"Haha, Ban Chao, you're quite understanding. I'll give you that chance!" Lin Yi laughed heartily, granting his wish. With Ban Chao's abilities, he could be promoted to a higher position very soon.
Lin Yi finally looked at Zhang Juzheng, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, and said softly, " Shuda, I'm planning to make you a direct candidate for Prime Minister of Great Liang, responsible for assisting the Grand Secretary of the Central Secretariat. What do you think?"
Candidate for Prime Minister!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng's pupils constricted. This was definitely a preferential treatment from the Emperor; it was a meteoric rise to power.
To become a candidate for prime minister upon entering the Great Liang system is an immense sign of trust.
He took a deep breath, and finally gritted his teeth, saying, "Your subject is willing!"
"Hmm, not bad!"
Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh. He had thought that Zhang Juzheng would decline because of Ban Chao's outstanding achievement, but he didn't expect him to accept it directly. He did have some guts.
Seeing the smile on Lin Yi's face, Zhang Juzheng gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, Zhang Juzheng have not made any contributions, but I have usurped a high position. It is because of this position that my ambitions are difficult to realize. That is why I dared to accept this position."
I swear on my life that if I fail to do so, I will gladly die to atone for my sins!
He had his own inner ambitions; he wanted to carry out reforms and improve the lives of ordinary people. These things are impossible to achieve without a position of authority; they are just empty talk. Therefore, he needed this position.
"You're quite honest. Then go help Jia Xu. It'll give him a break; that guy's incredibly lazy," Lin Yi said with a smile.
Moreover, he also provided several thousand senior management personnel as a bonus. These are all resources, enough to make Great Liang even more stable. He must be very happy.
In this way, the strength of Great Liang will surely reach a new level.
He looked at Xu Chu at the door and smiled, " Zhongkang, take these people out and hand them over to Xun Yu. Tell him it's my arrangement!"
Since they're on our side, we naturally have to acknowledge their loyalty; otherwise, things will get complicated.
"Your subject obeys!"
Xu Chu nodded, then whispered, "Your Majesty, Wang Yue requested an audience earlier, but I stopped him because I heard someone inside Your Majesty's room!"
He knew that the emperor would conjure up a group of people every now and then, which had to be kept secret as it was the emperor's secret force and could not be exposed.
Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh; this guy was quite dedicated.
He chuckled, "Call him in. Something must have happened, otherwise he wouldn't be here at this hour."
He came over so soon after court; there must be something he needs to do.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Wang Yue walked in quickly, carrying a stack of documents; it seemed he really had something to discuss.
"What happened?" Lin Yi asked, puzzled.
Wang Yue glanced at Ban Chao and the others who had just left, and whispered, "Your Majesty, we have received news that the Frostwest Empire has sent an envoy to the capital, led by Princess Anne of the Frostwest Empire!"
Princess Anne?
Upon hearing this name, a hint of amusement appeared in Lin Yi's eyes. This was probably a honey trap.
It seems the Frostwest Empire is truly lacking in confidence, so much so that they've resorted to using a honey trap. This is largely a disgrace to a kingdom, yet they've actually done it openly.
That's quite interesting.
Wang Yue nodded slightly and smiled, "This Princess Anne is the youngest daughter of Bill III, truly the Mingzhu, the daughter of him and the Queen."
Princess Anne was stunningly beautiful and was admired by Western nobles, with countless suitors.
However, Princess Anne disregarded them and swore a solemn oath that only the man who could defeat her in swordsmanship could marry her...
oh?
Lin Yi's eyes lit up. This was quite interesting. It sounded like a rather arrogant little princess who even knew swordsmanship.
He took her file with great interest and began to examine it. When he opened it, Lin Yi's eyes lit up. Inside was a portrait of Princess Anne. She really was a proud and beautiful woman.
This is a woman with a strong Western aesthetic.
Dressed in a lithe fencing outfit, holding a slender silver noblewoman's sword, her exquisite face showed no trace of fragility, but rather a cold and sharp edge.
Her eyes held a hint of unapproachable warning; she was the epitome of a strong, independent woman.
He couldn't help but laugh, and said quietly, "This little girl dares to show off her limited skills before an expert. She dares to utter such harsh words with such a thin sword. If she were like this in Great Liang, she would probably be a mother of several children by now."
"Hehe, Your Majesty's martial All Under Heaven are unparalleled. Princess Anne will probably be smitten with you when she sees you. She's no match for Your Majesty." Wang Yue chuckled awkwardly.
Lin Yi rolled his eyes at him and said in a deep voice, "This matter is nothing more than a trivial one. We don't need to pay any attention to the Frostwest Empire. If they're not stupid, they'll concede enough benefits this time. Otherwise, I'll wipe them out too!"
The Great West Empire is now eagerly anticipating joining forces with them to destroy the Frostwest Empire. If the Frostwest Empire doesn't know what's good for them, he wouldn't mind destroying it first.
He simply didn't want the Great West Empire to have it too easy. Once he took over the Frostwest Empire, the Great West Empire would probably rise to power immediately, which was pretty much the same thing.
For this reason, he was actually inclined to first destroy the Zhennan Dynasty, and then play around with the Frostwest Empire.
By then, not only will we destroy the Frostwest Empire, but we'll also wipe out the Great West Empire and that Black Skull Army. Only then can we truly enter the Western Lands.
Wang Yue instantly understood: the Emperor didn't want the Great West Empire to benefit from this.
He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The West may seem strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and they are no match for the Great Liang. However, this war in the Western Regions has probably frightened them, and this time they will likely increase their stakes!"
The might of this battle was comparable to that of a thousand troops.
The saying goes, "A good reputation is better than any award," and no amount of boasting can compare to the tangible results of a successful battle. This testifies to the fighting prowess of the Great Liang.
Previously, the Great West Empire hesitated to pay tribute, but after this, they will likely not only scramble to send it, but also increase their efforts.
The Great Liang of today has earned its reputation through battle.
A smile flashed in Lin Yi's eyes. Although this kind of exploitation was somewhat wicked, it felt great when used on other countries!
He waved his hand and laughed, "Send people to keep a close eye on these envoys' actions. They're probably getting restless. Anyone who dares to cross the Great Liang should be dealt with directly!"
Now that Great Liang has proven its strength, it's time to establish rules.