Protect Our Patriarch

---

Inside the Imperial Palace, at the Western Garden Lake.

The lake is nearly circular in shape, with a vast surface spanning an average diameter of a hundred miles. From a distance, it appears as a boundless expanse of misty waves.

It is like a bright pearl embedded within Guilong City, yet enclosed by the massive palace walls, becoming Emperor Longchang's private "pond."

Within the palace, there are both lakes and mountains, showcasing its grand scale.

The water element spiritual energy within the Western Garden Lake is extremely abundant, gathering to form a visible spiritual mist. When the wind blows, it creates floating veils of mist over the lake, resembling a celestial lake that has descended to the mortal world.

Along the lakeside are clusters of waterside pavilions, grand and majestic, fully displaying the imperial family's style.

Such a vast complex is named "Lakeside Cottage," indicating that Emperor Longchang's taste is not particularly refined.

In front of the waterside pavilion.

Emperor Longchang, dressed in casual attire, is currently fiddling with an exquisite fishing rod.

The long fishing line is cast out over a mile away, and with skilled movements, he makes the lure twitch enticingly, as if saying to the carnivorous spirit fish in the lake, "Come and eat me~ come eat me."

It was full of allure.

Suddenly.

The tip of the rod dipped down.

"Got it!"

Emperor Longchang felt a thrill of joy, and with a swift jerk of the rod, he indeed hooked a big fish.

He happily began to reel it in.

"Your Majesty," at this time, Old Yao approached with small steps and reported in a low voice, "Wang Shouzhe has been brought here and is waiting outside the cottage. Shall I summon him...?"

"Let him wait," Emperor Longchang didn't even lift his head, "I'm busy fishing."

Old Yao rolled his eyes inwardly.

Your Majesty, you've been eager to meet Wang Shouzhe, even dropping all sorts of hints, and after failing, you issued a direct order for him to come "immediately." Now that he's here, you're making him wait... this isn't quite right.

"What? As a dignified emperor, I can't let him wait a bit when I'm angry?" Emperor Longchang snorted coldly, "Have you seen the mess he's caused? The waves he's stirred... even designating the imperial heir for us. I really must thank him!"

"Now that he's in the palace, he's like this fat fish that bit the lure, he's my dish, and he can't fly away."

"Considering what he's done to me, it's already giving him face that I haven't set up hundreds of axemen to ambush him."

The more Emperor Longchang spoke, the angrier he became. With a fierce jerk of the rod, he used too much force, and with a "crack," the fishing rod made from polished and connected purple spirit bamboo snapped.

The big fish regained its freedom, immediately leaping out of the water and swimming dozens of meters away, then diving towards the lake bottom with the rod in tow.

"This..." Old Yao's mouth twitched, exclaiming, "Your Majesty's cultivation, could it have reached the level of 'words follow the Dao'?"

"Uh..." Emperor Longchang's mouth twitched, turning back to glare at Old Yao, "Old Yao, don't think that just because you've served me for a thousand years, I won't slap you for being cheeky. Do you really think I can't tell you're mocking me?"

With that, he didn't make any visible movements, just a slight shift of his divine sense, and he locked onto the spirit fish that had escaped hundreds of meters away.

With a sweep and a flick of his divine sense, the several-hundred-pound spirit fish was lifted by an invisible force and landed on the waterside platform.

The fish still had the fishing line in its mouth, flapping its tail with a "who am I, where am I, what am I doing" dumbfounded look.

That look made the emperor even angrier.

With a slight movement of his divine sense, he removed the hook from its mouth, then kicked it back into the lake with a huff.

As a seasoned angler, he would rather starve than eat a fish he didn't catch himself.

"Old Yao, bring that rascal Wang Shouzhe here," Emperor Longchang said with a face full of resentment, "I want to ask him why the quality of the fishing rods from his family is so poor, causing me to lose the fish."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Old Yao accepted the order, secretly amused as he went to summon Wang Shouzhe.

In no time, he returned with Wang Shouzhe and the accompanying Commandery Prince An.

