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

Chapter 255 The Roar of the Tiger in the Azure Clouds
"Your Majesty is the monarch, supreme and without fear."

"Chen is merely a foreign minister, so he naturally needs to be careful with his words and actions."

Even for an ordinary person, there is a need to be proper attire when facing an emperor, even if the relationship is one of life-or-death friendship.

Even if the emperor doesn't say it, you can't be presumptuous and you can't gamble with the relationship between you.

The supreme authority of emperors naturally comes with the cost of trial and error.

But for outsiders, a single word could lead to their death.

Different social classes are destined to have difficulty engaging in equal dialogue.

Of course, it didn't matter to Mingchen.

This is just his usual way of speaking.

“I don’t have many friends. Since you won the bet, I accept it. I’ll treat you as a friend. I have plenty of magnanimity. You can rest assured. There’s no need for these formalities in the future.”

Qin Lou waved towards a table to the side, signaling Ming Chen to sit down.

He quietly observed the young man.

It had been a long time since we last met, and this treacherous minister himself seemed to have not changed much, but his status and position... had undergone earth-shattering changes.

A lowly sixth-rank scholar rose to become a marquis renowned throughout the land.

He ascended the throne and swept away the Xiongnu... In just two short years, he became the first minister of Emperor Qianyuan.

From the moment Qin Lou met him, he knew that Jin Lin was no ordinary fish and would one day rise to become a dragon.

He considered himself the first in the world to discover this unpolished gem, but unfortunately... it didn't transform into a dragon within him.

With a flick of his sleeve, he tossed a token onto the table.

"If you ever come to Qingcang again, bring this token and it will be as if I were here in person. If you wish to see me, you may come at any time."

Last time, Mingchen practically ran away, so naturally he didn't have any tokens of his escape.

So that's why I went through such a long detour to see Qin Lou.

Qin Lou didn't ask why this person had come to see him, but he gave him this sign first.

If Mingchen sees him again in the future, there will be no need for trouble.

If this token fell into the hands of an ordinary enemy, it would probably cause some chaos. However, Qin Lou could see Ming Chen clearly and trusted this person.

"Chen thanks Your Majesty."

Mingchen didn't refuse and put it away.

Qin Lou lowered his eyes and glanced at the map hanging beside his desk. The vast territory was marked by a long line drawn in vermilion between two rivers.

“My son has already reported to me everything you said and did at the irrigation canal.”

"Mingchen, on behalf of Beilie, I thank you."

The heart has the Tigers, fine sniffing the rose.

This seemingly imposing monarch was not as brutish and barbaric as rumored.

Help is help, regardless of stance or identity.

Despite his royal bearing, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Mingchen and spoke with apparent sincerity.

It's no wonder they're father and son; although their temperaments are completely different, they share some similar traits.

Mingchen simply smiled and said nonchalantly, "His Majesty just said that there's no need for such formalities between friends."

Qin Lou shook his head: "Individuals and nations should not be confused."

These two instances of excessive politeness were different.

"Mingchen, what brings you to my Northern Lie from thousands of miles away?"

Looking back through history, how many top-ranking officials have been like Mingchen?

He held an extremely high position and irreplaceable power in the Qian Yuan dynasty, yet he wandered off aimlessly, like an ordinary traveler.

Bold and unrestrained, acting recklessly and arbitrarily.

Qin Lou had assumed that he would meet this person again during a war between the two countries.

Mingchen laughed and said, "Couldn't it be that Chen wanted to travel, missed old friends, and came to Beilie for a visit?"

"Haha, if that's the case, then that's good."

Qin Lou laughed heartily upon hearing this, then suddenly looked down at him and asked, "Why didn't Ming Chen come directly to Qingcang to find me?"

"Could it be... that they want to see how far the Beilie canal construction has progressed?"

Mingchen did not appear in Qingcang City, but instead appeared at the water canal construction site. His purpose was not hard to guess.

Mingchen shrugged, neither denying nor denying it: "Your Majesty is very perceptive; you noticed even this."

"Haha, how about it?"

"Mingchen, how is the canal construction progressing in Beilie?"

Qin Lou seemed to have a smug look on his face as he spoke to Ming Chen in a boastful manner.

When Mingchen first proposed this strategy, he had already clearly told him that this open scheme was intended to weaken his country and prevent Beilie from launching an attack for ten years.

However, two years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the project is now nearing completion.

Mingchen's plan was foiled by Bei Lie.

