Even Xiao Song, who had been dozing all this time, opened his eyes again and struggled to rise from his seat.
Only then did Gu Chengyin stand up, his hands resting respectfully at his sides, his expression solemn.
Shangguan Yuan practically bounced out of his chair. No longer bothering to cover his eye, he hastily straightened his robes, bowed his body, and lowered his head.
Lyu Fang's gaze fell on Xiao Song, whose movements were visibly strained. The amiable smile on his face deepened slightly as he spoke in a gentle tone:
"Grand Secretary Xiao, His Majesty specifically instructed that since you are advanced in years and have difficulty moving about, you may remain seated to receive the oral decree. There is no need to stand and salute."
"His Majesty is considerate of his old ministers; please do not decline."
Hearing this, a trace of emotion flashed in Xiao Song's cloudy old eyes. He gave a slight nod and did not insist further.
He slowly sat up straight again, maintaining a posture of respectful listening. "This old subject... thanks His Majesty for his profound grace."
Only then did Lyu Fang nod in satisfaction. His gaze swept over the solemnly standing crowd once more, and the smile vanished from his face.
Clearing his throat, he began to proclaim the decree:
"His Majesty's oral decree:"
Everyone, including the seated Xiao Song, bowed their heads deeply, holding their breath in rapt attention.
"Hearing of the matter in the Ministry of Revenue, Our heart is greatly angered."
The opening set the tone: Emperor Luo was angry.
"A Minister and a Marquis of Equal Stature, actually brawling openly in broad daylight! What a scandal!"
The second sentence directly pointed out the nature of the incident: it was a breach of decorum, a mutual condemnation of both men's behavior.
"However."
Lyu Fang shifted his tone, though his voice remained steady. "The cause of this matter, ultimately, is the incompetence of the Ministry of Revenue, which delayed Zhao'er's important affairs."
Emperor Luo confirmed that the root of the conflict lay with the Ministry of Revenue.
This was also an acknowledgment of some of Gu Chengyin's claims, pointing out the source of the issue.
"The Marquis of Equal Stature, Gu Chengyin, is young and hot-blooded, eager to protect his master. Seeing crucial matters obstructed, he acted improperly in his anxiety. Although his actions are excusable..."
The word excusable gave Gu Chengyin a rather lenient evaluation, attributing his motives to anxiety over official duties rather than simple arrogance and domineering behavior.
"However, he must not go unpunished!"
Clear rewards and punishments were the way of an emperor.
With affirmation, there must also be discipline.
Lyu Fang continued to read:
"The Minister of Revenue, Shangguan Yuan, is ordered to be suspended immediately and sent home to reflect on his mistakes!"
"Without Our explicit order, he is not to leave his residence, nor is he to interfere in any affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. All matters of the Ministry, big and small, shall be temporarily handled with full authority by the Left Vice Minister."
Suspension and house arrest.
The punishment for Shangguan Yuan could be said to be extremely severe, effectively kicking him out of the core circle of power for the time being.
Shangguan Yuan's body visibly swayed. His face instantly turned deathly pale, his lips trembled, and his shoulders shook.
"The Marquis of Equal Stature, Gu Chengyin, committed insubordination, showed no respect for his elders, and acted improperly. He is fined one year's salary and ordered to immediately write a profound self-criticism!"
Lyu Fang immediately added, "Hmm, this self-criticism need not be submitted to the imperial presence; handing it over for Zhao'er to review will suffice."
Finally, Lyu Fang's voice rose slightly, carrying a sense of decisiveness:
"The Censorate, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Rites, is ordered to immediately intervene in the Ministry of Revenue, investigate the responsibility for the negligence in safekeeping the accounts, and deal with the relevant derelict personnel!"
"Within the time limit, the problems must be rectified without delay."
The Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Rites—a joint intervention by three ministries.
This was the true thunderous strike.
Emperor Luo did not get tangled up in bickering but directly skipped to the conclusion.
Using the excuse of negligence in safekeeping, he deployed the highest supervisory and judicial powers of Great Luo to forcefully intervene in the Ministry of Revenue and demanded rectification within a set time.
