He immediately lowered his head, as if weighing each word carefully in his mind, or as if summoning immense courage, as if each word carried the weight of a thousand pounds.
After a moment, he nervously and haltingly uttered the words he had repeatedly recited in his heart.
"Your Majesty, I originally intended to set off to return to Miao territory soon, but this trip to the capital to meet Your Majesty and receive Your Majesty's grace, and being impressed by the magnificent scenery of the capital, I find it hard to give up this opportunity to receive instruction from the court."
I humbly request that my return be postponed.
I have also heard that agriculture is flourishing in the Central Plains, with a wide variety of grains. If I could bring some superior seeds back to my hometown and try planting them in the fertile soil of the Miao region, it might help to further improve the lives of people on the frontier.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Pan Wei felt as if he had been struck by a sharp bolt of lightning, and a bone-chilling coldness surged up his spine.
Like a surging tide, it instantly spread throughout my body, every inch of my skin covered in the frost of fear.
His face turned deathly pale in an instant, devoid of any color, as if he had been mercilessly swallowed up by a sudden blizzard, and he seemed to be in an ice cellar.
His heart clenched, and a loud "thump" resounded in his mind, like a great bell suddenly striking in the silent night.
The shock left his mind blank: "It's over, it's all over now!"
How could you be so reckless and impulsive, blurting out your thoughts without thinking?
The words I had carefully considered and recited countless times in my mind before, how come they all went wrong at the crucial moment, like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins and was out of control?
Now that's good. Emperor Chengxiao will definitely seize this opportunity and use it as a grand pretext to launch a massive attack on Miao territory without any mercy.
The people of Miao territory will suffer immensely; how can I explain this to them?
Pan Wei was filled with remorse, so much so that he felt like a million ants were gnawing at his heart, causing him unbearable pain.
He cursed himself in his heart for being incredibly stupid, utterly foolish. His usual shrewdness, decisiveness, composure, and wisdom seemed to have vanished into thin air.
He was like a frightened bird, terrified.
The courage to even look up at the Emperor's expression vanished instantly, leaving him sitting on the chair, feeling restless and uneasy.
His body trembled slightly involuntarily, like a leaf shivering in the autumn wind, his hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.
His knuckles were white from the excessive force, as if he were about to crush the hem of the garment.
His heart was filled with endless fear and worry, like a dark and boundless abyss.
A sense of despair, like a heavy gloom, enveloped him, and he could not see a glimmer of hope.
At this moment, Ning Chenyi, who was sitting on the majestic and solemn dragon throne, did not show any obvious ripples in his expression after hearing Pan Wei's words.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his deep gaze like a still pool, making it difficult to fathom his thoughts.
His gaze lingered briefly on Pan Wei, a fleeting, almost imperceptible thought flashing in his eyes.
Of course, it would be impossible to say that he had no thoughts in his mind.
On the contrary, he felt that Pan Wei's straightforward and frank nature, his willingness to say what he thought, was truly rare and precious in the court, like a breath of fresh air, unique and distinctive.
Compared to those civil officials who spend their days in the imperial court writing and pedantic, they are infinitely more endearing and genuine.
Every time Ning Chenyi reviewed the memorials submitted by the civil officials, he couldn't help but feel annoyed and had a splitting headache.
It felt as if countless flies were buzzing in his ears, disturbing his peace of mind.
Those memorials, though ornately written like meticulously woven brocade, were empty and devoid of substance, filled with obscure and pretentious phrases.
The writing goes around in circles, as if trapped in a complex maze from which there is no way out.
They keep repeating the same few clichéd viewpoints, yet insist on expressing them in lengthy, convoluted, and obscure language.
It took half a day to get to the core points, which was so tedious that it was maddening, as if it was slowly wearing down his patience.
Just as his thoughts were racing like a tangled mess, a sudden inspiration struck Ning Chenyi.
A novel idea flashed across the dark night sky like a shooting star: "Why not let Pan Wei have more contact with those civil officials?"
Let them see this straightforward and direct way of speaking, and learn how to express their views concisely and clearly.
Stop beating around the bush and making things mysterious in your memorials, wasting my time and energy.
Fortunately, the thought only flashed through his mind, like a shooting star in the night sky, fleeting and unnoticed by others.
If others were to find out, they would be greatly shocked, wondering if the emperor had acted rashly and lost his mind.
To come up with such an absurd and outrageous idea as to allow vassal states to have frequent contact with their own civil officials is undoubtedly an exposure of their own shortcomings.
It is utterly foolish and incomprehensible to deliberately expose a country's weaknesses to the other side.
Of course, Ning Chenyi only had this thought briefly in his mind.
He knew perfectly well that if he were to put this idea into action, it would inevitably cause a huge uproar.
Like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, it stirs up a thousand waves, and the world situation will be thrown into chaos and turmoil.
It is likely that the throne will soon change hands and fall into the hands of others.
Moreover, if this idea were to be leaked and implemented, he would definitely be annoyed by Su Jinyun and Pei Yanci's nagging.
My ears are never at peace; it's as if I'm caught in a never-ending vortex of nagging.
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