Chapter 96.1

Qin Hui was startled; this question was difficult to answer!

If His Majesty asked him to frame the loyal and good from his personal interest, he would certainly do so.

After all, it was His Majesty who decided his fate and future.

If he wanted to climb higher, to gain greater power and status, he had to please His Majesty and obey the Emperor’s words.

Whether others were loyal or not, he did not care; after all, it’s every man for himself.

But if he really framed the loyal and good, what would he become?

Treachery!

And it is the treachery of the highest order!

How would His Majesty view him, how would the court officials and the military officers view him, and how would the common people view him?

Yet, if one were to oppose His Majesty to protect a loyal subject, it would certainly not please His Majesty either, and one’s future prospects would be equally affected.

This question is akin to a death sentence; no matter how one handles it, it is impossible to fully satisfy His Majesty.

“Your Majesty, this student dares to ask, what defines a loyal and good official?” Qin Hui inquired with a bow.

Lin Beifan said with a smile, “Those who dedicate themselves to the country and plead for the people can be called loyal and good!”

“Since those who dedicate themselves to the country and plead for the people can be called loyal and good, then the question posed by Your Majesty simply does not exist!”

Lin Beifan asked, puzzled, “Why do you say that?”

Qin Hui opened his arms wide and declared loudly, “This world belongs to His Majesty; is there anyone who cares for the world more than His Majesty? These people are His Majesty’s subjects; is there anyone who loves the people more than His Majesty?”

“Therefore, to dedicate oneself to the country and to plead for the people is, in fact, to serve His Majesty! To be loyal to the country, to be loyal to the people, is essentially to be loyal to His Majesty!”

“Since he is loyal to His Majesty and is a good servant of His Majesty, His Majesty will certainly not frame him but will instead make great use of him! Those who are not loyal to His Majesty cannot be called loyal and good but are treacherous and sycophantic officials!”

“Such treacherous and sycophantic officials deceive His Majesty, bring disaster to the country and calamity to the people, and everyone should put them to death! Without His Majesty having to say a word, I, as a scholar, will not hesitate to act, and even if it means bloodshed within every five steps, I will not spare them!”

Lin Beifan applauded: “Well said! Our Great Xia needs loyal and good officials like you! There are many vacancies in the six ministries, choose a place for yourself, and I will make arrangements for you!”

Qin Hui was overjoyed and said loudly: “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Then, Qin Hui chose the Ministry of Justice, for reasons similar to Cao Cao, to avoid those powerful talents.

Only in a new world can one make a difference.

“Good! I hereby appoint you as the Supervisor of the Ministry of Justice! I have great expectations for you, and if you do well, the position of Minister of Justice will be yours!”

Qin Hui was ecstatic: “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness! I will dedicate myself to the utmost to repay the imperial favor!”

Lin Beifan was extremely satisfied with the two talents recommended by Yan Song.

“Minister Yan, you’ve done well. You are rewarded with a thousand taels of silver and a promotion of one rank! Continue to recommend more talents like these, the more the merrier! Bring a few more, and I will appoint you as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Service!”

Yan Song was overjoyed: “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

He thought to himself that he had indeed done the right thing!

With even more motivation, he resolved to scout for more talents to become the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Service at the earliest opportunity!

The three of them left with great ambition.

……

At this time, the textiles produced were continuously in high demand; every batch was sold out as soon as it was made.

Every household had fabric, with the least having one bolt and some even having more than ten.

With fabric at hand, naturally, it was time to make clothes, either for oneself or for family members.

Thus, many common folks donned new garments, walking down the streets with a completely refreshed and spirited appearance.

By this time, the weather had gradually become colder, signaling the approach of winter.

Although it had not yet snowed, the north wind howled fiercely, bone-chillingly cold, deterring people from venturing outside.

Lin Beifan was just like this; after dealing with court affairs, he would mostly nestle in his house, warming himself by the charcoal stove, reading books while sipping on wine, and leading a life that was indeed very relaxed and comfortable.

At that moment, a tinkling voice came through: “Little foolish emperor, you’re slacking off again!”

Turning his head, Lin Beifan saw Yaoyao sitting by the window, still dressed in the familiar thin black clothes, swinging her feet and looking at him with a giggly smile.

Lin Beifan exclaimed, “Yaoyao, aren’t you cold wearing so little?”

Yaoyao shook her head, “We martial artists have True Qi within us to ward off the cold, so we don’t feel it!”

“Even if you say you’re not cold, I’m worried sick about you dressed like that. Come over here and warm up!”

“Okay!”

Yaoyao cheerfully agreed, and with a whoosh, she appeared on the chair next to Lin Beifan, stretching out her little hands and feet to warm by the fire with him.

“Yaoyao, you’re sitting in the wrong spot!” Lin Beifan said.

Yaoyao was confused: “Sat in the wrong seat? If I don’t sit here, where should I sit?”

Lin Beifan opened his arms: “Come sit in my arms!”

Yaoyao continued to be baffled: “Why?”

Lin Beifan calmly stated: “It’s freezing cold outside, but my embrace is as warm as spring, so you have no choice!”

