This was somewhat refreshing for Princess Manyin, who was used to flattery.
"You're too kind, Li Zhongcheng!"
She smiled faintly, her cheeks flushed, and rolled her eyes before continuing, "I have heard that Minister Li is learned and knowledgeable, possessing extraordinary talent, and is well-versed in astronomy and geography. I wonder if this rumor is true?"
Upon hearing what the princess said...
A sudden chill ran down his spine: [Oh no! I was wondering why the princess's test was so easy; I never expected it to be like this! If I perform poorly, Her Highness will probably be unhappy. No, I can't be too humble in front of her; it's important to show my talents appropriately. After all, there's no one else here, and Her Highness will be married next month, so it shouldn't be a big deal!]
He made up his mind to show off his talent.
But he never imagined that someone was hiding behind the screen—the First Emperor, who had long coveted his talent!
When the First Emperor heard Li Lin's plan, he couldn't help but feel a cold laugh and a sense of anxiety: You little brat, I knew you were pretending to be deaf and dumb all the time. If you had shown even a little bit of your talent, I might have dismissed Li Si and made you the Prime Minister of Qin!
However, Manyin, you need to hurry up and get this brat to tell us how many other countries besides our Great Qin can threaten Great Qin at this stage? Don't delay any longer, I'm getting impatient waiting behind this screen, I wish this brat would spill everything he knows!
After all, I am already old and gray, so I must hurry up and eliminate these countries that threaten the existence of Qin. Otherwise, I really wouldn't dare to face my ancestors!
Just as the First Emperor was anxious to learn about other countries, Li Lin, who was outside the screen, paused for a few breaths, then smiled humbly and said, "Your Highness, you flatter me. How could I be as talented as you say? I only know some strange and unusual things!"
It's unclear whether Princess Manyin and the First Emperor were telepathically connected, or whether they had rehearsed what they were going to say beforehand.
But she blushed, gently parted her lips, and uttered some words that greatly surprised Li Lin.
"Lord Li is too modest. Although you appear very low-key, I can still see your talent. By the way, I heard Lord Zhao, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, mention a few days ago that there seems to be an even more powerful empire besides Qin. I wonder if Lord Li knows anything about it? I am very interested in this."
[What? The Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office? Isn't that Zhao Gao? He knows there are empires even more powerful than Qin? Is it the Roman Empire? Or the Alexander's Empire from decades ago? But isn't this princess's taste a bit too outrageous? What ordinary girl would like this?]
Li Lin was somewhat embarrassed. He truly did not know that the princess had summoned him today on a whim during the morning court session.
Otherwise, how could he have had such a close encounter with his beloved before their marriage?
Behind the screen, the First Emperor fell into deep thought: What was this Alexander's Empire? And what was the Roman Empire? I've never heard of it before. Were they really more powerful than the Qin Dynasty?
“Your Highness, as far as I know, there are many countries outside of the Great Qin. For example, the Roman Empire, whose territory is about the same size as the Great Qin. Although the Roman Empire has not yet risen to power at this time, its strength should not be underestimated. Secondly, there is the Alexander Empire, which spanned three continents of the Mediterranean several decades ago. Its vast territory also makes it an empire that should not be underestimated.”
"Oh? The Roman Empire? The Alexander Empire? Were they really more powerful than the Qin Dynasty?"
"This, Your Majesty, is not sure. But I believe that even if Alexander the Great were to be reborn, he might not be a match for Your Majesty. Your Majesty has unified the six directions, overlooking the eight wastelands, and has solidified the territory of the Great Qin into a single, unyielding entity, laying the foundation for the unification of China. Even if the Great Qin were to fall, future generations would surely follow Your Majesty's example and reunite this land that has stood for millennia!"
As Li Lin spoke, he couldn't help but become emotional, "And those powerful Western empires that I just mentioned, none of their rulers have the same talent and ambition as Your Majesty. They are all monkeys who jumped down from trees. How would they know how to govern such a vast territory? They often use force to coerce the people. Once the force disappears and the ruler dies, the vast empire will vanish into thin air, and the land will be torn apart. They pose no threat to Great Qin!"
"Lord Li, is that really the case?"
Princess Manyin looked at Li Lin, who was now dancing with joy, and couldn't help but feel a little admiration for him: Li Lin was indeed as her father had said, knowledgeable and with a strong memory, knowing so much in detail and able to analyze the pros and cons. He was truly a rare genius. No wonder her father coveted him so much.
"Really! But..."
Li Lin thought about the tragic experiences of Western powers poisoning China in modern times. If he were to tell this princess about it, she would probably be surprised or angry. This might be disrespectful to the beauty and leave a bad impression on her.
Telling this to the First Emperor would be acceptable, but it was far too cruel for a young woman.
After all, she lived in the Qin Dynasty, not the Qing Dynasty.
Sigh, never mind, I'll just tell her about this era. As for the Western powers' invasion of China, I won't tell her. Anyway, that's all Qing Dynasty stuff, what does it have to do with the Qin Dynasty?
The First Emperor, behind the screen, became increasingly confused as he listened.
First, he felt proud of Li Lin's impassioned speech, after all, he never expected that this rascal Li Lin would speak so highly of him.
But all I heard was this last thought from him.
He felt something was amiss: Western powers invading China? That was all the Qing Dynasty's business, not the Qin Dynasty's? Could it be that my Qin Dynasty only lasted two generations before the Qing Dynasty took over?
And then, just as Li Lin had said in his heart last time, the Qing Dynasty was invaded and its heartland was occupied by the enemy? And then it ceded territory and paid indemnities?
Isn't this too humiliating? No, even if the Qing Dynasty took over my Qin Dynasty's empire, now that I know this cruel truth, I cannot allow my descendants to be shamed and suffer such disgrace!
Which countries are the Western powers? Could it be the Roman Empire?
It seems I must accelerate the process of recuperation and rebuilding, and strive to have sufficient national strength within three years to support me in this war of annihilation and eliminate all threats!
At this moment, Li Lin, who was preparing to say goodbye to Princess Manyin, was completely unaware of this.
Because of his seemingly disjointed thoughts, the First Emperor, hiding behind the screen, misunderstood him so deeply that he even conceived the idea of destroying the Roman Empire.
If the people in the Roman Senate knew that the reason why the Qin cavalry would sweep across the Mediterranean years later was all because of Li Lin's wild thoughts, they would probably be so angry that they would vomit blood.
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