Xiao Huaishi stared intently at Shen Yi and asked, "Do you really think so?"
Shen Yi straightened his body, held his head high, and roared loudly, "All from the bottom of my heart!"
But then his tone softened. "However, I don't think it's that simple. It's not because I'm overly suspicious. It's just an intuition that the Western Yue State must have ulterior motives."
"What evidence do you have?"
Shen Yi looked at Xiao Huaishi seriously, shook his head, and said, "I don't know. But I just have a bad feeling. As the saying goes, one who offers kindness for no reason must have an axe to grind. If they really want to be friendly with our two countries, they could simply send a princess for a marriage alliance. Why send a county princess as well? It's unnecessary. So I think there must be something wrong. The Western Yue State has great ambitions."
"You're just a general. Your job is to lead troops in battles! Look at those common people. What kind of life have they been living because of the previous wars? Children are begging on the streets. From eighty - year - old women to newborn babies, many of them have nothing to eat. Although our country is powerful in military strength, can you, Shen Yi, guarantee that we can achieve peace without any casualties?" Xiao Huaishi suddenly slapped the table. The teacups on the table trembled slightly, and the collision between the tea lids and the cups made a sharp sound.
"Although our country is powerful in military, it doesn't mean that our country is wealthy. The national treasury has been empty for a long time. The flood in the south of the Yangtze River some time ago has made the situation even worse! In the capital city, although there are many rich people, there are still many who can't even afford to eat. Then what about the more remote areas where there are few rich people? Can you imagine what kind of life they're living? Maybe just having porridge would be a happy thing for them. The issue of illegal salt has already dragged down our country's economy, but the annual appropriation for the army can't be reduced by a single cent!"
Shen Yi immediately replied, "These problems can't be solved by the army. If a brute like me can understand these things, then what's the use of all the civil and military officials in the court? The only thing I can do is lead the Night Ghost Division to appear when necessary! But what have you, as the emperor, done for the common people? You only know how to fight against the Western Yue State to protect the people on the border. Have you ever cared about the bandits? The poor people who already have nothing to eat will even have their last bowl of porridge taken away by the bandits. I think you simply don't understand the hardships of the common people!"
"Shen Yi, I think you're really bold. How dare you lecture me at this moment!" Xiao Huaishi stared at Shen Yi with a sharp look in his eyes. His facial muscles trembled slightly because of anger. The two of them were very close. Shen Yi could even see the traces of time on Xiao Huaishi's face. Although he was still in his middle age, due to long - term overwork, Xiao Huaishi looked like a man in his fifties!
"So, do you want to say that I'm not qualified to be the emperor? Yes! I know that there are bandits and that the people have no food because of the tense war situation. But the most important thing now is the invasion of the Western Yue State. Do you think the visit of their envoy is just a gesture of lowering their stance for a marriage alliance? Let me tell you! It's not! They specifically mentioned that they took a fancy to the Fourth Prince and General Shen of our Dongling State! How can the men of our Dongling State be chosen by the women of the Western Yue State! But if we leave any room for them to gossip, won't it give them the best excuse to start a war? If the Western Yue State finally conquers our entire Dongling State, what will happen to those common people? How do you know how the Western Yue State will treat them? Will they treat them as their own people or turn them all into slaves?"
"Since ancient times, it has always been the case that the winner takes all. They are my people. Who knows what their fate will be if the Western Yue State really conquers our country? Will it be better than now? So what I'm doing now is a more important thing, which is to protect them. I can only protect them first and deal with these external threats before I can have the energy to deal with the internal problems. Now, I don't care what you think. In a few days, the princess and the county princess of the Western Yue State will arrive. You are responsible for receiving them together with the Fourth Prince!"
Xiao Huaishi pointed at Shen Yi and said, "This is an imperial edict. Unless you want to resist it!"
Shen Yi lowered his head and began to regret what he had just said. After all, he was facing the emperor of the Dongling State, the highest ruler of this country. If he angered Xiao Huaishi with just one word, he might have lost his head by now. So he could only silently accept it.
Anyway, he didn't have someone he deeply loved at the moment. What's the big deal if he could sacrifice his own marriage for the sake of the Dongling State? So Shen Yi thought for a while in his heart and blurted out, "I understand, Your Majesty. Marrying into an alliance with the Western Yue State is really the best choice. In this way, there will be no more wars between the two countries, and the common people can be saved from the abyss of suffering. After all, if the people continue to live in hardship, they will only abandon their own country, which will easily lead to social unrest. Since ancient times, there have been many cases of the common people rising up in rebellion because of hardship. So, I've thought it through. I'll leave everything up to Your Majesty. Since my parents passed away when I was young, I've been with Your Majesty for more than a decade. You're like an elder to me. So I'll leave everything up to Your Majesty. I, Shen Yi, will definitely obey and not resist!"
Shen Yi lowered his head and looked at the floating tea leaves in his teacup. There was a momentary emptiness and daze in his eyes.
Xiao Huaishi stared at Shen Yi carefully and said, "It's good that you understand. I hope you can think it through clearly. Once you took over the Night Ghost Division, everything else should be just passing clouds. Moreover, love affairs are just obstacles for those who want to achieve great things."
Shen Yi lowered his head, looking very obedient. He didn't look like a man with ambition at all. Unless it was all an act, then that would be the most terrifying thing. The previous argument had clearly made Xiao Huaishi extremely angry. He took several big sips of tea to calm down. Looking at Shen Yi, he felt annoyed, so he waved his hand and said, "If you have nothing else to do, leave quickly."
"Yes!" Only then did Shen Yi leave the study.
Xiao Huaishi sat upright for a while. Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he quickly tidied up his clothes, sat upright in front of the desk, and called out, "Xiao Li, come in."
So the eunuch Li rushed in quickly, knelt down, and saluted, "Greetings, Your Majesty. What are your orders?"
Xiao Huaishi waved him over and said, "Take this gem in my hand and have it made into a string of necklaces. Remember not to damage the original stone. It's very precious because it's transparent and has a purple crystal inside."
The eunuch Li immediately replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. I'll definitely ask the best craftsmen to do it."
After saying that, he walked up to Xiao Huaishi and took the gem from his hand. The eunuch Li couldn't help but let out a gasp. He had never seen such a beautiful and transparent natural gem, especially with a naturally - formed purple crystal inside. This was the first time he had seen such a beautiful crystal after being by Xiao Huaishi's side for so long.