Chapter 250 The flattery was so smooth
"oh?"
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze shifting back and forth between Li Mu and Li Yao before finally settling on Li Yao.
"Your older brother said he has no complaints, so it seems you're the one who has complaints?"
A chill instantly shot from the soles of Li Yao's feet to his head, startling him so much that he trembled and began to kowtow repeatedly.
"I did not, I dare not."
Li Mu looked furious.
"Second brother, you didn't say that at home. Didn't you say that this was the work of the Xue family, and even encouraged me to come to His Majesty to seek justice?"
Why are you denying it now?
Li Yao was so frightened that his face turned pale. He wished he could jump up and cover Li Mu's mouth so that he couldn't utter another word.
Damn Li Mu!
How can he say anything out loud?
"Big brother!"
Li Yao hurriedly interrupted Li Mu, "I just feel sorry for Ke'er being frightened by the startled horse, and I want to seek justice for Ke'er."
I didn't say it was definitely the Xue family's doing; you've misunderstood me, brother.
Li Mu frowned, looking puzzled.
"Is that so? When I said before that this wasn't the Xue family's doing, didn't you all disbelieve me?"
Li Yao was so angry he almost fell backward, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and defend himself.
"No...no, I don't disbelieve you, brother, you misunderstood."
Li Mu responded with an "oh".
"So you agree with Ke'er's statement? You won't urge me to seek justice from the Xue family again, will you?"
When did he hear Li Nanke's statement?
Li Yao gritted his teeth, wishing he could jump up and punch Li Mu twice.
But in front of the emperor and the court officials, he dared not, and could only swallow his anger and squeeze out three words through gritted teeth.
"No more."
Li Mu looked relieved and bowed to the emperor again.
“Your Majesty, my younger brother is foolish. He often believes rumors from the streets. As the elder brother, I have failed to educate him properly. I am sorry that you have made me a laughing stock.”
Li Yao was so angry he almost vomited blood.
Damn it, Li Mu is openly slandering him in front of His Majesty!
He wanted to offer some explanation, but he didn't know where to begin.
He now realized that what he said upon entering the hall was inappropriate, and since he didn't know what had happened inside the hall before, he could only suppress his anger and dared not speak carelessly again.
The emperor's curiosity was piqued by Li Mu's words.
"Does the Princess of Fu'an believe that the Xue family was not responsible for her horse being startled? As far as I know, aren't there already witnesses? Why is she so certain?"
Li Mu was stunned for a moment before realizing that the Princess of Fu'an mentioned by the emperor was his own daughter.
He couldn't help but chuckle, "My daughter says that His Majesty is the most just person imaginable; even the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people."
With so many memorials submitted to the Censorate, if this matter were truly the work of the Xue family, His Majesty would have already issued an edict to deal with it.
"If His Majesty hasn't taken any action, then it means the Xue family wasn't behind this; there must be more to the story!"
The emperor was overjoyed upon hearing these words.
There was no evidence; the conclusion was drawn simply because people believed in him as emperor.
"Does your little girl really believe that I won't show favoritism?"
Li Mu nodded emphatically, then blinked blankly.
"Can't Your Majesty trust us?"
The emperor was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into a series of laughs.
"Hahaha, of course you can believe it!"
Li Mu patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good. His Majesty is the sovereign and father of all people. If His Majesty cannot be trusted, then who in the world can be trusted?"
"Hahaha, well said!"
The emperor's smile grew even brighter.
Li Yao, kneeling to the side, was so angry that he felt a lump in his throat, unable to breathe.
That damned Li Mu is utterly shameless!
How could he possibly flatter His Majesty?
And the filming was so smooth!
Zhao Hong's expression was equally unpleasant. He had thought that Li Mu, once summoned to the palace, would be subjected to ridicule and mockery, and would eventually be driven out of the Daqing Palace.
Who knew that he would make the emperor laugh heartily by flattering him!
Really...
How could he not have thought that His Majesty would fall for this trick?
The emperor's smile eased the atmosphere in the hall.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Left Chancellor stepped forward and advised, "Your Majesty, although Li Yao just said a few muddled things, he is indeed talented in flood control."
Now that he has been summoned, let's hear his thoughts on the management and diversion of the Bian River.
The emperor's smile faded slightly. He glanced at Li Yao and gave a soft "hmm."
Zuo Xianglian quickly gave Li Yao a wink.
"What are you waiting for, Young Master Li? Hurry up and report your ideas on managing the Bian River to His Majesty."
Li Yao calmed himself down and quickly put the previous incident out of his mind.
He came prepared this time and will surely impress His Majesty!
Li Yao took out a map of the Bian River from his pocket, unfolded it in the main hall, and then pointed to the winding river on the map.
"As you can see, the Bian River comes from the west. After passing Bianjing, it takes a winding and meandering course, with many bends and a complex course."
Every year during the flood season, the fields and houses along the river are often flooded. In the six years since Your Majesty ascended the throne, the Bian River has suffered four floods.
The riverbanks were reinforced three times, costing 300,000 taels of silver. The floods also displaced many people, leaving them homeless.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and even the emperor's expression gradually became serious.
Because what Li Yao said was true.
The fact that he could say those things shows that he had indeed done his homework.
The emperor's voice softened slightly, gesturing to Li Yao.
"Continue."
Li Yao noticed the change in the emperor's tone and secretly felt smug.
Ever since his father said he would compete for the position of Water Conservancy Commissioner for him, he has read many books on water management and done a lot of research.
After hearing his advice, His Majesty will surely forget Li Mu's flattery and think that Li Mu is utterly useless!
Li Yao straightened his back confidently and continued, "I believe that the best way to solve the problem of frequent flooding in the Bian River and to make room for oil extraction is to straighten the river."
"Oh? How do I straighten a curve?"
Li Yao drew a line on the map with his hand.
"Your Majesty, please look, this is the Bai Causeway, where the Bian River begins its winding course. Therefore, I suggest that we dig southward from here."
They dug through all the low-lying areas over there, all the way to Caojia Dike, thus straightening the entire river channel.
In this way, not only could the original riverbed be dried up to allow for the extraction of kerosene, but also the original narrow sections of the riverbed were often blocked by silt, and the bends made it difficult to travel upstream, resulting in poor water transport.
"With the entire waterway straightened, the entire canal transport will be much smoother!"
As soon as Li Yao finished speaking, many ministers in the court agreed.
"This is a good idea. If it works, the river will not only be straightened, but also widened and deepened, which will help prevent floods."
"Most importantly, the canal transport will be much smoother in the future."
"I believe that Young Master Li's suggestion is feasible!"
"I second that proposal!"
Many ministers immediately stepped forward to express their support for Li Yao.
A smug glint flashed quickly in Li Yao's eyes.
Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from inside the hall, which was quite abrupt and instantly silenced the hall.
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