NOVPUBChapter 1036 -63: Autumn Wind Rises! The Great Emperor Misses Wang Shouzhe (Seeking Monthly Votes)_4
Chapter 1036 -63: Autumn Wind Rises! The Great Emperor Misses Wang Shouzhe (Seeking Monthly Votes)_4
Within a few steps, Meng Yuanbai had reached the entrance of the Hall of Political Harmony.
He tidied up his attire and adjusted his facial expression before he stepped inside and approached a door at the deepest part of the hall. He knocked solemnly, “Official Meng Yuanbai, acting on orders to come here. I wonder if the Minister has time to spare for a meeting?”
The Ministers’ offices were naturally not all crammed into one room; each had their own separate office. Under normal circumstances, specific officials were responsible for running back and forth, delivering reports and documents. Only during particularly significant matters would the Ministers meet to discuss face to face.
The room deep inside the Hall of Political Harmony belonged to the current Prime Minister, Zhao Hongbo.
Following Meng Yuanbai’s voice, a deep and aged voice soon came from inside the room, “Come in.”
“Yes.”
Meng Yuanbai gestured a salute towards the door before gently pushing it open and walking in.
Inside, there was a spacious large room.
Besides rows of bookshelves, there was also a vast desk piled with neatly arranged stacks of reports.
Sitting behind the desk was a thin elderly man.
Clad in a purple official robe, with deep-set eyes and a prominent nose, his demeanor was profoundly subtle and restrained, almost entirely void of an imposing aura. He held a pen, with a report spread out in front of him, swiftly penning down something.
It was known that in the Great Qian Land, only those in the Divine Power Territory were eligible to be Ministers. For cultivators like Meng Yuanbai who were in the Purple Abode Realm, reaching the position of a Third Grade Chief was already the limit.
Despite his restrained aura, Meng Yuanbai did not dare underestimate him. Even just standing before him like this, Meng Yuanbai already felt enormous pressure.
Because the man in front of him was the current Prime Minister, the most powerful Minister in the Great Qian Land, and also the second Old Ancestor from the Second Class Zhao Clan, Old Ancestor Hongbo.
In the Great Qian Land, he could be described as “beneath one person, above tens of thousands,” truly standing at the pinnacle of power.
Even the princes who held military power were generally unwilling to conflict with him.
Next to the elder, a young scholar in a red Grade Four official robe was carefully grinding ink. Noticing Meng Yuanbai’s gaze, the young scholar nodded at him.
Meng Yuanbai paused slightly, then quickly acknowledged with a nod in return.
He naturally recognized this young scholar.
Despite his current position as a Grade Four official, a grade lower than himself, this man’s background was not simple.
This man was named Zhao Zhikun, currently one of the three most valued Divine ability species of the Second Class Zhao Clan, often accompanying Minister Zhao. It was said that Minister Zhao seemed to intend to groom him as his successor.
In a few hundred years, one of the four Minister positions in the Great Qian Land might belong to him.
With such a status, Meng Yuanbai naturally dared not neglect him.
“Official Meng Yuanbai, greeting Minister Zhao.”
After a silent exchange of courtesies with the young man, Meng Yuanbai, following the protocol, bowed respectfully to the elder sitting behind the desk, then stood still with his hands clasped, waiting for instructions.
“Director Meng… I remember you were promoted to Chief of the Three Talents Section fifty years ago, right?” Zhao Hongbo did not look up, casually mentioning as if in passing.
“Yes, Minister,” Meng Yuanbai respectfully answered.
“Time flies, it’s already been fifty years,” Zhao Hongbo seemed somewhat nostalgic, “I still remember your first days in the officialdom. Back then, you were just over a hundred years old, a young fellow who knew nothing but cultivation.”
“Yes,” Meng Yuanbai respectfully lowered his head, sincerely agreeing, “Back then, Yuanbai was reckless, offending the senior Chen Boyong from the Chen Clan, nearly resulting in my dismissal. It was Jianming who couldn’t stand by and brought me before you, convincing you to lend me a helping hand, thus giving me a chance to turn things around. These years, it’s also thanks to Minister’s support that Yuanbai has achieved today’s status. I will never forget your grace, Minister, and should there be a chance to repay it, Yuanbai will spare no effort.”
This was him showing his loyalty.
“Let’s dispense with the formalities. You’re helping me enough by doing your job well,” Zhao Hongbo said indifferently, “I’ve called you here today not for anything major, just a matter that, if assigned directly, might overwhelm your subordinates, so I called you over to give you some instructions. Zhikun.”
“Yes, Old Ancestor.”
The ink-grinding Zhao Zhikun responded, immediately setting down the inkstick, then picked out a report from a stack in front of him and presented it to Meng Yuanbai with both hands.
Meng Yuanbai was initially puzzled but, upon receiving and examining it, he realized it was a sealed investigative report. The informant’s name was covered with lacquer, the content was about tax evasion, and the subject of the complaint was…
“The Changning Wang Clan?”
Meng Yuanbai was startled.
Wasn’t this the Prominent Family with a rapidly rising influence lately?
As the Chief of the Three Talents Section and due to his professional sensitivity, he was quite familiar with the various developments within Shangjing City.
Starting from the year before last, it began with Li Yao, the Great Heavenly Proud entering the city to compete, becoming famous in one battle. The following year, Zong’an, another Great Heavenly Proud, entered the city and established the Coalition for Desert Development, causing many Prominent Families in the city to rush to invest, all related to this Changning Wang Clan.
