Doubled Fortune, Nobles Wholeheartedly Pledge Loyalty

Inside the private room, all the military nobles and generals had gone completely mad.

Mine has tripled!

My glass factory shares have gone up five times! Good heavens! I will never have to embezzle the rations and pay of the border soldiers ever again!

To hell with skimming from the soldiers! How much money can you even scrape together in a year doing that? What His Majesty is leading us to earn are mountains of gold and seas of silver!

After the initial shock, this group of rough men who controlled the military power of the Great Zhou Dynasty suddenly fell into an eerily bizarre silence.

Xu Chengzuo slowly stood up, walked to the window of the room, and looked down at the civil officials, aristocratic families, and wealthy merchants who were currently hugging their stock certificates with foolish grins.

Old Xu, have you figured out the taste of this yet? Zhang Jing, the Duke of Ying, walked up beside him. His usually mild eyes were now bursting with a piercing light, revealing a chilling, murderous aura.

I've figured it out. Xu Chengzuo grinned. Before, we thought His Majesty forcing us to hand over our private armies was a move to strip us of our power. Even though he paid us, we still had some resentment in our hearts and only complied out of fear of imperial authority.

But looking at it now... Xu Chengzuo whipped his head around, sweeping his gaze across all the nobles and generals in the room, his voice as low and rumbling as a tiger ready to pounce. His Majesty is giving us roughnecks money! He's gifting us a golden path!

Those idiotic civil officials led by Zhang Wuji spent tens of millions of taels of silver to forcibly drive the price of these shares sky-high. They think they've made a killing, but the one who truly holds sixty percent of the base shares is His Majesty! And we hold twenty-five percent of the original shares in our hands!

As long as this stock keeps rising, and as long as we want to sell, we can slice millions of taels of meat off these aristocratic families at any time!

Zhang Jing took a deep breath, cupped his fists together, and bowed deeply from afar in the direction of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

His Majesty... is truly a god!!

Long live His Majesty!

Inside the room, dozens of dukes, marquises, earls, and the military generals commanding the capital garrisons all turned in unison toward the imperial palace to sing the emperor's praises.

At this moment, the last trace of resentment they held toward Wang Hao completely vanished! It transformed into a cult-like, fanatical faith!

What was loyalty? In the feudal era, an emperor who led everyone to immense wealth and allowed their families to enjoy overflowing riches for generations to come was their second parent! Anyone who dared to touch the emperor, or dared to touch these factories, was digging up the ancestral graves of these military nobles! They would be cutting off their path to wealth!

My old brothers. The Duke of Ding, Xu Chengzuo, stood up, abruptly drew the sword at his waist, and with one vicious strike, shattered the corner of the red sandalwood table in front of him, his face twisted in a ferocious scowl.

Word has it that Zhuge Huaijin, along with that bunch of civil officials from the Ministries of Revenue and War, are red-eyed with jealousy over our factories' profits. In tomorrow's morning assembly, they plan to force His Majesty to hand over the money confiscated from corrupt officials in the Inner Treasury, and they even want to levy heavy taxes on our six great factories?

As soon as these words were spoken, the temperature in the room instantly dropped to the freezing point.

Collect taxes? Zhu Jingchang, the Duke of Cheng, let out a cold sneer, making no effort to hide the killing intent in his eyes. Collect taxes from us? Does Zhuge Huaijin think the blades in our hands aren't sharp enough, or does he think the necks of his civil officials are too hard?

That is His Majesty's money! And it is our money! Zhang Jing, the Duke of Ying, gritted his teeth. At the morning assembly the day after tomorrow, if anyone dares to utter a single word about taxing the six great factories, His Majesty won't even need to say anything...

I'll wear my armor to court tomorrow! Xu Jingchang roared. Whoever dares to mention collecting taxes, I will tear them apart alive right there in the Hall of Supreme Harmony! I don't care if it's the Grand Secretary or a Minister!

Yes! Tear them apart!

Swear loyalty to His Majesty unto death! Defend the royal industries!

