109: Suffering of the people

Chapter 108: Suffer a Little, Common People

Zheng Yi had someone bring a torch and tried to burn the wall.

A strange thing happened. After the torch approached the wall, it unexpectedly emitted a bizarre red glow.

Immediately, a strange smell wafted from the wall, making one want to vomit upon smelling it.

Yuechan quickly said, "Stop burning it, stop burning it! It stinks so much!"

Zheng Yi nodded, signaling the guard to take the torch further away.

"Your Majesty."

Hu Bafeng also leaned over and explained, "This place is located underground. Burning this thing with fire will inevitably cause some unexpected accidents."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "Correct. This place is sealed, and without air circulation, it is very easy to get carbon dioxide poisoning."

Although Hu Bafeng did not understand what Zheng Yi was talking about, he still wore a look of heartfelt admiration and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

"In this way, follow the direction you came through the passageway and dig more thief holes to ensure air circulation, then use fire to burn it again."

"Ah?"

"What 'ah'? Why aren't you hurrying to do it?"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Hu Bafeng ran a couple of steps, then suddenly stopped and said, "Y-Your Majesty, we have already spent two years digging this passageway. If we are to dig more thief holes, who knows how much time it will consume?"

Zheng Yi said calmly, "I am not in a hurry. You can dig slowly; I have plenty of time."

"Understood!"

Zheng Yi paced back and forth, carefully inspecting this bizarre wall and even touching it with his hand.

It was ice-cold and smooth.

He then looked at the wound slashed open by Cui Xiabing's sword and muttered, "As expected of a spiritual object from over three hundred years ago. I didn't expect it to possess such powerful strength even in death."

At the wound, threads resembling flesh and blood were still connected together and slowly healing.

"Hm…"

Looking at the slowly healing wound, Zheng Yi suddenly came up with a good idea.

"If we put explosives inside this wound, I wonder if it would work?"

No sooner said than done, Zheng Yi immediately had a batch of Thunderbolt Mines transported over.

The military camp was right below Tianshou Mountain, making it very convenient to transport items like Thunderbolt Mines and explosives.

After installing the explosives, everyone retreated a hundred paces, lit the explosives using the fuse, and quietly waited.

Zheng Yi considerately covered Cui Xiabing's and Yuechan's ears, one for each, and the two women also obediently covered the Emperor's other ear in turn.

More than ten breaths later, a violent roar suddenly came from afar.

"Boom~!"

As the huge roar came, the dust and smoke on the ground began to vibrate, permeating the entire air.

Zheng Yi also clearly felt the earth trembling, and his ears were filled with a thick scent of gunpowder.

After another dozen breaths, once all the dust and smoke dissipated, a hole more than a person wide appeared before everyone's eyes.

A single Thunderbolt Mine—an equivalent payload that could even blow apart a city wall—could actually only blast a hole this big on this Konjac Sea Lotus?

However, Zheng Yi also discovered something: the healing speed of the hole blasted by explosives was significantly slower than the wound slashed by Cui Xiabing's Flying Sword.

Around the wound, it was also covered with a layer of scorched black, and it made one want to vomit from the smell.

"It works!"

Zheng Yi immediately said, "Pass down the order: the explosives from the arsenal are to be supplied to this place with priority. The Mojin Captain shall continue digging ventilation holes; I refuse to believe we cannot blast open this Formation!"

"Understood!"

Liu Chengen thought helplessly that Your Majesty had truly gone mad in his pursuit of immortality.

This was the mausoleum of Great Yu's founding Emperor, after all! Blasting it like this would sooner or later be discovered by people with ulterior motives.

If this news were to spread out…

Liu Chengen subconsciously shuddered, then quickly snapped back to his senses.

"No! This place must absolutely not be discovered by people with ulterior motives. It seems that my Directorate of Ceremonial East Depot's attention needs to be shifted here."

"As long as Your Majesty can achieve Immortal Ascension, then this old servant will also rise to heaven along with him, hahaha~!"

Liu Chengen laughed heartily in his heart, his footsteps becoming even faster.

As for Zheng Yi, after lingering at this place for several days, he returned to White Jade Capital with Cui Xiabing and Yuechan.

The reason the two women trusted Zheng Yi immensely was also under a series of sweet-talk and sincere confessions from Zheng Yi.

Nothing more than talking about seeking immortal affinity—it was merely for his two Beloved Consorts to live long together, share immortal blessings, and roam carefree for ten thousand years.

After all, in the entire imperial palace, counting Zheng Yi, there were only four Cultivators.

And Cui Xiabing and Yuechan were undoubtedly the strongest among them.

