I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

"Your Majesty, since the ancestral home of Taoism is located in Jiangzuo, it should naturally bring blessings to the fourteen prefectures of Jiangzuo."

"I believe that this matter should be accomplished by the people of Jiangzuo."

"absurd!"

Xiao Jingyan immediately interrupted him sternly.

"Jiangzuo has suffered from floods for years, and the corvée labor is already heavy. Is Lord Zheng trying to force the people into rebellion?"

Zheng Bichang smiled calmly and said, "Your Highness Prince Jing has misunderstood. I was referring to the Jiangzuo Alliance."

"They were the ones who oversaw the construction of the Wanshou Palace; they know the ropes well. Letting them share some of the work would relieve the emperor's worries and spare the people from suffering—wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

"Lord Zheng's insight is brilliant."

Lou Zhijing's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he quickly and generously replied:

"The Heavenly Sect brings blessings to Jiangzuo, and it is only right that the Jiangzuo Alliance contributes. As for the funds, the Ministry of Revenue will have to work harder next year to cover 10% of their costs."

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials looked on in disbelief.

The Ministry of Revenue only contributed 10% of the funds, but the Jiangzuo Alliance had to bear 90%.

Lou Zhijing even put on a show of "sympathy for the Jiangzuo Alliance".

How can this person speak so eloquently?

That's utterly shameless!

Prince Yu, Xiao Jinghuan, was so angry he laughed. Everyone in the capital knew that Mei Changsu was his strategist, yet Lou Zhijing dared to openly plot against him.

As expected, none of the people on the Crown Prince's side were good.

His hatred for the crown prince deepened even further.

"One-tenth of the silver for nine-tenths of the project—such 'generosity' is something I've never seen before."

Lou Zhijing remained expressionless, puffing out his belly as he chuckled, "Your Highness Prince Yu is too kind."

"The Jiangzuo Alliance is incredibly wealthy; this amount of silver is nothing to them. Besides, being able to share His Majesty's burdens is a blessing for them!"

As Zhu Houcong watched the group sing in unison, he shifted all the blame onto the Jiangzuo Alliance.

My mood is becoming increasingly pleasant.

Zheng Bichang and Lou Zhijing, you two are truly my most considerate little darlings!

"Well, so good."

Zhu Houcong nodded slightly.

"This Mei Changsu, a commoner, knows how to share the country's burdens, but he is not a court official after all."

"Yan Song... don't reward him openly, but give him a small reward secretly!"

Yan Song understood and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is benevolent; this servant will go and do it immediately."

[Reasonably quote Emperor Jiajing to play Emperor Jiajing +1, reward: Martial Arts Golden Elixir]

Xiaomeng, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded, feeling that her worldview had been completely refreshed.

Zheng Bichang, Lou Zhijing, what the hell are they?!

They're all like cunning old foxes!

She knew Zhu Houcong's plans in advance.

But none of these people knew anything about it!

But Zhu Houcong only asked about the progress of the Wanshou Palace, and they knew what to do.

In just a few words, they thoroughly exploited the Jiangzuo Alliance, making it all sound noble and respectable.

When it comes to the ability to distort the truth, even the Heavenly Sect's "Heaven and Earth Lose Color" pales in comparison to this group.

These people are truly living in accordance with the natural way!

Compared to these people, he, the sect leader of the Heavenly Sect, was nothing more than a greenhorn!

As soon as the court session ended, Xie Yu grabbed Chen Yuanzhi's sleeve and dragged him to a secluded corner of the corridor without saying a word.

"Lord Chen, why did you chicken out in court today?"

Chen Yuanzhi was pulled so hard he stumbled. He was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then his face turned red and he started cursing.

"Xie Yu, you weren't the one who almost got killed, what do you know?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Yu's face immediately darkened. He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.

"Lord Chen, you are the Minister of Rites. In terms of etiquette and social order, you are the most authoritative person among all officials. What are you afraid of?"

Why don't you dare to stand up for yourself?

"Alright, I want to live a few more years, farewell."

After saying this, Chen Yuanzhi turned and left.

These words infuriated Xie Yu to the point of madness. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly stepped forward to block Chen Yuanzhi's path.

“Lord Chen, I have heard that your son has been in office as prefect for less than three years, yet he dares to accept bribes and allow military horse traders to smuggle goods across the border.”

"This courage is unlike that of scholars from noble families like yours!"

Chapter 67 All I Want Is an Apology from Emperor Liang

"you!"

Chen Yuanzhi was immediately filled with shock and anger, his withered fingers gripping Xie Yu's clothes tightly.

"Xie Yu, how dare you threaten this old man!"