A group of war machines, now thoroughly hijacked by the massive profits of capitalism and having tasted its sweetness, let out heaven-shaking roars. They were no longer simply military generals; they were the sharpest fangs of capital, the most fanatical guard dogs protecting Wang Hao's factories!

Meanwhile, inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Wang Hao was still standing in front of the sand table, his fingertips gently tapping against the wooden surface.

Reporting to Your Majesty! Pei Jingzhe, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, strode quickly into the hall. Though he tried his best to suppress it, his voice still carried an undeniable tone of absolute shock. Nine hundred thousand shares, completely sold out! The recovered funds amount to... exactly fifty-seven million, seven hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver! Zhang Wuji and the noble families swallowed up sixty percent of it!

Fifty-seven million, seven hundred and fifty thousand.

Using only a few pieces of paper and a mere eight hours, the Emperor had funneled all of it into his Inner Treasury!

Oh? Only fifty-seven million, seven hundred and fifty thousand? Wang Hao didn't turn around, his tone as casual as if he were asking what was for dinner. That old fox Zhang Wuji was still too conservative.

Your Majesty, on the military nobles' side... Pei Jingzhe swallowed hard. Our inside informants report that after the dukes finished calculating their accounts in their private room, they all went crazy. The Duke of Ding threatened to wear his armor to court tomorrow, declaring that if anyone dares to touch the factory taxes, he will kill them right in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Hearing this, Wang Hao finally stopped tapping his fingers. He turned around, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile that suggested everything was perfectly under his control.

Good. Very good. Wang Hao looked out at the darkening sky beyond the hall, as if anticipating a peerless theatrical masterpiece that was about to unfold.

Take this money and distribute the dividends to the Inner Treasury, the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the military nobles according to their share proportions. Make sure the military nobles taste the sweetness.

I have sliced the meat and tossed it to them. Now, the military nobles are fiercely guarding their food.

Wang Hao walked slowly to his imperial desk, looking down at the roster for the grand court assembly scheduled for the day after tomorrow. A glint of icy murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Zhuge Huaijin, didn't you want to scrounge up money for the state treasury? Didn't you want to eat the rich on my behalf? Wang Hao muttered softly to himself, letting out a sigh. Tomorrow, I will sit upon the dragon throne and watch how you, a sharp sword forged from humble origins, deal with Zhang Wuji's red-eyed aristocratic families, and how you face Xu Jingchang's pack of food-guarding generals!

This dog-eat-dog spectacle in the imperial court... I am very much looking forward to it.

Tell the Directorate of Ceremonial that tomorrow, the Directorate of Imperial Requisites' Royal Furniture Store, the Wine and Vinegar Bureau's Royal Liquor Enterprise, the Imperial Wardrobe's Royal Brocade Boutique, the Bell and Drum Office's Royal Theater, and the Imperial Gardens' Royal Fruit and Vegetable Store are all to open for business. Make it a grand affair. Remember, we are taking the high-end route. We are selling luxury goods. We are selling status and exclusivity. They must be managed flawlessly. Next month, I want them to go public as well.

Ensure that the newly developed furniture, strong spirits, and wines are of the highest quality. They must be premium; do not ruin the royal brand. And we won't let these agencies work for nothing. Give them a thirty percent stake in each of their respective stores.

Tomorrow, have Wei Zhongxian's Eastern Depot, Yu Huatian's Western Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard on standby. I will be going on an incognito inspection tour in the South City.

With a loud swish, Wang Hao casually stripped off his heavily embroidered, utterly majestic bright yellow dragon robe. Like tossing away a ragged sack, he flung it carelessly behind him.

Oh my! My Lord of Ten Thousand Years! Wei Zhongxian let out a squeal like a slaughtered pig, scrambling forward frantically and catching the dragon robe in an incredibly twisted posture. The corners of his eyes twitched violently, his facial features scrunching together like a bitter melon. Your Majesty, what... what act are you putting on now? This is the dragon robe! The dragon robe!

