As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 208 Your Majesty, don't really think of Chen as a wise minister!
"Yaoyao!"

"Yaoyao~ Come out!"

"I'm back!"

The two most important masters of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion have been away from home for several months.

The mansion was somewhat deserted, but fortunately, the maids and servants were doing their jobs diligently, so the entire mansion did not fall into paralysis.

The peach blossoms that Mingchen planted in the soil have already sprouted branches and leaves.

A faint fragrance wafted in the air.

Suddenly a gentle breeze arose, and a lively little bird fluttered its wings and flew from afar, landing beside the peach blossoms that trembled gently in the wind.

"The little bird is back!"

The reason I chose to leave Beilie at such a high cost was because I wanted to see a new world and talk to people.

The Marquis's mansion has been very quiet these days, with no one talking, and Little Peach Blossom is feeling a bit lonely.

Pollen drifted in the wind, forming the shape of a beautiful woman without eyes, who then sat down beside the little bird.

The little bird and the peach blossom, they are friends.

Tao Yaoyao cannot transform; this eyeless beauty is merely an illusion she created using pollen.

"Hehe~ Yaoyao, thank you, I did it!"

An invisible magical power flowed, and the bird's body changed accordingly.

Amidst the fluttering feathers, a graceful and beautiful woman appeared in the courtyard and sat down next to the woman that Tao Yaoyao had transformed into.

She seemed to be in a great mood, winking at Tao Yaoyao with a mischievous and adorable look in her eyes.

"Yeah~"

Tao Yaoyao's face was serene, her emotions and thoughts unreadable.

She simply asked softly, "Does he like you?"

Is the affection between humans and demons truly that pure?

Fuyao gently swayed her legs and smiled sweetly, "Of course I like it."

She had perfectly achieved her strategic goals on this trip. Thinking of that person, she couldn't help but smile wistfully, her thoughts drifting far away.

What position should we use tonight?

Should we suddenly produce feathers to scare him?

The little bird that used to steal a glance would cover its eyes with its wings and fly away, never to return.

Fuyao is terrifyingly powerful right now!
This is the cause she will dedicate her life to researching and developing!

Tao Yaoyao smiled and turned to look at her: "Little bird, have you ever thought about it? He used to treat you like a little bird, so how could he... fall in love with you in an instant after meeting you and hearing you say you like me?"

"You're beautiful! What if you weren't?"

Is this liking? Is this love?

Tao Yaoyao stayed behind the brothel for a long time. She witnessed many complicated human emotions and the filth and ugliness of human nature.

She is very curious about human love and human emotions.

She doesn't understand many of the behaviors.

Vows of eternal love can be forgotten in the blink of an eye; sweet words are nothing but deceptive tricks; and behind deep affection lies nothing but calculation and self-interest.

Regardless of gender, everyone in the world is just playing a role; love is excrement wrapped in a sweet sugar coating.

People are always chasing excellence, youth, beauty, and good looks.

She wasn't prejudiced against Mingchen, nor was she questioning his feelings.

She was simply curious, expressing her feelings about love, and hoping to find a way to answer her long-standing questions.

On the contrary... Mingchen was the most special person she had ever met.

He was excessively frank, amorous and dissolute, making no attempt to conceal his yearning for beauty or to embellish his desires.

However, behind their dissolute and frivolous lifestyles, they also rightfully bear the responsibility.

No... or rather, in his view, this was not a responsibility.

He has novel ideas, is free and unrestrained, and shines like the sun wherever he goes, which explains why he is so attractive.

Fuyao frowned upon hearing this: "Why are there so many 'what ifs'?"

She didn't quite understand Yao Yao's thought process.

Why go through all that trouble? Wouldn't it be better to be direct?

Yao Yao's question sounded like that of a sentimental, resentful woman.

All I know is that the young master likes me, and I like him too.

"He likes my appearance, and he likes my personality."

"I like his appearance, and I also like his personality."

"No matter the reason, liking is liking. Why do you have to distinguish which aspect you like? Is it shameful to like appearance? Why worry about so many trivial things? What's important is not the beginning of liking, but the continuation of liking."

