I Am Patriotic

In the imperial court!

Qin Yan was now standing at the far right, looking around listlessly!

However, he soon spotted Xia Chengqian, who was standing before the assembled officials!

The position it occupies belongs to the Crown Prince's rank!

The two looked at each other, raised their eyebrows, and then smiled at each other.

"Young man, you're a stranger. Where are you from?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Yan couldn't help but look at the middle-aged man speaking beside him. His face was covered with a thick beard, which gave him a simple and honest look, but also a very shrewd and worldly feel.

"I am Qin Yan, Demon-Suppressing Bureau Patrol Envoy!"

Qin Yan smiled calmly.

However, the man who asked the question raised an eyebrow and looked Qin Yan up and down with a gleam in his eyes, "So you are Qin Yan. I am Fu Ang, a Ministry of War Assistant Director. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Fu Ang laughed and said, "I didn't expect Lord Qin to be so young. There's been a lot of talk about you in court lately."

I must congratulate Lord Qin on his imminent promotion and advancement!

"Lord Fu is too kind. These matters still require His Majesty's decision; it is too early to say."

Qin Yan explained, but then changed the subject. "Lord Fu is a senior Ministry of War Assistant Director, so why is he standing at the very end?"

"What are you saying? I'm just a fifth-rank official. Anyone you pick out here has a higher rank than me!"

Fu Ang chuckled softly, "Small fry like us should just stand quietly in the back and keep quiet."

Observe and listen more, but don't stand out. Standing in front might attract attention at any time.

It's more comfortable in the back.

Upon hearing this, Qin Yan realized that this person was quite a remarkable individual.

"Lord Fu's insights are truly remarkable; I am deeply impressed."

"Oh, not at all. After staying here for a while, you've seen quite a lot."

Fu Ang chuckled and pointed to an old man with gray hair on his left.

"That man is the Censorate Grandee, who likes to write memorials to complain whenever he has nothing to do!"

They especially like to throw things at people, and the worst part is that they have a stubborn and foul temper.

It made us all hate him so much, but we didn't dare to do anything about it.

I was terrified that I might accidentally beat the old man to death in a moment of anger; it was incredibly frustrating.

Fu Ang led Qin Yan to identify the people.

"I saw that old man with a gauze bandage on his head. Yesterday, because of you, he got into a fight with one of our military generals."

The old general couldn't resist and cracked the guy's skull open!

The old general has been punished with confinement; it's estimated we won't see him for at least a month or two.

Fu Ang pointed out some interesting people to Qin Yan.

This gave Qin Yan a lot of new insights into these court officials.

For people with short tempers, it's better to resort to violence than to argue.

Fights often broke out in the main hall.

However, all of this was permitted by His Majesty the Emperor, who actually enjoyed watching people argue.

This has led to the current trend.

"Don't be fooled by their fierce arguments; they often fight tooth and nail over trivial matters."

Today they accuse this official's son of spending the night in a brothel, tomorrow they accuse that official of accepting bribes!

The various political parties are locked in a fierce battle.

As he spoke, the eunuchs continued to announce the available seats!

The emperor of the Great Li Dynasty is about to arrive.

He was an elderly man with a hunched back and a somewhat frail appearance!

He is the current ruler of the Great Li Dynasty, Hongjia Emperor, who has reigned for over fifty years!

His arrival silenced the entire hall so completely that you could hear a pin drop!

Although he was old and frail, he still exuded an aura of imperial threat.

His aged eyes were incredibly deep, and no one could fathom his inner thoughts.

The first thing we've been discussing this morning is the rebellion of the Hong traitors!

The Taiping Army led by this man is growing stronger and stronger, and will surely be able to threaten the foundation of the Great Li Dynasty.

The bigwigs from all sides argued fiercely over this, with some shirking responsibility and others resorting to sophistry.

They argued until they were red in the face, but nothing came of it.

Now, troops from various places have been assembled and are heading to Lin Yang Prefecture to launch a multi-pronged attack on the territory occupied by the Taiping Army.

Unfortunately, they did not achieve much success.

The main problem was the extremely weak fighting capacity of the local militias, as well as the incompetent and useless generals.

Many of the troops were nearly utterly crushed by the Taiping Army; it was essentially a contest of who was the worst!

Some of the battle reports were so exciting they made me dizzy.

Many generals were so angry upon hearing this that they turned red in the face and cursed the generals who led the troops as stupid pigs!

"Is the army of Great Li really this weak?"

Qin Yan was somewhat incredulous upon hearing the argument ahead.

"Hehe! This is perfectly normal."

