Within the inner palace, at the rear gardens—Hall of the Bathing Pools.
Mist swirled thickly through the entire hall. In the white jade pool, hot water churned gently, fresh flower petals drifting across its surface.
After dismissing the eunuchs and palace maids in attendance, Zhao Ling’er removed the dragon robe that symbolized supreme authority.
Now she wore only a gauzy white veil, thin as cicada wings. Her beautiful body soaked in the warm waters; especially when her magnificently full breasts—bound and constrained the entire day—were finally released, the relief was so exquisite that she couldn’t help letting out a soft moan.
This could be said to be the most relaxing and soothing moment of her day.
“Ah…”
She let out a long, comfortable breath and leaned gently against the jade wall of the pool.
Her already delicate and androgynous features appeared even softer and more enchanting beneath the hazy mist.
“Your Majesty, you’re bathing rather late today! Were you buried in documents at the Imperial Study again?”
A crisp and charming voice drifted from the side.
Zhao Ling’er smiled faintly and turned toward the sound. A stunning beauty with a graceful figure was slowly stepping into the bath.
This woman was none other than the Empress, Sun Ruoxi—the daughter of the Duke of Zhen State. She was the only one who knew Zhao Ling’er’s secret as a woman, once her intimate boudoir confidante, now her same-sex bedchamber companion.
“Ruoxi, you’re here.”
The fatigue on Zhao Ling’er’s face eased at once, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
A genuine warmth and joy entered her eyes as she said with mock exasperation, “Where else could I go if not the Imperial Study? Those old ministers’ memorials are piled higher than a person. They can write one or two thousand characters about the most trivial nonsense, and I still have to grit my teeth and read every word…”
“You’ve worked so hard, Your Majesty. Then you must rest properly now.”
As she spoke, Sun Ruoxi had already removed her garments. Her fair skin was like congealed cream, her curves perfectly shaped. When her jade-like feet stepped into the water, her reflection and her body formed a symmetrical beauty upon the surface.
Even a peerless beauty like Zhao Ling’er was momentarily stunned at the sight of her “Empress.”
As usual, Sun Ruoxi slipped into the water and swam cheerfully to Zhao Ling’er’s side, asking with concern, “I heard someone angered Your Majesty greatly today? You smashed several inkstones?”
“Your information travels fast.”
Zhao Ling’er shot her an annoyed glance. “It’s that scoundrel! He’s betrayed my expectations.”
“Who?” Sun Ruoxi blinked her bright almond eyes and leaned close to whisper teasingly into Zhao Ling’er’s ear, “There’s actually someone in this world… who has broken Your Majesty’s heart? Wouldn’t that make him your heartless lover?”
“You’re the only one who dares joke with me like this! Who else could it be? The new top scholar I personally selected—Li An!”
Zhao Ling’er’s temper flared at the mention of him. “I trusted him so much. I handed him full authority over selling offices to raise funds. And what happened? Not only did he make no move all yesterday—today, on the very first day of opening, he put up his own position as Chief of the Revenue Office for sale! Utterly outrageous!”
“What?” Sun Ruoxi covered her mouth in shock. “The top scholar is that bold?”
“Bold? He’s outrageously audacious!”
Zhao Ling’er struck the water in anger, splashing droplets everywhere. “He’s treating my trust as a joke! Turning my realm into a marketplace! I think he boasted too much and now has no solution, so he’s resorted to this desperate measure—planning to throw up his hands and quit!”
“But…”
Tilting her head thoughtfully, Sun Ruoxi said matter-of-factly, “I feel the top scholar may not truly intend to abandon his post. Perhaps there’s deeper meaning.”
“Hm?” Zhao Ling’er paused. “Explain.”
“If he truly wished to muddle through, couldn’t he simply arrange a few people and casually sell offices? Why sell his own post? Wouldn’t that hand others leverage over him?”
