Yue Guan wore a troubled expression, hesitating as he said, "Your Holiness... this, this matter likely involves a wide range of people, and might even implicate the families of several elders..."
Bibi Dong's gaze turned cold. "Hmm? Yue Guan, could you be involved as well?"
"No, of course not."
Startled into a cold sweat, Yue Guan hurriedly explained, "This subordinate only means that if we thoroughly investigate to the end, it might cause no small amount of turmoil..."
Bibi Dong let out a cold laugh, the killing intent in her eyes completely baring. "No elder is worth a damn. Anyone who dares to be a corpse-in-office, anyone who dares to resist this self-inspection campaign, I will have the pope execute them!"
Qian Daoliu didn't grant her full authority, and those people dared to pay lip service while defying orders, so I didn't hold you accountable.
Now that Qian Daoliu has completely delegated authority, you still dare pull this stunt with me?
Wasn't that old thing's delegation of authority for nothing?
"Understood! This subordinate obeys!"
Yue Guan swallowed hard, not daring to raise the slightest objection any longer. He finally realized just how furious Bibi Dong was this time, and secretly rejoiced in his heart.
Fortunately, his stance had been firm beforehand and he hadn't been dragged into the water by those people.
Otherwise, he likely wouldn't have any good fruit to eat today.
The Crown Prince's Mansion.
Looking at Li Yuan's words, Qian Renxue felt a deep sense of agreement in her heart.
She became even more determined to learn from Li Yuan.
Thus, she sent another message to Li Yuan.
[Child Without Parents: Li Yuan, I understand everything you told me yesterday. You are trying to tell me that if I want to defeat Tang San, I must completely sweep the cockroaches out of the house, right?]
On the other side.
The Notting Academy dormitory.
Upon seeing the message, Li Yuan's first reaction was:
Could this fellow have lost her mind?
Was he talking about defeating Tang San yesterday?
Wasn't what he talked about simply what a faction should fundamentally do?
[Li Yuan: ??? (Subway grandpa reading phone expression)]
[Child Without Parents: Isn't that what you meant?]
[Li Yuan: ...]
[Child Without Parents: Oh, I get it! I understand!]
[Li Yuan: ...What have you figured out this time?]
[Child Without Parents: You mean as long as we in Spirit Hall sweep these cockroaches clean, we can recruit unaffiliated experts on a large scale, and Spirit Hall can grow strong and create glories anew, right? (Full of confidence)]
Li Yuan propped his forehead, wearing an expression as though life had lost its meaning.
I finally understand why Qian Renxue couldn't play and beat Tang San... It's probably not just because of her love-brain, this train of thought is truly bizarre...
On the other side.
Qian Renxue scratched her head, looking at Li Yuan's string of speechles ellipses, and muttered softly, "What's wrong with Li Yuan? Why isn't he replying to my messages? Could it be he was blown away by my suggestion?"
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it felt. The corners of her lips lifted into a confident smile. "That's right, it must be so! My idea is definitely correct!"
[Li Yuan: Bullshit! Trash! I finally understand why the three brainless big bears among you women could all team up and still lose to Tang San!]
Qian Renxue's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her silver teeth biting down. "Me? Big Bear? Brainless?"
Subconsciously, she lowered her gaze to look at the proud curve of her chest.
Well, it really was quite large.
The big white ones are truly nourishing!
Not only did she acknowledge this, but she felt the need to emphasize it: not only big, but also white.
However, as for being brainless, she refused to admit to that.
With her profound strategy and years of infiltration in the Heaven Dou Empire, how could she possibly be a brainless person?
Just as Qian Renxue prepared to retort, Li Yuan's message popped up again.
[Li Yuan: I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush.]
[Li Yuan: Do you think the decline of a faction can be changed just by cleaning up the middle and lower ranks? (Soul-searching question.jpg)]
[Child Without Parents: Isn't that it? Isn't Spirit Hall's future decline caused by these people being corpses-in-office and rampant corruption? (Righteous and confident.jpg)]
[Li Yuan: Naive! Let me ask you, can these middle-ranking figures change the grand direction of Spirit Hall's future? If you want to change Spirit Hall, you can only bring the blade down from the upper echelons, understand? (Hitting the nail on the head.jpg)]
A shock went through Qian Renxue's heart. Thinking carefully, it seemed... to truly make sense.
