I am a boss in the world of nine uncles

Before we knew it.

Midday on the moon.

A constellation of stars.

Jiang Ziya and Bi Gan, engrossed in their discussion, walked out of the palace. It wasn't until they saw Shen Gongbao's figure that they snapped out of their mental whirlwind...

"Brother, I'm so sorry, I didn't expect this meeting to take so long."

Jiang Ziya quietly exhaled a breath of stale air and said with a face full of apology.

Shen Gongbao could only force a smile and ask, "It's alright... I wonder what you and the King talked about that led to such a long conversation."

Jiang Ziya paused slightly, then shook his head and said, "This matter is of great importance, and it is inconvenient for me to speak frankly; however, you will know what we discussed when we hold court tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing this, Bi Gan smiled with satisfaction.

Jiang Ziya was also exceptionally skilled in interpersonal relationships, demonstrating remarkable competence in every aspect.

His talent probably far surpasses that of Fu Yue back then!

Realizing this, he felt relieved and smiled, saying, "You fellow disciples can continue your conversation; I'll take my leave first."

"Please take care, Prime Minister," Jiang Ziya said, bowing slightly.

Shen Gongbao, however, made no comment.

He still firmly believed that the only person in the entire Chaoge who could overpower him was King Zhou.

As for prime ministers and vice prime ministers, they are just ordinary people. How can they be compared to me?
In the blink of an eye.

At the Shen residence, on a wine table.

Shen Gongbao kept toasting Jiang Ziya, hoping to get him drunk so he could get intelligence in advance and see if he could find an opportunity to pounce.

However, Jiang Ziya drank cup after cup without showing any signs of drunkenness. Seeing that it was getting late, he simply stopped drinking and said with a smile, "Brother, we have to attend the morning court tomorrow, so let's stop here for today."

Shen Gongbao put down his cup, hesitated for a moment, and finally brazenly asked, "Brother, is the matter you discussed with the King related to me?"

Jiang Ziya pondered for a moment and said, "It's somewhat related, but not by much. Don't worry, my brother."

Shen Gongbao was skeptical, but he had no choice but to send him out of his house.

The next day.

Palace meeting.

After deciding on a series of government affairs, Qin Yao asked with a smile, "Anything else?"

Prime Minister Cherngong reported, "That's all."

"Alright, you're all settled now, but I have something to announce."

Qin Yao's smile faded, and he solemnly said, "From this day forward, an Imperial Censorate will be established within the court to oversee the conduct of all officials and will be directly accountable to me."

As soon as the words were spoken, apart from the already aware Prime Minister Bi Gan, all the other officials in the hall had their minds go blank.

At the same time, a chill rose from my heart and gallbladder, rushing straight to the top of my head, causing my scalp to tingle.

In particular, a group of officials led by Fei Zhongyouhun trembled, their faces showing panic and strong resistance.

Putting everything else aside, the six large characters "Supervise the conduct of all officials" alone are enough to give them a hard time.

“Your Majesty, only when the ruler does not doubt his ministers and the ministers do not doubt the ruler can the court enjoy long-term stability. I fear that rashly establishing a Censorate will cause the ministers to become disloyal and disloyal.” In the silence, Prime Minister Shang Rong stepped forward and said.

He wasn't afraid of being investigated, but he naturally had a resistance to such new institutions.

In particular, King Zhou did not consult his prime minister beforehand about this.

Qin Yao said indifferently, "This is not to doubt my ministers, but to rectify the court and to ensure clean governance."

However, I can also promise everyone that I will not hold past grievances against you.

This means that past events will not be investigated further. As long as you all abide by the law in the future, the Censorate will be a completely harmless institution for you.

Shang Rong: "..."

While the courtiers remained silent, Bi Gan, the chief minister, suddenly stepped forward and asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, what officials make up the Censorate?"

Qin Yao smiled and said, "The head of the Censorate is the Grand Censor, whose rank is Senior Grand Master."

Its subordinate office was the Imperial Censor, whose rank was Grand Master.

The next level down is the Imperial Censor, whose rank is Lower Grand Master.

One Grand Censor, two Vice Censors, and no limit on the number of censors.

Bi Gan nodded slightly and asked in a jovial tone, "Has Your Majesty finalized the selection of officials for the Censorate?"

Qin Yao said, "I have only appointed one Imperial Censor for the time being."

Bi Gan pressed further, asking, "Who is that person?"

Qin Yao raised his eyes and said, "Summon Jiang Ziya to an audience."

Among the civil officials, Shen Gongbao silently clenched his fists, feeling a surge of anger rising within him, almost causing him to break down in front of everyone.

In the Jade Void Palace, the Primordial Celestial Venerable treated Jiang Ziya better than himself, and the other Golden Immortals didn't think much of him either.

Now that I've left the mountain and entered the world, serving as an official in the court, it's still the same!

So in what ways is Jiang Ziya better than me?

