Water Margin: My 108 Heroes Come from All Heavens

……

The next morning.

Zichen Palace.

Court meeting.

Zhao Gou sat on the dragon throne, looking radiant, his smile impossible to hide.

The loss of three million shi of grain was recovered, relieving the urgent needs of the soldiers at the front.

more importantly.

The killing of the Celestial Realm demon sent by the Jin Kingdom was tantamount to a slap in the face to the Jin Kingdom.

"Liang Aiqing".

Zhao Gou looked at Liang Shan standing in the third row and found him more and more pleasing to the eye.

"Liangshan".

"Your subject is here."

Liang Shanshan, with dark circles under his eyes, stepped forward and stood on the platform in the hall.

I spent the whole night cultivating immortality yesterday.

He didn't sleep all night.

I rushed to the Zichen Hall to attend the court assembly before dawn this morning.

This is an official of the Song Dynasty.

It's not a job for a human being.

They get up early and work late to attend the morning court session.

If you do something bad, you'll be criticized and attacked by the people.

There are hardly any holidays throughout the year.

It was even worse than the 997 work schedule of later generations.

"You have accomplished a great feat by recovering the grain supplies, slaying the monstrous dragon, and relieving the crisis for the soldiers at the front."

Zhao Gou spoke in a loud voice.

"Your Majesty flatters me."

Liang Shan quickly spoke up, humbly saying, "I was able to defeat the wicked dragon entirely thanks to Your Majesty's boundless grace; it really has little to do with me."

The ins and outs of officialdom.

He already knew exactly what was going on, and that's precisely when he needed to keep a low profile.

"Minister Liang, there's no need for such modesty."

Zhao Gou waved his hand, about to discuss and reward meritorious officials, when Ye Mengde, the Minister of Revenue, suddenly stood up from among the officials.

"His Majesty."

"I have important matters to report!"

"What is it?"

Zhao Gou frowned slightly.

"The Ministry of Revenue received the three million shi of grain recovered by Lord Liang yesterday, but after counting, it was found that one hundred thousand bottles of healing, qi-nourishing, and cultivation pills were missing."

Minister of Revenue Ye Mengde glanced at Liang Shan and sneered, "May I ask, Lord Liang, where have all these elixirs gone?"

"How would I know?"

Seeing that the visitor was hostile, Liang Shan also gave him a cold look: "Go ask that evil dragon. When I found it, it only had this many."

"The wicked dragon is dead, and there's no way to verify its existence. Where am I supposed to find it?!"

Ye Mengde's face darkened.

"That's a matter for your Ministry of Revenue."

Liang Shan shrugged, looking completely innocent: "Anyway, this was all the food I had when I found it."

"you!"

Ye Mengde was so angry that he trembled all over.

"That's enough!"

Zhao Gou waved his hand and said definitively, "These 100,000 bottles of pills may have been used by the evil dragon, but it's just a drop in the ocean, no need to worry too much about it."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Liang Shan bowed and immediately offered his praise.

"Your Majesty, this must be Liangshan..."

Ye Mengde, however, was unwilling to give up and quickly said...

"I say, this matter ends here!"

Zhao Gou's face darkened, and he deliberately emphasized his tone.

"Yes."

Ye Mengde returned to the queue in a huff.

Zhao Gou's expression softened slightly.

He took a deep look at Liangshan, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Those who are rulers.

His favorite subjects were those with blemishes, as they were easier to control.

For example, Cao Zhengchun, Yu Huatian, and Zhu Wushi.

The three appeared to be loyal.

However, through the [National Fortune Simulator], he already knew about the despicable things the three had done, but he simply turned a blind eye.

Since Liangshan was greedy for money.

So.

He only needs to offer them benefits, and he can trust them to make good use of them without worrying about them slipping out of his control.

Those 100,000 bottles of pills.

This became the leverage he later used to control Liangshan.

on the contrary.

Ye Mengde, with his self-proclaimed uprightness and unyielding spirit, is the most difficult to handle.