She moved closer still, their bodies nearly touching. “And I heard he only proposed selling his position when the Imperial Uncle’s steward came to cause trouble while buying an office. Might this not be his strategy to counter the obstruction of these court officials?”
Zhao Ling’er froze.
She bit her cherry lips unconsciously, pondering as her thoughts raced.
“You mean…”
“My meaning is this,” Sun Ruoxi’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “The top scholar likely saw through the situation long ago and made this plan in advance. By putting his coordinating position up for sale, wouldn’t the forces that originally united to sabotage him now fight among themselves to seize it?”
Zhao Ling’er inhaled sharply.
Her earlier anger faded, replaced by surprise and admiration. “You’re saying he’s driving tigers to devour wolves? Using one position to split the alliance at court, setting them against one another so he can reap the benefit?”
“I would never dare comment rashly on state affairs.”
Having clarified her point, Sun Ruoxi resumed her innocent expression and stuck out her tongue. “I only believe that the man who dared to point at Your Majesty and the court to scold them publicly, who wrote ‘Petition for Your Majesty to Surrender’, cannot possibly be a fool who would abandon his duties.”
Zhao Ling’er fell silent.
She recalled the palace examination day, when Li An had castigated her in words that struck straight to the heart.
On the surface he cursed the emperor and officials, claiming Great Qi was beyond saving; in truth, he sought to awaken her—to beg for a chance to fulfill his ambitions.
Had she not felt refreshed and deeply resonant then? Had she not admired him immensely?
Could this be the same again?
Was his apparent move to sell his office merely… a means to divide the ministers for her sake?
“Regardless,”
Sun Ruoxi gently placed her hands upon Zhao Ling’er’s shoulders beneath the water and began massaging. “Your Majesty has worked hard all day. Relax. Matters of court can trouble you tomorrow. As the saying goes—do not employ those you doubt; do not doubt those you employ. Since you’ve chosen to trust the top scholar, then let him act freely. You’ve often said yourself—the court of Great Qi is already as rotten as it can be…”
“Mmm…”
Zhao Ling’er finally closed her eyes in complete ease, though she sighed softly. “Ruoxi, I truly envy you.”
“Envy me? What could Your Majesty envy?”
“I envy you for being a free woman. Not like me—wrapped tightly every day, even my breathing cautious.”
Sun Ruoxi paused, then laughed like chiming bells.
“I don’t accept that, Your Majesty.”
“Oh?”
“The thing Your Majesty binds every day is still much larger than mine. You have no idea—when I first saw you undo your bindings, the way they nearly bounced free—I was simply jealous to death!”
“You! Sun Ruoxi, you shameless girl!”
Zhao Ling’er glared at her, splashing water in retaliation. “I am the Son of Heaven now—how dare you speak so irreverently?”
“Hahaha! In my eyes, you are both the Son of Heaven and Ling’er… Who would have imagined three years ago we’d end up like this? You transformed into a male emperor, and I became your empress. Hehe!”
Dodging and laughing, the two women filled the bath hall with joyous sounds.
…
Meanwhile, outside the imperial city—
In front of the Revenue Office, it was extraordinarily lively.
The moment Li An announced he would auction off the position of “Chief of the Revenue Office,” the great noble houses of the capital erupted into frenzy.
Everyone knew what that position meant.
It determined who could buy office, which office, and at what price!
Whoever obtained it could not only secure posts for their own clan but choke their rivals.
Thus, once the news spread, various factions swarmed in.
“Make way! The Prime Minister’s residence is here!”
“Step aside! The Grand Commandant’s household represents the military!”
“Clear out! The Imperial Uncle has personally written a letter of introduction!”
Outside the yamen, three factions stood in tense confrontation, each with guards and servants.
Ding!
【Three factions draw swords over the position of Chief of the Revenue Office!】
【The court alliance completely collapses; factional struggle becomes public!】
【National Fortune of Great Qi –25】
【Current National Fortune Value: 87,758】
Li An glanced at the system panel in the rear hall, the corner of his mouth lifting.
