Final.

The accusations against Rock State have been temporarily shelved due to lack of substantial evidence.

As for Lin Wen's accusations against Rock State, they will be handled separately and also considered shelved.

Lin Wen was truly furious, after all the hard work, this was the outcome.

Is the Governor of Rock State a complete idiot?

I brought over forty thousand people, fought on your territory for three days, annihilated over a hundred thousand troops, and took away tens of thousands of tons of food. And all you managed to do was this.

Then you sent this useless envoy to come and make a joke of it.

In this one-sided situation, I can't even use my second plan.

Do you know how much effort I wasted?

Fine!

I'll remember you, Governor of Rock State, you're useless. You can only be a transporter of goods, a collector of good karma, but you cannot be an ambassador of reincarnation.

The inquiry from the highest council quickly ended, and the envoy from Rock State left with a gloomy expression.

Just as the even gloomier Lin Wen was about to leave, he was stopped by the Imperial Garrison Commander.

"Sheriff Lin, the Grand Elder wants you to stay."

"Oh."

Lin Wen responded listlessly and returned to the meeting hall.

The gazes of the five rulers on the high platform were all focused on him, and the substantial pressure felt like a mountain, at least that's how the emcee felt.

Lin Wen suppressed the urge to yawn, restrained the impulse to chop them all up and forcibly reincarnate them, and asked, "Is there something you need?"

The emcee was about to erupt in anger, but the Grand Elder on the platform suddenly spoke.

"Young man, we know it was your troops."

Lin Wen was instantly overjoyed, his expression brightening.

"That's great... I mean, I didn't do it."

Another Grand Elder said, "Young man, put away your cleverness."

Another Grand Elder spoke, "Playing cat and mouse with us is useless in our eyes."

"Your political acumen is high," the last Grand Elder concluded, "You are very clever and resourceful, but in our eyes, you are still at the level of a child."

"However."

The Emperor at the top smiled and said in a gentle voice:

"To dare to do such a thing, it not only requires a clever mind, but also courage, boldness, and most importantly, an unyielding spirit and a heart for the people."

Joy vanished from Lin Wen's face, and he realized something was wrong.

"You, as the Sheriff of Changshan County, have taken in over 70% of the Empire's refugees, providing them with shelter, medical care, clothing, food, and even dignity."

"That's truly remarkable."

A bright smile finally burst from the Emperor's face.

"Young people nowadays."

"This is the blessing of His Majesty," the Grand Elder said, "The blessing of the Empire."

Lin Wen's face fell, realizing that they were just here to play with him. He had rushed over so eagerly, only to be disappointed.

I just wanted to reincarnate, is that so difficult?

"But."

This turning point in the conversation changed the tone from before, giving Lin Wen a glimmer of hope.

"This is not the reason you can flagrantly violate the Empire's ban."

"You must be punished."

"If you cannot fulfill our punishment, it is still a capital offense!"

Lin Wen was instantly overjoyed, could there still be a chance for a turnaround?

"That's great... I mean, I accept any punishment from the highest council."

A Grand Elder snorted coldly.

"Young man, don't be too happy too soon."

"Our punishment is severe, and will not be lightened because you have taken in so many refugees."

"The sanctity of the Empire is paramount, and the dignity of the highest council is at the core of the Empire's sanctity."

"Mm-hmm." Lin Wen urged eagerly, "Just say it, I accept any punishment, no matter what it is."

He emphasized the word "punishment," hoping they would give him an impossible task.

A layer of frost covered the face of the Grand Elder, and his voice turned cold.

"The Empire's front-line battles are not going well, the direct cause is a lack of cannonballs. There are a total of five hundred and twenty thousand cannons on the Zezhou front line, and now half of them are inoperable. The Papal States are still conscripting the brainwashed peasants from the Burnt Heaven Sect to waste our cannonballs."

"Therefore, we need you to provide thirty million standard cannonballs within a month."

Lin Wen's heart shook, this sounded like it might have potential.

"Of course, considering your difficulties..."

Explore the extended edition on pawread dot com.

Hey, don't consider anything.

"We will conscript some production lines to Changshan County..."

