Song Zhiyuan did not rest according to Emperor Chu's considerate advice and went to the morning assembly the next day, nodding in acknowledgment in response to the officials' concerned gazes.
Naturally, there were also those who impolitely insinuated that Song Zhiyuan had many enemies and could encounter an assassination attempt even at court.
Then, as things turned out, Prime Minister Song, in a display of righteousness, stated, "I am willing to lay down my life for our Great Qing Country. Those corrupt vermin eroding our Great Qing's sovereignty deserve to die. Even if I provoke their retaliatory assassinations, I will eradicate them entirely, restoring our Great Qing to a pristine state."
Such resolute words, of course, greatly impressed Emperor Chu, who enthusiastically praised, "Prime Minister Song is indeed my pillar of support."
