The First Marquis of Leisure

Everyone watched Bai Xinghe nervously, wondering how he would answer Ji Tiansheng's tricky question!

Bai Xinghe strode forward, his face calm and his voice strong and clear.

"Your Majesty, I have endured many hardships to enter Yan, solely because everyone in the land says that the Emperor of Great Yan is unconventional in his selection of officials, that the government is enlightened, and that peace and prosperity prevail!"

"My lifelong dream is to use the troops of Yan to raze the Zhao royal palace, kill the tyrannical and incompetent ruler Zhao Xing, and eliminate the traitor Li Taibei and his cronies!"

"To avenge my father, my Marquis's mansion, the Eighth Prince, and Elder Zhang and the others!"

"If Your Majesty does not employ me today, I will choose another country!"

Bai Xinghe's answer moved many ministers present.

Although he implied that I did not defend myself against the injustice, anyone could tell from his words.

The coup in the Zhao court had nothing to do with him; he was wronged!

"Ha!" Yuan Aofang sneered as soon as Bai Xinghe finished answering.

"Bai Xinghe, you are originally from Zhao, yet you abandoned even your own emperor and compatriots. This shows that you are a disloyal and unjust person, and the sons of Yan have always despised people like you!"

Bai Xinghe glanced at Yuan Aofang and said, "You have already lost your way, cruelly murdering people. What need is there for loyalty now?"

"One who receives the emperor's bounty must be loyal to him; this has always been the way of things. Does Lord Yuan have anything to say about this?"

Yuan Aofang held one of the Three Dukes, so naturally his eloquence was unparalleled.

"As you say, when the two countries go to war, as a citizen of Zhao, can you really bring yourself to do it? Can you really bear to watch countless people of Zhao die?"

"I can't bear it!" Bai Xinghe replied simply and decisively.

"Hehe!" Yuan Aofang laughed loudly.

"Your Majesty, you see this man has already confessed. This old minister suggests that he be expelled immediately and handed over to the Zhao state. This will also bring some convenience to my Great Yan."

Ji Tiansheng snorted coldly, feeling quite displeased upon hearing Bai Xinghe's reply.

"Bai Xinghe, what Minister Yuan said is not without merit. Since you harbor disloyal intentions, the Yan Kingdom's court is naturally not suitable for you!"

Qiu Qingtian, Li Chentian, and the others were on tenterhooks. They couldn't understand why Bai Xinghe would say such a thing and admit it!

"Your Majesty is wise!" Seeing Ji Tiansheng say this, Yuan Aofang's faction quickly seized the opportunity to speak.

"Guards!" A cold smile, barely perceptible to the others, flashed across Ji Tiansheng's lips.

"Immediately arrest Bai Xinghe, strip him of his title as top scholar, and expel him from Yan territory!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Li Chentian and Qiu Qingtian immediately knelt down and begged.

However, Ji Tiansheng's imperial power was unpredictable, and no one knew his true intentions.

Soon, armored soldiers arrived and surrounded Bai Xinghe.

Bai Xinghe remained calm as always, staring intently at Ji Tiansheng.

His intuition told him that this ruler, who had transformed the weak Yan Kingdom into the strongest power in the world in just ten years, was far more than he appeared.

There must be another intention, or rather, they are testing me!

"Your Majesty, wait!" Just then, a powerful voice rang out.

Attracted by the sound, everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

A strong, middle-aged man dressed in armor strode quickly toward them.

The newcomer was none other than General Ji Changzai of the Heavenly Strategy Army!

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Ji Changzai immediately showed an anxious attitude.

He had just received the news. He had originally instructed his confidant Qian Guanglu to recommend Hong Wuxiang, and if he failed to do so, he should not allow anyone from the Yuan family to take office.

Unexpectedly, the current top scholar, Bai Zhen, is actually Bai Xinghe.

Upon hearing this news, especially after learning about Bai Xinghe's theories on military strategy, he was astonished and immediately went to the palace, determined to protect him no matter what!

"Your Majesty, although I fought against Bai Tianque my entire life, we also respected each other. If it weren't for Bai Tianque's leniency back then, I would probably be dead many years ago!"

"I swore an oath before the tomb during the day that no matter what happens, I will ensure his bloodline continues to exist in the world!"

"Your Majesty, I beg you to spare Bai Xinghe for my sake!"

"General Ji, His Majesty has already spoken the truth. Do you want His Majesty to go back on his word?" Yuan Aofang didn't expect Ji Changzai to appear out of nowhere, so he also spoke up to refute.

"Lord Yuan, you are nothing but a scholar, what do you know?" Ji Changzai retorted sharply to Yuan Aofang without any politeness.

"General Ji, what do you mean by that?"

"Hmph!" Ji Changzai said coldly, "Do you think our Great Yan has expanded its territory and conquered all sides by relying on you scholars who sit in the court and spout empty words?"

"Your Majesty is wise; Bai Xinghe possesses the talent of a commander, which I cannot match!"

Ji Changzai's words were forceful and resounding, but they also struck the ears of others like thunder.

Everyone now knows that Bai Xinghe is exceptionally talented and unparalleled throughout history, but now Ji Changzai says that he also has the talent of a commander, which even he, the General of Tian Ce, is ashamed of!

"Heh!" Yuan Aofang sneered, "General Ji, aren't you going too far with your words?"

Ji Changzai glanced at Yuan Aofang and said, "I have heard of Bai Xinghe's theories on military strategy. Such theories are rare throughout history. I have only scratched the surface of them in my entire life!"

"Throughout history, those who excel in battle have not achieved great feats. I guarantee with my life that, given time, Bai Xinghe will surely become a renowned general, surpassing even his father!"

