Chapter 92: Humiliated and Ridiculed

Pfft!

Fan Li finally could not hold it in and burst out laughing.

With him leading the way, soft chuckles rippled through the court.

Xiang Chong’s face turned green.

Had he forgotten to check the almanac before going out today?

Why, on his very first day presiding over court, had he encountered nothing but such a mess?

“Ah...”

Eunuch Chen shook his head as well.

Of all things for the new emperor to ask, why financial affairs?

Who in the entire Great Chu did not know that the empire’s prosperity rested entirely on the Fan Trading Company?

Thanks to the company’s immense coordinating power, the flow of goods among the common people was smooth, commerce flourished, and prices remained stable.

Every year, the commercial taxes collected by Great Chu exceeded those of Great Han and Great Ming combined.

Xiang Chong suppressed the urge to slap the Grand Minister of Agriculture to death and said, “Where is the former Grand Minister of Agriculture? And what did you do before? What achievements do you have, and on what basis did you replace him?”

Sang Yang first knocked his head to the ground, then answered.

“Your Majesty, this subject has never met the former Grand Minister of Agriculture. I only heard that, due to his advanced age, he retired and returned home.”

“As for this subject, I had never held office before. I merely studied at home and had no notable service to the court. It was only last month that I was summoned by the Chancellor and entered the court to serve as Grand Minister of Agriculture.”

On hearing this, Xiang Chong sneered again and again.

Very good.

So he was a man with connections, brought in through Fan Li’s back door?

What of it if the Fan family held the power of the state in their hands? Now that he had caught evidence of their corruption and favoritism, could he not take the chance to deal with them?

“Chancellor, I need a reasonable explanation,” Xiang Chong said coldly.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Fan Li bowed slightly, as though it had nothing to do with him at all.

“This minister is the Chancellor of Great Chu and first among the civil and military officials. All personnel changes and policy adjustments in this court are under my supervision.”

“The former Grand Minister of Agriculture was advanced in years and petitioned to retire. After this minister submitted the memorial and received approval from the Retired Emperor, the former minister returned home with honor. I then recommended Mister Sang Yang for the post, and this was also approved during the Retired Emperor’s reign.”

“Wait!”

The more Xiang Chong heard, the more something felt wrong.

“You said the Retired Emperor... do you mean her... ?”

Fan Li smiled without answering, and Xiang Chong immediately felt sick, as if he had swallowed a fly.

Xiang Ning had actually become his Retired Emperor?

What a humiliating relationship this was.

Yet when he thought carefully, he found he could not refute it.

When this new emperor took the throne, it was said that Xiang Ning had ceded it to him.

In other words, if Xiang Chong wanted to ensure the legitimacy of his own imperial rule, he had to acknowledge Xiang Ning as the Retired Emperor.

“Chancellor, do not dodge the issue,” Xiang Chong said irritably, waving his hand to force the matter past him.

“Just tell me this: what merit does Sang Yang have that you could elevate him from a commoner in the countryside to one of the highest ministers among the Nine Ministers? Could it be that you accepted a great bribe from him?”

“Your Majesty, choose your words carefully!” For once, Fan Li showed a solemn expression.

His reaction was far beyond Xiang Chong’s expectations, and the emperor only thought he had struck Fan Li where it hurt.

“Ha. Was I wrong? A man meant to stand among the Nine Ministers must be chosen from the common folk? Are there no capable talents in court? Sang Yang? I confess my ignorance—I have never even heard of any prominent noble family in Great Chu with the surname Sang!”

On the Golden Throne Hall, Xiang Chong’s voice was sharp and grating, echoing over and over.

Fan Li’s expression darkened to the extreme.

But he did not flare up. Instead, he suddenly turned, bent down, and helped Sang Yang, who was still kneeling on the ground, to his feet.

“Minister Sang... no, Mister Sang, please hear my explanation...” Fan Li’s tone was gentle, measured, even carrying a trace of apology.

But Sang Yang only shook his head.

He no longer looked at Xiang Chong seated upon the dragon throne, and merely gave Fan Li a bitter smile.

“I, Sang, was born into humble circumstances and possess shallow learning; I was never fit for such a great burden to begin with. I have held the post of Grand Minister of Agriculture for more than a month and achieved nothing. Today, since His Majesty has decided I am unworthy, I shall simply resign and return home to continue my studies in seclusion. It seems I am not worthy of this Golden Throne Hall after all...”

