Chapter 125: Gold Mine
"My dear ministers, do you have anything else to report? If so, please do so. If not, I will adjourn the court."
Xiao Yanci smiled and said, "Father, you haven't rewarded me yet."
Emperor Defeng was so angry that he laughed, "How can anyone be so impolite as you? Okay, I will definitely give you a reward."
"Then please don't be anxious, Father. I have something else to present to you. Please take a look at it before we enjoy it together."
Emperor Defeng looked at him suspiciously.
Xiao Yanci pulled out something wrapped in cloth from his sleeve and said, "This is what I found in the mountain stronghold. Father, please take a look."
All the ministers stretched their necks to look, but could not see anything.
Feng Youcai personally stepped forward to take it and presented it to Emperor Defeng.
"I want to see what tricks you are playing."
Emperor Defeng lifted the cloth and saw what was inside, his eyes suddenly paused.
The cloth wrapped around a stone, but it was no ordinary stone. There was a lot of golden stuff hidden inside, like...
The ministers were too far away to see the details, so they only saw an ordinary stone.
Xiao Yanqing pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Xiao Qi, why did you give Father a stone? Are you deliberately teasing him?"
Xiao Yanci said slowly, "Even if it's just a piece of stone, it's a token of my love for Father. How come Sixth Brother says it's just a joke? Please don't try to sow discord between us."
He spoke bluntly, and Xiao Yanqing felt a little embarrassed.
"Besides, this is not an ordinary stone."
Xiao Yanqing sneered and mocked, "It's not just an ordinary stone, can it turn into gold?"
Xiao Yanci raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Sixth Brother, how did you know that this stone could really turn into gold?"
Xiao Yanqing's heart skipped a beat, and he had an ominous premonition.
Xiao Yanci stopped looking at him and spoke loudly, "Father, I accidentally discovered a great secret in Linghou Village. There's actually a newly minted gold mine hidden in this village. The reason that group of bandits are entrenched here is because they've been hiding in the mountains and secretly mining for gold."
The ministers were in an uproar.
The expression on Xiao Yanqing's face froze and turned into disbelief and shock.
Why was Xiao Yanci always so lucky? Was it possible that even the heavens were on his side?
Emperor Defeng was a little embarrassed, "Is this true?"
Xiao Yanci's face was serious. "How dare I speak so carelessly about such a matter? The stone in your hand, Father, is something I picked up casually from the gold mine. The gold mine is quite valuable. I estimate that it is worth at least several million taels."
Everyone gasped again.
"That bandit gang's mining techniques were low-end and crude, resulting in considerable losses. If the imperial court dispatched specialized craftsmen to carefully mine, losses could be minimized. By then, the imperial treasury would be overflowing with gold."
Emperor Defeng was so happy that his face turned red and he was extremely excited.
"Great! Absolutely fantastic! Xiao Qi, you've done a great deed again this time! You deserve a reward, a big reward!"
Xiao Yanci smiled and said, "Father, it was because of your devotion to the people that you spared no effort in mobilizing the army to eradicate the banditry that this son of yours had the opportunity to discover this gold mine. You are the true hero of this matter. It is because of a wise ruler like you that our Great Qi Dynasty has this opportunity. Under your leadership, the Great Qi Dynasty will surely usher in the grand occasion of homage from all nations."
Immediately, the ministers knelt down and shouted that Emperor Defeng was the wisest ruler in the world. Emperor Defeng was flattered by the flattery and laughed out loud.
The flame of jealousy in Xiao Yanqing's heart was rising wildly, and he couldn't suppress it no matter what.
How great it would be if he discovered this gold mine!
He would not be so stupid as to hand it over voluntarily. With such a huge gold mine in his hands, why should he worry about money?
But he didn't dare show any expression on his face. Instead, he had to put on a smile and agree with everyone.
Emperor Defeng looked at Xiao Yanci with a smile in his eyes.
"You kid, you've mastered the art of flattery."
Xiao Yanci said sternly, "This son is not flattering you, but telling the truth. It is because you love the people like your own children that God has given you such a gift."
Emperor Defeng was so flattered by his praise that he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.
He laughed and scolded, "You are so smooth-talking. Tell me, what do you want? I don't know how to reward you for the moment."
Xiao Yanci said seriously, "Father, the soldiers who went up the mountain to suppress the bandits have worked very hard. Please give them all a generous reward."
"Need I tell you that? I will reward them well. Tell me what you want."
Xiao Yanci let out a long sigh, feigning regret. "I would like to receive a reward, but I was not born with wealth in my destiny, so I can only feast my eyes."
Emperor Defeng deliberately said, "So you don't want the reward? If so, I'll save a lot of money."
Xiao Yanci hurriedly said, "Since your Majesty insists on giving me a reward, I do have a small request."
"explain."
Xiao Yanci put on a serious expression, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask for mercy for the people in the shelter. This cold winter, the snow has continued to fall, and many people's houses have collapsed under the weight of the snow. When the weather warms up in the future, they will probably be left homeless. I dare to ask Your Majesty to repair the houses of the people affected by this disaster so that they can have a roof over their heads."
As soon as these words were spoken, the looks of the ministers looking at Xiao Yanci changed.
No one expected that he would take the initiative to speak up and seek benefits for the people.
Xiao Yanqing clenched his fists in his sleeves instantly, and an unprecedented sense of crisis swept over his body.
Xiao Yanci was really good at scheming.
He took this opportunity to publicly ask for such a benefit for the people. Not only would his father and the officials in the court look up to him, but more importantly, Xiao Yanci would also be more popular among the people!
It seemed that he did not ask for any reward, but he had already received much more benefits than ordinary rewards!
The dandy look he displayed in the past was probably just an act!
I was wrong about this.
After this incident, Xiao Yanci's popularity could no longer be suppressed, and he had to find a way to get rid of him!
Emperor Defeng's eyes were filled with surprise, and then, when he looked at Xiao Yanci, there was a bit of complexity in his eyes that was hard to conceal.
"How dare you ask me to spend so much money just by opening your mouth."
Everyone could hear that Emperor Defeng was not unhappy, and there was even a hint of relief in his tone.
"Father is deeply concerned about the people and their livelihoods. How can such a heart be measured by mere silver?"
Emperor Defeng snorted and laughed, "Do you know how much it costs to repair the houses of the people? A mere silver? You are so arrogant!"
Xiao Yanci smiled and said, "This amount of silver is indeed not small, but compared to the gold mines in Helian Mountain, it's a drop in the bucket and not worth mentioning. The people have always been grateful for your kindness, father. If you repair their houses, they will surely be filled with gratitude and worship you as a god. In the future, your achievements will be recorded in the history books."
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