“Stop it, you foolish emperor clearly just want to take advantage of me. Yaoyao won’t pay you any attention!” Yaoyao wrinkled her little nose, showing great disdain for Lin Beifan’s embrace, yet she found herself sitting even closer to Lin Beifan.

Opening her little mouth, she chattered away: “Little foolish emperor, I just took a walk outside and noticed that your Great Xia is getting better and better! There are many more houses, the people are wearing new clothes, all smiles and happiness! Great Xia is developing too fast, every time I come back, there are earth-shattering changes!”

“Of course, who do you think owns this country?” Lin Beifan said with pride.

“And them…”

Yaoyao pointed at Liu Eunuch and Bai Zhu, who was hidden in the shadows, and exclaimed in surprise, “Their strength has increased so much, Yaoyao feels like she’s no longer a match for them!”

She was indeed very surprised, completely at a loss as to how these people could have improved so much in such a short period of time.

Especially Bai Zhu, who was lurking in the shadows, was already posing a great threat to her.

“Yaoyao, there’s naturally a reason for their increased strength. Do you want to know why?” Lin Beifan asked.

Yaoyao nodded eagerly: “Yes, of course I do!”

“Because they’ve all consumed a treasure!”

Lin Beifan clapped his hands and said, “Liu Eunuch, bring forth the item!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Eunuch Liu presented a jade box.

Upon opening it, Yaoyao was startled: “What is this? It looks like an eyeball!”

Lin Beifan laughed and said, “This is the seed of the legendary Nine-Eyed White Jade Lotus Pod, a natural treasure. Eating it can heal injuries or enhance one’s abilities if uninjured. It’s an extremely rare treasure! The reason they became stronger is that they consumed this lotus seed!”

“So that’s how it is! I never imagined such a wonder existed in the world!” exclaimed Yaoyao in amazement.

At that moment, Lin Beifan pushed the lotus seed towards Yaoyao and said, “Yaoyao, I’m giving this seed to you!”

“For me?” Yaoyao was shocked once again.

Staring into Lin Beifan’s eyes, she asked in disbelief, “You’re going to give me such a precious lotus seed?”

Lin Beifan nodded and said gratefully, “Yaoyao, you have been of great help to me all this time! You’ve broken through the noble family’s blockade and provided us with food and many other important supplies! The rapid rise of our Great Xia owes much to you! So, I’ve been thinking about how to repay you. Perhaps some gold, silver, and jewels…”

Yaoyao’s eyes lit up, “That’s a possibility!”

“But that’s too common, not worthy of being a gift!”

Yaoyao: “…”

“Or maybe some divine weapons for your protection, or secret martial arts manuals…”

Yaoyao’s eyes sparkled again, “That’s also a possibility!”

“But I didn’t want to!”

Yaoyao: “…”

“Fortunately, this time I obtained the lotus seeds from the Nine-Eyed White Jade Lotus Pod, so I’m giving one of the seeds to you, hoping you’ll like it!”

Yaoyao glanced at the lotus seed in the box, then at Lin Beifan: “Can you bear to part with it? Such a treasure, you could completely use it to cultivate another expert!”

“What’s there to bear? Do we really need to keep such a clear distinction between us?” Lin Beifan chuckled.

Yaoyao’s body trembled slightly, touched: “You…”

Lin Beifan reached out his hand and gently stroked Yaoyao’s little head, speaking with deep affection, “I would give even my body to you!”

Yaoyao: “…”

Lin Beifan lowered his head, asking in a soft, shy voice, “Yaoyao, when do you want it?”

Yaoyao: “…”

“How about now? Nothing can stand in the way of love!”

Yaoyao: “…”

Moments later.

Lin Beifan: “Ow, ow, ow…”

“Hmph! I really like this gift, so I’ll accept it without any reservations!”

Yaoyao declared with a bold and imposing manner, “With this lotus seed, my strength will surely soar, and I’ll become an Astral Qi master, suppressing that woman!”

Lin Beifan nodded happily: “Right, right… After you’ve suppressed her, bring her to my bed, and I will help you subdue her!”

Yaoyao rolled her eyes: “You foolish emperor, I don’t want that, it would just be giving you a free treat! Actually, besides coming to see you, I have another important matter to tell you!”

“What is it?” Lin Beifan asked.

“The Ninth Prince of the Great Li Dynasty, Li Tianqiong, is coming to your Great Xia!”

Lin Beifan was puzzled, “What is a prince of a dynasty doing here with me?”

“Of course, he’s here to cause you trouble!”

Yaoyao said gleefully, “That prince and Chai Yuxin have the same master; he’s Chai Yuxin’s junior brother and has always been very fond of Chai Yuxin! In other words, you’re his rival in love!”

“I see, just a mere dynastic prince. Let him come; am I supposed to be afraid of him?” Lin Beifan dismissed the concern.

Yaoyao exclaimed in alarm, “You mustn’t act recklessly! After all, he is a prince of the dynasty, a person of noble status! Offending him could bring you a lot of trouble, especially since you’re just an Emperor of a great kingdom!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t act rashly. He will definitely not know my identity before I kill him!”

Yaoyao: “…”

After a lot of warnings and advice, Yaoyao left reluctantly.

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