"Your Majesty, I was rude just now, please forgive me!" Seeing the First Emperor's appearance, Li Lin was in no mood to joke with him, but he remained neither humble nor arrogant.
"Li Lin, how dare you! You actually know you've done wrong? Hmm? Weren't you so arrogant just now? You actually told me to shut up! You're truly audacious!"
The First Emperor spoke in a calm tone, but his voice suddenly rose at the end.
The overwhelming killing intent, like a sea of corpses and a mountain of blood, crashed down on him.
Honestly, if I wasn't afraid at this moment, I'd be bragging.
Xing Daorong only brags when the person in question isn't around. When the person is present and in a good mood, isn't he just a coward, the number one braggart of the Three Kingdoms?
Li Lin has a relatively strong ability to withstand pressure.
They weren't so scared that they collapsed.
His legs were starting to feel weak. If the First Emperor continued to press him like this, he would probably be unable to withstand the pressure and kneel down to beg for mercy.
This won't do!
So he took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and chuckled, "Your Majesty, what happened just now was in a classroom. I was teaching these craftsmen. You must know that what distinguishes humans from animals is the path of education. Therefore, in a classroom, there is no distinction between ruler and subject, no hierarchy, only the teacher imparting knowledge and the student receiving it. This is the way of education, the true path of heaven and earth. Does Your Majesty perhaps consider yourself a foolish ruler who can disregard the dignity of this way of education and arbitrarily punish me, the teacher?"
Good heavens!
Ying Zheng exclaimed, "Wow!"
That brat!
What a master of sophistry! You clearly knew I was angry and deliberately stalled for time with the excuse of class, but now you're twisting the facts, saying that if I were to punish you for this, I'd be a foolish ruler...
You little brat, if I weren't reluctant to kill you, I would have slaughtered you long ago!
At this point, Li Lin also lost confidence in his sophistry.
However, he knew the story of Zhu Zhiwu repelling the Qin army. Although he did not know which Qin ruler it was, it at least showed that the Qin kings of this generation had a common characteristic.
That means we'll sit down and talk if we can, and only fight if we can't reach an agreement. After the fight, we'll talk again.
Since the First Emperor didn't kill him immediately, there's still a chance to maneuver. If he had really killed him, who would have come up with the Four Great Inventions for the First Emperor?
"How dare you! In front of His Majesty, you dare to speak so arrogantly and eloquently! Your disrespectful attitude is outrageous! Your Majesty, please detain this madman immediately as a warning to others!"
Ying Xi had seized the opportunity. He knew that if he didn't stir things up now, the First Emperor might actually be fooled by the silver-tongued Li Lin, given his personality.
That won't do.
Li Lin, are you still good at bluffing?
Can you deny the crime you just committed?
Definitely not!
What's done is done. Even if you have a thousand mouths, as long as you stick to this point, you can only be helpless.
"Hahaha, who is it? It's you, Lord Ying! His Majesty is so angry because you've been talking badly about me behind my back, haven't you? Hmm? You scoundrel, what right do you have to speak so arrogantly in front of me, Li? You dare to demand punishment from me? Do you have the right? You're no longer the head of the Construction Bureau; you're my subordinate. How dare you defy my will and twist the truth before His Majesty? You've got some nerve!"
What was Li Lin's state at this time?
He was in a state of extremely high fighting spirit, and he knew that if he didn't vent now, he might not have the chance to do so later.
Since Yingxi dares to stir up trouble.
Then let's just put all the blame on him.
"Outrageous! Outrageous! You, Li Lin, have gone too far! His Majesty is here, how dare you speak to me like this... You! You! You..."
"Yingxi, shut your mouth first. Li Zhongcheng is your superior, your official. How is your behavior any different from his arguing with me? Hmm?"
The First Emperor narrowed his eyes.
Startled, Yingxi immediately apologized and retreated behind him.
to be honest.
The First Emperor was very particular about the distinction between superiors and inferiors. He had fully embraced the Legalist ideology, which is why he had such a preference.
What Li Lin just said coincides with his preferences.
Even if Yingxi was in the right, he was still just a subordinate official and not even an imperial censor. What right did he have to criticize Li Lin to his face?
This is taboo.
Similarly, what truly angered the First Emperor was not Li Lin's teaching, but rather that he had sent the artisans who were supposed to be working back to rest, which he found somewhat incomprehensible.
Therefore, he became angry.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for defending me. My attitude just now was indeed too presumptuous. I thought that with Your Majesty's favor, I could act recklessly. But Your Majesty, the lessons I taught were by no means deceiving you. The content of the lessons was indeed laying a solid foundation for the Four Great Inventions and even other inventions!"
"Hmph! I know you weren't slacking off in class to deceive me, but the high welfare and treatment you've given these craftsmen already surpasses that of ordinary officials. I don't care how your monthly salary increases, but making them work only four hours a day and rest for three days a month is going too far, isn't it?"
"Your Majesty, you have misunderstood!"
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