Mu Yuchengs Abkommen

Kapitel 77

I suddenly felt flustered and didn't know what to do.

However, I quickly calmed myself down, knelt down like everyone else, and shouted loudly, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The Ninth Prince also stepped forward and smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, I was unaware of Your Majesty's arrival and failed to come out to greet you. Please forgive me."

Sima Rui smiled slightly and waved his hand, "I have come uninvited, my beloved ministers, please rise." Sima Rui looked at his smiling face, his gaze deep and unfathomable. He had already received word that they had secretly summoned all the merchants of Jin in the palace today for some kind of grand meeting. Their hatred was as clear as day. Everyone knew that their actions had become increasingly frequent in recent years.

His composure doesn't mean he's a fool!

"Now, who can tell me what has happened?" Sima Rui said authoritatively.

The Tenth Prince hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the border war has been intense recently. My brothers and I originally wanted to invite the Shanxi merchants to come and do our part for the court, but these unruly people are ungrateful and openly despise the court, which has caused a dispute. Please investigate this matter thoroughly, Your Majesty."

"Who dared to be so insolent just now!" Sima Rui said in a deep voice.

The Tenth Prince pointed at me, who was kneeling on the ground, "Your Majesty, it's him!"

Chapter 160 The Prince's Mansion Uproar (Part 2)

The Tenth Prince hurriedly went over to greet him and whispered, "He is the representative of the world's richest merchant and the chairman of the newly established business conference."

The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and said coldly to me, who was keeping her head bowed as much as possible, "Does my wealthiest merchant in Jin have some grievance against me or the country?!"

His voice seems to have recovered after so long.

I lowered my head and took a few deep breaths, then slowly and coldly said, "This humble subject dares not. As a member of the Jin Kingdom, I will naturally do my part for the court without hesitation. However, the Tenth Prince has been making things difficult for me and others. Your Majesty, if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."

The emperor roared in fury, "Raise your head! I want to see what my loyal subjects look like!"

I bit my lower lip tightly, clenched my fists, and stubbornly kept my head down. I don't know why, but I didn't want to see him like this.

The emperor was furious. He strode over and grabbed my chin with one hand, forcing me to raise my head.

Unable to break free, I remained calm, gazing directly into his eyes with a faint, gentle light. His eyes were still and serene, gleaming softly.

Seeing the familiar face, he exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Jin, it's you?! You're alright?... "

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. What was going on...?

Just moments ago, he was furious, like an approaching storm, but now, in an instant, the sky is filled with rainbows.

I looked at him indifferently. I didn't know what had happened between us, but now I couldn't remember him.

However, my eyes flickered, and my lips twitched slightly, but I still said, "Brother Sima." I had specifically investigated this matter. Of course, I also knew that An Jin used to call him that.

Brother Sima.

He exclaimed in astonishment, "You...you remembered...Xiao Jin..."

I glanced at his ecstatic expression and said softly, "Hmm, I remember a little bit."

Old priest, since you refuse to tell me, then I will find it myself. In this world, there is nothing I cannot do if I set my mind to it.

"You don't blame me?" he suddenly asked, his voice filled with anguish.

Blame him? I looked at him, puzzled. But I remained calm and said, "What's past is past."

Only then did he notice how strange my posture was. He quickly pulled me up from the ground and asked worriedly, "Xiao Jin, are you alright?"

I freed my hand to rub my jaw and said with a wry smile, "I'm fine." His grip was really strong; my jaw still hurts.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

I glanced coldly at the group of people kneeling on the ground, trembling like autumn leaves in October, and said indifferently, "They were invited to a banquet."

This banquet was truly extraordinary.

Sima Rui's gaze darkened; he naturally understood the meaning behind her words.

He coldly swept his gaze across the crowd, then said in a deep voice, "I will not pursue this matter further today, but there must be no next time. Otherwise, I will not let it go lightly." As he spoke, his gaze was terrifyingly gloomy.

Those kneeling on the ground hurriedly kowtowed to express their gratitude.

He suddenly turned to me and smiled gently, saying softly, "Xiao Jin, from now on, I will never ask you to kneel before anyone again. No one in this world has the right to make you kneel." Sima Rui gazed at the person he had lost and then regained, silently thinking: Xiao Jin, from this day forward, all my promises to you will become reality. Everything I have said will be fulfilled.

Moreover, Sima Rui's eyes suddenly darkened. Before that person left, he had specifically instructed him to take good care of her in his place. Never hurt her again. She carried far too much on her shoulders.

He remembered the moment the man appeared before him, regardless of his identity, he coldly stepped forward and punched him in the cheek. The man was a refined gentleman, unskilled in martial arts, and had never fought anyone before. But now, however…

The guards around him stopped him, scolding him for being so audacious as to strike the emperor.

But he gave a cold laugh and said indifferently, "Today I'm beating the emperor! What kind of emperor is he? He can't even protect the woman he loves. Am I not enough to defeat him, as the Xuanwu King Qingci under Junjin, one of the four prime ministers under the young master of Jin Kingdom?!"

