Now, a question arises!
If this map records the locations of the Nine Cauldrons, does that mean the eight cauldrons in the Qin Palace are fake?
Or rather
Could the Nine Cauldrons passed down from the Zhou Dynasty be counterfeit?
Are the symbols of the Son of Heaven's authority forgeries?
As this thought crossed his mind, Zhao Feng couldn't help but fall into deep contemplation.
If this were true
Then the land of Shenzhou was far from as simple as it seemed. There had to be some great secret hidden within it.
"The land of Baiyue."
"The land of the Nine Cauldrons."
"If I want to uncover the mysteries of Shenzhou, I must travel to Baiyue one day." Zhao Feng thought to himself.
Returning to his senses, Zhao Feng put away the Nine Cauldrons map and turned his attention to the rewards from the two second-tier treasure chests.
"Five thousand pieces of Void Stone."
"This is an essential material for crafting spatial rings."
"With these Void Stones, traveling for military campaigns will be much easier in the future."
"And then there's the Tianwen Sword."
"A divine weapon of the Heaven tier."
Seeing these two treasures, Zhao Feng's eyes widened with excitement.
The Nine Cauldrons map seemed to be of a higher level, but for now, it didn't have much practical use for Zhao Feng. It would only come in handy in the future when he sought to uncover the mysteries of Shenzhou.
"Tianwen Sword."
Zhao Feng called its name.
A long sword appeared in his hand.
The sword seemed to possess a spirit of its own, hovering in front of Zhao Feng. Its blade was sleek and unadorned, free of any decorative patterns, yet the chilling frost emanating from its edge filled the entire hall with a murderous aura.
"With this divine weapon, my strength will increase severalfold at the very least."
"Though to be honest, there's currently no one in Shenzhou who even requires me to exert my full power."
Looking at the sword, Zhao Feng's eyes glowed with excitement.
Without hesitation
He gripped the hilt of the sword with his right hand.
The divine weapon acknowledged its master.
The moment he grasped the sword, he felt a spiritual connection with it.
A terrifying sword intent surged into the sky.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Across the entire estate, the swords at the waists of the guards trembled uncontrollably.
It was as if they were paying homage to their sovereign.
Even the Dragon Spring Sword at Zhao Feng's side resonated in the same way.
A Heaven-tier weapon was undoubtedly a divine blade in the mortal world. The Dragon Spring Sword, while also a divine weapon, was only at the Profound tier, whereas the Tianwen Sword was at the Heaven tier.
This treasure chest had been worth opening.
"Now, I just need to focus on cultivating in the estate."
"If I train diligently for three months, all my attributes will surpass one hundred thousand."
"By then, I may reach an entirely new realm."
Zhao Feng mused.
He had a strong premonition that breaking through the one hundred thousand attribute mark would bring him a major surprise perhaps even an evolution of his attribute panel.
Zhao Feng remained in his estate.
Having just returned from the battlefield, he had been granted the king's favor. He was not required to attend court and could enjoy a period of rest at home.
A Few Days Later
In the Bustling Streets of Xianyang
"This must be a joke, right?"
"The current Prime Minister has been imprisoned and is scheduled for execution along with his entire family in ten days?"
"I heard that this was all exposed and impeached by the Grand General Zhao Feng after his return to court. The Prime Minister committed serious crimes seizing farmland, trafficking government slaves, and even smuggling goods with foreign nations for profit."
"Those are all major crimes!"
"In that case, Wang Wan truly deserved his fate. The punishment of execution for his entire family is completely justified."
"Exactly! Grand General Zhao Feng is indeed a pillar of our Qin Empire rooting out such a corrupt official for us!"
"Wang Wan deserved to die."
"Yes! He truly deserved it..."
The streets were abuzz.
With Wang Wan's crimes and his upcoming execution made public, the entire city was in an uproar.
After all, he was the Prime Minister an extremely high-ranking and powerful figure.
And now, he was about to be executed along with his entire household.
For the common people, this was a huge topic of discussion.
In Prince Fusu's Mansion
"Chancellor Kuai."
"Is there no way to stop this?"
Fusu looked at Kuai Zhuang with frustration.
"Your Highness."
"The verdict has been passed, and His Majesty has already approved it."
"There is no way to overturn this now."
"Moreover, the Court of Judicial Review has issued a wanted notice for all of Wang Wan's remaining family members."
"The only thing we can do now is ensure that Wang Wan's bloodline survives." Kuai Zhuang sighed.
"Chancellor Kuai."
"Have you... committed any crimes similar to Wang Wan's?"
Fusu suddenly raised his head and fixed his gaze on Kuai Zhuang.
Under Fusu's piercing stare
Kuai Zhuang's heart clenched.
At his level, with so many disciples and subordinates, how could he be completely clean?
