Chapter 31: What Kind of Move Is This?

Prince Dai received the letter and scanned it, his expression shifting instantly.

Observing the Prince’s reaction, Cai Qing hurriedly asked with a beaming smile, "My Lord, such a reaction—could it be good news?"

Prince Dai chuckled, waving the letter in his hand before explaining, "We must ensure our Emperor attends tomorrow's morning court session. The envoys from the Tang Kingdom have arrived again. While we don’t yet know their intentions, given our Emperor’s recent antics, I suspect the Tang Kingdom has come to demand an explanation, or perhaps even to declare war!"

The more he spoke, the more convinced he became, his face glowing with excitement. Cai Qing, ever shrewd, flashed a knowing look and immediately piled on the sycophantic praise and congratulations. Both men were men of action, and upon parting, they set out to maneuver Li Chen into attending the court.

...

The next day, the Imperial Study.

Following yesterday’s events, Li Chen’s mood had hit rock bottom. However, it was also because of those events that he had spent the entire night pondering, ultimately deciding to unveil his grand plan for gourmet cuisine today.

Sitting on the throne, Li Chen swept his gaze across the court, contemplating how to steer the conversation toward food. Before he could utter a word, however, the newly appointed Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial stepped forward.

The moment Li Chen caught sight of the Minister, his heart sank. A sense of foreboding washed over him. According to Bai Lian, countries were currently flocking to the Great Zhou to conduct trade. The Minister stepping forward now could only mean another wealthy fool was looking to "invest" in the Great Zhou.

"Minister, if it is nothing of great importance, there is no need to speak today!" Li Chen cut him off before he could begin.

The Minister wore a puzzled expression, but he quickly realized that the Emperor must have already read his official report. He bowed quickly to Li Chen. "Since Your Majesty does not wish to see the Tang envoys, I shall go and dismiss them at once, and have them return another day!"

With that, the Minister turned to leave. Li Chen, hearing the words "Tang envoys," suddenly perked up. He had been obsessing over how to ruin the nation's fortune all day and hadn't even looked at his reports, so he had completely misunderstood the situation.

*This must be because I humiliated their envoy last time,* he thought, *and now the Tang Kingdom is dissatisfied and wants to declare war. Why else would the Minister suddenly support my refusal to see them?*

Following this logic, Li Chen mentally mapped out the scenario. He assumed the Minister was trying to protect his reputation or feared the envoys might be disrespectful. He concluded that if he personally met with the Tang envoys, the ruin of the nation's fortune would be a certainty.

He shouted at the retreating Minister, "Wait! Since they are already here, let them in!"

Though startled, the Minister could only obey. Soon, the Tang envoys entered the Imperial Study, followed by several men struggling to carry a peculiar chest.

Seeing this, Li Chen grew even more delighted. Thanks to the various melodramas and novels he had consumed in his past life, he was convinced this was a plot by the Tang Kingdom to seek revenge. Perhaps the chest contained some bizarre object they intended to use to challenge the Great Zhou, and if he failed to identify it, they would declare war.

Without waiting for the envoy to speak, Li Chen scowled and barked, "Tang envoy, what is the meaning of this? Are you here to insult the Great Zhou?"

The previous envoy had been beaten, and though this was a new man, he was well aware of the incident. Hearing the Emperor’s question, he trembled and bowed, explaining his purpose. "Your Majesty, please do not misunderstand! That is not our intention at all! We are acting under the orders of our King to deliver a congratulatory gift to the Great Zhou!"

The mention of a "congratulatory gift" sparked curiosity among the ministers who were unaware of the situation. However, seated on the throne, Li Chen was secretly thrilled, certain his hypothesis was correct.

"The Great Zhou is vast and rich; what could you possibly have to give us? And for what reason would you offer a gift out of the blue?"

The envoy, terrified of Li Chen, skipped the pleasantries and stated the reason directly. "Your Majesty, our King says that your current reforms and the upcoming selection of imperial concubines are signs of a flourishing nation. Our country has received much favor from the Great Zhou, and we wish to express our desire for everlasting friendship! These are all local specialties of the Tang Kingdom; please, Your Majesty, do not refuse."

Before Li Chen could reply, the envoy bowed again and signaled for his men to leave.

This entire sequence left Li Chen and the ministers utterly bewildered. They exchanged blank stares, and finally, Li Chen broke the silence. "What exactly is the Tang Kingdom plotting? Someone, open the chest! Let me see what the King of Tang has sent!"

Li Chen appeared calm, but his heart was racing with excitement. He was convinced that the envoy's reaction proved there was something sinister inside. Once he opened the chest in front of everyone, it would surely cause a major incident, making it easy to destroy the nation's fortune.

To his utter shock, the moment he spoke, that accursed notification sounded in his mind:

[The Emperor has performed the act of a wise ruler, causing the Great Zhou’s national fortune to rise by 1000 points. Current total: 6050 points.]

[Friendly reminder: Based on the current rise in national fortune, 1 point of Bad Luck has been converted. Current Bad Luck value: 5.1. Once the Bad Luck gauge is full, the Emperor will suffer the Nine Heavens Lightning Tribulation!]

Li Chen was stunned. *Wasn't I supposed to ruin the nation's fortune? Weren't the Tang envoys here to provoke me? Why is the fortune increasing instead?*

Before he could process his thoughts, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial had already pried open the chest, gasping in awe. "This! This is the legendary sword Zhanlu! And these—these are priceless treasures! I never imagined the Tang Kingdom would be so generous!"

The other ministers crowded around. Upon seeing the contents of the chest, these seasoned officials were rendered speechless.

"Truly, the Emperor’s foresight is profound! The Tang Kingdom is so awestruck by his wisdom that they present such heavy tributes!"

"The Emperor is indeed the Emperor. Even faced with such treasures, he remains unmoved! Look, Your Majesty treats them as if they were nothing more than dirt!"

The ministers showered him with praise, acting like devoted fans. Li Chen, however, was on the verge of exploding. Just as he prepared to order someone to fetch the accursed Tang envoy back, a shout came from outside:

"Tang envoys, requesting an audience with His Majesty!"