YWTGU -Chapter 21 What? His Majesty Wants Me to Ruin the Empress?

Outside the Golden Throne Hall, the sun shone brightly.

The civil and military officials who had just left court walked out in small groups of two or three, each wearing a different expression.

This morning’s session had been nothing short of spectacular. First, Li An had once again spouted outrageous rhetoric in court. Then, His Majesty had publicly acknowledged those so-called “new nobles” who had bought their official posts.

And what kind of people were they?

Street thugs, gambling den owners, old eunuchs, prodigal sons…

People like that could actually become officials?

And personally recognized by the Emperor?

The officials felt utterly stifled, their faces as ugly as if they had swallowed flies.

But what made them feel even worse was yet to come.

“Vice Minister Li! Vice Minister Li! Please wait!”

A rough, booming voice rang out outside the Golden Throne Hall, making several officials’ ears buzz.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a burly man with a face full of flesh and two large gold teeth inlaid in his mouth swaggering toward an official dressed in crimson robes.

This man was none other than Jin Daya, who had spent one hundred thousand taels of silver to purchase the position of Vice Director of the Street Administration.

In the past, Jin Daya had been the head of the capital’s underground forces—the leader of the Golden Sand Gang.

Though he commanded over a thousand men and could throw his weight around in the capital’s underworld, in front of court officials he had always been nothing more than a lowly thug who didn’t belong on any respectable stage.

But now it was different.

Jin Daya was an official too!

Though only a seventh-rank sesame official, he was still an official!

And one personally recognized by His Majesty!

At the thought of this, Jin Daya straightened his back even further, his grin widening.

Vice Minister Li’s face changed. Instinctively, he quickened his steps, trying to leave.

But how could Jin Daya let him go?

He caught up in three strides and blocked his path.

“Vice Minister Li, where are you heading?”

Jin Daya grinned, flashing his gleaming gold teeth. “This official has official business to discuss with you.”

Vice Minister Li’s face turned ugly. Forcing a stiff smile, he said, “Lord Jin… what is the matter?”

Even his voice trembled.

There was no helping it. Jin Daya had always been notorious for his ruthlessness.

And now this man had become an official—one in charge of street sanitation at that…

The moment Vice Minister Li thought of the messy matters within his own residence, he felt uneasy.

“Oh, it’s nothing major!”

Jin Daya waved a hand carelessly, but deliberately raised his voice so everyone nearby could hear.

“It’s just that the sewage fee we notified your household about the other day hasn’t been paid yet!”

The surrounding officials immediately pricked up their ears.

Vice Minister Li’s old face flushed red as he lowered his voice. “Lord Jin, could we discuss this privately?”

“Privately? Why privately?”

Jin Daya refused to let it go, raising his voice even louder. “This official is enforcing the law! Based on the size of your household and the number of residents, two thousand taels is already a preferential rate! If you delay any longer, I’ll be adding penalties and interest!”

Two thousand taels!

The surrounding officials sucked in sharp breaths.

And that was a preferential rate?

Even robbery wasn’t that fast!

A seventh-rank county magistrate only earned a few dozen taels a year.

Yet Jin Daya opened his mouth and demanded two thousand taels—and called it a discount?

Wasn’t this outright extortion?

And yet… he truly had the authority.

The Street Administration was in charge of the capital’s sanitation. Sewage fees were indeed under their jurisdiction.

In the past, the fee had been collected symbolically. Everyone had turned a blind eye.

But now that Jin Daya was in charge…

Well, life from here on out was going to be difficult.

Vice Minister Li’s face had gone as black as the bottom of a pot, yet he dared not flare up.

After all, His Majesty had personally recognized the Street Administration’s authority in court today.

If he caused trouble now, he would be slapping the Emperor in the face.

“Fine! Fine! I’ll pay! I’ll pay, alright?”

Vice Minister Li ground the words out through clenched teeth.

Ding!

Li An immediately received system feedback.

【Jin Daya has begun wreaking havoc on court officials!】

【Abusing power for personal gain, inventing pretexts!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -500】

【Current National Fortune: 72,879】

Jin Daya then set his sights on another unlucky target.

“Editor Zhang!”

A green-robed official trembled all over and instinctively tried to slip away.

But Jin Daya’s voice chased after him.

“Editor Zhang, don’t run! This official has something to discuss with you!”

There was a trace of teasing in his voice.

Editor Zhang stopped with a bitter expression and turned around.