Seeing the emperor standing by the lake with his hands behind his back, pretending not to see them, Old Yao couldn't help but chuckle inwardly and subtly wink at Wang Shouzhe: "Wang Shouzhe, aren't you going to pay respects to His Majesty?"

"Your subject, Wang Shouzhe, head of the sixth-rank Wang's Clan of Changning, pays respects to Your Majesty." Wang Shouzhe clasped his hands together and bowed with proper etiquette.

Commandery Prince An, standing beside him, naturally also paid his respects as appropriate.

Only then did Emperor Longchang leisurely turn around and glance at Wang Shouzhe.

Wang Shouzhe was dressed in a white robe, exuding elegance, his demeanor as gentle as a spring breeze, standing there like a striking scene.

In comparison, not to mention the royal children, even the young men of the Daqian Wang's Clan, known for their looks and demeanor in Shangjing City, paled in comparison to him.

"Hmm, not bad looking, and the temperament is passable. No wonder he could father such outstanding children as Liyao and Zong'an," Emperor Longchang said insincerely, "though still a bit inferior to me in my youth."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's praise, your subject is overwhelmed with favor." Wang Shouzhe remained calm, his expression natural.

He had long known that His Majesty was thick-skinned, so he wasn't surprised.

He casually took out large bags of fruits and vegetables from the storage ring [Endless Abyss] and handed them to Old Yao: "Your subject knows that His Majesty lacks nothing and doesn't know what to present. These fruits and vegetables were grown by Shouzhe in his spare time, as a token of goodwill."

Fruits and vegetables?

Emperor Longchang's old face twitched.

You give an emperor a gift, and it's fruits and vegetables? Not to mention they were grown in your "spare time."

So you traveled all the way to Guilong City mainly to grow vegetables, and incidentally turned Guilong City upside down and confirmed the imperial heir?

He almost couldn't resist kicking Wang Shouzhe into the lake.

Fortunately, Emperor Longchang had lived for over three thousand years and had decent self-control. He quickly took a deep breath to suppress the urge to kick Wang Shouzhe and kept reminding himself.

Longchang, Longchang, you are a great emperor, you must have magnanimity and grandeur, lest Wang Shouzhe look down on you and secretly "discuss" the emperor behind your back.

"Alright, Old Yao, have someone take these to the imperial kitchen for processing, and later I'll have a drink with Shouzhe," Emperor Longchang said with a demeanor of "I am the emperor, I won't bicker with you."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Old Yao accepted the order and went to carry it out.

"Come, come, Shouzhe, have a seat," Emperor Longchang warmly invited Wang Shouzhe to sit at a chess table, speaking kindly like an elder, "Shouzhe, you are meticulous and full of wisdom, I imagine your chess skills are also quite refined. Come, let's have a match."

Wang Shouzhe's cheek twitched, thinking to himself, is His Majesty teasing me?

Wang Shouzhe's poor chess skills were already well-known in Guilong City.

This Emperor Longchang wasn't looking for a match; he was clearly full of resentment towards Wang Shouzhe and wanted to vent it, having no other outlet, so he found an excuse to play chess.

However, since the emperor invited him, Wang Shouzhe couldn't refuse, so he agreed: "Shouzhe accepts the invitation."

With that, he assumed a posture and began to play against Emperor Longchang.

Commandery Prince An watched with amusement.

Regardless of Shouzhe's chess skills, at least his posture was impeccable, looking every bit like a master.

Unfortunately, it was all surface, with no substance.

Shouzhe was purely a lousy chess player.

Sure enough.

After half a stick of incense, Emperor Longchang swept Wang Shouzhe off the board with the momentum of a gust of autumn wind.

"Refreshing!"

Emperor Longchang felt as if he had just drunk a cup of chilled celestial wine on a scorching summer day, feeling completely invigorated, with much of his previous frustration dissipated.

As a result, when he looked at Wang Shouzhe again, he found him less irritating and even somewhat pleasing to the eye.

"Your Majesty's chess skills are superb, Shouzhe concedes defeat."

Wang Shouzhe didn't mind losing at chess; after all, he was used to losing. With his chess skills, he could only bully someone like Wang An'nan.

