Chapter 114: The King

Si Tu Wei snapped back to his senses and gave a slight nod to the group of ministers on his side.

Then a minister stepped forward and said, "We are willing to hand over the royal seals for treasury management, salaries, military officer selection, foreign exchanges, and weaving."

"That's all? You're being too stingy!" The ministers of the Empress Dowager's faction instantly showed their displeasure.

"We are willing to surrender a full seven! You only hand over five?"

"That's unfair, Prime Minister!"

"If you only hand over these, we will have to reconsider!"

Si Tu Wei listened to their complaints and pretended to be troubled, pondering for a moment.

Then, unhurriedly, he said to the ministers on his side, "Then you should also hand over the three items of horse feeding, meals, and taxes..."

"Horse feeding and meals are fine, but taxes are not!" A minister from the Prime Minister's camp immediately spoke up.

The ministers on the Empress Dowager's side grew angry, "Horse feeding? Meals? What are you bringing up with those? At least taxes are somewhat respectable!"

"Taxes are out of the question anyway! At most… we'll add two other items!"

"Add other items? What?"

"How about the Royal City chief physician and the Royal Palace pharmacy?"

"Not enough!"

"That's still not enough? Then if you have the ability, hand over a few more!"

"No, you clearly lack sincerity! Are you treating us like monkeys? If we hand over a few more, we'll have none left! Yet you still have a whole bunch!"

"……"

Seeing the dispute intensify, Si Tu Wei scolded, "Is this reasonable? Everyone, be quiet for this Prime Minister!"

Dozens of ministers promptly fell silent.

Si Tu Wei said gravely, "These many royal seals were entrusted by the late king to each of you for safekeeping, so that you could help the yet‑to‑assume the throne His Majesty govern Daxuan! Yet you all cling to them, unwilling to part with any—should we let you become the king instead?!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the ministers turned pale and knelt on the ground in unison.

"I think letting His Majesty be crowned early and assume power is a good thing!" Si Tu Wei continued, his face still cold, "If we wait another two years, you'll be even less willing to return the authority the late king entrusted! Aren't you about to rebel?"

"Your servant dares not!" the ministers chorused.

"Enough!" Si Tu Wei waved his hand, "This Prime Minister does not wish to waste words; you must stop haggling. Hand over all the royal seals at once!"

The ministers on Si Tu Wei's side immediately complied, "Yes, we obey the Prime Minister's orders, we'll hand them over!"

"Are you satisfied now?" Si Tu Wei looked at the group of Empress Dowager faction ministers.

Those ministers stared at each other without answering immediately.

Si Tu Wei twitched his beard and glared, "What does that mean? Everyone on my side has agreed to hand everything over, yet you still refuse? Does the Empress Dowager know how greedy you are?! If not, let's stop here today and you can go discuss it again!"

"Prime Minister!" the eldest of the group stepped forward, his face solemn, "All the other colleagues have complied to this extent; we have no reason to refuse handing everything over, but… Prime Minister, you seem to have forgotten someone."

Si Tu Wei frowned, "All the senior ministers of Great Mystic City are clearly here; whom have I forgotten? Oh… could you be referring to Lord Le An? He only entered the palace after the late king's death, was favored by the Empress Dowager, granted a marquisate, and like other royal nobles has no official post and holds no royal seal; you should know this better than I do."

"No, no!" the elder minister raised his hand toward Si Tu Wei, "Prime Minister, you have forgotten yourself!"

Si Tu Wei was stunned in an instant.

The other side shouted, "It is well known that you, Prime Minister, are the late king's most trusted and relied‑upon person! Therefore, the late king entrusted you with two crucial components of the royal authority: the Xuan King Jade Seal and the Xuan King Battle Talisman."

"The Xuan King Jade Seal can be used to issue royal edicts and commands, and the Xuan King Battle Talisman can mobilize all troops of Daxuan!"

"Prime Minister, having held the jade seal and battle talisman for so many years, could it be… you don't even remember them yourself?"

"If we don't bring it up, you won't speak. You keep accusing us of greed, but are you actually the greediest? Are you planning to replace His Majesty in the future and sit on the throne yourself?!"

A barrage of blunt questions turned Si Tu Wei's complexion pale.

"How dare you!" he roared, slamming the table, "You dared to slander this Prime Minister! When I rescued the late king and assisted him back then, you didn't even know where I was! Heaven and earth bear witness; if I harbored any intent to usurp the throne, the heavens would strike me down with five thunderbolts, leaving no place for burial!"

