Each with Their Own Hidden Agenda

It was a mess.

A complete and utter mess.

Wang Hao sat on the dragon throne, his hands gripping the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His chest heaved violently as an uncontrollable rage surged straight to his head.

Was this his imperial court?

Were these his ministers?

How was this any different from shrews cursing in the street?

"Enough!!"

Wang Hao abruptly stood up. The true qi in his dantian circulated madly. With the help of the sound-amplifying array hidden beneath the dragon throne, he let out a deafening roar of anger.

Although his cultivation was only at the Seventh Layer of the Muscle Forging Realm, this furious shout, laced with the majesty of the Son of Heaven, actually carried a hint of heart-palpitating imposing aura.

The booming echo reverberated throughout the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The great hall instantly fell silent for a moment.

Tie Zhan stopped struggling, Qian Shoucai stopped rolling on the floor, and everyone subconsciously looked up at the young emperor on the high dais.

But it was only for a moment.

That silence was not born of awe, but rather surprise. They were surprised that this emperor, who had zero presence back when he was the crown prince, actually dared to lose his temper like this.

In this brief silence, a sinister, unhurried voice suddenly rang out from the very front of the civil officials' ranks, breaking the stalemate.

"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty. Your dragon body is of the utmost importance."

Following the voice, a middle-aged man wearing a purple official robe slowly stepped forward.

He had a thin, clear face and eyes as deep as an abyss. His every movement carried the refined elegance and composure of someone who had long held a high position. But if one sensed carefully, they would discover that beneath this refined skin hid a suffocating, terrifying aura—the First Layer of the Astral Qi Realm!

He was one of the people with the highest cultivation in the imperial court, excluding those reclusive ancestors of the royal family.

The Vice Grand Councilor of the Grand Secretariat, Zhao Wuji.

He was also the spokesman for the noble clans and wealthy families, and twenty percent of the court consisted of his cronies.

Wang Hao's pupils shrank slightly. He sat back down on the dragon throne, narrowing his eyes at this old fox who had cultivated to the point of becoming a demon: "Does beloved subject Zhao have any brilliant ideas? Could it be that you can conjure up silver?"

Zhao Wuji bowed slightly, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. A trace of imperceptible contempt flashed through his eyes.

"Conjuring silver is naturally beyond this humble subject's abilities. That is a method of the immortals," Zhao Wuji said indifferently. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly spread throughout the entire hall. "However, this subject does feel that although the Minister of War's words were crude, his reasoning is not wrong. The border crisis is a major affair. The empty state treasury is a fact, but we cannot just watch our soldiers march to their deaths."

"Oh?" Wang Hao sneered. "Then what is beloved subject Zhao's meaning?"

Zhao Wuji straightened his back and looked directly at Wang Hao without the slightest avoidance. "This subject remembers that when the late emperor was on the throne, he established the Inner Treasury to prepare for unforeseen needs. That is to say, Your Majesty's private funds. I've heard that although the late emperor spent lavishly on a daily basis, he had accumulated wealth for over a decade. Presumably, the gold and silver in the Inner Treasury must be piled up like mountains."

Speaking up to here, Zhao Wuji paused. His gaze swept over the surrounding ministers as he raised his voice:

"Now, with the nation facing disaster, it is precisely the time when money is needed. As the ruler of the country and the father of all people, Your Majesty should set an example by allocating all the silver in the Inner Treasury to fill the deficit of the state treasury and solve this urgent crisis. In this way, not only can you save the border soldiers from the fire and water, but you can also manifest Your Majesty's sacred virtue of loving the people like your own children. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

As soon as these words came out, the entire hall was in an uproar.

But immediately after, the eyes of many ministers harboring ulterior motives instantly lit up, like starving wolves seeing meat.

What a venomous scheme!

Not only would it save these ministers from having to empty their own pockets, but it would also solve the problem, and conveniently weaken the royal family's foundation while striking a blow to the new emperor's prestige!

Three birds with one stone!

