Chapter 191 (Chapter 191) - Congratulations from All Nations...
The system page changes from dark to light.
A high-definition image unfolds, slightly tilted, but angled towards the imperial desk.
Qi Chengming glanced at the upper right corner, where the words "1080p" were still displayed. After he left, the eunuchs and palace maids returned to the side hall to serve the emperor as he changed clothes behind the screen. Their voices were so soft and rustling that even the wrinkles on Eunuch Fuman's face could be seen.
Qi Chengming was relieved.
Keeping a close eye on urgent matters is one thing, but eavesdropping on the emperor's revisions of memorials and discussions of state affairs is also a way to gain rich experience. He's just a time traveler from the modern era, and he wasn't personally mentored by Emperor Hongren as the crown prince, so he has absolutely no experience in managing a country.
In the scene, Emperor Hongren suddenly uttered an "hmm," muttering to himself with suspicion, "I'm short of a personal maid?"
They finally realized what was happening.
"Your Majesty?" Eunuch Fuman approached and bowed at the opportune moment.
"Go and find out if there's a reason why the Prince Rui's mansion is short of servants, or if they've been neglected before," Emperor Hongren said, squinting his eyes, his expression thoughtful.
He didn't think anyone would dare to defy his stance after he expressed it, so the matter of the head palace maid that Prince Rui was missing needed would have to be addressed.
"Yes." Grandpa Fu Man knew this in his heart, and nodded in agreement.
After that, there were no more important scenes. Qi Chengming kept the monitor rustling around and had already walked down to the hall to wait, but he seemed somewhat distracted.
He said that on purpose, leaving a clue. Unfortunately, Emperor Hongren was too shocked by the fact that he didn't use palace maids and didn't realize it. Now that he finally realized it, once Eunuch Fuman inquired, Song Gu, who understood his feelings, naturally knew what to say.
The first-class personal maid that Qi Chengming was missing was originally Bi Shu's position. She was singled out to become a female official, so naturally only Gan Tang was left to lead the main courtyard's maids.
Once Emperor Hongren understands the situation, Qi Chengming will be able to take the opportunity to test his attitude towards Bi Shufeng becoming a female official.
A quarter of an hour later, the civil and military officials in the hall were somewhat agitated, for Emperor Hongren had come to hold court.
This was a grand court assembly, and the officials stood upright in a solemn and orderly fashion. Qi Chengming wondered if it was just his imagination, but the officials seemed exceptionally handsome and spirited today, standing perfectly straight. He glanced to the side without making a sound.
Standing closest to them were several relatives, and even the clan elder's face was visibly powdered! He was dashing and elegant, exuding refinement, and even gave him a subtle, urging look that seemed to say, "Be more reserved!"
Qi Chengming: "…………"
It's both infuriating and hilarious.
As expected, nothing of substance was said at this grand court session. After a couple of trivial matters were mentioned symbolically, a vice minister from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, the three royal envoys have been waiting for a long time and have come specifically to congratulate us on the establishment of our nation!"
"Summon them!" Emperor Hongren sat up straighter and said seriously, maintaining his composure.
Before long, three richly dressed envoys entered the main hall. They did not appear overly respectful or timid, but rather composed and dignified, suggesting they were well-known figures in their own country.
"Greetings, King of Dingguo," the three said, each performing their own unique etiquette, but none of them knelt in obeisance.
Emperor Hongren's face darkened slightly, and the two officials from the Ministry of Rites glared at him angrily, saying, "How dare you! You don't kneel before His Majesty?"
The first envoy to speak looked completely bewildered: "Our Di Kingdom has come to celebrate the Dingguo Festival, so why is the ruler of Dingguo trying to oppress us?!"
Another envoy, with a large beard, said angrily in a gruff voice, "We Qiang people also came with good intentions. It's unreasonable for you to talk like this."
The last one was the envoy from the Western Kingdom, who echoed and responded in unison.
Emperor Hongren's expression remained calm, but his hands clenched tightly, revealing his intense anger.