Qin Lou also evokes the same exhilarating feeling as a child winning a game.

He hadn't gotten the better of Mingchen since they met! This time, he could be considered to have won half the battle.

"With divine assistance and the work of a master craftsman, Bei Lie will surely be renowned for eternity, and his name will be celebrated by countless descendants for generations to come..."

"Mingchen, you didn't say that through gritted teeth, did you?! Be careful, don't get angry~"

"Your Majesty, it's passed!"

"Hahahaha!"

Qin Lou truly considered Mingchen a friend.

Despite being on opposing sides, they joked and teased each other like friends.

Mingchen seems to have a unique energy; it's very easy to be around him.

This is different from the other ministers who are always trembling with fear.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Qin Lou's expression seemed to become more serious: "Mingchen, since you've come here, there are some things I might as well tell you clearly."

"Once the Beilie Canal is completed and the water is flowing, I will surely lead my troops south, cross the Lie River, drive away the Jinglan, break through the three passes, destroy the Qianyuan, and unify the world!"

A powerful and domineering aura swept over him; the monarch was ambitious, his eyes seemed to burn with flames, and his ambitions soared to the heavens.

"Roar!"

Faintly, Mingchen seemed to see a majestic phantom appearing and disappearing behind him, accompanied by the deafening roar of a fierce tiger.

"At that time, we will be rivals. National affairs and personal relationships cannot be compared. We should both give it our all."

This is something Qin Lou thinks about day and night, every single moment.

Even becoming friends with Mingchen wouldn't stop him in the slightest.

"If Xiao Xinyue is afraid, she can surrender to me. I will protect her life and even make her the governor or prefect!"

Mingchen chuckled lightly, toying with the fruit on the table: "Hey, Your Majesty, you're speaking too soon! We still have the Jinglan Alliance and the Great Qi standing between us!"

Qin Lou raised his eyebrows, his eyes full of arrogance: "Mingchen, I don't believe you can't see it! The mainland is not the territory of the Jinglan Alliance. They are just opportunists. They advance when it is advantageous and retreat when it is not. They are shameless enough to run away. My army is marching south in a mighty wave. They will not dare to confront me head-on. I can take over the northern border of Qianyuan without lifting a finger."

"As for the Great Qi..."

"I don't believe that your Qian Yuan, with its abundant resources and prosperous people, can stop my mighty army after a series of battles that have shattered your land."

“Wang Huai is a scoundrel, and the Blood-Clad Army has many problems. He is not fit to be an emperor. It was already difficult enough to defeat the Chen Kingdom. When my army arrives, it will collapse like a castle in the air.”

As the ruler of Beilie, Qin Lou is qualified to judge the heroes of the world.

He may appear rough, but he is actually meticulous and good at judging people. He also has his own calculations about these heroes.

Hong Ling Shuang's Jing Lan Alliance, Wang Huai's Blood-Clad Army... were not in his sights.

"Mingchen".

"In this world, only Qian Yuan is my opponent, or rather... only you are my opponent."

Qin Lou never imagined that the princess of Qian Yuan, who was humiliated and sent to him as a bargaining chip and dared to argue with him in court, would become his greatest opponent.

However, if it were only Xiao Xinyue, the new Qian Yuan wouldn't even be of any interest to him.

However, with Mingchen, the new Qianyuan can be elevated to another level.

Upon hearing this, Mingchen sighed repeatedly, "His Majesty certainly thinks highly of me..."

Being too sharp and outspoken is not necessarily a good thing.

With his reputation so widespread, he could no longer feign weakness to his enemies.

I've always thought highly of you!

You're the one who looks down on Bei Lie!

Thinking of what happened two years ago, Qin Lou couldn't help but glare at him.

He simply couldn't understand what was so good about that tattered Qian Yuan.

"Mingchen, I'll ask you one more time, are you willing to stay in my Beilie?"

“I guarantee that your status will be the same in Qian Yuan. Not to mention a marquis, it would be fine to make you a duke.”

Although the hope was slim, Qin Lou couldn't help but extend an olive branch to Ming Chen once again.

Two years ago, he was willing to exchange land for people; two years later, he is still willing to offer him high-ranking positions and generous salaries.

His Majesty is quite persistent.

Mingchen simply smiled and shook his head: "Your Majesty, I am a Qian Yuan citizen, and a high-ranking official in Qian Yuan. Have you ever considered that by rashly surrendering to Bei Lie and being granted the highest honors, what do you think of your court officials? What do you think of your people?" "The world does not belong to one person. Even if Your Majesty trusts me, will others trust me?"

