After finishing the pastries, the goddess didn't elaborate on how she planned to humiliate the god of rain, but instead gave the emperor a meaningful look:
"When Meng Po said you would be a wise ruler, I thought it was a joke."
The implication is that, at this point, the title of "wise ruler" was truly deserved in her heart.
Li Yue's handsome young face smiled even more sincerely, implicitly acknowledging the assessment.
After the officials saw the goddess off, some who were not deemed worthy to stay had already wisely withdrawn, leaving behind only those whose every move could influence the entire world.
The emperor's smile vanished, and he said calmly, "Minister Wang, the goddess has suddenly returned today. I will recount her every word and action here."
Without wasting words, Wang Yi recounted the scene in front of everyone.
The bewildered Liu Zi listened helplessly, his expression growing increasingly strange—the high and mighty Prime Minister Wang had actually mimicked the scream of the Taoist priest in a high-pitched voice.
It was over in no time.
"The goddess has returned; the drought can be averted. This news must be spread as soon as possible."
Li Yue made the request, and the ministers nodded in agreement. They then began to offer their suggestions, to which Li Yue either remained silent or commented on their merits and demerits.
Finally, it was decided to let Wang Fu, the great writer, write the story again and spread it. With the government issuing an edict, a two-pronged approach was taken to stabilize the situation.
Li Yue was never stingy with useful people. Under the test of Wang Fu's father, Marquis Pingxi, he generously granted Wang Fu the title of Light Cavalry Commandant.
Marquis Pingxi was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
The rank of Light Cavalry Commandant is only a fourth-rank official, but it can be passed down to his descendants. In the eyes of Marquis Pingxi, he would not trade it for a princess!
Why?
This title, exclusive to men, signified that a daughter had the emperor's permission to hold a position in the court.
Although it is ten or a hundred times more difficult than for men, it allows them to formally enter the court.
From then on, no one dared to say that Wang Fu, a mere woman, should not interfere in politics.
“You have rendered meritorious service to the country, and Miss Wang should be rewarded,” Li Yue said, his eyes sweeping over those who looked disgruntled.
He closed his eyes and pondered. Wang Fu was talented and ambitious, so why didn't he dare to use her, especially since the goddess favored her...
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Neither the emperor nor his ministers spoke.
Yan Pei gave his apprentice a subtle look and glanced lightly at Liu Zi, who was standing there dumbfounded.
Soon a young eunuch entered the hall and said softly to Liu Zi, "Honorable guest, please have some tea."
"Is I a noble person now?" Liu Zi was overjoyed as he accepted the teacup, completely unaware that the emperor and his ministers were looking over because of the commotion.
Li Yue laughed loudly, "I have no manners when it comes to hospitality and have neglected you for a long time. Please don't take offense."
The emperor was so amiable that Liu Zi, who had never even seen the county magistrate before, was at a loss for words. He wanted to speak, but his face turned red and he couldn't utter a word.
Song Ren joked, "Your Majesty, what you're saying is ridiculous. All the land under heaven belongs to the king, and all are your subjects. There's no such thing as 'guest' or 'non-guest'."
Everyone laughed, and Wang Yi replied with a smile:
"This extraordinary person is a descendant of Shennong, one of the Three Sovereigns of antiquity. Your Majesty is the current Emperor. How can he not be a guest before Your Majesty?"
Song Ren shook his head again, raising an eyebrow and deliberately saying, "Prime Minister Wang, why not ask the person in question whether he is a guest or not?"
Li Yue watched this scene with a smile on his lips; his subjects always reacted so quickly.
The bloodline of Shennong could benefit the five grains, which was extremely important to the imperial dynasty.
Whether someone is a guest or not is not important; the main point is to shift the topic to Liu Zi.
As they spoke, everyone's gaze turned to Liu Zi, who forced himself to remain calm and tried his best to mimic the words used by the ruler and his minister earlier:
"This humble commoner is, of course, a citizen of the Great Jin."
After exchanging a few words with the King of Song, the Emperor also stepped in and spoke gently with the Sixth Prince. Occasionally, someone would chime in with a witty remark, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
A moment earlier, a group of people rode off at full speed to the village where Liu Zi was born.
While investigating every aspect of Liu Zi's life from birth to the present, including what he likes and dislikes, and whether he has ever said anything detrimental to the court.
On the other side, Liu Zi's family members were all under strict "protection".
Back in the familiar palace, Ling Xiao ignored the palace servants kneeling on the ground, overcome with emotion and tears, and pulled Ling Xin into the inner room to talk.
Her slender, delicate hands formed a graceful pose.
Suddenly a beautiful dress appeared, radiant and dazzling, with a novel cut. In the sunlight, it looked like a flowing spring, absolutely gorgeous.
"Take it. It's the celestial robe of the Third Princess of the Dragon Palace. I personally took it off. It's made of top-quality mermaid silk and has the ability to repel water."
Ling Xiao handed it to her stepsister with a slight smile.
She wasn't lying. Although the Myriad Splendors Blue Waves Dress wasn't of a high grade, its attributes did indeed indicate that it was woven from mermaid gauze and could repel water.
Why is it another unlucky princess from the Dragon Palace? Yang, the female official, and the others felt sorry for her.
Ling Xin was initially amazed by the gorgeous clothes, but when she heard that they were a gift for her, her face showed surprise for a second.
Instead of refusing, she generously accepted the dress and draped it over herself; the radiant dress perfectly accentuated the girl's pure and innocent appearance.
"Your Highness, am I pretty?" The girl twirled around, pulling at her dress, her face beaming with laughter.
"Beautiful, of course beautiful," the system fanatic said. A charming beauty is beautiful, and a pure beauty is beautiful too.
Ling Xiao looked appreciative; she naturally had her own reasons for giving the props to Ling Xin.
Firstly, it shows people that following the goddess has benefits; Ling Xin's unwavering loyalty to her deserves a reward.
Secondly, in this long time, only the emperor could witness divine miracles, but how many people could actually meet the emperor?
With this prop, once Ling Xin is brought to the forefront, her frequent appearances will make more people believe in the Goddess of Mount Tai.
"Hmph, you look much better in this than that little dragon. You should wear it more often from now on, just to make her jealous."
The goddess said happily, and Ling Xin naturally agreed, completely unaware that the gift given by the goddess she believed in was stolen goods, and instead deeply agreed.
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