Every relationship needs to be discussed separately.

Some things may be important to others, but they are not important to Fuyao.

The little bird's eyes were bright, and it seemed to have remembered something wonderful. It unconsciously curled its lips into a beautiful smile.

Lovely tight.

Those beautiful memories will transform into stars, adorning the sacred tree.

I take it out from time to time to savor it, indulging in the joy, and extending this fondness to the end of time.

She lowered her eyes, her naivety fading, replaced by a serious expression: "If the young master likes me, then he will like me. He won't lie to me, he won't fool me~"

"If he doesn't like me, I might be sad for a while. If he doesn't like my human form, I'll stay by his side as a little bird. Anyway, I'll always love him, it has nothing to do with him, I don't ask for anything. Maybe one day, he'll like me again?"

The young, resolute bird turned to the worldly-wise peach blossom, feigning maturity: "Yaoyao, you haven't experienced this, you don't understand~"

She doesn't look like she's experienced any maturity or vicissitudes; instead, she has a kind of affected and charming cuteness.

She was like a little bird immersed in sweet water, never experiencing hardship after meeting Mingchen.

Tao Yaoyao: ...

If you haven't experienced it, will you really not understand?
Yao Yao thought the little bird in front of her was incredibly bright and full of radiance.

……

Yun Yao took another route home.

Li Ling was then assigned by Mingchen to the Ministry of War to report on his duties and handle affairs.

Everyone around them made reasonable arrangements, and Xiao Xinyue, without any hesitation, pulled him into the Hall of Mental Cultivation as if it were only natural.

Just the two of them.

"Your Majesty, it's been a long time! Your power and influence have only grown stronger with each passing day!"

Mingchen entered the room and greeted Xiao Xinyue with a smile.

In some ways, this person hasn't changed at all.

That's incredibly bold!

Xiao Xinyue rolled her eyes at him.

The emperor's art of cultivating inner peace finally came in handy; her mind calmed, and the joy surging in her chest was suppressed.

Pointing to a small table that had already been prepared, he said, "Sit down!"

Mingchen settled into his seat, patted his side, and said to her with a grin, "Isn't Your Majesty going to sit with Chen?"

To flirt with the monarch is a crime of deceiving the emperor!
Xiao Xinyue paused, her ears turning slightly red. She almost lost her composure and glared at him fiercely: "What nonsense are you talking about?!"

After pouring out his heart on the day of his coronation, this man truly became more and more unrestrained!

However, it cannot be denied that... she was indeed tempted after Mingchen finished speaking.

Looking into the man's bright eyes and seeing his playful expression, I unconsciously felt a little more relaxed.

To her, Mingchen was "Chen" rather than "Minister".

"Tell me, what have you been doing?"

"I heard you weren't with the army? Did your journey go smoothly?"

News from Wang Hanbo comes in from time to time.

But after all, they are thousands of miles apart, and the news is mostly brief and incomplete, with very little information about Mingchen, the disobedient one.

Xiao Xinyue wanted to know what this person had done!
She knew that Mingchen always liked to do outrageous things, but... he always succeeded, and he always managed to shock people.

"Sigh~ Your Majesty, when you see me, don't you want to talk about how much you've missed me these past few days? You come right off to business!"

Mingchen sighed, adopting a melancholic and sentimental expression: "I'm in the borderlands, and I miss His Majesty terribly! Waaah, it was all in vain..."

Although Mingchen's performance was somewhat exaggerated.

However, Xiao Xinyue was still captivated by it for a moment.

Immediately, he realized what was happening and his eyes widened: "Mingchen!!!"

Her Majesty the Empress's pretty face was flushed, whether from embarrassment or annoyance, it was hard to tell.

"Speak properly!!!"

Xiao Xinyue tried hard to keep a straight face, looking angry and arrogant, but unconsciously, a little sweetness seemed to flow into her heart.

"Hahaha~"

"Your Majesty, women should be a little more interesting, shouldn't they?"