He was merely an editor in the Hanlin Academy, a minor, scholarly official. When had he ever faced such a scene?

“Lord Jin… what may I do for you?”

His voice shook.

“Oh, nothing major!”

Jin Daya stepped forward with a smile. “Someone reported that the three wolfhounds in your residence left three piles of droppings on Beixin Street without cleaning them up, causing an extremely negative impact!”

Editor Zhang’s face instantly turned green.

Three wolfhounds? Three piles?

He did keep a few dogs at home, but they were for guarding the house!

How would a dignified Hanlin editor pay attention to dog droppings?

But now…

“I… this…”

He stammered, unable to speak.

“A fine notice should arrive at your residence today. Please check and pay promptly!”

Jin Daya said with a beaming smile, his two gold teeth sparkling in the sunlight, dazzling Editor Zhang’s eyes.

A fine?

How much?

Editor Zhang didn’t dare ask. He didn’t want to know.

He only felt that his money pouch was about to be emptied.

Jin Daya ignored his miserable expression and turned to face the assembled officials.

Hands on his hips, chest puffed out, he shouted proudly:

“Esteemed lords! You all saw it in court today!”

“Not only did this official buy the position of Street Administrator with silver, but I have also been personally recognized by His Majesty!”

“What does that mean? It means this official holds this post fair and square!”

“In the future, you’d best abide by the law, keep your households clean, manage your sewage properly, and avoid disturbing the people!”

“Otherwise, this official will personally visit your residences to collect fines!”

“I’m very busy! If I have to make a personal trip, the fine won’t be a small amount!”

After saying that, Jin Daya deliberately flashed them a grin.

The smile was utterly punchable.

But no one dared punch him.

The officials’ expressions were a sight to behold.

Some trembled with anger. Some gnashed their teeth in hatred. Some were already cursing Jin Daya’s ancestors in their hearts.

But what could they do?

He had bought the post from Li An—and had been personally recognized by the Emperor in court!

What could they possibly say?

Just as the officials simmered in anger and helplessness, another voice rang out.

“Esteemed lords!”

They turned to see a richly dressed, smiling middle-aged man walking toward them.

This was Zhao Dadan, who had spent one hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver to purchase the post of Trade Commissioner.

In the past, Zhao Dadan had been the owner of the largest gambling house in the western district of the capital. His standing in the underworld was even higher than Jin Daya’s.

The two had fought openly and secretly for years.

Now that Jin Daya had bought an official post, how could Zhao Dadan fall behind?

Moreover, the Trade Commissioner post he bought was far more lucrative than Jin Daya’s Street Administration.

The Trade Commission oversaw border trade. Though the position had been dangerous—several previous holders had died in office—in Zhao Dadan’s hands, it would be a post dripping with profit.

Unlike Jin Daya’s domineering manner, Zhao Dadan wore a friendly, businesslike smile.

After all, he was a merchant at heart and understood the principle that harmony brings wealth.

“From now on, Great Qi’s border trade will be under my management!”

Zhao Dadan clasped his hands with a grin. “If any of you wish to acquire rare goods, feel free to visit my former ‘Zhao Grand Gambling House’!”

“I’ve left an office there in the capital. Let’s all prosper together!”

“Furs from the north, spices from the west, jewels from the south—whatever you desire, come to me!”

“Fair prices, honest dealing!”

The officials exchanged glances.

Zhao Dadan was certainly more tactful than Jin Daya.

At least he wasn’t here to collect money—he was here to do business.

Yet the thought that this man, once a gambling den owner, had now transformed into a court official still made their stomachs churn.

What good character could a gambling boss possibly have?

Who knew what he would turn border trade into?

Calamities! Great calamities! These were all disaster-officials sold off by that Li An!

And yet, something even more unsettling followed.

“Heh heh heh…”

A sinister laugh sounded, sending chills down several officials’ spines.

They looked over to see an elderly man in eunuch attire standing not far away, wearing a cold smile.

This was Eunuch Liu, who had spent two hundred thousand taels to purchase the position of Interrogation Officer of the Imperial Prison.

Eunuch Liu had served in the palace for most of his life, enduring countless cold looks and humiliations.

How many officials had called him a “castrated dog” behind his back?

How many had ordered him around?

But now it was different.

He was an official too.

And not just any official—the Interrogation Officer of the Imperial Prison.

What was the Imperial Prison?

It was where serious criminals were held.

Once someone entered, their life or death rested on his whim.

