Golden Ranking Appears, My Empress Turns Out to Be Wu Zhao

Ming Imperial Harem.

Empress Wu Zhao Palace.

"Miss, I have one more matter. I don't know if I should say it or not."

Shangguan Wan'er hesitated, looking troubled.

"What is it?"

"There's a rumor circulating outside... that His Majesty already has a true dragon heir."

"Not a Princess, but a genuine Prince."

"What did you say?"

Empress Wu Zhao was startled when she heard it.

She suddenly stood up and stared sharply at Shangguan Wan'er.

"Wan'er, is this true? Could it be some schemer's plot?"

"Is the goal to drive a wedge between His Majesty and me?"

"This... I'm not sure either. The rumors sound convincing, but as for real evidence, no one has produced any!"

"How... how is this possible?"

"Could it be that His Majesty is wary of me, believing I would secretly harm his Prince, so he's hiding him among the common people?"

Empress Wu Zhao was visibly flustered.

If His Majesty didn't trust her, and even lied to her, that would be more serious than anything else.

After spending so many years together, day in and day out, Emperor Zhu Houzhao had already become the most important part of her life.

She simply couldn't imagine what she would do without him.

If their relationship became strained over mere power, it would be torturous and terrifying.

"Wan'er, mobilize all of my forces and find out who is spreading these rumors."

"I want to see for myself what their true purpose is."

"Whoever it is, once they're found, I will make them pay."

Empress Wu Zhao said coldly.

She didn't care about whether it was a Prince or not.

What she cared about was His Majesty's attitude toward her.

If someone was sowing discord from the shadows, that would be the worst outcome.

"Yes, Miss!"

"No, I must go see His Majesty immediately and speak clearly about everything."

"Misunderstandings must be resolved at once. If left alone, the consequences will only worsen over time."

After saying that, Empress Wu Zhao headed straight toward the imperial garden where Zhu Houzhao was.

==========

Buzz!

As she walked, the ranking in the sky suddenly trembled once more.

A bright light flared.

A new ranking appeared.

[Renowned Minister Ranking – Rank 6]

[Shang Yang]

[Nation: Qin Dynasty]

[Potential: Capable of becoming a Top Prime Minister of the Nine Provinces]

[Governance Capability Rating: Five Stars]

[Strength: Super First Class]

[Reward: 1x Top-Tier Civil Minister Skill Card, 1x Spiritual Power Enhancement Card, +5% National Fortune]

==========

"What? It's Shang Yang? He's only Rank 6?"

"How is that possible? He should be at least in the top three!"

"The glory of the Qin Dynasty today owes immensely to Shang Yang!"

"He's definitely ranked too low!"

"Even if he were ranked 1st on the Renowned Minister Ranking, I'd be convinced!"

"Heh, I don't quite agree. I admit Shang Yang was remarkable, a true statesman of his era, but to say he deserves Rank 2? That's going too far."

"Even the current Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty, Li Si, might surpass him."

"True, Shang Yang's reforms were the foundation of the Qin Dynasty's strength, but without the work of those who came after, the Qin Dynasty would never have become a dynasty."

"Yes, I agree. In my view, Li Si should be ranked higher than Shang Yang."

"Li Si assisted Ying Zheng in unifying the Six Kingdoms. His achievements are unparalleled!"

"Compared to him, even renowned generals like Wang Jian and Wang Ben pale in comparison."

"Nonsense. That power-hungry Li Si isn't fit to be compared with Lord Shang. He's not worthy at all."

"What's wrong with being power-hungry? As long as he achieved results, it's justified."

"That's not a flaw!"

"In my view, someone like Li Si, who betrayed his Sir and had no morals, doesn't even deserve to be on the Renowned Minister Ranking!"

Shang Yang's placement on the ranking sparked heated discussion across the Nine Provinces.

Some said he was ranked too low.

Others disagreed.

Especially those comparing him with Qin Dynasty's current Prime Minister Li Si, the debate grew intense.

==========

Qin Imperial Palace.

"Sir, what is the Heaven Dao Reward? What does a Top-Tier Civil Minister Skill Card and a Spiritual Power Enhancement Card mean?"

"Your Majesty, the Heaven Dao has granted me a skill called "Thunderous Lawful Voice". Just now, my spiritual power has clearly increased."

"I feel that within the Mythical Realm, I'll soon be able to break through another minor stage."

Shang Yang immediately used the Heaven Dao's Skill Card.

The results were excellent.

"Good. Very good."

"Thunderous Lawful Voice? What does it do?"

"Any enemy who breaks the laws of the Qin Dynasty will be suppressed with nearly double the power when I execute justice."

"Moreover, this skill suits you well, Sir."

"If you were to use it against Xiong Qi, would it have unexpected effects?"

"Highly likely. Under my suppression, if Xiong Qi hasn't reached the God Demon Realm, he would only be able to use fifty percent of his strength."

"Defeating or even killing him would be much easier."

"Excellent. Then I must trouble you to head to the frontlines this time. Be sure to bring me Xiong Qi's head!"

"I will have Monarch Wu'an and Black Shadow assist you!"

"I obey, Your Majesty!"

After dismissing Shang Yang, Ying Zheng's face darkened again.

Shang Yang was only ranked 6th on the Renowned Minister Ranking?

