Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

September 19th, Wu County, the capital of Wu Kingdom.

The State of Wu lasted for 1,200 years, 400 years longer than the State of Chu.

However, due to geographical limitations, coupled with various factors such as the policies of the court, the opportunity to expand the territory has not been seized over the years.

From the very beginning of its founding, the State of Wu had made a vow never to conquer other states, and it watched helplessly as the two behemoths of Song and Chu rose to power right under its nose without taking any action.

In the end, during the struggle for supremacy in the Central Plains, the State of Chu became the hegemon and signed a trade alliance with the States of Song and Wu. However, as time went on, the conflicts between the three states gradually worsened.

In particular, the conflict between the states of Wu and Song was exacerbated by the destruction of the state of Liang, which stood between the two states, by Song. This resulted in the disappearance of their buffer zone, leading to repeated conflicts and even armed clashes.

If it weren't for the intervention and mediation of the State of Chu, the State of Wu would have been destroyed by the State of Song a century ago.

The Wu Kingdom is now the weakest of the Three Kingdoms, with its court and people in a state of utter corruption, and its people living in misery, many of whom have fled to the Chu Kingdom and become refugees.

The court was rife with intrigue and deceit, a chaotic mess of nepotism and corruption.

In the palace, Wu Ji, the emperor of the Wu Kingdom, was a devout believer in the art of cultivating immortality. He had long neglected state affairs and began to build temples and buildings on a grand scale, showing no regard for the people's plight.

By this time, the signs of the Wu Kingdom's demise were becoming increasingly apparent.

At this very moment, Wang Xuance, on the orders of the Empress, arrived in Wu County as an envoy to the Kingdom of Wu.

The arrival of the Chu envoy was taken extremely seriously by the Wu court.

In just three years since the Chu Empress ascended the throne, she has defeated Luchuan, recovered Chang'an, and recently rectified the local officialdom, firmly grasping power in her own hands.

At this point, even the most foolish official realized that the resurgence of the Chu state was unstoppable, and that it was no longer appropriate to treat so-called "allies" in the same way as before.

Therefore, although Wang Xuance was only a minor official in the Ministry of Rites, he was granted honors second only to a king from the moment he entered the capital of Wu.

Sitting in a four-horse carriage, I looked out through the curtains.

What comes into view is a scene of a dynasty's decline:

The rice shop was surrounded by poor people begging for rice. They were all emaciated and pale, and there wasn't a single clean person to be seen.

The shopkeeper rudely drove away the poor and casually displayed today's rice price: 10 taels for 1 shi.

This instantly attracted countless insults and uproar.

Looking at both sides of the road, there were countless starving corpses lying on both sides.

Flies swarmed all around, and a stench filled the air. A group of thugs were rummaging through the corpse for valuables.

An inspector passed by nearby, but ignored it, simply covering his nose and walking away in disgust.

On the other side, in front of a jewelry store, the ground was filled with people selling their children. Upon closer inspection, the youngest child had a sign around his neck that read "Three dou of rice".

However, this did not affect the fact that inside the jewelry pavilion, a group of noble men and women dressed in silk robes went in and spent a fortune to purchase a piece of jewelry that was only used for decoration.

Looking further ahead, a group of young beggars were chasing after a swill truck, rummaging through it, and no matter how the driver tried to drive them away or beat them, it was to no avail.

Wang Xuance silently wrote everything he saw down in his notebook.

"I thought Wu County was at least the capital of a country, but I never expected that even under the emperor's nose, there would be such a despairing scene."

This reminded him of his time in the Chu Kingdom, where no matter how much factional strife there was within the court, in years of great disaster, the six ministries would still unanimously decide to prioritize disaster relief for the victims.

After all, maintaining public morale is more important than anything else.

Closing the booklet, Wang Xuance leaned back in the carriage, letting it sway and bounce as he silently pondered the purpose of his trip.

The Empress's instructions kept echoing in his mind:

"The states of Wu and Song are already corrupt and beyond redemption. I intend to take this opportunity to annex them into the territory of my Great Chu."

"Wang Xuance, on this mission to the State of Wu, you must meticulously record everything you see and hear along the way; you must not slack off in the slightest."

Wang Xuance suddenly opened his eyes, recalling the trusting look Jiang Mengxuan had given him; she had clearly already regarded him as a trusted member of the imperial faction.

"Your Majesty, Duke Zhenguo, rest assured, during this mission to Chu, I will record all the strengths and weaknesses of Wu, and live up to your high expectations!"

The carriage slowly made its way towards the imperial palace.

At this moment, inside the Sanqing Hall of the Imperial Palace, a Taoist priest dressed in a Taoist robe, who looked to be about forty years old but was actually over fifty, was sitting cross-legged on a futon.

He is Wu Ji, the emperor of the Wu Kingdom, who is fifty-three years old this year.

Since ascending the throne twenty years ago, he has spent a full ten years secluded in the harem cultivating immortality and seeking enlightenment, while simultaneously controlling the harem.

Wu Ji appeared very wise, composed, and full of energy, showing none of the dejection one would expect from a ruler of a fallen kingdom.

Three people stood in front of him.

