Although Qin Hui and the others greatly admired Chu Fan, seeing the difference between the disaster relief method Chu Fan proposed and Chang Sun Dechong's original method, it was obvious that Chang Sun Dechong had made a mistake. Yet, even so, Chu Fan still gave Chang Sun Dechong such a perfect disaster relief method. He even gave Chang Sun Dechong the method for making cement, which puzzled Qin Hui and the others.

Qin Hui interrogated him, "What on earth have you managed to trick His Majesty into believing, old thief Changsun? Not only has His Majesty not punished you for your dereliction of duty, but he has also given you such an excellent strategy. I simply cannot believe you bribed His Majesty."

Changsun Wuji's lips curled up into a smile, his gaze fixed on Qin Hui as he replied in a steady and forceful voice, "Lord Qin, you seem to have misunderstood His Majesty. How can His Majesty's wisdom and might be influenced by my magic potion? As for strategy, Your Majesty, I know how difficult it has been for me. Your Majesty has fulfilled his duty to the country and the people, and I hope Your Majesty will not misunderstand me."

He paused, his tone becoming more stern. "Lord Qin, if you truly harbor such doubts, you might as well focus more on state affairs instead of unreasonably suspecting your colleagues. As subjects, we should work together to assist Your Majesty in governing the country, rather than engaging in jealousy and derailing state affairs."

Before Chang Sun Dechong could finish his words, he was kicked by an old man next to him.

Although this old man does not hold any official position now, he has already served in three dynasties. In the past, he could lead troops in battles and serve as prime minister to maintain the country's prosperity. However, he is no longer in the court because of his age.

"Mr. Cao, your foot is not hurt, is it?" After being kicked, Chang Sun Dechong was not angry but asked the old man Cao Mengde with a playful smile.

Cao Mengde said angrily, "You little brat, I'm not that fragile. And don't engage in those empty talk. Don't I know what you're thinking? Aren't you afraid that others will find out and get the treasure from Your Majesty, thus gaining credit? But you must know that the situation in Wei is extremely critical now. If we make a wrong move, we will be doomed. So, tell us how you came up with these disaster relief strategies."

Chang Sun Dechong chuckled, scratched his head, and replied with a somewhat embarrassed look: "Lord Cao, you have a sharp eye. Nothing can be hidden from you."

After that, Chang Sun Dechong told everyone about his conversation with Chu Fan in the palace a few days ago. Of course, he concealed some things that were irrelevant to them. After all, His Majesty Chu Fan's request for his daughter to enter the palace was completely a private matter of his family.

After hearing Changsun Dechong's words, a lieutenant general in the crowd excitedly said, "Do you know why General Mu Yunfeng was able to defeat the Xiongnu in Luo County? He even repelled the Xiongnu's attack?"

Qin Hui and the others shook their heads. Everyone knew that Mu Yunfeng had decisively defeated the Xiongnu in Luo County, but the details of how he achieved that victory were unclear. After all, the Wei State currently had too many issues to deal with. All they needed to know was that the Xiongnu couldn't invade. As for how they achieved victory, they could listen carefully to Mu Yunfeng's explanation later when they had time.

At this time, the lieutenant general saw that everyone was looking at him, and he continued, "I don't know the specific situation. I just heard from a friend in my army that when General Mu was heading to Luo County to fight the Xiongnu, Mu Xi, who had come to the palace, took a magical artifact from His Majesty and gave it to General Mu. And General Mu's troops were able to anticipate the enemy's moves because of this magical artifact, and often caught the Xiongnu off guard and left them with no chance to fight back."

Everyone understood after hearing this. It seemed that Mu Yunfeng was able to achieve such a great victory, in the final analysis, because of Chu Fan.

After hearing the lieutenant's words, Cao Mengde pondered for a moment and said, "Mu Yunfeng obtained the artifact because he sent his daughter to the palace and gained the emperor's trust. And Changsun Dechong, I heard that your two daughters have been running to the palace these days. Could it be that your Changsun family is also planning a marriage with the royal family?"

After hearing what Cao Mengde said, Chang Sun Dechong's face flushed. He really had no way to refute this matter, and the news that his daughter had been recruited into the palace by Chu Fan could not be suppressed. It would gradually spread in the future.

Everyone will know about it anyway, so I might as well tell you everything honestly. After all, no one who can become such a high-ranking official is a fool.

Chang Sun Dechong said, "Your Majesty has given me a perfect disaster relief strategy, as well as the method for making cement, a magical substance. I would feel uneasy if I didn't give my two daughters to Your Majesty. Besides, Your Majesty was the one who first asked to recruit women from his family into the palace. I just happened to be there at the right time."

Cao Mengde asked, "Could the young lady of the Changsun family please come out and tell us what they saw in the palace?"

Qin Hui, however, spoke up to persuade him, "Isn't this a bad idea, Lord Cao? After all, this involves the private affairs of the royal family. We'd better not pry into it or discuss it."

Cao Mengde smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming with a profound light. Although Cao Mengde was old, his wisdom was unparalleled. He was sure that there must be something here that needed everyone's attention.

Cao Mengde said slowly, "Lord Qin's words make sense. Naturally, we should be cautious when it comes to matters of the imperial court. However, as subjects, we should be concerned about national affairs. Only by understanding the considerations behind Your Majesty's decisions can we better assist Your Majesty in matters of state."

After hearing what Cao Mengde said, everyone had no objection.

Cao Mengde paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before continuing, "Since your two daughters have entered the palace, Lord Changsun, they must have seen and heard something. If they could share a few things, it might provide us with a new perspective and help us understand some of Your Majesty's decisions. Of course, we will avoid discussing any royal secrets and only share information that will benefit the nation and the people."

Changsun Dechong hesitated upon hearing this, but then he realized what Cao Mengde said made sense. He nodded and said, "Since Lord Cao has said so, I will see if I can arrange for the girls to come out and share with everyone what they've seen and heard in the palace. However, please remember, everyone, whatever they say, they must be careful not to spread it outside."

Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing this. They knew that Chang Sun Dechong was giving them a rare opportunity to indirectly learn about some of the internal affairs of the imperial palace. For people like them who held high positions, this was undoubtedly a valuable exchange of information.