Zhao Gao, standing to the side, couldn't help but reveal a sinister smile. This fellow actually dared to use his connections to get the Emperor through back channels; he was simply audacious.
If the Censorate found out about this, they would curse him to death.
Forehead!
Zhang Fei's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly denied having such a thought. He took out a book from his robes and handed it over, whispering, "Your Majesty, Zhang Fei is also good at swimming and will definitely not get seasick. Your Majesty, why don't you make an exception?"
Good lad!
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. This kid was far too audacious, daring to bribe the emperor himself. This was far too blatant.
He frowned and said, " Yide, you've gotten too cocky lately, haven't you? You actually dared to bribe me! That's outrageous!"
I am a good emperor, how could I accept bribes? This kid has chosen the wrong path.
If you start accepting bribes yourself, that's not a good start and will have huge negative consequences.
Suddenly, his gaze turned solemn. Had this guy never been spanked before?
"Your Majesty, I absolutely did not mean that!"
Seeing that the Emperor wasn't joking, Zhang Fei was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and explained, "Your Majesty, this is a painting of ' Portraits of a Hundred Beauties ' that I painted myself, presented to Your Majesty for your appreciation. It is by no means a bribe."
" Portraits of a Hundred Beauties "?
Lin Yi frowned slightly. This guy actually painted something called " Portraits of a Hundred Beauties," but he didn't even know what it was about.
However, Zhang Fei's painting skills were indeed quite good, so it's no wonder he dared to present it to himself. In this case, it wasn't really a valuable item, just a display of his art.
He opened the so-called " Portraits of a Hundred Beauties " album, and after just one glance, he was dumbfounded and exclaimed in shock, "Holy crap, this is way too much! It's like Great Liang version of ' Sex Is Zero Zero'!"
Good lad!
It's true that the painting depicts beautiful women, but the clothes they're wearing are far too revealing; some are practically naked.
"Your Majesty, what is ' Sex Is Zero '? This is a painting of ladies I drew, showcasing the beauty of women, which I specially presented to Your Majesty." Zhang Fei chuckled and spoke with righteous indignation.
"Nothing?"
Lin Yi rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, "Don't you dare draw like that again. If foreigners see it, they'll laugh Great Liang us for not having clothes to wear. This ' Portraits of a Hundred Beauties ' painting by Zhao Gao is yours. Take it back to the palace and enjoy it."
After saying that, he simply tossed it to Zhao Gao.
"Give me?"
Zhao Gao took the book with a bewildered look on his face. He was a eunuch, and the emperor was actually asking him to read this book. This was simply asking too much of him.
He smiled broadly and said, "Thank you for the gift, Your Majesty! This servant will take good care of it!"
Zhang Fei, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. What had Zhao Gao done to deserve this? Was the Emperor setting him up? Could he even read this book?
"You can handle it yourself!"
Lin Yi waved his hand, showing little interest in the item and not needing the abstract drawing; he could simply give it to Zhao Gao.
He then looked at Zhang Fei and said in a deep voice, " Yide, now that you're here, come with me to the Court of Diplomatic Reception. I'll decide then whether you should go to Gan Ning's place!"
" The Court of Diplomatic Reception?" Zhang Fei was taken aback. This was his old department. Why was the Emperor going there now?
Just as he was about to speak, he saw a fast horse coming from afar. As it drew closer, he saw a young man. The young man dismounted, grabbed a stick, and charged into the Court of Diplomatic Reception with a murderous aura.
"You alien races, come out! Today, I, Huo Guang, will take on your entire group one-on-one!!!" With these words, the young man charged in.
"Holy crap, are young people these days really that brave? Wanting to take on a whole group one-on-one?"
Zhang Fei was dumbfounded. In this day and age, how could anyone be so audacious? Someone actually wanted to slaughter their way through the Court of Diplomatic Reception? What kind of grudge could they possibly have?
Does the Emperor intend to stop this man himself and arrest him?
Lin Yi smiled and glanced at him meaningfully, saying, " Huo Guang is my man. I've ordered him to teach the people of the southwestern barbarians a lesson, so they'll know the gap between us and the Great Liang."
Zhao Gao, tell Yide how Huo Guang did it!
His Majesty's people?
Zhang Fei's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected this young man to be one of the Emperor's men. It was one thing for the Emperor to want to teach those foreign tribes a lesson, but why was he telling him?
Zhao Gao glanced at Zhang Fei and said in a sinister tone, "Your Majesty, after Huo Guang received your order, he didn't act immediately. On the first day, he secretly entered the Court of Diplomatic Reception to check the enemy's numbers, and on the second day, he secretly ambushed a few members of the foreign tribes to test their strength."
He only made his move today, and it seems he had previously given instructions to the City Defense Battalion...
Ha ha!
Lin Yi couldn't help but smile, inwardly thinking more highly of Huo Guang. This kid truly lived up to his reputation as a future powerful figure; he was quite cautious.
Not only did they test the enemy's numbers and strength first, but they also brought in the City Defense Battalion as backup, putting themselves in an invincible position before making their move.
He looked at Zhang Fei and couldn't help but laugh, " Yide, what do you see here?"
"Ah, this..."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei's face flushed red, and he said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Only with thorough preparation can we guarantee absolute success. It was Yide was reckless!"
He was truly ashamed; he was less mature than a child, which was incredibly embarrassing.
Even the opponent knows to test the enemy's strength, yet you are arrogant and go to a position you are not good at—this is a major taboo.
"Good, you understand. Come with me to see if Huo Guang can win, then you can go back to training!" Lin Yi nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile.
On the battlefield, where life and death are at stake, no enemy should be underestimated. Even if you strategically despise the enemy, you cannot underestimate them when deploying tactics, or you will pay the price.
Arrogant people always pay the price for their pride. Historically, Zhang Fei also died a very unjust death. He had a violent temper, so he liked to whip his subordinates when he was drunk.
As a result, this subordinate he looked down upon beheaded him after he got drunk, so he paid the price for his carelessness.
To put it bluntly, no matter how strong you are, you're completely powerless when you're drunk or asleep.
The cunning and scheming Emperor Zhu Houcong of the Ming Dynasty was no exception. He was a master of political maneuvering, but he was almost strangled to death by his own palace maid.
These experiences teach us that we must not be arrogant or complacent, and that we need to remain cautious in order to live longer.
"Your subject understands!"
Zhang Fei nodded solemnly; he began to acknowledge his mistakes.
He was a proud man, but he was humiliated by a child, which he found hard to accept. He knew he had to learn a lesson.
Lin Yi nodded slightly and headed towards the Court of Diplomatic Reception.