"If that's the case, why doesn't the Prime Minister also hand over the Xuan King Jade Seal and the Xuan King Battle Talisman?"

"Who said this Prime Minister won't hand them over?"

"Fine! Since the Prime Minister also agrees to return all the authority the late king entrusted to the king, we have nothing more to discuss. All the royal seals on our side will also be handed back to His Majesty! Prime Minister, when the time comes at the coronation ceremony to hand them over, don't be fickle!"

Si Tu Wei's expression grew even more displeased upon hearing that.

In a fit of anger, he raised his hand and smashed the tea cup on the nearby table to pieces.

The cut palm instantly spurted blood like a flood.

"This Prime Minister is not a fickle person!" Si Tu Wei gritted his teeth, "Everyone present, including this Prime Minister, if anyone violates the terms of this agreement, it will be treason against the king and a crime against the heavens—both man and deity shall punish them! Servants, see them out!"

"The Prime Minister's word was once as weighty as nine tripods; otherwise he could not have a foothold in Daxuan's court," the elder minister bowed, "We will trouble the Prime Minister no longer; we shall depart on our own."

With that, more than a dozen ministers of the Empress Dowager's faction, led by him, bowed and took their leave.

Until this group of ministers departed.

The remaining twenty‑something ministers of the Prime Minister's camp all gathered around.

"Prime Minister, don't lose your temper; you might harm your health!"

"The Empress Dowager's people are truly formidable, forcing you to hand over the Xuan King Jade Seal and the Xuan King Battle Talisman. How will we contend with them after this?"

"Prime Minister, you won't actually hand them over on the day His Majesty is crowned, will you?"

Facing everyone's concern and worry, Si Tu Wei suddenly shed his earlier anger and laughed aloud, looking up.

"Bad! Prime Minister, you've overreacted and gone mad!"

"Prime Minister, you—don't scare us!"

"It's over, it's over… quickly summon a doctor!"

The ministers froze in shock, panicked, and scurried about like ants on a hot pan.

Si Tu Wei laughed, leaning forward and backward, picked up the teapot, poured water over his wounded palm, and said, "Everyone, stay calm; this Prime Minister is not insane. My recent actions were merely a performance for those people. If I hadn't done it, they would have thought something was amiss. I was simply trying to make the Empress Dowager believe that she could strip this Prime Minister of all power through the coronation, causing her to let her guard down."

Only then did they understand, patting their chests as they breathed a sigh of relief.

Then they didn't forget to pat Si Tu Wei's back, praising him as extraordinarily clever.

「However, some ministers looked worried, "Prime Minister, our original plan was to at least keep hold of the Xuan King's Jade Seal and Xuan King's Tiger Talisman you hold, but now… you're going to give up even these two."」

「Although the people on the Empress Dowager's side are just like us ministers, after the Emperor's coronation he can no longer exercise any royal authority, but they still have the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor is her biological son… Afterwards, we fear we will be lower than them in rank and be suppressed everywhere。」

「Please forgive me, Prime Minister, for speaking frankly, but it seems this time you've killed eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of your own。」

Upon hearing this, the other ministers also fell silent, their expressions growing worried.

Si Tu Wei both craved wielding omnipotent power and did not want to bear infamy; naturally he could not reveal his puppet replacement plan, for otherwise, even if he himself did not usurp the throne, he would become a sinner for all ages.

「"The Emperor is indeed the Empress Dowager's biological son," Si Tu Wei said calmly, "but don't forget that the Emperor's relationship with the Empress Dowager is not harmonious, and don't forget that I am the Emperor's paternal uncle. 」」

「"No matter how noble the Empress Dowager is, she is ultimately just a woman, and her ability to interfere in court affairs is always limited. As Prime Minister who has assisted two successive monarchs, I am indispensable to Daxuan. Moreover, even without the Xuan King's Jade Seal and Tiger Talisman, I still hold high rank and authority, and the Emperor naturally knows whom to rely on and trust. 」」

「So, this is not a case of killing eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of our own; in fact, it is most advantageous for me and you. 」

「"After the Emperor's coronation, I will have even greater power than before; please watch and see, colleagues, and I hope you will continue to assist me in the future. 」」

These words were like giving a reassuring pill to the ministers on his side.