Sima Rui didn't retaliate. He knew how much pain he was in making this choice. He knew that those who had always protected him had dreamed of following him for life, but now they had to let him leave. He understood how much pain he was in, how desperate he was.

Sima Rui stopped the guards who rushed to seize him. This was a battle between two men, without any additional armor or constraints of identity.

Moreover, he was willing to be beaten.

The harm he caused to Xiaojin was not even that much.

The renowned, refined man could only gaze at him sorrowfully, sigh deeply, and as if in a trance, instruct him: "Take good care of her. If she ever returns to your side, you must take good care of her, as if you were taking care of her for me. We can never repay her kindness in this lifetime. We can't repay it. This is all I can do..." As he finished speaking, tears streamed down his face.

His gaze was sorrowful and melancholic, as if he had lost his faith in this life, lost what was most important to him, and was now grieving and weeping. He remembered this person, who had always been behind Xiao Jin, one of the most composed and calm kings.

But at this moment, he was weeping in the wind.

Simply because he wanted to leave her.

This is the most painful thing in the world. Not being by her side, silently spending a lifetime protecting her.

Sima Rui looked at the man weeping in the wind and was suddenly filled with admiration. He looked at him earnestly and made a sincere promise: "I promise you. Not as an emperor, but as a man by her side."

Now that he has met her, it is time for him to fulfill his promise.

Sima Rui disregarded everything and coldly declared, "From now on, anyone who dares to harm her is going against me."

I stared at him in astonishment. What did he mean by that?

Am I representing him?

Everyone was utterly astonished. What's more, I embarrassingly realized that because I always dressed as a man when I went out on business, at that moment, two men...

Standing there in such an ambiguous manner is really rather indecent.

I reckon everyone here is stunned. Tomorrow there might be a rumor that the current emperor is a homosexual.

I don't care, but he...

I looked at him, and saw that he ignored me and smiled gently at me.

Then, he said softly, "Xiao Jin, would you like to come back with me?"

I frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Where to?"

"Let's go back to the palace," he said cautiously. His eyes were full of expectation as he looked at me, afraid that I would refuse, but he wouldn't force me.

A mysterious smile suddenly appeared on my lips.

Then he said, "Okay."

Perhaps I need an answer, perhaps I want to know the outcome, perhaps I want to understand the truth for myself. I don't want my destiny to be manipulated by others.

Chapter 161 The Old Palace

The Imperial Study.

"Your Majesty, the Yangtze River has overflowed its banks in the middle and lower reaches, destroying fertile fields and houses, and causing the loss of many lives and vast tracts of homes. Moreover, the floods have triggered widespread plagues. If the court does not take timely measures, the consequences will be unimaginable. In fact, some areas in the Jiangdong region have already seen peasant uprisings..." By the end, the old ministers were sighing repeatedly, at a loss for what to do.

In particular, Li Shufei's father, the Right Chancellor Li Daoming, a veteran of two dynasties, was so anxious that he had a few more strands of white hair at his temples.

The emperor's face turned ashen, and he roared, "My dear ministers, is there not a single way to completely solve this problem? Every year we suffer from floods and riots, and I fear that if this continues, the people's hearts will become unstable."

The veteran officials shook their heads, feeling powerless to do anything about it.

The person who was waiting to pour tea and leave suddenly stopped and went back to pour tea for the emperor, who was astonished.

He then said casually, "The persistent flooding is caused by the different weather conditions in winter and summer. Winters are dry, while summers are flooded, causing riverbanks to breach. Why not build water conservancy projects, construct dams, dikes, and reservoirs to prevent flooding in advance, and raise the flood awareness of the surrounding people so they can be mentally prepared..." The calm-faced man spoke eloquently and softly. After a while, he suddenly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, don't be angry, take your time."

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, the beautiful woman continued, “Your Majesty, Mencius said: ‘The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important. Therefore, one who wins the support of the people becomes the Son of Heaven, one who wins the support of Heaven becomes a feudal lord, and one who wins the support of a feudal lord becomes a high official.’ Confucius also spoke of practicing benevolent governance. Why doesn’t Your Majesty allow the people to rest and recuperate, govern the world with gentleness, reduce taxes and corvée labor, and seek benefits for the people? I have heard that a charitable organization has sprung up among the people, based on the same principles of benevolence and love. Wherever there is famine or disaster, they always send silver and good seeds, and are deeply loved by the people. If Your Majesty were to do the same, how could there be any uprisings among the people?”

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. The will of the people is the inevitable trend. Her words trailed off with a touch of earnestness. These were her heartfelt words to him; she hoped that in his lifetime he could be a wise ruler, a ruler whose heart was with the people.

"Go on," the emperor said, his gaze lingering on the beautiful woman, a gleam in his eyes.

The astonished ministers below stammered, "We have never heard of water conservancy projects, reservoirs, dams... and no one in Jin knows anything about them. What should we do?"

The stunningly beautiful woman glanced indifferently at the crowd: "It is understandable that you ministers are unaware, as these are not your responsibilities. However, in this world, everyone has their own expertise, and there are naturally those who know. If you are the discerning mentors, I can initially draw up sketches for the craftsmen or the workers constructing the water conservancy projects. In the future, please find such talents yourselves to serve as mentors and teach this subject."

