Chapter 277: Prosperity

"Modern warfare is fought with logistics and national strength."

The top of the Emperor's Tower.

Li Longxing sat on the throne. The vast and tall palace was empty except for some minimal facilities.

Bright sunlight shone in through the long windows, illuminating the palace.

Brighter than the sunlight was the first princess sitting at the bottom.

Li Linyue.

Her makeup was delicate, her long hair was tied up, her snow-white neck was as graceful as a swan, and her crystal earrings swayed gently beside her perfect cheeks, reflecting a myriad of brilliance.

She listened to her father's speech with perfect, impeccable manners and posture.

"Earth-shaking plots, brilliant strategies for decisive victory in a single battle, those things found in ancient military texts, don't exist here. The complete staff system and advanced reconnaissance technology have greatly reduced the space for conspiracy."

"In war, strategy plays a key role first, tactics a second, logistics a third, and national strength a third."

"The reason the empire is now in decline is due to excessive internal weakness and internal friction. Its national strength has gradually dwindled and it is no longer as strong as it once was."

Li Linyue raised her head, the sunlight shone on her profile, making her skin look as white as jade. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, making her look pitiful and no longer the strong demeanor she appeared on the outside.

"Father, how can we restore the empire's national strength?"

Li Longxing looked at her with a serious expression and cold eyes, without any fatherly love.

But Li Linyue believed that this was her real father. The father who used to be smooth-talking, talking nonsense, and extremely dirty when he saw her, and who would not stop until he pissed her off, was just a disguise.

But she didn't think about why her father pretended like this in front of her.

"Lin Yue, restoring the strength of a vast empire is not so simple. Justice, order, and fair rule of law are merely the most basic conditions. We also need a new, thoroughgoing system to eradicate all corruption, backwardness, and darkness, to sweep away the deep-seated ills of the past 180 years."

Li Longxing looked at her, but only saw the blush on his daughter's perfect face.

"You are absolutely right."

She tried her best to suppress her excitement and maintain perfect etiquette.

"The Empire needs a new system to ensure you have the only voice. The Empire needs only one authority, just like the sky needs only one sun!"

"The chaos in the empire is due to the usurpation of these despicable individuals! They dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with the supreme emperor, dared to restrict the supreme imperial power, leading to the breakdown of hierarchy and disorder, and the despicable have the upper hand, while the virtuous and powerful cannot move a single step. The lawless run rampant, and the laws of the empire are meaningless."

"This is the real culprit behind the empire's decline and corruption, which is getting worse day by day."

"Only under the rule of a supreme, saintly, brilliant, virtuous, wise, and powerful emperor can the empire flourish!"

Li Longxing was extremely disappointed. He still held onto a last glimmer of hope and asked:

"What do you think of the democratically elected parliamentary system?"

Li Linyue frowned slightly, but the disgust in her eyes could not be concealed, as if she had seen feces while eating a sumptuous and delicious meal.

"This is a stupid, garbage system. These ignorant people can't even understand a few trivial matters. How can they be qualified to comment on national affairs?"

Li Longxing was no longer interested in talking. He regained his cold expression and said calmly, "I'm tired. You can go back."

Faced with her father's cold attitude, Li Linyue did not feel alienated at all. She said goodbye to her father with perfect etiquette, even using some of the elaborate rituals of the old imperial era.

Looking at the First Princess walking away, even in the empty palace, she had to ensure perfect etiquette, and every step she took must show the nobility of a princess and the dignity of the royal family.

This is why she is praised as the most perfect princess in the history of the empire.

The number and quality of her suitors far exceed those of all the first princesses in history. If His Majesty the Emperor uses her for marriage, he will at least be able to gain the strong support of an elder-level figure.

But Li Longxing knew that his education had been a complete failure.

Li Linyue was once his favorite daughter. When she was 7 years old, that delicate little princess, that innocent and romantic little girl, that little girl who would cry for a bird with broken wings, always remained in Li Longxing's memory and never left.

Unfortunately, her acquired environment changed her greatly. Li Longxing was caught in the vortex of struggle during that period, and the throne of the emperor was not necessarily guaranteed. There were many side branches with legal support.

In order to seek refuge, he sent his entire family away.

Many years later, when the political situation finally stabilized, Li Longxing brought them back. By then, she had become like this.

Li Longxing tried various methods, but he could never get back the innocent girl he once was.

Now in front of him was a figure.

What’s even more terrifying is that it’s a childish character.

She was indeed very talented and understood people's hearts, but this did not prevent her from being politically naive. She thought that by expanding the private party model of the Princess Party to the entire empire, she could complete the baptism of the empire.

Li Longxing tried to educate her, but each time it only led to greater disaster.

She regards tolerance as concession, life-and-death struggle as fighting, covenant as law, and seeking common ground while reserving differences as being the only one.

After causing several major disasters, Li Longxing never talked to her about any topics related to this again.

But Li Linyue did not receive any guidance from her father and was always reluctant to leave.

Li Longxing started talking nonsense and made her angry and leave.

It became a habit later on, and I even started talking nonsense in front of my wife and brothers.

Because of this, he was often beaten by his wife, so much so that Li Longxing even missed the previous emperor system.

Of course, this is just a thought.

The old empire's system of great emperors was an even more backward and ignorant system. It placed the rise and fall of the empire entirely on the emperor. If the emperor was a man of great talent and strategy, who appeared only once in a thousand years, the empire would naturally prosper; otherwise, the empire would inevitably decline.

