Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

If there truly were gods, heaven would have sent a lightning bolt to strike him dead the first chance it got!

A corpse, and he imbued it with divinity in just a dozen or twenty minutes.

He'd hoodwinked all the workers, making them dizzy with gratitude.

He had no doubt that if Fang Zheng asked these people to give their lives for the Great Jing, the vast majority would do it willingly.

These people had almost become half Great Jing citizens, deeply grateful to the Great Jing and its emperor.

Such powers of persuasion, such methods of manipulating hearts... were unlike anything he had ever seen!

It was just too damn unsettling.

If he continued to deepen cooperation with the Great Jing, he feared he would be utterly outplayed by such a man... his bones picked clean, leaving only dust.

But was there any turning back now?

As Hope's heart churned with bitterness, Fang Zheng raised his hand and said, "Brothers, we've already taken up enough of your time today. Let us use the Great Jing's etiquette to respectfully see His Majesty off!"

Fang Zheng's gaze shot like lightning towards Blake.

Blake, numb, knelt to the ground once more, kowtowing firmly and shouting, "Respectfully see off His Majesty!"

The others followed his example, kneeling and shouting in unison.

Li Yuanzhao remained unmoved, the muscles in his cheeks tense.

Finally, he sighed deeply, forced a smile, and raised his hand, saying, "Rise."

With that, he turned and left.

Seeing this, Lai Gou'er immediately whispered in Fang Zheng's ear, "Big Brother, you went a bit too far this time. His Majesty seems angry."

Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow: "That's precisely what makes His Majesty so charming. If he weren't angry, I'd have to quickly consider resigning."

"Alright, don't overthink it. I'll explain it to you when I have time... Sometimes, doing things is for the greater good. I'll go explain to His Majesty. We've already opened a newspaper in Holy City, right? Publicize today's events widely, emphasizing how His Majesty's arrival has brought a better life to the common people. Go do it."

"Yes!"

......

"Lao Fang! You went too far!"

Inside the Holy Temple's study, Li Yuanzhao gritted his teeth and slammed his fist heavily on the table.

The cups and dishes on the table jumped from the impact.

Fang Zheng said slowly, "Your Majesty, wasn't I doing this for you, for the good of Great Jing?"

"But you can't make fun of a dead man!" Li Yuanzhao burst out in anger, "What are you doing now! You have no compassion. I can't believe this is you!"

Fang Zheng said earnestly, "I did indeed do something immoral, but to be honest, I don't feel too burdened by it. After all, we secured some benefits for the majority of people."

"A person can love the world, love all the people, but how much of that love can be specifically directed towards an individual?"

Fang Zheng spread his hands helplessly: "I'm already this old, how much emotion can I have? The love in my heart has already been divided up. Walter is just a foreigner I met by chance, and he's already dead. My primary consideration is how to help you and pave the way for Great Jing to better solve its problems."

Hearing him say this, the fire in Li Yuanzhao's heart felt like it had been doused with cold water. His old face flushed slightly as he said, "You... don't think that just because you say that, I won't dare to scold you!"

"That Walter was a good man... you're promoting evil and abandoning good!"

"A good man?" Fang Zheng questioned, "Your Majesty, do you understand him? Do you know what good deeds he's done? We don't know. Perhaps he was a good father, but does a good father necessarily make a good person? Let's just assume he was a good man, but this world has never stipulated that good people will be rewarded. On the contrary, bad people are more likely to be rewarded because they are more bestial and dare to fight!"

"I know that the heavens are unfair, but since I am the Son of Heaven, I must act on behalf of heaven! I must correct what is unjust!"

"Didn't Walter still die?"

Li Yuanzhao's face flushed, and he argued, "Then how do you explain that Blake? He's deceiving me, fabricating things. It's clear he's a petty person. Your actions have only enhanced his reputation. In my opinion, we should immediately replace such people!"

"Everyone working on the construction site is like that. Replacing a few won't solve the problem. This guy has been frightened and will be more honest than the average person," Fang Zheng explained patiently. "What's the benefit of replacing him? Our Great Jing's influence in Holy City is already very strong. If you kick him off the construction site, he won't be able to survive in Holy City in the future."

"He adopted Walter's son. If he has no income, who will raise Walter's son? If he has money, he can treat Walter's son well, but what if he doesn't?"

Li Yuanzhao was momentarily speechless. He turned his back to Fang Zheng, leaned on the table, and faced the window without saying a word.

Fang Zheng smiled wryly: "If I were in my twenties, I certainly wouldn't do such a wicked thing, but now, our identities are no longer what they used to be. We no longer have the carefree and unrestrained life we once had. Our moral values are destined to diverge from the moral values of ordinary people in many ways."

"Great love is merciless. We must overcome our natural inclinations, start from the big picture, and be responsible for the majority of people. So many of our soldiers are about to use Holy City as their base to start a great war. We must consolidate the hearts of the people as much as possible to reduce future hidden dangers. Even if the war is over, and the church no longer distinguishes between old and new, Holy City will be the most important location in the West. Only here can Great Jing's influence be maximized."

"Moreover, I am the one doing this, so if there is any infamy in the future, I will bear it. It has nothing to do with Your Majesty."

Li Yuanzhao suddenly turned around, staring at him intently, and said, "I don't want you to bear the infamy! Some things can be done a little slower. I don't mind."

Fang Zheng lowered his head, pursed his lips, and smiled: "Life is short. If you can't accept it, then we won't talk about it, okay? Let's talk about business. Tomorrow, our large batch of equipment will..."

"I don't want to talk. I'm still angry."

"Tomorrow, our large batch of equipment will arrive in Holy City, and then..."

"I said! I'm angry. Can't you understand human speech!" Li Yuanzhao glared, constantly tapping his finger on the table.

"The Brocade Guards under my command need some time to adapt to the environment here. Your Majesty can also take this time to walk around the city more, do some good deeds, and let all the people in the city recognize you," Fang Zheng said to himself, "In addition, I have already sent Wu Sheng to visit various countries, inviting generals from various countries to come and watch the battle. Once everything is ready, we'll fight!"

Li Yuanzhao's body shook: "What! You invited generals from various countries to watch the battle? With such a big commotion, the enemy will definitely find out a lot of information in advance, and this battle will be disadvantageous! Lao Fang, what muddled-headed thing have you done!"

"This is all what Father Emperor requested," Fang Zheng casually made up a lie, "We will defeat the Prince of Wu in front of everyone!"

"We only have two hundred thousand troops! Father Emperor is getting senile! Do you know how many people the enemy has? Do you think we're invincible just because we have firearms? Lao Fang, you didn't even discuss this kind of thing with me!" Li Yuanzhao's mentality was collapsing, and he slapped his thigh in anger.

"Hey, don't worry. We must have the confidence to do this. Father Emperor has fought all his life. How could his analysis of the war situation be weaker than yours?" Fang Zheng waved his hand, "Once my Brocade Guards have recovered, I'll show you some of their power."

Hearing Fang Zheng's tone, Li Yuanzhao instantly calmed down and narrowed his eyes: "Confidence... you and Father Emperor were secretly huddled together for a while. Is it related to this? What secret is it that you should tell me now?"

"Hehe, let me keep you in suspense first. I guarantee you'll enjoy it later! Let's go, let's go, I'll treat you to a drink."

As Fang Zheng spoke, he was about to put his arm around Li Yuanzhao's shoulder.

Li Yuanzhao turned around on the spot, dodging him, with a displeased expression on his face: "Don't touch me! This matter isn't over yet."

"Hey, let's go! Let's go drink!"