They talked a good game for him a while ago, and they completely fooled him, making him believe that these places had been beaten and submitted! They clearly still have wolfish ambitions, and they are still testing him today!
He's not being honest.
But if you were to ask him to face all three kingdoms at the same time, Dingguo doesn't yet have that kind of national strength, and he hasn't won many battles yet. How could he not be apprehensive? These three only dare to be so fearless because they know he can't attack all three of them at once!
Emperor Hongren showed no sign of weakness on his face, and said slowly with disdain, "Barbarians are ignorant of etiquette, so be it! Since the envoy has come to offer me congratulations, I will not argue with you today."
Qi Chengming watched anxiously from the side.
Doesn't saying that just confirm their guilty conscience?
Unexpectedly, the next second, Emperor Hongren suddenly turned hostile: "Minister Xing! I've heard that the delegation has been acting recklessly in the capital recently, oppressing our people. Is that true?"
A grim-faced imperial official stepped forward and said aggressively, "Yes! Even members of our imperial family dare not eat the people's food for free or rob them of their possessions. This is outrageous! We beg Your Majesty to punish them!"
"General Wen, kill them all," Emperor Hongren said in a cold, indifferent voice.
"Yes, sir!" a young officer replied.
Qi Chengming's spirits lifted, and he discreetly observed him. He was darker, rougher, and had a stern face. He had also gained weight and was dressed in a military officer's uniform, but he looked exactly like the Wen Er he knew.
The exchange between the emperor and his minister was swift as lightning, lasting only a few sentences. Before anyone could react, Wen Zhongnan had already taken his orders and left, leaving no time for anyone to intervene.
The three envoys immediately became anxious, and it was the Di envoy who spoke first, his words carrying a veiled threat: "The King of Dingguo is doing this, damaging the friendly relations between our two countries—aren't you afraid we'll send troops?!"
Before the remaining two envoys could speak, Emperor Hongren leaned forward, his gloomy face filled with murderous intent, and roared in fury, "You have oppressed our people! Even if your king comes, I will seek justice! Want to fight? Let's fight! But when the time comes... you won't be able to escape either."
He gave the Western envoy a sinister glance, which terrified the envoy, who broke out in a cold sweat. His legs went weak, and he involuntarily knelt down.
The atmosphere froze. The envoys from the Di and Qiang kingdoms glared at him with disappointment, continuing to maintain their cold and angry expressions, but the momentum of the three kingdoms uniting as one had completely vanished.
The Western envoy simply kept his head down, too embarrassed to stand up: "..."
He was still complaining in his heart.
The other two countries are powerful, so what are they, the Western Kingdom? They've been relentlessly beaten and humiliated by that fiend for some time now. The idea of coming to congratulate Dingguo was theirs first! They thought they could use this opportunity to curry favor and then drag along a few other small, scheming countries. They figured they could at least get some time to beg for mercy.
How dare those Westerners act recklessly here? They were all well-behaved and trembling with fear. Those who went out, bought things, didn't pay, ate, wiped their mouths, and left were definitely Di or Qiang people!
They committed the crime, but in the end, it was the Western countries that suffered the consequences!
There's no such logic in the world.
But if you can't beat them, you can only suffer... Didn't you see how weakly the Western envoy echoed him just now, not daring to step forward at all?
Before long, Wen Zhongnan returned, exuding a chilling aura. He casually reported, "Your Majesty, a total of five people were involved in the crime: three Di and two Qiang. All of them have been executed!"
The two envoys were suddenly relieved. They were surprised and wanted to ask something, but they couldn't say anything. Their expressions were very strange.
Didn't they say... they were all killed?
They thought the entire delegation of over a hundred people was going to be executed! So it turns out they were just saying that the key figures who committed the crimes were all killed?
You should have said so earlier!
If you had said so earlier, things wouldn't have almost escalated to the point of a complete falling out. It was just a minor outburst of anger, wasn't it? Why make such a big fuss?