But rather...

For a nation to prosper, it must employ both loyal and treacherous individuals, and maintain a balance of power.

Even sometimes.

The role of treacherous officials far outweighs that of loyal officials.

"My beloved ministers."

Zhao Gou looked at the assembled officials in the hall and said, "Minister Liang has made a great contribution this time. Please help me think of how to reward him."

As soon as he finished speaking...

The ministers whispered among themselves.

Whisper.

Not long after.

Cai Jing was the first to jump out, his voice booming: "Your Majesty, I believe that Lord Liang's contributions to the nation are immense, and he should be granted a title and appointed prime minister!"

"???"

Liang Shan glanced at him, his lips twitching a few times.

Good guy.

Just a few days ago, they were calling me brother at the palace gate, but today they're already trying to flatter me to death.

Is it something that can be mentioned casually, like being granted a title or appointed prime minister?

Isn't this putting him on the hot seat of the fire?!

"Minister Cai is mistaken."

Wang Fu also stepped forward, his face solemn, and said, "Lord Liang is still young and inexperienced. Suddenly bestowing a marquisate upon him may not be convincing to the people. In my opinion, it would be better to promote Lord Liang to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice!"

Liang Shan narrowed his eyes slightly.

He sneered inwardly.

Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice?

He remembered that everyone in the Ministry of Justice was Zhu Wushi's confidant.

Wang Fu's decision to send him to the Ministry of Justice was likely motivated by a desire to use someone else to do his dirty work.

"Why not come to the Eastern Depot?"

Seeing that the two were arguing, Cao Zhengchun actually stepped forward and said, "Our Eastern Depot is in dire need of a talent like Lord Liang."

"???"

Liang Shan's eyes widened.

Seeing Cao Zhengchun staring at him intently, he felt a chill run down his crotch and quickly took a few steps back.

In the imperial court.

Can't there be a normal person here?!

"Everyone, stop arguing!"

Just then, a loud voice suddenly rang out.

"Civil officials are just civil officials; all they know how to do is talk big!"

A burly Grandmaster-level general stepped forward and declared loudly, "Lord Liang's slaying of the Celestial Realm demon has relieved the urgent crisis for our frontline soldiers. In my humble opinion, he should be sent to the front lines to assist General Yue in fighting against the Jin Kingdom!"

"???"

Liang Shan swallowed hard, staring at the military general in disbelief.

This is ungrateful!

He indirectly saved the soldiers on the front lines, but now he's being reassigned to a front line teeming with demons?!

"General Zhang is right!"

Another military officer stepped forward, patting his chest and declaring, "General Yue is fighting valiantly on the front lines; our Great Song Dynasty needs capable generals like Lord Liang!"

"To the front lines!"

"To the front lines!"

"To the front lines!"

The Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster level generals shouted in unison, their voices powerful and deafening.

Liang Shan's face darkened.

This is bad.

Am I really going to be sent to the front lines to fight?

"Generals, please calm down."

Cao Zhengchun stepped forward with a smile and reminded him, "Lord Liang is a civil official; how can he suddenly switch to a military post? That's against the rules."

"Shut up, you neutered dog!"

A military officer glared at him and retorted, "Lord Liang is a master of the Celestial Realm; isn't it a waste of his talents to keep him in the imperial court?!"

"General Zhang is mistaken."

Cao Zhengchun remained unperturbed, still greeting him with a smile: "The imperial court is the central hub of the Song Dynasty. It is more suitable to benefit the people here than to fight on the front lines..."

"shut up!"

Seeing that he couldn't win an argument with Cao Zhengchun, the military officer simply rolled up his sleeves and charged forward.

"Bang!"

After a while.

A figure was sent flying backward.

"Brothers, let's go! Kill this eunuch!"

Upon seeing this, the generals were enraged, and their auras as Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters erupted.

They surrounded and attacked Cao Zhengchun.

Chaos.

It erupted again.