I am a boss in the world of nine uncles

half a month later.

King Zhou's Embroidered Uniform Guard was in its early stages, consisting of one commander, two deputy commanders, four thousand-household commanders, and one hundred and eight hundred-household commanders.

The centurions under each centurion had countless smaller flags, all connected by the personal networks of the centurion.

Strictly speaking, this structure is an extremely simplified version of the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard, but for Qin Yao, it was sufficient.

He really needed this force as an arm and support; otherwise, he couldn't keep having Abigan run errands for him every little thing...

"My goodness, this official robe is truly magnificent."

On this day, because he returned home too late, Wu Ji did not change out of his official robes. When his mother saw him, she immediately praised him.

Wu Ji was overjoyed, unable to suppress the smile on his face: "How can someone be called 'Jin Yi' if they're not beautiful?"

Mother Wu's hands trembled as she stroked the chest of the woman in brocade, and tears suddenly streamed down her face.

“If you had worn this brocade robe earlier, your father would not have died.”

Buji's expression changed slightly, and he gently patted his mother's hand:

"Mother, our future will definitely be better than it is now."

Wu's mother nodded heavily: "My child, never forget who pulled you out of the mire. Loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, respect for teachers and the Way, you must engrave these in your bones."

Wu Ji said, "Rest assured, I will never forget you!"

A few more days passed.

Mid-afternoon.

Shen Gongbao suddenly visited the Marquis of Xibo at night, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "My Lord."

Ji Chang smiled and grabbed his hand: "Come inside and talk."

Shen Gongbao enjoyed this feeling of being valued. He followed the other person into the inner room and slowly began to speak:
"If nothing unexpected happens, the eldest young master will arrive in Chaoge tomorrow evening. You should go and pay a visit to my senior brother."

Ji Chang's smile paused slightly as he asked, "Now? Shouldn't we wait until my son presents the treasure?"

"We can't wait until after we present the treasure."

Shen Gongbao said with an air of confidence, "As the saying goes, the longer the night, the more dreams may arise, and delays may lead to unforeseen changes."

Ideally, during the eldest son's presentation of the treasure, the three of us—Jiang Ziya, the eldest son, and I—should work together to persuade the king to allow you to return west.

Ji Chang let out a soft breath and asked, "Will Jiang Ziya... agree to help?"

"Of course it will. Didn't you say that you had a very pleasant conversation back in Yanshan?"

"Although Jiang Ziya is now severely corrupted by King Zhou, he is not so quick to forget that he is a celestial being of the Chan Sect," Shen Gongbao said.

Being caught up in a situation and having no control over one's own destiny is a perfectly normal phenomenon.

Jiang Ziya was like that, and so was he himself, so he knew very well that Jiang Ziya would not refuse.

Ji Chang nodded heavily: "I'll go see Lord Jiang in a bit..."

As evening fell, Jiang Shang returned home from the Censorate. As soon as he alighted from his sedan chair, the gatekeeper quickly came to greet him and said softly, "Master, a guest has arrived."

Jiang Shang was taken aback and asked incredulously, "Looking for me?"

As the Imperial Censor, he was the enemy of all officials, and his disciple Wu Ji was regarded as a lackey of the eagle. Therefore, the master and disciple were like messengers in the court. Apart from Bi Gan, who was relatively close to them, almost no one wanted to come into contact with them.

Therefore, the sudden arrival of a guest truly surprised him.

"Of course they're looking for you; they claim to be an old friend from Yanshan," the doorman replied.

Jiang Ziya's expression changed slightly, and a sense of unease settled in his heart.

"Master Jiang, it's been a long time."

A moment later, in the living room, Ji Chang greeted everyone with a broad smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Greetings, Lord Marquis," Jiang Ziya returned the greeting.

Ji Chang said, "Please forgive my intrusion in visiting."

Jiang Ziya waved his hand repeatedly, inviting the other party to sit down, and then had a waiter serve tea, showing great courtesy.

Ji Chang took a sip of tea and then said sincerely, "Master Jiang, to be honest, I have a request to make."

Jiang Ziya nodded silently: "Please speak, Your Excellency."

Ji Chang then slowly recounted the matter entrusted to him, feeling both nervous and expectant.

Jiang Ziya was caught in a dilemma.

If we don't agree, it might affect the relationship between the Ji family and the Jade Void Palace.

But if they agreed, they would feel they were betraying King Zhou's kindness.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Ji Chang had no choice but to silently place his last bet:

“Lord Jiang, your junior brother Shen Gongbao said that if you refuse to help, he will have no choice but to go to the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain to seek help from the Heavenly Venerable.”

Jiang Ziya sighed: "I have a question, and I hope that you, my lord, will answer it truthfully after careful consideration."

"Master Jiang, please ask," Ji Chang said nervously.

Jiang Ziya asked, "Why do you think Shen Gongbao would help you, my lord? Is it really just because you hit it off immediately?"

