Chapter 215: He Yan, Are You Plotting Against Me? [Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!]

Da Xia Imperial Palace.

Inside the main hall.

Everyone's gaze fell simultaneously on Chang Yun Tian.

The officials' stare only made Chang Yun Tian more confident.

The hall's silence also stirred Chang Yun Tian's emotions.

When Gu Jin Nian made his petition, he probably feared the court was just as silent, Chang Yun Tian thought.

Regarding the impeached person, Gu Jin Nian, Chang Yun Tian felt no fear at all; the reason was simple—he had reason and evidence.

It is neither empty talk nor nonsense.

Even if this offends Gu Jin Nian, so what? He is not the Heaven of the Da Xia Dynasty.

To speak bluntly, most of the court's civil and military officials only consider Gu Jin Nian's prestige and fear his current power.

Or are they not truly afraid of Gu Jin Nian?

If they truly feared Gu Jin Nian, He Yan would not have dared to act so, nor spoken those words yesterday.

And does the Gu Family have no enemies?

Does the entire court truly submit to Gu Jin Nian? The Ministry of Justice? The Ministry of War? The Ministry of Personnel? And the Ministry of Revenue? Do they truly submit to Gu Jin Nian? Of course, Chang Yun Tian knows that each of these officials dares not act because they have become the target of all arrows, whereas he is different.

He is a Censor of the Da Xia Dynasty, and as a Censor naturally bears the duty of impeachment.

But the only slightly awkward thing is.

After I finished speaking, why does no one respond?

Why are you all silent? Lord He Yan? Everyone?

Chang Yun Tian fell silent for a moment.

Seeing everyone remain mute, Chang Yun Tian simply spoke again, saying it even harsher.

Court struggles, after all.

He had previously studied at the Great Dao Office.

All conflicts must begin with a preemptive strike, then fabricate a great crime.

Thus, both sides begin to game each other.

Your people support you.

My people support me.

In the end, it depends on what the Emperor thinks; if such a case truly exists with solid evidence, and the Emperor wishes to spare a person, he will choose a lenient sentence.

If he does not wish to spare that person, he will follow procedure.

Those who should be exiled, exile them.

Those who should be arrested, arrest them.

Those who should be executed, execute them.

Therefore, Chang Yun Tian continued, saying.

"Your Majesty."

"Today, this Da Xia Nightless City appears prosperous, yet in reality it is destroying Da Xia's foundation."

"First, the sale of official salt makes it difficult for the court to collect salt taxes; thereafter, Da Xia's populace will gather in the Nightless City to buy, so how will the official salt tax revenue be handled?"

"Second, the Da Xia Nightless City clamors for favor, and rumors say a Beast Park is being built to lure citizens to amuse themselves; if the people go to play every day, how will the arable land be managed? It leads people to decadence, toys destroying ambition."

"Third, Minister of Rites Yang Kai, Minister of Works Wang Qixin, merely divide a few silver taels and flaunt them everywhere, showing off their wealth; now Da Xia's disaster zones are still unsettled, and the people see this—what do they think?"

"I know that the person being impeached today is the Da Xia Heaven's Mandate Marquis, also the head of the Six Ministries; as a Censor, I must impeach him."

"I earnestly request Your Majesty to order the closure of the Nightless City, revoke the right to sell official salt, and severely punish the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Works as a warning to others."

"Draft a decree that forbids any official from engaging in commerce, and that all profits be confiscated into the Da Xia treasury; Da Xia officials must be incorruptible to set a clean precedent."

"If any official deals with merchants, the light punishment is exile to the frontier, the severe is extermination of the entire clan; otherwise collusion between officials and merchants will inevitably arise."

Chang Yun Tian spoke again.

And it is even more severe than before.

Also exile to the frontier, extermination of the whole family.

In an instant, the entire court fell silent again.

Their gazes grew even stranger.

Especially He Yan—damn it, if he weren't in the hall, he would have already stepped forward and spat.

I, yesterday, laboriously spoke bluntly, almost to the point of kneeling on the ground begging Gu Jin Nian, the Heaven's Mandate Marquis, the Gu Saint.

It was hard enough to get a share, thinking that each year I could receive several tens of millions of taels of silver, even up to ten million taels.

You damn it, are you here to make accusations?

Are you even a person?

Do you still have a conscience?

Is there something wrong with your brain?

Are you trying to make enemies of the entire court? Not only He Yan, the whole court now harbors a desire to kill this fool.

Is the Da Xia Nightless City a problem for you? Who hates the noise?

Are you still talking about your mother?

Dammit, I knew this kind of person wouldn't have a good mood, stewing for half a day before letting out a bad fart.

I fuck your mother.

Seeing everyone silent, Chang Yun Tian could no longer hold back.

"Your Majesty, the Minister of Revenue is aware of this matter, and he understands the danger of the Da Xia Nightless City even better."

"A few days ago, it was Lord He Yan who mentioned it to me."

Chang Yun Tian really has no way out.

No one says a word—does that make them sick? Although he knows the impeacher is Gu Jin Nian, Gu Jin Nian is not a god.

There's no need to be so afraid, right?

Why bother? Though Gu Jin Nian has high prestige, a mistake is still a mistake; the people are united—why fear this Gu Jin Nian?

Lord He, please step forward and say something.

Chang Yun Tian turned his gaze toward He Yan.

He Yan was instantly startled.

In an instant, pair after pair of eyes stared fixedly at He Yan, even the Emperor Yongsheng could not help but look.

They looked at Chang Yun Tian with the gaze of fools.

But their look at He Yan was different.

He Yan also took part in this affair; if He Yan is up to something behind the scenes, the big fellow will certainly not spare He Yan.

Feeling the crowd's gaze, He Yan was truly startled.