"Shouzhe, don't be modest. I find your chess skills quite decent. Come, let's have another match."

Such a satisfying activity couldn't end with just one round.

Emperor Longchang's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Soon, they began a second game.

Having gauged Wang Shouzhe's chess skills, the emperor played with new tactics, initially feigning weakness, then luring the opponent in, and finally delivering a decisive blow, leaving Wang Shouzhe utterly bewildered.

"Oh dear~ Shouzhe, you see, you were careless, weren't you? One wrong move and the whole game is lost. Come, let's have another round, I'll give you a chance to turn the tables." Emperor Longchang was already beaming, feeling exhilarated.

Bullying other lousy players was one thing, but bullying Wang Shouzhe was entirely different.

Emperor Longchang felt that even if he bullied Wang Shouzhe a thousand times, he wouldn't tire of it.

An hour passed.

Two hours passed...

At first, Commandery Prince An watched with interest, but soon he grew drowsy. Eventually, he went out for a stroll and returned, only to find Emperor Longchang still enthusiastically playing chess with Wang Shouzhe, bullying him.

Helpless, Commandery Prince An went out for another stroll.

It wasn't until evening, when the imperial kitchen delivered various delicacies, that Emperor Longchang, having bullied Wang Shouzhe dozens of times, finally stopped, albeit reluctantly.

He patted Wang Shouzhe on the shoulder: "Shouzhe, overall, your chess skills are quite good, just a bit inferior to mine."

"Don't be discouraged, don't be discouraged. Play with me more often, and your chess skills will improve rapidly."

To leave room for future opportunities to bully Wang Shouzhe, Emperor Longchang insincerely praised his chess skills.

Commandery Prince An looked at Wang Shouzhe with sympathy.

After all, Shouzhe had offended His Majesty while planning for him, leading to this "revenge." If given the chance, he would certainly compensate Shouzhe properly.

Soon, the imperial chefs and guards set up a homely banquet on the waterside platform.

Emperor Longchang, having thoroughly enjoyed bullying Wang Shouzhe, warmly invited him to have a drink, with Commandery Prince An accompanying them.

Among the dishes brought by the imperial kitchen, a small portion was made from the spiritual fruits and vegetables Wang Shouzhe had brought, while the majority were carefully prepared delicacies from the imperial kitchen.

After all, he was the Lingxu Emperor, and although the meal was "homely," it was still quite impressive. Emperor Longchang even prepared several seventh-grade gourmet dishes for Wang Shouzhe, as compensation for the dozens of rounds he had bullied him.

"Shouzhe's gardening skills are quite good," Emperor Longchang remarked, raising an eyebrow in surprise after tasting a couple of bites of the vegetables.

Although they were just ordinary spiritual vegetables, with nothing special about the variety, their flavor was richer than usual, with a better texture.

"If Your Majesty likes them, Shouzhe can regularly offer them as tribute," Wang Shouzhe said modestly, "If they can be branded as tribute, these fruits and vegetables will surely sell well."

"Haha, it's settled then," Emperor Longchang laughed and praised, "Shouzhe, you truly live up to your reputation as a financial genius, seizing every opportunity to make money. Come, come, this wine is also tribute wine, produced by a sixth-rank family in Tianfu Commandery."

"Excellent wine, excellent wine."

Wang Shouzhe, not one to indulge in alcohol, took a couple of sips and couldn't help but praise it.

Indeed, it was a rare nectar, even better than the wine Wang's Clan currently sold.

Indeed, one must not underestimate this world. After all, humanity had been developing in this world for so long, with many families possessing various secret techniques.

"If Shouzhe likes it, take some back to enjoy slowly," Emperor Longchang said warmly.

At this moment, he acted like a kind "elder," as if he wasn't the one who had just bullied Wang Shouzhe.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Wang Shouzhe didn't refuse.

After three rounds of drinks.

As they chatted, the sense of unfamiliarity between them gradually dissipated.