Delightful.
He’d just arrived and already shaved off twenty-five points!
Standing most prominently was Mr. Zhou, the Prime Minister Wang Fu’s trusted aide. Though merely a counselor without official rank, he represented Wang Fu in full authority.
Behind him, two servants carried a heavy wooden chest—clearly filled with gold and silver.
To his right stood Old Qian, steward of Grand Commandant Sun Qian. Though aged, his eyes were sharp, a silver chest beside him as well.
The third faction was Sun Fu, trusted steward of Imperial Uncle Liu.
Yes—the very Sun Fu whom Li An had toyed with that morning.
After reflecting upon the importance of the post—and enduring a fierce scolding—he’d been ordered to secure the position at any cost.
“Mr. Zhou, this position is something our Imperial Uncle’s residence is determined to obtain,” Sun Fu said with a thin smile. “Prime Minister Wang handles affairs of state—why bother with the trifles of selling offices? Why not yield it to us?”
“Ridiculous!”
Mr. Zhou snorted. “Prime Minister Wang is a veteran of three reigns and the current Grand Secretariat head. This matter concerns the nation’s foundation. Since the top scholar is willing to step aside for the worthy, it should naturally fall to us!”
“What use are you civil officials?”
Old Qian cut in. “At the borders, it’s our soldiers who bleed! The funds raised will pay the army. If anyone should oversee this, it’s the Grand Commandant’s household!”
Ding!
【The three factions quarrel publicly, discarding all decorum!】
【Onlookers whisper; the court’s dignity is lost!】
【National Fortune of Great Qi –10】
【Current National Fortune Value: 87,748】
As the crowd of citizens grew larger—
A lazy voice drifted from the rear hall.
“My, my—distinguished guests have arrived. Why argue at the door? Please, come in!”
Li An, still in his crimson official robes, strolled out leisurely.
Behind him followed Hongmei, dressed as a male guard, hand resting on her sword hilt, her expression cold as frost.
“Lord Li!”
The three men instantly stopped arguing and put on genial smiles.
“Lord Li, after parting from you at court yesterday, the Prime Minister couldn’t sleep all night—thinking of strategies for your fundraising efforts!” Mr. Zhou beamed. “So when he heard you intended to transfer the Chief’s post, he specially sent me with one hundred fifty thousand taels as a token of sincerity!”
“Only one hundred fifty thousand?” Sun Fu interjected sharply. “Our Imperial Uncle’s residence offers two hundred thousand taels!”
“You—”
Before Zhou could respond, Old Qian declared:
“Our Grand Commandant’s residence offers two hundred and fifty thousand!”
Ding!
【The three factions begin frenzied bidding!】
【Selling official posts and titles at public auction — an eternal scandal!】
【Great Qi National Fortune -15】
【Current National Fortune: 87,733】
“Two hundred and sixty thousand!” Sun Fu gritted his teeth and raised the bid.
“Two hundred and eighty thousand!” Old Qian shot back without hesitation.
“Thr—”
“Stop, stop, stop!”
Li An hurriedly waved his hands, cutting off the frenzied bidding.
He absolutely could not let the price climb any higher.
If one faction secured the position at such a high bid, then in the later sales of official posts they would surely undercut the price for their own people. Reaching the target of two million taels would become much harder.
“Gentlemen, gentlemen! Please, calm yourselves!”
With a genial smile, Li An invited the three into the main hall, ordered tea to be served, and once all three parties were seated, he finally spoke.
“I’ve seen everyone’s sincerity. But… this matter, well, I must say—it’s truly difficult to handle.”
“What’s so difficult about it?” Sun Fu frowned. “Whoever pays more, you sell it to them. Simple as that.”
“With words like that, Steward Sun, if I sell it to your side, wouldn’t Minister Wang and Grand Commandant Sun come after me?”
