Hold the thick thighs tightly [My father is a traitor]

Chapter 534 Stubbornness

Little Yining's eyes kept moving between her great uncle and her father, completely unaffected by the subtle atmosphere between the two men.

She knew clearly in her mind that her uncle's move was definitely intended to make her father take the initiative to ask about taking part in the special examination.

A trace of regret flashed through the little girl's heart. If she had known this would happen, she would have told her father that her uncle wanted to make her the Princess of Le'an County. However, she came from the modern era, so she would just listen to the verbal promises of such men and would never take them seriously, let alone take them to heart.

Lin Yuzan naturally understood the emperor's intention. He slowly lowered his head. For a moment, the surroundings were so quiet that only the faint sound of the burning candle could be heard.

He was silent for a long time, and finally compromised: "Before coming here, my wife had discussed with me. If the emperor feels embarrassed, then the merits of Harahelin can be exchanged for the reward of my daughter."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Yining couldn't help but say, "Dad, Sister Qing doesn't need any reward. This is what you earned with your life. Just exchange it for your own reward!"

Lin Yuzan's face darkened and he shouted, "Qing Jie'er, don't say any more."

He raised his head and looked at the emperor firmly. His words were steady and powerful. "Your Majesty, last year, my daughter and Pei Yi presented the Great Zhou with good varieties of sweet potatoes. Although they failed to fill the stomachs of the people, it was still a great achievement. Now I have used a trick to cause civil strife in the Hu people's court. I can guarantee that the people on the border will not have to suffer from war for at least ten years. Apart from other things, these two things alone are enough to make my daughter a county lady."

Sheng Jingchen stared at Lin Yuzan quietly, his deep eyes darkened noticeably, and it was obvious that he was not satisfied with this answer.

He slowly said, "Lin Yuzan, the fact that the people on the border are spared from the suffering of war is not just your achievement. It is also because of the sacrifices of millions of soldiers of the Great Zhou, which frightened the barbarians and made them dare not invade the territory of the Great Zhou."

However, Lin Yuzan did not back down. He continued, "Your Majesty, I have no delusion of taking all the credit. As Your Majesty said, without the soldiers who risked their lives and fought bloody battles on the border, everything I have done would be in vain. It is precisely because of the accumulated merits of the Great Zhou soldiers and the endless civil strife in the Hu people's court that we have brought this rare period of peace to the border. I firmly believe that within ten years, our army will accumulate even more powerful strength, and by then, the Hu people's rebellion will be completely quelled."

Hearing these words of outlook, the emperor's stern expression gradually softened. He lowered his eyes, looked down at Lin Yuzan, snorted coldly, and sat back in his chair.

Then, he put the baby back on the ground, and watched her trot back to her father impatiently. He said calmly, "How is Qingjie? I have other considerations. However, you are not an official, and it will only make your wife and daughter criticized by others. I will put your merits aside for now. When you figure it out, come and ask me for a reward."

Lin Yuzan looked at the emperor with hidden anger. Although he was unwilling, he said nothing in the end. After kneeling on the ground in silence, he took his daughter's hand and turned away.

Sheng Jingchen stared at the father and daughter's backs as they walked away for a long time. When the sound of their footsteps completely faded away, he finally spoke: "After all, father and daughter are connected by heart. Sister Qing doesn't like me anymore."

As soon as these words came out, Pei Dafu stepped forward to comfort him, "Your Majesty, the young lady is still young, how can she know how good you are to her? Wait for others to explain to her, and she will naturally understand your love for her. By then, the young lady will stick to Your Majesty again."

The emperor raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, and turned his head to glance at Pei Dafu from the corner of his eye. His eyes revealed an elusive deep meaning, and he slowly said: "I have never noticed it before, but now I feel that you are particularly concerned about Sister Qing."

"My master likes the young lady, so I will naturally follow his wishes and take better care of her." Pei Dafu bowed his head and replied respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Jingchen curled up the corners of his mouth into a faint smile, without making any comment.

He raised one hand and propped up his chin lazily, as if he was lost in thought, and murmured, "I didn't expect that Lin Yuzan would be so stubborn. I wonder who he took after?"

After saying this, he couldn't help but shook his head slightly and let out a helpless sigh.

A hint of thought flashed across Pei Dafu's eyes, but he quickly returned to normal, still with his head lowered and silent.

At this moment, he heard the emperor's question again: "Pei Dafu, what do you think?"

Pei Dafu hesitated for a moment and responded, "Your Majesty, I think Miss Lian Shu is a person who can judge the situation, and Lin Yuzan's temperament should be similar to that of his father."

"Assess the situation..." Sheng Jingchen repeated these four words softly, his tone slow and long, as if he was savoring the meaning, but he raised his eyes and stared with interest at the eunuch beside him who had followed him since childhood.

The emperor's eyes were deep and showed no joy or anger, making it impossible to guess his emotions.

However, under such gaze, Pei Dafu's back was unconsciously covered with beads of sweat, wetting a layer of his clothes.

Just when the atmosphere seemed to be a little stagnant, Sheng Jingchen suddenly smiled lightly, and that smile seemed to contain endless profound meaning. He said slowly: "What Chief Steward Pei said does make some sense."

Hearing the emperor's laughter, Pei Dafu's heart trembled. He bent his body and dared not look up.

Then he saw the emperor lower his eyes, and after a long time, he sighed silently again.

Then, Pei Dafu noticed that his master raised a slightly mocking smile, and ordered in a cold voice: "Pei Dafu, pass on my order and order King Yu to come to the court tomorrow. He handled the disaster relief work very well this time, and I decided to reward him in front of all the civil and military officials in the court."

Pei Dafu did not dare to be negligent at all. He responded quickly, bowed and quickly left the hall.

But just as he turned around, he heard his master's low voice behind him: "Humph! Stubborn? I have plenty of ways to deal with you..."

Pei Dafu paused for a moment without leaving a trace, and his mind involuntarily emerged with the past, when the late emperor had said the same thing to the emperor.

At that time, the emperor was still young and kind-hearted. He was held tightly in the arms of the late emperor, while he knelt on the ground, trembling, and kowtowing desperately, begging the late emperor to spare the innocent emperor.

The late emperor at that time held a sharp blade against the emperor's jaw, and was already mad: "I didn't expect that one of my sons would not like the supreme position and only want love. You are so unwilling, you must have never tasted the sweetness of power. But it doesn't matter, I like stubborn and obstinate people the most, and I have plenty of ways to deal with you."

Recalling the scene at that time, Pei Dafu couldn't help but turn his head quietly and secretly glance at his master, feeling sad in his heart.

He pursed his lips tightly, not daring to stop for a moment, and hurriedly left the hall as he quickened his pace.