He first gave Gu Chengyin a way out, acknowledging that his motives were good, even if his methods were inappropriate.
"Furthermore," Cui Shifan shifted the conversation, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "During the morning assembly, His Majesty did explicitly decree, granting Her Highness... well, a ten-day limit."
"To investigate the relevant matters within such a tight timeframe brings immense pressure. As the Marquis bears this responsibility, making some extraordinary moves out of anxiety, while improper, is somewhat excusable."
Cui Shifan paused slightly, his expression turning stern. "However, no matter the reason, in a vital government office like the Ministry of Revenue..."
"...to engage in a physical altercation, even coming to blows with the Minister, is ultimately highly inappropriate. It strips the imperial court of its dignity and is completely beneath both of your stations."
He looked at Gu Chengyin and Shangguan Yuan with sharp eyes. "A brawl, especially one between a Marquis and a Minister—if word of this spreads, where will the court's face be? How will the officials view it? And how will the commoners of the world discuss it?"
Cui Shifan did not favor either side. Instead, he dealt them both an equal metaphorical lashing, defining the nature of the conflict as an undignified mutual brawl.
Having laid the groundwork, Cui Shifan proposed his preliminary solution, his tone carrying the air of a mediator:
"This matter, at its core, is merely a misunderstanding and an impulse arising from official duties."
"Both of you are pillars of our Great Luo. Now, as the nation faces difficult times, it is precisely when we need everyone to unite and weather the storm together. It is truly unwise to damage harmony and delay crucial matters over a moment of temper."
His gaze swept past Xiao Song, Hu Juzheng, and Yuan Zhengqing before returning to Gu Chengyin and Shangguan Yuan. Softening his voice, he advised,
"In my view, why don't you two do me and the Grand Secretaries present a small favor."
"Set aside your dispute for now, shake hands, and make peace. Exercise restraint and do not escalate the situation further. As for the matter of auditing the accounts..."
Cui Shifan looked at Gu Chengyin. His meaning was obvious: the specific technical issues could be coordinated and resolved between the Ministry of Revenue and the Heir's estate; there was no need to remain deadlocked here in such a manner.
This proposal was a classic, seasoned, and prudent strategy.
First, quell the surface-level conflict and temporarily freeze the fierce contradiction, preventing the situation from escalating and causing irreversible political fallout.
As for the core dilemma of the missing accounts, that could be left for private, more amicable communication and resolution.
This was the safest approach to maintaining the court's superficial stability and dignity.
If Gu Chengyin were merely a young official who knew how to read the room, he would have taken this out.
He would have given the Grand Secretaries face, ended the storm over the brawl, and then privately resolved the auditing issue.
However, Gu Chengyin was not such a person.
Hearing Cui Shifan's proposal, Gu Chengyin only smiled politely.
"Every word Grand Secretary Cui has spoken is perfectly reasonable. This junior has benefited greatly from your wisdom."
"You and the other Grand Secretaries are of high moral standing and great prestige. Since you have personally stepped forward to mediate, I naturally must give you face."
"This junior is not an unreasonable person who blindly pesters others. Regardless of the cause of today's conflict, the method was indeed inappropriate."
"As long as the account issues can be resolved and Her Highness's audit can proceed smoothly, let alone shaking hands and making peace..."
Gu Chengyin looked at Shangguan Yuan sitting opposite him, speaking with a sincere and earnest tone:
"...even if I must apologize to the Minister on the spot, and later prepare generous gifts to visit his residence and beg for forgiveness, I would not utter a single word of complaint!"
These words were spoken beautifully, with his posture lowered, making him look exactly like someone willing to admit his faults.
However, just as everyone thought he was going to concede...
Gu Chengyin's finger tapped lightly on the Heir Apparent's token resting in front of him.
The contact between his fingertip and the token produced a faint, rhythmic tapping sound.
"But, Grand Secretaries, there is one point this junior must make absolutely clear. This matter is not my private affair, nor is it an ordinary official dispute!"
His gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the face of every Grand Secretary present. Word by word, he spoke with absolute clarity:
"This is a promise that Her Highness personally made during the morning assembly, before His Majesty and the entire civil and military court."
"It is the vital task of investigating the national treasury's revenues and expenditures and clearing up long-standing corrupt practices!"
"It is a monumental matter concerning Her Highness's prestige as the Heir Apparent, and even more so, His Majesty's expectations!"
Gu Chengyin directly elevated the nature of the matter to the level of the Heir's prestige and the Luo Emperor's expectations.
"As long as the account issues can be resolved and the investigation can continue, I will apologize in whatever way you wish."
"But if..."
Gu Chengyin's voice suddenly turned sharp, his eyes revealing a ruthless determination willing to fight to the bitter end:
"If the problem cannot be solved, the accounts remain missing, and the audit cannot proceed smoothly..."
"...causing Her Highness to lose face and bear the reputation of incompetence..."
Gu Chengyin paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the varying expressions of the Grand Secretaries, and said decisively:
"Then, as Her Highness's subject, this Marquis will absolutely not sit idly by. When that time comes, let alone the face of you esteemed gentlemen..."
"...even if I must take this uproar right before His Majesty! This Marquis will still fight fiercely for the truth and definitely seek justice for Her Highness!"
"Unless..."
Gu Chengyin spoke these last two words incredibly slowly. His gaze intentionally or unintentionally glanced toward the direction of the imperial palace before quickly withdrawing:
"His Majesty personally issues a decree, explicitly stating that the matters of the national treasury need no longer be investigated."
"Otherwise, as long as it remains unresolved for a single day, this Marquis will not slacken for a single day."
"Nor will I allow anyone, for any reason, to delay, evade responsibility, or affect Her Highness's grand undertaking!"
These words employed both the carrot and the stick, leaving no loopholes whatsoever.
He first gave the Grand Secretaries tremendous face, and then revealed his hardest bottom line.
This was a military pledge made by the Heir Apparent, concerning the Heir's face and prestige.
Unless the Luo Emperor personally called a halt to it, no one should even think about blustering their way through!
The Cabinet's face? Before the Heir Apparent's grand undertaking, it was not worth mentioning.
Moreover, this was not a personal grudge or a trivial matter open to bargaining, but a political mission that had to be completed.
His goal was clear, his attitude resolute, without any room for compromise.
Either solve the problem and everyone remains amicable, or he would flip the table and bring it directly before the Luo Emperor and the people of the world, to see who would ultimately be unable to step down.
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere within the council hall suddenly grew even heavier.
The smile on Grand Secretary Hu's face, which had been beaming all along, faded slightly. His eyes grew profound as he began to truly and seriously size up the young man before him.
Everyone in the imperial court knew that Her Highness the Eldest Princess was cold, arrogant, and isolated. Aside from her natural disposition, there was another extremely important reason for this.
She had no capable people by her side.
There was no ruthless individual who could stand up for her and clash head-on with the court and the public.
But now, it was obvious that such a person had appeared.
This style of holding the Heir's will high above his head, showing absolutely no fear of the Cabinet's authority, and even faintly using the Heir to suppress the Cabinet...
...was extremely rare in his many years navigating the sea of officialdom. Not only was he bold, but he also knew very well how to utilize the cards in his hand within the boundaries of the rules.
Xiao Song, whose eyes were half-closed, slightly opened his eyelids a crack. A glimmer of light flashed in his cloudy old eyes, only to quickly vanish, returning to his drowsy demeanor.
Cui Shifan's complexion, on the other hand, turned even more gloomy.
and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!
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.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
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!