Why does everyone spoil him but not me?!
Thinking of this, jealousy gradually turned into resentment, including hatred for Jiang Ziya born of jealousy, as well as strong resentment towards Yuanshi Tianzun and King Zhou.

Beside the imperial desk.

On the throne.

Qin Yao glanced at Shen Gongbao silently, vaguely sensing the resentment within him, but made no other comment.

He remembered clearly that, unlike other versions of Shen Gongbao, the one in front of him was talented but lacked virtue, ambitious but unlucky, sick with jealousy, and obsessed with demons.

Only by showering him with boundless pampering, like the domineering CEO in a short drama, can his heart, whose needs are almost beyond comprehension, be filled.

Yuanshi Tianzun could not give him such exclusive favor, nor could Qin Yao.

After all, this isn't a gay story, so what's with the special favor shown to Shen Gongbao?

Therefore, Qin Yao's attitude towards him was to use him if he could, and if he couldn't, to let him go out and cause trouble for Xiqi and disrupt the plans of Yuanshi Tianzun.

In this respect, Shen Gongbao's abilities are certainly superior to Jiang Ziya's.

For him personally, it's easier to fish in troubled waters...

"Jiang Ziya pays his respects to the King."

Now, summoned by the palace guards, Jiang Ziya strode confidently into the highest hall of power in the empire, bowing respectfully.

"No need for formalities." Before the other high-ranking officials could clamor about why they weren't kneeling, Qin Yao said directly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Jiang Ziya silently straightened his body.

"From this day forward, you shall be the Imperial Censor of this dynasty, with the authority to advise the emperor and to question all officials."

"I hope you can uphold loyalty to the emperor and the country, investigate corruption and punish embezzlement, and protect our Shang dynasty from being devoured by parasites," Qin Yao said with a smile.

Jiang Ziya said resolutely, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your trust."

"Very well, court may adjourn." Qin Yao stood up and said.

Not long after.

As the king departed first, the ministers did not leave immediately. Instead, they whispered among themselves and even pointed at Jiang Ziya.

In the crowd, Shen Gongbao secretly exhaled, forced a smile, and was the first to approach Jiang Ziya:
"Congratulations, Imperial Censor Jiang, on your sudden rise to become a very important figure in the kingdom."

Jiang Ziya shook his head and said sincerely, "I don't care about my own power. I only want to use this power to establish a moral compass for heaven and earth, to secure a future for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!" "Well said, so well said."

Shen Gongbao clapped his hands meaningfully, then turned and left.

"Junior brother, let's have a chat," Jiang Ziya called out.

"No, I have other things to do." Shen Gongbao didn't turn around and strode straight out of the Nine Rooms Hall.

That night.

At Fei Zhong's home.

A corner of the table.

You Hun picked up his wine glass, his face bitter, and drank the wine in one gulp.

"What a bad year! What a bad year! I was just robbed of six thousand taels of silver recently. I was planning to find an excuse to make it back little by little, but I didn't expect that His Majesty would set up an Imperial Censorate in the blink of an eye. If I am targeted, I will probably be made an example of him."

Fei Zhong: "..."

The six thousand taels of silver that the other party lost are currently stored in his treasury.

"Why is Lord Fei silent?" You Hun was still waiting for Fei Zhong to comfort him, but seeing that he remained silent for so long, he asked in confusion.

Fei Zhong smiled and was about to speak when a servant rushed over, bowed, and said, "Master, Lord Shen Gongbao requests an audience."

"Shen Gongbao? What's he doing here?"

You Hun immediately narrowed his eyes to slits, his face full of suspicion.

Fei Zhong stood up and said, "Lord You, this Lord Shen and Imperial Censor Jiang are fellow disciples, so we must not neglect them."

You Hun's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stood up: "Then let's greet them together, as a way of giving them face."

A short while later.

The two men, all smiles, welcomed Shen Gongbao into the living room, where they sat down according to their relationship as host and guest...

After the servant brought him fragrant tea, Shen Gongbao sniffed and asked, "Were you two drinking just now?"

"Just a little drink," Fei Zhong said.

Shen Gongbao said, "Could it be that you're drowning your sorrows in alcohol?"

You Hun said, "Sir, you jest. What do we have to worry about?"

Shen Gongbao laughed and said, "My senior brother is incredibly powerful; no act of embezzlement can escape his notice. Once he takes office, you two can forget about making money at will."

Fei Zhong's eyelids twitched, and he asked, "What do you mean by that, Lord Shen? Are you perhaps warning us?"

Shen Gongbao waved his hands repeatedly: "Why should I warn you? What I really want to say is that if Jiang Ziya doesn't fall, it will definitely be you two who fall."

Fei and You exchanged a glance, both of them realizing what was going on.

The relationship between these two fellow disciples doesn't seem to be very harmonious.
"Master Shen, do you have any brilliant plan to defeat Jiang?" You Hun asked softly.

"I dare not call it a brilliant plan, but I do have a method," Shen Gongbao said.

"Please enlighten me, Lord Shen," You Hun said.

