Public Opinion Takes the Lead: Tianji Pavilion Hasn't Even Acted Yet, but Is Already Scolded Senseless by the Great Zhou

Ren Mingyue's "This concubine came at a bad time" was like a needle, accurately piercing into the place Yun Meng least wanted others to see.

She had already been vexed because of that hand, that brush, and that inexplicable distraction, and now being looked at meaningfully by Ren Mingyue, her brain buzzed and almost exploded on the spot.

"Don't misunderstand!"

This sentence was almost blurted out without thinking.

After speaking, Yun Meng herself stiffened.

Bad.

This explanation was more suspicious than not explaining.

The corners of Ren Mingyue's mouth curved up, and she smiled very gently, so gently that Yun Meng's teeth itched: "This palace didn't say anything, why is Fairy Yun so nervous?"

Yun Meng: "..."

Right now she really wanted to turn around and kick the culprit in the tent over.

Unfortunately, she couldn't.

Because Wang Hao was sitting behind the desk, his expression more upright than anyone else's, as if the person who just took advantage of "teaching you how to sign" to hold someone's hand wasn't him.

Shameless.

The most infuriating thing about this dog emperor's shamelessness was that—he did it, you knew he did it, he also knew you knew he did it, but he could put on a look of being extremely innocent and that it was all your impure thoughts.

Yun Meng took a deep breath and said coldly: "I still have things to do, I'll take my leave."

After saying that, she turned and left, her back looking almost a bit flustered.

Ren Mingyue watched the direction she left, slowly lifted the tent flap and walked in, put the roster in her hand on the desk, and then looked at Wang Hao with a half-smile: "Your Majesty has gained quite a lot today."

"It's okay." Wang Hao opened the roster, his tone steady, "The sea route is also open, the business network can also be laid out, the Phantom Sea Immortal Sect is more sensible than expected."

Ren Mingyue snorted softly: "Is this what this concubine is talking about?"

Wang Hao looked up, feigning ignorance: "Then which one are you talking about?"

Ren Mingyue stared at him, and after a long while smiled: "If Your Majesty dies from playing dumb one day, this concubine wouldn't be surprised at all."

Hearing this, Wang Hao didn't get angry but smiled, picked up the teacup and took a sip: "To say such words means you are in a good mood. What, is there good news about the things on the roster?"

"There is indeed." Ren Mingyue put away her teasing, her expression becoming more serious, "The news from the capital and various provinces was aggregated overnight. The recording of the Battle of Yanshan last night has been sent back through the fastest route. The movements of the Eastern and Western Depots are even faster, the first edition of the 《Great Zhou Times》 has been printed temporarily this morning."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hao's eyes lit up: "What's the headline?"

Ren Mingyue pulled out a sample copy and pushed it in front of him.

The large characters on the front page were extremely eye-catching.

《Heavenly Secret Pavilion Opens Door Across Space, Colluding with Demonic Shadows, Yanshan Secret Realm Narrowly Avoids Great Disaster!》

The subtitle was even more ruthless.

《His Majesty Personally Suppresses Demons, Swallowing the Bizarre with One Sword, How Can Great Zhou Tolerate Treacherous Thieves Bringing Disaster to the Country and the People!》

After reading it, Wang Hao nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, the tone is not bad. Who drafted it?"

"The Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet personally revised it."

"Zhuge Huaijin?"

"Yes."

Wang Hao was immediately amused.

He could almost imagine what state that old fellow was in right now.

A few days ago, the Cabinet had just proudly exhaled because of the tax silver, military reform, and the submission of the noble families, but then this Yanshan incident happened. The Heavenly Secret Pavilion intervening across space, the Heavenly Dao Alliance colluding from the inside and outside, and the Crimson Moon Demon Cult suspected of raising another disaster eye—with these things laid on the table, as long as the civil officials of the Cabinet still wanted to maintain their signboard of "establishing the heart for the world", they could absolutely not pretend to be deaf and dumb.