These bastards are no good, especially the generals; now the big fellow has formed a coalition, even the emperor has joined in.

If I dare to speak ill of Da Xia Never-Night City, I can guarantee that a general will immediately step forward.

Report me for corruption and bribery.

What? No evidence? Yang Kai directly drew a stack of silver notes from his bosom in front of everyone and slipped them into his own hand.

All the civil and military officials of the court immediately pointed at him and said,

"Your Majesty, look for yourself— is this bribery?"

"What? Forced defamation?"

"This is to give He Yan some face; if we don't give him face, we would have the guards directly inform his family, saying he suffered a brain attack in the hall."

"What? Your family says you have never had a brain condition?"

"Then draft a notice."

Minister of Revenue He Yan fell gravely ill, infecting his entire family—truly pitiful.

Later, another notice was issued; the court's investigation of He Yan's household surprisingly uncovered tens of millions of taels of silver.

When the common folk saw it, they shouted, "Damned you, greedy for so much! You deserve your whole family to die out!"

Three months later.

"May I ask, who is He Yan?"

The script is already written; now we wait to see how He Yan handles it.

"Your Majesty!"

"I have never said such a thing," the minister declared.

"I don't know," he said.

He Yan stepped out, with an innocent and bewildered expression, then turned his gaze toward Chang Yun Tian.

"Chief Censor Chang, you are still young yet have become a Great Scholar; at least you are a learned man, right?"

"Why do you falsely accuse someone of innocence with empty words?"

"When did I ever say that?"

"If today you cannot produce any witness or material evidence, don't blame me for charging you with defamation."

He Yan opened his mouth and immediately sold out Chang Yun Tian.

I have to sell.

This guy's mind is messed up; he's truly stupid, not to mention everyone has now formed a coalition.

Even if there were no coalition, if you sell me like this, I still don't want to deal with you.

Hearing He Yan speak,

Chang Yun Tian's complexion couldn't help but change.

"You sell me?" Chang Yun Tian stared at He Yan, never imagining that He Yan would use such a move.

Yesterday, He Yan clearly told himself to pay attention to these matters; the subtext was to have himself impeached and reported, and now he has indeed impeached and reported himself.

"You play this hand? 'Lord He, yesterday it was you who spoke about Da Xia Never-Night City and told me to pay close attention; those words came from you, right?'"

Since the other side acted that way, Chang Yun Tian no longer hides it.

When those words were spoken, He Yan's complexion turned somewhat sour, and the officials' gazes grew sharper.

"Indeed."

"I said that, but what did I mean?"

"I wanted you to truly see the prosperity of Da Xia Never-Night City, to learn how Heaven's Mandate made Da Xia Capital flourish."

"How did you interpret that as letting you impeach and report?"

"Chang Yun Tian, you have simply misunderstood and now want to frame me?"

"First, I hold Heaven's Mandate in great admiration."

"Second, I am also extremely interested in Da Xia Never-Night City; this is the Da Xia Tavern Silver Order I arranged yesterday, intending to spend some leisure time at the Da Xia Tavern."

"If I truly harbored discontent, would I still arrange a silver order? Moreover, if I were truly dissatisfied, why wouldn't I speak out myself? Why need to borrow your hand?"

"You may be a Censor, but you are only a Censor; I am a dignified Minister of Revenue, and I could not possibly do such a thing."

"Gentlemen, please judge for me—does this reasoning hold?"

He Yan spoke, his words righteous and justified.

The scolding left Chang Yun Tian completely speechless.

He, as a Great Scholar who has studied for so many years and has extremely high cultivation, at this moment really wants to swear.

You damn old bastard, you set me up, right?

I damn it, as a proper Great Scholar, one of the most outstanding talents of the Great Dao Office, I came to cooperate with you, to help you, and you play this trick? To hell with you.

Chang Yun Tian was truly getting a bit frantic; when he wrote this memorial yesterday, he wrote for a long time, and every character was carefully considered.

And he imagined many scenarios: how Yang Kai would rebut, how Wang Qixin would rebut, what His Majesty's attitude would be, and what the officials' attitudes would be.

Yet after thinking over and over, he never expected that you damn old bastard would actually sideline me? "His Majesty."

"Lord He is entirely concerned with the prestige of the Heir of Heaven's Mandate, so he does not dare to admit it."

"Regarding this matter, I have not lied."

"Please, Your Majesty, see clearly."

Chang Yun Tian was fuming, but he still did not curse; instead he looked at Yong Sheng Emperor, hoping the emperor could give him justice.

He knows that Yong Sheng Emperor dotes on Gu Jin Nian, but so what? As long as he is an emperor, he cannot act recklessly.

Wrong is wrong.

Right is right.

Unless this is a tyrant, but it is obvious that Yong Sheng Emperor is not a tyrant; if he were a tyrant, he could not have succeeded in a rebellion.

Hearing Chang Yun Tian speak like that.

On the Dragon Throne,

Yong Sheng Emperor, though straightforward, extended his hand, looked at Chang Yun Tian, and slowly began to speak.

"Bring the memorial here."

"I shall have a look."

Yong Sheng Emperor spoke, and after saying that, Wei Xian immediately descended, fetched the memorial, and presented it to Yong Sheng Emperor.

On the Dragon Throne, Yong Sheng Emperor unfolded the memorial and examined it carefully.

At this moment, the officials fell silent.

They do not know what Yong Sheng Emperor is thinking, after all they do not know that Yong Sheng Emperor left the palace yesterday, although Gu Jin Nian swore confidently that the emperor would go.

But exactly how, they are unclear.

Furthermore, these people also have a fear: if the emperor truly disagrees with everyone joining the Da Xia Nightless City project, what then? So they are somewhat anxious.

Very quickly.

Yong Sheng Emperor finished reading the memorial and then slowly said,

"The writing is good."

