"Hahahahahahaha." Yan Zipei didn't take it seriously. He was just trying it out. If it worked, it would be an unexpected gain. If it didn't, it was also expected.
"But since Lord Yan has come to Qinghe, I can't let you go back empty-handed. How about this, I will give Lord Yan two hundred palace maids, so that Lord Yan doesn't have to send people to look for them all the time. Wouldn't it be more convenient to have them with you?" Lin Hai personally stood up and poured a cup of tea into Yan Zipei's newly changed teacup.
"After all, they are used to living in the palace. If they were sent to the common people, they might not survive," Lin Hai added.
"This is a gift from His Majesty to Qinghe. We are not from Qinghe, so we absolutely cannot accept it. Lord Qinghe, this is a serious taboo. Besides, if Lord Qinghe is worried about their lives, he will summon them all into the palace. Can being his concubines not live well?"
After Yan Zipei finished speaking, he glanced at Shi Zhen'er who seemed to be smiling, and quickly added: "Since ancient times, it is common for men to have three wives and four concubines. For a hero like Qinghe Bo, it is nothing wrong to have one wife and two hundred concubines, hahahahahaha." According to Yan Zipei's idea, as long as Shi Zhen'er's status as the legitimate wife is not shaken, it should not matter how many concubines Lin Hai marries.
"Well, we've already said that my Earl's Mansion can't accommodate so many people." Lin Hai said, "Since you don't want to take them all with you, forget it. But can you please cut off contact from now on? Otherwise, your spies are always hanging around them, which makes me very annoyed."
"My Lord, there is no need to be upset. The Eagle Control Guard has the power to monitor all officials. Let me be frank. There are naturally spies among the palace maids, but it is also a common practice. If we withdraw those spies for the Lord of Qinghe, it would be breaking the rules." No one expected that Yan Zipei would admit it so straightforwardly.
"Well, since it is Lord Yan's responsibility, this uncle will not interfere too much. These are trivial matters after all, so let your men and I take care of them." Lin Hai waved his hand, as if he really didn't take it to heart.
"Oh, by the way, I remembered that the Emperor's Birthday is coming soon, so I also prepared a gift for His Majesty. Please pass it on to Lord Yan." Lin Hai said seemingly unintentionally.
"It's a small matter. I will definitely bring it to my home."
Lin Hai clapped his hands. A dozen soldiers walked out from behind the rockery, seemingly carrying something very heavy.
Yan Zipei walked out of the pavilion and found that the soldier had first laid several layers of soft cushions on the ground, and then gently placed the thing on the cushions.
Lin Hai strode over and pulled off the red silk covering the thing.
In an instant, Yan Zipei's head exploded, and all his previous thoughts and calculations seemed to be shaken to the sky.
After a while, Yan Zipei stammered, pointing at the thing and saying, "Is there such a magical thing in the world?"
Lin Hai smiled and said, "A few days ago, I was deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness but was unable to repay it, which made me extremely distressed. However, I didn't expect that my loyalty to Your Majesty would move the heavens, and the crystal mine reportedly unearthed a dragon-shaped crystal. When I saw it, I realized that this was Heaven's sign that Your Majesty should be the ruler of the world, and that this divine object had appeared in the world."
The craftsmen were ordered to carve it carefully, and finally it became this three-foot-tall and ten-foot-long crystal dragon. Coupled with the mahogany stand, a specialty of Cambodia, it is a peerless artifact.
However, Qinghe is located in a remote area, and it is extremely difficult to send this item to Zhongdu. This master has been thinking about it for a long time. It just so happens that Lord Yan is here. So, you are the most suitable one to give it to him. Then, Lord Yan will help to present this "Crystal Dragon" to His Majesty. This is my loyalty and filial piety to His Majesty and the Empire."
After saying this, Lin Hai looked at Yan Zipei, who was still in a state of semi-bewilderment, and thought: "Now, whether it's you or the emperor, you can't ask me for more taxes anymore."
Yan Zipei finally recovered and bowed deeply to Lin Hai. "This is only our first meeting with the Lord of Qinghe, and he's actually entrusted this sacred object to us. He thinks highly of us. Even if it costs me my life, I will definitely protect this 'Crystal Dragon'."
Lin Hai smiled and said, "Of course, I trust Lord Yan. In fact, neither Governor Gao nor Governor Bai knew about this matter. I only told Lord Yan."
"Why is this?" Yan Zipei asked puzzled.
"Although Lord Yan calls himself 'our family', in my opinion, although Lord Yan is a person with a disability, it does not prevent Lord Yan from being the most outstanding official in the empire. Therefore, I have never called Lord Yan 'the great leader'. Lord Yan's ability is not only in the harem, but also in the court.
Internally, over the years, Lord Yan has monitored the officials in the court, solved many important cases, controlled the Eagle Guards among the people, killed hundreds of famous bandits, and rescued more than a thousand kidnapped people;
Externally, the Control Eagle Guards, under the leadership of Lord Yan, fought bloody battles against the Embroidered Uniform Guards, paid a huge price, and gained great merits. Without saying anything else, let's just say that ten years ago, you personally led people to sneak into Jiankang, and used a pair of eagle claws to kill the Ningzhou prefect who was instigated by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and retrieved important intelligence. For this, you suffered twelve wounds and was bedridden for a year before you recovered.
With all this, although I have some disagreements with Lord Yan, I feel that handing this 'Crystal Dragon' over to you is the most appropriate and reassuring thing to do."
Lin Hai said sincerely.
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