"You!!! How dare you!"

After the laughter and commotion subsided, Mingchen finally gave a detailed report on his actions to his beautiful boss.

"What...this..."

The young emperor stared wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape, frozen in place.

She had already anticipated what Mingchen was going to do, but hearing his account of how he had come to this conclusion still left her in awe.

Eight hundred iron cavalrymen stormed into the desolate grasslands and slaughtered tens of thousands of Xiongnu.

Furthermore, they located the enemy leader, triggering internal strife within the enemy ranks.

This is something that has never happened before in history!
This person... always manages to create miracles.

Unpredictable and elusive.

Her brother's words to her were absolutely correct.

This demonic talent can truly bring prosperity to a nation, or it can destroy it.

"Mingchen, you really know how to command troops..."

Xiao Ling had reported to her that Ming Chen was quite capable of commanding troops.

But in Xiao Xinyue's view, people can't be that monstrous. Mingchen is ultimately a civil official, and even if he can command troops, he is destined not to be as strong as those famous generals who have left their mark on history.

Unexpectedly, before they knew it, the other party had created another legend.

He volunteered, and he really didn't lie!
He was given these eight hundred soldiers only to protect him, but they ended up breaking through the grasslands.

What if he were given 80,000 troops? Wang Hanbo wouldn't stand a chance; they'd just crush him!

He was a man of both literary and martial talents; he was truly her most precious treasure.

Mingchen simply waved his hand, saying nonchalantly, "I know a little bit, I know a little bit~"

This time, I took advantage of the bird's ability to see through things.

Secondly, these eight hundred cavalrymen were indeed highly skilled.

Even in a fair fight, Guo Chongyun couldn't have come up with such a solution.

But why not use the cheat if you have one?
A small opening does not count as an opening!

"..."

You call that a little knowledge?!
Then what about all those military officers in her court?!

Xiao Xinyue rolled her eyes.

Mingchen smiled and said to Xiao Xinyue, "If I'm not mistaken, Shengluo Khan and Hunxie Khan have probably already declared war."

The Xiongnu front lines have suffered a complete rout!

This crushing defeat was a disaster for the Khan; once things stopped, Shengluo would be close to death!

Even with heavy losses, he couldn't stop to rest. Instead, he needed to gather all his forces to defeat Hunxie Khan and divert attention from the conflict. With most of his men dead and the situation in chaos, fewer people would bother with him.

Even if he guessed that this was a conspiracy by the Central Plains, he couldn't change it and had to follow Mingchen's plan.

"After some time, once the news spreads across the grasslands, Your Majesty may send an envoy there."

"Just follow the strategic plan that Chen set earlier."

War is merely a means to serve political purposes.

It's just the first step, and not even the most important one.

What happens next is what matters.

"The grasslands are our pastures, and the Xiongnu are our slaves!"

One's perspective is determined by one's position; nobody likes picking cotton. But for a crude and rude people, many would probably not refuse to pick up the whip.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xinyue felt a chill run down her spine. This person had truly figured things out and was ruthless in his actions.

How tragic it would be to be his enemy.

After some time, the grasslands fell, and they couldn't even find the reason or who the culprit was!

The war god of yesteryear slaughtered hundreds of thousands and shattered the grasslands, but he was still no match for the man before him.

Of course, this is a good thing for Qian Yuan.

"Is Your Majesty satisfied?"

Mingchen raised an eyebrow at Xiao Xinyue, feigning indignation, and said, "To covet my Emperor is truly an insult to that inferior race!"

"Well……"

This guy, he can't stop flirting with people after just three sentences!

However, Xiao Xinyue didn't find such presumptuous words offensive; instead, she felt a strange sense of being protected.

She kept a straight face, trying her best to maintain the dignity of an emperor, but she felt a little ashamed inside.

He was still reciting the words the Xiongnu had used to provoke her in the court.

Khan Shengluo had no idea what price his people would pay for that provocative remark.

"You've done a great service again... How should I reward you?"

Xiao Xinyue seemed to remember something, frowned slightly, and asked Mingchen.