What's more, scolding people was what civil officials were best at.

Especially when there was reason, evidence, and the emperor's tacit approval, once those old fellows started scolding, they were really fiercer than a military charge.

"Prepare the communication sub-nest."

Wang Hao put down the sample copy, his eyes carrying a bit of anticipation of a spectator who didn't mind a big fuss, "I want to hear how Chief Grand Secretary Zhuge's first denunciation today scolds them."

Ren Mingyue couldn't help laughing out loud.

When others heard that the imperial court was going to confront a top-tier force like the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, their first reaction was mostly nervousness.

This one was good, thinking about listening to a play first.

But she also knew that this precisely showed that Wang Hao was confident.

People without confidence would shrink back, people with confidence would often set up the public opinion knife first, and then slowly close the net.

Soon, the screen of the communication sub-nest in the center of the tent lit up.

What appeared on the screen was not the court assembly, but the Cabinet duty room.

Zhuge Huaijin was wearing a scarlet robe, his hair combed impeccably, but his face was terrifyingly dark. In front of him were piles of manuscripts, and beside him stood Minister of War Tie Zhan, Minister of Revenue Qian Shoucai, and Minister of Justice Li Xian.

The four old things, their faces were uglier than the next.

Obviously, they had just scolded someone.

Or, they were preparing to continue scolding.

"Here it comes, here it comes." Wang Hao sat up straighter, his interest high, "This lineup looks like they're going to raid a house."

Ren Mingyue was too lazy to reply.

In the mirror, Zhuge Huaijin held the newly compiled evidence files in his hand, his tone as heavy as suppressed thunder.

"Confirmed without error?"

Minister of Justice Li Xian cupped his hands: "The secret realm recording, the remnant traces of the array patterns, the reports of the hidden agents of the Depots and Guards, and the secret letters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance intercepted in various provinces in recent months can all corroborate each other. Even if Xie Wujiu is not the mastermind, he is one of the chief culprits who cannot escape involvement."

Minister of War Tie Zhan sneered: "What 'one of'? In this old man's eyes, he is the head of the shit-stirring stick."

Qian Shoucai stroked his beard next to him and said slowly: "Although Minister Tie's words are crude, they are precise."

Zhuge Huaijin took a deep breath and suddenly looked up and said: "Send."

With an order, the Cabinet Secretariat drafter responsible for document transmission next to him immediately got busy.

The next moment, a public denunciation stamped with the Great Seal of the Cabinet was directly issued synchronously to the thirty-six provinces nationwide through the imperial court's communication network.

The title was simple and full of murderous intent.

《Declaration to the World: Denouncing the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and Reprimanding the Heavenly Dao Alliance》

When Wang Hao saw this title, the corners of his mouth immediately curled up.

It's steady.

These old fogeys were really fired up.

The following content was even more unceremonious.

From "The Heavenly Secret Pavilion claims to observe the heavens, but in reality deceives the world", to "The Heavenly Dao Alliance usurps fame to disrupt the law, hiding dirt and concealing filth"; from the danger of the Yanshan Secret Realm, to the rebellions in various provinces, the secret movements of evil cultivators, and the bloody bounties in the martial arts world; the last paragraph directly determined the nature—

Anyone who colludes with the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, the Heavenly Dao Alliance, and the Crimson Moon demonmen will be treated as committing a felony under the laws of Great Zhou.

When Zhuge Huaijin read to the end, his voice was sonorous and his face was full of righteousness, looking exactly like he was carrying out the Way on behalf of Heaven.

"...Now announcing to the world, anyone who can report, capture, or kill their partisans will be generously rewarded by the imperial court without hesitation; anyone who dares to harbor or condone them will be guilty of the same crime as the rebels!"

Outside the water mirror it was quiet.

After a few breaths, Wang Hao commented leisurely: "Chief Grand Secretary Zhuge's mouth is suitable for sharpening a blade."

Ren Mingyue said softly: "Not just him. The Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Revenue have also followed up."