Ji Chang remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Because of you."

Jiang Ziya was taken aback: "Because of me?"

What he wanted was for the bright moon to shine only on him.

"But Your Majesty, this bright moon, after shining on him, has shone even more light upon you," Ji Chang said.

Jiang Ziya seemed to be deep in thought, and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air: "I agree to this matter, but only this once; if there is a similar situation again, please do not come to me, my lord."

Ji Chang was overjoyed: "Good, once is enough!"

The next evening.

Bo Yikao crossed the Yellow River to Mengjin, and without stopping, entered Chaoge City. He then went straight to the Huanghua Inn where Ji Chang was staying. Father and son met, and tears soaked their clothes.

"Kao'er, what treasure did you bring this time?"

After a moment of sadness, Ji Chang exhaled a long breath and asked earnestly.

Bo Yikao said: "Seven fragrant carriages, a sobering felt, white-faced monkeys, and ten beautiful women."

Ji Chang hesitated and said, "The latter three are fine, but the Seven Fragrance Chariot is an artifact of the Yellow Emperor. When a person sits on it, there is no need to push or pull it; it can go east or west as it pleases. It is truly a treasure passed down through generations in Xiqi..."

“Even the most precious treasures cannot compare to one ten-thousandth of Father’s worth,” Boyi Kao interrupted.

Ji Chang said, "I only hope everything goes smoothly... Tonight I will guide you through a simulation of what might happen at tomorrow's morning court session."

Where is Boyi Kao?

A short while later, just as the father and son were having their meal together, a group of brocade-clad swordsmen suddenly burst into the Huanghua Post Station. The leader, dressed in a flying fish robe and wielding an embroidered spring knife, spoke with a sharp tongue that instantly alarmed the entire post station.

Ji Chang's face turned pale: "This is bad!"

"Father, who are they?" Boyi Kao asked.

"They are King Zhou's henchmen, and the leader of them is named Wu Ji," Ji Chang explained simply.

By this time, Wu Ji had already learned of Ji Chang's whereabouts from the shop owner. He led his eight henchmen up the steps and went straight to the door of the father and son's room.

"Lord Xibo, His Majesty was overjoyed to hear that Prince Boyi Kao had entered the capital, and has specially ordered me to invite him to the palace."

Ji Chang led his eldest son to the door, opened it, and said, "Lord Wu, Kao'er originally planned to go to the morning court tomorrow and present some treasures. Could you please go back and pass on a message to allow him to meet the Emperor again tomorrow morning?"

He didn't know how King Zhou learned that Kao'er had come to the capital, but he knew that it was dangerous for her to enter the palace now, and it would disrupt their plans.

Wu Ji shook his head: "My lord, this matter is neither up to me nor up to you. Under the king's decree, there is no room for discussion." Ji Chang: "..."

Bo Yikao took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and said with a smile, "Father, I must eventually meet the Emperor... I am off."

Ji Chang said, "Chaoge is not like Xiqi. You must be extremely careful and make sure there are no mistakes."

“Yes,” Boyi Kao bowed.

A moment later, seeing his eldest son leave with the imperial guards in the convoy, Ji Chang became increasingly uneasy. He took out a tortoise shell and performed divination three times in a row, but did not get a clear answer. His mood became even heavier.

After hesitating for a long time, he slammed the tortoise shell onto the table, strode out of the Huanghua Post Station, and ran towards the Lutai Terrace...

Meanwhile, Boyi Kao led his entourage into the palace and went straight to the Shouxian Palace. Before he could even see King Zhou, he knelt down at the threshold and said, "Your subject Boyi Kao pays his respects."

Inside the Longevity Palace, Daji, who was sitting cross-legged on a futon, slowly opened her eyes.

Bo Yikao... seems to be the original owner's former fiancé?
Qin Yao slowly stood up and sat down at the table directly opposite the door: "Come in."

Bo Yikao entered with a half-bow, almost kneeling, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Qin Yao smiled and raised his hand: "No need to be so nervous, rise."

Bo Yikao was somewhat surprised.

He had assumed King Zhou would be extremely cruel, but to his surprise, his first impression of him was that he was rather kind.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After silently straightening his body, Boyi Kao said sincerely, "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, when one's parents are ill, one should not be able to eat or wear comfortable clothes."

Since his father's departure, Kao had been living in constant fear and sleepless nights. Unable to bear it any longer, he searched for the Three Treasures and collected the Ten Beauties, hoping to offer them as a sacrifice to atone for his father's sins.

Having said that, he eagerly awaited King Zhou's question about the three treasures, but instead, the king asked a question that greatly surprised him:

"Bo Yikao, do you consider yourself my subject?"

After a moment of stunned silence, Boyi Kao quickly replied, "Your subject is naturally Your Majesty's subject."

