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

Late March, in front of the government office of Yuzhou Prefecture, Shu County.

"Welcome, Lord Sun!"

Looking at the solemn and dignified governor's office before him, Sun Yuwang was filled with mixed emotions.

When the officials of all ranks in the city learned that Sun Yuwang had succeeded to the position, they all came to offer their congratulations, and the surrounding area was also filled with onlookers.

An official from the government office brought out a brand-new purple official robe and the governor's seal, and respectfully handed them to Sun Yuwang.

"My lord, please come into the mansion."

Sun Yu looked at the official robe that glared at him, feeling utterly absurd, so absurd it almost suffocated him.

He wanted to simply walk away, but the responsibilities he bore and the reputation of his sect compelled him to continue this charade.

So he learned the official etiquette and bowed to everyone, saying, "Thank you all for your kindness and support. I am new here and this is my first time serving as an official. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

“What are you saying, Governor Sun? Now that you are the Governor of Shu County, all the officials in Shu County are at your command. If anyone should be taking care of us, it is Governor Sun who should take care of us more.”

"As a member of the Shushan Sword Sect, Governor Sun helped His Majesty quell the rebellion. In this light, the rumors circulating in the martial arts world that the Shushan Sword Sect was going to rebel are nothing more than common gossip."

"That's right. How could a dignified immortal sect like Xuan Su do things that would put all living beings in a difficult situation?"

"Now that the Shushan Sword Sect is cooperating sincerely with the imperial court, I dare not speak for other places, but at least the people of Shu can live in peace."

Hearing the praise and compliments from his "colleagues," Sun Yuwang's cheeks twitched slightly involuntarily.

He knew that there must be many spies among the onlookers, and his every move would soon reach the ears of those righteous men.

To avoid further misunderstanding, he could only hurry into the governor's office.

Sure enough, after Sun Yuwang entered the governor's office, several martial arts figures who had concealed their identities quietly left the crowd, their eyes filled with intense hatred.

They arrived at a secluded corner and immediately started arguing.

"What a fine Shushan Sword Sect! What a prestigious sect! They're treating us like monkeys! I thought Sun Yuwang was truly innocent, but today he's openly taking office as governor!"

"I really didn't expect that the self-proclaimed noble and virtuous master of Mount Shu would actually collude with that tyrant and kill countless of our brothers. That Sun Yuwang climbed to the position of governor by stepping over the corpses of his comrades."

"I think this was all at the behest of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect. You've discovered such a big thing, and Sun Yuwang has been acting as a lackey of the imperial court right under your nose, yet you haven't made a sound. It must have been at their behest."

"Now that you mention it, it seems to be true. You are truly ruthless. Even those in the demonic path would not be so shameless."

Having witnessed it firsthand today, these traitors and righteous men have become even more prejudiced against the Shushan Sword Sect and Sun Yuwang.

Some have even begun plotting to find an opportunity to eliminate Sun Yuwang, this traitor, and avenge the righteous men who were killed by him.

Inside the governor's hall, Sun Yuwang, already dressed in his official robes, sat upright.

As soon as he took his seat, Fa Xiaozhi, the Prefect of Dongzhou, greeted him with a smile: "I am Fa Xiaozhi, the Prefect of Dongzhou. I greet Governor Sun. If there is anything I can do for you, please feel free to ask."

After assisting Shen Lang in quelling the rebellion of Jiang Chong in Shu County, Fa Xiaozhi was appointed as the Prefect of Dongzhou, holding the rank of fifth grade.

Originally, the position of prefect of the third rank was undoubtedly his for the year, but after hearing that the court was establishing a cabinet system, he decisively refused the position and planned to make new contributions so that he could be recommended to the cabinet.

Fa Xiaozhi was well aware of the situation in the court and the local areas, as well as the attitude towards the sects. He had long predicted that the Empress would not continue to tolerate the local dominance, nor would she give the sects any chance to turn the tide.

He had already learned of the Empress's ambition from Shen Lang's few words.

She wanted to become the only female emperor in the world, an emperor who was unprecedented and would never be surpassed.

She no longer confines herself to the title of "Reviver of the Nation," but aims to create an unprecedented golden age.

The entire southeast, northeast, and northwest regions, and even the South China Sea, are already within the sphere of influence of the Great Chu. How could the Weizang Kingdom on the plateau possibly let it go?

On the side of the couch, how can you allow others to snore?

The Empress will certainly not tolerate any threat to the Chu Kingdom on the borders of her territory, so war with Weizang in the future is inevitable.

Having figured this out, Fa Xiaozhi set his sights on resolving the issue of this defection.

Only by eradicating all the Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the martial arts world) forces within Shu County can the Chu army advance into the plateau region without any worries.

Therefore, Fa Xiaozhi lowered himself to curry favor with Sun Yuwang at this time, using him as a starting point to help the Empress gather all the rebels and wipe them out in one fell swoop.

There's a saying that goes, "When a wise man bows his head to you, there are only two possibilities."

The first type is someone who is impressed by your abilities, to whom no amount of trickery will work, or someone who sees your immense potential and value that can bring huge benefits.

The second type is someone with ulterior motives who wants to ruin you.

As for being captivated by charm, that's an idealist's argument. Only narrow-minded, mediocre people who are depressed and unsuccessful would be swayed by any kind of charm.

Shen Lang belonged to the former category. After the rebellion in Shu Commandery was quelled, although Fa Xiaozhi did not hold a high official rank, he established considerable political influence in Shu. This was the benefit he gained by joining Shen Lang.

As for Sun Yuwang, he also has interests to gain, but these interests must be paid for with the lives of the people behind him.

Poor Sun Yuwang was unaware that he had not only been tricked by the Empress, but also unknowingly tricked by Dugu Yun's self-righteous cleverness.

"You are too kind, Prefect Fa. I hope you will continue to guide me in my official duties in the future."

"Of course, of course. It's all for the court and His Majesty's sake. I will certainly not shirk my duty."

Fa Xiaozhi smiled so sincerely that no one could tell what was going on.

Soon, officials delivered congratulatory gifts and memorials.

Sitting in the main hall, looking at the officials who were all flattering and bowing to him, Sun Yuwang felt extremely uncomfortable, but at the same time, a strange feeling arose in his heart.

Is this what power tastes like?

After a moment of distraction, he immediately came to his senses.

No, I am a righteous man who rebels against a tyrant. The Empress's hands are stained with the blood of countless comrades. How can I be deceived by what I see before me?

Quickly composing himself, Sun Yu stood up and said, "Gentlemen, I wonder how the administration under your jurisdiction is? Please tell me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Prefect Wang Lan of Zizhou stood up and said, "Lord Sun, a timber processing plant is under construction in Zizhou City, but the roads are rugged and uneven. I hope that you can allocate the corresponding funds as soon as possible."

Prefect Xiang Lang also said, "Your Excellency, the waterways in Yanzhou are no longer sufficient to transport the current boats. I request that you, Lord Sun, allocate funds to widen the waterways."

Immediately, the people in the courtroom began to tell Sun Yuwang about the situation under their jurisdiction, and seven out of ten things were related to money.

However, Sun Yuwang knew nothing about the details of the accounts or how to implement the process of submitting memorials for funding, so he could only turn to Fa Xiaozhi for help.