Didn't that mean the Qin Dynasty would have only one more person qualified for the remaining top five?

Within the Qin Dynasty, only Li Si had the ability to surpass Shang Yang.

Then who would the other four be?

Judging from Shang Yang's rewards, just one skill had greatly increased his combat power.

He previously couldn't defeat Xiong Qi, but now he had absolute confidence.

That shows how terrifying Heaven Dao's skill rewards were.

And this was only a Top-Tier Skill Card.

What if someone received an Ultimate-Tier Skill Card later?

Wouldn't they be even stronger?

If an enemy acquired one, the consequences would be disastrous.

Thinking of this, Ying Zheng couldn't help but feel anxious.

The Qin Dynasty's progress was a little slow.

If this continued, the outcome would be unthinkable.

"Summon Prime Minister Li Si to the palace!"

However, the Qin Dynasty wasn't without its benefits.

At the very least, the National Fortune had improved noticeably.

Recently, the number of natural disasters within the Qin Dynasty has decreased significantly.

He even had the Black Ice Platform collect intelligence across the land, and no one had concealed anything.

The reduction in disasters was real.

This was likely due to the increase in National Fortune.

If the Qin Dynasty saw such change, then the benefits that Ming Dynasty and the Vast Sea Dynasty received must be even greater.

Thinking of this, Ying Zheng couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

Still, he would not give up.

The future Emperor of the Nine Provinces could only be him, Ying Zheng.

No one else was qualified.

If not him, then who?

==========

Ming Dynasty Territory.

A team of several hundred people slowly set off from the capital, heading toward Jiangnan.

At the same time, news that Hai Rui had been appointed as the Grand Governor of Jiangnan spread across the Ming Dynasty.

Countless people were stunned.

He had just been ranked on the Renowned Minister Ranking, and now he was promoted?

And promoted so quickly at that.

A Grand Governor holds real power!

However, many also felt a growing sense of fear.

This man, once a minor official, had already thrown the entire Ming Dynasty's Bureaucracy into chaos.

Now that he has become a regional authority...

Who knew what would become of Jiangnan next?

Even Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng wore a constipated expression.

His stomach ached.

A man like Hai Rui, who couldn't be bribed or intimidated, he truly had no way of dealing with him.

Most crucially, this man was favored by the Emperor himself!

"Lord, we're about to enter Jiangnan. We must stay alert!"

"The aristocratic clans and powerful families in Jiangnan are no joke!"

"Some have even gone utterly mad."

"Many Ming Dynasty officials have colluded with them. Lord, you must be extremely cautious, or you might fall into their hands."

This time, Commander Qing Long of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been personally assigned to protect Hai Rui, and also to assist him in the Jiangnan campaign.

Secretly, he would also conduct a thorough purge of the Jiangnan on behalf of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

This mission was no light matter. One misstep could mean his end.

"Heh, you're too late. Those people have already made their move!"

Hai Rui sneered coldly.

His eyes stared sharply ahead.

A chilling aura radiated from him.

Qing Long was stunned, not understanding.

But the next moment, a team of about a hundred black-clad assassins charged forward.

Without saying a word.

Their target was clearly Hai Rui.

"Lord, be careful!"

Qing Long knew Hai Rui's martial strength wasn't particularly high.

He immediately stepped forward to protect him.

But seeing the assassins, Hai Rui showed no panic, remaining upright and dignified.

"Looks like some people in Jiangnan couldn't sit still upon hearing of my arrival."

"That's fine. Saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one."

Hai Rui murmured.

Then he suddenly shouted.

A wave of righteous force surged out from him.

"How dare you! Kneel before this official!"

A terrifying aura instantly descended.

The black-clad assassins felt an unprecedented pressure in their hearts.

Almost instinctively, their knees buckled, and they collapsed to the ground.

Their faces went pale.

They looked at Hai Rui in shock.

"Hai Rui knows martial arts? And he's this powerful?"

Not only were the assassins stunned, even Qing Long was dumbfounded.

Just a single shout had forced them all to kneel?

Even he, Qing Long, couldn't do that!

Could Hai Rui be in the Land Immortal Realm?

Even Hai Rui himself was slightly surprised. The move he had just used was a Heaven Dao Reward skill.

Top-tier skill, Golden Voice Thunder Roar!

Using the righteous energy in his chest, combined with spiritual power and voice, it generated a terrifying aura that spread outward.

Anyone whose spiritual power was lower than his, or who harbored guilt in their hearts, would be stunned by the move.

Not just ordinary assassins.

Even those at the Land Immortal Realm might have their combat power drastically reduced.

It was a top-tier skill meant for civil ministers.

No need for martial cultivation.

Just with righteousness, conviction, or spiritual force, one could unleash tremendous power.

The same skill in the hands of different civil ministers would yield drastically different results.

Some might not even shake an ordinary person.

While others, even against Land Immortal Realm enemies, would remain unshaken.

This shows just how extraordinary Heaven Dao Reward truly was.

"Commander Qing Long, arrest them all and interrogate them. I want to know exactly who sent them."

"Yes, Lord Hai!"

Qing Long now looked at Hai Rui very differently.

A weak civil minister, he could ignore.

But a powerful one, especially one he respected, demanded reverence.