Richest Man: Divine-Grade Reconstruct System Chapter 953 913: The Six Ministers and the Chancellors Stirring Up Trouble

Deep in their hearts, a collective thought arose: if they could seize this chance, their positions might finally see a slight shift.

Hadn't they just witnessed Zhu Jun, who spoke up earlier, receiving commendation from the new Emperor?

Such praise was exceptionally rare, and with it, a promotion was a natural consequence.

It seemed the new monarch favored this manner of speaking, this kind of flattery. For a moment, a sense of eagerness stirred within them: if they, too, were to step forward now, perhaps they could secure a share of the rewards when they were distributed.

Of course, this was the calculation of the deputies; their immediate superiors, along with the two Chancellors to their left and right, and the six Ministers, all wore expressions that were exceedingly grim and markedly complex.

Exchanging glances, they perceived the deep-seated bitterness in each other's eyes.

From their perspective, the new king undoubtedly harbored a hidden agenda this time; he was manipulating this situation as a pretext to elevate a contingent of officials, and that was the true objective.

And if that were to happen, if he succeeded in promoting a group of officials, their individual spheres of influence would be substantially diminished.

Indeed, weakened. It was important to remember that even though these deputies were generally perceived as ineffectual and hardly worth engaging with, they currently belonged, by title, to their respective factions.

Once the Emperor drew them into his personal orbit and they became individuals handpicked and promoted by him, how could they possibly continue to be considered "their" people?

Should that come to pass, their factions would endure a severe blow.

It would undoubtedly be a disadvantageous outcome.

Consequently, the individual at the forefront, the Right Chancellor, subtly exchanged a look with the other six Ministers.

In that single glance, everyone grasped the unspoken understanding.

Therefore, in the very next instant, amidst the heightened tension and the clamor within the hall, as the deputies were practically vibrating with eagerness to step forward, the Left and Right Chancellors and the six Ministers, spearheaded by the Right Chancellor, suddenly prostrated themselves with a resounding thud, jointly proclaiming their unwavering commitment:

"What Assistant Minister Zhu Jun states is accurate. This item is genuinely a treasure of an Immortal, an object of rare and immense value. Should these veteran ministers have the opportunity to acquire it and, by fortunate circumstance, receive Your Majesty's favor in reward, then even if Your Majesty were to decree these old ministers' immediate retirement to their rural homesteads, not a single word of complaint would be uttered."

"Indeed, indeed, not a single word of complaint."

In a swift turn of events, these eight individuals were the first to kneel upon the floor, all echoing the same sentiment in unison.

This unexpected move left the Assistant Ministers utterly stunned.

No one had anticipated that these senior officials would display such a blatant lack of shame, kneeling at this critical juncture to usurp their anticipated merit.

With this strategic maneuver, the entire matter would likely be peacefully resolved and quietly set aside.

Any prospect of their own promotions and advancements was now rendered improbable.

After all, once this established group became involved, large-scale promotions would be out of the question; their current ranks were already at the apex, leaving no room for further elevation.

Under such circumstances, the ultimate outcome would, at best, be a few nominal tokens of appreciation.

Yet, this was not their desired outcome. They had suppressed their frustrations and persevered in these deputy roles for countless years, all for this very moment, had they not?

And now, it had been effectively sabotaged, forcibly ruined by this assembly of aged figures. How could they not be consumed by fury?

However, despite their profound displeasure, immense frustration, and overwhelming rage, they dared not betray even the slightest indication of their true feelings.

After all, these individuals were still their direct superiors, and among them were the Left and Right Chancellors—figures they absolutely could not afford to alienate.

In everyday interactions, when encountering them in the corridors and offering greetings, they might not even receive a response.

Nevertheless, they now found themselves in a genuine quandary: if they were to follow suit and kneel, they would merely be joining the prevailing sentiment without certainty of gaining any advantage; conversely, they risked incurring the displeasure of these seasoned officials.

Could they not discern that only a select few were currently kneeling?

If they were to enter the fray as well, it might very well backfire, and those senior figures could begin to make their lives difficult through minor persecutions—such a possibility was entirely plausible.

Precisely because of these considerations, the deputies remained frozen in place, their heads bowed in awkwardness. No one ventured to step forward; no one dared to speak.

Not only them; Zhu Jun, the very first to kneel, felt the most profound embarrassment, wishing he could disappear into the very earth beneath him.

He was now trapped in an inescapable predicament. If he were to stand, he would undoubtedly offend the Emperor.

If he were to remain kneeling, what justification would he have to kneel alongside the esteemed Left and Right Chancellors and the six Ministers?

Instantly finding himself in a tremendously awkward predicament, he was now wracked with regret. Oh, why had he impulsively stepped forward in the first place?

Why had he sought to steal the limelight?

His self-loathing was immense, but it was surpassed by his hatred for those elders. It was entirely due to their machinations that he'd been shoved into this unenviable position. Those wretched old men were simply petrified lest he gain even the slightest advantage.

In his heart, he could be heard grinding his teeth, thinking: if he were ever to ascend to true power, he would undoubtedly carve them all into pieces.

However, he also recognized the sheer impossibility of such an ambition. His family's standing simply did not afford him the capacity for such a feat. He was, in fact, the most capable individual within his entire clan.

How could someone holding the position of Assistant Minister possibly stand against a full Minister? How could he possibly contend with the esteemed Left and Right Chancellors?

Ultimately, with no other recourse, he could only lower his gaze and feign ignorance, as if he had neither heard nor witnessed anything.

Letting events unfold naturally, he could only surrender to his fate.

From his vantage point above, Lin Yi observed the unfolding scene, a playful smirk involuntarily playing upon his lips.

His gaze meticulously traversed every individual present, absorbing every nuanced expression and every fleeting trace of emotion displayed on their countenances.

Simultaneously, he scoffed internally. So, these esteemed elders truly had their influence deeply entrenched; now that they had taken the initiative to speak, not a single other soul dared to follow suit.

That fact alone was sufficient to illustrate just how imperious and domineering they were during ordinary times.

Nevertheless, this turn of events was precisely what he most desired to witness, the exact outcome he had been hoping for.

"Haha, most excellent. You all are indeed my most loyal and capable ministers.

Come, Xiao Chen, hasten to summon the finest Painter within the palace for me."

The moment the words left his lips, Xiao Chen, who had been standing discreetly to the side, immediately bowed his head in acknowledgement and accepted the command.

[To be continued…]