Both of them were at Qi Refining Level 3, and Yuechan was about to achieve a Breakthrough.

As for the reason, it was very simple.

Yuechan had the subsequent Cultivation Technique, which was provided by the High Priest of the Baiyue Clan in Nanyue County.

As for Cui Xiabing, she only had the first three volumes of the Cultivation Technique.

She had to wait for her Revered Master to return before she could continue cultivating.

However, over the past two years, she had been stabilizing her Realm while also studying the art of Formations.

After all, before leaving, her Revered Master had also left her several cultivation classics.

After returning to White Jade Capital, Zheng Yi also received two pieces of news.

One was good news.

Two were bad news.

The good news was that Cui Xiawu had already led troops to station in Jinyang County, Bing Province, and was just waiting for Zheng Yi's imperial decree and orders.

The first bad news was that the group of envoys sent to the Yunmeng Marsh Tuoba Family had been fished up by fishermen fishing around Yunmeng Marsh.

The Jinyi Guard bought their corpses at the very first moment and had professional coroners perform autopsies.

Unfortunately, the corpses had been soaked in the water for several months, bloated and rot-ridden, making dissection completely impossible.

Regardless of how it happened, the people died within the territory of Yunmeng Marsh, so Zheng Yi was already certain that the Tuoba Family truly did not take the imperial decree seriously.

Nor did they take Great Yu seriously.

Who knew where they got such confidence?

The second bad news was a memorial submitted by Xu Xuanwu of Nanyue County, stating that the Nanzhao Kingdom, together with the Black Yue Tribe, had invaded on a large scale, capturing more than a dozen stockades of the Baiyue Clan in a short period.

After receiving the imperial decree, he originally wanted to set off quickly and return to the capital, but for the sake of Great Yu's borders, he had no choice but to stay behind to resist the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Seeing this memorial, Zheng Yi gave a faint smile and threw it away.

It was already this time, and Xu Xuanwu was still fostering bandits to protect his own position?

But it didn't matter anymore either.

If it were two years ago, upon learning that Xu Xuanwu wanted to rebel, he would have felt somewhat nervous.

As for now, he could wipe them out with a flip of his hand!

"Chengen, pass down the decree."

"Understood!"

"Order Cui Xiawu to apprehend the Eight Great Merchants of Bing and their associates on the spot according to the list. Confiscate the property and execute the nine familial generations of the ringleaders of the Eight Great Merchants of Bing. Anyone who resists shall be executed without mercy！！！"

Zheng Yi's tone was incomparably cold. Liu Chengen, who was grinding ink nearby, also shuddered all over and subconsciously stopped.

"Y-Your Majesty, s-should we notify the cabinet ministers?"

"If this imperial decree is sent down…"

"Hmm?"

Zheng Yi said coldly, "Are you afraid? If you are afraid, then roll down from the positions of the East Depot Supervisor and the Directorate of Ceremonial Grand Eunuch Seal!"

Liu Chengen suddenly felt a surge of anger rush to his head, and he gritted his teeth and said, "What does Your Majesty mean by this? All of this old servant's glory and wealth are bestowed by Your Majesty. If Your Majesty tells this subject to die, this subject will never frown even a bit!"

"Your Majesty! This matter is of great importance, and this old servant fears that the news might leak. How about this old servant personally goes to General Cui Xiawu's place to convey the decree?"

Zheng Yi glanced at Liu Chengen, who steadied his mind and calmly gazed at Zheng Yi.

"Your Majesty, this old servant's heart can be witnessed by heaven and earth!"

"Good!"

Zheng Yi said, "I will give you a battalion of the New Army for your command, and mobilize a team of Imperial Guards to protect your safety."

"When conveying the decree, if Cui Xiawu obeys the imperial command, you may assist from the side."

"If this person is double-dealing and has other thoughts, execute him on the spot, and you shall act as the commanding general to execute the imperial command."

"Understood!"

Liu Chengen accepted the decree and expressed his gratitude, saying in an incomparably solemn tone, "Your Majesty, this old servant is leaving!"

Having said that, Liu Chengen turned around and left.

It carried quite the feeling of 'The wind is bleak, the Yishui is cold'.

"Someone come."

A Shadow Guard appeared from the shadows: "Your Majesty."

"Order Wang Anshi and Yuan Qichang to come see me."

"Understood!"

Wang Anshi had always been a nail he planted in the Six Ministries. Besides this person, there were over a dozen others who were the same.

In addition to these dozen or so low- and mid-level officials who successively joined the Emperors Party, there were also nearly a hundred members of the Imperial Guards holding various positions.