No way, are you kidding me?

"And we will provide you with enough gunpowder..."

Bang!

Lin Wen slammed the table, countless eyes instantly focused on him. The intensified [No Colorful Phoenix] was frantically alerting him, while also reminding him with a vague sense of convulsions that this was a malicious death trap.

"That's... that's great!"

Lin Wen forcibly swallowed the vulgar words in his mouth, gritted his teeth and said, "This is the moment I've been dreaming of, to serve the Empire..."

He directly activated the Seven Apertures Linglong Heart and refused to speak any further.

After a moment, under the slightly satisfied gaze of the Grand Elder, Lin Wen was escorted out of the meeting room.

Lin Wen was so frustrated he felt like he was going to vomit blood. He had just used the [Guidance of the Immortals] to inquire, and the answer only consumed 260% of his primordial spirit, reduced by half to only 130%.

This proved that this matter was not very difficult for him, and with a little effort, he could complete it.

What a loss!

Lin Wen was furious, and just as he was about to return, he was surrounded by a group of royal guards in golden dragon-patterned robes, just as dangerous as the Imperial Garrison Commander.

Lin Wen felt a little nervous: "Oh no, I don't have much primordial spirit left, and my Daoist state hasn't fully recovered. Could there be danger? If I'm murdered, what kind of death would it be?"

A royal guard stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Sheriff Lin, His Majesty requests your presence."

It seemed that Lin Wen couldn't refuse, so he had to go with them.

The Imperial Palace was located at the top of the Emperor's Tower, divided into three layers, and the Emperor was waiting for him in the third layer's royal garden area.The royal guards took Lin Wen on a secret elevator to the royal garden area.

As the door opened, Lin Wen almost thought he had traveled to the outskirts.

Outside the elevator door was a beautiful scene of mountains and clear water, shimmering in the sunlight.

A man in imperial robes, the Emperor of the Empire, was waiting for him in a small pavilion.

Seeing Lin Wen's arrival, he showed a friendly smile.

"Hello, young Sheriff of Changshan County, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am the Emperor of the Empire, Li Longxing."

The Emperor's simple words gave the impression of a casual meeting, like a company boss meeting a well-known employee.

Lin Wen was slightly surprised, but he had no interest in speaking and directly activated the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart.

But before he could say anything, Li Longxing's words made Lin Wen shut down his heart.

"I convinced the elders to give up the death sentence they had imposed on you."

Damn!

So it was you!

Lin Wen's face was about to split, and his eyes almost shot out fire.

No wonder he passed the test so easily.

The elders seemed to be just going through the motions, as if the outcome had already been decided, and everyone was just going through the motions.

Why does every world have the same behavior? If you have a result, tell me in advance, okay?

If I had known, I wouldn't have come, and I wouldn't have waited so long for nothing.

Li Longxing saw Lin Wen trembling all over and extremely excited, and said with a smile, "You're welcome."

Lin Wen took three deep breaths in a row to stabilize his emotions, thinking that his cultivation was still too shallow and his state of mind was too poor.

This setback was just a small obstacle on his path to becoming a great emperor, just a small experience in the mortal world.

Hmph, you can go far away. The Lord of the Great Dao can come later, and I can go back to earn more good karma and cleanse the bad karma, so I can have a healthier next life.

"Because I was going to do that in the first place," Li Longxing continued.

"You were willing to take such a big risk for the refugees, and even resorted to leading troops to seize food. This kind of great righteousness and boldness is truly unprecedented."

"And there are still some petty people in the Empire who are causing trouble. If such a hero falls, there will be no glory in the world, and there will be no justice in the world. Those who still have a trace of kindness will be even more afraid to act, and even more disheartened."

"So, with fewer good people, there will be more bad people, and the evil will grow longer, and the Empire will inevitably slide into the abyss."

"So."

Li Longxing smiled.

"You are indispensable."

Lin Wen fell silent.

He never expected such a thing. It seemed that this failure was not accidental, but inevitable.

From the moment he planned to lead the troops, the outcome was already determined.

I underestimated the situation.

Lin Wen thought to himself that with the right timing, location, and people, it would be a miracle to succeed.

