The two men Li Chen had singled out at court were, respectively, the head of the civil officials, the current prime minister, Zhao Wenyuan.
And the head of the military officials, the Grand General Who Guards the Nation, Guo Poyun.
After morning court ended, the officials naturally changed out of their court robes and into their own formal attire.
Li Chen had only told the two of them to come that afternoon, without specifying a time.
Had he been an ordinary new emperor, they might not have arrived punctually.
After all, they were senior ministers with long-standing service in the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty, entitled to show a little displeasure toward a new emperor whose position was still shaky.
But what caliber of man was Li Chen? He was an emperor in the Saint Realm. Who would dare test this new emperor's limits?
It was not even afternoon yet. The prime minister and grand general had merely gone home for a meal before hurrying to the imperial study to await orders.
"Would you stop pacing? You've been walking back and forth in front of me for over two hours. Even if you aren't tired, watching you has worn me out."
Prime Minister Zhao Wenyuan spoke irritably.
Ever since they arrived at the imperial study, Grand General Guo Poyun had been pacing nonstop. Zhao Wenyuan had only spoken because he could no longer stand it.
Normally, if Zhao Wenyuan dared say something like that, Guo Poyun would certainly have started berating him.
But times had changed. Guo Poyun was in no mood to bicker with his old rival. He glanced around, walked straight over to Zhao Wenyuan, and whispered, "Tell me, what do you think His Majesty means by summoning us here?"
As the saying went, serving Jun was like keeping company with a tiger. Guo Poyun had always handled himself with ease before the late emperor. When had Zhao Wenyuan ever seen him this frightened?
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
Despite Zhao Wenyuan's calm appearance, the panic and suspicion within him were no less than Guo Poyun's.
As for the late emperor and the other princes, he would not claim he could read them perfectly, but he understood them to some extent.
What they liked to hear, what their temperaments were like, how they conducted themselves-as the current prime minister, he naturally had to study all of that carefully.
Only then could he move through court like a fish through water and keep his position as unshakable as Mount Tai.
Li Chen alone was different. It was not that Zhao Wenyuan could not figure him out, but that he had never dealt with him at all.
Zhao Wenyuan had always known there was such a person among the princes, and had even seen Li Chen at a few palace banquets. But what abilities he possessed or what he liked, Zhao Wenyuan truly had no idea.
The reason the prime minister and grand general were so panicked was that their followers had fought especially fiercely at morning court, focusing entirely on promoting their protégés and allies, even ignoring the new emperor's presence.
As the leaders of the two factions, they genuinely feared Li Chen now intended to kill a chicken to warn the monkeys.
Had they known Li Chen possessed such power, they would never have dared do that, even with several times the courage.
The one blessing amid their misfortune was that neither of them had spoken at morning court. They hoped the new emperor would overlook the matter in recognition of their hard work and distinguished service.
In fact, the prime minister and grand general were not the only ones thinking about this. The ministers who had argued most fiercely at morning court were now terrified.
Some ministers with weaker nerves were already making arrangements for their funerals at home.
Only the loyal ministers who stood straight and had no fear of crooked shadows were overjoyed.
For the emperor they had been waiting for possessed the highest cultivation of any emperor in the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty in nearly five hundred years!
Only at around three in the afternoon did a eunuch push open the imperial study's door.
"You two came so early?"
The moment Li Chen entered, the prime minister and grand general stood ramrod straight.
"Not early at all, not early at all. We only just arrived."
"It is our honor to receive Your Majesty's summons."
After years of habitual flattery, these words slipped out without thought.
Li Chen had left them waiting for a full three hours, yet neither showed the slightest temper.
It was impossible that Li Chen had not known they had already arrived at the imperial study.
He had known as soon as he woke up. But so what?
He was now an emperor in the Saint Realm. He was not about to indulge these senior ministers.
Li Chen had never studied the art of rulership, but he understood one principle: give your subordinates too much face, and they would climb right up your nose and onto your head.
Still, Li Chen truly had no interest in court affairs. He had summoned these two solely for the system mission he was about to undertake.
"You two have lived in the imperial capital for years. Are you familiar with the eastern district?"
Although Prime Minister Zhao Wenyuan had imagined hundreds of possible conversations over those three hours, he had never expected Li Chen to ask this.
Seeing Grand General Guo Poyun playing deaf and mute, Zhao Wenyuan, as prime minister, could only answer, "Your Majesty, the eastern district is a prosperous part of the imperial capital. Most of our dynasty's merchant families have important businesses there. Many merchants from elsewhere travel vast distances, drawn by its reputation, bringing a measure of prosperity to our dynasty.
"However, regarding outside merchants, I believe we should both safeguard their lawful rights and interests, encouraging them to operate actively and contribute to our dynasty's economic prosperity, and levy reasonable taxes to ensure the stability of state finances.
"Specifically, I humbly propose establishing a dedicated tax agency for outside merchants, conducting detailed reviews of their business operations, and setting reasonable tax rates based on factors such as the scale of their operations and their profits.
"Furthermore, I believe we can use preferential tax policies to encourage our dynasty's merchants to expand their operations, introduce advanced technologies, and improve product quality, thereby further promoting our dynasty's economic development and prosperity!"
Zhao Wenyuan delivered such a lengthy speech that even Li Chen was somewhat bewildered. Did I ask about any of that?
Still, Li Chen found nothing objectionable in what he said and did not interrupt him.
After all, he was the prime minister. If he opened his mouth only to sing praises such as "the nation prospers and the people live in peace" or "peace reigns across the four seas,"
People would think he had no skills or abilities whatsoever, merely a prime minister who formed cliques for personal gain.
At Zhao Wenyuan's age, having earned the late emperor's trust and held the premiership for so long, he certainly possessed genuine learning and ability.
Even Guo Poyun beside him felt that the old fellow really was quick on his feet. Clearly, he had come prepared.
Although Zhao Wenyuan did not know what Li Chen liked to hear, he hoped these words would indirectly tell Li Chen that he could help shoulder his worries and resolve his difficulties.
As long as he won Li Chen's approval, his position as prime minister would remain very secure.
Now Guo Poyun was the one in an awkward position. If the new emperor insisted on taking action against one of them today, it would most likely be him.
He had to find a way to turn things around and let Li Chen know he was useful.
While Guo Poyun's thoughts ran wild, Li Chen said, "In that case, you two will accompany me to the eastern district today."
The two veteran ministers exchanged a glance and saw bewilderment in each other's eyes.
They truly did not know what Li Chen intended, but neither dared ask. They could only agree resolutely.
As subjects, whatever His Majesty said, they had to do.
As the saying went, when Jun ordered a subject to die, the subject had no choice.
But there was a prerequisite: Jun had to possess the ability to make that subject die.
Li Chen dared speak this way precisely because he knew he possessed that strength!
That was the advantage of being powerful!
It kept his subjects constantly aware that they were nothing more than subjects.
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