These hundred people had been taught by the Shadow Guard since childhood and were incomparably loyal—even fanatically so—to Zheng Yi.

If he wanted to move against the merchants of Bing, it would inevitably affect the interests of the aristocratic families.

By then, imperial power would come into conflict with the cabinet and even the entire official system.

At that time, he would need the support of another group of people.

This group of people was… the Emperors Party!

Not long after, two slender figures walked quickly into White Jade Capital.

"Your subjects Wang Anshi / Yuan Qichang pay respects to Your Majesty!"

"Rise!"

Under the flickering candlelight, Zheng Yi sat alone on the dragon throne, almost merging into one with the bright yellow divine dragon behind him.

The two of them only stealthily raised their heads to take a look, immediately not daring to look a second time.

An Emperor!

Zheng Yi said calmly, "My two beloved ministers, the matter of Bing Province has already unfolded. Do either of you have any regrets?"

The two of them abruptly raised their heads. They were also aware of Your Majesty's desire to move against the Eight Great Merchants of Bing and the aristocratic families behind them.

But they didn't expect it to happen so fast!

Wang Anshi hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, isn't it too fast?"

"Currently Yong Province is still in rebellion, and the court has sent 150,000 troops into Yong to suppress the rebellion. If Bing Province also descends into chaos…"

Zheng Yi said calmly, "What I want is for them to plunge into chaos!"

"Only after things descend into chaos can all contradictions be brought to the table, and only then can I set things right and sweep across the universe!"

Yuan Qichang said excitedly, "Your Majesty! This humble subject firmly supports Your Majesty!"

"Nowadays, the imperial court is full of people who hold positions without doing any work. How can they be worthy of being important ministers of the state?"

"This subject once heard that two years ago during the special imperial examination hall, the top scholar and the runner-up actually did not know how much grain cost. It truly makes people laugh their teeth off!"

"With such officials, how can they govern the world?"

Wang Anshi still hesitated somewhat: "Your Majesty, what if this matter spreads to the south? The scourge of southern aristocratic families is not a bit weaker than the northern ones, and there are also a large number of Martial Forest Sects and families in the south…"

Zheng Yi said calmly, "The general trend of the world is that after a long period of division, it must unite, and after a long period of union, it must divide!"

"Now our Great Yu has enjoyed peace for over three hundred years and passed through twenty-one Emperors. It is merely like an old man whose illness has entered the marrow and is nearing the end of his days."

"The plan for today can only be to treat it with potent medicine."

"If we get through it, it will be the recreation of Great Yu. If we cannot get through it… My two beloved ministers, are you willing to take a gamble with me?"

The expressions of the two were excited. Even Wang Anshi, who had always been considering the overall situation, said excitedly, "Your subjects are willing!"

"Your Majesty!"

Wang Anshi said again, "Does Your Majesty want to force those harboring malicious intentions into rebellion?"

"Correct."

Zheng Yi said, "Whether it is the crime-redemption silver or the Eight Great Merchants of Bing, my goal is to nationalize certain things and no longer let aristocratic families and merchants meddle in them."

"For example, land! Salt, iron, and other things must inevitably belong to the state, and be allocated by state decisions rather than being devolved to officials and aristocratic families, allowing you to grow too powerful to be controlled."

"Only by cleaning up this group of parasites can Great Yu usher in Rebirth!"

"Pseudo Prince Yan Zhenguantao said a sentence well: The Revered Master of the world is he who has strong soldiers and powerful horses!"

"I have a New Army of 200,000, and the northern border has even a million brave soldiers, plus the righteous cause lies with me."

"Even if the world is in chaos, the one who can secure and settle the Central Plains must be me!"

"I am going to round up that bunch of rebellious ministers and traitors in one net!"

The two of them gasped a breath of cold air, momentarily stunned by Zheng Yi's words.

Wang Anshi was still somewhat uneasy and said, "Your Majesty, if it is like this, the ones who will suffer are the common people of the world."

Yuan Qichang argued, "Why does Brother Wang say this? In this humble subject's view, Your Majesty's action is precisely what is done for the sake of the common people of the world!"

"If the feudal lords, aristocratic families, vassal kings, and Sects are not eliminated, sooner or later they will bring disaster to the world. Since things have come to this, why not take advantage of the time when we hold the advantage to defeat them in one fell swoop?"

Yuan Qichang knelt on the ground once more, performing a kowtow grand ceremony as he said, "For the grand strategy of the world, we can only let the common people suffer a little first!"

I caught a cold and my whole body is aching. This was finished by gritting my teeth and persisting. Please support.

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