Chapter 304 She is the white moonlight, and also a goddess.

The luncheon began, and the dishes were served one after another.

"Come on, let's eat," Xiao Qidi said with a smile to everyone who had taken their seats.

"Let's eat! Let's eat!" Xing Lie pulled out a chair and sat down next to Xiao Qidi.

Everyone seated at their tables began to eat.

Xiao Qidi moved aside a large plate of braised pork knuckle in the middle of the table, picked out a piece of juicy fat and put it in Xing Lie's bowl. "You love big fatty meat the most, this piece is for you, eat more."

"Hehe, okay!" Xing Lie chuckled as he picked up the bowl.

"Duan Wu, you like chicken butts, here you go." Xiao Qidi opened the roast chicken butt and picked it up with his own hands.

Then he served the other guests one by one, carefully selecting their favorite dishes with each bite.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was very harmonious, as were the atmosphere at the other tables.

Especially Xiao Qidi's group, they were having a great time eating and started digging in with their hands.

“Sigh… This is outrageous! Outrageous!” Sun Yunzheng shook his head repeatedly. “A dignified monarch, dining with others, even personally serving food to his subjects! Look at this… Sigh!”

Meng Xiao looked at him with a disappointed expression. "Look at His Majesty eating so vulgarly in front of everyone! It's utterly disgraceful! Where is the slightest bit of royal dignity in that?"

The two men deliberately raised their voices and exchanged glances with the other conservative old ministers behind them.

The group of conservative old ministers understood immediately and also sighed loudly and shook their heads repeatedly, all with expressions as if the Xuan Kingdom was about to perish.

This commotion stood out starkly against the harmonious dining atmosphere and finally caught Xiao Qidi's attention.

"Are you saying that I am not worthy to be the leader of the Great Xuan?" Xiao Qidi swept his gaze over them.

The conference hall fell silent instantly.

Sun Yunzheng knelt on the ground, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said loudly with his eyelids lowered, "Your Majesty should not use such an inappropriate term as 'leader.' You must understand that you are the monarch, the monarch of all the people and officials under heaven. Yet you seem to have no idea how to be a good monarch of a country. Even those close to you do not know how to make you a good monarch."

Xiao Qidi narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? So, you mean only you two know?"

Sun Yunzheng maintained his humble posture, avoiding eye contact with the king, but his expression grew increasingly proud. He straightened his back and said loudly, "In the past ten years, the world has undergone dramatic changes. The Great Xuan has unified the Central Plains of China. So-called new ideas have spread everywhere. Now, only we, the former nobles and old ministers of Bo, You, and Ze, truly understand the way of the ruler and his ministers."

Xiao Qidi's gaze swept over Sun Yunzheng and his group. "Interesting. You are all remnants of extinct kingdoms. I didn't expect you to be able to stand together."

Sun Yunzheng proudly said, "Because we are all Confucian scholars, our thoughts are naturally the same, and we are all for the sake of the emperor and the country."

“What a fine 'king and state' you are,” Xiao Qidi stood up and strode over to them. “You really know how to use a tiger’s skin as a banner! I know that you people are the most devoted to ancient systems. You believe that there should be a strict hierarchy among people, that the so-called emperor, monarch, and nobles should be above the subjects, and that the subjects are a grade higher than the common people. You believe that millions of ordinary people should be willing to be slaves without complaint, is that right?”

“Isn’t that right?” Sun Yunzheng retorted confidently.

Xiao Qidi laughed, but it was a laugh born of anger.

Sun Yunzheng then said, “It turns out that Your Majesty is actually aware of these things, but just doesn’t know how to do them. This old minister believes that this is because Your Majesty lacks mentors. Therefore, it is necessary for us to teach you how to be a compliant ruler.”

Upon hearing this, an invisible killing intent surged within the conference hall.

Everyone glared angrily at Sun Yunzheng and his group of stubborn conservatives. If Xiao Qidi hadn't been there, Xing Lie, Duan Wu, and the others would have really been unable to hold back and made a move.

Xiao Qidi's smile grew more pronounced, but the chill in his eyes became increasingly menacing. However, Sun Yunzheng and his group kept their eyes lowered, so they couldn't see his expression.

"Then tell me, how do you plan to teach me?" Xiao Qidi asked.

Sun Yunzheng had initially felt a chill run down his spine.

Hearing Xiao Qidi's gentle questioning tone, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and felt a surge of joy, thinking that the emperor was finally willing to listen to his details, so he said:

"Your Majesty, this old minister believes that the root cause of the current disastrous situation in the Great Xuan, where people have lost their sense of propriety and hierarchy, and where people's hearts are no longer like those of the ancients and the country is no longer like a country, lies in the 'Fairy Jinli' who appeared more than ten years ago."