Xie Yu smiled contemptuously, slowly pried open Chen Yuanzhi's fingers, and dusted off his wrinkled clothes.

"I was merely kindly reminding Lord Chen not to deliberately go easy on him when discussing etiquette in court."

"Otherwise, even if I wanted to keep your son's shady dealings a secret, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to."

"Does Lord Xie think he can win by not holding back?"

"His Highness Prince Yu has always been respectful to scholars. If we were to compare, those people could drown me with a single spit from each of them."

"That's enough!"

Xie Yu interrupted sharply, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.

"How come I never realized you, Chen Yuanzhi, were such a complete coward? You've already chickened out before the competition even started!"

"If you're so good, then you do it!" Chen Yuan said disdainfully, craning his neck.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yu could no longer suppress his anger and transformed into the legendary Deputy General of Jinling, Ma Guocheng.

"Chen Yuanzhi, you son of a bitch!"

"Xie Yu...you...you're vulgar..."

Chen Yuanzhi never imagined that at his age, he would have the chance to carelessly lose his own mother.

I was almost driven mad with anger.

"I'm talking about you! If Prince Yu can invite a renowned Confucian scholar, do you think we can't do the same in the name of the Crown Prince?"

Xie Yu snorted coldly.

"Even the greatest scholars are human; they need to eat, listen to music, and visit brothels. As long as you're willing to spend money, even the most renowned scholars of the time will have to bow down obediently."

"Uh…"

"I'll arrange this. You just need to remember this: don't embarrass yourself, and keep your spirits up."

Xie Yu patted Chen Yuanzhi on the shoulder and strode away, leaving Chen Yuanzhi standing there in a daze.

Not long after the court session ended, Mei Changsu, who had been in a coma for eleven days, slowly opened his eyes, his vision gradually becoming clear.

The first thing that catches the eye is my good buddy Lin Chen, dressed in white with his long hair casually draped over his shoulders.

"Lin Chen? What brings you here?"

As the saying goes, the Langya List, a scroll of historical records, encompasses all the extraordinary talents in the world.

The Langya List was compiled by the Langya Pavilion.

Lin Chen is the current head of Langya Pavilion.

"Why am I here?"

Lin Chen interrupted her impatiently, and his folding fan swished open with a "whoosh".

"If I hadn't come, you'd be drinking tea in the King of Hell's palace right now!"

Mei Changsu gave a weak smile.

"Hehe, you're so loyal..."

"Hey, don't rush to praise me."

Lin Chen snapped his fan shut and stretched out a hand.

"Let's settle the bill first."

"It usually takes ten days to travel from Langya Mountain to Jinling, but after receiving the message by carrier pigeon, I arrived in five days. Three fine horses died in the process, and you have to compensate me for that."

Mei Changsu shook his head helplessly.

"I'll pay, I'll pay, okay? I'm the dignified leader of the Jiangzuo Alliance, I can easily afford a horse."

"That was possible before, but not necessarily now!"

Lin Chen stood up, left a message, and left the room.

Mei Changsu was taken aback upon hearing this, and then turned his gaze to Li Gang and Zhen Ping, who were standing not far away.

The two men were ashen-faced, their fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and their eyes blazed with fury.

Something terrible has happened!!

This was his first thought.

"Li Gang, how long have I been unconscious? What happened during that time?"

Seeing that Mei Changsu was asking a question, Li Gang didn't keep him in suspense and told him everything that had happened during this period.

In the end, Zhu Houcong established Taoism as the state religion, and the court forced the Jiangzuo Alliance to bear 90% of the cost of repairing Sanqing Mountain.

"Cough cough cough..."

Upon hearing this, Mei Changsu suddenly coughed violently, and a sickly flush appeared on his pale face.

Lin Chen poked his head in and calmly said, "Cough cough cough, anyway, with me here, you're not going to die anytime soon."

Mei Changsu took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress the surging emotions within him.

"Have you found any clues about Brother Meng's cause of death?"

Li Gang shook his head with a solemn expression.

"It is said that they were besieged by two grandmasters, but so far no one has been able to find out which force was behind it."

"Besides signs of a struggle, not a single clue was left at the scene."

Zhen Ping suddenly stepped forward, his eyes flashing with cold light.

"Sect Master, could it be that the royal family orchestrated this whole thing?"

"The ambush outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation that night was clearly premeditated; it might even be a case of the thief crying 'stop thief!'"

"impossible."

Mei Changsu denied it categorically.

"Brother Meng once said that Emperor Liang trusted him greatly."

"Moreover, judging from the scale of these ten days of fasting and prayer, Emperor Liang's feelings for him were by no means feigned."

After these words were spoken, the room fell into a brief silence.