"Next time, don't write it."

When Yong Sheng Emperor spoke, the first half of his sentence made Chang Yun Tian breathe a sigh of relief; he knew he had bet correctly.

The officials' faces changed.

However, after hearing the second half, Chang Yun Tian's face turned somewhat sour, and the officials completely breathed a sigh of relief.

Good fellow.

Gu Jin Nian even settled things with Yong Sheng Emperor? That's a great joy.

"Your Majesty, this…"

Chang Yun Tian didn't know what to say.

However, Yong Sheng Emperor rose from the Dragon Throne and, looking down from his height, said to Chang Yun Tian,

"As a Censor, impeaching is your duty, but you cannot impeach without cause."

"In your memorial you wrote that the Da Xia Nightless City destroys Da Xia's foundation."

"I will not argue with you; let the officials decide."

"Esteemed ministers, regarding the Da Xia Nightless City, what is each of your opinions?"

When Yong Sheng Emperor spoke, how could he not know who Chang Yun Tian was?

Indeed, Chang Yun Tian possesses great abilities; the Imperial Seal's detection cannot sense that he is a treacherous minister, yet an unknown man, recommended by Prince Qin, became a Da Xia Censor.

Don't think the Censor position is of low rank; the Censor role has great significance.

To say that Chang Yun Tian has no flaw at all, I simply don't believe it.

At first entering court, he was obedient, knowing how to conceal his sharpness.

But unexpectedly, once he opened his mouth, he tried to trouble Gu Jin Nian; that's truly reckless.

However, the good thing is that Gu Jin Nian's move is superb.

The Da Xia Nightless City, using absolute benefits, binds the court officials, making them of one mind; this tactic is truly ingenious.

Gu Jin Nian's brilliance lies in that, although he is leveraging momentum and needs officials' support, he creates the impression that the officials must rely on him.

Don't think everyone splits the accounts; Gu Jin Nian does not accept officials' private entries. He allocates funds to the Six Ministries, the silver goes to the Six Ministries, not to the Chancellor.

It's as if the departments have silver; you can spend more if you wish, but this silver does not belong to the Six Ministries' Chancellor.

If you become that Chancellor, you have nothing, yet the Six Ministries remain the same; the lower officials won't care about a fallen Chancellor. When a new Chancellor arrives, everyone continues to be happy.

So for them, whoever holds the Chancellor position is the same.

The initiative remains in his hands.

It can be considered a disguised concentration of power, and its effect is outstanding.

In the past, when a policy was pushed, some would refuse, others would refuse; setting aside the policy, indeed many issues existed.

Yet fundamentally it is not a matter of profit.

It's like expanding the army.

If the army expands, the Ministry of War would be delighted, but the other ministries would certainly refuse, leading to controversy.

However, expanding the army is a good thing—protecting home and country, strengthening the court's power—but because of the clash of interests among various parties, sometimes a clearly good deed ends up unresolved.

Nowadays, who even cares about the treasury's paltry sums? The annual accounts run into tens of millions of taels of silver.

The department's internal benefits are taken care of; everything else is easy to discuss.

Of course it's not that we won't contend, but we won't fight as before; we'll retreat to advance, at worst we just queue up slowly.

Especially now that there is one more person stepping forward—Gu Jin Nian—any extreme incident or erupting conflict, Gu Jin Nian appears, and who would refuse him face? That is the terrifying aspect of Da Xia Nightless City.

Emperor Yong Sheng understands imperial strategy best; everything Gu Jin Nian does is for court harmony, so naturally he agrees and is willing to agree.

If it truly is just buying silence with money, he would be the first to refuse.

And as Emperor Yong Sheng speaks up.

He Yan steps forward immediately.

"Your Majesty, I beg to report."

"Since the opening of the Da Xia Nightless City, I have been paying some attention."

"The entire capital's populace rejoices; official salt is sold cheaply, earning unanimous praise, and Jiangzhong dragon rice brings the people even greater delight."

"For the people of Jiangzhong County, their grain sells at high prices, the populace cheers, and in the three disaster regions, Jiangzhong residents have already voluntarily donated silver."

"Such actions have never occurred in any dynasty; it is a hallmark of a prosperous age."

"Moreover, Lord Yang and Lord Wang merely show concern for their subordinates, not extravagance or flaunting wealth; at least I have not seen any."

"I respectfully ask Your Majesty to see clearly."

He Yan opens his mouth and raves about the Da Xia Nightless City, also praising Yang Kai and Wang Qixin.

As He Yan speaks.

Minister of War Zhao Yiyang's voice also rises.

"Your Majesty."

"I believe Lord He is absolutely correct."

"Yesterday I visited the main army camp and found harmony throughout; upon careful inquiry I learned the soldiers bought mirrors and sent them home, where their wives felt deeply gratified and delighted."

"Though it cost a few dozen taels of silver, it brought family harmony; just this alone makes the Da Xia Nightless City a benefit for the present and a merit for eternity."

If He Yan's praise is forced, then Zhao Yiyang's is outright awkward flattery.

Nevertheless, Zhao Yiyang wears a smug grin.

In an instant, the Minister of Justice also steps forward.

"Your Majesty."

"The Da Xia Nightless City is splendid."

"Two days ago I heard a Great Scholar praising this Nightless City and even composing a poem."

"Your Majesty, please listen."

The Minister of Justice coughs once, then begins reciting the poem.

"The capital is grand and radiant."

"Within the Nightless City shines light."

"Scholars, curious, venture inside."

"Beyond the city walls, laughter resounds."

"Your Majesty, does this poem not yet showcase the Nightless City's excellence? In any case, when everyone is well, that is true goodness."

The Minister of Justice forces himself; he cannot compose poetry, but to echo the others he forces out a seven‑line verse, ignoring rhyme for the moment.

