klisemfg Chapter 206 Extra (1) Parallel World 11
Chapter 206 Extra (1) Parallel World 11
Chapter 206 Extra (1) Parallel World 11
Lin Shihe has given up on saving his brother.
Arguing with an idiot will only lower your own IQ.
So what if I'm not good at scheming and backstabbing? It's not a big deal.
At least the child will listen to advice and only trust those they tell them they can trust. They also have some basic judgment and won't do things whose outcomes are beyond their control.
That's fine, that's all.
Compared to those arrogant and reckless playboys in the capital who are fearless and do all sorts of evil, at least Lin Shiming can assess the situation and is clear-headed. When he causes trouble, he only targets him on his own turf.
People should learn to be content. Look at the Fifth Prince this time, didn't he "remain silent until he made a stunning statement," giving Lu Yuxu a huge surprise?
There is no harm without comparison.
My younger brother is already very well-behaved. You can't find another scion of a noble family in the entire capital who is so smart, capable, and well-behaved.
Lin Shihe closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, successfully convincing himself.
"You're right. There's no need to worry about such a small matter."
The Qin family, who only attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince, were not worth the attention of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Even if Lin Shiming had merely done Lu Yuxi a favor and hadn't broken any laws, and even if he had gotten carried away and personally intervened, it wouldn't have been impossible for him to get out of trouble.
The child rarely comes home, and he just saved the prince and made a great contribution, so it's not unreasonable to forgive him this time.
But we still have to criticize them.
Lin Shihe put on a cold face and tapped the leg of the bench twice with his toe. "I won't hit you today. Get up and kneel."
Lin Shiming, still lying on the stool, reluctantly raised his head and met his brother's gaze with a bitter expression.
He hated listening to his brother's long-winded speeches.
"Why don't you just beat me up?" At least it would be quick and painless, without the mental anguish.
But Lin Shihe refused. He sneered and said, "You choose between listening obediently or listening after being beaten."
"..."
Lin Shiming nimbly jumped off the stool and knelt down, adopting an attentive listening posture: "Please speak."
I can't handle you anymore.
With a flick of his sleeve, Lin Shihe began his lecture.
"I can let the matter of troop deployment slide, and stealing my seal—it's not the first or second time—I won't mind letting you off this time either. But regarding your unauthorized involvement..."
Lin Shihe's voice was calm and peaceful, but it sounded like a buzzing sound to Lin Shiming's ears, making him dizzy and drowsy. Just as he was about to collapse to the ground, he was awakened by Lin Shihe's "gentle" slap.
Repeatedly.
*
What was a trivial matter that could be easily overlooked in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was a devastating event for the Changping court.
There are always people in this world who fantasize that they are the chosen ones, the protagonists of the world, and that they can rise to the highest ranks of the court through their merits in supporting the emperor.
It's not particularly outrageous.
What's outrageous is that there are some people who, without fighting for factions, without seeking official positions, without being corrupt or seeking personal gain, just for the sake of their so-called official reputation, insist on opposing the emperor, as if forcing the emperor to back down or listen to them would make them immortal.
In Lin Shiming's words, it was about stepping on the emperor's reputation to rise to power.
What's frightening is that in the Changping Dynasty, when the country was prosperous and relatively peaceful, there were fewer opportunities to make achievements and establish merits. There were even more civil officials who wanted to gain fame by suppressing the emperor.
These were precisely the people that the Queen Dowager Qin most wanted to use.
Especially after Empress Dowager Qin, despite her illness, contacted them one by one, they became even more energetic, as if they had been injected with adrenaline. They felt that they had seized a major handle on the emperor's "filial impiety" and were full of confidence that their time to be remembered for eternity was about to arrive.
Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon me!