The king asked his ministers what rewards they would receive.

This is no simple question; it's a test.

One needs to make the most appropriate response based on the context and the actual conditions to reduce the monarch's suspicion.

One wrong move and you could lose everything.

Of course, for Mingchen and Xiao Xinyue, there wasn't so much scheming and intrigue.

Xiao Xinyue really couldn't put on any airs of a monarch in front of Mingchen.

Even when Mingchen calls her "Your Majesty," there's a certain charm to it.

Xiao Xinyue is now really having a headache.

With the western expedition concluded, it was clear that the greatest credit should go to Mingchen.

They killed the Xiongnu general, slaughtered tens of thousands of enemies, suffered minimal casualties, and successfully achieved their strategic goal of forming an alliance with Hunxie... It can be said that they did everything they could.

Mingchen has already reached the highest position among officials, and his title is Marquis.

At such a young age, he has already reached a status that others can only achieve in their seventies or eighties.

If he were to be rewarded again, he would become a Duke.

The art of bestowing titles and rewards is a skill for rulers.

The new dynasty has only been established for less than a year, and Mingchen's promotion is too fast; it will be difficult to reward him in the future.

Moreover, if one is promoted too quickly, even if there is a valid reason, it can easily arouse envy and create resentment among others.

If the rewards are too few, what about the others? If Mingchen, who made the greatest contribution, is not rewarded enough, how will the soldiers who have been working hard at the border be rewarded?
Mingchen did a great job; this is a happy kind of trouble.

Upon hearing this, Mingchen laughed and said, "The more the merrier! Money, beauties, treasures—whatever you have, I'll reward you with; I'll accept anything that comes my way!"

Xiao Xinyue: ...

She didn't even bother asking that bad person!
Seeing His Majesty's furrowed brow, Mingchen lowered his eyes slightly, finally smiled, and said, "There are many ways~"

The reward and punishment system is an important mechanism for the operation of bureaucracy.

He also knew that it wouldn't be good to give too many rewards.

"How about Chen smears himself a little? Meet a few people and accept some bribes."

One must never forget one's roots or one's original aspirations in this life.

Mingchen's original dream of becoming an official was to engage in petty corruption.

Human nature is an eternal topic. As long as people exist and there is management, corruption will exist. This is a problem that has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

The new dynasty could not avoid this either; at most, it could only maintain itself within a controllable range.

Many people are eager to offer Mingchen favors!

Now that I'm back, I have some free time, so I can finally have my way with you.

"Your Majesty should seize this opportunity and make Chen a typical example. Firstly, his merits and demerits will offset each other, and a simple reward of money will suffice. Secondly, it will also serve as a warning to the officials, urging them not to encourage crooked practices."

Even a dignified Marquis of Jing'an would be punished for making a mistake.

Sounding the alarm for officials can greatly slow down the rate of institutional corruption.

If a subject is of one mind with the emperor, he can accomplish many things.

However, Xiao Xinyue shook her head: "No!"

"You are a pillar of the court, how can you suffer such injustice? I know you are a virtuous and capable minister, how can you bear such disgrace? I cannot let you down!"

Mingchen always manages to solve problems effectively, resolving Xiao Xinyue's troubles with just a few simple words.

This matter only poses a minor hindrance to Mingchen, but it is entirely beneficial to Xiao Xinyue.

However, Xiao Xinyue didn't want to!

Even though it was Mingchen who brought it up, Xiao Xinyue didn't want to.

Mingchen was the only flaw in her rationality.

She knew that although Mingchen seemed carefree and frivolous, always talking about his desires, he actually had a broad vision and long-term ambitions.

She cannot defile him.

Even if we need to catch a typical corrupt official, we won't target Mingchen.

"Um...it's alright, Chen doesn't mind. Besides, many things don't need to be said explicitly; the officials can understand without being told..."

what?
A virtuous and capable minister?

Me?

Does Xiao Xinyue have some kind of bias towards herself?

I am such a corrupt and powerful official!
I really wanted to sneak a little something extra!

