Chapter 37 Two Conditions (Part 2)

  "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Before the old and mature imperial historians could intervene, Qin Yifan had already thanked him. Even if they wanted to stop him, it was already too late. For the first time, everyone was a little dazed and didn't know whether to stop him or not. Now that it's happened again, no matter what, they can't let the emperor grant such rewards lightly. This is also the responsibility of being an official.

  Seeing the attitude of those imperial historians, the emperor knew what they were going to do. However, for him, these two so-called promises were not even comparable to the nine-dragon jade pendant he had previously given to Qin Yifan. Would my personal visit be less valuable than two verbal promises? Would Qin Yifan care about these two verbal rewards?

  As expected, when the censors were preparing to attend the banquet and impeach, Qin Yifan had already thanked again: "Thank you, Your Majesty. The humble subject has just made two requests, and Your Majesty has granted them all. The humble subject thanks Your Majesty for his heavenly grace!"

  Everyone was stunned, when did Qin Yifan make a request? The insightful person hurriedly thought back and suddenly remembered that Qin Yifan had indeed asked the emperor before dissecting the cow, and the emperor had nodded in approval at the time. Another thing was that Qin Yifan wanted everyone to eat raw meat slices while they were hot, and the emperor also ate some. It turns out that Qin Yifan actually considered these two requests as the emperor's reward for himself!

  This time, not only were the imperial censors speechless, but others were also stunned. They had seen people who regarded fame and wealth as nothing, but they had never seen anyone like this. The emperor's promise, spoken in front of so many high-ranking officials, was simply used up by him like this?

  It's impossible, this person doesn't seem like someone who doesn't understand anything. Although he looks a bit dull, he's not stupid, how can he waste the opportunity of the emperor's promise so easily? But the person in front of him did it so effortlessly, without any hesitation or attachment, which is something that even I might not be able to do so smoothly.

  In any case, the emperor's promise was not lost, and the imperial historians also took care of the court's dignity with ease, although it was a bit unreasonable. Compared to Qin Yifan's generous abandonment, it was already negligible. In short, everyone from top to bottom could still accept such a result.

  The emperor looked at Qin Yifan with profound meaning, this time he didn't say anything, tacitly allowing Qin Yifan to step down. The monarch and his subject seemed to have reached a silent understanding.

  Taking advantage of the good mood, the emperor announced that the banquet would continue. The barbarian envoys had been defeated several times in a row and no longer had their previous arrogance. They didn't dare to do anything else, just trying to save face for the small Heavenly Dynasty, but unexpectedly this goal was not achieved either. Halfway through, Qin Yifan came out and messed up their plan, and under helpless circumstances, they could only accept this fact and obediently return to their original seats.

  It's rare for the monarch and his ministers to be so complete, and everyone is so happy. Today's banquet will not end until we are drunk. The emperor is in high spirits, it's a great time for the imperial court to gain face, no one would jump out to sing a discordant tune, the atmosphere of the banquet is very harmonious.

  The singing and dancing in the palace were also generously displayed in front of everyone, which was a rare favor from the emperor. Everyone was intoxicated with appreciation. Except for today, there won't be many opportunities to see it again in the future.

  The generals were quite generous, and since the emperor had also said to enjoy themselves, everyone was happy to toast each other. The officials, although elegant, were also in high spirits, with some even composing poems on the spot, adding to the elegance of the occasion.

  Only Qin Yifan and Long Jun were on this side, no one came over, don't know what the reason is. But he didn't care either, he and Long Jun were very taciturn, slowly sipping with small cups, and it was quite comfortable.

  Qin Xiaoling's desire to see the excitement was briefly satisfied, and her face didn't show any expression, but sometimes her movements were like those of a naive teenage girl who seemed very happy. However, thinking carefully, she was only eighteen when she was turned into a corpse and her soul was sealed inside her body, originally just an immature little girl who hadn't grown up or seen the world.

  Lin Qiulü did not drink, as a guard, she should not have drunk. Among the Dragon and Phoenix Guards, except for the Dragon Commander, none of the others had drunk either. This was a place where the Emperor and his ministers were present, with a thousand-year-old corpse by their side, everyone was extremely cautious, fearing that something uncontrollable would happen. Unfortunately, Qin Xiaoling came to watch the commotion with the Emperor's permission, and not long ago, she had also greatly subdued the barbarian tribes, which made her a meritorious minister, so there was no reason to drive her away.

  The general did not come over to Qin Yifan's side in order to avoid suspicion, however he remained by the emperor's side, it is unknown whether or not he was speaking on Qin Yifan's behalf.

  This banquet, both the monarch and his ministers were very happy, only a few envoys of the barbarian tribes were somewhat depressed, but their emotions had long been ignored. Not as good as others, and also lost in military affairs, what's the reason to be happy?

  The excitement dispersed, but Long Tong led Qin Yifan to stay behind. Not long ago, the Emperor had an edict, letting Qin Yifan and Lin Qiulü and Qin Xiaoling stay behind for a private audience. Seeing them sitting calmly, the officials left without anything unusual. Today, Qin Yifan has made great achievements but hasn't received any specific rewards yet, and the Emperor's reward

  It won't be less, it's just not the kind of inappropriate promise of a thousand gold and jade treasures or a small official, or rewarding a pile of wealth, jewelry, women, silk, that everyone can accept.