Spirit Hall's grand direction and core policies were all decided by the Pope and the Elder Hall. No matter how rotten the middle and lower ranks were, it was merely an issue at the execution level. If she didn't root out the upper echelons' decisions and philosophy at the source, even if she swept clean all the "cockroaches" below, it would merely treat the symptoms and not the disease, and a fresh batch of woodworms would breed again in a few years.
Yet the problem was... if she wanted to bring the blade down starting from the upper echelons?
Wouldn't the very first person on the chopping block be her old mom Bibi Dong?!
[Child Without Parents: But that's my old mom, eh. There's no way I could make a move against her, right?]
Li Yuan curled the corner of his mouth. It seemed it was time to bring Qian Renxue a taste of "past life history" shock.
As the saying goes, Li Yuan has no eldest son, Shimin has no elder brothers.
Nod yes, shake no, pacifying the realm go-go-go!
Come is come, go is go, double kill in Xuanwu Gate!
Capable monarchs never play succession by seniority. Love your old mom, see you at Xuanwu Gate.
What does a birth mother even amount to?
Send the proposal over to me, I'll help you watch over her for ten months, guaranteed to make her submit meekly to corporal punishment.
Cough, cough, cough... I've strayed off track.
Li Yuan hurriedly banished the stray thoughts from his mind.
[Li Yuan: She's your old mom, that's true, but that isn't a reason for her to obstruct Spirit Hall's development. How can you run Spirit Hall well while staying with this pack of vermin?]
[Child Without Parents: If they are vermin, then what am I?]
Qian Renxue pouted. Wasn't this a roundabout way of cursing her?
Damn Li Yuan!
[Li Yuan: Don't interrupt. I'll tell you a story and you'll understand.]
[Li Yuan: Once upon a time, a man came to buy melons named Liu Huaqiang—ah, pui-pui-pui. What I meant to say was, once upon a time, a man named Li Shimin... (Beginning story-telling mode)]
One hour later.
Qian Renxue felt immensely shocked, her worldview practically reshaped.
The second son killed his own eldest brother and third younger brother just to ascend to power?
He even "voluntarily" invited his own old man to serve as the retired emperor, placing him under virtual house arrest?
Even more absurdly, a country of this scale undergoing such massive upheaval not only failed to see its national strength decline, but instead leaped to become the strongest empire in the world at that time.
It ushered in the prosperous era known as the "Reign of Zhenguan"?!
What the hell... Qian Renxue wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing herself!
This operation was simply heaven-defying!
[Li Yuan: Alright, I've finished my story. It's time for you to make your choice: will you let this maternal affection sway you and do nothing, or will you preserve Spirit Hall, and... your old mom's life?]
Qian Renxue swallowed hard, her gaze gradually turning firm as an unprecedented ruthlessness welled up in her heart. Damn it! Li Yuan is right! How can anyone run Spirit Hall well while staying with this pack of vermin?
The moment these words left her mouth, she froze in place, her pretty face instantly flushing red as she spat out softly,
"Pui, pui, pui, how did I end up cursing? It's all that bastard Li Yuan's fault. Chatting with him for so long, I almost got corrupted by him!"
[Child Without Parents: You're right. I've decided, I'm going to become Qian Shimin! (Resolute and decisive)]
[Li Yuan: Ah? No, really? (Almost choked on his own saliva)]
[Child Without Parents: Is there a problem?]
[Li Yuan: No, none... I feel this suggestion is wonderful!]
"Pfft, hahaha..."
Li Yuan couldn't keep a straight face anymore.
As everyone knew, Shimin was Li Yuan's son.
In that case, if Qian Renxue wanted to become Qian Shimin... wouldn't that make Bibi Dong equivalent to Li Yuan's?
Though the Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty wasn't this Li Yuan, it still didn't affect the connection.
Li Yuan was still very happy to accept the honor.
As the saying goes: enter someone's garden to pluck their melons, tease someone's child and you think of their mama.
Before you continue