Thinking of this, the corners of Eunuch Liu’s mouth curled upward.

His gaze slowly swept across the officials who had once despised or offended him.

Those officials felt their scalps tingle under his stare and quickly lowered their heads.

With a cold smile, Eunuch Liu said leisurely:

“Best not let this servant see you in the Imperial Prison.”

His voice was soft, yet it carried a chill wind that made one’s back go cold.

Just that single sentence was enough to make the assembled officials shudder.

The Imperial Prison…

A place for grave criminals.

Once inside, could anyone expect a good ending?

It was said the torture devices there came in endless varieties, each more dreadful than the last.

And now this sinister Eunuch Liu was in charge of interrogations.

If he wanted to deal with someone, wasn’t it as easy as a single word?

Thinking of the gloomy prison—and this gloomy eunuch…

Many officials were already resolving inwardly that they must never fall into his hands.

Unprovokable. Absolutely unprovokable.

Ding!

【The “Calamity Squad” has officially begun wreaking havoc in Great Qi’s officialdom!】

【Court discipline in chaos! Administration collapsing!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -1000】

【Current National Fortune: 71,879】

At that moment, a stream of furious scolding came from nearby.

“You prodigal son! You wretched prodigal son!”

The crowd turned, instantly looking eager for a good show.

They saw Minister of Revenue Qian Tong tugging a young man by the ear as he dragged him along, cursing nonstop.

The young man was none other than Qian Xiaohai, Qian Tong’s son—the one who had spent three hundred thousand taels to buy the post of Maritime Patrol Inspector.

Three hundred thousand taels!

Even for the Qian family, that was no small sum!

And this wastrel had squandered it just like that!

The mere thought made Qian Tong’s liver ache with rage.

“You spent three hundred thousand taels on this life-risking useless post?”

His beard trembled with fury. “I offered you a comfortable position in the Ministry of Revenue and you refused, insisting on this nonsense?”

“Have you got water in your brain?”

“Maritime Patrol Inspector? What kind of job is that?”

“The sea is full of wind and towering waves! One misstep and you’ll be fish food!”

“Are you tired of living?”

Though his ear was being twisted and he was grimacing in pain, Qian Xiaohai’s mouth was stubborn.

“Father! You’re the short-sighted one!”

“What did you say?!” Qian Tong nearly fainted with anger.

“I said you’re short-sighted!”

Qian Xiaohai lifted his chin stubbornly. “What future is there in guarding the Ministry of Revenue of Great Qi?”

“I’ve set my sights on the vast ocean of stars! That’s where the infinite possibilities lie!”

“Beyond the seas, there are countless riches waiting for me to explore and uncover!”

“I swear, within three years, I’ll earn far, far more silver from the sea than you ever could!”

“When that time comes, you’ll see who truly has vision!”

Qian Tong trembled with rage at his son’s words.

“You… you… you unfilial brat!”

“How did I end up with such a wastrel for a son?!”

“Three years? If you can even earn back your capital in three years, I’ll twist off my own head and let you use it as a ball to kick!”

“Father, you said it! Don’t go back on your word when the time comes!”

Not only was Qian Xiaohai unafraid, he seemed invigorated.

“You… you…”

Qian Tong was so furious he could no longer speak. He simply grabbed his son by the ear and dragged him away.

The father and son continued arguing as they walked off into the distance.

The surrounding officials watched the scene with complicated expressions.

These four men—Jin Daya, Zhao Dadan, Eunuch Liu, and Qian Xiaohai—who among them hadn’t once been looked down upon?

One was a gang leader from a background of street thugs.

One was a ruthless gambling den owner.

One was an old eunuch cursed his entire life as a “castrated dog.”

One was a prodigal wastrel among the idle rich.

And now?

All four of them had become court officials.

And not just that—they had been personally acknowledged by the Emperor!

The times truly had changed.

And the root cause of all this was that damned Li An!

If he hadn’t stirred up this farce of selling official posts and noble titles, how could these people possibly have become officials?

At that thought, many officials’ gazes darkened.

Li An would have to be dealt with sooner or later!

But how?

He was currently the Emperor’s favorite. It wouldn’t be easy to touch him.

Many officials were already calculating in their hearts.

…

Meanwhile, on another side outside the Golden Throne Hall—

“Prime Minister, those four men…” a confidant said, jerking his chin toward Jin Daya and the others, his face full of disdain.

Wang Fu gave a cold snort and remained silent.