In short, just brag and it's done.

Everyone chimes in, and the words about Chang Yuntian make the whole body tingle.

Rarely does one see such a harmonious scene; civil officials and generals all praise, and the more they praise, the more absurd and unseemly it becomes.

"Your Majesty, we unanimously deem the Da Xia Nightless City a marvel of Da Xia: first, it is unparalleled, showcasing our great nation's grandeur; second, it benefits the people and the state—people buy official salt, dragon rice and other goods at low prices; third, it generates silver revenue for the court."

"This three‑fold benefit could only be conceived by a single lord across the realm."

"I am somewhat curious, Chief Censor, why do you denounce and impeach the Da Xia Nightless City?"

"Minister Yang and Minister Wang may be a bit reckless, yet still within reason; the department's subordinates work hard, especially in the scorching summer, earning silver to improve their lives."

"Is that wrong?"

"Chief Censor, what exactly are your motives?"

At this moment, Gu Qianzhou opens his mouth, looks at Chang Yuntian and speaks coldly.

"Dammit, you want to cut off our money flow? You must be sick of life, huh?"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire court erupted in accusations.

"Chief Censor, what is your intention?"

"Lord has done so much for Da Xia; now he creates a Nightless City that benefits the nation and the people, yet you call it a disaster for the country?"

"I think you envy my Heaven's Mandate Lord, so you deliberately attack?"

The shouts grew louder and uglier, and in the end they stopped pretending; a general even pointed at Chang Yuntian's nose and began hurling all sorts of abuse.

"How dare you impeach my lord? Do you know how hard my lord works?"

"There truly are all kinds of people; you, Lord, even dare to attack? Do you believe that if this gets out, the Da Xia populace will turn on you?"

"How detestable! My lord works tirelessly for the nation and the people, and you consider him worthless? You still dare to impeach my lord—damn it, if I don't beat you up today, I'll take your surname!"

The whole court, civil and military, grew increasingly heated and angry, and some generals were already about to strike.

"Enough nonsense."

And at that moment, He Yan's voice rang out.

He stared at the entire court, his gaze sharp.

"In the Hall of Court, are you all speaking properly?"

"We'll fight after the waiting ends."

He Yan finished the first half of his sentence, and in an instant a pair of eyes stared at him intently; hearing the second half, they could still accept it.

But for Chang Yun Tian,

he cannot accept it.

What on earth is happening in this world? Is this the struggle of the court? Why is it completely different from what I imagined?

Chang Yun Tian was truly at a loss; he knew Gu Jin Nian had great prestige and that a large portion of the court's civil and military officials would support Gu Jin Nian.

But what he never imagined, even in his wildest dreams, was that the entire court—civil and military—supported Gu Jin Nian? That simply defies logic.

The struggles in the Hall of Court are purely about interests—the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of War—have little to do with Gu Jin Nian, right? Only the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of Works have benefited from Gu Jin Nian.

Why would others help Gu Jin Nian? He can accept that half the people don't help him, but he cannot accept that everyone helps Gu Jin Nian.

"Enough."

At that moment, Emperor Yong Sheng's voice rang out. He stood on his high seat, gazing at Chang Yun Tian, then spoke lightly.

"Chang Yun Tian."

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Listening to Emperor Yong Sheng speak, Chang Yun Tian's expression turned sour.

The current situation is entirely different from what he thought; this impeachment has become the biggest joke.

"Your servant."

"I have nothing to say."

Chang Yun Tian's face turned ashen; he lowered his head, truly not knowing what to say.

It was plainly Minister of Revenue He Yan who had him step forward.

Now He Yan is the first to betray, and his rebuttal is the strongest; what else does he have to say?

What else can I say? He Yan, He Yan, you old bastard, just wait for me; once I seize the chance, I'll damn you to the death.

At this moment, Chang Yun Tian does not hate Gu Jin Nian, nor the whole court; he hates this He Yan.

Even if He Yan stays silent to protect himself, Chang Yun Tian wouldn't be too angry; he would just think He Yan is cowardly, fearful, having sat in his position too long without any blood.

But you damn fool, using this trick? Letting yourself step forward to draw fire, sensing the situation is wrong, then selling yourself outright?

Fine.

Fine.

You're truly beyond reason.

Listening to Chang Yun Tian's confession, Emperor Yong Sheng gave a contemptuous glance.

"You were nominated by Prince Qin, and as an Imperial Censor, you indeed have the duty to impeach, but to impeach recklessly without understanding the truth, relying on your nature, where is any semblance of an Imperial Censor?"

"However, I consider that you once, for the Da Xia Dynasty, delivered half a scroll of the Heaven's Mandate Sacred Scripture; this time I will pardon you for the crime of not investigating."

"But should such a thing happen again, I will not be lenient."

Emperor Yong Sheng spoke.

He is not sure what kind of person Chang Yun Tian is, but he knows that Chang Yun Tian is no good.

It's not about the Imperial Seal, nor any logical inconsistency.

Would someone who impeaches Gu Jin Nian be a good thing? It's not because Gu Jin Nian is his nephew; it's mainly because Gu Jin Nian, in the Da Xia Dynasty, has done so many deeds, each worthy of lasting fame.

To put it bluntly, Gu Jin Nian has been sincere; even if he takes a million troops and declares himself king, Emperor Yong Sheng would hold no hatred.

Because Gu Jin Nian is worthy.

Take the Da Xia Nightless City, so profitable; Gu Jin Nian's first thought was to unite everyone to profit, taking a fifth for himself—fine—but more importantly, thirty percent goes to the court.

Thus, after deducting all costs and everyone's share, how much ends up in Gu Jin Nian's hands?

Moreover, Gu Jin Nian is destined to become a saint; he cares not for silver, and while anyone else says this, Emperor Yong Sheng does not believe it, but Gu Jin Nian himself claims he does.