Fu Ang didn't take it to heart, "Nowadays, all the officials and powerful families are looking out for a way out for their descendants."

Basically, it's a matter of introductions; everyone has their own network of relationships!

Don't be fooled by how heated everyone's arguments seem; they might end up sitting together drinking and listening to music afterward.

Those skilled in martial arts will be assigned to the army, and those skilled in academics will be assigned to various grassroots units!

Everyone gets what they want, so it's not hard to imagine that their fighting strength would decrease.

As he spoke, Fu Ang couldn't help but show a sigh of regret on his face!

"Those who can get promoted are either rich or have connections; those without money or connections can only slowly wait until they retire to their hometowns."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yan nodded silently. No wonder the people below wanted to rebel!

This truly leaves people with no way out.

The disputes surrounding the Taiping Army ultimately boil down to the issue of supplies and provisions.

As for the commander-in-chief who is in charge of the overall situation, nothing has been resolved yet.

Everyone was passionately criticizing.

Qin Yan watched with great interest.

The sound gradually subsided!

Qi Hong then stepped forward and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the old man on the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty, I, Qin Yan, the Demon-Suppressing Bureau Patrol Envoy, have repeatedly performed meritorious deeds in suppressing the rebel army. I never expected that someone would maliciously spread rumors and slander him."

I implore Your Majesty to seek justice for the meritorious officials who have served the country.

Qi Hong's voice was firm and powerful, and as he spoke, he was intentionally or unintentionally glancing at the civil service group, indicating a potential risk.

Qi Hong extended an invitation to start a group.

Many members of the military faction stepped forward, accusing someone of malicious slander behind the scenes.

"Your Majesty, I hereby accuse Qin Yan of overstepping his bounds and coveting military power. I implore Your Majesty to imprison him in the Imperial Prison."

An elderly civil official stepped forward, his voice strong and clear.

After one lap...

The Censorate and many civil officials pointed the finger at Qin Yan, listing a wide variety of crimes.

Hongjia Emperor listened quietly with his eyes slightly narrowed, without rushing to speak.

He calmly played with the thumb ring in his hand!

Until the argument came to an end.

A glint of light flashed in Hongjia Emperor's cloudy eyes. "Where is Qin Yan!"

"Your humble servant, Qin Yan, greets Your Majesty."

At this moment, Qin Yan became the focus of everyone's attention. He immediately walked to the center of the hall without changing his expression and bowed to the emperor!

"Do you have anything to say?"

Hongjia Emperor asked with considerable curiosity.

"Only after hearing your words have I truly realized the extent of my transgression at that time."

Your humble servant is filled with trepidation!

Qin Yan's expression was solemn. "Your humble servant is a country bumpkin who was fortunate enough to have studied in a private school for a year or two."

At that time, the Master taught me that as a Great Li, I must learn to be loyal to the emperor and love my country.

Your humble servant has always kept this in mind, and even after becoming Demon Suppression Commandant, I have never dared to forget it.

He did everything in his power to vanquish demons for the people and restore order to every household.

That day, I witnessed the rebels slaughtering my Great Li, and my heart was filled with rage.

Therefore, I didn't think too much about it at the time; I only thought that if more rebels were killed, the people of the world would have more peace.

Now that I realize my mistake, I humbly beg Your Majesty for punishment.

Even if I were to become a lowly soldier on the front lines, I would be willing to do so. I only ask that Your Majesty allow me to contribute my meager strength to Your Majesty and to the Great Li.

"Your humble servant may not know many principles, but I do know that the rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen."

The voice was strong and powerful!

I don't seek credit!

Sincere attitude!

This not only clarified his motives for taking action, but also demonstrated his loyalty to His Majesty and to the Great Li!

Although it was her first time in the palace, she showed no stage fright whatsoever.

A moment of silence fell over the main hall.

"Good!"

Hongjia Emperor had heard too much flattery.

Hearing the young man's words of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism now touches my heart somewhat.

He looked at Qin Yan!

This fifteen-year-old boy has the heart of a child!

"Qin Yan, you have rendered great service. If I were to punish you, wouldn't that chill the hearts of all those who are loyal to the emperor and love their country?"

Although you overstepped the bounds, your intentions were good!

Overall, the merits outweigh the flaws!

A smile appeared on Hongjia Emperor's aged face; he had read Qin Yan's file!

When he served as the Demon Suppression Commandant, he was a true workaholic and a model of dedication.

"Qin Yan, you are not only innocent, but you have also made a great contribution!"

"I need to think carefully about how to reward you."