"Stop nagging," Wang Hao turned a deaf ear, unhurriedly pulling on a moon-white brocade robe with dark woven patterns, casually fastening a belt inlaid with top-tier mutton-fat jade around his waist. In the blink of an eye, the aloof, decisive, and ruthless emperor vanished, replaced by a suave, handsome, and peerless young nobleman.

He adjusted his sleeves before the bronze mirror, a playful smile curling the corner of his mouth as he glanced at the four men bowing respectfully beside him. "Wei Zhongxian, Yu Huatian, Pei Jingzhe, all of you change into... no, all of you change into casual attire for this Young Master. Today, we are going for a stroll down the Cross Avenue in the South City."

As soon as the words fell, Wei Zhongxian's old eyes instantly erupted with a green glint, like a starving wolf spotting fresh meat. He didn't hesitate to step half a pace forward, his wrinkle-covered face suddenly blooming like a chrysanthemum, smiling so sweetly it could drip honey. His waist bent so low it was almost parallel to the ground. "Young Master is brilliant! Young Master is wise! The Cross Avenue in the South City is now the most bustling, premier money-spending district in our capital! This sla... this lowly one has long wanted to take you to see the magnificent commercial empire you've conquered!"

While frantically kissing up, Wei Zhongxian's mind raced: This was a monumental opportunity to show his face! Half of the shops and plots in the South City were personally handled by him according to his master's wishes. Today, he had to show his master his competence and completely outshine Yu Huatian, that cold-faced paralytic who only knew how to kill!

At this thought, Wei Zhongxian's spit practically flew as he spoke. "You have no idea, those cement roads are so smooth they could serve as mirrors! Shops on both sides are rushing to open, and the peddlers line up all the way from one end of the street to the other. The foot traffic is more than ten times busier than a New Year's temple fair!"

Yu Huatian stood to the side, his face still as frosty as ever, treating Wei Zhongxian's clamor like nothing but a passing breeze. However, a trace of imperceptible reverence quickly flashed through the depths of his eyes. He took a slight step forward, nodded gently, and spoke in a voice as cold and clear as shattered jade. "Rest assured, Young Master. Your subordinate has already made the proper arrangements. The most elite operatives from the East Depot and West Depot, along with the hidden guards of the Brocade Guard, have all disguised themselves as plainclothes merchants and pedestrians, blending into the South City crowds. There is a hidden sentry every three steps and a top-tier expert every five. Not even an unregistered fly could get close to you. Your safety is absolutely guaranteed."

Yu Huatian sneered inwardly: That old dog Wei Zhongxian only knows how to claim credit and count coins. If the master were to lose even a single hair, all the silver your South City shops earn wouldn't save you from death. Security is the primary productive force.

Standing at the very edge was Pei Jingzhe, clad in black, his hand habitually resting on the hilt of the short sword at his waist. His perpetually expressionless face didn't twitch a single muscle. His cold gaze swept through the empty air as he stiffly spat out two words: "Orders received."

To Pei Jingzhe, what the emperor wore or where he went didn't matter. His brain operated on a single logic: anyone who approached within three feet of the emperor with killing intent, draw sword, chop to pieces, sheathe sword.

Only Sun Li stood frozen in place, holding the dragon robe, looking as if he wanted to cry but had no tears. He watched these master-and-servant figures who had completely entered incognito mode, the corners of his mouth drooping to the absolute limit as he screamed internally: Your Majesty, you say incognito and you go incognito, but at least leave someone to guard the palace! If those old ministers from the Cabinet suddenly request an audience and find the Emperor missing, how many times will this old servant's head be chopped off?!

"Alright, Sun Li, you change clothes too and come with me. Stop wearing such a bitter face. Today, I'll show you what it truly means to rake in gold by the bucketload." Wang Hao flicked open his folding fan and took the lead, striding out of the side hall.

The group of five didn't take the flashy and ostentatious imperial carriage, nor did they bring a grand and sweeping honor guard. They didn't even have a eunuch's shrill voice to clear the way. Looking exactly like the most ordinary wealthy young master in the capital taking a few stewards and attendants, they quietly slipped out of the imperial palace and leisurely strolled toward the South City.