He immediately understood the warning in Fusu's words.
Wang Wan had committed crimes against the state and deserved to die.
Fusu's concern stemmed solely from personal sentiment because Wang Wan had supported him wholeheartedly. That was why he cared.
But Wang Wan had broken the law, and deep down, Fusu wasn't pleased about it either.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness."
"I have done nothing of the sort." Kuai Zhuang quickly reassured.
He was well aware of Fusu's temperament.
Although gentle by nature, Fusu also had a deep hatred for wrongdoing. If he were to learn that Wei Zhuang was involved in the same corrupt activities as Wang Wan, resentment would undoubtedly take root in his heart.
"Prime Minister Wei."
"I truly do not wish to see another case like that of Prime Minister Wang."
"You have already reached the pinnacle of officialdom why the need for so much wealth?"
"I simply cannot understand it," Fusu said, his face filled with confusion.
"Your Highness, not everyone thinks the same way."
"Prime Minister Wang had a vast family and many disciples. Even if he did not consider himself, he had to think of his clan and followers," Wei Zhuang sighed.
Hearing this, Fusu found himself at a loss for words.
"Your Highness," Wei Zhuang continued, "I have something to say. I do not know if you would be willing to hear it."
"Please speak, Prime Minister Wei," Fusu replied.
"From this day forward, you must regard Zhao Feng as a life-and-death enemy."
"He will never allow Your Highness to ascend to the position of Crown Prince."
"In the past, Your Highness showed him tolerance, yet he never reciprocated. The downfall of Prime Minister Wang was entirely due to Zhao Feng's sudden action."
"Your Highness, you must change your mindset," Wei Zhuang said sternly.
"Zhao Feng... has not done anything wrong from start to finish," Fusu hesitated.
"It was always Prime Minister Wang who provoked him."
"Then why did Prime Minister Wang meet such an end?"
"Moreover, Zhao Feng's political stance is entirely at odds with Your Highness's."
"If military generals like Zhao Feng gain absolute power, the Qin Empire will spiral into endless wars, leaving the people in misery. How can one even speak of implementing benevolent governance?" Wei Zhuang said bitterly.
Hearing this, Fusu fell silent.
Time quickly passed, and the day of Wang Wan's execution, along with the punishment of other corrupt officials, arrived.
Outside Xianyang City, over ten thousand imperial guards gathered.
More than a thousand criminals were lined up for execution.
The once-mighty Chancellor Wang Wan, along with numerous court officials, had now fallen to the lowest depths.
After nearly half a month of judicial review by the Minister of Justice, those who committed minor offenses were spared execution but faced other penalties.
Those guilty of serious crimes especially those deeply involved in corruption faced complete extermination of their families.
Some were demoted to slave status and exiled to the northern frontier.
Women from convicted families were forced into government service.
Zhao Feng sat in the official's seat overseeing the executions, with Li Si and Feng Jie beside him.
"Reporting to the Grand General," a subordinate officer stepped forward and bowed.
"All prisoners are in position."
"Awaiting your command."
Zhao Feng's gaze swept across the prisoners, stopping at Wang Wan.
He did not bother with harsh words.
Instead, he simply raised a command token and coldly ordered, "Execute them!"
"The Grand General has given the order."
"Execute!"
The officer turned and shouted.
Immediately, the executioners, already prepared, took a sip of wine and spat it onto their blades.
The next moment
Swish!
A series of chilling sounds filled the air as blades sliced through flesh and bone.
In an instant, thousands of heads rolled, and the ground was drenched in blood.
"The Minister of Justice," Zhao Feng turned to Li Si.
"I leave the aftermath in your hands."
"Grand General, you are too kind."
"I will handle this matter properly," Li Si responded with a smile.
"In that case, I leave it to you," Zhao Feng replied with a slight smile before rising and heading toward his carriage.
A massacre of this scale nearly two thousand people executed at once was enough to make ordinary citizens vomit in horror.
But Zhao Feng remained calm.
On the battlefield, he had seen far worse.
"Wang Wan..."
"In the end, you lost."
"Now, it remains to be seen who will reign supreme in the court," Li Si murmured, a cold smile on his lips as he looked down at Wang Wan's lifeless body.
Watching his rival's demise filled Li Si with immense satisfaction.
"Minister of Justice," Feng Jie spoke up as he stood.
"I hope you will grant Wang Wan a proper burial. After all, he once held the rank of Chancellor in our great Qin Empire."
"Rest assured, Lord Feng," Li Si said calmly.
"Though there was enmity between us, he was still a high-ranking official. I would not dishonor his corpse."
The dead were dead.
A proper burial meant little it would not change anything.
Returning Home
Back at the Zhao residence, Zhao Feng was greeted by Wang Yan, Zhao Qi, and Zhao Ling.
