Oops!
Zhao Zhong's heart skipped a beat. The Imperial Examination were already very strict, and now, because of him, there was an additional training in Win People Over with Virtue. He had incurred the wrath of the masses.
For a moment, he felt isolated from the world; this was a recipe for disaster.
He forced himself to step forward, and said bitterly, "Your Majesty, I know my crime. I will certainly learn from your spirit of Win People Over with Virtue and implement the ideals of the Great Liang!"
"Hmm, not bad!"
Lin Yi nodded, as if forgiving his recklessness, and smiled, "The so-called unity of knowledge and action, to test your theory of kindness towards others, this time you will go with Qi Jiguang to the Zhennan Dynasty, they need you there!"
A single, casual remark determined Zhao Zhong's fate.
Such a morally upright person should be using his virtue to Win People Over with Virtue over, rather than staying here to write history books; it would be a waste of his talent.
Grunt!
Yang Xiu swallowed hard. He knew about the court's upcoming plans for the southwest, and Zhao Zhong was probably not going to return alive.
Little Zhong, you're probably in trouble!
That's a real battlefield. If a scholar like you went there, he'd be dead for sure, and his position would probably be arranged in hundreds of different ways.
At this moment, Yang Xiu finally spoke.
"What a wise saying, 'Unity of knowledge and action'! Your Majesty's words are Yuliang."
"Without experience, how can one know the truth? In the end, one can only see the surface. I believe this statement is a timeless truth, and I think it should be placed at the forefront of history books to warn future generations."
" Zhao Zhong offended the Emperor because of a moral dispute, yet His Majesty did not punish him for his words. Instead, he allowed Zhao Zhong to personally pursue the truth behind it. How noble this is!"
"Your Majesty's magnanimity is as vast as the boundless starry sea, truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. I have decided to compose a ' An Admonitory Poem for the Emperor ' to highlight Your Majesty's wisdom and greatness!"
After he finished speaking, he immediately began to recite poetry.
The poem begins with Zhao Zhong's interrogation, filling the poem with a palpable sense of anger. However, the emperor ultimately chooses to forgive this sinner and win Win People Over with Virtue.
Finally, with a magnanimous heart, he decided to save this lost person; this is the mark of a true saint!
Holy crap!
Zhang Fei was dumbfounded. He had thought the previous ministers were already outstanding individuals, but he hadn't expected that an even more ruthless one would come along.
He couldn't help but mutter, "This guy is the real genius; he's a master of flattery."
I've at least received some education, but compared to him, I'm practically illiterate.
It's one thing for you to flatter, but to actually write a poem just to flatter someone is simply outrageous. No wonder the Emperor commissioned him to compile history; the resulting work will undoubtedly be a masterpiece, pleasing to His Majesty's eye.
It seems I'll have to learn a thing or two from him in the future. It's true what they say, you learn until you die; I must take notes.
"Huh?"
Zhao Zhong, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. Was this the same Yang Xiu had been so taciturn just moments before? How could he suddenly become so talkative? This was too much!
He wrote a poem just to flatter me, I'm fucking impressed!
Bah! What a treacherous minister!
He nodded reluctantly and accepted the imperial decree. He would simply go to the Zhennan Dynasty; he had plenty of reason to believe, and he certainly wouldn't starve.
Once the emperor sees through Yang Xiu's despicable nature, he will surely realize his own merits.
After dealing with Zhao Zhong, Lin Yi glanced at the assembled officials and said in a deep voice, "Now that the Yamata Nation has submitted to the Great Liang, all grudges have been wiped away. I am not the kind of person to hold grudges, so I will not seek revenge."
"Your Majesty is merciful!"
Everyone's lips twitched; they had been defeated by the Emperor.
Zhao Zhong was speechless. There were hardly any people left in the Yamata Nation, and they weren't even petty. Yet Yang Xiu had the audacity to say that his heart was as vast as the starry sea. This was simply speaking against his conscience.
Seeing their reaction, Lin Yi nodded in satisfaction.
Whether the seas are in chaos or not now depends entirely on Great Liang; it's time to officially enter Great Liang's rhythm.
The ocean represents boundless wealth, not just fish, but also countless resources, all of which are priceless.
Now that the navy is fully formed and the fleet is becoming increasingly powerful, it's time to declare maritime supremacy and seize the resources that belong to the future of Great Liang. This is the true meaning of a navy.
The first issue is how to deal with the Yamata Nation.
He said in a deep voice, "From today onwards, the Yamata Nation will be renamed Inside-the-Well Commandery, serving as our Great Liang's maritime base. We will train Great Liang's naval combat soldiers here, and this place will also become our forward operating base at sea."
Inside-the-Well Commandery?
Everyone was both amused and exasperated. The Emperor had just said he wasn't a stingy person, but now that he had named the Inside-the-Well Commandery," it was practically a case of a frog in a well.
However, this forward base at sea stirred everyone's excitement.
The word "advance" is excellent; the Emperor is about to accomplish something great.
really!
The next moment, Lin Yi began to explain, saying in a deep voice, "With Inside-the-Well Commandery as our forward base, the future of Great Liang lies in the stars and the sea. At that time, we will be the true overlords of the ocean!"
The sea holds boundless wealth, all of which will belong to our Great Liang. In the future, I will take a portion of these gains, and these will become the benefits for all my beloved ministers!
If I become the Green Emperor in the future, I will make the peach blossoms bloom together.
As long as there is enough money, these officials are loyal and hardworking, so let's compensate them with money.
"Wow!!!"
The courtiers below erupted in cheers. Compared to the previous minor incident, this was truly a good thing; the profits involved were enormous.
But that's not the key point!
The key point is that the Emperor actually gave away some of the profits and even planned to give them to his ministers. Doesn't that mean he'll get a raise?
A thousand words are not as practical as a simple wage increase. The Emperor is indeed a man who gets things done and puts his mind to things.
Feeling great!
"Long live the Emperor!!!"
"We got a raise!"
At that moment, the cheers from the court officials grew much louder. Even some of the previously Great Liang local officials of Daliang couldn't help but cheer, knowing that they too could benefit from such huge profits.
The current emperor's salary is already quite high, and with this extra profit, it'll be even more outrageous!
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Guo Jia's eyes were sharp; he seemed to see countless young ladies waiting to be rescued. It seemed he had to conquer more territory for the Emperor so his salary could increase.
Depend on!
Seeing the huge reaction from everyone, Lin Yi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Just now, a group of people were talking about morality and ethics, but as soon as they got a raise, they all said "Long live the emperor!" This is just too realistic.
Well, they work so hard without complaint, I'd feel guilty not to give them a raise.
He smiled broadly and said, "I have always believed in winning people over with Win People Over with Virtue. True happiness is not for me alone to enjoy wealth and honor; true happiness lies in the well-being of everyone!"