"Just wait."
Liu Wenhui never expected that the moment he finished packing his belongings, a servant would rush in to report that the Emperor had opened the gates and surrendered.
"What? Is he an idiot?" Liu Wenhui couldn’t help but curse aloud.
The servant was momentarily stunned by his audacity to insult the Emperor but then cautiously added, "Rumors say the rebels captured Liu Guxia, the Emperor’s most beloved..."
Liu Wenhui’s legs gave way. He knew full well that with Fang Zhiyi now in control of the capital, his own misdeeds might soon come to light. And then...
Fang Zhiyi stood in the grand hall, hands clasped behind his back as he coldly surveyed the assembled court officials.
Anyone who met his gaze felt a chill run down their spine. How had they never noticed how terrifying this man was before?
As for the new Emperor, Fang Zhiyi had kept his word—letting him reunite with Liu Guxia.
"Where is Liu Wenhui?"
The officials exchanged uneasy glances. Liu Wenhui had claimed illness and skipped court yesterday. Naturally, he was absent again today.
"Report!" A soldier burst into the hall. "General, Liu Wenhui was intercepted at the West Gate trying to flee!"
"Excellent!" Fang Zhiyi laughed heartily. "Bring him to me... in one piece."
The soldier bowed and accepted the order, though he wasn’t entirely sure why the general emphasized "in one piece." Perhaps it meant not a single hair out of place?
Watching Fang Zhiyi idly toying with the items on the imperial desk, an elder statesman finally lost his patience.
"Fang Zhiyi! Your actions are nothing short of treason!"
Fang Zhiyi gave him an amused glance, picking up a jade ornament from the desk before tossing it back. "Oh? Do elaborate."
The officials exchanged bewildered looks. Fang Zhiyi wasn’t even angry? Even the highest-ranking military governors at the front seemed surprised by his calm demeanor.
The elder stepped forward indignantly. "When your father died, you, as the eldest son, failed to return and mourn—that is unfilial! Leading the northern army under the pretense of 'cleansing the court' to storm the capital—that is disloyal! Holding the Emperor’s consort hostage—that is dishonorable! You are a man without loyalty, filial piety, or honor!"
Fang Zhiyi nodded, as if acknowledging the accusations, then waved over a soldier and whispered a few words into his ear. The soldier’s eyes widened before he hurried away.
"Anyone else have something to say? Speak now."
The courtiers were stunned. Fang Zhiyi genuinely didn’t seem angered. Was he truly guiltless? He had come specifically for Liu Wenhui, who had just tried to escape. Had Liu Wenhui manipulated the new Emperor into targeting the Fang family? There were whispers that the old General Fang’s death was suspicious—could it be...?
Another official stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "General Fang, now that Liu Wenhui has been captured and the traitor removed, shouldn’t you seek the Emperor’s pardon for your actions?"
Fang Zhiyi smirked. "Pardon? What crime have I committed?"
The elder official pointed an accusing finger. "Do you mean to usurp the throne yourself, Fang Zhiyi? Aren’t you afraid of history’s judgment? You’ll tarnish your family’s name forever!"
The mention of usurpation made the military governors exchange meaningful glances.
Fang Zhiyi casually took a seat on the throne. "I’m not afraid. A ruler’s duty is to care for the people, to ensure their prosperity, to protect our soldiers, to guarantee that the people are fed and clothed, and to punish corrupt officials—not to fear some unseen 'iron judgment of history.'"
"Well said!" The military governors applauded.
"Let me ask you all—what has the Second Prince accomplished since taking the throne? What did he do during the locust plague in the northwest?"
The officials lowered their heads in recollection. Someone had indeed submitted a report about the locusts, but the Emperor, following Liu Guxia’s advice, ordered the people to eat the insects. The locusts turned out to be poisonous, killing many, but the local officials suppressed the news, leaving the Emperor unaware.
Fang Zhiyi scoffed. "And what about the Lijiang floods? What did our new Emperor do then?"
The courtiers’ heads sank even lower. When the Lijiang River overflowed, displacing countless families, the Emperor—urged by Liu Guxia’s desire for a boat ride—commissioned a lavish dragon boat to "inspect" the disaster. Liu Guxia had declared that bran was inedible, accusing officials of embezzlement, leading the Emperor to execute several men in rage. The replacement officials, fearing reprisal, distributed pure white rice to the starving—only to exhaust the supplies in under half a month. The new officials had to sell their own properties to cover the shortfall.
Even in good years, white rice was a luxury for commoners. During famine, bran porridge was a lifeline. The treasury’s funds were meant for flood control, hiring laborers, and purchasing grain—not for extravagant rice handouts.
The elder official raged, "What the Emperor does is none of your concern, you traitor!"
One of the military governors lost his temper, unsheathing his sword with a metallic ring that sent the courtiers stumbling back.
The soldier Fang Zhiyi had sent away earlier returned, whispering into his ear and handing him a slip of paper.
Fang Zhiyi stood and clapped mockingly. "Bravo! You’re Lu Xuan, aren’t you? A mere vice minister under the late Emperor, now a grand secretary. Impressive."
The elder official straightened proudly. "Spare me your sarcasm. Kill me if you must—at least history will remember me with honor!"
Fang Zhiyi grinned. "Really? Did you know your son forces women into prostitution?"
Lu Xuan froze, then pointed a shaking finger. "How dare you slander me!"
Fang Zhiyi waved him off. "No need to get worked up. I have proof." He unfolded the paper. "Your nephew beat two laborers to death over a wage dispute. Ah, and your brother—quite the entrepreneur, investing in brothels? Wait... Lu Xuan, you have a bastard son? Now that’s juicy."
Lu Xuan’s chest heaved. He had half-believed the accusations about his nephew, but the mention of a secret son confirmed Fang Zhiyi was lying.
"You—you vile slanderer!"
Fang Zhiyi signaled, and several "witnesses" in plain clothes were brought forward, all loudly accusing Lu Xuan and his family of various crimes.
Lu Xuan trembled with rage, unable to utter a word. Fang Zhiyi strolled over and murmured just loud enough for him to hear, "When my father was alive, you undermined him at every turn. I heard you and Liu Wenhui were awfully close around the time he died. Don’t expect history to remember you kindly. Spreading filth is my specialty. Care to guess how history’s 'iron judgment' will read?" He glanced meaningfully behind Lu Xuan, who turned to see the court historian scribbling furiously.
"Ah!" Lu Xuan spat blood and collapsed to the floor.
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