Even though the two envoys knew perfectly well that this was a trick by the King of Dingguo, after all this commotion, they didn't really feel that having a few of their own people killed was a big offense. On the contrary, they subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Emperor Hongren then laughed heartily, saying in a cheerful mood, "Why don't the three envoys take their seats? Only after eliminating those scourges can we feel at ease."
The two envoys forced a smile, their faces stiff and their momentum waning. They reluctantly sat down in the reward seats, not mentioning whether to send troops, whether to test or intimidate, but just looking sullen.
The stalled process finally proceeded smoothly thanks to the coordinated efforts of several officials from the Ministry of Rites.
Having just witnessed the entire process of probing and counter-probing, pulling one side and hitting the other, giving a slap followed by a sweet treat, a scene that combined kindness and severity, Qi Chengming felt his heart surging with emotion and learned a great deal.
He, a modern man, understands the principles, but he still lacks the experience and maturity to achieve the natural demeanor of Emperor Hongren.
He glanced to the side and saw the eldest prince staring intently, while the sixth prince looked on with longing. Both of them had eyes shining with admiration, having never seen Emperor Hongren exude such domineering power.
Logically, after completing the process of receiving congratulations from other countries today, the envoys from the three countries could leave.
Emperor Hongren, however, seemed to have forgotten that the three of them were observing his country's handling of state affairs. He pretended to casually recall them, tapping his fingertips on the dragon throne: "I forgot... Minister Wen, your numerous military achievements these past few days haven't been accounted for yet, have they?"
The Ministry of War officials immediately came out and went through the trembling process of pleading guilty, but Emperor Hongren dismissed it lightly and personally decided: "Promote him to the rank of Mingwei General, a fourth-rank official."
"Your subject obeys the decree!" Wen Zhongnan's face lit up with a broad smile of joy.
But to the Western envoy, that smile looked more like that of a demon.
The other two envoys watched the general's promotion with cold indifference, managing to maintain their composure. After all, this young general was unfamiliar, and he had only fought against Westerners, so he had nothing to do with them...
But the next thing made the messengers break down and panic.
With a single glance from Emperor Hongren, the Vice Minister of War stepped forward with an honest and innocent look on his face, and began to give a normal daily report on the progress of the new weapon manufacturing supervised by the First Prince.
Emperor Hongren then brought up his eldest son and questioned him for a long time.
The eldest prince was usually impeccable in his cunning, gentle and refined, and eloquent, but he never revealed anything concrete to the envoys. No matter how much the three envoys scratched their heads and craned their necks anxiously, wanting to know what the hidden new weapon was, they only heard bits and pieces of information.
They know each other's temperaments very well.
If someone lavishly praises someone, it's just for show, and you don't even know its true power. But if they're reserved and speak with confidence, showing off with a restrained air... then you should take it seriously!
After a morning court session.
Emperor Hongren listened to the reports he had heard before, but unlike usual, he didn't find them tedious. Instead, he was quite interested and in a good mood. The three envoys, exhausted and anxious, left with heavy hearts, each with their own plans.
After the court session ended, Emperor Hongren did not allow the princes to leave, but instead called them to stay.
Qi Chengming was also somewhat exhausted, but he knew that Emperor Hongren was about to put them to the test.
He perked up and, sure enough, heard Emperor Hongren ask, "You lot, tell me, what are the pros and cons of the whole thing I've done today?"
The sixth prince kept his head down and remained silent.
He had pondered this matter, but could only come up with the idea of intimidating other countries. However, it seemed that a new grudge had been formed with the Di Kingdom. The Western Kingdom was originally no match for them, so was this unnecessary trouble really necessary?
Qi Chengming hated these kinds of impromptu exams the most. His mind raced, and he quickly drafted his thoughts. Finally, he had the words in his mind, but his eyes turned to the eldest prince—indicating that there was an order of seniority among brothers, and that the younger brother should not speak first if the eldest brother did not speak.
"Fine, just say what you're thinking." Emperor Hongren's eyes were sharp, and he directly dismissed Qi Chengming's intentions, telling him impatiently to speak up.
"I believe..."
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