Li An pulled a long face. “I’m but a minor seventh-rank official. I truly cannot afford to offend such people.”
“Then what exactly do you want?”
Mr. Zhou was growing impatient. You, the newly crowned top scholar—don’t you have any awareness of how you got here? On the court floor you had scolded the emperor and the entire bureaucracy bloody—yet now you pretend you’re afraid of offending anyone?
“Sigh, I’m thinking of a solution, aren’t I?”
Li An straightened in his chair, rolled his eyes thoughtfully, then suddenly slapped his palm.
“I’ve got it! I’ve thought of a perfect solution that benefits everyone!”
“What solution?” the three asked in unison.
Li An stood, clasped his hands behind his back, paced a few steps across the hall, then abruptly turned around with a serious expression.
“Since you all wish so fervently to share the burden for the state and purchase my position… why not all of you become supervisors together?”
“Together?”
The three stared at one another, baffled.
“That’s right. Together!”
Li An began explaining solemnly, “I will restructure the Revenue Office. The original single supervisor position will be changed into three joint supervisors! Each family need only contribute one hundred thousand taels as investment to become shareholders, jointly overseeing the sale of official posts. As for which posts are sold, to whom, and at what price—all three parties will have the authority to propose decisions. How does that sound?”
“Th-this…” Mr. Zhou hesitated. “Would that even work?”
“Of course it will! It’s called a ‘shareholding system’! My own invention!”
Li An puffed himself up proudly. “Think about it—anyone who wants to buy an office must pass your joint approval. No one can bypass another. That guarantees fairness and prevents any single faction from dominating. A fine arrangement, wouldn’t you say? If anyone disagrees, feel free to withdraw…”
Ding!
【Li An invents the “shareholding system” for selling offices!】
【Three factions share the power to sell official posts!】
【The court’s discipline collapses completely—unheard of!】
【Great Qi National Fortune -50】
【Current National Fortune: 87,683】
Li An sneaked a glance at the system, inwardly ecstatic.
A fifty-point drop at once!
This move was vicious indeed.
The three exchanged looks, their minds struggling to keep up.
But after thinking it through carefully… it actually made some sense.
And at this point, all three factions were already too deeply entangled to withdraw gracefully.
If one side refused and the other two divided the position between them, wouldn’t it become even harder later to purchase offices?
“But—”
Sun Fu tried to speak, only to be cut off by Li An.
“Of course, let me make one thing clear. This investment opportunity is fleeting—miss it today, and it won’t return! If the silver isn’t delivered before the hour of Shen, the chance is gone!”
“And furthermore…”
Lowering his voice mysteriously, Li An added, “I’ve already received word that besides your three families, several others wish to invest as well. Salt merchants from Jiangnan, grain magnates from the northwest—they’ve all sent people to inquire. And they’re far wealthier than you.”
At those words, the three men’s expressions changed instantly.
“We’ll invest!”
Sun Fu was the first to decide. “One hundred thousand taels—from the Imperial Uncle’s residence!”
“The Prime Minister’s residence will invest as well!” Mr. Zhou said through clenched teeth.
“Count the Grand Commandant’s estate in!” Old Qian added unwillingly.
Ding!
【Three factions officially invest in the Revenue Office!】
【High court officials openly participate in dividing the spoils of office-selling!】
【Great Qi National Fortune -30】
【Current National Fortune: 87,653】
“Excellent! Decisive!”
Overjoyed, Li An immediately ordered paper and brush, drafting a “Shareholder Agreement” on the spot.
Each faction stamped their seal upon it, and chest after chest of gleaming silver was carried into the Revenue Office treasury.
Li An gazed at the piles of silver, then glanced again at the system—
【Today’s National Fortune Change: -130】
【Total Accumulated Change: -347】
【Current National Fortune: 87,653】
【Estimated Settlement Reward: 34,700 taels of gold】
Over thirty thousand taels of gold!