"Respect this."
As the last two words fell, Lyu Fang nodded slightly, indicating that the oral decree had been fully conveyed.
The discussion hall was dead silent.
Emperor Luo seemed to be punishing both sides equally, but in reality, his stance was clear.
Cui Shifan and the others felt a complex mix of emotions.
Shangguan Yuan's face was ashen. He stood blankly in place, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
Only Gu Chengyin slowly raised his head. Facing Lyu Fang, and also in the direction of the imperial palace, he bowed solemnly:
"This subject, Gu Chengyin, receives the decree and thanks His Majesty for his grace."
"I shall strictly obey His Majesty's holy decree, reflect deeply, and assist His Highness in sorting out the accounts as quickly as possible, so as not to disappoint the holy expectations."
Lyu Fang looked at Gu Chengyin, the amiable smile reappearing on his face, and gave a slight nod.
Without saying anything, he turned and left the discussion hall with the same steady steps he had arrived with.
As soon as Lyu Fang left, the tense atmosphere in the discussion hall instantly dissipated by more than half.
Grand Secretary Hu Juzheng and Grand Secretary Yuan Zhengqing turned around almost at the same time.
Grand Secretary Hu Juzheng stroked his beard, cupped his hands to Xiao Song and Cui Shifan, and said, "Since the holy decree has been issued, I still have several urgent official matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."
Grand Secretary Yuan Zhengqing also nodded in agreement. "I too have important matters that cannot be delayed. Grand Secretary Xiao, Grand Secretary Cui, farewell."
The two Grand Secretaries left briskly and decisively, without the slightest intention of lingering.
Leaving closely behind them was Shangguan Yuan, whose face was as gloomy as dark water.
Before leaving, he did not forget to glare fiercely at Gu Chengyin, the venom and unwillingness in his eyes almost bursting forth.
His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately he just let out a heavy snort from his nose, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.
His boots stomped on the ground, deliberately making dull thuds that betrayed his inner resentment.
Seeing the lords leaving one after another, the clerks recording the discussion also quickly packed up their brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, lowered their heads, and filed out.
In the blink of an eye, the discussion hall, which had just been filled with verbal sparring, was left with only three people.
The empty hall appeared even more solemn, its high vaulted ceiling casting majestic shadows.
Gu Chengyin adjusted his everyday robes, stepped forward, and bowed to the two Grand Secretaries to take his leave:
"The holy decree has been issued, and this matter is settled."
"If this junior's words were offensive in any way, it was truly out of necessity. I hope the two Grand Secretaries will be forgiving."
"Since the matter is concluded, this junior will now return to report to His Highness. Farewell."
After speaking, he prepared to turn and leave.
"Marquis of Equal Stature, please wait."
A voice rang out; it was Cui Shifan.
Gu Chengyin paused his steps and looked back, a look of confusion on his face.
The solemnity from earlier had completely vanished from Cui Shifan's face, replaced by a rather amicable, even appreciative smile.
He naturally had a square face, his beard and hair meticulously groomed. As he smiled now, the fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes stretched out, making him look even more like a respectable elder.
"Marquis Gu..."
Cui Shifan switched to a more intimate address, his tone full of praise. "Young and promising, with surpassing courage and insight. What is even rarer is your absolute loyalty to His Highness."
"Although there were quite a few waves, it also allowed us to witness the grace of the younger generation."
"His Highness personally bestowed the title of Equal Stature and entrusted you with heavy responsibilities. This title of Marquis of Equal Stature is well-deserved indeed. Your future is truly limitless."
This sudden praise put Gu Chengyin on alert, though his face remained impassive. He merely bowed slightly. "Grand Secretary Cui overpraises me. This junior is ashamed to accept such words and only wishes to do my utmost to repay the sovereign's grace."
Cui Shifan seemed oblivious to the wariness in Gu Chengyin's eyes. He stroked his beard and smiled. "Marquis Gu need not be too modest. Coincidentally, there happens to be a dinner banquet at my residence tonight. It is nothing overly formal."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
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.
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
