Mo Yunxuan looked at Wang Yuan's downcast expression, his brows drawing together. He wanted to comfort him, but after thinking it over, he gave up.
The future might bring even more changes from him, whether he became more brutal or more merciful.
The people of the Wei State Duke Mansion had one job: keep adapting to his ideas and carry out his orders without question.
Couldn't do that? Then he'd find someone else!
He couldn't keep having to lift his subordinates' spirits every time.
Nor would he concern himself too much with the thoughts and opinions of the old hands at the Wei State Duke Mansion.
At most, when their views clashed, he would let them retire from their posts with dignity,
then give them a comfortable place to spend their golden years.
As for changing his own decisions out of respect for their opinions?
Don't be ridiculous! That was never going to happen!
When all was said and done, he was the Duke of Wei!
He was willing to hear his subordinates' advice, but he would never tolerate one of them trying to change his mind.
Besides, no one was irreplaceable. Even just for Wang Yuan's work,
Mo Yunxuan had 150 Elite Vanguard Soldiers temporarily serving as Imperial Guards, and any one of them could take Wang Yuan's place.
Or Meng Qianxue, Meng Zhirou, even Qiu Ziqin could replace him.
He wasn't all that important, was he?
Mo Yunxuan casually picked up a calligraphy copybook by a Great Scholar, one of the Old Duke's treasured possessions.
He studied each stroke and line carefully, then asked in an offhand tone:
"What happened afterward?"
"Early this morning, word came from the Imperial Palace. They've put the matter with Taihua Academy to rest."
"Taihua Academy conspired to rebel. The Imperial City Imperial Guard wiped out the rebels with the help of Vice Dean Qiu, who reported them."
"The Duke of Wei rendered meritorious service in quelling the rebellion, but mobilized troops without permission. His merits and faults cancel each other out, so he'll receive no reward."
Having confirmed that he had not an artistic bone in his body, Mo Yunxuan rolled up the copybook again,
slid it back into its original place, then sat back down in his chair and smiled nonchalantly.
"Ji Ruxue won't even hand out a little reward. So stingy."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wang Yuan hesitate to speak. Mo Yunxuan said evenly:
"All right, Uncle Wang. There's nothing else to do here. I'll read for a while, so you can go."
"Yes, my lord."
Mo Yunxuan watched Wang Yuan leave, his eyes narrowing.
"Uncle Wang, Uncle Wang... Don't make things difficult for me."
He had just caught a glimpse of the change on Wang Yuan's status panel.
[ Loyalty: 98 → 90 ]
It hadn't dropped below 90 yet, but the sharp decline still left Mo Yunxuan feeling heavy-hearted.
From the moment he first arrived in this world, Wang Yuan had helped him take charge.
If he could, he truly hoped Wang Yuan would stay by his side all the way.
He had even added Wang Yuan's name to the list for his next enhancement.
But whenever he looked at that number, a line kept surfacing in his mind:
If your loyalty isn't absolute, then you're absolutely disloyal!
Mo Yunxuan gave a self-mocking laugh. "Heh. I really am cold-hearted by nature."
Then he stopped checking Wang Yuan's panel and opened Wang Hai's Virtual Script.
He'd been busy with the sword-polishing business and hadn't had a chance to look at it.
Now, at last, he had some free time. He might as well use it to pass the time.
According to the script, Wang Hai was a transmigrator from Blue Star. He had arrived in this world just after being castrated.
In other words, he didn't have a little brother!
But Wang Hai wasn't completely without powerful backing.
On his second day in the palace, his delicate looks caught the eye of Imperial Consort Dowager Su Wan, who took him in.
He often helped Su Wan with massages and foot baths...
Later, with Su Wan's help, he entered the Empress's sight, advising her on policy and winning her trust.
With the Empress's permission, he established the Imperial Guard to oversee the officials. It had special imperial authority to execute first and report afterward, and its reputation soon surpassed that of the Xuan Niao Guard, established decades earlier.
Besides Su Wan, his great benefactor, Wang Hai also had a special Cultivation Method.
It not only let him rapidly increase his strength, but could also restore his manhood and strengthen his body.
That would be his greatest support in enjoying the Imperial Harem later on.
It was also what Mo Yunxuan valued most!
"According to Qing Li, Wang Hai only arrived at the Imperial Study a day or two ago."
"Oh... So without realizing it, I've gone off-script and ruined his plans."
"No wonder he's so hostile toward me. What a coincidence!"
"But Su Wan... I think she's the daughter of a prominent clan in Jiang City, down south. The Wei State Duke Mansion doesn't have much influence there."
The thought troubled Mo Yunxuan.
Even if it came down to a head-on clash, he wasn't afraid of the Su Clan.
But he didn't want to fight tooth and nail with someone else only for Ji Ruxue to reap the rewards.
Even if he won, he wouldn't be able to swallow that bitter anger. He silently made up his mind:
"I need to speed up the purchase of Fierce Beast corpses. It's time for another round of enhancements!!!"
Over the next few days,
the major powers learned of Ji Ruxue's announcement about the destruction of Taihua Academy, and word spread far and wide.
The military nobility didn't think much of it.
Mo Yunxuan's methods might have been extreme, and perhaps not quite in keeping with proper etiquette,
but they were within the bounds of normal behavior and upheld the inviolable dignity of the nobility.
More importantly, he hadn't hurt any allies!
The civil officials, however, couldn't stomach it. One after another, they were furious, as if the dynasty would fall the very next day.
But those in high positions couldn't speak out in person without giving others ammunition against them.
Sage Scholar Academy was different from the other two academies in the Imperial City. It had many commoner students, and had recently welcomed a number of teachers and students from the Wei State Duke Mansion.
The other two academies were the Imperial Academy, founded and overseen by the royal family, and Wenhua Academy, which had Great Scholars as its backing.
Most of their students were the descendants of civil officials, and their bias against the nobility was plain to see.
As a result, many imperial relatives and nobles who should have remained neutral had their positions skewed by spending so much time with them.
Faced with the Wei State Duke Mansion's clearly excessive actions this time,
the students weren't about to pass up such a fine chance to make a name for themselves.
They began denouncing the mansion throughout their academies. Some students had even started suggesting:
They should boycott classes to petition the Empress to punish the Wei State Duke Mansion severely.
They should sit in silent protest outside the Palace Gate and march through the streets to show their opposition to the announcement.
These stirrings even reached Sage Scholar Academy, which had little contact with the other two academies.
But as soon as the idea began to take hold, Dean Fang Wanqing stamped it out at once.
Then she addressed the students earnestly. "If you don't want the new students and teachers to leave, you'd better watch what you say and do."
At first, everyone was completely baffled.
What did one thing have to do with the other?
The two matters had nothing to do with each other!
But during an open lecture, they watched the new teacher walk to the podium with a smile,
yet there wasn't a trace of feeling in his eyes. When he looked at them, it was as if he were staring at a group of prey.
That was when they finally began to understand what the dean meant.
After that, everyone at Sage Scholar Academy tacitly stopped discussing the matter—or even mentioning it.
The Imperial Academy's students were mainly imperial relatives and the children of high-ranking officials.
They showed some restraint in this regard. They might talk big, but they never actually put their words into practice.
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