Lin Hai said a little embarrassedly: "Many things are like this. It seems to be the efforts and achievements of one person, but in fact there are many people silently supporting him behind the scenes. Without your support and the support of the entire Liang Kingdom, Qinghe would not be where it is today. However, not annexing the Chen Dynasty is the result of my careful consideration.

The Chen Dynasty was also a country that had been passed down for hundreds of years. Although it had many internal problems and it was easy to defeat it, it would be impossible to restore it to its best condition without the efforts of one or two generations. Not to mention, just rebuilding the political system of the Chen Dynasty and preparing suitable officials for more than a thousand counties would consume my entire life.

If this weren't my tenth visit, I would have tried this option. It's a shame, but often we can't choose the best option, we can only choose the most suitable one. "

"Hahahahaha, there's no way to choose the best, you can only choose the most suitable. You're making politics sound like love. Usually, people can't marry the person they love the most, they can only choose the most suitable person."

"Love and politics are two different things." Lin Hai said with a smile, "But as an emperor, you say such things. Didn't you marry the best person?"

"Well, for an emperor, emotions are a bit too extravagant."

Xia Junao said helplessly.

"True. But you have to think positively."

Lin Hai tried to comfort.

"benefit?"

"Yes, if we fail again this time, then whatever you marry will be nothing but a mirage in the end. And if we succeed, to be honest, it's hard to say what will happen in the end. Then it won't matter what you marry, right?"

"Ah, you really know how to comfort people."

"Yes, they say so."

There was another burst of laughter. This was almost the day when the two of them laughed the most in all their time in this world.

"...What else have you discovered in the past?"

Lin Hai pondered as he spoke, "This happens once every millennium. Although the conditions for you to bring up this topic are very harsh, there is always enough time to think about it. So I think you probably know, or guess, more than just this little bit."

Xia Junao was silent for a few seconds, then sighed. "To be honest, we've made many attempts ourselves—those who disappeared in the Abyss weren't completely lost and strayed there. After all, without the shield and without you coming to this world, we wouldn't be able to even mention the term, let alone stray. Emperors of all dynasties have explored the depths of the Abyss, and I believe the Chen Dynasty did the same. It's a pity that something went wrong with their inheritance, and it seems the results weren't passed down."

As for Daliang, we've basically confirmed that there are quite a large number of 'people' in the Abyss, but they don't seem to need supplies as we normally understand them. They are full of hostility and unwilling to communicate with us, but they also act with principle and regularity. I'm sure you've noticed that as long as you don't enter their range, you can even find a few strong men to do a striptease half an inch outside their boundaries."

"Oh? Did you really find some strong men to perform striptease?"

"Uh, it's just a metaphor."

"It's hard to imagine an emperor using this metaphor reflexively."

"I don't think you need to dig into this matter. After all, it's not a big deal."

"Okay, I understand. Now I have a question. What would happen if the strong man dancing outside the line accidentally put one arm inside the line? Have you ever tried it?"

"That arm will be broken."

Xia Junao answered without hesitation, "To be precise, any creature that enters their range will be attacked. If only half of it enters, then they will attack the half that has entered."

"Oh, that's really dogma. It can't even be called dogma, it should be called machinery."

Lin Hai sighed, "I've long felt they weren't human, but your words have only solidified my belief."

"If it's not human, then what is it? Do you mean it's full of monsters?"

"Well, it might be a little hard for you to understand, but they're not monsters at all." Lin Hai thought for a moment and said, "Just think of them as elite soldiers."

"I understand if you say so. In fact, ever since the Taizu Emperor of Daliang, we've frequently taken action to test the Abyss. After all, we calculated the time and believed you would arrive in this world while Daliang existed, so we were more nervous than any previous dynasty. My father used to pay great attention to health preservation. He always thought he could wait for you... But as you can see, daily exercise and a vegetarian diet did not prolong his life..."

"Why do you think a vegetarian diet plus exercise can help you live longer?"

"The prescription given by the imperial physician. I also plan to exercise more and eat only vegetarian food when I am older, if we can live to see that day."

Xia Junao asked in bewilderment, "Could it be that there's something wrong with this recipe?"

"I should say this. If I remember correctly, the poor people in Liang Country are basically vegetarians. They can't afford to eat meat, right?"

Lin Hai asked.

"Yes, meat is precious to most of my subjects."

"So, in the countryside of Liang, those who can't afford meat and work hard every day all live long lives? As the emperor, you should be well aware of the approximate lifespans of your subjects, right?"

Lin Hai was speechless.

"I understand. I'll deal with this imperial physician when I get back later."

Xia Junao showed an expression that was neither amused nor helpless.

"That's not necessary. It doesn't prove that the imperial physician did it on purpose, and you don't have any evidence. Punishing him for no reason will have a negative impact." Lin Hai consoled him, "Arrange for him to investigate the Abyss. I want to see what the Abyss is like with my own eyes anyway."

"Are you going now?"

It was obvious that the life and death of an imperial physician was not the point at all, so Xia Junao simply ignored that sentence.

"At least before the meeting, I have to go and take a look. The more in-depth the better."