Most of the time, it will be the latter, which is already the consensus of the empire.

Now, due to the rapid expansion of imperial power, many people have been shouting to be careful of the emperor.

Since the Battle of Zezhou, the empire has been engaged in three major wars simultaneously. The four great elders have judged that the empire has reached a critical moment of life and death. According to the highest sacred principles of the empire, they have begun to transition to a standing state and take over the authority of the empire's supreme ruler.

The empire changed from a rule of eight people, then thirteen people, to a rule of five people.

Li Longxing, the emperor of the empire and the first elder, also changed from a quasi-mascot to one of the actual rulers.

Afterwards, with the support of the three pillars of the Senate, thirteen senators, and many nobles, he officially assumed the duties of the Grand Marshal of the Empire.

Since then, imperial power has reached its peak in nearly twenty years.

Li Longxing took this opportunity to quietly eliminate the empire's shortcomings while handling state affairs.

For example, changing the news censorship system, to a certain extent stopping the acts of threatening journalists and taking bribes, increasing channels for public feedback, strictly restraining local governors and councils, etc.

This was his last attempt at top-down reform.

If it really succeeds.

Then, he and Sheng Huaixuan would not have to launch their thundering plan, and many people in the empire would have been spared from death.

Li Longxing stood in front of the window, with bright sunlight shining in at a 75-degree angle, submerging the part below his eyes in the bright light.

The shadow of the window frame obscured his eyes. He looked down from a height of 600 meters. Everything in the imperial capital was still prosperous.

May this flourish.

As I see it.

——

As soon as Lin Wen arrived at the riverside, he discovered that there was a slight sound of a phoenix singing from [Without a Colorful Phoenix].

But as soon as he stepped onto the boat, the faint sound of the phoenix disappeared, and when he stepped back, it reappeared.

Lin Wen thought about it. The sound of the phoenix meant good karma. If I stepped on it and it disappeared, would that mean I would have one less chance to gain good karma if I got on the boat?

So Lin Wen sneaked down while no one was paying attention and stood by the river waiting.

As soon as the boat left, Lin Wen saw dozens of corpses floating down the river.

Is this good karma?

Lin Wen took a look at the remaining 18% of his soul and used [Fish and Water Harmony].

Soul remaining: 5%

He jumped into the river and swam to the corpse in the gentle current.

Upon closer inspection, the bodies were already dead.

Most of them were shot, and a few were tortured, with their internal organs removed, their eyes gouged out, and their noses and ears cut off.

Isn't that right?

How can a dead person have good karma? I can't bring the dead back to life.

[Resurrection] is the only two True Immortal-level spells in his spell list, and the number is so black that I can't look at it, so as not to be sad.

Are we going to bury them?

Lin Wen was not very sure in his heart. Burial in the physical world was just a ritual, just to comfort the living. Besides, wasn’t water burial also a burial?

But if he doesn't take advantage of the good fortune that's right in front of him, then he's not surnamed Lin.

Lin Wen thought about it and decided to bring them ashore for burial.

He untied the weapon belt from his waist. The belt had several layers, which were used to insert different tactical weapons. It was very long when unfolded.

After tying up all the bodies, Lin Wen dragged them ashore.

Just as he was about to find stones to build a simple grave for them, Lin Wen suddenly discovered that someone was spitting water.

Not dead?

Lin Wen rushed over and touched the body. The body was cold and the heartbeat was extremely weak. At first glance, it was easy to mistake it for a dead person.

5% of good karma is only enough for one [Yangzhi Ganlu].

Lin Wen immediately used magic.

An invisible green light penetrated his body, his body temperature gradually returned to normal, the water in his lungs was coughed out, his breathing became steady, and his heartbeat gradually strengthened, but he was still unconscious.

Rescue the dying and the wounded, good karma +2

Although it’s not much, Lin Wen will be very happy as long as there is an increase in good karma.

After checking carefully again, they found that he was the only living person, so they stacked the bodies together, brought stones and piled them on top to make a simple grave.

Just as I was about to go back, the phone in my arms rang.

Qin Luoshuang: "Lin Wen! Where have you been again? Can you join us? If you have any plans, at least tell me first!"

Lin Wen was too lazy to talk nonsense and opened his Seven Apertures Heart, only to hear it say:

"If I tell you, you'll worry. If I don't tell you, you'll be sad. Love is a word that exists in this world..."

Qin Luoshuang had been fooled many times and knew that whenever Lin Wen's style suddenly changed and his speech no longer sounded like a straight man, but became pleasant to the ears, sometimes sweet, sometimes coquettish, and sometimes literary, he was just trying to please her.

"Shut up!" she cried angrily. "Now tell me where you are and what you want to do."

"I am far away from you, trying to get into your heart, but you closed the door and put me..."

Lin Wen wisely turned off his Seven Apertures Heart. It seems that the heart also has its limits and it cannot necessarily make people happy.

It must be because we have been together for too long. His attitude keeps changing. Even a fool can tell that something is wrong.

Before the phone exploded, Lin Wen said, "I rescued someone not far from the boarding point. Please send a speedboat to pick me up."

"good."

There was a brief answer from the other end of the phone.

There was a moment of silence, and then the phone rang again.

"Lin Wen, you don't have to try to make me happy. It's just that when we're acting as a group, if you want to act alone, you'd better tell me. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me as a leader to do anything."

"Okay." Lin Wen replied.

"Also, if you're willing, I really think you and Xia are a good match. Why don't you give her a try? I'll make sure she can't get away."

(End of this chapter)