"If the ruler commands, should the subject obey?" Qin Yao pressed.

“It is my duty to accept it,” Boyi Kao said nervously, his heart pounding.

He couldn't guess what King Zhou wanted him to "suffer," but he instinctively felt fear of the unknown.

"What if I don't want to accept it?" Qin Yao asked again.

Bo Yikao said, "As long as one does not violate the will of Heaven, the laws, or moral customs, how can a subject decide whether to accept a mandate based on his own likes and dislikes?"

"Well said!"

Qin Yao tapped the table in admiration, then immediately changed the subject: "Nowadays, all matters, big and small, in the Yin Shang court require my decision-making."

Sometimes, hundreds of matters, big and small, need to be resolved in a single day, keeping the young master constantly engaged in a great deal of mental activity.

I can hold on, but future kings may not be able to.

Therefore, I wanted to make a change, but I found that if I delegated more government affairs to the prime minister, the prime minister's power would increase significantly, and he would eventually become a powerful minister.

After much deliberation, I decided to find some outstanding individuals who had little connection with the outer court to form a cabinet to help process memorials.

Cabinet members have the "right to draft proposals," meaning they can come up with solutions for the emperor, but they do not have the power to make decisions. The final decision requires the emperor's approval in red ink.

In this way, both goals can be achieved…

Bo Yikao was dumbfounded.

It must be said that King Zhou's idea about the cabinet was indeed ingenious and a stroke of genius, but what does it have to do with him?
King Zhou couldn't very well appoint himself as a cabinet minister, could he?

He is Ji Chang's eldest son and the nominal first heir of Xiqi!
"Kao, what do you think of my idea?" Qin Yao asked.

Bo Yikao seemed to awaken from a dream, and bowed deeply, saying, "Your Majesty's ingenious ideas are beyond my wildest admiration."

Qin Yao smiled and said, "Since you also think it's a good idea, then you will be the Grand Secretary."

Bo Yikao: "???"

Are you crazy?
"If you come across a suitable candidate, you can recommend them to me, and we can work together to build a good cabinet," Qin Yao said again.

Upon hearing this, Bo Yikao immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your high regard, but... but..."

"It's nothing, Kao. I sent people to Xiqi to investigate. You are very talented and have outstanding political abilities. You are the best candidate for chief minister," Qin Yao said.

Bo Yikao said with a complicated expression, "But my father is the Marquis of Xibo!"

"I don't like to implicate others, and besides, Ji Chang hasn't committed any major crimes."

"In fact, if you, as Grand Secretary, do a good job, I might consider letting him return to Xiqi to retire and return to his roots," Qin Yao said.

Bo Yikao: "..."

Once that promise was made, he knew he no longer had the right to refuse.

"Your Majesty, Lord Jiang Ziya and Lord Shen Gongbao request an audience." In the silence, a guard suddenly rushed in and knelt down to say.

Qin Yao smiled and said, "Kao, it's getting late. You should go back now. I will formally announce this appointment to all the officials at tomorrow's morning court session."

Bo Yikao was in a state of turmoil and dared not speak casually under such circumstances, so he could only bow and obey.

"By the way, when you go out, please let Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao come in as well."

As for the three treasures you brought, keep them for yourself.

"I am rich enough to rule the world, I don't need your three treasures," Qin Yao finally said.

Outside the palace gates.

Ji Chang, Jiang Ziya, and Shen Gongbao stood side by side, each with a different expression and mood, but all were somewhat nervous.

Before long, the three of them were stunned to see Boyi Kao leading a group out.

Especially Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya.

They came specifically for Boyi Kao, so why did he come out first?

Moreover, he seemed somewhat absent-minded.

"Kao'er, are you alright? What... did the King do to you?" Ji Chang was the first to approach Boyi Kao, asking with a face full of concern.

"The king did nothing to me."

Bo Yikao seemed to wake from a dream, and said with a complicated expression.

Ji Chang then looked at the caravan following behind him, or more precisely, at the three treasures: "Does Your Majesty not like these three treasures?"

Bo Yikao shook his head and said, "I didn't have time to explain the situation of these three treasures, and Your Majesty didn't see them either."

"Why is that?" Ji Chang asked, puzzled.

Bo Yikao then carefully explained the whole story, but the three of them were still confused.

"Master Jiang, Master Shen, the King wants you to come in."

Immediately, Bo Yikao disregarded the feelings of the three men and turned to speak to two of them.

Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao exchanged a glance, both seeing the complexity in each other's eyes.

This King Zhou is becoming increasingly incomprehensible to them.

The mere phrase "the power to draft proposals" represents immense royal power, which was then entrusted to Boyi Kao...

and many more.

If Boyi Kao gained control of some of the king's power, what would happen to the Ji family? What if they rebelled against the Shang?
Thinking of this, Jiang Ziya was alright, but Shen Gongbao felt a chill run down his spine... (End of Chapter)