The ministers were all whispering to each other, all thinking it was strange.

Zhao Huan walked over and took the copper coin from Guo Jing's hand: "Miao Ji, you really have great supernatural powers."

As he said this, he threw the copper coin into the oil pan, rolled up his sleeves and reached out to pick it up.

The ministers were shocked, and Guo Jing's face turned pale.

"His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, you cannot do that!"

As he spoke, Zhao Huan had already reached into the pot and fished the copper coin out of the hot oil.

Guo Jing was horrified, but he still forced himself to say, "Your Majesty is the true Dragon Emperor, protected by gods and Buddhas, so you are not afraid of the frying pan."

Zhao Huan fiercely threw the copper coin at Guo Jing's face: "Catch this evildoer who is misleading the people with his lies!"

The guards escorted Guo Jing, and the ministers finally came to their senses and began to have some doubts about Guo Jing.

Zhao Huan walked up to Guo Jing and said, "Tell me! What did you put in this frying pan? What's the matter with this peach wood sword and paper figurine?"

Guo Jing was being escorted by the guards, and he threw his peach wood sword to the ground. He swallowed his saliva and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am using the Supreme Golden Law of Daluo! I also ask for the protection of the Nine Heavens Divine Dragon..."

"I see you won't cry until you see the coffin. Come! Pour out the hot oil in this pot and replace it with fresh oil. Aren't you afraid of hot oil? When the oil boils, throw this demon in!"

Guo Jing was so frightened that he lost his wits and lost his humble and immortal demeanor.

Soon, the imperial kitchen replaced the oil with fresh oil and added firewood to the bottom of the pot. This time, it took a whole meal's time for the hot oil in the pot to begin to emit wisps of hot steam. After another cup of tea, bubbles began to form at the bottom of the pot.

Zhao Huan then ordered another copper coin to be thrown into the pot. At this time, the hot oil in the pot was boiling, and before he could get close to it, the heat was already all over the place.

"Master Guo, can you please pick one up and show it to me?"

The guards let Guo Jing go. Guo Jing was so frightened that he didn't have the courage to approach the oil wok. He collapsed on the ground and kowtowed for mercy.

"Your Majesty, please spare me, please spare me!"

"You've come to me with your deception. Guo Jing, you're really brave. Tell me, what the heck have you been up to with me?"

Guo Jing dared not hide it any longer: "This, this frying pan contains borax. Borax can even bring the warm oil to a boil when it meets vegetable oil."

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. They had never expected that this Taoist master who could make the wind and rain summon was actually a liar.

Sun Fu still couldn't believe it. He had complete faith in Guo Jing and had always worshipped him as a bodhisattva. He grabbed Guo Jing and asked, "Then tell me, what's the matter with this peach wood sword paper figurine of yours?"

Guo Jing trembled as he reached for the peach wood sword on the ground. He flicked a mechanism on the hilt, and a piece of white paper jutted out from the tip. As Guo Jing swung the wooden sword, the paper unfolded, revealing a ferocious little paper figurine.

Zhao Huan laughed heartily. Zhu Lian, who was standing next to him, stared at the wooden sword with her beautiful big eyes, blinking them, and said "Pooh" softly to Guo Jing lying on the ground.

Zhao Huan held her back and whispered, "Hey, pay attention to your image. After all, you are the queen who rules the country."

Zhu Lian smiled sweetly, full of deep affection.

Sun Fu was furious. He had been cheated out of more than 10,000 taels of silver by Guo Jing. But he dared not mention it in front of the emperor, who was really heartbroken.

Other ministers were defrauded even more. Guo Jing devised various schemes, including exorcism, promotions, and summoning gods, each of which netted him astronomical sums. Logically, this shady swindler should have stopped after making so much money, but his greed was unsatisfactory. Guo Jing wasn't satisfied with just the money; he wanted to gain power.

Guo Jing possessed a deep thirst for power. His deceptive tactics and eloquence propelled him to a meteoric rise. He was particularly admired by the Right Minister, Sun Fu, who introduced him to his colleagues. He befriended princes, ministers, and high-ranking officials, ultimately securing the position of Chief Supervisor of the Enthronement Ceremony.

Minister of Personnel Wang Shiyong jumped up and down, cursing, "You evil man! Are all those tricks you use to summon spirits, pray for rain, and ward off evil spirits just a trick?"

Guo Jing knelt on the ground: "Master Wang, I just came out to make a living. The thirty thousand taels of silver you gave me..."

"Shut up!" Wang Shiyong almost fainted. He had given Guo Jing more than 30,000 taels of silver. This idiot would be so stupid if he told him that. How could he, the Minister of Personnel, get so much money?

Guo Jing's words were heard by Meng Gurao, the Minister of Revenue. He squatted down and grabbed Guo Jing's wrist and said, "Tell me! How much silver did you take from these ministers?"

Guo Jing was terrified, hoping only to save his life. He hurriedly pulled out a handful of banknotes from his pocket and said, "I received a total of 372,600 taels of silver. I also have some gold, silver, and jewelry hidden in the mansion that Lord Sun gave me."

(In the Northern Song Dynasty, silver notes were called Jiaozi, but Emperor Huizong changed them to Qianyin. Due to Zhao Huan's time travel, they were changed back to silver notes, and the Central Silver Notes Office was established to limit their issuance to prevent devaluation.)

Zhao Huan gasped. Three hundred and seventy thousand taels was a huge sum. His annual tribute to the Jin was only two hundred thousand taels.

The ministers were shocked. If this bastard Guo Jing told the truth, most of the ministers outside the hall would be implicated, so they all shouted to stop him.

"You evil thief, stop slandering me! Where did you steal this banknote?"

"It must be the banknotes stolen by this demon!"

"Yes, it must have been stolen!"

Meng Gu Rao refused to give in and shouted angrily, "Who are the people who gave you money?"

Guo Jing couldn't bear the pressure, thinking that most of the ministers here had given me money. I'm going to die anyway, so at worst I'll just drag a few more people down with me. The money you gave me with your salaries is nowhere near enough. It's all embezzled. Let's die together.

Then Guo Jing shouted: "There are many ministers who gave me silver, they are..."

"Shut up!" Zhao Huan shouted, interrupting Guo Jing. He pointed at Guo Jing and said, "You evil thief are spreading lies to confuse the people and are trying to slander our loyal ministers! Drag him out and beat him to death!"

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