And this was only the second day!
Not only had he completed fifteen percent of the two-million-tael goal, he had also dragged the three factions aboard his pirate ship!
From now on, they were his “partners” in selling offices!
With them backing the sales, who would dare refuse to buy?
And having paid so dearly to secure their positions, these factions would surely claw back their losses with interest.
Combined with their longstanding rivalry—and now this added fuel of office-selling—things were bound to turn into a life-and-death struggle.
In that case, Great Qi’s officialdom would descend into utter chaos!
Yet outwardly, he maintained a calm smile and addressed his freshly minted “shareholder supervisors”:
“Gentlemen, now that you’ve paid, shouldn’t we discuss how to sell off those less desirable posts? If they don’t sell, how will you recover your investment?”
The three exchanged glances and asked in unison:
“Recover our investment? Lord Li means…?”
“My meaning is simple.”
Leaning back in the grand chair, crossing one leg over the other, Li An grinned slyly.
“Starting tomorrow, each of you may mobilize your own networks to bring clients to the Revenue Office. For every successful deal you introduce, you’ll receive a ten-percent commission.”
“Of course, there’s one small rule—no coercion. Buyers must come willingly. Once purchased, no refunds or exchanges. What do you think?”
Mr. Zhou, Old Qian, and Sun Fu looked at one another and saw the same thought reflected in each other’s eyes:
This Li An may seem flippant… but his mind truly works frighteningly well.
“Very well! We shall abide by Lord Li’s instruction!”
They answered together.
Watching these representatives of court heavyweights—who once sought his downfall—now bowing respectfully and addressing him as “Lord Li,” Li An felt immensely satisfied.
He turned and glanced at Hongmei behind him.
She was staring at him with a profoundly complicated expression.
There was admiration, awe—and something deeper, inscrutable.
Just how much had this man been hiding before?
And where on earth did he get all these strange ideas from?
Night fell.
In the imperial study of the palace, candlelight flickered before the dragon throne.
Zhao Ling’er held a freshly delivered secret report. After reading it, her expression was extraordinarily animated.
Shock?
Disbelief?
And perhaps… a trace of delight?
“Li An… shareholding system… three hundred thousand taels…”
She murmured thoughtfully for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”
Beside her, the old eunuch Li Zhong jumped in fright. “Your—Your Majesty?”
“Li Zhong, look! Just look at this!”
Zhao Ling’er excitedly handed him the report. “As I thought! Li An isn’t causing trouble at all—he’s dividing the court officials for me!”
“He’s pulled the Prime Minister, the Grand Commandant, and the Imperial Uncle’s families in as ‘shareholders,’ making them jointly responsible for selling offices! They had been colluding secretly to bring him down. And now? For the sake of competing over this position, they’ll end up fighting each other fiercely! They’ll even compete to help him find customers to buy offices…”
“And he’s already collected three hundred thousand taels from them! This is only the second day! His ten-day, two-million-tael pledge might be fulfilled in just a few days!”
The more Zhao Ling’er thought about it, the more excited she became. She almost wanted to summon Li An immediately, praise him lavishly, and then discuss by candlelight exactly how he had conceived such an ingenious strategy.
“It is thanks to Your Majesty’s wisdom,” Li Zhong said respectfully. “To recognize talent and appoint Lord Li as top scholar. This old servant also believes he is indeed a capable man.”
“Capable? He’s a once-in-a-generation genius!”
Zhao Ling’er tucked away the secret report, her eyes curving into crescents. “I knew I hadn’t misjudged him! Once he completes the fundraising task, I will reward him handsomely!”
“But…”
She suddenly recalled something, her pretty face flushing faintly red.
“What Ruoxi said today does make sense. I… truly should find an opportunity to observe him closely and understand him better.”
“Otherwise, all my impressions of him come only from reports and rumors…”
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