  Everyone left, leaving only some eunuchs to clean up the mess. The emperor ordered someone to bring Qin Yifan and two others to the imperial study.

  "Hahaha! Today is really refreshing!" As soon as he entered the imperial study, he heard the emperor's somewhat reckless laughter, obviously in a very good mood, and freely venting his emotions in a place where there were no others around.

  Upon seeing Qin Yifan and the other two arrive under Long's escort, the Emperor's smile came to a halt: "Qin Gong, come here. It has been several years since we last met, hasn't it?"

  "It's been four or five years, Your Majesty." For some reason, when there were no outsiders around, Qin Yifan seemed less respectful to the Emperor than he was in front of many people. The casual tone of his speech caused both the Imperial Household Department's manager and Long Tongling, who had accompanied Qin Yifan into the palace, to change their expressions.

  "How dare you!" The Grand Chamberlain shouted, just about to continue scolding Qin Yifan, but was stopped by the Emperor's gentle wave of his hand: "It doesn't matter! We've been old friends for many years, there are no outsiders here, no need to be so formal."

  The emperor, who was already seated on the dragon throne, even got up and walked to the door of the imperial study. This left the eunuchs and the dragon guards stunned. What kind of person was Qin Yifan, anyway? Was there anyone else who could be so casual with the emperor? And yet, the emperor had actually risen to his feet to greet him.

  "Who is this?" Looking at Qin Xiaoling, the emperor's interest was greatly piqued. During the banquet, he could only gaze from afar, but now that he was close, he discovered that Qin Xiaoling was actually such a petite person: "Are you interested in becoming my guard?" Perhaps thinking that Qin Xiaoling was incredibly strong and also a woman, suitable for certain occasions, he began to poach Qin Yifan's talent right in front of him.

  Qin Yifan had already instructed Qin Xiaoling, no matter what she heard or saw, not to make any unusual moves. Qin Xiaoling was very obedient and stood firmly in place, without responding, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

  "Absolutely not!" Just then, Long Tongling spoke up. He now knew Qin Xiaoling's true identity and as the leader of the Dragon Phoenix Guard, responsible for the emperor's safety, he naturally had a duty to remind the emperor.

  "Ah?" The emperor was taken aback, looking at Long's tense expression. He thought about the previous request to bring a woman from outside the palace to watch the excitement, and realized that there were not many women who could make him so concerned. Suddenly, it dawned on him: "I see, I was too abrupt." However, he still couldn't help but take a look at Qin Xiaoling, wanting to see what this woman looked like, who had also moved Qin Yifan's heart. But Qin Xiaoling was completely covered in black veils, and nothing could be seen.

  No one dared to tell the Emperor about Qin Xiaoling's true identity, otherwise he would definitely become interested in cultivating Taoism. Even the secret of Longfengwei was just a mysterious school that protected the dragon clan and had nothing to do with cultivating Taoism in the eyes of the Emperor. They were afraid that the Emperor would forcibly make them cultivate techniques and violate the taboo of cultivators!

  "I'm delighted that you could come this time." The Emperor returned to the imperial desk and sat down, while Qin Yifan followed him over. Lin Qiulü and Qin Xiaoling, as well as the Director of the Imperial Household Department and the Dragon Guard Commander, were all waiting at the door without approaching.

  "The thing you gave me, I like it very much." Rubbing the seal and the bead, the emperor was very happy: "However, what is this bead? Why does it feel a bit cold to the touch?"

  "This is what they call a 'Dust-Free Night Pearl', within a radius of one square meter, not a speck of dust can be found. At night, it emits a light that's even brighter than a full moon, enough to read and write by. Moreover, this thing has another benefit, within a few meters, the air is cool and comfortable, and there are absolutely no mosquitoes buzzing around, making it perfect for use on hot summer days." Qin Yifan repeated almost verbatim what Lin Qiulü had said when introducing it to him: "It doesn't have much practical use, just something to make Your Majesty more comfortable."

  "Oh?" Knowing it's a good thing, ordinary things Qin Yifan wouldn't take out, but didn't expect to have such benefits. No wonder when drinking at the banquet before, just touching the coolness, it turned out to be a night pearl. To be honest, there are also night pearls in the palace, but they also have the effect of avoiding dust and insects, which is absolutely unique. With this, summer days can indeed be much more comfortable.

  "Alright, I accept your good intentions." The Emperor didn't stand on ceremony with Qin Yifan either: "However, the conditions I promised you can't be fulfilled that easily. I still have two more requests for you, and whenever you think of them, you can come to me to ask."

  Knowing it was this result, Qin Yifan didn't have any unexpected reactions. However, at the moment, there was something that needed the Emperor's help, and Qin Yifan wasn't polite about it at all, immediately bringing it up: "Your Majesty, I've encountered some problems in my martial arts training, and I'd like to ask for guidance from the greatest expert within the palace. Is that convenient?"