Sure enough, three other official documents soon appeared in the mirror.

Minister of War Tie Zhan's wording was the simplest and most brutal: The garrisons in various provinces are to immediately make every effort to assist in exterminating the remnants of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. If they let the rebels reach the gates of their stations again, the regional commanders will take off their seals and return to the capital to plead guilty.

Minister of Justice Li Xian was even more ruthless: The national criminal halls, criminal bureaus, and criminal offices are to link up, reopen old cases, and anyone related to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and the Heavenly Dao Alliance will be dealt with quickly, strictly, and heavily.

As for Qian Shoucai...

He didn't curse people.

He only distributed money.

But his way of distributing money was more ruthless than cursing.

The Ministry of Revenue directly approved the first round of special funds for hunting rebels, tripling the bounty amounts. If someone could provide intelligence on high-ranking members, there would be additional heavy rewards; if they cooperated with the secret police and the imperial guards to destroy strongholds, the reward had no upper limit.

"The Great Zhou is really investing heavily this time," Ren Mingyue sighed softly.

Wang Hao, however, said indifferently, "It's not investing heavily, it's making a return on our investment."

"Hmm?"

"How many people has the Heavenly Dao Alliance hidden within the Great Zhou's borders over the years? How many resources have they swallowed? How many pawns have they supported? Now we're just making them spit it all out with interest. At the same time, we're showing the world—who is the one that can truly mobilize order."

Ren Mingyue looked at him, her eyes flickering slightly.

She was increasingly able to see clearly that this man's greatest strength wasn't simply his fighting ability, nor was it just his scheming.

It was that he could always quickly turn a bad thing into a situation he could use to his advantage.

The Yanshan Secret Realm was originally a perilous situation. If it were anyone else, they would mostly be busy suppressing the news, reassuring the public, and cleaning up the mess right now.

But Wang Hao did the exact opposite.

While suppressing the demons, he backhandedly pinned Xie Wujiu to the wall; while taking the opportunity to tie down the Ice Snow Divine Palace and the Illusory Sea Immortal Sect, he also fully mobilized the imperial court's machinery, forcefully hammering the narrative of "who is protecting the world, and who is throwing it into chaos" into everyone's minds.

Regardless of whether he won or not, he claimed the moral high ground first.

This was more terrifying than simply winning a battle.

Because many times, the struggle for the world was never just about fists, but also about who looked more like the orthodox authority.

On the other side of the water mirror, Zhuge Huaijin clearly hadn't cursed to his heart's content yet.

He picked up his pen and started writing a second article.

The title was even more vicious.

"A Second Reprimand of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion: If You Truly Have the Heart to Save the World, Why Do You Only Hide Your Heads and Show Your Tails?"

Wang Hao's eyes lit up. "Good! This is good!"

Ren Mingyue: "..."

Sometimes she really doubted whether this guy had been a storyteller in his past life.

Why was it that the more viciously someone cursed, the happier he was?

And just as the Great Zhou spread the manifesto and bounties across the country, another piece of news spread rapidly—

The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Pei Jingzhe, had ordered the provincial battalions to join forces with local garrisons, judicial offices, and the secret police to comprehensively encircle and suppress the Heavenly Dao Alliance's activity lines within the Great Zhou borders.

At this, the major powers could no longer sit still.

Because the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, the Crimson Moon Demonic Sect, and the Heavenly Dao Alliance were none of them easy targets to handle. Yet now, not only had the Great Zhou cursed them out, but from top to bottom, civil and military officials, and the secret police had all joined in, making it clear they were going to fight a fierce battle.

After the news spread, the entire Eastern Wasteland started to watch the show.

Some felt the Great Zhou had gone mad.

Some felt Wang Hao was too restless.

And some, as they watched, suddenly felt a bit of creeping terror—

This new emperor was probably truly preparing to ruthlessly shatter the entire existing power structure of the Eastern Wasteland.

