NOVEL NEXT chapter 3
Chapter 3 Drinking Tea
“Your Majesty, please rest assured, I have a sense of propriety. I also look down on the barbarians from the Holy Church Kingdom.”
“Oh?” Xia Yuxiao’s lips curled into a smile, “Where do you think does not belong to the barbarians?”
Here we go again!
Qin Ji’s heart immediately sounded the alarm – the woman in front of him seemed to be chatting casually, but in fact, she was probably waiting to trap him with her words.
If Qin Ji were to say which civilization he thought did not belong to the barbarians, Xia Yuxiao would most likely suspect that he had connections with other countries or forces, or at least that he might seek support from these forces in the future. If he didn’t say anything and just flattered the emperor… well, she would definitely find a way to continue probing him. Instead of waiting for her to bombard him with questions later, it was better to come up with a reliable answer now.
“I believe that in today’s world, apart from our Great Xia, there is one other civilization that is not considered barbaric.”
“Oh? Which one? Tell me.”
Qin Ji sneered, then raised his finger and pointed upwards, “The gods.”
“The gods?” Xia Yuxiao’s gaze was very calm, as if she didn’t want the other party to see her thoughts, “You think the gods are not barbarians?”
“I don’t know if gods really exist in this world, but there is no doubt that in terms of power and divine abilities, these legendary gods are unmatched by us. However, from various legends and records, we can see that these gods are full of human greed, ambition, anger, and even . They possess great power but focus on their far weaker ‘followers’. They call themselves gods but are only satisfied with their own selfish desires.”
“Therefore, I believe that gods ‘are not considered barbarians’, but only just not considered barbarians. They have great power but lack the virtues of gods – they cannot explore the extremes of the universe above, nor can they bring peace to the world below. They are without benevolence and righteousness, no different from beasts. The beauty that people praise in gods is nothing but a false mask that people have put on them.”
After saying this, Qin Ji straightened up, “This is my thought, please correct me, Your Majesty.”
“I didn’t expect you to say that.”
Xia Yuxiao nodded. Undoubtedly, Qin Ji’s statement seemed to align with her thoughts. The reason Qin Ji criticized those so-called high and mighty gods was partly because he was not fond of them, and partly…
You asked me who is not a barbarian, I said the gods are not barbarians, but the gods are not much better – this way, I blocked the empress’s path. No matter how treacherous I am, you can’t say I have colluded with the gods, right?
“In their position, they have their responsibilities. Your Majesty sits on the dragon throne and works hard for the people of the world; if it were the gods’ position, they would only play with the people and issue so-called divine decrees that make no sense. Can they still be said to have their responsibilities?”
A little flattery, perfect.
Xia Yuxiao looked at Qin Ji meaningfully, did not continue on this topic, but lowered her head and found a small notebook from the pile of books, and threw it to Qin Ji, “Do you know why I invited you for tea today?”
“I don’t know, please enlighten me, Your Majesty.”
“See for yourself,” she raised her hand, as if casually, “These are the complaints that the court ministers have filed against you in the past few months. Look at their complaints, the lightest is to demote you, and the most severe is to behead you.”
Qin Ji glanced at it, then calmly raised his head and looked directly into Xia Yuxiao’s eyes.
“Is that all, Your Majesty?”
Such a calm response made Xia Yuxiao a little puzzled. She frowned slightly, her eyes fixed on this treacherous minister, “Do you want more?”
“With all due respect, if this is the case, I can also list a large book of complaints against the court ministers.” Qin Ji sat upright, making a serious posture, “I think, maybe Your Majesty is very clear in your heart, among the court ministers, how many were once supporters of the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and other princes, and how many are still unwilling to accept your succession to the throne and unification of Great Xia. Even though Your Majesty has now overpowered the ministers and governs the world, there are still rebellious ministers who have many criticisms of you. They have united to impeach me, simply to remove your loyal minister and take the opportunity to harm you. If I deserve to die, then what crime do these people deserve?”
Xia Yuxiao’s slender fingers tapping on the table suddenly stopped. She looked at her “loyal minister”.
She did not speak.
“Forgive my presumption, Your Majesty, but I believe these memorials are tantamount to threats. They are attempting to coerce Your Majesty into stripping me of my power by rallying the civil and military officials of the court. Your Majesty, consider this: if I am overthrown, how many of the ministers and local lords will vie for dominance? Now that Your Majesty’s brothers are all present, each can claim legitimacy. How will Your Majesty respond?”
“Duke of Anguo,” a flicker of murderous intent flashed in Xia Yuxiao’s eyes, “I want to know if these accusations are true, not to be threatened by you.”
“How dare I,” Qin Ji rose and saluted, “I am not threatening Your Majesty, but earnestly requesting Your Majesty to reconsider. I have been with Your Majesty for many years and know the minds of the ministers well. As for the truth of these accusations, I can only say that some are true, while others are baseless slander. For example, the claim that I am disrupting the court and privately maintaining a harem of the same scale as Your Majesty’s is the greatest calumny! I have not yet married, and the only woman by my side is a single guard… commonly known as a virgin. How could I have a harem?”
“Pfft—”
A very faint laugh came from behind the pile of books. Although Qin Ji was serious when he said this, the term “virgin” inexplicably hit her funny bone.
The main thing was that this guy said it with such an indignant expression.
However, as an emperor, Xia Yuxiao’s ability to manage her expressions was naturally excellent, especially since the person in front of her was talking about serious matters.
At this moment, a maid came over and poured freshly brewed tea for the two of them.
“Ahem, I believe you,” she resumed her calm demeanor, “but regarding your other matters…”
“Your Majesty, I have never done such things. Only a part of it was once implicated, but I swear, I have no disloyalty towards Your Majesty.”
Qin Ji’s appearance was particularly solemn and sincere.
But…
Are you kidding me? You dare to speak so boldly in private, and if this is considered loyalty, what would disloyalty be? Wouldn’t you just take a sword and chop me down?
So frustrating, but he’s not wrong. Xia Yuxiao indeed cannot directly eliminate him now. Otherwise, the former crown prince’s faction and the late emperor’s faction would immediately cause trouble for her.
Xia Yuxiao needs Qin Ji, and… she also fears him.
This b*stard holds military power, and she cannot afford to offend him.
“You jest. Although I know some of these accusations are true, your loyalty to me is still evident.” As she spoke, Xia Yuxiao reached out and took back the memorial.
Then, she placed the memorial into the nearby fireplace, where it turned into a blaze and finally only a pile of ashes remained.
“I will not pursue this matter further. Remember, there were never any memorials. However, sometimes, you must have a scale in your heart to weigh what should be done and what should not be done. Understand?”
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s guidance.”