Truly worthy of Grand Councilor Zhao!

"Lord Vice Grand Councilor speaks reasonably! These are simply words of gold and jade!"

"Your Majesty is the father of all people, and should prioritize the state and the nation! What does this little bit of silver count for?"

"We entreat Your Majesty to open the Inner Treasury!"

"We entreat Your Majesty to open the Inner Treasury! Save the people from the fire and water!"

For a time, the sound waves were like a tide. The civil and military officials who had just been tearing at each other's throats were now surprisingly united. A full sixty percent of the officials knelt on the ground in unison, forcing the hand of Wang Hao on the high dais!

"We entreat Your Majesty to open the Inner Treasury!!"

The voices of hundreds of people converged together, like stormy seas, fiercely slapping Wang Hao in the face.

Wang Hao was so furious that he actually laughed.

"Haha... Good, good, very good."

Looking at this group of kneeling "loyal ministers and good generals" below, he only felt a chill rush straight from the soles of his feet to his forehead.

Was this the backbone of the Great Zhou Dynasty?

They had embezzled and emptied the state treasury, leaving a massive deficit. Every single one of them had mountains of gold and seas of silver at home, along with tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land. Yet now, when a problem arose, instead of thinking about how to solve it, they turned their sights onto the emperor's private funds?

Who didn't know what kind of character the late emperor was?

He was an out-and-out extravagant figure! For the sake of lakes of wine and forests of meat, and for the pursuit of pleasure, the money in the Inner Treasury had long been spent down to almost nothing. It was cleaner than a washed face!

This Zhao Wuji was asking a question he already knew the answer to!

He just wanted to see him, the new monarch, make a fool of himself!

If Wang Hao opened this floodgate today and admitted he had no money, his prestige would be completely wiped out. He would be mocked by everyone in the world as a pauper emperor. If he couldn't produce the money, he would be labeled as "stingy," "disregarding the state," and "treating human lives like dirt." When that time came, he would lose all popular support, and the subjugation of the nation would not be far away.

This was forcing him onto a path of no return!

Wang Hao's eyes gradually turned ice-cold. He didn't speak; he just swept a glance out of the corner of his eye at the chief eunuch standing beside him and let out a soft cough.

Ever since Sun Li had been temporarily transferred from the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility to surround and kill Ye Chen, Empress Dowager Sun had somehow learned about the assassination attempt on her darling. She was pale with fright. No longer trusting the work capabilities of Wei Zhongxian and his bunch of eunuchs, she had transferred Sun Li to the emperor's side to act as his personal attendant.

Sun Li had been standing submissively in the shadows the whole time, looking like a non-existent, transparent person. But when Wang Hao's gaze fell upon him, his originally turbid old eyes suddenly snapped open.

At that moment, it was as if a slumbering ferocious beast had awakened.

"Insolent!!"

A sharp, ear-piercing shout of anger, like metal scraping against glass, suddenly exploded.

This voice was thousands, even tens of thousands of times more terrifying than Wang Hao's furious roar just now! The horrifying true qi contained within it acted like a sharp sword, instantly piercing through the tide of voices forcing the emperor's hand in the court.

Sun Li abruptly took a step forward.

His crimson python robe fluttered without wind, snapping loudly. His head full of white hair danced wildly.

A terrifying coercive pressure belonging to the Second Layer of the Astral Qi Realm was released without reservation, instantly sweeping across the entire hall!

If Zhao Wuji's aura was a profound abyss, then Sun Li's aura was a raging tsunami, brimming with coldness and killing intent!

"Ah!"

Those officials who had been clamoring the loudest and kneeling at the very front felt as if their chests had been struck by heavy hammers. Their faces instantly turned deathly pale as they spat out mouthfuls of blood. They sprawled on the ground, shivering uncontrollably, not even daring to lift their heads.

Even Tie Zhan, who had been acting up just moments ago, now experienced a slight change in expression. His entire body's muscles tensed up as he felt a fatal threat.