The moment Xiao Qidi heard those words, a dark cloud settled over his face.

The rest of the people in the conference hall all looked shocked and angry.

"Bullshit!" Xing Lie slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. "How dare you slander Fairy Jinli! You're asking for death!"

His palm strike not only shattered the dining table in front of him, but the force also penetrated the ground, causing cracks to appear in the stone floor.

This clearly shows how angry he was.

Even Xing Lie, a young man who had never met Ning Jinli before, was angered, let alone the other six.

Duan Wu, Li Yao, Qi Zhan, Mu Cheng, Li He, and Lin Sui—which of these six people didn't fight alongside Ning Jinli, receive her help and guidance, or have been mentored by her? The depth of their relationship with her is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Moreover, Ning Jinli left behind countless valuable ideas, assets, and technologies for the Great Xuan.

Even in her last appearance, she brought with her hundreds of top technical researchers from her world, China.

Even though she hasn't appeared for fifteen years, everything she left behind, from her thoughts and cultural materials to science and technology, has enabled Da Xuan to develop by leaps and bounds at a rate that changes every day.

For fifteen years, she has been not only the white moonlight of all the leaders of the Great Xuan, but also an inviolable deity in the hearts of all the people who had personally experienced her in this world.

Of the six, Duan Wu, Li Yao, and Li He were all filled with murderous intent the moment Xing Lie slammed his fist on the table. They quickly stood up and took steps forward, already poised to kill Sun Yunzheng on the spot.

Even the oldest, Mu Cheng, and the most gentle, Lin Sui, couldn't suppress the murderous intent surging in their eyes.

The murderous aura emanating from the group caused the air in the entire conference hall to freeze and cool down. Sun Yunzheng and the others felt an unprecedented fear, and more than half of the conservatives instantly collapsed.

At the critical moment, Xiao Qidi raised his arm, signaling Xing Lie and the others not to come over.

Faced with his overwhelming ability to control the situation, the seven were able to regain their senses; otherwise, Sun Yunzheng and the others would have been killed in the conference hall in the next second.

"Go on," Xiao Qidi said calmly, seemingly without any emotional fluctuation.

The fleeting sense of death had left Sun Yunzheng drenched in cold sweat, but Xiao Qidi's attitude made him feel that his adventure was worthwhile and full of hope.

He was well aware of Ning Jinli's status and influence among the people and leadership team of the Great Xuan Kingdom.

The reason he dared to take the risk was that he knew that Xiao Qidi, the most crucial figure in the entire Da Xuan, seemed to be giving Ning Jinli the cold shoulder.

Otherwise, why would Xiao Qidi have stopped going to the Fairy Temple for the past fifteen years, and why would he have avoided talking about Ning Jinli on so many occasions?

Sun Yunzheng and his group firmly believed that Xiao Qidi was indeed the emperor.

Throughout history, no monarch has ever allowed another person's influence to surpass their own, not even someone who has disappeared or someone who has been revered as a god.

Ning Jinli's influence was too great for him to directly eliminate her completely, otherwise it would cause public resentment and unrest. Therefore, he adopted a low-key approach, letting time erase Ning Jinli's traces.

Based on this assumption, Sun Yunzheng became convinced that he was the one who understood Xiao Qidi's inner thoughts best; otherwise, he wouldn't dare to speak so frankly in front of everyone, even if he had eight hundred lives.

Given Xiao Qidi's current attitude of allowing him to continue speaking, he was 100% certain that he had not guessed wrong.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Sun Yunzheng glanced contemptuously at the group of people blocked by Xiao Qidi, and spoke with increasing confidence.

"What Fairy Jinli? She's nothing but a vile demoness who defies the heavens! The ideas she brought, and even her so-called science and technology, are all heresies and unorthodox doctrines!"

"Everyone believes that it was her appearance that enabled Your Majesty to unify the world, but that is not the case. With Your Majesty's great talent and ambition, unifying the world was inevitable! On the contrary, she took advantage of Your Majesty's power, blinding the world and making everyone think that it was all her doing! Such behavior is taking credit for what is rightfully yours, and she deserves to die!"

"Therefore, we, your humble servants, implore Your Majesty to promptly publicize the crimes of this sorceress to the world, so as to set the record straight, eliminate this evil influence, and restore order to the Great Xuan Dynasty!"

His extremely "righteous and awe-inspiring" speech almost made Xing Lie and the others faint with anger.

They were all about to explode; they had reached the point of no return.

Lin Sui's eyes suddenly lit up, and he whispered to the other six, "Don't rush, I think Mr. Xiao is holding back a big move. After all these years, others may not understand his true style of doing things, but surely we do?"