Especially what Gu Jin Nian said yesterday, that all people of the Da Xia Dynasty could read the scriptures, driven by such ambition.

On what grounds does he not support his own nephew? And on what grounds does he doubt his nephew?

If Gu Jin Nian truly rebelled, truly harmed himself, fled to Prince Ning, or even to the Central Continent Dynasty, what could he do to Gu Jin Nian? Yet Gu Jin Nian did not do so.

The nephew has already reached the extreme; as his uncle, if I have any doubt—

Then I, as his uncle, would truly not be human.

It can be said that Gu Jin Nian is not merely a court official nor merely his nephew; he transcends everything, and between them is not ruler‑subject but true kinship.

Therefore, anyone who tries to impeach Gu Jin Nian or cause him trouble is, in his eyes, a villain.

The Imperial Seal cannot be detected; that's fine.

He can see it.

Facing Emperor Yong Sheng's rebuke, Chang Yun Tian, no matter how proud, could only lower his head.

"Your servant obeys the decree."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lowering his proud head, Chang Yun Tian couldn't help feeling a sense of oppression.

He, as a top figure of the Great Dao Office, is a genius among geniuses, one of the strongest future competitors for Heaven's Mandate.

He came to the Da Xia Dynasty because he needed to target Gu Jin Nian, so he willingly arrived, also to plot a grand scheme.

In other words, Chang Yun Tian simply does not care about the Da Xia Dynasty; whether or not he is an Imperial Censor, even the position of Chief Imperial Censor holds no appeal to him.

If not for the grand plan, if not to suppress Gu Jin Nian, would he have come here?

Would he still bow and submit?

The civil and military officials present are like ants in his eyes; if not for the struggle over Heaven's Mandate, he would…

Chang Yun Tian's greatest grievance is this: if Heaven's Mandate descends, what are these people? Just a mere Da Xia Dynasty.

Just some officials within the petty dynasty.

They're all like dogs.

Chang Yun Tian hides his boundless anger and grievance in his heart; now without power, he cannot say anything.

Dismiss the court.

Emperor Yongsheng is too lazy to say more; he does not target Chang Yun Tian directly, either he has other thoughts, or as the saying goes, the overt enemy is not frightening at all.

The frightening ones are those hidden in the shadows.

May my emperor live ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years.

The officials spoke, bowed to Emperor Yongsheng, then, as usual, dismissed the court.

However, today is different from usual; the officials gather together, in harmonious merriment, and it is a rare gathering of both civil and military officials.

"Everyone, today I am in a good mood; let's go to Pingjiang Tower for wine. I treat; whatever you want to eat, eat it; whatever you want to drink, drink it."

"The only thing I have is silver."

Wang Qixin's voice rang out.

It made Chang Yun Tian feel extremely grating.

But Chang Yun Tian said nothing, and quietly left.

The officials gathered together, standing out starkly from him; he seemed like an orphan. A few days ago at least some officials were willing to walk with him and discuss a few political topics.

But now it's different; even fellow Censors refuse to accompany him, as if he were a plague god.

Inside the palace.

Chang Yun Tian stared at He Yan, his gaze filled with extreme complexity.

"You old bastard!"

"I will not cease fighting you until death."

Chang Yun Tian took a deep breath; now Gu Jin Nian is no longer his greatest enemy, and He Yan has become his number‑one foe.

A scholar may be killed, but not humiliated.

Thus.

Two hours later.

Inside a residence in the capital.

Chang Yun Tian sat in the main hall, silent, while two figures stood before him.

The two figures were Li Ruo Yu and Lu Cheng Yan.

If Chang Yun Tian still has a hint of presence, Li Ruo Yu and Lu Cheng Yan's presence is almost nonexistent.

One works in the Ministry of Revenue, the other in the Ministry of Personnel; they appear illustrious, but actually handle trivial tasks.

Their positions are high, as Assistant Directors, yet the court gives them no work.

They possess talent but cannot employ it, and they are extremely frustrated.

"Senior Brother Chang, what do you say we are here for?"

"Being here is downright disgraceful; the three of us are the Heavenly Talents of the Great Dao Office."

"Coming to this place, not being welcomed is one thing, but they also played a trick on us."

Li Ruo Yu spoke, his mood complicated.

According to their plan, the two would present the Sage Scripture, just make an appearance, then wait for Chang Yun Tian to produce the Heaven's Mandate Sage Scripture, save the Da Xia populace, thereby surpass Gu Jin Nian, and achieve unprecedented prestige.

Then they would enter the Da Xia Dynasty, the two would quickly become one of the Six Ministries' Ministers, and Chang Yun Tian would become the Prime Minister of Da Xia.

There will certainly be obstacles in this process, but they are not afraid.

This is their plan.

Unexpectedly, one misstep leads to another; now the two are merely Assistant Directors, and their senior brother Chang Yun Tian is only a Censor.

They finally seized an opportunity to impeach Gu Jin Nian, but it turned into a joke in the court.

How can this not make them feel resentful? Hearing Li Ruo Yu's words, Chang Yun Tian stayed silent, while Lu Cheng Yan couldn't help speaking.

"This time the civil and military officials in the court are unanimous; there must be a secret that cannot be disclosed."

"Although senior brother is impeaching Gu Jin Nian, it's not that no one helps him."

"However, Senior Brother Chang, do we really intend to stay in the Da Xia Dynasty?"

"How about we leave? After all, the Da Xia Dynasty is not our battlefield; Gu Jin Nian has already gathered momentum, and the current situation in all respects is extremely unfavorable to us."

Lu Cheng Yan spoke.

They originally thought that after entering the Da Xia Dynasty they could suppress Gu Jin Nian, but now it seems almost impossible.