"Father," Zhao Ling pouted.
"Are you going to stay home all day again?"
"If you do, I'll go find Grandfather instead!"
"Don't worry," Zhao Feng chuckled.
"I have something exciting planned for you all."
He then turned to Wang Yan.
"Yan'er."
"Do you know why your husband is unstoppable on the battlefield, cutting down enemies with ease?" Zhao Feng asked, his tone serious.
"It's because my husband is incredibly brave," Wang Yan replied.
"Bravery may play a part," Zhao Feng nodded.
"But the real reason is that I have obtained a cultivation technique one that grants extraordinary power."
"It is called the Way of Martial Arts."
"A cultivation technique?"
"The Way of Martial Arts?"
Wang Yan looked at him in shock, unable to comprehend.
"You won't understand just yet," Zhao Feng said.
"Relax and listen carefully."
Zhao Feng smiled slightly.
Wang Yan nodded and relaxed her whole body.
"Advanced Internal Energy."
Zhao Feng directly transmitted the cultivation technique through his spiritual power, imprinting it into Wang Yan's sea of consciousness.
The next moment
Wang Yan opened her eyes, a look of astonishment appearing on her face. "Martial cultivation? Strength reaching ten thousand jin? How is this possible?"
"Qi'er, Ling'er."
"Come here."
Zhao Feng waved at his two children.
The two little ones obediently walked over.
"Father is going to put something into your minds. From now on, you must study it every day."
"But without Father's permission, you cannot tell anyone about it not even your grandfather. Do you understand?" Zhao Feng spoke gently.
"Father, we understand."
The two children nodded repeatedly.
"Good." Zhao Feng smiled.
He placed his large hands on the heads of the two children. His spiritual power was extremely gentle and slowly infused into their sea of consciousness. Unlike adults, he did not transmit the full cultivation technique at once but instead imparted only the foundational techniques of the acquired realm.
Very soon
"Father."
"It feels like there's a book in our heads, with so many words!"
"Yes! But there are a lot of words we don't recognize." Zhao Qi and Zhao Ling spoke one after the other.
Zhao Feng chuckled. "Yan'er, from now on, you will be responsible for teaching them to cultivate."
"As for you, I will also arrange for someone to instruct you." Zhao Feng smiled.
"Husband, is this technique truly so powerful?" Wang Yan still found it hard to believe.
In response, Zhao Feng simply smiled without explaining.
Instead, he turned his gaze to a nearby table.
Then
He extended his right hand and gently lifted it.
The table, as if guided by an invisible force, rose into the air and floated midair.
"This... This is martial cultivation?" Wang Yan watched in shock.
"This is martial true energy."
"Once one reaches the innate realm, they will possess it." Zhao Feng smiled.
"Husband, are you an immortal?" Wang Yan gazed at Zhao Feng with admiration.
"Not an immortal, just someone invincible in the mortal world." Zhao Feng chuckled.
"No wonder Husband dares to charge so boldly on the battlefield, no wonder Husband dares to invade the northern lands of foreign tribes." Wang Yan's eyes shone with respect.
Her husband was once just a military logistics officer, yet now he had become Qin's Martial Lord and was even poised for promotion to National Commander. More than that, he possessed power beyond the mortal realm, like a divine being.
Thinking about it, Wang Yan's heart pounded wildly in disbelief.
"You must cultivate diligently in the future," Zhao Feng said gently.
"Husband, I will not let you down." Wang Yan nodded firmly.
Meanwhile, at the morning court assembly, which Zhao Feng did not attend
At this moment
The court was discussing the position of chancellor.
"Reporting to Your Majesty."
"Wang Wan has already been executed, and his crimes have been publicly revealed."
"However, the position he held was the foundation of Great Qin."
"Now that our empire has been unified, the chancellorship bears the weight of the nation's governance and must not remain vacant."
"I humbly request Your Majesty to select a worthy and capable individual from among the court officials to serve as the Left Chancellor and assist in ruling the country."
…
In the court
Officials rose one after another to propose discussions on appointing a new chancellor.
At a glance
They had formed several factions.
The old nobility.
The new nobility.
Fusu's faction.
Huhai's faction.
Each sought to seize the chancellorship, or at the very least, compete for it.
At the high seat
Ying Zheng observed the commotion in the court with a calm expression.
After letting them argue for a while
Ying Zheng finally spoke. "Enough."
The court immediately fell silent.
"The position of chancellor."
"I have already made my decision."
Ying Zheng spoke slowly.
Clearly
His tone indicated that his decision was final, and not open for discussion.
All eyes turned toward Ying Zheng.
"Han Fei."
Ying Zheng's gaze shifted to Han Fei.
Upon hearing this
Everyone's expression changed. Even Han Fei himself was momentarily stunned.
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