"Besides, Chen is more comfortable in his hometown..."

It was only natural to refuse.

"This... alas..."

Sometimes Qin Lou couldn't understand why the land of Qian Yuan was always so fertile and beautiful, and why it always produced outstanding people.

Seventy years ago, a military genius emerged who shocked the world.

Seventy years later, a new group of people emerged, including Mingchen, Xiao Xinyue, and Wang Huai.

However... this is actually just people's habit of thinking that other people's things are better.

In the past few hundred years, the Qianyuan dynasty has not produced a monarch as brilliant and ambitious as Qin Lou. The court is also full of corrupt and filthy officials, unlike the Northern Lie dynasty where the monarch and his ministers are of one mind and the court is clear and just.

There may be many talented people in Beilie, but they just lack an opportunity to make a name for themselves.

What Mingchen said was not without reason.

If that minor cultivator had joined Beilie two years ago and, after a period of hard work, steadily climbed the ranks, then that would have been fine.

However, Mingchen is now famous throughout the world.

The mark of Qian Yuan was also deeply imprinted on him, and he could not escape it.

Qin Lou shook his head and sighed, then said to Ming Chen, "Ming Chen, I know my son has made a vow for you."

“I agree with this; you shouldn’t be limited by your nationality.”

"If my Northern Lie wins in the future, no matter what, even if you have caused my Northern Lie great casualties, even if the whole of my Northern Lie hates you to the bone, I will protect you, and you will not miss out on the glory and wealth that is due to you. I also hope that you will put aside past grievances and come to court to assist my son."

"You are a marquis of Qian Yuan, representing Qian Yuan. If you can enter the court as an official, you can also resolve the conflict between the two forces and promote the great cause of world integration."

Qin Lou is much older than Ming Chen, and unlike that old emperor Qian Yuan, he doesn't dream of immortality.

Mingchen will definitely outlast the old man.

If everything proceeds according to his plan, then with the unification of the world, there will be no rivals to Qian Yuan and Bei Lie. Since Qian Yuan and Bei Lie are both one country, Ming Chen, as the representative of Qian Yuan, shaking hands with Bei Lie can also promote ethnic integration.

After his death, Mingchen will be the most suitable person to entrust the young emperor to. He is the number one Mingchen fan in the world. He believes that no one can compare to Mingchen as a subject. He also believes that with Mingchen's assistance, Qin Qi can clean up the mess left behind by the successive conquests.

"Hey~"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen chuckled softly: "Your Majesty, what if my Qian Yuan dynasty wins? Would Your Majesty allow the Crown Prince or General Tian to accept the investiture from our dynasty, thus promoting the great cause of unification of the world?"

"This……"

Qin Lou paused upon hearing this.

There is no such thing as a 100% victory in this world; failure means death. Qin Lou seemed never to have considered this possibility.

Now that Mingchen brought it up, his heart skipped a beat.

Mingchen's words, though harsh, were also fair.

He smirked and asked, "Aren't you afraid they'll gather their forces and rebel?"

"Is Your Majesty not afraid that Chen will gather forces and rebel?"

"you will not."

Despite the national enmity between Qian Yuan and Bei Lie, the integration and unification that has existed for thousands of years is actually a shared aspiration of both countries, and of course, their shared aspiration is to win.

Mingchen doesn't hate Beilie, as Qin Lou can tell.

The conversation Mingchen had with the Crown Prince earlier also proved his magnanimity.

Thousands of years ago, Beilie and Qianyuan were one family, and they were bound to be unified sooner or later.

As long as Bei Lie wins.

Others may not dare to speak for themselves, but Qin Lou can guarantee that Ming Chen will definitely not rebel.

Mingchen smiled at him and said, "I believe they won't either."

Upon hearing this, Qin Lou's mind raced, and he clenched his fists, hesitating for a moment.

As if she had made up her mind, she finally said to Mingchen, "Okay!"

"Although I have ambitions, I will not do things that disrupt the world. If I lose, I lose."

"If that day ever comes, I will tell them myself."

Mingchen himself did not expect that the monarch would agree.

If they were defeated, ordinary people would think about how to accumulate strength and restore the royal court, especially ambitious people like Qin Lou.

After unifying the world, the growing pains of cultural integration are inevitable.

Otherwise, how could that ancient overlord rise to prominence again?
However, Qin Lou gave up.