After a few more drinks, Emperor Longchang's face became even more flushed: "Shouzhe, you have the ability to discern the truly outstanding imperial heir between Commandery Prince Kang and Commandery Prince An. Your ability to judge people is remarkable. Today, after a few drinks, with no outsiders present, why not give an evaluation of me?"

Old Yao, listening nearby, couldn't help but roll his eyes.

His Majesty was indeed as petty as ever, ready to settle old scores.

He subtly winked at Wang Shouzhe, reminding him not to fall for it.

Wang Shouzhe, being a clever person, immediately caught on and respectfully bowed: "Your Majesty is the esteemed emperor, how could Shouzhe dare to evaluate Your Majesty?"

Hmph!

Wang Shouzhe, you brat, haven't you privately criticized me enough?

Don't think I don't know that when you were back in Changning Garrison, after a few drinks with Long Wuji, you didn't evaluate me from head to toe?

Emperor Longchang sneered inwardly, secretly mocking and muttering, but outwardly he put on a magnanimous demeanor and said, "It's alright, it's alright, I've lived for thousands of years, what haven't I seen, and what haven't I heard? Feel free to evaluate, I won't punish you for speaking your mind."

"Do I need to issue a special decree for you? Hahaha~~"

"This..."

With the emperor saying this much, Wang Shouzhe found it hard to refuse.

He pondered for a moment and said, "If I speak poorly, Your Majesty truly won't blame me?"

"Of course not. I am a dignified emperor, and my word is my bond."

Emperor Longchang waved his hand grandly, exuding an air of "firm and trustworthy," while secretly adding in his mind.

Hehe~ Wang Shouzhe, you brat, if you indeed speak poorly, I naturally won't blame you.

But if you dare to spout nonsense, speak insincerely, and flatter me without principle, don't blame me for catching you on it.

Hmph~~ I remember every word you privately criticized me with.

"Since Your Majesty has spoken, Shouzhe will shamelessly say a few words." Wang Shouzhe pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty is powerful in martial arts, brave in battle, and extremely skilled in military governance. Your military achievements are outstanding, not only repeatedly achieving success on the outer region battlefield but also single-handedly opposing two empires with the strength of the Great Qian alone."

"Such talent, even in the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, would surely be a renowned legion commander, perhaps even a grand marshal."

These words were pleasing and reasonable.

Emperor Longchang enjoyed Wang Shouzhe's flattery, feeling secretly delighted, while also inwardly sneering.

Wang Shouzhe, you are indeed a vulgar person, only daring to criticize me behind my back, not daring to say it to my face.

I'll let you finish your flattery, enjoy this wave, and then punish you for speaking insincerely.

At that time, whether to round you or flatten you will be up to me.

Wang Shouzhe, unaware of the emperor's thoughts, paused for a moment and continued, "Your Majesty is also highly skilled in expansion. During your reign, not only has the territory increased by more than double, but the population has also flourished, making you a rare expansionist ruler."

"Well said, well said~" Emperor Longchang wore a face of enjoyment, "Shouzhe, you truly understand me, feel free to say more."

"However..." Wang Shouzhe paused and continued, "Precisely because Your Majesty is skilled in warfare and loves achievements, after ascending the throne, you vigorously supported the military, forming a complete military system from army construction to military families."

"Many families, in order to gain Your Majesty's policy support, turned to the military, becoming military families, with generations serving as soldiers."

"Hmm?" Emperor Longchang's expression froze, "And what's wrong with that? Ordinary families assist in managing and developing local areas, while military families focus on military matters, complementing each other."

"In broad strategic terms, there's indeed no major issue. But most military families don't engage in production, relying solely on guard taxes, commandery taxes, and national taxes for support. And Your Majesty has always been generous to military families, leading to an increasingly bloated military over time. As a result, a large portion of the taxes collected from various regions has to be allocated to maintain military expenses, leaving little for local governance and development. Your Majesty's actions have a hint of 'excessive militarism.'"

Emperor Longchang's face darkened, about to retort, "Wang Shouzhe, are you teaching me how to rule?" But then he remembered that he had asked for this and promised not to punish him for speaking his mind.