"No!"

Chang Yun Tian shook his head, took a deep breath, then looked at the two and said,

"Regardless, we will continue to stay in the Da Xia Dynasty."

"At least, no matter what, we must suppress Gu Jin Nian once."

"The contest of Heaven's Mandate hasn't begun; even if we lose now, we won't suffer great loss."

"So if we cannot suppress Gu Jin Nian at all, I would be unwilling; moreover, we came to the Da Xia Dynasty with a mission."

"The Da Xia Dynasty hides a divine artifact; if we don't uncover it, when the Heaven's Mandate contest arrives, it won't be good for us."

Chang Yun Tian shook his head.

Of course, after saying all that, his core point was simply resentment.

He truly resented.

This resentment bottled up in his heart made him extremely uncomfortable; now he thinks of nothing else but one thing: to suppress Gu Jin Nian once.

Even just once will do.

Upon hearing that, the other two fell silent.

It's not for other reasons, nor a lack of confidence; the main issue is that the officials have formed a bloc and completely excluded the three of them.

Whether they're aligned with Gu Jin Nian is unknown, but in any case they're definitely not on the same page as them.

That's like stirring trouble within the enemy; isn't that just courting disaster?

In the end, it's still just a little.

During the great calamity in Da Xia, Chang Yuntian was overly confident and arrogant; if he had produced half a scroll of the Heaven's Mandate Sacred Scripture back then, Gu Jin Nian would have had no business at all.

Gu Jin Nian, as a scholar of Da Xia, augments fortune, wishes everyone to be like dragons, and publishes the Heaven's Mandate Sacred Scripture.

It shrouded all the light.

Otherwise, even if Chang Yuntian saved Da Xia's people, what could the Da Xia emperor do even if he knew Chang Yuntian harbored ill intent? And what could Gu Jin Nian do even if he knew Chang Yuntian was an enemy?

As long as Chang Yuntian does not act against the common folk or harm them, no one has any way to deal with him.

One wrong move in the game means total defeat.

Therefore, faced with Chang Yuntian's conduct, the two are somewhat reluctant.

But after all, Chang Yuntian is their senior brother, so they have little to object.

"Senior Brother Chang, regarding the Da Xia Nightless City matter, we cannot impeach Gu Jin Nian; what should we do next?"

Li Ruoyu spoke, looking at Chang Yuntian, her eyes full of curiosity.

"The Da Xia Nightless City affair is indeed something I neglected to consider."

"Yesterday He Yan asked me to impeach, and today on the court he turned against us; such a person will not achieve greatness."

"However, the whole case seems to involve secrets we do not know."

"At present I truly do not know why the officials' attitude changed so abruptly, so the next plan is hard to execute."

Chang Yuntian spoke.

He's not foolish; the officials suddenly changed their stance—just days ago they frowned upon the Nightless City, and now they rave about it.

If there were no secret, he would never believe it.

"Senior Brother Chang, saying it that way, I might be able to figure something out."

"Didn't the emperor ask the officials to donate silver yesterday?"

"I heard the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Works donated terrifying amounts of silver, though the exact figures are unclear; for someone like Wei Xian, the true amount must be at least several hundred thousand taels of silver, perhaps even a million taels wouldn't be excessive."

"Could it be that the Da Xia Nightless City truly made profit, and after the officials learned of it they regretted it, so Gu Jin Nian, to win them over, distributed shares, linking interests and causing unanimous support?"

"Otherwise, any matter in the court would be contested; such a situation couldn't arise."

Li Ruoyu spoke, saying so.

At those words, Chang Yuntian's brow twitched slightly, and Lu Cheng Yan immediately spoke.

"That possibility is great; indeed, many officials went to the Nightless City yesterday."

Lu Cheng Yan asserted.

"Then it seems that's the case."

"But the Da Xia Nightless City's profit shouldn't be much; I calculated carefully—relying only on Dragon Rice and some Crystal Mirrors, although those yield high margins, a household only buys them once, and Dragon Rice is purchased every three months, already indicating a large population."

"It can earn a sum of silver, yet the maintenance cost of the Da Xia Nightless City is also high, which is odd,"

"Exactly how much?"

Chang Yuntian was a little puzzled.

At that, Lu Cheng Yan continued.

"I don't know about the rest; I have a close friend who visited me yesterday, mentioned the Nightless City, and bought a shop there, reportedly spending a lot."

Lu Cheng Yan spoke up, recalling that matter.

"A shop?"

"How much silver did he spend?"

Hearing the word 'shop', Chang Yuntian instantly realized something and asked.

"That junior brother is unclear to me; the friend means little to me, we have little interaction, he came to me merely to seek connections, so I didn't ask further."

Lu Cheng Yan said.

In fact, he looked down on him; in his eyes, such a person isn't really a friend.

"Cheng Yan, go ask him right away how much silver he spent on the shop."

Chang Yuntian said, sending him on a trip.

Thus.

About half an hour later,

Lu Cheng Yan returned.

and his face was filled with astonishment and shock.

"Senior Brother Chang, I finally understand why the officials are treating you that way."

He didn't state the price outright, but suddenly grasped why Chang Yuntian was being singled out.

"Why?"

Chang Yuntian frowned, a little puzzled.

"The Nightless City shops in Da Xia, the cheapest sell for two million taels of silver each."

"A better one goes for five million taels, an even finer one ten million taels each, and they were snapped up within three days."

"Now there are still twenty golden shops, at least thirty million taels of silver each."

"In other words, just selling these shops yields profit of five to sixty hundred million taels of silver."

The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works each received at least tens of millions of taels of silver, so the entire court—civil and military—could not contain themselves; last night they went to the Da Xia Nocturnal City, and it is said they have already negotiated the allocation with Gu Jin Nian.