Another confidant spoke up. “Prime Minister, in my humble opinion, Li An is indeed a talent.”

“Oh?” Wang Fu raised a brow. “How so?”

“Think about it, Prime Minister. When it comes to making money, Li An has the most ingenious ideas. He always comes up with unexpected moves!”

The confidant lowered his voice. “Selling official posts isn’t unprecedented. But to sell a pile of worthless positions at sky-high prices like he did—that’s a first!”

“I believe the Prime Minister should put past grievances aside and bring him under your wing. If he can be used by us, he would be a great asset to the civil officials!”

Wang Fu nodded slightly, seemingly tempted.

However, another confidant immediately shook his head.

“Prime Minister, you must not!”

“Oh?” Wang Fu looked at him.

“This Li An is clearly hard-boned and sharp-tongued!”

The man said seriously, “Just look at his behavior in court—he even dares to scold His Majesty! A man like that would never accept our recruitment.”

“And even if he did join the Prime Minister’s faction, he would likely harbor ulterior motives. We would have to be wary of him.”

“In my opinion, the best course of action is to eliminate him quickly, to prevent greater trouble in the future.”

He paused, then said word by word, “He cannot be used. He can only be killed.”

The surrounding confidants were stunned by those words.

A third confidant shook his head. “Such talent would be a waste to kill!”

“And haven’t we heard that the Duke’s residence is also interested in recruiting Li An? They want to bring him over as well!”

“We mustn’t let them get ahead of us!”

The men argued back and forth, each holding firmly to their view.

Wang Fu’s head began to ache from listening.

After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, “I do appreciate Li An’s talent. As for the losses and trouble he caused us before, I can let bygones be bygones.”

“However…”

He frowned. “As you said, how can we ensure that Li An would accept our recruitment—and that he wouldn’t harbor divided loyalties?”

The confidants looked at one another. For a moment, none had an answer.

…

In another corner outside the Golden Throne Hall—

The Grand Commandant stood with several military generals, his displeasure obvious.

“My lord, we’ve heard some rumors. It seems Li An has caught the favor of both the Duke and the Prime Minister. Perhaps they will try to recruit him. We…”

One general spoke cautiously.

The Grand Commandant snorted coldly, killing intent flashing in his eyes.

“I find this man an eyesore.”

“My lord means…?”

“Recruit him?”

The Grand Commandant sneered. “I have no leisure to recruit a bookish scholar who only knows how to wag his tongue! But I will not allow him to be recruited by others either. Think of a way—create an ‘accident’ and let Li An… meet an untimely end.”

The generals exchanged glances, understanding passing between them.

“Rest assured, my lord. Leave it to us.”

…

In a third corner outside the Golden Throne Hall—

The Duke, Liu De, walked alongside several members of the imperial clan, wearing a rather satisfied smile.

“Your Grace, with today’s wager fulfilled, the Prime Minister had to pay out a million taels of silver!” one clan member said with a grin. “This Li An truly is an interesting fellow! We should try recruiting him. Wouldn’t that be splendid?”

Liu De laughed heartily, clearly in high spirits.

He and Wang Fu had never seen eye to eye. Seeing Wang Fu suffer a setback today delighted him greatly.

But as he laughed, his brows gradually furrowed.

“However…”

“Your Grace, what troubles you?”

Liu De sighed. “From what I know of Li An, his temperament is fierce and upright. He sees people like us as parasites of the nation.”

“How could someone like that possibly serve me?”

“Do any of you have a strategy to win over such talent?”

The clan members looked at one another, at a loss.

At that moment, a confidant leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Your Grace, I have an idea.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”

“Since ancient times, heroes love beauty—and beauty has always been the hardest trial for heroes to pass.”

The man’s eyes gleamed. “I’ve heard that the Third Young Lady of the Duke’s residence is one of the Four Great Beauties of the capital, and she is still unmarried.”

“Why not have the Third Young Lady step forward and make Li An fall beneath her pomegranate skirt?”

“When you become father-in-law and son-in-law, what reason would Li An have not to assist you?”

Liu De’s eyes lit up. He clapped his hands and laughed.

“Excellent! Excellent!”

“Let’s return and plan this carefully!”

…

Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Study—

Li An stood before Zhao Ling’er, his face respectful, though his mind was racing.

He had just been forced to agree to become a spy—but that didn’t mean he intended to accept his fate.

No!

Absolutely not!

