In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

Xu Shi laughed, "I don't deny that what you did was a bit much, but when you called me in for a meeting, didn't you also mention how to minimize the impact? It's just a matter of order. What's wrong with putting yourself first?"

"Even if you really wanted to be a good emperor who puts others before himself, it seems there's no platform for you to do so, is there?"

"More importantly, I'm a bad person too, so I'll only praise you for doing the right thing."

"...Sir, please state your conditions directly."

Hearing him say that, Dongfang Xiao's expression became somewhat strange, and her words carried a hint of urging, hoping that he would get to the point quickly.

She could tell that Xu Shi's compliments were genuine, which was quite rare... and she really needed to find some validation from others to ease the guilt in her heart.

The result was that they agreed, but it seems a bit excessive. Who can really say they are a bad person without batting an eye? Isn't that a bit much?

Anyway, the little queen herself was a little hesitant to continue. What else could she do but admit that she really was the bad child he was talking about?

Girls are shy, she couldn't bring herself to say such things.

However, this recognition made her feel much better. And to be honest, this guy's voice seemed to have a kind of magic, calm yet naturally carrying a seductive quality, whether it was innate or not.

Anyway, she felt that if she continued talking, she would be unable to keep up.

So stop with the compliments and let's get down to business!

"Alright alright."

Xu Shi expressed his understanding, clapped his hands and chuckled, "However, before I state my conditions, Miss Dongfang, why don't you listen to what I can offer you?"

"First, regarding the negative impact of the Poseidon Stone transaction, the royal family doesn't need to offer any price to buy back the resources in my hands. To tell you the truth, your gold and silver are worthless in my eyes, so what's wrong with giving them to you for free?"

"As for whether you want Cheng Gujian to bleed, how much, and how to bleed, that's your business. If you need help, I can give you some advice. You can use the extra money to contribute to the national treasury or to supplement your own private coffers, I don't mind."

This single condition almost made Dongfang Xiao gasp in surprise.

It's important to understand that even for a single main city, the deficit that the royal family needs to cover is no small amount, since almost the entire city's population is involved. Just thinking about how much to allocate from the national treasury these days makes her feel incredibly pained.

As a result, Xu Shi casually said a sentence that was enough to fill the hole completely.

This isn't a kid's allowance! Are you really that rich?!

Oh, your city-states don't use gold and silver... But that's not really a reason. As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. In the City of Night Sin, that might not matter, but aren't you still within the territory of the Hualan Empire?

If it were her, Dongfang Xiao would never believe she would have that kind of courage.

"Second, I am willing to regard our relationship as an alliance, so once we become allies, Miss Dongfang's enemies will be my enemies."

Xu Shi ignored her surprise and leisurely raised another finger, "For example... Cheng Gujian."

To be honest, this condition is much more tempting than the first one. Judging from the model of the Hualan Empire, the gains and losses of money are only temporary and will not really cause major financial problems.

But the little queen calmed down upon hearing this.

"...Why did you choose me?"

The rise and fall of her hem returned to calm, and she asked very seriously.

This was a question that had always intrigued her. From an outsider's perspective, it seemed more advantageous to cooperate with a powerful minister and a powerless, mascot-like empress.

But she noticed it from their very first meeting: Xu Shi seemed to favor her the most, which made her wonder.

"Didn't I tell you? Your situation is very similar to mine."

Xu Shiqing shrugged, “So I can understand what Miss Dongfang is thinking… Take this matter for example, if the royal family really handles it entirely, I think people will be grateful to Cheng Gujian. On the contrary, if the royal court stands idly by, people will be cursing you.”

“If you were a hopeless case, this wouldn’t matter. But I know very well that you have your own ideas and ambitions. It’s just that there’s always a mountain weighing you down. No matter how great your ambitions are, how much of them can you actually realize?”

Dongfang Xiao didn't know who A Dou was, but he could understand what he meant. Hearing him say that naturally made him feel bad, and he unconsciously bit his upper lip.

The truth is always swift and decisive. What Xu Shi said, even if not exactly the same as her life, could be said to be quite similar.

Her father, the former emperor of the empire, died young. She does not deny that she ascended the throne at a young age. Before his death, her father arranged for Cheng Gujian to assist in governing, which was also out of his love for her.

But now she is twenty-one years old! She has been sitting on the throne for fourteen years, and her mentality is completely different from what it was back then. The more she relied on Cheng Gujian before, the more she now resents him.

Often, her decrees simply couldn't be implemented. A casual remark like "His Majesty is still young and needs more training" could completely negate her ideas. Who could tolerate that?

Don't say she wasn't completely sidelined. For an emperor, even losing a little bit of power can cause sleepless nights.

But what could she do? Over the years, most people in the court trusted Cheng Gujian more than she did. She didn't even dare to ask, "When will the Grand Duke return power to her?" Who knew what would happen if she asked?

All she seems to be able to do is continue playing the role of a mascot, appearing innocent and basking in everyone's praise... But thinking about it carefully, are all the praises truly from the heart? Who knows how many people are mocking her behind her back?

"Miss Dongfang, have you ever heard of a canary?"

Xu Shi seemed to ignore all of this and continued to speak, "A beautiful little bird with glossy feathers and a melodious voice, loved by everyone, can only live its whole life in a golden cage. Once it tries to see the outside world, it will only end up with a bloody head."

“I feel like I’m in a similar situation to you… Here, have a little gift for you.”

As he spoke, he magically produced a beautifully carved little bird and placed it on her desk.

