The many court officials in Longde Hall waited eagerly.
"My beloved ministers, what major matter has occurred that required the Court Urging Drum to be sounded?"
Di Xin sat steadily on the dragon throne and looked down at the people below.
The ministers exchanged glances, then looked up at the Great King, their faces showing some surprise. What happened? Great King, don't you have any idea?
Prime Minister Shang Rong was the highest-ranking court official in the hall. He stepped forward first and said, "Great King, rumors are spreading throughout Chaoge that yesterday you were taken into a magical treasure by someone from the Daoist Sect. At first, your humble servant and the others didn't believe it. Then we sent people to investigate on the streets and learned that it was true. Your Majesty is worth ten thousand pieces of gold. How can you leave the palace so casually? If..."
Di Xin knew that whatever followed "if" would probably be little different from a curse, so he replied before Shang Rong could finish. "Yesterday, I went out in disguise to learn about the people's hardships. Unexpectedly, I was caught up in someone else's misfortune. I won't leave the palace so casually again."
"Learn about the people's hardships?"
Shang Rong pursed his lips and finally swallowed the rest of his words. Since he had been able to find out what happened on the street, he naturally knew about the Great King and Gun Juan as well.
"Indeed. Are all of you satisfied now? If there's nothing else, then let's end court."
As he spoke, Di Xin started to rise.
Shang Rong hurried forward a step. "Great King, we haven't discussed the important matter yet. I heard those people showed contempt for you yesterday and put you in danger. Your safety is tied to the very foundations of our kingdom. There are no shortage of capable people in the court. Please issue an order to assign men to protect you."
"Granted!"
Di Xin's eyebrows rose, and he immediately nodded.
The court officials exchanged glances, their expressions caught between laughter and tears. Just how afraid of dying is this Great King? He didn't even ask who to assign—he just agreed!
Shang Rong's mouth twitched a few times. Suppressing the urge to complain, he continued with the matter at hand. "I request that Grand Tutor Wen Zhong return to court. As for the campaign to quell the rebellion in the North Sea, I recommend that King Wu Cheng of Zhenguo take over."
Di Xin stroked his chin and pondered for a moment. "In my view, there's no need to put down the rebellion of those seventy-two feudal lords. Minister Huang needn't go, either. That will spare the people from hardship and prevent too many soldiers from being lost."
The moment he said this, everyone was stunned.
Great King, you can't be serious, can you?
Of Yin Shang's eight hundred vassal states, seventy-two had rebelled all at once. If he didn't put down the rebellion, even more lords would likely rise up. By the time rebel banners flew everywhere, it would be impossible to suppress them.
Was he just going to give up?
"What's wrong? Is something amiss?" Seeing that everyone was staring at one another in silence, Di Xin looked around the hall and asked.
Huang Feihu immediately stepped forward to make his report. "Great King, if we don't put down the rebellion, the rebels will grow in strength until they become impossible to control. It will be too late for regrets!"
Di Xin smiled, unconcerned. "Minister Huang, there's no need to worry. The situation hasn't become that serious. You have repeatedly petitioned for a reduction in the people's annual taxes. At the time, for certain special reasons, I refused. Now I approve it. Reduce the annual taxes by thirty percent. The people of the seventy-two vassal states will surely demand the same reduction, and unrest will break out within their lands. This is a way to subdue the enemy without fighting."
"The Great King is wise! On behalf of the people, we thank you for your great benevolence!"
As soon as Di Xin finished speaking, the court officials, led by Shang Rong, immediately knelt in Longde Hall.
The officials had repeatedly petitioned for tax reductions because the court's annual levies were too heavy, but King Zhou had never agreed. Now he had proposed it of his own accord, which was far beyond anyone's expectations.
"All right, all right, there's no need to thank me. Hurry and see to it, my ministers. Remember to have Grand Tutor Wen return to the capital overnight. Arrange the defenses, and bring back as many troops as he can to protect me!"
Di Xin waved his hand, showing great consideration.
The officials couldn't help exchanging glances again.
They had thought the Great King had finally taken the path of virtue and care for the people, only to learn that he wanted more troops back in the capital to protect himself.
For a moment, they were all a little disappointed. Still, reducing the people's annual taxes was ultimately a tremendous blessing.
"Anything else? If there are memorials, present them now. Otherwise, court is dismissed."
This time, Di Xin even took over the attendant's job and announced it himself.
"Great King, there's one more small matter to report!" Bi Gan stepped forward, holding his tablet in both hands. "Yesterday, you ordered us to investigate the crimes of Fei Lian and E Lai. We've confirmed the accusations, and their crimes were even more serious than we imagined. They embezzled large sums of court funds, treated human lives as worthless, and abused the law for personal gain. Their crimes deserved death. Unfortunately, those two treacherous ministers hanged themselves last night out of guilt."
"Hanged themselves?"
Di Xin looked at Bi Gan in disbelief.
Bi Gan looked up and met Di Xin's gaze. "Yes, they most certainly hanged themselves!"
Di Xin sighed. "Alas... hanging is so painful. A quick slash to the throat would have been better. They're dead now, so let's put the matter to rest. Confiscate their estates, but don't punish their families."
Bi Gan and the others let out a long breath. They hadn't expected to get away with this so easily. As for how Fei Lian and E Lai had died, they knew the truth better than anyone.
From the Great King's tone, it seemed they might even be able to take things a step further... and confiscate their estates?
"As you command, Great King. You are wise! We have nothing more to report..."
Bi Gan quickly bowed and withdrew. He even reminded Di Xin, afraid the Great King might come to his senses and rescind the order to confiscate the estates.
But on the other side, before Bi Gan had even finished speaking, Di Xin had already risen and walked through the screen, leaving Longde Hall.
The many officials left behind in the hall all felt fortunate. The Great King's incompetence didn't seem like such a bad thing after all!
After court was dismissed, Di Xin went to look around the ruins of the Imperial Study. You Hun was there directing the Imperial Guards and craftsmen as they worked.
He took a casual look around and showed how much importance he placed on this key royal construction project, then left at a leisurely pace.
Next, he went to the Imperial Garden, breathed in the fragrant scents of the flowers and trees, and read the Immortal Yuan Records over and over again.
After considering it carefully, he still didn't take the Spirit Pill, which was said to be equivalent to ten years of cultivation.
The situation beyond the palace was unclear, and he had no idea where Zhao Gongming, Yang Jian, or the others were.
He hadn't sent anyone to investigate, either. Showing too much concern might only arouse suspicion.
In any case, the Spirit Pill would grant him ten years of cultivation whenever he took it. There was no need to rush.
In his view, the entire city of Chaoge was probably under the watch of those Qi Cultivators, and the Royal Palace might well be included.
If he put himself in the place of any one of them, he knew he wouldn't let the matter rest so easily.
The day passed without incident.
That night, to avoid arousing suspicion, Di Xin lay in his bedroom in Shouxian Palace and pretended to be asleep. In truth, he was examining the treasures in his system's storage space.
The Sky-Howling Dog gnawed on one thing, then another.
The only thing it didn't gnaw on was the Pine Wood Sword Yun Zhongzi had given him. It had even moved the sword far away. The sword clearly had some effect on the Sky-Howling Dog, though perhaps the dog's cultivation was profound enough that the effect was limited.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't use it. Otherwise, he would at least have a little more power to protect himself.
As he watched, a sudden, bone-chilling sensation came over him. A moment later, two lines of text appeared before his eyes.
Before you continue