"Your Majesty!" A minister with a white beard stepped forward in a mournful tone, as if he had lost his father. "Your Majesty, this old minister wishes to impeach the Fifth Prince! He is rebellious, cruel, bloodthirsty, and disregards the law. He is also unfilial and has angered the Empress Dowager to the point of being bedridden. He is a disgrace to Changping. I beg Your Majesty to be impartial, enforce the law fairly, and severely punish the Fifth Prince!"
Here it comes, the main event of the day is finally here.
The ministers, each with their own thoughts, perked up and reviewed the arguments they had prepared the day before. Each was confident and eager to try, believing they could cite classical texts to convince His Majesty and ensure their names would be recorded in history.
"Your Majesty, I second the proposal!"
Once the first bird to step forward was spotted, others rushed out in droves, fearing that if they arrived late, they would be left behind by the historians who were recording the events.
In no time, the ranks of court officials emptied considerably. Emperor Longyun looked around and saw only those pedantic scholars who were usually the most annoying people.
"Tsk." Emperor Longyun, sitting at the head of the table, flicked his sleeves in annoyance.
Sooner or later, we'll get rid of all these old fogies!
However, as such a thing is said, for an emperor to personally engage in debate with his ministers would be tantamount to lowering his status and damaging the dignity of the ruler of the world. Therefore, Emperor Longyun would naturally not "join the battle" unless it was a critical moment.
So he winked at Lin Shihe, who was sitting below him, signaling him to hurry up and get to work so he could vent his anger.
The mouth received the signal for Lin Shihe, silently rolled its eyes, and then slowly came out.
"Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites speaks with great conviction, but I have a few questions I would like to ask him. I wonder if Your Majesty would grant my request?"
Emperor Longyun waved his hand and said, "Granted."
Having received permission, Lin Shihe casually cupped his hands in thanks, then turned to look at the Minister of Rites at the front.
"Minister Han," Lin Shihe said with utmost courtesy, "I have a question."
Although he was old, Minister Han was still somewhat intimidated by the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo who was in charge of the Tingyun Army. When he saw that Lin Shihe was the one who was going to make an example of him, he even wanted to back down for a moment.
"...Please speak, Your Highness."
Lin Shihe stood with his hands behind his back. "Lord Han is the Minister of Rites, so he must be very familiar with etiquette and rules. Then, may I ask you, Minister Han, who is more important, the Crown Prince or his subjects?"
"What does Young Master Lin mean by this? His Highness the Crown Prince is the heir apparent; how can a subject compare himself to him!"
"Oh." Lin Shihe looked thoughtful. "Since the Crown Prince is more important, why didn't Lord Han first concern himself with the life-or-death matter of the Crown Prince's assassination attempt, but instead immediately went to plead for the guilty officials who assassinated the Crown Prince?"
"Does Your Excellency believe that His Highness the Crown Prince's safety is less important than a group of criminals, or is it that Lord Han is actually in league with the Qin family's traitors?"
Minister Han was immediately terrified, his face turning deathly pale and his body going limp. "Why is Prince Lin making such a false accusation against this old minister!"
"Slander." Lin Shihe sneered. "What, does Lord Han think I've said something wrong and wronged you? Has Lord Han sent anyone to visit and care for the Crown Prince since his assassination, or written a letter of greeting?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince is in the palace; how can a subject enter without an imperial edict? Besides, His Highness is safe and sound, a fact known to all. I am already aware of your concern, so how could I possibly act like a petty, scheming person!"
Lin Shihe sneered, his tone sarcastic: "Oh? Even if Lord Han is upright and incorruptible, unwilling to even put on a show for His Highness the Crown Prince, why does Lord Han collude with the traitorous Qin family!"
"Young Master Lin, stop talking nonsense! This old minister has lived a clean life, how could I possibly collude with such heinous traitors and rebels!"
"Good!" Lin Shihe clapped his hands and sighed, "Lord Han speaks well! Righteous indignation, it is infuriating. The Qin family is guilty of heinous crimes, so since you know they are guilty of heinous crimes, why do you brazenly speak up for them?"
What else could they be but accomplices!