World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 967 - 448: Utterly Horrific Hell

Chapter 967: 448: Utterly Horrific Hell

The young master of Yin Zhou, Fang Qingyi, found himself in a state of acute distress!

After several years of political corruption, the Rage Wave Kingdom’s subordinate provinces, counties, and noble territories have greatly reduced their tax contributions to the royal household, and collection has become increasingly difficult.

This was to be expected as the weakening of central authority invariably results in local powers becoming bold and aggressive.

Especially over the last two years, with the rise of Suo Lun, Zhi Li had to seek support from nobles and lords, thus giving local forces even more impudence.

Many properties belonging to the royal household were infiltrated by the Hidden Yuan Association, turning them into breeding grounds for corruption among the aristocracy and officials.

In normal times, the kingdom’s annual tax revenue plus the income from royal enterprises used to be around 2.6 million Gold Coins. How much actually ends up in the royal coffers now? Truly, only heaven knows.

Therefore, the monthly operational expenses of the kingdom are now being covered by Zhi Li signing off loans from the Royal Treasury, which in turn borrows from the Hidden Yuan Association.

In Fang Qingyi’s view, cutting off Rage Wave Kingdom’s financial roots should force Suo Lun to compromise.

However, Suo Lun did not compromise.

Next, Fang Qingyi threatened to reveal the true magnitude of the kingdom’s deficit, to blow open this volcanic crater.

Still, Suo Lun did not compromise.

Now, the gold reserves in the Royal Treasury have disappeared without a trace. In Fang Qingyi’s eyes, this is the ultimate blow to Suo Lun.

The gold reserves in the Royal Treasury are unquestionably Suo Lun’s greatest source of confidence.

Once those Gold Coins are lost, no matter the talent, the situation cannot be salvaged; one can only await the political collapse, the disintegration of the kingdom’s order.

Just like in the final days of the Ming Dynasty, the entire dynasty’s wealth together amounted to more than ten billion taels of silver.

But at the critical moment, Emperor Chongzhen couldn’t produce even a few million taels of silver, and could only watch as the vast Ming Dynasty crumbled and perished.

The financial situation Suo Lun faces now is even worse than that of Emperor Chongzhen.

Chongzhen merely had no money at hand, while Suo Lun faces a deficit of nearly 20 million Gold Coins, over ten years worth of the kingdom’s taxes.

Unexpectedly, Suo Lun still did not compromise and instead dispatched the Forbidden Army to annihilate the Hidden Yuan Association, embarking on a massive slaughter.

How dares he? How dares he?

The Hidden Yuan Association is indeed a territory of Yin Zhou, recognized by both the Rage Wave Kingdom and the entire Human Kingdom.

Next, Fang Qingyi is forced to confront a situation.

What should he do? Faced with a completely deranged Suo Lun, what should he do?

He has played all his cards, triggering an economic crisis in the kingdom, causing the gold reserves in the Royal Treasury to vanish into thin air — that was his trump card, there couldn’t be a bigger move.

He has no more cards to play, yet Suo Lun still refuses to surrender, what should he do?

Of course, Fang Qingyi absolutely does not believe that Suo Lun can save the current situation.

But to let the Rage Wave Kingdom collapse completely, the order destroyed?

That would mean that all of Yin Zhou’s previous efforts have been in vain.

Yin Zhou wants a complete Rage Wave colonial land, a fully intact nation that can generate a continuous stream of benefits.

A thoroughly chaotic Rage Wave Kingdom does not serve the interests of Yin Zhou.

If the situation develops to this stage, it means that Yin Zhou’s strategy has completely failed, and the astronomical price paid earlier has all been for naught.

As for him, the newly appointed young master of Yin Zhou, he can only step down in dejection.

Backed by the Dragon Temple, controlling close to half of the gold coin minting and reserves of the Human Kingdom through the Hidden Yuan Association, of course, Yin Zhou is awe-inspiring, looking down upon the world.

But...

To truly grow strong, it’s not enough for Yin Zhou to just have money; it also needs a military, a truly powerful force.

Therefore, Yin Zhou needs a puppet state, a real colonial nation.

The Beiting Kingdom is too remote, Xiliang Kingdom is too poor, the Flame Empire is too mighty, and the East Li Kingdom is also too mighty.

In the end, Yin Zhou chose the Rage Wave Kingdom.

It is an emerging nation, with orders still relatively fragile and its standing within the Human Kingdom not yet firm, yet very powerful.

Yin Zhou has put in decades of effort to colonize the Rage Wave Kingdom.

...

More than thirty years ago, the King of the time was Zhi Bian’s father, a wise and ruthless sovereign from whom Yin Zhou had little opportunity to gain advantage.

Thus, Yin Zhou picked another person, that is, the Crown Prince of Rage Wave Kingdom, Zhi Lan.

Like other princes of kingdoms, Zhi Lan went to study in the Yanjing Holy Temple since his teens.

The clerics of the Dragon Temple and the people of Yin Zhou desperately brainwashed Zhi Lan, instilling in him some very "advanced" ideas.

After returning to the Rage Wave Kingdom, the former King granted Crown Prince Zhi Lan ample authority to prepare for his future ascension to the throne.

In the eyes of the former King, it wasn’t a problem for the Crown Prince to make mistakes; the fear was in not daring to act.

With Yin Zhou’s astronomical Gold Coin investment, Crown Prince Zhi Lan’s political achievements were dazzling. The northwestern province, a land of bitter cold, shockingly contributed even higher taxes annually than the Southeast Province and Nujiang Province.

Moreover, Crown Prince Zhi Lan was practically worshipped as the perfect embodiment by officials, nobility, and lords.

Tolerant, elegant, merciful!

Anyone who joined Crown Prince Zhi Lan’s ranks would have wealth and fame flowing continuously.

Within just a few years, Crown Prince Zhi Lan’s reputation soared sky-high, completely lauded by the people as a saintly monarch whose renown even surpassed that of the former King.

Not only that, other princes also fell at the feet of Crown Prince Zhi Lan, because they could obtain tremendous benefits from him.