Learn from your mistakes and choose a path that is not subject to human will, one that is foolproof and certain to lead to death, and you can achieve a perfect reincarnation.

Lin Wen's mood improved a little.

The two of them walked along the lakeside path, and the royal garden was indeed beautiful and charming.

Li Longxing chatted with the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart for a while, feeling very familiar with the child, and then turned to the main topic.

"You have managed the refugee camp of eight million people in an orderly manner, proving that your organizational and management skills are very strong, so I fought for this task for you."

Lin Wen covered his eyes, realizing it was him again.

Listening to Li Longxing continue, "The production of these shells is actually quite simple. The shells are machine-processed, and the remaining processes, such as loading ammunition, installing firing devices, fuses, safety devices, and launching charges, can all be done manually."

"If you can organize these eight million refugees, it won't be difficult to produce thirty million shells within a month."

"The most difficult part of this task lies in organization, and your organizational skills are the strongest, so I fought for this task for you."

Lin Wen gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you very much."

Li Longxing smiled and said, "You're welcome."

To avoid a mental explosion, Lin Wen activated the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart again.

Listening to Li Longxing continue, "But you can't be too careless. You need to install the production line in a very short time and then work at full capacity. We will provide the gunpowder, but you need to solve the iron ore yourself, as well as the firing devices, fuses, safety devices, and launching charges. I suggest you buy these components ready-made."

The Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart agreed one by one.

As they walked and talked, they arrived at the Lake Pavilion Garden. Li Longxing had a lot to say, and he used up all the time of the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart.

Now that his Daoist state was not at its peak, Lin Wen was unwilling to use spells, so he had to take action himself, even though it was just a matter of nodding and agreeing, something even a fool could do.

After a while, Li Longxing suddenly changed the subject.

"What do you think of the parliamentary system?"

Lin Wen had long been in a state of spiritual detachment from the boring conversation, focusing on cultivating immortality, and instinctively replied, "It's a stupid, garbage system."

The atmosphere between the two of them suddenly dropped to freezing point, but Lin Wen seemed unaware.

Listening to this answer, which was exactly the same as his daughter's, Li Longxing felt a chill spreading in his heart.

Had the imperial system already taken root in people's hearts?

He was actually a staunch supporter of the imperial system, hiding it very deeply.

But he was not about to give up, and asked again, "Why?"

"What does the parliamentary system have to do with the common people?"

This was a highly provocative answer, and Li Longxing's mind worked very quickly, and he quickly understood what Lin Wen meant.

He immediately retorted, "This can be compensated for by the system! We can..."

"Who pays for the election?"

In an instant, with one sentence, Li Longxing's grand plans all collapsed.

He immediately understood that the people in the parliamentary system were actually the nobles.

Mass elections would inevitably require a huge amount of money.

Who would pay?

The Empire?Impossible. If the empire pays, there will inevitably be a throng of followers.

Any act of defining qualifications is bound to be unfair, biased, and exploitable.

But if everyone were to choose at once, the empire would go bankrupt immediately.

The empire cannot pay.

Thus, the remaining answer is already on the verge of revelation.

Therefore.

This system is still equivalent to a noble parliamentary system; compared to the current system of the empire, there is no essential difference.

As Li Longxing's worldview collapsed, he also developed a trace of incomprehensible curiosity towards Lin Wen.

He was able to hit the nail on the head with such concise language, clearly indicating a profound understanding of the system.

"What system do you think is reasonable?" Li Longxing couldn't help but ask.

"The people..."

Halfway through his sentence, Lin Wen suddenly came to his senses and corrected himself.

"I believe that, given the national conditions of the empire, we should first strictly manage the officialdom, clarify the principles of promotion and demotion, break up the nepotism in the bureaucracy, lower the barriers for the commoners of the empire to enter public service, strengthen media oversight, and cage the power."

Hearing the last sentence, Li Longxing laughed.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Lin Wen suddenly became excited, "If I'm not mistaken, first lend me a few hundred..."

"Huai Xuan was right; I believe you can change her."

Li Longxing patted his shoulder, speaking with a face full of emotion.

"The First Princess is in your hands now."