Lu Chengyan spoke up and revealed the truth.

"A shop selling for two million taels of silver?"

"That's impossible."

Chang Yuntian could not accept it; this is fundamentally impossible—not because he is short‑sighted, but because he clearly understands what two million taels of silver represents.

Two million taels of silver could even build a small princely manor.

Just to buy a shop? Is that reasonable?

That's utterly unreasonable.

"Senior Brother Chang, I don't believe it either, but the facts are as such."

"The junior brother not only asked him, but also consulted several others; the facts truly are so."

"And Brother, think about it—if it weren't like this, why would the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works be so overbearing?"

"Furthermore, why does the entire court—civil and military—present a united front?"

"To put it bluntly, even a few million taels of silver, let alone tens of millions, would barely feed all the officials of the court."

"Only massive wealth could make them act this way."

Lu Chengyan spoke up, honestly saying he neither believed nor wanted to believe, yet the problem is that this is the fact.

Even if you are reluctant to acknowledge Gu Jin Nian's excellence, you must admit it this time.

In an instant.

Chang Yuntian plopped down onto his seat; he truly hadn't expected that the Da Xia Nocturnal City, which he didn't care about at all, could earn so much silver.

Then Lu Chengyan continued, explaining why this shop could fetch such a sky‑high price.

After Lu Chengyan finished speaking,

Chang Yuntian couldn't help but frown.

"Do you mean that a shop could, within a single day, profit five thousand taels of silver just by selling sweet drinks?"

Chang Yuntian voiced the question.

"Replying, Brother, yes."

The other party opened, nodded, and said.

Hearing this, Chang Yuntian suddenly understood.

"I see."

Chang Yuntian grasped the point and then displayed a confident smile.

"Brother, why are you laughing?"

This time the two were puzzled, not understanding why Chang Yuntian suddenly laughed; it was not a good sign.

"I laugh at how foolish these merchants are; they can't even see this."

"This Da Xia Nocturnal City is entirely a scheme meticulously designed by Gu Jin Nian."

"Now the common folk indeed gather inside the Nocturnal City, appearing extremely bustling, but in reality? Within a few days, few civilians will go to visit, and business will inevitably be bleak."

"Now it's crowded, but after a while? Gu Jin Nian built the Da Xia Nocturnal City to rake in gold daily, merely to swindle money."

"The unlucky ones are the merchants, yet merchants are the most obedient; they dare not confront the court."

"And by using these petty gains, they deceive the officials, painting a beautiful future for them."

"This method is indeed powerful, mastering human hearts perfectly."

"However, profit like this can never firmly secure people's hearts."

Chang Yuntian spoke, seeming to have grasped something; in his eyes, this Nocturnal City was hardly worth mentioning.

The two found it odd after hearing, yet didn't know what to say.

"Senior Brother Chang, what other tactics do we have next?"

"Whether Gu Jin Nian's scheme is a fraud or not, given the current situation, it is ultimately disadvantageous to us."

Li Ruoyu spoke, frowning slightly.

"Regardless of whether it's a scam, the officials are now banded together, so saying anything is superfluous."

"You can't resolve this situation."

"Prime Minister."

"No amount of silver can match an official rank."

"The Da Xia Prime Minister Li Shan has already been executed, and the prime ministerial seat remains vacant."

"The Minister of Personnel has been eyeing this position all along, and do the other ministers have no thoughts at all?"

Chang Yuntian spoke.

He was brimming with confidence.

"The prime ministerial seat."

"I understand."

The two instantly grasped what Chang Yuntian intended.

They would turn against each other.

After all, the prime ministerial post cannot be bought with silver; no amount of money can purchase it.

"So, Brother, what do you plan to do?"

The two, curious, asked Chang Yuntian.

"Doing nothing is enough; the Minister of Personnel will vie for it on his own."

"Moreover, don't think Da Xia has no issues now; the matter of the Alliance lies before us, and if this is not resolved, the Da Xia Dynasty will not rest easy."

Chang Yun Tian said.

Govern by non‑action, and it yields the best results.

"You two only need to give your all to support Hu Yong; he is an ambitious man."

"On today's court, he is the only one who did not criticize me."

"It's clear he doesn't want to offend me, knows I have backing, and wants to win me over."

"If there's a chance, you two arrange for me to pay him a visit; then just give him confidence."

Chang Yun Tian spoke.

He also deliberately mentioned some matters of the court.

Because on today's court, indeed, the Minister of Personnel said little, merely stating, "Da Xia Never Night City is good, but that's nothing."

Hu Yong said a few insincere words; it's nothing.

"We understand; senior brother, please rest assured."

The two nodded.

And at this very moment.

Inside Pingjiang Tower.

The Ministers of the Six Ministries and various dukes and marquises gathered together.

Yet the main hall was exceedingly quiet.

Everyone's gaze fell upon the Minister of Personnel.

"Speak!"

"Why did you not criticize Chang Yun Tian on today's court?"

"Are you colluding with him?"

Lord Xin glared fiercely at Hu Yong, and the other officials each showed murderous eyes; they had gathered here to settle scores.

Some matters in the court are hard to say outright; now that they're gathered here, everyone naturally won't spare any traitor.

Hearing Lord Xin speak that way, Hu Yong said with a bitter expression.

"Alas, you've wronged me."

"It's not that I don't speak; I simply can't get a word in."

"Moreover, you all scold each other so harshly; what difference does it make whether I scold or not?"

Hu Yong stood up, feeling great grievance.

It's not that he doesn't scold or speak; he simply can't interject. In this court, each person is fiercer and faster than the last, so even if he tried to speak up, it was useless.

What he didn't expect was that they mistakenly thought he harbored ulterior motives.

However, after he finished speaking, none of those present believed him.

"I swear to Heaven here, if I have any collusion with that fellow, may five thunderbolts strike me."