"Get out of my way! I don't need it!"

Upon seeing this small ornament, Dongfang Xiao instantly lost his mind. He frantically swept his sleeve, knocking it to the ground and smashing it to pieces. Other items on the table also clattered and fell to the ground.

Xu Shi probably brought this out just to fit the occasion; frankly, it was just a coincidence. But Cheng Gujian had given her a similar "gift" before, and even the material was the same sea god stone.

At this moment, she truly lost control of her emotions, and the elegant and dignified little empress instantly transformed into a blushing shrew.

"...I apologize, Mr. Xu. I was a little out of line just now. Please don't take offense."

After catching her breath for a while, she finally came to her senses as if waking from a dream. "Go on," she said.

"Ah."

Xu Shi didn't care at all; he didn't care what he gave as long as the gesture was there—but now it seems that it was much more than that, the effect was even better than he expected.

So, my recent improvement is quite significant. My words carry the influence of "increasing entropy of malice," and even if the other party is immune, it is still effective if I hit their sore spot.

"Just helping you deal with Cheng Gujian might not be enough, right? Besides the royal family, there's also the Papacy... As for the empire itself, you can take a look at this."

He then showed several more pictures of Silver Pine Island, which is currently experiencing rapid development.

“I think Miss Dongfang knows better than I do that the Hualan Empire needs a revolution right now, and that’s something that probably only I can bring to you.”

That's right. Launching an economic war would be too low-level if it were just for retaliation. What's more important is to convey to Dongfang Xiao the more advanced concepts and technologies of Night City. These things are more valuable than mountains of gold and silver.

Moreover, there was a hint of defiance, even a threat, in this statement. If the Hualan Empire were only confined to a corner of the world, it wouldn't matter how you developed. But now that you know there are other city-states and other worlds outside, is it still a good choice to remain stagnant?

Obviously not.

"...Name your terms."

The little queen breathed a long sigh of relief, sat down in the chair, and nodded without much thought.

It has to be said that she truly couldn't refuse any of these combined tactics, whether it was coercion or enticement.

The allure was too great... To be honest, the reason she chose to place her bets on Xu Shi was because she valued his ingenuity and ability to drastically change the situation at any time—perhaps these were just basic skills in their city-states, but for the Hualan Empire, they were invaluable treasures.

Of course, there's also the subtle empathy between her and Xu Shi—he was once just like her, constantly being held back by others, and his current demeanor is exactly what she aspires to be.

If I had to say, that was the most attractive thing to her.

"I don't have many conditions, Miss Dongfang, you don't need to worry."

Xu Shi smiled and nodded slightly, saying, "First, I need to borrow your abilities. My wife suffered mental corruption during the battle with the Sea God and needs the Holy Light of the Royal Family to help her heal."

Which wife are you referring to...? That was the first question that came to Dongfang Xiao's mind.

However, this is nothing to worry about; it doesn't seem to have any impact regardless of which one it is.

So she agreed without much hesitation, "Okay, if I can help her, I will do my best to save her."

"Secondly, since the Vatican is also our common enemy, there are some things we must face together."

Xu Shi extended his second finger again, "So I need you to issue a decree allowing me to establish a new sect."

"!"

The difference between one and two seemed a bit too great, and Dongfang Xiao's eyes widened once again.

To be honest, she herself has always viewed the Holy See as an adversary. As for why Xu Shi is so hostile towards the Holy See, she thinks it's because of his previous conflicts with Luo Yu.

But now it seems that it's not that simple; this person's ambition is outrageously large!

This is clearly a move to oppose the Vatican! And they've already shown their true colors right from the start!

As for his statement about "facing it together," there's not much to explain. If the decree to establish Protestantism came from the royal family, it was no different from declaring war, effectively binding both sides firmly to the same boat.

"……when?"

However, this condition is also acceptable. In fact, it's more like Xu Shi gave her a strategy to deal with the Papacy than a condition... So, it's no surprise that the young empress wouldn't object.

"When I need it, it won't be long."

"Alright, I agree. Is there anything else?"

"There's one more."

Xu Shi's smile grew even brighter, but he didn't say it directly, as if keeping it a secret. Instead, he slowly got up, walked to the table, and looked Dongfang Xiao up and down.

"……you!"

This look is not hard to understand, at least not for 21-year-old Dongfang Xiao.

Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she unconsciously moved back slightly. "You wouldn't happen to..."

She hadn't thought about it in this direction before, mainly because her attention was focused on Xu Shi's ingenious scheme.

Looking back now, she suddenly realized that this guy was a man too!

And he's the kind of man who's very lecherous... Of course, if he wasn't lecherous, how would he have so many wives and concubines?

That's why he's more inclined to choose himself... Isn't that right? How could Cheng Gujian, a burly middle-aged man, be more attractive than a beautiful young empress?

She was quite confident in her appearance and found it hard to imagine any other meaning behind the other person's body language.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat ambiguous, and she felt increasingly ashamed and indignant—it was undeniable that Xu Shi was indeed very handsome, but his criteria also included her, which...

"Hey? What are you thinking about, Miss Dongfang?"

Seeing her like this, Xu Shi put on an innocent expression instead, "You don't think I'm going to use this opportunity to blackmail you into marrying me or something, do you?"

"Don't worry, how could that be? You're overthinking it."

……Um?

Dongfang Xiao had been holding back her question, "Isn't that right?" and was stunned for a moment when she heard him say that.

But then she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. So that wasn't it after all…