Perhaps few in the world can truly understand this domineering monarch.

Over the past two years, he seems to have changed a lot, I don't know what he's been through.

Mingchen gave this Tiger Lord a deep look. Just because someone has a powerful background and is favored by heaven doesn't mean he's a spoiled brat.

Conversely, the more a person is supported by a high-energy background, the more outstanding and ambitious they are.

Cultivation is the cultivation of the mind. Even though this king had never practiced magic, his realm and demeanor surpassed most people in the world.

According to the methods of ascending to immortality circulating in this world, if he glimpses reincarnation after death, he will surely become an immortal.

"Then Chen also agrees to Your Majesty's request."

"it is good!"

"Your Majesty, I offer you a toast."

Fruit and wine were laid out on the table. Mingchen raised his wine glass and smiled as he spoke to Qinlou.

"Good~"

Qin Lou also raised his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, everything understood without a word.

"Ha~"

The pungent liquor flowed down his throat and into his internal organs, making Mingchen feel somewhat hot. He kept saying to Qin Lou, "Northern Liquor is strong; I'm not quite used to it yet."

"Hahaha, you'll get used to it after drinking more. Putting aside everything else, our Beilie wine is top-notch! I'll have someone send you two jars to take with you later."

Mingchen raised an eyebrow, his words seemingly tinged with a hint of teasing: "Will Your Majesty let me go this time?"

Last time in Beilie, this monarch sent people to guard him, not wanting him to leave!

Qin Lou, however, was thick-skinned and didn't care at all: "If you want to leave, can I stop you?"

Birds can't be stopped from taking flight.

What about the opponents?
Qin Lou never thought he would lose.

"If you're leaving this time, don't do it without saying goodbye like last time."

"Hahaha, that's natural, that's natural."

After chatting and laughing for a while, Mingchen seemed to remember something, looked up at Qinlou, and asked with a hint of inquiry: "There is something I would like to ask Your Majesty."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Does Your Majesty believe in fate?"

Qin Lou was taken aback: "Fate?"

"To be honest, Your Majesty, on the way to Beilie, I met a boatman who was very wise and insightful. He predicted that the fate of the Qian Yuan dynasty had come to an end, while the fate of Beilie was flourishing due to its indomitable spirit. Your Majesty is a man of great talent and ambition, who has overcome many hardships to ascend to the throne and is dedicated to governing the country. He is the monarch chosen by Heaven and will surely unify the world and realize your grand ambitions."

Qin Lou was somewhat dismissive: "Hmm? Isn't this what those sycophants always say? I'm already tired of hearing it. Why do you need to remember these things?"

He had heard this kind of sycophantic flattery all the time.

He didn't understand why someone as intelligent as Mingchen would take such words to heart.

Mingchen shook his head, then looked at him and asked, "What if this is true? What if everything is predetermined?"

Qin Lou, holding a wine glass, smiled at him: "If it's true, Mingchen, will you still defy the heavens?"

"Forehead……"

Qin Lou's words hit the nail on the head, and the usually quick-witted Mingchen was momentarily speechless at the emperor's words.

"You yourself don't believe it, so how can you expect me to believe it?"

"What does fate dictate? The fate of Qian Yuan has come to an end, while the fate of Bei Lie is at its peak? Does that mean that even if I sleep all day, indulge in pleasure, and neglect state affairs, Bei Lie can still win?"

"How can it be?!"

"What is this so-called fate? Since I came to power, I have worked diligently, day and night, and the strength of the Northern Lie Kingdom has been growing day by day. Officials respect and fear me, and the people honor and admire me. Every matter I have handled has been done by me, and every word I have spoken has been mine. I have come to where I am today step by step. Even if I win in the future, it will be what I deserve. It is all due to my own efforts, not so-called fate."

It seems this monarch truly has no idea what's behind him.

Mingchen quietly gazed at the majestic and spirited king.

A myriad of celestial lights scattered across the sky, exuding a majestic and proud aura.

[The King Ascends the Throne]

[A tiger roars across the clouds, the King ascends the throne, and the world is unified.]

Similarly, after two years apart, he also carried a special hint.

This may not be a gift from someone behind him, but rather something he earned himself through his own magnanimity and character.

Golden scales leap through the heavenly gate, whales and sharks leap from the sea, and tigers roar in the azure clouds.

His Majesty is a dangerous mermaid, a domineering and flamboyant tyrant.

Mingchen has already met three of the people chosen by the Human King Seal.

(End of this chapter)