YWTGU -Chapter 19 Who Says They’re a Menace? They’re Clearly Pillars of the Nation!

Li An was secretly delighted.

Yes, yes, yes!

These four oddballs were outrageous, right?

Exactly!

Why would he care whether these misfits could actually do the job?

As long as he fooled them into buying official posts, that was enough. What he wanted was to ruin the nation!

You so-called loyal ministers, you treacherous officials—

Come on, scold me! Impeach me!

Maybe we can knock off a few more points of national fortune!

With that thought, Li An deliberately put on an even more careless, roguish expression and secretly shot Jin Daye a look.

Jin Daye immediately understood. He grinned and stood even more arrogantly.

He looked as if he were telling the entire court: “I’m an official now. What can you do about it?”

Prime Minister Wang Fu trembled with rage at the sight. Bowing his hands, he angrily declared:

“Your Majesty! This is a disgrace to all decorum! This Jin Daye was collecting protection fees on the streets yesterday, and today he is a court official? Where is Great Qi’s dignity?!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Grand Commandant Sun Qian echoed. “And that Eunuch Liu! He was a madman in the late emperor’s time! If you let him run the Imperial Prison, won’t it turn into a living hell?!”

“And that Zhao Dadan!” another official added. “He runs gambling houses and loans at usury, driving honest people to sell their children! If the court employs such a man, where is the law?!”

For a moment, impeachment after impeachment rang through the hall.

Li An stood there calmly, not offering a single rebuttal, letting them curse and accuse him as they pleased.

There was even a faint smile on his face, as if he were a carefree hermit drifting through clouds.

Yes, yes, this is the effect I want!

Curse me harder! The harsher the better!

Best if His Majesty gets furious and strips me of office!

However—

“Enough.”

A cold, stern voice rang out from the dragon throne.

The officials instantly fell silent.

Emperor Zhao Ling’er slowly rose, her gaze sweeping across the civil and military officials below.

“I have a question for you,” she said sharply. “How many supervisors has the Street Office had in these past years?”

The court exchanged glances.

She snorted. “Seven. Seven supervisors in seven years. Because no one wants this thankless job.”

“And the Mutual Trade Office? Every time we negotiate with Northern Yan, our officials are either fooled or cheated. Recently, several have even died at the border. Now no one dares to take the post.”

“And the Imperial Prison? Don’t think I’m unaware of what goes on there. How many prisoners buy their way out? How many aristocratic sons are ‘rescued’ after being jailed?”

“Now that there are people willing to spend real silver to take these posts—posts no one else wants—you don’t praise them for their sense of responsibility. Instead, you nitpick?”

“But Your Majesty, their backgrounds—” someone tried to protest.

“What about their backgrounds?”

Zhao Ling’er cut him off.

“Jin Daye is a gang leader, yes. But he was willing to spend one hundred thousand taels for the Street Office. Before this, without spending a coin, which of your protégés or nephews was willing to go?”

No one spoke.

“Zhao Dadan runs gambling dens. Yet he’s willing to risk going to the border. Which of you will volunteer? Step forward!”

Still silence.

“Eunuch Liu may be a little mad, but he’s willing to take over that mess of a prison. Who among you will do it? Step forward!”

The hall was utterly quiet.

“Qian Xiaohai is the pampered son of the Minister of Revenue, yet he’s willing to sail out for maritime inspection. The seas are treacherous, pirates abound—nine chances out of ten you won’t return alive. Who among you will go? Step forward!”

Not a soul dared move.

Ding!

【The Emperor angrily rebukes the officials, backing the “Menace Squad”!】

【The court’s moral integrity collapses!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -150】

【Current National Fortune: 84,429】

Zhao Ling’er continued:

“Look at yourselves! Always boasting about serving the country and the people. Yet when it comes time to act, you all shrink back! Now that someone is willing to step up, you criticize instead! Who says they’re a menace? In my eyes, stepping forward at a time of national crisis makes them pillars of the nation!”

