Investiture of the Gods: Childhood Sweetheart Daji, Starting with Quasi-Saint Cultivation

The Golden Palace.

The atmosphere at today's court assembly was unusually oppressive.

Eight officials, including Liu Hong, the Vice Minister of Works, knelt in the hall to plead for the Marquis of Dongbo, Jiang Huanchu.

"Your Majesty! The Marquis of Dongbo is a pillar of the nation. Although he has made mistakes, his crime does not warrant such a severe punishment!"

"Your Majesty, please consider his many years of service to the Marquis of Dongbo and forgive his transgression!"

"The Marquis of Dongbo is the father of Queen Jiang. If he is severely punished, it may discourage the other feudal lords!"

The eight people spoke earnestly, their voices trembling with tears.

Many court officials also showed reluctance, but no one dared to echo their sentiments.

Everyone knows that the Marquis of Dongbo has offended His Majesty this time.

Colluding with Xiqi is a heinous crime of treason.

The fact that he was spared was already a favor to King Jiang.

King Zhou sat high on the dragon throne, his face expressionless.

He only spoke slowly after the eight people had finished speaking.

"Are you done talking?"

Liu Hong kowtowed: "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

King Zhou looked at Su Yunbai.

"Minister Su, what do you think?"

Su Yunbai stepped forward.

"I believe that the crime of the Marquis of Dongbo should be decided by Your Majesty."

"but……"

He then changed the subject.

"The fact that Vice Minister Liu and others pleaded for the Marquis of Dongbo in this way shows that they are people who value loyalty and righteousness."

Liu Hong was overjoyed.

Is Su Yunbai going to speak up for them?

But Su Yunbai's next words made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"Since he is so loyal and righteous, he must also take good care of his colleagues."

Su Yunbai turned around and looked at Liu Hong.

"Minister Liu, there is something I do not understand. Please enlighten me."

"General, please speak..." Liu Hong's voice trembled.

"Last year, the Yellow River breached its banks, and the Ministry of Works allocated three million taels of silver for repairs. However, according to investigations, only one and a half million taels of silver were actually used for the repairs."

Su Yunbai spoke calmly, yet every word was like a knife.

"Where did the remaining 1.5 million taels go?"

Liu Hong's face turned deathly pale.

"This...this is a frame-up!"

"A frame-up?" Su Yunbai took out an account book. "This is a copy of the Ministry of Works' accounts. It clearly records the flow of every sum of money."

He turned to a page.

"Look, this transaction, 500,000 taels, has been transferred to 'Liu's Money Shop'."

"This sum of 300,000 taels was transferred to 'Liu's Grain Store'."

"And this last one..."

"Enough!" Liu Hong shouted hoarsely, "This is all fake! Fake!"

Su Yunbai closed the ledger.

"Whether it's true or false, a simple check will tell."

He looked at King Zhou.

"Your Majesty, I suggest a thorough investigation of the Ministry of Works' accounts over the past ten years. Anyone found to have embezzled should be severely punished!"

King Zhou nodded.

"Granted."

He looked at Liu Hong and the others.

"As for you... throw you into the prison first, and we'll deal with you after the investigation is complete."

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, spare my life!"

The imperial guards stepped forward and dragged away the eight wailing men.

The main hall was deathly silent.

All the courtiers lowered their heads.

It's too cruel.

Su Yunbai's move not only silenced those who pleaded for leniency but also allowed him to take the opportunity to purge the Ministry of Works.

From this point on, the Ministry of Works will be completely under the control of the Tian Ce Mansion.

"Dismiss the court."

King Zhou turned and left.

---

Tiance Mansion.

As soon as Su Yunbai returned, Fei Zhong came to greet him.

"General, the investigation of the Ministry of Works' accounts has begun. Preliminary estimates indicate that over five million taels of silver have been embezzled!"

"Hmm." Su Yunbai was not surprised. "All officials involved will be severely punished."

"yes!"

Fei Zhong hesitated for a moment.

"General, what about the Marquis of Dongbo... should we...?"

"No need," Su Yunbai said. "His Majesty knows what he's doing."

He paused.

"What's going on in Xiqi?"

"Not yet," Fei Zhong said. "However, our scouts have reported that Jiang Ziya has been frequently visiting Kunlun Mountain recently, seemingly plotting something."

Kunlun Mountain...

Elucidating the teachings.

Su Yunbai's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Keep an eye on it."

"yes!"

After Fei Zhong left, Bi Xiao walked in.

"Yunbai, my eldest sister has sent a message."

"How so?"

"Master has sent an official envoy, who will arrive in Chaoge in three days," Bixiao said. "It is Senior Brother Duobao who is coming."

Daoist Duobao!

The eldest disciple of the inner sect of the Jie Sect, and the first disciple personally taught by the Tongtian Sect Master!

Su Yunbai felt a chill run down his spine.

In the original novel of Investiture of the Gods, this person later betrayed the West and became the Tathagata of Many Treasures.

"Taoist Duobao..." he pondered, "His arrival represents Tongtian's attitude."

"Eldest sister said that Senior Brother Duobao came here for two reasons: first, to observe the situation in Chaoge, and second... to see you." Bixiao looked at him. "Master is very interested in you."

"Really?" Su Yunbai smiled. "Then I'll have to prepare properly."