Shen Gongbao smiled and slowly said, "Your Majesty is the Supreme King of Ten Thousand Saints, a king among men, and possesses the wealth of the nine provinces and four seas. You are the pinnacle of the human race, but there is no building that can reflect this."

After all, the palace was built by the former king, and the Nine-Room Hall has always been the place where Shang kings discussed state affairs. There is no place that bears the mark of King Zhou.

I think the two of you could jointly write to the King and propose the construction of the Deer Terrace and the Star-Picking Tower.

The Deer Terrace can concentrate worldly wealth and store the riches of the world.

The Star-Picking Tower could replace the Nine-Room Hall and become the new center of power.

Fei and You looked at each other, both hesitant.

"What are you two worried about?" Shen Gongbao asked directly, taking in the expressions on their faces.

Fei Zhong solemnly said, "Since the birthday of Nuwa, Your Majesty has changed a lot. We are worried that this will not only fail to please Your Majesty, but will also bring bad luck."

Shen Gongbao said, "I can guarantee your safety."

"How can we provide a safety net?" You Hun asked.

Shen Gongbao asked, "Do you know what the king desires most right now?"

"May the nation endure forever," Fei Zhong said.

“Reorganize the court,” You Hun said.

Shen Gongbao shook his head with a smile: "No, it's because he yearns to cultivate immortality! Haven't you heard? Apart from handling state affairs, His Majesty spends all his time cultivating immortality, and has even given up women."

The two remained silent.

They had indeed heard about this, since it was easy to find out whether the king had chosen a concubine or not.

"Therefore, as long as I say that one can meet with immortals at the Star-Picking Tower, the king will surely agree to build these two buildings."

Shen Gongbao said, "As for the two of you, if you can get the power to supervise the construction, you can make some money without even having to embezzle; there are plenty of ways."

Upon hearing this, the two were immediately excited, and Fei Zhong clapped his hands and said, "Brilliant plan, brilliant plan! Master Shen, we are indebted to you."

Shen Gongbao said, "You don't need to owe me a favor, just remember that I've done you a good one."

"Of course."

The two nodded repeatedly, and then prepared another banquet to warmly entertain the wise man who had given them directions.

The next day.

early morning.

After discussing all matters, Fei Zhong took the lead, followed by You Hun. With sincere and earnest intentions, they solemnly proposed the construction of the Deer Terrace and the Star-Picking Tower to highlight King Zhou's glory.

Seeing their enthusiastic and persuasive manner, Qin Yao couldn't help but chuckle.

Watching a monkey show is nothing special, is it?

Fei Zhongyou, however, was completely unaware of what he was thinking. He thought he had scratched the king's itch and shouted even more enthusiastically, praising King Zhou as a wise ruler for all ages, whose virtue surpassed the Three Sovereigns and whose achievements surpassed the Five Emperors. All the civil and military officials in the court looked strange, but they could not refute him.

"Alright, stop bragging. I'm blushing at this nonsense." Qin Yao, who had been watching the monkey show, couldn't stand it anymore and raised his hand to speak.

"What about the Deer Terrace and the Star-Picking Tower?" Fei Zhong asked cautiously.

Qin Yao shook his head, about to refuse, when Shen Gongbao suddenly stepped forward from the crowd and said, "Your Majesty, I can share your burdens."

"What worries are you sharing?" Qin Yao asked, puzzled.

Shen Gongbao waved his hand, and a painting floated in the air above the hall. In the painting was a high platform, about forty-nine feet high, with magnificent palaces and pavilions, and jade towers and palaces. At night, it shone with light and auspicious colors. The railings were made of agate and the beams were decorated with pearls.

Qin Yao: "..."

“Your Majesty, this is the original appearance of the Sendai. If you can rebuild it according to the proportions, it will surely attract true immortals to descend to earth and fairies to descend,” Shen Gongbao said, bowing.

Among the civil officials, Jiang Ziya held back for a long time, but finally could not help but step forward and say, "Your Majesty, this platform project is enormous and will surely consume countless resources, which will be detrimental to the country and the people's livelihood. I hope Your Majesty will be cautious."

"Lord Jiang, are you denying the King's achievements, or are you deliberately trying to prevent the King from meeting the immortals?" Fei Zhong accused him directly.

You Hun immediately chimed in, "That's right. Your Majesty is rich beyond measure, and now your granaries are overflowing with silver. How can you not build a Deer Terrace?"

Jiang Ziya calmly said, "Since the treasury is full, it should be used to build water conservancy projects, bridges and roads, not to construct some kind of altar."

Shen Gongbao said, "Lord Jiang, you are mistaken. If we use the national treasury's silver to subsidize the people who are repairing the platform, wouldn't that be a way to benefit all the people?"

Jiang Ziya said, "If we don't pay enough, it will be a waste of resources and manpower. If we pay too much, it will empty the national treasury. It's better to do less trouble than more trouble."

Shen Gongbao felt both aggrieved and dissatisfied. He suddenly looked at Qin Yao and asked, "Your Majesty, what do you think?" (End of Chapter)