Chapter 9: The Power of Money
"Eighty percent of the Senate, huh."
The King with the ahoge sat next to Wu Fu. After experiencing the Black Abyss, hearing such matters left her quite composed.
"That's right."
Wu Fu felt somewhat helpless. Compared to military authority, the royal power and the Senate held absolute dominion, easily able to strip him of his position. If he dared to oppose, someone would quickly replace him.
With a clatter, Su Xiao tossed a dagger onto the table in front of Wu Fu.
"One lie, one finger."
Su Xiao interlaced his fingers and looked at Wu Fu with a smile.
Wu Fu hesitated for a moment, then picked up the dagger on the table.
"Wait..."
*Pfft!*
A few drops of blood splattered onto the King with the ahoge's face.
The dagger embedded itself into the wooden table, blood spreading along the grain. His face pale, Wu Fu released the dagger and picked up his severed little finger, still dripping blood.
"It's ninety percent, my lord. Besides the border troops barely holding on, we can't take much more. Weapons and armor are severely worn, horses and war beasts need replacement. Give us twenty percent, and if you want it, I'll even offer you my head."
Wu Fu paid no attention to his bleeding left hand. The four legion commanders all lowered their heads.
"Tomorrow morning, go to the Treasury and requisition a year's worth of military funds."
Su Xiao tapped his fingers lightly on the table, unconcerned by the smell of blood in the room.
"So our share... is it twenty percent?"
Wu Fu spoke in a low voice, pushing aside the guard trying to bandage his wound.
"All of it."
Su Xiao's words struck Wu Fu like a thunderbolt.
"At least give us ten percent..."
"..."
Su Xiao furrowed his brows. The level of corruption among the Empire's officials exceeded his expectations. Someone like Bloomer had reduced military funds to just ten percent. He must have embezzled some, but not to that extreme. As for the remaining share, did he even need to think about it? The other fifteen senators weren't so easily satisfied. The military getting ten percent was already decent. Two years ago, they only received six percent. Embezzlement was far more terrifying than people imagined.
"I mean, all the military funds requisitioned this time will go to your side. Sixty percent allocated to the border, forty percent for training new troops, replacing armor, weapons, war beasts, compensation, and so on. If anything goes wrong on your end, I'll chop you up and feed you to the dogs."
Su Xiao tilted his head toward the window, implying that if the funds went wrong within the military, he'd chop Wu Fu up and feed him to the hunting dogs in the courtyard.
Wu Fu and the four legion commanders stared at Su Xiao in shock, momentarily unable to process what they'd heard.
"Lord Kukulin, shouldn't you write some sort of authorization? After all..."
Wu Fu seemed afraid Su Xiao would change his mind, even demanding the authorization on the spot.
"The authorization has already been sent to the Treasury. The Senate will have no choice but to guarantee it. If nothing goes wrong, the funds should arrive in three to five days."
Although Su Xiao needed money to buy connections, he wouldn't start with the military. Having just taken command, he needed to win over these legion commanders as quickly as possible, and that meant throwing money at them, using the power of money to bring them down.
Wu Fu was indeed brought down by money. The pain in his hand no longer mattered. It proved that the method of striking first and then offering a sweetener worked everywhere.
"My lord, do you have some conflict with Senator Bloomer?"
Wu Fu couldn't deny he hated Su Xiao. With a single casual remark, Su Xiao had taken one of his fingers. But now, he absolutely couldn't let Su Xiao come to harm—at least not until the military funds arrived, and not afterward either. If they could receive full funding for three consecutive years, he could beat the barbarians at the border into a pulp and grind the sea clans into the dirt.
"What is it?"
Su Xiao was checking the intelligence Bubu Wang had relayed. Hearing Wu Fu's words, he closed the team communication channel.
"Your subordinate would like to station troops near this estate. Five hundred elites, no, eight hundred! What do you think, my lord..."
"As you wish. I urgently need people lately. Find me some capable individuals. Character doesn't matter, but their backgrounds must be clean."
Su Xiao urgently needed someone well-versed in the various factions of the Holy City, along with a few enforcers—the more combat-capable, the better.
"Leave it to me. By tomorrow morning at the latest, the troops and the people you need will be here."
Wu Fu spoke in a low voice to the guard behind him, who nodded repeatedly.
The King with the ahoge glanced at the severed finger on the table, then at Wu Fu's delighted expression. She was reminded of her former subjects, which made her question her life choices. She had been far more just than Su Xiao back then, yet she had been betrayed.
"Let's leave it at that for today."
Su Xiao leaned back in his seat. Commander Wu Fu and the four legion commanders rose and quickly left the estate.
...
In the Senate, a dimly lit room flickered with candlelight.
"Bloomer, of the five promises, two remain."
A slightly hoarse voice came through, sounding like a woman's.
"Now there's only one left. Help me eliminate Kukulin Bai Ye, tonight."
Bloomer, dressed in a loose purple robe and sitting in the darkness, spoke. Having lost so badly during the day, he naturally wouldn't let it go.
"Kukulin Bai Ye? Never heard of him. A transcendent hostile to you?"
The hoarse-voiced woman also sat in the darkness. Judging by her silhouette, she was about one meter seventy, of medium build and slightly thin. A silver earring shimmered with an unusual light in the dark.
"Not a transcendent. A member of the royal family."
"Are you insane? Killing a royal?"
The hoarse woman was shocked, sitting up straight with a start.
"You don't dare? The infamous Blood Feast is afraid?"
Bloomer chuckled. Arranging the assassination of a royal wasn't his first time.
"Don't try to provoke me. After I do this, we're even. How strong is he?"
The hoarse woman snorted coldly. She had long known that owing this old fox a favor would bring trouble.
"I already told you, he's a royal. Besides that madwoman Sayeto, have you ever heard of a strong royal? His attendant, Ken Lahan, is troublesome. Be careful of him."
"True, but Ken Lahan is old. A transcendent's affinity with eternal power declines rapidly with age. Even if he was strong once, he's just a decrepit old man now. At most, within an hour, I'll bring you that royal's head. Just don't scheme against me behind my back."
As the hoarse woman finished speaking, the room's window opened. The night wind stirred the curtains, and she vanished without a sound.
"Ken Lahan is old? Let's hope so."
Bloomer blew out the candle, plunging the room into pitch darkness.
...
In the empty council hall, Su Xiao had his legs propped up on the long table, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He was watching a live broadcast of a "romantic/ethical action blockbuster" on a tablet. The male lead was Duke Silverfeather, one of the four power contenders, and the female lead was his own elder sister, Maggie Virley.
Su Xiao found Duke Silverfeather somewhat suspicious. Between six and ten in the evening, the man had already bedded eight women. He shouldn't be called Duke Silverfeather; he should be called Duke Iron Kidney.
Su Xiao turned off the tablet's display. So far, he had a general understanding of three of the power contenders. As for the last duke, that little fellow was only nine years old. His father had once been the most promising contender but was assassinated in his own bedroom.
*Thump, thump. Thump.*
The door was knocked. A maid pushed a dining cart into the council hall. Su Xiao stretched lazily. The person he was waiting for had arrived.