperor was giving him automatically came with his position as Grand General, and he already controlled all the Prefectures and regions, but he has to admit that the emperor was being quite generous with the spiritual crystals. Gu Shang was now curious to see if he was right or not.
And finally, in the light of your achievements on the battlefield, the second princess of the immortal empire will be bestowed to you as your wife" The eunuch folded the edict before stretching it toward Gu Shang with a bow, "General accept the royal edict"
Everyone in the hall was stunned to hear this.
Gu Shang looked at the emperor with surprise on his face, it was just as he had expected, he didn't think the emperor could stood that low, but here he stood being proved wrong.