Inside the palace, all was peaceful; outside, however, some people were filled with unease.
"My goodness! The Emperor has mobilized the Hundred Riders, the Divine Machine Battalion, and the Net —that's a massive undertaking!"
"This is a serious matter; it's probably related to the assassination attempt on the Emperor at the restaurant earlier, isn't it?"
"That's right, it's that damned Yamata Nation. They actually dared to assassinate the emperor; they're simply courting death."
Ordinary people didn't feel anything, but some insiders were terrified, fearing that they would be punished by the emperor.
The few powerful families who had just been apprehended were now trembling with fear.
Zhang Wanhao clutched his chest, panting heavily, and said with difficulty, "Brothers, I really can't take this anymore. I feel like I'm going to die one after another."
It happens every now and then, and it makes me feel completely drained; my heart can't take it.
One minute it's Hundred Riders, the next it's Net, and then it's Cao Cao again—who can withstand this? It feels like we're all going to die.
"Hey, this has nothing to do with us. It seems the merchants caused trouble. They colluded with the Yamata Nation to steal the Emperor's beloved chickens and potatoes, which is why the Emperor is so furious," Wang Hui said irritably, looking at him.
The once domineering young master and leader has become such a coward; he has utterly disgraced the aristocratic family.
"The Emperor's favorite chicken?"
Everyone couldn't help but twitch their lips; if it weren't for the fact that it involved the Emperor, they would have all been cursing.
What kind of chicken is this that it's so powerful that it actually mobilized three major violent organizations? This is practically flying! It's a flying chicken!
Hearing their words, Zhang Ci couldn't help but glance at them and said in a deep voice, "I advise you not to interfere in this matter. The Emperor is said to be furious and is now searching for the location of the Yamata Nation. Anyone who touches it now will die."
Holy crap!
The group instantly understood: this meant they were going to attack the Yamata Nation. The Emperor was far too impulsive!
Liu Kun was both amused and exasperated, sighing, "In the past Great Ning rarely fought a war; it was usually just empty talk. But now, with the Emperor, it feels like there's a climax every single day, one after another!"
Once you go up there, you can't get down.
"Last time I met a businessman from an island nation. They now call us the Great Liang, saying we're either fighting or on our way to fight," Zhang Wanhao said with a dry laugh.
Seeing their dejected appearance, Wang Hui couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't take your good fortune for granted. After the Western Regions were taken over, our commercial territory expanded rapidly, at a speed that we couldn't have achieved before."
We only have a good life if we follow the emperor; not everyone can have such an opportunity.
We used to fight for food in one trough, but now the food bowl is much bigger, so we can all get some.
With a larger territory comes more business opportunities, leading to greater and faster profits—a win-win situation.
Such a good thing is something most people can only dream of.
"Haha, the words may be crude, but the principle is sound!"
Everyone nodded in agreement; there was some truth to it, at least this expansion speed was something that couldn't have been matched by before.
"The Minister of Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites have arrived!"
Just then, a sound came from outside the door, causing everyone to shudder and almost fall to the ground. The Emperor's chief steward had actually come to the door.
Holy crap!
The heads of several powerful families paled and couldn't help but look at Wang Hui, hurriedly saying, "Two ministers are here. Should we hide? Otherwise, we'll be accused of forming cliques for personal gain!"
If the Minister were to mess with us, we'd all be in deep trouble.
"Forget it, our whereabouts are Net clear. Hiding now would only make us look guilty, and we'd probably suffer an even worse fate," Wang Hui said, shaking his head.
Everyone felt bitter; this was all they could do now, and they hoped it wasn't someone coming to cause trouble.
The two ministers arrived soon after.
Seeing the terrified look on everyone's faces, Cao Cao's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery, and then he sneered, "Don't panic, everyone. I have good news to tell you, and I believe you will like it very much."
"Good news?"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately perked up. Although Cao Cao was ruthless towards them, he was a man of his word.
If they're saying something good is coming, then it can't be wrong; it really must be something good.
"Your Excellency, what good news has brought you here in person?"
"You two are His Majesty's confidants, and are very busy with official duties every day. How could we trouble you? Just a word from you would have sufficed."
Smiles appeared on everyone's faces as they spoke excitedly.
Mi Zhu, standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle. These guys were quite pragmatic; they'd whine and cry when slapped, but beam with joy when given a little something in return.
He glanced at the crowd and smiled, "I believe you have all received some news. Some unscrupulous merchants have colluded with the Yamata Nation to steal our Great Liang's divine potato variety and even stole the Emperor's beloved chicken. Therefore, the Emperor has decided to set things right and restore the integrity of the business community..."
Holy crap, getting to the root of the problem?
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. This was truly a massive undertaking; it was like slashing a major artery, a move that could be fatal.
They instantly thought of the powerful families from before and couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. This was clearly the same treatment they had received before, only now it was the powerful families' turn.
"Your Excellency, what do you want us to do?" Wang Hui sighed and continued the conversation.
Mi Zhu glanced at him approvingly; this guy was quite sensible. He couldn't help but laugh, "Don't worry, this time it really is a benefit. Since these people are colluding with alien races, there's naturally no reason for it to continue."
They will be eliminated, and their former professions will be relinquished. The Emperor intends to let you...
Ahh!
Upon hearing this, the previously uneasy crowd's eyes lit up, and they couldn't help but feel overjoyed. This was truly a wonderful thing!
The Emperor intends for us to control these merchants' distribution channels in order to maintain market stability; this is a huge business opportunity.
"Your Excellency, is this truly the truth?"
"Nature!"
Mi Zhu nodded and smiled, "These merchants are lawless, so they naturally need your professional guidance to lead them forward. Under His Majesty's guidance, they should walk on the right path; that is the true way."
Haha!
Everyone immediately beamed with joy, feeling completely at ease.
"Your Excellency is right. We are the Emperor's sword, and we have no choice but to strike wherever he points."
"Serving the Emperor is the glory of my Wang Clan, and no one can stop me."
"If I don't go to hell, who will? I'll take the blame. Since these merchants have violated the laws of Great Liang, I have no choice but to reluctantly accept it."
At this moment, no one was as depressed as before. They felt that this was a turning point, and they had finally made it through.
The three major organizations have joined forces to clean up the businessmen. The loophole in this is probably a behemoth. Such a huge business has been handed over to them. It's like a huge pie has fallen from the sky.
Feeling great!