Xiao Tuan's words, "It's just that the land is vast and rich in resources," echoed like thunder in the main hall.
The two envoys who had initially come to provoke him had now completely broken down. They no longer cared about national dignity and prostrated themselves before Xiao Tuan on the throne, shouting "A god has descended to earth!" Their awe and fear were heartfelt.
A diplomatic incident sparked by "food" ultimately ended with a crushing victory for the Great Depression.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the capital.
When the good news reached the villa on the outskirts of Beijing, Xiao Che was playing chess with General Zhang in the pavilion.
The messenger embellished the grandeur of the state banquet, especially describing the new emperor's unpredictable and precise "miracle" in a fantastical and almost supernatural way.
General Zhang was stunned, forgetting to put down his chess piece.
He was stunned for a long time before slowly turning his head to look at the calm and composed Emperor Emeritus opposite him, who seemed to have expected everything. His face showed an unprecedented, heartfelt... admiration.
He tossed the chess piece onto the board, solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Che, and sighed deeply.
"Your Majesty, this old minister...is completely and utterly convinced this time!"
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance: "Oh? What makes you say that?"
"I am convinced!" General Zhang's tone was full of emotion. "Back then, you (Xiao Che) used thunderous methods to quell the internal strife, unify the four seas, and create a rule of 'military prowess'. You relied on your iron fist and strength!"
“And now, His Majesty (Tuanzi)… he can actually make those barbarians from all directions submit willingly and bow down as his subjects with just a bowl of wine and a plate of snacks! This is the achievement of ‘civil governance’! No… no, that’s not right!” Old Zhang suddenly slapped his thigh, and with a tone of sudden realization, found a more precise word, “This is not ‘civil governance’, this is… ‘stomach governance’!”
Govern the world with your stomach!
This is simply unprecedented and will never be repeated!
Listening to Lao Zhang's heartfelt flattery, Xiao Che maintained an unfathomable calm on his face, but the slight upturn of his lips and the undisguised smugness in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.
His "artificial voice pack" system automatically switched to "extremely arrogant" mode, letting out a light hum in a nonchalant yet slightly boastful tone:
"Hmph, he's still my son!"
The subtext seemed to be saying: Look, my genes are just that excellent!
General Zhang, seeing his smug expression, was completely speechless. Indeed, one ruled the country with "military prowess," the other with "stomach power"—the Xiao father and son were practically cut from the same cloth, utterly unreasonable! They couldn't afford to offend them!
...
As evening approached, the sun began to set.
As usual, Lin Wanwan and Xiao Che climbed hand in hand to the top of the mountain behind the villa.
This is their favorite place to stay. It offers a wide view, overlooking the entire villa and allowing them to see the rolling mountains and the faint outline of the capital city in the distance.
They sat side by side on the smooth blue stone they had worn down, watching the sunset paint the clouds a brilliant golden-red.
Time has left its mark on them as well.
Xiao Che's temples were already streaked with gray, and a few strands of white hair had appeared. Lin Wanwan's eyes also had fine lines etched into them. But their hands remained tightly clasped together, the warmth of their palms unchanged from years past.
The two sat quietly, neither speaking, enjoying the peace that belonged to them.
After a long silence, Xiao Che finally spoke, breaking the silence.
At this moment, his "artificial voice pack" became incredibly gentle and sentimental, like an evening breeze caressing the lake of Lin Wanwan's heart:
"Wanwan, look."
He stretched out his hand and pointed into the distance.
"With a stable country, a full treasury, and all nations paying tribute..." he said slowly, as if he were making a "retirement" summary that spanned decades. "Our son, who used to only grab you and want to eat pastries, has now grown into a wise and benevolent ruler."
He turned his head, his deep eyes shining brightly in the afterglow of the setting sun. He looked at Lin Wan-wan, his voice carrying a hint of amusement mellowed by time, and softly asked:
"Back then, when you entered the palace to ward off bad luck, did you ever... imagine this day would come?"
This question, like a key, instantly unlocked the floodgates of Lin Wan-wan's memories.
Her thoughts were suddenly pulled back to that distant night, filled with terror and the unknown.
At that time, she was a modern-day office worker who had just transmigrated and was filled with confusion about the future. She wore that heavy and ominous bright red wedding dress and faced a strange emperor who was said to be tyrannical, sickly, and capricious.
At that time, how could she dare to think about a prosperous era or the future?
All she could think about was... how to survive.
Lin Wanwan smiled.
She gently rested her head on Xiao Che's broad shoulder, feeling the familiar scent that had long since brought her immense peace of mind.
She gazed at the red sun about to sink below the horizon, her voice soft yet tinged with a hint of playfulness:
"I didn't think that far ahead."
She paused, her tone tinged with a wistful reminiscence, "The only thing on my mind at the time was... how to survive unscathed in the hands of that emperor whose head was practically floating with 'This medicine is so bitter qAq.jpg'."
【The medicine tastes so bitter qAq.jpg】
When she brought up this old pixelated emoji that had long been buried deep in her memory, it instantly made the atmosphere between the two of them incredibly relaxed and nostalgic.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che was taken aback at first, and then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He remembered that night, that audacious little empress who dared to pull a candied fruit from her sleeve and hand it to him.
At that time, he only found her interesting, and a little silly in a cute way.
Little did they know that the moment they handed over the candied fruit, that small, sweet candied fruit, would begin a lifelong entanglement between them.
The two looked at each other and smiled. All their achievements, all their past, all their glory and hardship were transformed into a gentle and serene mutual support in that smile.
They no longer need to prove anything to anyone.
The prosperous world before them, their loved ones beside them, and their children and grandchildren at their feet—this is the best summary of their lives.
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