"Thank you, City Lord, thank you." The Minister of Personnel repeatedly expressed his gratitude, wiping the sweat from his forehead, finally able to relax a little.
Most of those Your Majesty intended to punish were his relatives, and if it came down to it, he himself would be implicated. Obtaining leniency was the best outcome.
A few other officials watched from a distance, and seeing that Mingyi was actually quite amiable and approachable, they too stepped forward.
"Your Majesty intends to execute the assassin by dismemberment—it’s too brutal and may tarnish his reputation. Could the City Lord also advise against it?"
Mingyi shook her head. "Reputation is something Your Majesty doesn’t care about, and I don’t wish to say much either. Let this serve as a warning to others."
"And the city patrol guards who were collectively punished with three months' salary deduction for being implicated..."
"Salary deductions for too long can breed resentment. Better to replace it with corporal punishment—ten lashes each, just enough to teach them a lesson," Mingyi suggested.
The officials nodded repeatedly. Though they had some reservations about her indifference to Your Majesty’s reputation, they also realized that Mingyi wasn’t someone who could be easily swayed—this young woman had her own strong opinions.
Thus, from then on, the ministers only approached Mingyi when Ji Bozhai’s actions became truly excessive.
Soon, court was in session. Ji Bozhai first cheerfully promoted a group of young talents to high-ranking positions, causing an uproar among the courtiers. Some questioned their qualifications, while others praised the emperor’s open-mindedness.
Just as the debate reached its peak, Ji Bozhai summoned several women into the hall.
Dressed in official robes, indistinguishable from the male ministers, the women first reported their ongoing and completed tasks to Ji Bozhai, leaving the courtiers stunned.
Then, led by Song Lanzhi, three widows began accusing several officials of corruption, abuse of power, and even murder—five in total, with irrefutable evidence.
Ji Bozhai immediately ordered the five to be dragged away and rewarded the women with official positions.
At this point, the courtiers who had earlier opposed young officials no longer protested their promotions—instead, they objected to women entering the court, especially three widows. What kind of place did they think the imperial court was?
One elder minister even removed his official hat, loudly declaring he would remonstrate with his life.
Seated on his throne, Ji Bozhai raised a hand, and the old minister was lifted into the air before being dropped to the ground. With a loud thud, he didn’t die but broke his leg, howling in pain and screaming for help.
His cries echoed through half the palace.
This act was tantamount to declaring to the world that Ji Bozhai was a tyrant who would not tolerate dissent.
For a moment, the court fell into silence.
"A minister’s duty is to serve the ruler and share his burdens, not to act insolently above him," Ji Bozhai said leisurely. "If this empire had been built on your words alone, I might have conceded. But the Six Cities were won by my own hands, one by one. And you—you were all sent here by your respective cities, insisting I employ you. I owe you nothing, and it is not your place to teach me how to rule."
Each word struck like a hammer, leaving the court deathly still.
"I decree that both men and women may take the imperial examinations and enter the Academicians' Court. Young officials who perform well shall rise in rank. I will promote whom I choose—no recommendations needed. I have eyes and ears; I can see and hear for myself.""I do not impose heavy taxes, nor do I oppress the people. But if any of you prove yourselves unworthy of your positions, regardless of your background or status, those seated high in this hall today may find themselves prisoners tomorrow. If you disagree, come and take my life."
Mingyi glanced at him with slight concern.
Though he no longer needed to rely on noble families, their roots ran deep. If they perceived him as too great a threat, they might rebel. Could he handle it?
Yet when she looked at Ji Bozhai, his eyes brimmed with excitement, as if he were eagerly awaiting someone to challenge him.
Mingyi: "..."
She understood.
With the Six Cities unified and no wars to fight, the Fighters of each city had seen their Combat Skills and Essence Power decline after becoming lords. He didn’t want to become a mere bureaucrat, so he was stirring up trouble for himself.
What a madman.
Still, the military power was in her hands. No matter how much the noble families schemed, they couldn’t cause real chaos. Mingyi turned her gaze back to the court.
He had fulfilled all her wishes; now she would safeguard his ambitions.
Many couldn’t accept Ji Bozhai’s words that day. After court adjourned, dozens of resignation letters flooded the Imperial Study, including some from truly capable officials.
Ji Bozhai couldn’t be bothered to persuade them. He accepted them all, then reopened the imperial examinations to recruit new talent.
This excited scholars from humble backgrounds, who rushed to apply. Even some long-reclusive sages couldn’t resist testing their luck.
Rumors of the Emperor favoring his own circle were dispelled—their Majesty would gladly employ those with no connections or backing, as long as they got the job done. Even a beggar on the streets today might don the Gorgeous clothing of a fifth-rank official tomorrow.
Women rejoiced even more. Families began valuing their daughters, sending both sons and daughters to school. The birth of a girl with Crimson Meridians was celebrated with drums and gongs to announce the happy news to neighbors.
Of course, many noble families grew rebellious, secretly purchasing Divine Tools and gathering forces to overthrow Ji Bozhai.
Mingyi happily sold them Divine Tools at exorbitant prices through the black market, fleecing them thoroughly, then led her troops with even higher-grade Divine Tools to crush them all, confiscating their assets.
Ji Bozhai didn’t even catch a glimpse of the rebels before Mingyi reported the cleanup complete.
His lips twitched. "You didn’t leave a single one for me?"
Counting the gold notes in her hand, Mingyi pondered. "The Liu family also resents you. They just bought a hundred top-tier Divine Tools—you can handle them yourself."
Ji Bozhai sprang up from the throne and had Buxiu fetch his newly crafted silver armor. Adorned with red tassels, it looked magnificent—though it offered little protection, it was dazzling.
Sure enough, Mingyi’s eyes lit up when he put it on.
Thrilled, Ji Bozhai marched out of the palace in his gleaming armor, only to return less than an hour later, looking disgusted.
"What?" Mingyi raised an eyebrow.
"Cowards. The Liu family didn’t even dare fight me. They surrendered the hundred Divine Tools on the spot, claiming they were ‘donations to strengthen the palace defenses.’"
Mingyi laughed. "So I’ve made another forty thousand taels of gold and gained a hundred Divine Tools for free?"She tapped the abacus: "At this rate, if two more families rebel, we'll have enough military provisions for next year."
Having spent many years in the Slave Arena, Ji Bozhai was reluctant to impose harsh taxes on ordinary citizens. Mingyi thus supplemented military funds with income from selling Divine Tools. With the treasury well-stocked, Ji Bozhai had the means to rebuild cities and establish more academies.
Working seamlessly together, the two brought visible improvements to the lives of the people across the Six Cities.
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