After Ji Chang finished speaking, even Ji Tiansheng was shocked.

It should be noted that Ji Changzai was the Heavenly Strategy General of the Yan Kingdom, and he conquered most of the Yan Kingdom's territory.

Ji Changzai has extremely high standards, and very few people can meet her expectations, but she never expected to have such a high opinion of Bai Xinghe!

This caused a barely perceptible smile to flash across Ji Tiansheng's lips again, as if everything was under his control.

"Bai Xinghe, today not only Dr. Li, but also Minister Qiu and Minister Ji have pleaded for you, showing their high regard for you!"

"In my opinion, although you are talented, you are not ruthless enough. A kind heart cannot command an army. If I were to appoint you as the Right Vice Minister of War, how could you possibly shoulder such a great responsibility!"

Bai Xinghe sighed; he hadn't expected to meet Ji Changzai again under these circumstances.

Ji Changzai was his benefactor, who had saved his life and had even personally visited his father's grave. She deserved his respect!

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said loudly, "Your Majesty, a general should be guided by nothing more than benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness!"

"War serves politics. As Lord Yuan said, if I, a citizen of Zhao, were to become a subject of Yan, and one day lead an army to attack Zhao, rivers of blood would surely flow!"

"Even if I were not a citizen of Zhao, I would still be compassionate and unable to bear the suffering of the people!"

"But now the world is divided into seven parts, and the wars have raged for centuries, resulting in even greater deaths and injuries!"

"To stop war with war, only by unifying the world can the suffering of the people from war be completely and permanently resolved!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Tiansheng's eyes lit up, and he made no attempt to hide his joy.

Many ministers noticed this subtle change.

"Stop war with war, and unify the world!"

Ji Tiansheng smiled and continued, "In your opinion, which country will ultimately unify the world?"

Bai Xinghe pondered for a moment, then said, "Wherever I reside, that country will unify the world!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was once again stunned!

"Ha, in all my decades of life, this is the first time I've seen someone as arrogant as you?"

"Bai Xinghe, do you think my Great Yan has no one left?"

"Bai Xinghe, if you are so capable, why did you flee to my Yan Kingdom?"

Yuan Aofang's faction immediately jumped on the bandwagon, launching various sarcastic, mocking, and questioning attacks.

Even Qiu Qingtian, Li Chentian, Ji Changzai and other ministers who supported him were quite surprised!

Ji Tiansheng waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

His eyes gleamed as he looked at Bai Xinghe, and it seemed that the ambition of an emperor had been awakened!

"I'd very much like to hear your analysis of the current state of affairs in the world."

Bai Xinghe's expression was calm, radiating confidence from within.

This was not arrogance on his part, but rather a display of knowledge ahead of his time. He believed that as long as a wise ruler was in power, it was not difficult to make a country strong!

"Your Majesty, Yan is currently the strongest state in the world. Zhao's weakness and destruction are only a matter of time. Zhou's government is controlled by powerful ministers!"

"Although the State of Chu is vast and rich in resources, it is plagued by numerous powerful clans, resulting in a fragmented imperial power. As for the Western Regions, they are nothing more than barbarians!"

"Now, the Great Yan is strong and well-equipped, with a powerful ruler like His Majesty overseeing it, and a capable and incorruptible official like Lord Qiu to rectify corruption!"

"With General Ji invincible in battle, all we need now is a strong army and a developed domestic economy. In three years, just three years, we will surely sweep across all nations and unify the world!"

"In summary, it boils down to six words: stockpile grain, and delay declaring oneself king. Three years later, we will surely be able to launch a war of unification and completely end the suffering of countless people from war!"

Bai Xinghe's eloquent theory left many ministers speechless.

No one in this era ever thought about unifying the world; they only knew how to conquer cities and seize territory.

Ji Tiansheng had clearly considered this, but he simply never mentioned it to his ministers.

Bai Xinghe's arrival was like a powder keg, completely igniting the emperor's ambition!

"Excellent, excellent, just what I wanted!"

This time, Ji Tiansheng no longer used his unfathomable imperial tactics, but instead made no attempt to conceal his approval and praise for Bai Xinghe.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Aofang's faction turned ashen-faced.

Li Chentian, Qiu Qingtian, and other ministers who supported him all showed joy on their faces.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The ministers shouted in unison.

Seeing this, Bai Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that after this day, his revenge would take another step forward!

"Your Majesty!" Yuan Aofang was still unwilling to give up and wanted to persuade him further.

But Ji Tiansheng's sinister glare made him swallow back the words he was about to say.

"By imperial decree, Fang Qingyun, the Minister of War, is old and frail and no longer capable of fulfilling his duties. He is hereby ordered to retire and return to his hometown!"

"The talent of the top scholar Bai Xinghe is unparalleled in the world, and he greatly pleases me. He shall be appointed as the new Minister of War, and Yuan Shao shall be appointed as the Right Vice Minister of War!"

As Ji Tiansheng issued his decree, all the ministers were utterly shocked!

Unexpectedly, Ji Tiansheng directly promoted Bai Xinghe to Minister of War and ordered Fang Qingyun to retire to his hometown!

This was something I had never considered before.

It's worth noting that even Qiu Qingtian back then didn't improve this quickly!

Yuan Aofang and his group turned pale, but they felt somewhat better after hearing that Yuan Benchu ​​had been appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Many ministers knelt down and kowtowed.

Bai Xinghe hadn't expected Ji Tiansheng to pull this stunt. As expected of an emperor, his power was unfathomable and unpredictable.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness in promoting me!"

Ji Tiansheng smiled and said, "Alright, my dear ministers, this matter is settled!"

After everything was arranged, Ji Tiansheng left with his guards, hands behind his back.