Journey to the West: Please Call Me the White Bone Demon

The Imperial Palace of the Great Wall, Zichen Hall.

Yun Zhao, dressed in a crimson official robe, with a gold fish-shaped hat and a jade belt at his waist, slowly stepped into the hall. The officials lined up on both sides, their gazes all falling on him, some with curiosity, some with jealousy, some with fear, and some with disdain.

A twenty-year-old top scholar, and the best of the best, is something that has never happened in the two hundred years since the founding of Baoxiang Kingdom.

The king, nearing forty and slightly overweight, greeted Yun Zhao with a warm smile upon his arrival: "Rise, Yun Qing! I have read your policy essays three times, and I love them more and more each time. I wish I could appoint you as prime minister tonight!"

Yun Zhao bowed deeply, his voice gentle yet neither humble nor arrogant: "Your Majesty's great favor is too much for me to bear. I am but a humble scholar, and I am willing to share Your Majesty's burdens."

In short, he both flattered the king and humbled himself, and all the old ministers in the hall nodded in approval, thinking to themselves that this young man knew how to conduct himself.

The king immediately approved: "My mind is made up. From this day forward, Yun Zhao shall be appointed Hanlin Academician, drafter of imperial edicts, and participate in state affairs. In the future, he may consult the king at any time if he has any questions!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the court.

Being appointed as a drafter of imperial edicts and participating in state affairs is already equivalent to the treatment of a prime minister!

The old prime minister, Qian Weiming, with his white hair and beard, stepped forward shakily: "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that although Scholar Yun is talented, his qualifications are still shallow. It is feared that he will find it difficult to win over the people if he is suddenly given a high position..."

The king's smile froze.

Yun Zhao bowed first, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone to hear: "What Lord Qian said is absolutely right. I am new to the court and have the least seniority. How dare I overstep your position? I am willing to first assume the post of 'Acting Minister of Revenue'. If I cannot increase the national treasury's revenue by 30% within a year, I am willing to be demoted to a county magistrate to repay His Majesty's grace."

Upon hearing this, Qian Weiming was immediately speechless.

The Ministry of Revenue was the poorest and most chaotic department in Baoxiang Kingdom. It suffered from droughts and floods year after year, taxes were in arrears, the national treasury was constantly empty, and even the palace was struggling to pay salaries. None of the past Ministers of Revenue served a full three years; they were either impeached or resigned due to illness.

The king's eyes lit up: "Excellent! Yun Qing is indeed responsible! I grant your permission!"

Qian Weiming's lips twitched, and he was about to speak again when Yun Zhao silenced him with a gentle look. That look, though smiling, sent a chill down his spine.

And so, Yun Zhao entered the Ministry of Revenue.

On his first day in office, he didn't even have a cup of tea. Instead, he brought over all the account books, files, and tax registers from the Ministry of Revenue, which filled three rooms.

Then, he closed the shop for seven days.

On the seventh night, the Ministry of Revenue was brightly lit.

Yun Zhao, dressed in a blue robe and holding a vermilion pen, stood before more than eighty officials from the Ministry of Revenue, all of whom were deathly pale.

"Steward Zhang, last year there was a flood in the south. You reported 73,000 hectares of farmland affected, but the actual survey showed 114,000 hectares. Where did the relief funds for the difference of 41,000 hectares go?"

"Dr. Li, the total salt tax revenue was 230,000 taels, but only 90,000 taels were reported to the national treasury. Did the remaining 140,000 taels somehow grow legs and run away?"

"Minister Wang, your household has three hundred servants and an eight-bearer sedan chair, yet last year you only paid thirty strings of cash as 'personal tax.' Are you treating the law of the land as if it were nothing?"

Every single item, every single account, is crystal clear.

Yun Zhao's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a series of knives, cutting everyone until they bled.

In the end, the Minister of Revenue was so frightened that he wet his pants and fainted on the spot.

Three days later, the Ministry of Revenue underwent a major purge.

Anyone who embezzles more than one thousand taels shall be beheaded.