"You know my character; how could I collude with him?"

Hu Yong was truly aggrieved.

Just because he said a couple fewer insults, he was targeted; it's genuinely uncomfortable.

"I tell you, Hu Yong, whether you're sincere or feigning, since we've partnered with Lord Hou, we must be of one mind; we argue daily on the court for this very silver, right?"

"Now that we've finally earned some silver, if you intend to stir up trouble, I'm the first to refuse."

Lord Xin spoke openly.

What he said was also reasonable.

What are we fighting over? Isn't it just silver?

Now that we have silver, still causing trouble—doesn't that mean you've lost your mind? "Oh dear."

"I truly have no connection with him; that fellow is a fool. Am I ill? Moreover, what benefit could he give me?"

"If you all don't believe, may I swear on my entire family?"

Hu Yong was truly so angry he was speechless, his hatred for the fool Chang Yun Tian deepening.

"Enough, enough."

"Lord Hu… indeed, he rarely speaks on ordinary days."

"Since we now have a common goal, we should not start internal strife."

At this moment, Minister of Rites Yang Kai spoke; he could also see that Hu Yong was not lying.

Of course, the others' reactions were reasonable.

After all, it's all for the silver.

"Putting other matters aside."

"I'll say just one sentence; everyone, listen carefully."

"Now Lord Hou has given us silver; let's work properly."

"Regardless of what happens, in short, everything follows Lord Hou; anyone who hinders Da Xia Never Night City's development or obstructs Lord Hou is our common enemy."

"If anyone dares to act rashly, He Yan will not let them go."

He Yan stepped forward and spoke.

These words received unanimous approval.

"However, Lord Hu, this Chang Yun Tian is obviously problematic."

"You do have some suspicion now, but to clear it, do you think this works? Chang Yun Tian will probably come to you; what he wants, I'm not sure."

"If he does come to you, whatever it is, you must inform us immediately."

"That fellow has no good intentions; His Majesty did not punish him today, mainly because he offered half a scroll of Heaven's Mandate Sacred Scripture."

"If he keeps bothering the Marquis—once, then again, then a third time—His Majesty will not let him off."

"Therefore we should devise a plan that makes him jump in himself; I'm not saying we should kill him, but at least we should ruin his reputation. What do you all think?"

He Yan continued speaking, putting forward an idea.

Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

"This one works."

"Indeed, that fellow certainly has no good intentions; Lord He, I concur."

"Alright, it can be done."

The group nodded, approving the plan.

"I have no problem at all."

"If any information arises, I will inform you all at once."

Hu Yong spoke up, saying that if he could clear his own suspicion, he fully agrees.

Then the group began to devise schemes; each was sharper than the last, and the plans they proposed grew increasingly ruthless.

Such as deliberately bribing, so that officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War would be waiting outside.

As long as Chang Yuntian takes the silver, the Ministry of Justice will arrest them on the spot, the criminals will be captured, the Ministry of War will execute, and heads will fall immediately.

Or perhaps sending him on a mission abroad to do something impossible; if he fails, he is sent back to the capital, then constantly criticized, making his life worse than death each day. If he somehow succeeds, that's that, and then another task can be given.

In short, Chang Yuntian would never even in death imagine that he would become the greatest enemy of the entire court's civil and military officials.

And meanwhile.

Inside the Da Xia Nightless City.

Gu Jin Nian was drafting a memorial.

Looking over the development of the Da Xia Nightless City, its profit progress far exceeds his expectations.

Thus, to fully advance the Da Xia Nightless City project, it must be rushed into being.

Previously Gu Jin Nian thought it would take at least half a year, yet he underestimated how low the ancient entertainment standards truly were.

The success of the Da Xia Nightless City gave Gu Jin Nian many hopes.

The Capital Nightless City's total profit so far is about six billion taels of silver; the previous five billion taels have already been perfectly utilized.

The remaining silver, Gu Jin Nian plans to use to build more Nightless Cities.

His goal is not to earn a little money; he wants to amass a huge sum of silver as quickly as possible.

And the purpose of all this.

is for four matters.

【Education】

【Military】

【Trade】

【Ministry of Works】

The education part is simple: ensure every Da Xia citizen can read books, and every newborn can learn to read.

Knowledge is power; even in this world of immortal martial arts, there is no problem.

As long as universal education spreads, the nation's development will be greatly enhanced.

To educate the entire Da Xia Dynasty, the silver required would be astronomical.

Only the Da Xia Nightless City can fill this bottomless pit.

Even though he knows it's a bottomless pit, Gu Jin Nian still pursues it, because he knows that if he can become a saint, this will greatly aid him.

Likewise, he can achieve one of the four verses of the Hengqu, inheriting the lost teachings of past saints.

As for the military aspect,

it is also the point Gu Jin Nian values most.

It is not merely increasing troop types, nor simply enhancing soldiers' strength.

It is about changing combat methods.

By employing the Ancient Spirit-Collecting Formation, and using Da Xia Dragon Boat, Da Xia Treasure Ship, and Da Xia Dragon Cannon, a revolutionary transformation will be achieved.

He aims to forge an invincible army.

This army possesses the three major elements of sea, land, and air.

In other words,

if it truly comes to fruition,

the Da Xia Dynasty would defeat the Xiongnu Nation in a single hour, shocking the entire Shenzhou Continent.

That is his purpose.

Modernized warfare reform.

And all this also requires astronomical numbers to support.

But if it truly succeeds, the Da Xia Dynasty will become an invincible dynasty in the future.

Ordinary combat methods.

How could ordinary tactics defeat modern warfare? This inspiration comes from a war in a previous life that shocked the whole world.

This is an extremely grand plan.

And Gu Jin Nian has already begun contemplating and preparing.

(End of chapter)