Xu Qian, who was in charge, was seventy-six years old and looked very old and frail. He was the Minister of Personnel and concurrently the Minister of Rites.

Beside him stood Gao Zhan, the Minister of Revenue, around fifty years old, with a cunning and treacherous look on his face.

The reason the two of them came to the Sanqing Hall to meet the emperor today was naturally because of the ever-increasing fiscal deficit.

There was another person, Zhu Neng, the Minister of Works, who was in his early forties.

Zhu Neng spoke first: "Your Majesty, the Ziwei Palace project is nearing completion, and Your Majesty can move in before the end of the year."

Upon hearing this, Wu Ji's lips curled slightly: "This is a good thing. Why do you sound as if you've suffered a great injustice when you mention it?"

Gao Zhan immediately replied, "Your Majesty, this year the Hai and He prefectures suffered from floods, and the farmers have had no harvest."

The national treasury currently lacks funds for disaster relief. Your humble servant intends to request a donation of grain from the State of Chu to alleviate this urgent crisis.

Upon hearing this, Wu Ji slowly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze fixed intently on Gao Zhan.

Gao Zhan shuddered and quickly lowered his head to stop looking.

Xu Qian, who was standing to the side, keenly observed this scene, but remained as still as a meditating monk, without making any response.

As for Zhu Neng, he remained silent, looking at Gao Zhan with disgust.

After a long while, Wu Ji said, "Our Wu Kingdom has two rice harvests a year. With two provinces suffering from disasters, we can't get supplies from other places and have to ask other countries for grain. Aren't we afraid of being laughed at by our friendly nations?"

Gao Zhan replied, "Your Majesty, many places have suffered from disasters this year, coupled with the presence of mountain bandits and roving bandits in various parts of the south. All regions require funds, and we are truly unable to make ends meet."

If the disaster is not brought under control, the number of bandits and outlaws will only increase, and the situation will likely become even more difficult...

Wu Ji interrupted him directly: "I am going to ascend to the Immortal Realm to follow the Dao Venerable. Why should I care about such mundane matters?"

"Since you've already gone so far as to ask the State of Chu for grain, why bother reporting to me?"

Gao Zhan was taken aback.

Zhu Neng seized the opportunity and immediately chimed in: "Your Majesty, Gao Zhan's words are pointed; he is blaming Your Majesty for building palaces without regard for the lives of the people!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhan broke out in a cold sweat: "Zhu Neng, how dare you slander me like this?"

"Slander? Hmph." Zhu Neng sneered, "Do you dare say that you had no objections to the sage building Taoist temples and palaces in private?"

Gao Zhan said, "How could I dare to have any objections? I'm just worried that the disaster is now spreading to all parts of Wu. How should we appease the displaced people who have been affected?"

Wu Ji: "Isn't my construction of Taoist temples and palaces for the benefit of the people of Wu?"

When I ascend to immortality and attain immortality one day, will I not be able to guarantee favorable weather and abundant harvests for my Great Wu?

You all only care about the immediate details, never considering the bigger picture. That won't do.

In short, Gao Zhan was speechless and could only clasp his hands in apology: "Your Majesty is wise; my humble servant's light is but a firefly's glow, not even a fraction of the bright moon's light."

Wu Ji closed his eyes briefly: "You don't need to rush to flatter me. I know very well that I have many complaints about my pursuit of immortality and the Dao, believing that I only care about large-scale construction projects."

"I show no compassion for the common people, but I am devoted to the Way, for the sake of the eternal prosperity of my Great Wu Dynasty. How could I jeopardize the nation and its people for my own personal desires?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Neng immediately began to flatter him: "The sage is wholeheartedly devoted to the people, as the sun and moon can attest. It is hateful that there are always people who do not appreciate the sage's good intentions, and their hearts are truly despicable."

Gao Zhan was so humiliated that he didn't dare utter a sound and could only stand there waiting to be punished.

Wu Ji glanced at the group of people, then fixed his gaze on Xu Qian: "Minister Xu, why don't you speak?"

Xu Qian then realized what was happening and replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, this old minister was just wondering when would be the most suitable time to move into the Ziwei Palace after its completion."

Upon hearing this, Wu Ji's face lit up with joy. Pointing at Xu Qian, he said to the other two, "Did you hear that? This is the demeanor that a pillar of the state should have. You should all learn from him."

Xu Qian returned the greeting: "Your Majesty's words are too kind to this old minister."

Wu Ji waved his hand and said, "Enough said, Minister Xu. I'll leave the matter of my palace relocation to you. All the necessary expenses will be obtained from the Ministry of Revenue."

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhan immediately wanted to quit.

But Wu Ji's next words shut him up.

"Don't complain to me. You are my purse strings. I've entrusted you with the financial power of the entire nation because I believe you can relieve my worries."

As for where the money comes from, I won't ask. You don't need to explain it to me in detail. Just go ahead and do it. With me behind you, what are you worried about?

"When I become an immortal, the people will understand my good intentions, and they will be too busy being grateful to me."

The high-flying strategy was abandoned in an instant.

He naturally understood what Wu Ji meant; it was nothing more than exploiting the people.

The problem is, the people are already broke. If they keep squeezing them dry, they'll be skinned alive.