"Earning the sovereign's favor, one should share the sovereign's worries. You all, as His Majesty's subjects, at this critical moment, must consider how to alleviate the burden on our ruler, rather than shirking responsibility." A resolute-faced man swept his gaze over everyone present,

His eyes bright with spirit, where they passed, not a single person dared to meet his gaze, even if they were fellow Supreme Overlords, but at this moment the presence of this one man seemed to suppress everyone in the room, leaving not a soul to speak up.

After a silence, those present quickly came to their senses. Prince Yu's face turned to anger as he scolded, "Zhang Taiyue, do you really think you are the only loyal and virtuous official among us all?"

The other party's words were like a stabbing accusation, implying that it was only they who were all neglecting their duties, and that only Zhang Taiyue was the true loyal official.

This was a burden too enormous to bear; not even Prince Yu, a child of the Jade Emperor himself, could afford to be saddled with this accusation.

Even as a royal offspring, he was well aware of what kind of existence his father, the Emperor, was – a qualified ruler who would not bestow any special treatment even if it were a Prince who made a mistake.

Now, Zhang Taiyue's words felt like a heavy weight, unbearable for anyone present, which is why, after his initial shock, Prince Yu immediately rebuked him with fury.

"Zhang Taiyue, how dare you!"

"Zhang Baigui, such audacious nonsense!"

"This is too much; we all serve His Majesty in the same court, working for His Majesty. How come in the mouth of you, Zhang Taiyue, we are all painted as incompetent and inactive, while only you serve His Majesty wholeheartedly?"

The many strong individuals of the Royal Family and Noble Officials also spoke out in censure, even Wang Xijue, who was born of the same Civil Officials lineage, showed displeasure, as undoubtedly, the rebuke included him as well.

"To borrow the words of the Law Enforcement Heavenly Monarch, I, Zhang, am only an outspoken official who cannot stand the sight of your timid behavior!" Zhang Taiyue remained unmoved, saying calmly.

Such accusation from a multitude of strong figures was almost equivalent to being universally condemned, especially since many present voiced their opposition to him, effectively isolating and excluding him.

Any ordinary person faced with this condition would have felt a sense of isolation, even if fundamentally, what they had said or done was not wrong.

However, what kind of resolute will did Zhang Taiyue possess? If he hadn't had such courageous conviction and determination to stand apart from the crowd, he would not have spoken up before - all he had to do was to listen silently and mire with these people in corruption.

But Zhang Taiyue was just Zhang Taiyue, unchangeable in character at any time, and certainly not one to go with the flow.

Listening to their angry scolding and shouting, he remained serene, his heart unruffled, as if nothing could cause the slightest ripple.

"Outspoken official! You're nothing but a self-proclaimed outspoken official seeking fame!"

"Fine words are easy to say, but the reality is as such. What do you suggest we do?"

"The current situation is difficult; it's not the time for internal conflict, but for genuine collaboration!" Though Wang Xijue was agitated by Zhang Taiyue's words, being from the lineage of Civil Officials, he still attempted to soften the atmosphere a bit.

However, before he could finish, someone's next remark drastically changed his expression.

"Since you, Zhang Taiyue, are so capable, why not leave the matter at hand for you to handle? All arrangements and planning will be done by you, and we will all follow your command, how about that?"

With these words, the room fell silent suddenly, and everyone instinctively turned their gaze towards Zhang Taiyue to see how he would respond.

"He's out of line! This is to shift the blame onto us!" Wang Xijue realized almost instantly, they were trying to pass the buck.

This provocation, if Zhang Taiyue took on the task, then he, representing the Civil Officials, would bear the responsibility if it failed.

He was about to speak out, but unexpectedly, Zhang Taiyue responded with a cold laugh, "Fine!"

"It's over," Wang Xijue thought to himself.

His gaze, full of irritation and disbelief, fixed on Zhang Taiyue, almost too flustered to speak, "You are not a fool, why act so foolishly..."

This was provocation, and these people were merely shifting the blame, intending to push the responsibility onto Zhang Taiyue, placing the Civil Officials in the spotlight.

Perhaps at the beginning when Zhang Taiyue scolded them, there was anger and dissatisfaction among these people, but being shrewd as they were, why would they let anger cloud their judgment when they instantly saw an opportunity there?

Their words cornered Zhang Taiyue; regardless of whether he was pretending to censure them or truly intended to take action, it was a good opportunity either way.

After such statements were made, no matter how Zhang Taiyue reacted, they would retain the advantage.

If Zhang Taiyue feared to take up the matter, it would show that he was merely seeking fame, and his earlier words would turn into boomerangs, striking back at him.

If he accepted the challenge, it would greatly ease their burden, and there would be no need

to waste time here, as someone else had been found to take the blame.

This was Wang Xijue's greatest discontent because if it had been someone else, it wouldn't matter, but Zhang Taiyue wasn't a fool; why step into such an obvious trap? With his abilities, Zhang Taiyue could undoubtedly break the situation.

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