"Oh, right, General," the man suddenly remembered something.
"What is it?"
"The Emperor said he plans to open an antique shop."
"Huh?" Teng Shuchang was taken aback. Was this right? An emperor opening a shop? One must know that the status of merchants was incredibly low. Although he had been allowed to run a bank earlier, that seemed somewhat different from being a merchant. But opening a shop...
In the end, Teng Shuchang just shook his head. Let him be; he couldn't make any waves anyway.
Fang Zhiyi truly embodied the image of a prodigal son. The first thing he did upon opening the shop was order De Xiang to move all the antiques out of the palace to sell in the store. With the world currently in turmoil, the antique business was naturally poor, which made Fang Zhiyi perfectly happy. Every day, he did nothing but go out and fool around.
Because there were perks to following Fang Zhiyi, many Mang Dynasty soldiers assigned to monitor him were highly enthusiastic. Quite a few got to know this puppet emperor of the Li State.
As the bank's business expanded, some merchants began to petition, wanting to open up trade routes in the capital.
Teng Shuchang had considered this matter before, but he had never implemented it. After all, the south had not yet been pacified, and he would not give the remnants of the Li State's army any chance to catch their breath, so he flatly rejected the proposal.
Upon hearing Teng Shuchang's report, the King of the Mang Dynasty initially showed a trace of concern. However, after seeing the detailed records of Fang Zhiyi's every word and deed around the clock from his informants, he felt much more at ease.
"I thought the Emperor of Li would at least have some imperial bearing. Hah, I overestimated them." The King laughed loudly, throwing the booklet to the officials below for all to see.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! With such an incompetent ruler in the Li State, the Heavens ordain their destruction!"
"Hahaha, a dignified emperor actually stooping to do the business of merchants, and even earning shining silver for our Great Mang."
However, not everyone was immersed in this relaxed atmosphere.
"Your Majesty, could this Emperor of Li have an ulterior motive?" A white-haired and bearded old man stepped forward. "Our Lord originally kept him alive to better control the conquered cities of the Li Dynasty, but he..."
The King looked at the old minister and smiled after a moment. "No matter. The more he acts like this, the more the former officials and commoners of the Li Dynasty will be disappointed in the Fang royal family. It is entirely beneficial for our future unification of the world." His gaze swept over the copied account book on the table. "Furthermore, his methods really do make a lot of money."
Another official stepped forward. "Since it can make money, Your Majesty, should we also..."
The King waved his hand. "No rush. Whether this method is viable requires long-term observation. Our country is different from the Li Dynasty. Rushing to implement changes might cause chaos. Let's just watch for now."
The previous white-bearded old man spoke again. "Your Majesty, several rebel factions have already grown in the south of the Li Dynasty. We should still ask the Great General to pacify them as soon as possible."
The King nodded. "I have my own measure of this matter. The south of the Li Dynasty is full of mountains, valleys, and ravines; it is not easy for a large army to advance. We consumed a lot during our previous attacks on Li, so it is only natural to accumulate strength now."
"Your Majesty, regarding Great General Teng..." the white-bearded old man said meaningfully.
The King looked at him and gave a slight nod.
Teng Shuchang was now so busy he was running himself ragged. He wished he could split himself into five people. The provisional imperial court needed him to take charge, memorials needed his review, he had to check the bank's accounts, and he had to constantly keep an eye on Fang Zhiyi's movements. He couldn't even relax about the military camp, as the war was not over yet.
Teng Shuchang only had a brief four hours of rest a day. Under such a high-intensity work environment, he felt somewhat helpless. On the contrary, Fang Zhiyi, the puppet emperor, lived a much more carefree life than he did.
As soon as the bank's work was done, Fang Zhiyi would take the soldiers responsible for protecting his safety out for a stroll. These people also found Fang Zhiyi a bit bizarre. Any other emperor would feel they were being monitored, but Fang Zhiyi actively called for them every day.
"Hey, you, go get your general!"
"Little Four! Where is your captain? To hell with patrolling! Will the army stop drilling just because he's missing? Hurry up and call him over; I found a great place yesterday."
Originally, there were only about a dozen people responsible for monitoring him, but now, when he went out, a dense crowd of dozens of people followed behind him, ranging from deputy generals to foot soldiers. And Fang Zhiyi was generous—he had money!
First, they would go to a restaurant for a meal, then stroll through the bird market and look at antiques. When it got dark, he would lead the dozens of Mang Dynasty soldiers to the red-light district. Not only that, but he also specifically handed out silver to every soldier. Holding a wine cup in one hand and waving wildly with the other, he shouted, "I haven't been this happy in years! Drink! Play! If you don't spend all this silver, you're not giving me face! Do you understand?"
"Understood!" the dozens of men answered in unison.
Fang Zhiyi staggered and slung an arm around a deputy general's shoulder. "General Wu, I have something to say, though I don't know if I should."
General Wu, currently stuffing bank notes into his robes and looking flushed, said, "Emperor, just speak boldly! What is there that we brothers can't say!"
Fang Zhiyi pointed at a few peddlers not far away. "I'm not stupid. Hic. You all know what I do every day, yet you still have those brothers keeping an eye on me. It's nothing, I understand. Military orders, right?"
General Wu looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw a few familiar faces. "What do you mean, Emperor? Should your older brother here go and chase them away?"
Fang Zhiyi shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no, no, you all have your missions. Don't make things difficult for the brothers. But I just feel a bit embarrassed."
General Wu looked at Fang Zhiyi in confusion. This emperor had drunk too much again.
"We eat while they watch; we stroll while they follow; we... hic, we play while they watch." Fang Zhiyi patted his chest. "We are all brothers risking our heads for military merit. It's not right."
Another deputy general next to them leaned in. "Oh, Emperor, no, Brother Fang, just ignore them. They answer directly to the Great General, so let them watch, who cares? Ah?" He had clearly drunk a lot too. The wine of the Li State might seem mild, but it had quite a kick. "A few bastards, bah!"
Fang Zhiyi quickly stopped him. "You just called me your younger brother, didn't you?"
The deputy general's drunk eyes were hazy. "Of course. Even though you are the Emperor, your country has fallen. Calling you brother isn't wrong."
General Wu's expression changed. "General A, what nonsense are you spouting?"
General A let out a snort from his nose. "Brother Fang here doesn't mind, so Brother Wu, you shouldn't feel like there's anything we can't say. In my eyes, Brother Fang, even though you aren't really an emperor anymore, you are this!" He gave a thumbs up.
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."
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
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.
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
