Not long after Dai Quan left, a series of footsteps sounded.
The door was pushed open, and the young emperor, with a serious expression and an air of discipline and rigor emanating from his fingertips to the hem of his robes, strode into the hall.
A voice, tinged with excitement and skepticism, came through:
"Father, you're not joking with me, are you?"
"Your Majesty, what nonsense are you spouting? Do you think I'm such a person who can't distinguish between what's important and what's not?" The retired emperor frowned deeply and slammed his fist on the table in anger.
The emperor's lips twitched slightly, and he stared directly at the retired emperor, conveying his emotions: Don't you have any self-awareness?
He was capable enough to conquer neighboring countries, and he indulged in large-scale construction projects, beautiful women, and fine wine, which emptied the national treasury.
He quickly passed the throne to his son, and afterwards, the retired emperor, unwilling to remain idle, was capable of anything.
"Never mind, I won't hold it against you," the retired emperor said sheepishly, turning his face away before turning cold.
"Dai Quan has explained things to you clearly?"
The emperor calmly sat down and nodded, saying:
"I know everything about the God of Wealth descending to earth, the identity of Lin Ruhai's daughter, and the treasure chest."
"The court and the public appear calm on the surface, but undercurrents are swirling beneath. My son and I are walking on thin ice. Now, another divine intervention has appeared. You see, the world is about to change again..."
"It's just the God of Wealth, isn't that an exaggeration?" the emperor frowned.
"Hmph!" The retired emperor glared and cursed mercilessly.
"You know nothing! Everyone in the world is driven by profit. What's wrong with the God of Wealth? The people obey the court just to have enough to eat and wear. In the end, it all comes down to money."
"Moreover, this God of Wealth is also in business, and he hasn't revealed many treasures yet. What if one day, some lucky guy gets a treasure that can threaten the imperial court? What will you do then!"
The retired emperor shouted and berated him in a harsh voice, and the emperor listened through gritted teeth.
His father was a born monster who wielded power. On the surface, he was playful and scathing, but in reality, his ministers, members of the royal family, and even his children were all subservient to him during his reign.
but--
"Your Majesty, I understand. I will treat the God of Wealth with utmost respect. The national treasury is currently empty. I remember I just allocated funds for your palace renovations; let's use that money to purchase the treasure chests."
The emperor spoke calmly.
The Emperor Emeritus hesitated, wanting to say that his palace still needed to be repaired, but he was too embarrassed to speak after his righteous words.
I regret it; I was too thin-skinned...
"Lin Ruhai's daughter was a fairy in her previous life and has a close relationship with the God of Wealth, which cannot be ignored either."
"What's so special about that?" the retired emperor replied, a hint of confidence flashing between his brows.
"When a fairy descends to earth, it's like us going on an incognito visit. We don't need to know her purpose; we just need to make her comfortable."
The serious and upright emperor nodded in agreement and humbly inquired:
"How can we please this Crimson Pearl Fairy? Should we give her a good husband? Or bestow upon Lin Ruhai a high-ranking official position and generous title?"
"Your Majesty, you are still too reserved," the retired emperor said enthusiastically.
"What's a husband compared to this? This isn't about pleasing Fairy Crimson Pearl; it's about giving someone a benefit—having a fairy as a wife!"
He waved his hand:
"As long as Fairy Jiangzhu is pleased, all good men of the nation should dedicate themselves to the country. What's the point of talking about marriage or taking a wife? That's too stingy. Also, regarding Lin Ruhai, don't act rashly. Ask him first."
The emperor, not as open-minded as the retired emperor, fell into deep thought...
"Furthermore, I remember that Lin Ruhai's wife is Old Jia's daughter. He is quite close to his wife's family, so let's grant the Rongguo Mansion some favors as well."
"Your subject obeys," the emperor readily agreed.
Inside Rongxi Hall of the Jia Mansion.
Wang Xifeng's clear laughter rang out continuously, just like always, making Grandmother Jia smile with delight.
"You little brat, Feng! When Lian'er comes back tomorrow, I'll have him teach you a lesson."
"Oh dear, I'm not afraid of him, I'm just afraid that the old lady will dislike me and give all that gold and silver, round and flat, to Baoyu and my three younger sisters. I'll regret it to death then!"
Wang Xifeng feigned distress, which annoyed the three springs. Baoyu teased her, creating an atmosphere of wealth and prosperity.
Another round of playful banter ensued.
Outside the door, Lai Da rushed in hurriedly: "Grandma, someone from the palace has come to deliver an imperial edict!"
The incident caused a great stir. The Jia family, which was gradually declining, rarely received imperial decrees, and everyone was in a flurry of activity. The Xue family of Pear Fragrance Courtyard was very curious.
Wang Xifeng was the busiest, having people set up incense tables, serving tea and giving silver to the eunuchs, and so on. In less than a quarter of an hour, all the masters of the Jia family had arrived.
The chief eunuch Dai Quan smiled broadly, said no more nonsense, and loudly proclaimed the imperial decree.
The gist of it is that the Rongguo Mansion has found a good son-in-law who has given birth to a wonderful daughter, and the Emperor wants to reward him by temporarily giving him some gold and silver.
The implication is clear: if you can please the fairy, the rewards will be plentiful, and a bright future awaits you.
After the imperial decree was read, the scene fell silent. No one in the Jia family had expected to receive such unbelievable news.
"I said, how could such a pure and virtuous young lady as Lin Daiyu exist on earth? She must be a fairy from heaven."
Jia Baoyu's excited voice broke the silence.
When Grandmother Jia came to her senses, she was trembling all over. Her granddaughter was actually a celestial being from heaven!
With a bang, the Jia family was overjoyed; everyone from the masters to the servants was delighted.
As the imperial decree was issued, all sorts of news flew into every household in the capital.
Gods! God of Wealth! Treasure Chest!
Each one is more attractive than the last. From ancient times to the present, the trend of seeking immortality and enlightenment has never ceased, especially among the powerful and wealthy.
Compared to the reincarnation of the Crimson Pearl Fairy, the Goddess of Wealth's treasure chest swept into the conversations of princes and nobles.
However, doubts also arose. Seeing is believing, and hearing is deceiving. Some scholars firmly believed that the two emperors had been deceived.
Lin Ruhai, that despicable and treacherous minister! He fabricated lies for wealth and glory, and even packaged his only daughter as a fairy. Humph, greed knows no bounds.
A high-ranking official declared that he would reprimand Lin Ruhai in person once Lin Ruhai arrived in the capital.
The innocent Lin Ruhai thus attracted most of the hatred. Those who were either suspicious or hopeful were waiting for the Lin family to come to the capital for a trial and the truth to be revealed.
Even emperors and retired emperors had their doubts. What if, what if, the world's deceptions made a great leap forward?
At this moment, Ling Xiao discussed with the system:
"For world peace, for the mission to be completed, you must make a sacrifice."
The system shook its head in indignation and protested:
"I won't do it! You clearly promised me before that you wouldn't let this system equip mimicry devices anymore."
Ling Xiao said coolly:
"I only promised you I wouldn't be a rabbit or an eagle or anything like that. This time it's a human! And a golden boy by the side of the God of Wealth, that's way more prestigious!"
"Yeah, the sophistication of going from pet to lackey, huh?" she murmured.
As it turns out, might makes right, and Ling Xiao's justice prevailed once again.
Late that night, the retired emperor, unusually, was sleeping alone. In his hazy state, he smelled a delicate fragrance, and his sleep became even deeper.
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