Those who possess more than 500 taels of silver shall be exiled.

Those who possess more than one hundred taels of silver will be demoted to commoners.

Overnight, half of the official positions in the Ministry of Revenue became vacant.

Yun Zhao filled the vacant positions with those who had been frustrated in their careers and those who were not successful in Baoxiang Kingdom.

These people were extremely grateful to him and devoted to him.

Six months later.

Yun Zhao introduced four new policies: the "Equal Land Distribution Order," the "Salt and Iron Monopoly," the "Tea and Horse Trade Market," and the "Opening of Trade Routes in the Western Regions."

Land tax was reduced from 30% to 15%, while commercial tax increased fivefold.

For the first time, the national treasury achieved a surplus of revenue over expenditure.

The following spring, the national treasury unexpectedly amassed 1.2 million taels of silver and 3 million shi of grain.

The king was so pleased that he held a seven-day banquet in the palace, appointing Yun Zhao as "Left Prime Minister" and "Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince," and bestowing upon him a gold and purple belt and a jade ruyi, truly making him second only to the king.

Qian Weiming and the other veteran officials were completely dumbfounded.

They wanted to impeach him, but couldn't find any grounds for it; Yun Zhao's accounts were so clean that even a fly couldn't get a foot in them.

They wanted to form a faction, but found that the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Personnel were already full of Yun Zhao's people.

The third year.

Yun Zhao began to take action against the army.

The standing army of Baoxiang Kingdom numbered no more than 30,000, with poor combat effectiveness and its military pay was often delayed.

Yun Zhao first paid all the owed military pay in full, and then allocated 200,000 taels of silver from the national treasury to manufacture new armor, long-handled swords, and powerful crossbows.

Then, he personally went to the military camp, studied military books by lamplight, and was able to set up the "Eight Trigrams Formation" in three days and practice the "Linked Horse Formation" in ten days.

The soldiers were dumbfounded.

Yun Zhao then branded all the capable individuals with his own mark, ensuring they could never betray him for life, thus secretly controlling each camp.

Six months later, the Baoxiang Kingdom's army had completed its reorganization.

On the surface, they are still the king's army, but in reality, they are completely under the command of Yun Zhao.

That same winter.

The king suddenly fell ill with a stroke, becoming bedridden, unable to speak or write.

The Imperial Medical Bureau was at a loss.

Yun Zhao was "heartbroken" and stayed by the emperor's bedside day and night.

Seven days later, the king "died of illness" without an heir.

Yun Zhao held the king's body and wailed, his cries bringing tears to the eyes of all the officials.

Three days later, the officials submitted a memorial requesting Yun Zhao to become regent.

Yun Zhao declined three times but was refused, and accepted the offer with tears in her eyes.

From then on, there was only one voice in the imperial court of Baoxiang Kingdom.

Yun Zhao.

He sat atop the highest point of the Zichen Hall, overlooking his assembled officials, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"Issue the Regent's decree."

"From this day forward, the Kingdom of Baoxiang will adopt the new calendar and abolish the old system."

"The ministers of the six ministries—the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Rites—are all under the control of the regent."

"Anyone who disobeys the king's orders shall be beheaded."

The hall was completely silent.

"It took some effort, but we've managed to get the situation under control."

Vientiane Palace

Yun Zhao accepted all the beauties offered by the Kingdom of Baoxiang without hesitation.

He was not one to enjoy a life of hardship, and now that he had become the king of Baoxiang Kingdom, he naturally would not allow himself to suffer.

Of course, these were just daily pastimes; he hadn't forgotten his serious business.

Now the entire Baoxiang Kingdom is under his complete control. Using the methods of cultivators to make things difficult for Tang Sanzang is indeed beyond the capabilities of a Celestial Immortal.

But if we use conventional rules to stop it, it's much simpler.

Yun Zhao held a beautiful woman in his arms, with several servants kneeling at his feet, and a group of beautiful women behind him.

He had no interest in appreciating it.

Before Tang Sanzang and his disciples arrived, they had to greet the person in the Wave Moon Cave.