It can be said that at the moment of the demise of Cambodia, Xinyueping received the most curses in his life, more than when he ordered the tax increase. Gamblers across the continent were cursing him.

But politicians must think further ahead.

After all, Qinghe now occupies two southwestern provinces, most of Cambodia, and even half of Hanzhong. It is no longer appropriate for Lin Hai to rule such a vast area and millions of people with the title of earl and the official position of county magistrate.

The report on the conquest of Taijing was immediately sent to Zhongdu at an express speed of 800 miles. However, it was obvious that His Majesty Xia Junao of the Daliang Empire had never encountered such a difficult problem, resulting in no response from Zhongdu.

At first, Lin Hai even thought that the Daliang Empire would directly break off relations and launch an attack on Cambodia, whose land had expanded to the limit and whose military strength was stretched to the limit. However, after hearing Xin Yueping's message, he gave up the idea.

To put it bluntly, people have always known who he is. He just played by the rules before, and then secretly pretended to make mistakes and sent resources to Qinghe. Otherwise, with the keen sense of a qualified politician, when Lin Hai's ambition just sprouted, he would have seen the Daliang armored infantry all over the mountains.

It’s a bit infuriating to say the least.

I think my success is because I am awesome.

After the success, people say that your success is due to connections, and everyone is just playing along with you...

Fortunately, Lin Hai is thick-skinned enough. After all, he was a leader before he traveled through time.

But for those who are not in the know, these things are quite serious.

A week after arriving in Taijing, Lin Hai received a large number of documents one after another. Oh no, they called them "congratulatory letters".

Looking at the pile of congratulatory letters on the table, Lin Hai fell into deep thought for a while.

Among them were congratulatory messages from Qinghe officials, officials stationed in Qinghe by the Daliang Empire, the military, prominent figures in the countryside, industrial zones, major business groups, and even Lin Hai's sworn brothers, who sent him congratulatory messages in their personal capacity and as a collective.

Especially the congratulatory letters from Gao Bin, Bai Ang and others, which can be said to be full of gems and every word is written with tears of blood. Not to mention anything else, the number of words is much more than others. To be honest, if you only look at this congratulatory letter, you will definitely think that the two of them have been loyal ministers of Qinghe from beginning to end.

Lin Hai read those people's congratulatory letters as idle messages, but when he saw Wang Liang and Lu You directly addressing him as "Your Majesty" in their congratulatory letters and calling themselves "subjects", he suddenly felt a little unhappy.

This unpleasant feeling quickly grew stronger and soon enveloped his entire body. Lin Hai understood that this feeling was called loneliness.

If he were to reach that position, he would be alone and helpless. No matter what else happened, he would definitely become a lonely man. Even if he married two hundred wives, he would still be lonely in his heart.

But now that I think about it, having two hundred wives isn't impossible...

That's getting off topic.

When Shi Zhen'er, wearing clothes made from the Khmer queen's dress, with Xue Tao on her left and Ling Yan on her right, walked into Lin Hai's study with the most formal etiquette, held a congratulatory letter high above her head, knelt down and shouted "Long live the queen", Lin Hai could no longer hold back.

He angrily asked Shi Zhen'er, "Even you think I want to be this 'widow'?"

Shi Zhen'er bowed politely, then carefully considered her words before saying, "Your Majesty, with your heroic spirit, ruling over the people and dominating the southwest, it is inappropriate for you to be called a king. It would be better for you to be called an emperor directly."

Lin Hai said angrily, "Am I talking about the king or the emperor? Can you please speak properly? Who can stand being spoken to like this on a normal day?"

"And you two are just messing around with her?"

Lin Hai immediately turned his attention to Xue Tao and Ling Yan.

The two men were not afraid. After bowing, they replied, "Your Majesty, the one just presented was the Empress's letter of recommendation. Ours is here, but Your Majesty hasn't had time to read it yet."

Then he handed Lin Hai two more...

Lin Hai was at a loss for words for a moment, but he couldn't stand Shi Zhen'er's pleading. To put it simply, I won't get up unless you look at me.

So he could only quickly glance over the three people's congratulatory messages.

I, the Minister of Finance of Qinghe, the Minister of Education of Qinghe, the Vice President of Qinghe College, and Shi Zhener, the officials in charge of the Qinghe Central Office, along with one hundred and twenty others, submit this memorial:

In ancient times, there were times when a sage reigned supreme while a tyrant ruler prevailed. Qinghe was virtuous while the Khmer rebelled. Xinyue claimed power while other generals usurped the throne. Xinyue was reckless while Yang Yizhen plotted rebellion. All of these, favored by the emperor, exploited the imperial power, leading to extreme chaos and near-death struggle in the southwest. Only a wise and virtuous ruler could have exiled and captured the enemy, ensuring the safety and stability of the country. Your Majesty, worthy of your noble virtue and the power to govern the land, has been struck by unforeseen adversities. Xiao Cheng initiated the rebellion, overthrowing the Jin officialdom. Gao Bin, embroiled in the tragedy, usurped the throne. For a long time, the southwest has been shrouded in misery and distress, leaving the people displaced. Without a human or divine leader, they have disregarded the king's orders, despised the imperial throne, and attempted to steal the sacred artifacts. Lin Hai, the Earl of Qinghe and the magistrate of Qinghe County, held a high rank and a noble title. He was willing to sacrifice his life for his country. Seeing the signs of opportunity, he was filled with rage and determined to bring peace to the country and the restoration of Taijing.

...

Since Qin Shou was defeated at Jingdong, heroes from all over the country have flocked to me, but I have not been given any noble titles or the Nine Gifts, which is not enough to protect the country and bring glory to the world. I am away from home, and the formalities have been cut off.

...

The current crisis in the world is most pressing in the southwest. Liang, Chen, Xia, and other states are swallowing up the world, leaving the people destitute and vulnerable. The people are in imminent danger, yet they have not yet established defenses against such aggression, which is truly disheartening.

We, the ministers, will adhere to the old system and make Hanzhong, Xichuan, Xiangyun, and Kaom our kingdoms. We hope that Your Majesty will accept the Mandate of Heaven and ascend the throne. A temporary system, if it benefits the state, may be exercised. Then, when the cause is accomplished, we, the ministers, will resign and atone for our sins, even if we die without regret.

Anyway, Shi Zhener's petition for admission was well written, but I don't know where she copied it from.

But Xue Tao, yes, the current commander-in-chief of the Army Art Troupe, Mr. Xue Tao, wrote a much simpler petition to persuade him to take the throne.

Lin Hai read through Xue Tao's writing immediately:

"We can rest assured if you become the emperor."

"I understand. Please let me take my time."

Lin Hai felt exhausted and could only speak to the three of them.

"How about I stay and accompany Your Majesty?"

Shi Zhen'er really felt that something was wrong.

"You can stay, but change these damn clothes. Also, don't talk like that. It hurts my heart."