Zi Shou had not even finished yawning before he forcibly swallowed it back.
I did nothing, and now I'm a wise ruler?
Did Fei Zhong station five hundred axemen outside the hall to chop down anyone who doesn't flatter me?
Zi Shou took his seat at the head of the hall with a cold expression. Below him, the civil and military officials blinked up at him.
Their eyes held admiration, reverence, and disbelief.
But not a trace of dissatisfaction.
This isn't right! I drove up charcoal prices, and the nobles have already started cursing. I even sold off a pile of the former kings' bronze artifacts, and you lot have nothing to say?
"What makes you say so, my ministers?"
Zi Shou spoke up. Was the Censorate neglecting its duties, or were all his ministers bootlickers?
Fei Zhong stepped out first, unable to contain himself. "Your Majesty is wise indeed!"
"Your Majesty's virtue reaches across the four seas, and the Barbarians have come to submit. Chaoge now has many herders from beyond our borders. The steppe tribes know nothing of civilized ways and act with fierce abandon, affecting the people of Chaoge. Trust between them has diminished, which is highly detrimental to the realm's development, especially..."
Fei Zhong collected himself and said solemnly, "Especially when the Feudal Lords harbor disloyal intentions."
"By purchasing charcoal to establish trust, Your Majesty has secured the people's faith in the court, laying the foundation for future reforms. Thus, we can win hearts within and pacify the Feudal Lords without!"
Purchasing charcoal to establish trust?
Someone's twisting my intentions again? I fucking inflated prices, and you've turned it into moving a log to establish trust?
Zi Shou frowned, but that explanation really did hold together.
After turning it over in his mind, he decided not