After Mu Zian finished speaking, the inner hall of the Ministry of Revenue fell silent.
Wu Kun's face changed from green to red and then from red to white, a performance even more spectacular than a face-changing act on stage.
From today onwards, this Vice Minister Wu is truly going to become famous throughout the capital.
Mu Zian looked at the officials of the Ministry of Revenue calmly and then continued to speak.
"If Minister Wu is not satisfied with this poem, I have another one to present to you."
Seeing that Mu Zian was about to speak again, Li Ping quickly said.
"Why is the Duke of Zhenguo pressing me so hard!"
"It's just a little money from a craftsman. Are you trying to force a high-ranking official to his death?"
Upon hearing this, the other officials of the Ministry of Revenue also chimed in.
"That's right! Even though you are a Duke, you cannot humiliate us like this!"
"We are officials appointed by the imperial court! Does the Duke of Zhenguo come to our door today to force us to our deaths?"
The officials of the Ministry of Revenue were immediately agitated.
This startled Tian Zhi, who had followed, so much that he broke out in a cold sweat.
King Xiao Qing of Qi, who had been sitting silently, finally spoke at this moment.
"The reason why the Ministry of Works' salary is in arrears is because the national treasury is empty. Why don't you leave temporarily for my sake, Duke Zhenguo? The court will make up the arrears when it has money in the future."
When King Qi intervened, all the officials in the Ministry of Revenue breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, Mu Zian not only holds significant merits but also occupies a high position.
They didn't dare to be disrespectful to Mu Zi'an, but now that they had Prince Qi as their backer, they had gained a lot of confidence.
Just when everyone thought that with Prince Qi Xiao Qing stepping forward, Mu Zi'an would at least give him face, Mu Zi'an simply snorted coldly.
"The Duke of this country has said that today he will demand that every penny of the salary owed to me by the Ministry of Works be paid in full."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qing, who had been calm, suddenly changed his expression and slammed his hand on the table, standing up abruptly.
"Mu Zi'an, are you showing contempt for me?"
The already tense atmosphere suddenly became even more strained.
Mu Zian crossed his arms and stared coldly at Xiao Qing.
"Debts must be repaid, and murderers must pay with their lives; this is a matter of course."
"The Ministry of Revenue has to pay the owed salary today, whether they want to or not!"
Seeing this, the officials who had come to watch the spectacle were all terrified.
Tian Zhi, a doctor from the Smelting Bureau who came along, was even more dumbfounded.
You must know that this is His Highness Prince Jin, who was just appointed by His Majesty!
He is a strong contender for the future position of Crown Prince. If nothing goes wrong, the next emperor of the Great Li Dynasty will be either him or the Second Prince, Prince Qi, Xiao Zi.
However, at this moment, Mu Zian showed no respect whatsoever to the Prince of Jin.
The surrounding officials also began to whisper among themselves.
"This Duke Zhenguo is even more arrogant and domineering than the rumors suggest!"
Li Ping, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was also somewhat terrified. Who would have thought that Mu Zian would not even give face to the dignified Prince Jin today?
The situation is now spiraling out of control!
On one side was the rising Duke of Dali, and on the other was the newly appointed Fifth Prince, Prince Jin, Xiao Qing.
These two are currently among the most elite group of people in the entire Great Li Dynasty, and as the saying goes, when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer as well.
Li Ping suddenly felt a sense of fear.
Mu Zian showed no intention of leaving at this moment.
As a 21st-century youth who has been influenced by Mr. Ziren's ideas since childhood.
Power or injustice, it doesn't matter! When you see injustice, you should step in and help!
If groveling won't earn you respect, then stand out and reclaim what's rightfully yours.
History has shown you countless times that backing down will only lead to further exploitation.
What Mu Zian needs to do today is not just to reclaim the salary that the artisans of the Ministry of Works are rightfully entitled to.
Furthermore, in order to correct the mindset of the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works, Mu Zi'an wanted to strengthen their backbone.
Even if one's life is as insignificant as an ant, one should still aspire to great heights; even if one's fate is as fragile as paper, one should still possess an indomitable spirit.
This is what Mu Zian has to do today.
Even though the current situation cannot be changed in a short time, the class revolution begins today!
The progress of the times is not driven by these Confucian scholars who only know classical Chinese.
Instead, it is thanks to the countless craftsmen behind Mu Zi'an that this era is propelled forward like wheels.
Mu Zi'an needs a sense of honor! He needs passion! And even more so, he needs a sense of accomplishment!
Therefore, Mu Zian is not giving an inch today.
"Do you really want to be my enemy?"
Xiao Qing asked with a gloomy expression.
At this moment, Mu Zian was fearless and spoke the most deafening words in the calmest voice.
"If one day you ascend the throne and become emperor, I will naturally give you some face."
“But now, you have no face left in my eyes.”
The look in everyone's eyes as they looked at Mu Zi'an was beyond shock; it was utter astonishment!
For the sake of the Ministry of Works, which was the lowest-ranking of the Six Ministries, they stormed the Ministry of Revenue and confronted Prince Jin head-on.
At this moment, everyone felt that Mu Zi'an had gone mad!
Looking at the anger on Xiao Qing's face and the fear on the faces of the officials of the Ministry of Revenue.
Mu Zian felt no joy whatsoever, because his actions today were not intended to demonstrate his arrogance.
Rather, it was to let everyone in the capital know that from this day forward, no one could be above the Ministry of Works.
And to achieve such an effect, nothing is better than crushing the person they once feared most into the dust.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com