“Mister Sang, please do not speak that way! A true gentleman standing between heaven and earth must know that humble origins are no disgrace; to bend and to stretch as the world requires—that is a real man!”

Fan Li comforted him repeatedly, then made a solemn promise.

“Mister Sang is the person I have chosen for Grand Minister of Agriculture. If you will not take the post, then I would rather leave it vacant!”

“Hmph!”

Xiang Chong’s face darkened as he heard this.

He was the emperor, and Fan Li actually dared, right in front of him, to say he would keep Sang Yang?

“Thank you, Chancellor. It is only that Sang has come to understand that this is not the right time to enter official service. I shall wait until opportunity ripens in the future, and then offer my service.”

As he spoke, Sang Yang gave Fan Li a deep bow. Then, in full view of the court, he removed his ceremonial robe and official cap, leaving in nothing but white garments as he walked out of the Golden Throne Hall.

“I was meant for the fields, not for the emperor’s hall. Ha ha ha ha ha!”

Freed from the restraints of his official robe, Sang Yang’s demeanor completely changed from his earlier humble, apologetic one. A carefree, transcendent elegance seemed to bloom about him.

Then, all at once, a towering surge of azure-green spiritual energy erupted from his body, shooting straight into the heavens.

In all the court, only Xiang Chong stood frozen in utter shock. As for Fan Li and the civil and military officials, their gazes toward Sang Yang held only regret and reluctance.

The azure-green spiritual energy soared skyward!

This was a magnificently pure and dense righteous force, the mark of a great master of the Confucian path.

Sang Yang was a first-rank Dao-Integration Realm expert of the Confucian school!

“He...”

Unconsciously, Xiang Chong rose to his feet and took several steps forward, as though he meant to chase after Sang Yang, who had already flown beyond the horizon and could no longer be seen.

Fan Li cast Xiang Chong a cold glance, making no attempt to explain anything.

The gazes of the civil and military officials toward Xiang Chong had lost all reverence for the Son of Heaven; what remained was contempt buried deep in their hearts.

“What in the world is going on?” Xiang Chong asked, his old face flushed red.

Among all these officials, there was actually a Dao-Integration Realm expert, and he had not even known?

One must know that a Dao-Integration Realm cultivator, especially one of the Confucian path, was someone any ruler would be obligated to invite with the highest honors in any of the Three Kingdoms!

Fan Li said nothing.

The officials kept silent as well.

In the end, it was the Grand Herald, also of the imperial clan, who stepped forward.

The Grand Herald trembled all over as he explained in a tone that was nearly reproachful.

“Your Majesty! Mister Sang Yang is a prodigy of the Confucian path. He was born to a poor family, so in his youth he had no money to travel to Lu City for study.”

“And yet, relying on talent so rare it is scarcely seen in this world, Mister Sang became a great Confucian master in merely fifty years, almost entirely through self-cultivation!”

“Mister Sang is now a first-rank Dao-Integration Realm expert, but even Marquis Wenxin, Lü Chunqiu, has admitted that within a hundred years Sang will surely reach the Great Ascension Realm and enter the ranks of the strongest beings under heaven!”

By this point, the Grand Herald was already drenched in tears.

How could one not be furious at Great Chu’s loss of such a talent?

Xiang Chong gaped speechlessly, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

He had only wanted to make trouble for Fan Li—how had he ended up offending a future Great Ascension Realm expert?

He still could not understand it. Was Fan Li not supposed to be a treacherous minister? If he was a treacherous minister, then should he not simply do the work of a treacherous minister and leave talent recruitment to someone else? How utterly absurd!

“Even if Sang Yang has profound cultivation, he may not be suited for the office of Grand Minister of Agriculture. That office oversees finance...” Xiang Chong said stubbornly, trying to defend himself.

Hearing this, the Grand Herald shook his head repeatedly.

“After Mister Sang attained mastery in the Confucian path, he began writing books and expounding his theories. His works include The Classic of Commerce, Treatise on Wealth, and Strategies for Enriching the People, among others!”

“The current Grand Minister of Agriculture of the Han Kingdom and the current Minister of Revenue of the Ming Kingdom both claim to be his students!”