Although Li Chaoqing was interested, he was sternly stopped by Li Qing. Li Qing was very perceptive now. Although he understood that the big shot might not care about the losses of the Mobei Empire, getting involved would be tantamount to indirectly helping Hengtong Bank, which was no joke.
Therefore, the Ji Yuan Empire not only did not make a statement, but also secretly accumulated strength to deal with Hengtong Money Shop within its territory.
The other three empires were not so obedient. They were all tempted by Ding Ruohai's promises. Since it was rare for empires to fight each other, why not take advantage of the opportunity to gain real benefits?
Inside the Tengyun Empire's imperial palace, Wei Jinzhong, now the chief eunuch, stood alone before the emperor.
"Minister Wei, what do you think? Should I send troops to attack the northern desert?"
This man was none other than Tang Wenshan, the new emperor of the Tengyun Empire.
Wei Jinzhong, as the person who helped him ascend to the throne, deserved his respect in terms of both ability and achievements.
"Your Majesty, you can decide these matters yourself. I have said that after you ascend the throne, I will only be responsible for your safety and will not concern myself with anything else."
Tang Wenshan sighed and said, "You're still the same. I know you have a lot of power behind you, and you'd rather not do anything than let me misunderstand you. Why bother?"
"When I first arrived at the Prince's residence, I told Your Majesty that after you ascended the throne, I would devote myself to cultivation. Otherwise, I would be too busy with court affairs and my cultivation would progress much slower."
In his previous life, Wei Jinzhong was just a nobody in the city. His bad habits caused his wife and children to break up and he became a eunuch.
He was already content with living in the cracks, but his life was destined to be extraordinary. He had experienced fear, confusion, and humility, truly climbing up from the bottom of society.
He had seen through the true nature of power. Now that he had Meng Fan as his powerful backer, he could say he scorned power and realized how ridiculous he had been before.
But looking back, if Meng Fan hadn't given him the smooth road ahead, he might not have been much better off than in his previous life.
Tang Wenshan knew that Wei Jinzhong came from a powerful and influential force, but Wei Jinzhong never said so. However, he seemed to be able to overcome any obstacle, which was something that no one person could do alone!
"Only after I reached this position did I realize that although the throne represents power, the responsibility is also immense. I fear that if I make a wrong move, it will cause irreparable damage to the empire. Alas."
After saying this, Tang Wenshan looked at Wei Jinzhong. In his opinion, Wei Jinzhong must know the hidden story, but he just didn't want to tell him in detail.
"Profits are tempting. The emperor has just ascended the throne. What he needs to do is not to expand the territory, but to stabilize his position."
"Oh? So, Minister Wei wants me to ignore Hengtong Bank?"
"If possible, we should even learn from the Northern Desert Empire and uproot the Hengtong Bank's influence within its borders."
"What? This..."
"Your Majesty, I have said all I need to say. As for what Your Majesty should do, that is entirely up to you."
When Wei Jinzhong first came to this world, he wanted to ascend to a high position in the Tengyun Empire by assisting Tang Wenshan. However, as his cultivation improved, this idea faded considerably. Now, he only wants to focus on studying martial arts and strive to keep up with the rest of the group.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Inside the underground headquarters, Ding Ruohai was listening to a report from his subordinates.
"My lord, of the four great empires, only the Remnant Sun Empire is willing to send troops; the other three empires have not responded."
The subordinate, oblivious to Ding Ruohai's increasingly grim expression, continued his report: "Especially the Jiyuan Empire, not only has it not sent troops, but according to our people stationed in the Jiyuan court, Li Chaoqing seems to be inclined to take action against Hengtong Bank."
"Tang Wenshan of the Tengyun Empire seems to have made preparations as well, secretly mobilizing experts from the imperial court, and even making a trip to the Tengyun Ancestor."
"The Dragon Yuan Empire has not detected any intention to deal with us."
"The Residual Sun Empire has sent envoys to discuss the details with the Grand Protector."
"Enough! Stop talking!"
The people below held their breath. They knew that Ding Ruohai killed people without any reason, only according to his mood, and his methods were cruel. They didn't know if they would lose their lives if they said the wrong thing.
"Send a message to the Grand Protector: double the reward for the Remnant Sun Empire. The situation in the Northern Desert Empire is becoming increasingly unfavorable for us. Be prepared for a decisive battle at any time and ask the Remnant Sun Empire to send experts to our aid as soon as possible."
"My lord, the Remnant Sun Empire has decided to send troops, but it has encountered considerable setbacks and will likely make exorbitant demands."
"Setbacks? What setbacks?"
"Originally, Emperor Zhu Jinnian of the Remnant Sun Empire quickly agreed to the matter, but Yu Huatian, the head of the Western Depot, and Eunuch Cheng, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, interfered, which made the court tense. In the end, the two of them withdrew from the court with many of their subordinates, causing heavy losses to the Remnant Sun Empire. I'm afraid all of this will be attributed to us."
"Hmph! They're just two eunuchs, they're nothing special. You don't need to pay them any attention. I'll settle accounts with them personally after this is over."
"I will grant whatever the Sunset Empire asks for, and I will make the Northern Desert Empire and those who oppose me compensate for our losses."
...
The Northern Desert Empire has been in a bloodthirsty frenzy lately, killing anyone associated with Hengtong Money Shop and confiscating their property. This has led to a full replenishment of the Northern Desert Empire's previously depleted treasury, and they have even built several treasuries to store these items.
During this period, Huangpu Yun spent his days checking how much material had been captured. He also issued an order that when the local Hengtong Money Shop was destroyed, the people should be given silver according to the account books. Ninety percent of the remaining property should be handed over to the imperial court, and the remaining ten percent should be left to meritorious officials.
This greatly motivated many officials, allowing them to openly amass countless treasures.
Don't underestimate this small amount. Even though the local Hengtong Money Exchange had very little silver left after exchanging it, and some of it wasn't even enough, the treasury contained many treasures. Even if a portion of it was sold for silver, there would still be a lot left over.
Not to mention those who had close ties with Hengtong Bank, some were officials, some were merchants, and the things found after their homes were raided were simply mouthwatering.
When the local officials received the order, they were all extremely excited, but they were also afraid that their strength was insufficient. So they also won over many martial arts figures, and the one percent they received was split equally. This gave many powerful people an opportunity, and they rushed to the court like hungry tigers pouncing on wolves, which greatly increased the strength of the court in a short period of time.
This made Hengtong Bank's situation in the Northern Empire increasingly difficult, and it seemed poised for a decisive battle.
At the border between the Northern Desert Empire and the Sunset Empire, there were many dynasties that served as buffer zones between the two empires, so wars between the empires were rare.
Once war breaks out, it is the people of those dynasties who suffer.
This time, the Remnant Sun Empire launched a military campaign, advancing rapidly. The leader of the expedition was none other than Zhu Jianzhen, the patriarch of the Remnant Sun Empire and a powerful figure at the Heavenly Realm. Clearly, Hengtong Bank had provided a substantial amount, and Zhu Jinnian was willing to let his patriarch take such a risk.
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