"What do you want to do?"

"Treat each other with sincerity," Su Yunbai said. "The Jie Sect values ​​loyalty and sincerity. Playing games is a sign of inferiority."

Bixiao nodded.

"That's what I think too. Although Senior Brother Duobao is very shrewd, he hates hypocrites the most."

She paused.

"By the way, what are your plans regarding Miss Ao Ling?"

"What? What should we do?"

"She seems to treat you... differently now," Bixiao said. "Yesterday I went to the Water Conservancy Department and saw her reading your 'Outline of Water Conservancy,' so engrossed that she didn't even notice me coming."

Su Yunbai raised an eyebrow.

"So what?"

"What do you think?" Bixiao rolled her eyes at him. "Don't tell me you don't feel anything."

Su Yunbai remained silent.

Of course he could sense it.

Ao Ling's gaze softened more and more as she looked at him.

When their eyes meet occasionally, she will unconsciously look away.

How could he not notice such a change?

"Now is not the time to talk about these things," he finally said.

"I know," Bixiao said softly, "but when it comes to matters of the heart, sometimes the longer you drag it out, the more troublesome it becomes."

She walked to Su Yunbai's side and took his hand.

"Yun Bai, I'm not forcing you. I'm just reminding you that the dragon princess is simple-minded. If you have no interest in her, make it clear as soon as possible, so she doesn't get more and more involved."

Su Yunbai was deeply moved.

"Thank you, Bixiao."

"No need to thank me." Bixiao leaned on his shoulder. "We're family."

The two embraced for a moment.

---

Water Conservancy Department.

Ao Ling sat at his desk, looking at the "Outline of Water Conservancy" in his hands.

This was written by Su Yunbai himself, and it elaborates on how to utilize water power, how to manage water and prevent floods, and how to balance the relationship between aquatic creatures and humans.

Between the lines, one can sense a profound understanding of the nature of water and a deep reverence for nature.

"What kind of person is he...?" Ao Ling murmured to himself.

These days, she has come into contact with too much about Su Yunbai.

He acted swiftly and decisively in the imperial court.

The military reforms were sweeping and radical.

We spare no effort in promoting technology.

Treat allies with sincerity.

Show no mercy to the enemy.

Such a complex person, yet she couldn't help but be drawn to him.

"Princess."

A dragon maid walked in.

"The Prime Minister has sent a message asking when you will return to the East Sea."

Ao Ling came to her senses.

"Tell the Prime Minister that I will not be returning for the time being."

"But……"

"Tell them I need to stay in Chaoge and observe for a while longer," Ao Ling said. "The cooperation between the Dragon Clan and Chaoge has just begun, and someone needs to coordinate things here."

"Yes."

The maidservant withdrew.

Ao Ling looked out the window.

The direction of Tian Ce Mansion.

"Su Yunbai..."

She murmured the name softly.

A hint of confusion and a hint of expectation flashed in her icy blue eyes.

---

late at night.

Xiqi, the secret chamber of King Wen's palace.

Jiang Ziya was having a private conversation with someone.

The man was dressed in a black robe, his face was indistinct, and his aura was eerie.

"With the Marquis of Dongbo under house arrest, our plans have been thwarted," Jiang Ziya said in a deep voice.

The man in black robes said in a hoarse voice, "It doesn't matter. Marquis Dongbo is just a pawn; once he's discarded, he's discarded."

"But the Shang Dynasty has gained the support of the Dragon Clan, greatly increasing its national strength. If this continues, Xiqi may find it difficult to resist."

"Don't worry," the man in black robes said, "The Dragon Clan has its own arrangements."

Jiang Ziya frowned: "You're going to attack the Dragon Clan?"

"It's not about taking action, it's about... replacing the Dragon King with a more obedient one."

Jiang Ziya was startled.

"You need to..."

"You don't need to ask any more questions about this," the man in black interrupted him. "You just need to do your job."

He took out a black token.

"This is the 'Demon Summoning Token,' which can command the demon race. When the time is right, someone will come with this token to help you."

Jiang Ziya took the token and sensed the rich demonic energy emanating from it.

"What about the Goddess Nuwa...?"

"Your Majesty has made her own arrangements," the man in black robes said. "You only need to remember that Xiqi's replacement of the Shang dynasty is the will of Heaven. Anyone who tries to stop it will be annihilated."

After he finished speaking, his figure gradually disappeared.

In the secret chamber, only Jiang Ziya remained.

He looked at the demon-summoning token in his hand, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Demon race...Dragon race..."

"Just how many forces will be drawn into this catastrophe?"

He put away the token and left the secret room.

The night sky was as dark as ink, and the starlight was dim.

The rain is coming and the wind is all over the building.

---

Song.

Su Yunbai stood on the top floor of Tian Ce Mansion, gazing up at the starry sky.

Suddenly, he frowned.

A strange fluctuation was sensed coming from the direction of Xiqi.

The fluctuations were cold, evil, and filled with demonic energy.

"The demon race..."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"Are they finally going to make their move?"

He turned around and looked at the sleeping Bixiao.

Then he looked in the direction of the Water Conservancy Department.

Finally, I looked towards the palace.

"No matter who comes..."

He murmured to himself.

"I will defend Chaoge."