Seizing the moment, she declared:

“I will make this clear today. Li An’s sale of offices was personally approved by me. The appointments stand. No one may alter or dispute them.”

“Your Majesty, please reconsider!”

“My decision is final!”

She looked at Li An with clear admiration.

“Minister Li, you have not disappointed me.”

Li An’s heart skipped.

Wait… what?

Your Majesty, are you actually a foolish ruler?

You’re praising me?!

Even I feel these four are questionable at best!

I’m only doing this to complete a task!

Shouldn’t you be scolding me for treating official posts like a joke?

Why is this unfolding completely differently from what I expected?

Ding!

【Li An sells offices yet is praised by the Emperor!】

【Madly ruining the nation yet treated as a loyal minister!】

【The Emperor’s imagination deepens! Her trust in the treacherous minister Li An increases! The nation is doomed! National fortune plummets!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -5000】

【Current National Fortune: 79,429】

…

Drop! Drop! Drop!

In just ten days, Li An had burned through nearly ten thousand points.

Perhaps ruining a nation wasn’t that hard after all!

Rolling his eyes, Li An decided to press on.

He stepped forward and bowed to Prime Minister Wang Fu.

“Prime Minister, since His Majesty acknowledges the effectiveness of my office sales, may I ask…”

“I’ve truly gathered 2.1 million taels of silver.”

“Shouldn’t the wager you made with me that day now be fulfilled?”

Wang Fu’s face stiffened.

Of course he hadn’t forgotten that damned bet.

He had declared that if Li An truly gathered the sum, he would lead the officials in donating one million taels to the treasury!

“Prime Minister, you wouldn’t be going back on your word?” Li An asked with a smile. “The Grand Prime Minister of Great Qi, second only to the Emperor—if you can’t honor a small wager, how embarrassing would that be?”

Emperor Zhao Ling’er added sternly, “Prime Minister, I remember the wager well. Reneging would be deceiving the throne.”

Wang Fu turned pale.

Through gritted teeth, he said, “This old minister… admits defeat.”

Turning to the court, he immediately began strong-arming donations.

“I will donate two hundred thousand taels first! Colleagues, the nation is in crisis—we cannot lag behind!”

Thus began a farce of forced contributions.

“I donate fifty thousand!”

“So do I!”

“Your Grace, surely you can spare a hundred thousand?”

In less than a quarter hour, one million taels had been raised.

Ding!

【Officials forced to donate one million taels!】

【Great clans severely weakened! Court conflicts intensify!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -2000】

【Current National Fortune: 77,429】

Li An couldn’t resist teasing:

“Your Majesty, it seems the Prime Minister’s fundraising skills surpass mine.”

“In just a quarter hour, he raised a million taels.”

“By that logic, in an hour—four quarters—he could raise four million!”

“In a day of twelve double-hours, forty-eight million!”

“Why not let the Prime Minister take charge? One day from him equals several years of Great Qi’s tax revenue!”

Zhao Ling’er burst into laughter.

Wang Fu’s face turned green with fury.

With over three million taels now in the treasury, the border troops’ pay was temporarily secured.

“Very well, that concludes today’s court. Dismissed!”

The officials felt pardoned from execution and hurried to leave.

But—

“Minister Li, remain. Accompany me. I have further matters to discuss.”

The officials shot Li An complicated looks.

Summoned privately after court?

He truly held the Emperor’s favor.

…

Imperial Study.

Zhao Ling’er dismissed everyone else, leaving only Li An.

She sipped her tea leisurely.

Li An stood below, uneasy.

Why does this feel like an interrogation?

“Li An.”

After letting him stew, she finally spoke.

Her expression suddenly grew stern.

“You rogue!”

Li An’s heart thumped.

But instead of anger, she pursed her lips with faint jealousy.

“I granted you a token to enter the palace freely. You clearly came recently—why didn’t you come see me?”

Ding!

【The Emperor develops affection for Li An!】

【The sovereign’s heart wavers; private feelings emerge!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -50】

【Current National Fortune: 77,379】