Around noon, the wind and snow outside the camp slightly subsided.

Wei Zhongxian hurried into the tent, unable to suppress the joy on his face.

"Your Majesty, the latest report has arrived from the capital. The provinces have responded extremely quickly. Seventeen provinces have already printed additional copies of the Great Zhou Times, and public discussion has exploded."

"What's the content?"

"Very consistent." Wei Zhongxian cleared his throat and imitated the tone of the commoners. "It's roughly: 'The Heavenly Secret Pavilion really isn't anything good,' 'These rebels from the Heavenly Dao Alliance deserve to die,' 'His Majesty is still the most reliable,' and 'Where do we collect the bounty?'"

Wang Hao was satisfied with what he heard.

Zhuge Huaijin and his group could curse all they wanted, but what truly built up momentum relied on these most simple and unadorned things.

While seizing the moral high ground with righteousness, he also used real gold and silver to let everyone know that the Heavenly Dao Alliance wasn't some lofty, mysterious power, but rather walking money bags.

In this day and age, the common people might not understand a lot of complex justice.

But "who harms people," "who gives money," and "who is safer to follow," everyone understood crystal clear.

"There is one more thing," Wei Zhongxian continued. "The Heavenly Secret Pavilion has also replied."

"Oh?" Wang Hao grew interested. "How did they reply?"

Wei Zhongxian's mouth twitched. "They also issued a public document, saying the Grand Secretariat is fishing for fame, turning black into white, and using the Secret Realm incident to eliminate dissidents. They also said... also said that Your Majesty is using the world as a chessboard, inciting hatred, and will inevitably suffer a backlash in the future."

After hearing this, Wang Hao was not angry; instead, he laughed.

"Xie Wujiu is getting anxious."

"How does Your Majesty know?"

"It's very simple," Wang Hao said slowly. "Someone who can truly remain steady wouldn't rush to trade insults across the air. The fact that he's insulting us back means our insults hurt him."

Speaking of this, he added, "Moreover, the thing Xie Wujiu fears the most has never been me taking a knife to hack at him."

"Then what does he fear?"

"He fears the people of the world suddenly realizing—the Heavenly Secret Pavilion is nothing more than this. They will still make mistakes, they will bleed, and they can be cursed until they can't lift their heads."

Wei Zhongxian was startled, then completely understood.

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion's most valuable asset had never just been its strength.

It was also that shell of observing the heavens' secrets on behalf of the heavens, being lofty and supreme, and transcending worldly affairs.

Once this shell began to crack, their deterrence and sense of mystery in the hearts of the various factions in the Eastern Wasteland would plummet together.

And what Wang Hao was doing now was exactly using the newspapers, manifestos, bounties, and encirclements to ruthlessly shatter this shell first.

As for whether they could actually kill anyone, that was only the second step.

"Keep publishing," Wang Hao tapped the table, smiling amiably. "Don't let the Great Zhou Times stop. If Grand Secretary Zhuge is willing to write, give him a full seven-day column. I've even thought of the title for him—"

"The Grand Secretary Guides You to See Through the Heavenly Secret Pavilion."

Ren Mingyue burst out laughing.

Wei Zhongxian also almost couldn't hold it in.

His Majesty's mouth was sometimes truly more damaging than a knife.

But thinking about it carefully, it really did make a lot of sense.

Seven days.

For seven consecutive days.

The imperial court's Grand Secretary personally taking the field, naming and cursing the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, the Heavenly Dao Alliance, and the Crimson Moon Demonic Sect in national newspapers... This kind of scene, let alone in the Eastern Wasteland, probably hadn't happened more than a few times in hundreds of years.

Who would still remember them as some hidden lofty sect or sacred land that observed the heavens?

In the eyes of the common folk and rogue cultivators of the martial world, they were about to become that bunch of unlucky bastards who get cursed at in the papers every day.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhongxian even started to feel a headache on Xie Wujiu's behalf.

To cross paths with such an emperor was truly a sin.