Upon hearing this, one of the ministers suddenly remembered another matter that had been causing them considerable headaches. He cautiously suggested, "Recently, some neighboring tribes have begun to harass our borders. Although we have repeatedly sent troops to suppress them, they seem unable to stop. Does Your Majesty have any effective methods…?" By the end, the minister was filled with shame. As a high-ranking official, he was powerless to help the Emperor and had to ask a woman for advice. They were all somewhat embarrassed.

The stunningly beautiful woman paused slightly, then seemed to understand something and came to her senses. She recalled that a few days ago, when she served him tea at the appointed time, she had heard about foreign invasions, but she hadn't paid much attention then; she generally didn't want to concern herself with his political affairs. However, hearing about the survival of the people today, she knew it was extremely important and couldn't be delayed, so she...

She glanced at the somewhat ashamed and timid crowd and smiled faintly, "That's not difficult. Your Majesty can simultaneously appease and induce those foreign tribes to surrender. The reason these foreign tribes have been harassing the borders of Jin for so long is entirely because they value Jin's abundant resources and prosperous economy. Having lived in a wild and uncivilized land for so long, their lives are difficult and unstable, naturally fostering an ambition to possess and a desire to plunder the wealth of the south. They hope their lives can be better. Your Majesty can send several envoys knowledgeable in agriculture to teach them farming, irrigation, weaving, and silk production… and then bestow upon their leaders the title of king." Every year, we collect tribute from them, fostering friendly relations and developing border trade. Their lives have been fundamentally changed, and naturally, they hold the Emperor in high esteem. Now, the world has only recently stabilized, and peace is rare. The people live in peace and prosperity, and everyone abhors war. We must not resort to force; peace is paramount. War can only prevent temporary crises and invasions, while peace can win the hearts of everyone in a country. Which does Your Majesty find more appealing? If it were Your Majesty, would you choose force or peace?” The Emperor quietly gazed at her suddenly radiant, captivating face, thinking: Border trade—didn't you already do that? Establishing charitable institutions—didn't you already do that? Sending people to teach those ethnic minorities in the border regions various agricultural practices—didn't you already do that?

The name of Jin Kingdom is indelible on this continent. It has become an ever-shining sun, illuminating the hope of those living at the bottom of society who have lost their light and direction.

The stunningly beautiful woman poured the tea one last time, then silently prepared to leave. As she reached the entrance of the main hall, she suddenly spoke earnestly, as if filled with endless expectation, in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, you must think of the people of the world. The people are the reason for the existence of the nation."

After saying that, he left.

The kneeling ministers stared blankly at this woman who had arrived and departed like a wisp of smoke, without any boasting or pride. Their doubts deepened. They recalled the ever-present serene expression on her exquisite face, and the weight of her words as she left.

This woman was suddenly brought back to the palace by the emperor a few months ago. All they knew was that she had thwarted the ambitions of the Tenth and Ninth Princes at the Prince's residence. Moreover, the emperor had said that harming her was harming him.

Moreover, she looks remarkably like the late Empress Zejin, with almost identical features.

However, their personalities differed greatly. The Empress Zejin of yesteryear was frequently ill, often disappearing from public view. She disliked conflict and repeatedly angered the emperor, thus falling out of favor. Moreover, she was obedient, respectful, and humble, somewhat timid, but kind-hearted. Before her, a single song had made everyone remember that resolute figure in white, quietly departing. Even now, everything from that day was as clear as if it were happening before her eyes. Soon after, news spread from the court that she had died from her illness. The emperor had almost committed suicide to follow her in death; had it not been for the ministers kneeling outside the palace pleading with him, the emperor might already be dead.

The emperor's love for Empress Zejin was so deep that it moved the entire Jin Kingdom, and even the sun and moon grieved for her, becoming a beautiful story.

Now, he suddenly brought a woman who was said to be the daughter of a merchant from the countryside. She was brought to the palace by the emperor after being favored by Empress Zejin and was given the title of An Gengyi. This seemed unusual. Judging from her expression, the emperor felt that he regarded her as more than just a substitute for Empress Zejin.

This woman, An Gengyi, was truly strange. After entering the palace, she disliked seeing people and lived in Luoshuang Palace, the former residence of Empress Zejin. She rarely went out, and apart from coming to serve tea to the emperor every day, she was almost never seen. Moreover, it was said that she was indifferent and aloof. During this time, many concubines from other palaces went to cause her trouble, but she always managed to calm them down. Although those concubines were angry, they were powerless to do anything about it.

However, a strange phenomenon occurred: those who came to cause trouble were all newly arrived, but not yet favored, women. It turned out that the senior concubines, after seeing her once, all chose to remain silent, tacitly acquiescing to the emperor's undivided affection for her.

This strange woman existed in the harem in a strange manner.

"Your Majesty, it's getting windy. Please come in and put on some more clothes."

I had been standing in the yard staring blankly at the sky when I heard Xiao Quanzi's voice, and I finally came to my senses and looked at him.

Ever since I entered the palace, he resolutely left the emperor's side and insisted on coming here to serve me.

Actually, I understand him.