Zhao Wuji, situated at the center of the storm, bore the brunt of it. His expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously took a half-step back. The purple protective astral qi around his body activated automatically, barely managing to withstand the impact of this imposing aura.

"Eunuch Sun, what is the meaning of this..." Zhao Wuji's eyes were gloomy.

"I am still here! Are you all plotting a rebellion?!"

Sun Li completely ignored Zhao Wuji. Raising his pinky finger in an orchid seal, he pointed at the ministers below. His voice was so sinister and cold it sounded like a vengeful spirit crawling out of the Nine Nether Underworld:

"That is His Majesty's inner treasury! It is the royal family's private funds! It is the face of the Great Zhou imperial family! Since when is there a rule where subjects force their sovereign father to empty his own pockets to feed the state? That is high treason! It is deceiving the sovereign and showing contempt for superiors!"

His gaze was like a knife, viciously scraping across everyone's faces before finally locking onto Zhao Wuji. He sneered,

"Elder Cabinet Member Zhao, every single one of you eats the imperial court's salary. Your homes have thousands of acres of fertile land, and your gold and silver are piled up like mountains. Even the guard dogs in your manors eat better than the soldiers at the borders! Now that the nation is facing a crisis, why don't I see you sacrificing your wealth to relieve the state's burdens? Why don't I see you donating your family fortunes? Instead, you stare covetously at His Majesty's meager private funds? Have you no shame?!"

These words were incredibly harsh to the ear, yet every single syllable pierced straight to the heart.

Many thin-skinned ministers lowered their heads in shame, but even more of them, especially the officials born into noble families, revealed expressions of resentment. Yet, intimidated by Sun Li's despotic power, they dared to be angry but not to speak.

"Eunuch Sun, one must not speak words that harm the unity of the imperial court," Zhao Wuji took a deep breath, suppressing the apprehension in his heart, and bit the bullet to say, "We are also doing this for the Great Zhou, for His Majesty..."

"Shut up!"

Wang Hao suddenly spoke, interrupting Zhao Wuji's defense.

He slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall. At that moment, the exhaustion in his eyes vanished, replaced by a terrifying, bone-chilling coldness.

He knew that there was no longer any need to continue today's court assembly. Going on would be completely meaningless, other than making him die from anger.

Out of this entire group of people, not a single one was here to solve problems. They were vultures here to devour the Great Zhou.

Good. Very good.

Since you are ruthless, do not blame me for being unjust.

The Tartars in the northeast want to rule the Central Plains? The northern barbarians want to pillage? The Specter King occupies the mountains as a sovereign? The noble families harbor ulterior motives? The sects listen to orders but refuse to appear in court?

You all want to destroy my country, don't you?

You all want to force my hand, don't you?

Fine.

Then let's play a high-stakes game.

"Since all my beloved subjects cannot come up with a plan, then there is no need to hold this court assembly anymore," Wang Hao said coldly. His voice wasn't loud, yet it permeated with a bone-deep chill.

"Minister of War, Minister of Revenue!"

"This subject... is here." Although the two were still glaring at each other, with bruises even showing on their faces, upon hearing the emperor call their names, they still subconsciously responded.

"Give me a specific number! Exactly how much is the deficit, and exactly how much is needed! Submit a memorial with the details! Stop putting on a grand play for me here! What I want to see is not you fighting, but a way to solve the problem!"

Wang Hao swept his large sleeves, not even bothering to spare another glance at this group of people. He turned around and left, his back resolute and aloof.

"Dismissed!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you cannot leave! The matter of the silver has not been settled yet!"

"Your Majesty! The borders are in an urgent crisis!"

The hypocritical cries of the ministers echoed behind him, but Wang Hao turned a deaf ear. He walked briskly, his steps as swift as the wind, as if some filthy entity was chasing him from behind.

Sun Li coldly swept his gaze over the ministers, murderous intent fully revealed in his eyes. Then, stretching his sharp, high-pitched voice, he drew out the words:

"Court—is—dismissed—!"

...