One by one they showed smiles and said respectfully, "We will go through fire and water for the Prime Minister, shunning nothing! 」

「Si Tu Wei's eyes flashed a cold smile as he said, "I must also remind you colleagues, don't forget that many of your secrets are also in my grasp; even if something unexpected happens in the future, you must not betray me, or else…」」

The smiles on everyone's faces froze instantly, and a chill ran down their backs.

They still do not know how Si Tu Wei found out about certain of their shady deeds done in secret.

It felt as if pairs of eyes in the darkness were watching their every move.

There were rumors among them that Si Tu Wei had cultivated a group of agents who operated like ghosts, far more effective than ordinary informants by a thousandfold.

They had once tried to send their subordinates to investigate covertly.

The next day, the heads of their subordinates were placed in their bedrooms.

After that, they never dared to do so again, and they wouldn't even mention such rumors.

「"Take your leave, colleagues, I won't see you out," Si Tu Wei said with his hands behind his back, smiling. 」

The ministers forced smiles, performed a bow, and left trembling, drenched in cold sweat.

Since Si Tu Wei was eager to secure his puppet, he immediately ordered preparations for the coronation ceremony to be completed within the next three days.

This was possible only because everything was kept simple, with the sole aim of saving time.

On the day of the coronation.

Early that morning, civil and military officials from the Royal City entered the palace and lined up outside the main hall according to rank.

Almost all officials stood upright, heads slightly bowed.

However, at the very end of the lines stood a big‑eared, fat‑headed man glancing left and right, scowling ahead.

Beside him stood a tall, dignified, elegant man with a lofty bearing.

Both were in their forties, wore nearly identical low‑rank official robes, yet their appearance and demeanor were worlds apart.

「"Almost late, move aside!" an official shouted, hurrying over while holding his cap, shouting at the two blocking the way. 」

「The big‑eared, fat‑headed middle‑aged man not only refused to move, but turned and blocked him, saying nonchalantly, "Who are you? 」」

「"Huh? You've got guts!" the blocked official glared and said, "I am the Director of the Royal City Dyeing Bureau! How dare a petty official from the Mutual Market Block be so rude? 」」

「The big‑eared, fat‑headed middle‑aged man snorted, "Don't bother talking about petty officials like you; I don't even care about those standing in the front rows—I am——」」

「"Sir, mind the occasion and watch your words," the elegant middle‑aged man said in a low voice, then slightly bowed, apologized to the blocked official, and let him pass politely. 」」

The big‑eared, fat‑headed middle‑aged man lowered his face, about to explode.

「The elegant middle‑aged man said quietly, "Sir Wang, although we hold the posts of commandant and deputy commandant of the Qingyou Platform, these are merely secret positions granted by the Prime Minister; even though we hold plenty of officials' private information and can easily manipulate them for the Prime Minister, our official ranks are still the lowest in the Royal City, so we ought to stay low‑key. 」」

「Sir Wang scoffed, "Ning Shan, just look after yourself; I don't need your reminders. 」」

"Yes, sir," Ning Shan replied with a composed smile, though inside he had lost count of how many times he'd wanted to kill that guy.

However, this fellow is a connection‑hire, backed by the current Prime Minister Si Tu Wei, so for now we cannot touch him.

The sun had risen high, bathing the palace in brilliant light.

At the palace gate, the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony before the coronation had already begun.

At the eunuch's command, all civil and military officials knelt, and the officiant began burning incense and chanting the prayer.

Inside the palace hall, Xiao Qidi sat enthroned, surrounded only by a group of eunuchs and palace maids lying quietly on either side.

Xiao Qidi gazed toward the distant gate, and the image of Ning Jinli unbidden rose in his heart.

It had been many days since he last saw her.

His longing grew stronger each day.

Especially now.

He wished she could be here to see his coronation, to witness him reclaim imperial authority, and from then on officially govern the court.

What a meaningful day—unfortunately, she is not here.

At the same time.

Just after finishing a morning meeting with factory executives in the conference room, Ning Jinli suddenly felt her heart pound violently.

The uncontrollable longing surged forth like a breached dam.

At the thought, she immediately ran to the warehouse.

「"Others in long‑distance relationships can at least call or message," Ning Jinli complained as she walked, "but I'm in an inter‑world romance—cut off completely, I have no idea how he's doing. Whatever! I must go see him today! 」」

Arriving at the back door of the small warehouse, she shifted the exit‑entry point of the Spacetime Portal's far end by sheer intuition.

Then she changed into Xuan Guo–era attire and strode into the Spacetime Portal……