Shangguan Yuan picked up the slightly cooled teacup and took a light sip. His movements were slow and steady, as if he were using this action to calm his mind.
Gu Chengyin listened quietly without refuting, though he sighed silently in his heart.
As expected, the hardest to deal with were these old foxes who had survived decades in the treacherous sea of officialdom, those who had the weighing of pros and cons carved deep into their bones.
They had weathered too many storms and made too many deals. They were not hot-blooded youths who could be easily swayed by a few words analyzing advantages and disadvantages.
Only tangible benefits were real; everything else was just an illusion.
If only he could directly hypnotize Shangguan Yuan. Although Gu Chengyin really wanted to do so, it was merely a passing thought.
The system's rules were very clear. At present, the number of targets he could hypnotize simultaneously was still limited to one.
This precious slot could only be used on Luo Zhao.
From the looks of it, if he wanted to unlock a second hypnosis slot, he would probably have to break through the Qi Condensation realm and step into the Foundation Establishment realm.
Gu Chengyin lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the smooth rim of his purple clay teacup.
Since persuasion was out of the question, he could only offer an exchange with a benefit that Shangguan Yuan could not refuse.
A few breaths later, he raised his eyes again. His tone shifted to a casual, chatty manner, and the topic abruptly changed:
"Lord Minister, as far as I know, although you hold great power and high status, it seems you have not yet entered the Inner Cabinet?"
Shangguan Yuan was just picking up the teapot, preparing to pour himself another cup. Hearing this, his hand paused slightly. The stream of water flowing from the spout deviated by a fraction, splashing a few tiny droplets against the rim of the cup.
He looked up, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze revealing obvious confusion.
Setting down the teapot, he picked up a cotton towel from the side and wiped his hands. His movements were unhurried as he slowly replied,
"Director Gu must be joking. Those who can enter the Inner Cabinet are all highly respected, possess outstanding meritorious service, and are the trusted pillar officials of His Majesty."
"This old man is nothing more than an accountant looking after the storehouses for His Majesty. I still need more experience and cannot shoulder such an important responsibility."
He paused, his tone carrying self-deprecation and a deeper sense of regret.
"Compared to those in the Inner Cabinet, I still fall quite short."
Gu Chengyin nodded. His fingers, which had been rubbing the rim of the cup, stopped. He looked at Shangguan Yuan and asked his second question:
"Then, Lord Minister, do you wish to enter the Cabinet?"
"Pfft..."
Despite Shangguan Yuan's profound ability to maintain his composure, in this moment, he nearly choked on his own breath.
He shot his gaze upward, a sharp glint flashing deep within his pupils as the fingers gripping the cotton towel tightened unconsciously.
Entering the Cabinet? This was practically the ultimate dream of every civil official!
No, it could even be said that from the moment they stepped onto the path of officialdom, it was the ambition buried deepest in their hearts!
Entering the Cabinet to become a Prime Minister, taking a position in the central hub, wielding the power of the state—a single word could determine the rise and fall of the empire, and a single action concerned the life and death of the common people.
This was truly standing at the pinnacle of power, realizing a lifelong ambition, and achieving the supreme glory of leaving one's name in the annals of history!
Saying he didn't want it? That would be absolute self-deception, unable to fool even a three-year-old child!
A scorching wave of heat instantly flared up from the bottom of his heart, nearly shattering the calm facade he had cultivated for years.
But he had weathered many storms after all. The agitation lasted for only a brief moment before it was forcibly suppressed by a stronger sense of reason.
"Director Gu, your words have truly struck the core of this old man's heart."
Shangguan Yuan's voice lowered, carrying a bit of genuine emotion. "Want it? How could I not want it? Which scholar does not harbor such an ambition?"
His tone shifted, the heat in his voice cooling rapidly as it became realistic and heavy. "However, every seat in the Inner Cabinet is already occupied. The positions are limited, yet the struggle for them is endless."
"Although there is currently a vacancy in the Inner Cabinet, the court and the public are in a state of equilibrium. If a new Cabinet Minister were to be added, it would instead break this balance. Therefore, what seems like a single step away is actually as vast as an uncrossable chasm."
"Director Gu, for you to suddenly bring this up..." Shangguan Yuan paused, seeming to weigh his words carefully. "Is it His Highness...?"
Gu Chengyin did not answer immediately. He leaned back slightly, allowing himself to sink more comfortably into the wide armchair, but his gaze never left Shangguan Yuan's face.
He extended two slender fingers and gently picked up the list on the table that had been ignored for a long time.
"I merely wish to tell you, Lord Minister, that the resolve and the scale of His Highness's current and future actions will far exceed the imagination of the entire court."
Gu Chengyin put down the list and interlaced his fingers in front of him. His posture was relaxed, yet his tone was as sharp as a blade:
"His Highness is wise and perceptive, his heart tied to the state and the common people. This thunderous move is absolutely not just to catch a few petty officials lining their own pockets, nor to chop off a few insignificant heads just to put on a show and go through the motions."
Shangguan Yuan involuntarily held his breath.
He could hear the weight in Gu Chengyin's words; this was definitely not a conclusion a mere executor could easily state.
"Then, in Director Gu's view, who exactly does His Highness intend to move against?"
Meeting his gaze, Gu Chengyin said in a flat tone, "It is very simple. Whoever has embezzled the most money is the one who will be targeted."
Shangguan Yuan's brows locked tightly together.
These words sounded like a clear target, but the scope could still be either large or small.
He felt as though he understood, yet at the same time, he felt even more confused.
Gu Chengyin saw him like this and knew the time was ripe. It was time to lift the final veil.
No longer speaking in riddles, he leaned in a little closer and lowered his voice even further:
"Since His Highness is determined to replenish the empty state treasury, this first strike to clean up the finances cannot be a mere feint, nor can it only scratch the surface."
"Of course, it is unrealistic to expect that a single strike will purify the four seas and eradicate corruption forever, but the cut must be deep enough!"
"It must make certain factions, who believe themselves as steady as Mount Tai, tremble with fear at the mere thought of this blade. It must also make them understand that His Highness's blade is not only sharp, but it also dares to strike!"
He paused slightly, giving Shangguan Yuan time to digest this resolute attitude, before spitting out the most crucial part word by word, as if reading a verdict:
"Therefore, Lord Minister, to achieve such an effect, the strike must be ruthless enough, deep enough, and above all, high enough!"
"High... enough?"
Shangguan Yuan subconsciously repeated the keyword. High? How high was considered high?
A Vice Minister? A Minister? They were already important officials of the imperial court; a single stomp of their feet would make the Great Luo Empire tremble three times.
Any higher, and there would only be...
In a flash of lightning!
It was as if a clap of thunder had split the fog in his mind!
He suddenly connected all of Gu Chengyin's questions from tonight—questions that seemed disjointed but were actually intricately linked!
An incredibly insane speculation, like a ferocious beast breaking free from its cage, lunged out and instantly occupied his entire mind!
"You... His Highness... You all..."
Shangguan Yuan's voice was incomparably dry. He abruptly stood up from his chair, his body trembling from extreme shock and disbelief.
His eyes widened as he stared fixedly at Gu Chengyin, who was still sitting peacefully.
Exhausting all his strength, he finally squeezed out a term from between his teeth that made even himself feel dizzy:
"You want to execute a Cabinet Minister!?"
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