His words instantly awakened the other six people.

Qi Zhan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's right. It's mainly because that old man's words were too infuriating, which made me lose my mind for a moment."

Li He raised a concern, whispering, "But... think about it, for more than ten years, Mr. Xiao's attitude towards Sister Jinli has been ambiguous, and he has even resisted mentioning her many times. Even we can't figure it out. What if Sun Yunzheng really hits the nail on the head?"

The group, who had just relaxed because of Lin Sui's comforting words, tensed up again because of Li He's words and looked at Xiao Qidi's back with great tension.

His tall and imposing body, nearly two meters high, seemed shrouded in a mist that no one could see through.

The conference hall fell into a deathly silence that lasted for more than ten seconds.

Xiao Qidi spoke slowly and without emotion: "The Great Xuan needs ideas to guide its development. If you think Ning Jinli is a witch and the ideas she left behind are heresies, then tell me, what kind of ideological benchmark should I set?"

Sun Yunzheng was overjoyed. Since the emperor had put it this way, it proved that he had the upper hand.

He controlled his emotions and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty! We should take the ancient system that we Confucian scholars have always upheld and respected as our standard. The way of the ruler, the subject, and the people has never changed from ancient times to the present. Your Majesty should follow it, and the people of the world should also follow it!"

"What about the technologies she left behind?" Xiao Qidi asked again.

Sun Yunzheng said without hesitation:

"As I said, those are all unorthodox methods! Since they are unorthodox methods, they should be completely abolished! Your Majesty, please rest assured, we have nearly a thousand skilled practitioners of magic under our command. From achieving immortality and moving mountains and filling seas to managing the people and suppressing evil spirits, they are capable of anything! With the abilities of these magicians, coupled with the guidance of the ideals of us Confucian scholars, we will surely ensure the eternal stability of the Great Xuan Dynasty! And Your Majesty will surely be remembered for eternity!"

A faint, enigmatic smile suddenly appeared on Xiao Qidi's face, and he continued, "So, what about the restructuring that's currently underway? Do you have any thoughts on that?"

“Yes, yes,” Sun Yunzheng said with increasing enthusiasm. “The so-called implementation of a new system is actually going against the tide and destroying the traditions that have been passed down since ancient times. Originally, each country had its own rules and regulations. The subjects of each country had always maintained their proper status and performed their duties in an orderly manner under their respective rules and regulations. Now, forcibly making all the writing systems, weights and measures, roads, rules of conduct, laws and etiquette, etc., the same in all places will only cause chaos in all places.”

"Oh? So, what does Lord Sun mean?"

Upon hearing Xiao Qidi address him as Lord Sun, Sun Yunzheng was almost moved to tears. He hurriedly pulled out a booklet he had prepared long ago from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

When Xiao Qidi received the list, Sun Yunzheng kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is the roster of 148 Confucian scholars from the former states, whom we have all worked with, as well as 1,207 physicians from various states whom we have jointly recruited. We are willing to give our lives for Your Majesty and for the Great Xuan! As long as Your Majesty immediately stops the reforms and starts by restoring the feudal system, returning everything to its original state, we can then fully utilize our abilities and ensure the eternal stability of the Great Xuan kingdom!"

"Good, very good... You've really put your heart into this." A barely perceptible sneer appeared on Xiao Qidi's lips as his gaze swept over each name in the booklet like a knife.

Upon receiving praise from Xiao Qidi, Sun Yunzheng was so excited that his heart pounded and his breathing became rapid.

Meanwhile, the conservative old ministers, including Meng Xiao, secretly rejoiced.

Despite the hardships and even the risk of death, we succeeded in the end.

"I am very pleased with your hard work and dedication to the Great Xuan. You may all step back and rest." Xiao Qidi said with a kind smile, personally helping Sun Yunzheng to his feet.

Sun Yun pretended to be extremely grateful and flattered, and after repeatedly kowtowing to the emperor, he got up and left with the rest of the group.

As he walked out of the conference hall, he held his head high and puffed out, as if he had everything under control.

Only after leaving the palace gates did Sun Yunzheng finally burst into laughter.

Meng Xiao laughed along, not caring that his cheeks were throbbing painfully.

"Hahahaha!" Sun Yunzheng wiped away tears of laughter and said triumphantly, "Xiao Qidi is still too young. I could guess his thoughts right away, and sure enough, I convinced him! Gentlemen, our good old days are coming back! So what if the Bo Kingdom, You Kingdom, and Ze Kingdom that we once served were all annexed by the Xuan Kingdom? It doesn't matter! As long as our power and status remain stable, isn't that enough? Aren't all countries the same?!"