Chapter 1443

Meanwhile.

Within Changancheng.

When the news from Zhao Guo arrived, it stunned the major noble families of Changancheng.

The Cui family.

Cui Xinghe fell into a long silence upon hearing the news.

"The price of Zhao Gao has plummeted; from one Gao being able to exchange for ten dou of rice, to not even being able to exchange for half a dou. The merchants and commoners of Zhao Guo who speculated in Zhao Gao will likely go bankrupt overnight!"

Thinking of this, Cui Xinghe could not help but close his eyes, his heart deeply shaken.

He had originally thought that driving up the price of Zhao Gao and then causing it to crash was the full extent of the Living Yama's terrifying methods, but he had not expected the target to be Zhao Guo's grain!

Subsequently, the news of the luck game and the rebellion of the Wuqing Sect made his skin crawl.

"Destroying a nation with a single scheme—is this Living Yama even human?"

In the past, Cui Xinghe considered himself extraordinary, born with the belief that one day he would bring glory to the entire Da Qian, reach the highest ministerial position, and make a name for himself across the seven kingdoms.

Now, he was completely numbed by the blow.

Once the Living Yama appears, all the strategists and capable ministers of the world must bow their heads, unable to hide his brilliance!

"Since I cannot catch up, and can no longer even see his shadow, perhaps I should change my way of thinking…"

Cui Xinghe took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Screw your mother, what kind of bullsh*t sage books are these!"

"If I can't catch up… then I simply won't!"

Cui Xinghe threw the sage book in his hand away as if it were trash.

From this day forward, I, Cui Xinghe, shall indulge in pleasure and completely lie flat!

Cui Jian, hearing of Cui Xinghe's transformation, rushed over in a panic.

"Xinghe, you must not be so decadent!"

"Your father has always firmly believed that my son Xinghe has the bearing of a Prime Minister!"

Cui Xinghe's face was taut as he let out a long sigh to Cui Jian, "Father, you do not understand—the pressure brought by the Living Yama is too great!"

"Because of this pressure, your son truly has no heart to keep chasing…"

"Then how can my son alleviate this pressure?" Cui Jian asked anxiously.

Cui Xinghe's eyes flickered as he stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the sky, "I heard that Father is about to take in a new concubine, and she hasn't even crossed the threshold yet?"

"But… no… this cannot be, how can it be like this, how can it be like this!"

"Hiss!"

Cui Jian gasped sharply upon hearing this.

But he took a deep breath and said to Cui Xinghe, "My son, Father understands."

"You just wait!"

After saying this, Cui Jian strode away.

Cui Xinghe's face brightened, and then he muttered to himself, "I must have been influenced by that Living Yama. Why… why am I becoming increasingly perverted?"

"Forget it, if I'm perverted, so be it."

After Cui Jian left, he went straight to the steward, "Search all of Changancheng, find a woman weighing one or two hundred jin; I want to take her as a concubine!"

The steward was suddenly shocked.

"What?"

He widened his eyes, not expecting Cui Jian's tastes to be so heavy!

Cui Jian shot him a glare and said with his hands behind his back, "It's not that I like it, it's that my son likes it!"

"He is under too much pressure!"

"…"

The Song family.

Song Li looked dazed, slumped in his chair, his face full of shock.

Song Qingqing, in a long green dress, saw Song Li's expression from afar, and a sense of unease flashed through her heart.

She carefully approached and asked Song Li, "Father, has more news arrived?"

Song Li raised his head, staring at Song Qingqing's lovely face, his expression complex.

Once upon a time, he had viewed Song Qingqing as his pride, having spent painstaking effort to cultivate her—she was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and he had hoped with all his heart that Song Qingqing would marry into a wealthy family and soar to the heavens.

But now, when he saw Song Qingqing, he felt a bitter, indescribable taste in his heart.

Missing out on Gao Yang, taking the initiative to break off the engagement.

His Song family had already become the laughingstock of all Changancheng!

"Do you know what great deed the Living Yama has done again?"

Song Li took a deep breath and slowly raised his eyes to look at Song Qingqing.

"What did he do?"

A sense of unease instinctively surfaced in Song Qingqing's heart, and she spoke cautiously.

Song Li said directly, "He set a trap for Zhao Guo, driving up the price of Zhao Gao, forcing the commoners of Zhao Guo to switch from rice to mulberry to raise silkworms, then crashed the market for Zhao Gao, imposed a grain embargo on Zhao Guo, and made a fortune by raising grain prices!"

"What?"

"Gao Yang actually has such methods!"

Song Qingqing looked shocked and incredulous.

But Song Li sneered, "Do you think that's the end of it?"

"Do you remember the Wuqing Sect?"

Song Qingqing nodded, "Naturally I remember; this Wuqing Sect once assassinated Gao Yang and almost took his life!"

"That time, His Majesty was furious, and the entire Changancheng was almost turned upside down."

Song Li said with a tingling scalp, "But did you ever think that the Wuqing Sect, which once assassinated and captured Gao Yang, has now gone to Zhao Guo and, taking advantage of this great opportunity, has launched a massive rebellion!"

"In just a few months, the number of people has reached over ten thousand!"

Once these words were spoken, Song Qingqing could no longer maintain her composure, her lovely face full of disbelief.

Gao Yang… what kind of methods are these?