He was already a spy for Northern Yan, and now he was to spy on the Prime Minister for the Emperor of Great Qi—and then infiltrate the Duke’s residence as the Prime Minister’s spy…

They were trying to push him to death!

He had to think of a way to refuse!

His mind spun rapidly, and soon he came up with a brilliant excuse.

Clearing his throat, he spoke with a troubled expression:

“Your Majesty, I have something I do not understand. I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me.”

Zhao Ling’er raised a brow. “What is it?”

“Your Majesty, I have already gained your deep trust, and in court I have always presented myself as someone who disdains corruption.”

Li An said bitterly, “I even scolded the Prime Minister and the others mercilessly. The Prime Minister likely wishes he could devour me alive!”

“How could someone like me possibly infiltrate the Prime Minister’s or the Duke’s residence?”

“How could I possibly gain the Prime Minister’s trust?”

“And without gaining his trust, I cannot fulfill the heavy responsibility Your Majesty has entrusted to me!”

“I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!”

After saying this, Li An felt immensely pleased with himself.

Hehehe!

I really am a clever little genius!

Wasn’t this an easy way to make the young Emperor abandon the idea of sending me as a spy?

If there’s no difficulty, create one—that’s the first rule of surviving in the workplace!

Li An had already begun planning whether to go feast at Yuelai Restaurant after leaving the palace, or return home and have Hongmei massage his shoulders.

But just as he was smugly congratulating himself, he noticed the young Emperor smiling.

And it was the kind of smile that said, “I’ve already anticipated this.”

Li An’s heart skipped a beat.

Something’s wrong!

This doesn’t look right!

Why does she seem so confident?

Sure enough, Zhao Ling’er spoke.

“Li Aiqing need not worry about that.”

Her lips curved upward slightly, mischief glittering in her eyes.

“I have a clever plan.”

Li An’s heart sank straight to the bottom.

It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!

This young Emperor must be cooking up something terrible again!

“Your Majesty… what clever plan?”

Li An forced himself to ask, an ominous premonition rising within him.

Zhao Ling’er stood and paced a few steps in the Imperial Study, hands clasped behind her back. Then she turned and fixed her bright gaze on Li An.

“I plan to hold a banquet in the palace today to entertain you.”

Li An blinked, confused.

A banquet?

What kind of plan is that?

Zhao Ling’er continued, “At the banquet, you will pretend to drink too much and become thoroughly intoxicated.”

Li An grew even more bewildered.

Pretend to be drunk?

And then?

“After night falls, you will drunkenly lose your way and mistakenly enter the Empress’s chambers.”

Li An’s eyes widened instantly.

Wait—

The Empress’s chambers?

He hadn’t misheard, had he?

Zhao Ling’er calmly went on, “Then you and the Empress shall… share the same bed for the night.”

“The next morning, you will leave the Empress’s chambers in a fluster.”

Li An was completely dumbfounded.

Share a bed?

With the Empress?

His brain had completely stopped functioning.

Zhao Ling’er grew more animated as she described the brilliant scheme she had pondered for days.

“The captain of the palace guards on duty today just so happens to be the Prime Minister’s confidant.”

“When you leave the Empress’s chambers, make sure he ‘happens’ to catch you.”

“Thus, the Prime Minister will believe he holds evidence of your capital crime—‘illicit relations with the Empress.’”

“That crime warrants the execution of nine generations!”

“With such leverage, the Prime Minister will think he has you firmly in his grasp.”

“Your defection to him will then be perfectly natural.”

“And with such a deadly secret binding you, the Prime Minister will absolutely trust you!”

Zhao Ling’er finished and looked at Li An proudly.

“This is called luring the enemy in, using their own scheme against them!”

“Li Aiqing, what do you think of my plan?”

Ding!

【The Emperor personally arranges for a minister to ‘sleep’ with the Empress!】

【The Emperor sets a trap to frame her own Empress!】

【The ruler-minister relationship is utterly twisted! Absurd to the extreme!】

【Great Qi National Fortune -2000】

【Current National Fortune: 69,879】

Li An stood frozen in place.

His mind buzzed, his worldview cracking apart.

The Emperor… personally arranging for a minister… to sleep with the Empress?

Has there ever been such an Emperor in history?

What kind of outrageous maneuver is this?!

Even with Li An’s hardened workplace survival instincts, he couldn’t help blurting out:

“W-What?”

“Your Majesty!”

“You want me to… to ruin the Empress?!”