I Am the Realm: From the Start, I Slay the Powerful Minister

Cao Heng was playing an emperor-building game on his phone. To get the ultimate experience, he chose a hellish starting scenario set in an alternate history. Only that kind of challenge was worthy of his pride as a big spender. But he never imagined he would actually transmigrate to a time and place almost identical to the game. Enemy troops were at the city gates, and the flames of war lit up the capital. The Jin army’s terms for peace were presented on the imperial desk: Five million taels of gold, fifty million taels of silver, ten thousand head of cattle and horses, a million bolts of silk, the surrender of three towns, and the empress, hailed as “the most beautiful woman under heaven.” What sent his blood pressure soaring was that Chancellor Yan Dao'an had already agreed on behalf of the court. He was now leading the civil and military officials to pressure Cao Heng into accepting. The court was even discussing how to legally strip the city’s wealthy families and commoners of everything they owned. If there wasn’t enough silver, women would make up the difference, offered to the enemy in exchange for peace. Cao Heng finally reached his limit. He swept the imperial desk to the floor. The crash echoed through the hall, and under the horrified eyes of the assembled officials, he drew the Son of Heaven’s sword: “My sword is every bit as sharp!” The blade flashed down, and a powerful minister’s blood splattered across the jade steps.