Don't treat me like a wise minister!

His Majesty's bright eyes were full of trust; he truly regarded him as a shining example for his subjects, which made Mingchen feel embarrassed.

If things continue like this, even if Mingchen does try to cheat a little and gets caught,

His Majesty will probably hypnotize himself into thinking he's going to help her...

Damn me!
Mingchen felt his conscience was being tortured.

"No! Mingchen, this matter must not be mentioned again!"

"Uh, okay."

Mingchen regretfully said, "Then I will refuse the grand reward and humbly request Your Majesty to distribute my reward to the brave soldiers and the families of the fallen soldiers."

Xiao Xinyue's eyes lit up: "Oh?"

"Can!"

Although the actual reward was less, it invisibly enhanced Mingchen's reputation.

That's not bad either!

Sometimes, Xiao Xinyue would unconsciously think of another question.

Mingchen, if he does too well, too much.

High status, high power, good reputation...

So, even if she, the emperor, were to marry him, a married man, there should be few objections...

"Your Majesty, during Chen Xi's absence, has there been any news from the Chen Kingdom?"

The conversation with the old man dispelled some of Mingchen's concerns and also helped to dispel some of the mystique surrounding the gods and immortals.

However, since his opponent had already made his move, he still had his eye on Dongfang.

Xiao Xinyue came to her senses and said to Mingchen, "The Chen Kingdom summoned the Ghost King and used magic to launch a surprise attack at night, beheading tens of thousands of Northern Army soldiers who wanted to defect to our dynasty."

"Their methods are extremely strange; there is no turning back, or you will be beheaded."

"General Zhao Rujie also died on the banks of the Shenjiang River."

"Moreover, the beheaded soldiers have appeared on the battlefield and are now fighting against our army."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen narrowed his eyes, as if he had grasped something important: "The other side is not directly challenging our Northern Army, but is launching a sneak attack at night using supernatural techniques?"

"kindness……"

Xiao Xinyue didn't know why Mingchen asked this, but she still nodded and said, "Yes."

"Therefore, even ghosts and gods dare not confront our army head-on."

It seems the old man wasn't lying to him.

These legendary gods and demons only act when there is absolutely no chance of success, and their actions are always grand and imposing.

That's why people think they are invincible and untouchable.

Xiao Xinyue was taken aback: "Really?"

She hadn't considered the angle Mingchen mentioned.

However, strange and unpredictable people always have some messy spells. They may not be able to defeat them head-on, but they can cause chaos and kill enemies through guerrilla warfare. Having an army alone is never enough.

Mingchen then asked, "How will Your Majesty handle this matter?"

"Ji Wen found me three strange men, each holding a rope called the Ghost-Binding Rope, which can be used to form an array to break this calamity."

Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, and eccentric individuals dealing with eccentric things.

The court cannot function without one person, and Xiao Xinyue will not trouble Mingchen with everything.

Mingchen raised an eyebrow: "Oh? The Ghost-Binding Rope?"

The old tree had told him that everything in the world has its counterparts, and even the gods and immortals are not invincible. No matter how high one's cultivation level or how powerful one is, there are always supernatural abilities and magical treasures to deal with them.

Fuyao and Long Lian can both resolve this Ghost King's tribulation, so it's not surprising that others can as well.

"What is their background?"

"According to them, they are cultivators from Qianling Mountain in Dengzhou. I have already sent them to the northern battlefield to help General Ling defeat the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Mingchen nodded, not intending to investigate further: "Alright, then let them give it a try."

In this chaotic world, demons, monsters, gods, Buddhas, and cultivators all make their appearances.

It's destined not to be a one-man show.

Mingchen can't do everything by himself.

Work is work and life is life.

After three months of working on a business trip in the wind and sun on the grasslands, he wanted to take a break and rest when he got back.

For such a vast dynasty to have only one card to play is simply too pathetic.

Regardless of their motives, these people are currently loyal to their side and are helping them solve the problem.

It's worth taking a look at the quality of these people.

If it works out, great; if not, then we'll think of another way.

(End of this chapter)