Reluctantly, he coldly retorted, "Shouzhe, your words are mistaken. The Great Qian faces many external threats, and the outer region battlefield requires military presence. Without increased military investment, how can we deter the enemy?"

"Your Majesty, the outer region battlefield is a shared responsibility of humanity, let's not discuss that for now. Just speaking of the Western Jin and Southern Qin, Your Majesty's ability to oppose two with one seems impressive, but why not ally with one to fight the other? Even if that's not possible, at least divide their cooperation. Moreover, what is the purpose of Your Majesty's wars?"

"Naturally, it's to make them submit to the Great Qian," Emperor Longchang's temper began to rise, "Without a strong army, how can we conquer them?"

"Your Majesty's words are certainly reasonable. But training an army and waging war both cost money. Without abundant financial resources, how can we win battles?" Wang Shouzhe spoke eloquently, "Even Commandery Prince Kang knows to first engage in smuggling and embezzlement to earn money, then go to the outer region battlefield. This way, soldiers will fight fearlessly for him, achieving victory after victory."

"Wang Shouzhe, are you saying I'm inferior to Commandery Prince Kang?" Emperor Longchang's eyebrows shot up.

"Not quite, Your Majesty is still stronger than Commandery Prince Kang..."

"Stronger?" The emperor raised an eyebrow.

"Your Majesty often wages war over matters of pride. For example, when the Western Jin Emperor spoke disrespectfully, you immediately sent troops, only to return after they issued a national apology..."

"I'd like to ask, after gaining the upper hand, why not demand territory and reparations from the Western Jin? Even if they refuse, at least make them pay tribute annually."

"This way, the Western Jin would lose resources and national strength each year, while the Great Qian could earn military funds to maintain the army."

Emperor Longchang's face twitched, seething with anger: "You know nothing, the areas bordering us and the Western Jin are impoverished, with neither fields nor mines, what use are those places? Annual tribute is impossible. The Western Jin would fight us to the death."

"Your Majesty, I was just giving an example. In any case, winning a war should come with benefits, right?" Wang Shouzhe said "honestly," "At the very least, we should gain an advantage in trade tariffs, such as exempting our Great Qian's specialty products from taxes and introducing them into the Western Jin, both to make money and to squeeze out domestic competitors in the Western Jin..."

"Merchant's words." Emperor Longchang's eyelids twitched a few times, then spoke frankly, "We don't have products better than theirs, rather we must guard against them coming to the Great Qian and disrupting our trade system."

"These words prove that Your Majesty is skilled in warfare but not in governance, with a tendency to seek grand achievements." Wang Shouzhe spoke frankly.

Grand achievements!

This brat actually dared to say those four words to his face...

Emperor Longchang almost spat out old blood, pointing at him in anger: "You, you, you... dare to criticize me like this?"

"Your Majesty... it was you who asked Shouzhe to speak. Shouzhe isn't good at lying." Wang Shouzhe looked innocent, "If Your Majesty wants to stop, I, I will be silent."

"Don't... stop." Emperor Longchang panted, saying angrily, "Continue. I want to hear what other insights you have."

"Your Majesty appoints military family members as city guards and commandery governors, blurring the lines between military and civil governance," Wang Shouzhe continued, "The development of a region requires dedicated personnel to manage and govern, while the responsibilities of city and commandery governors are more about military protection, not ruling a region..."

"How can a city guard from a military family, transferred every twenty or thirty years, have the sincerity and ability to develop the local economy? This government structure is truly absurd~"

"You, you, you, are you saying I'm a muddle-headed ruler?" Emperor Longchang's face turned white and red.

"I'm not saying Your Majesty is a muddle-headed ruler. However, Shouzhe believes that economic strength leads to military strength. Your Majesty should allocate some energy to consider how to develop the local economy. For example, recently, Commandery Governor Taishi Ankang of Longzuo Commandery presented a development plan to Your Majesty, but Your Majesty repeatedly rejected it due to personal preferences... showing disdain for the word 'economy.'" Wang Shouzhe said earnestly.

"Alright, alright~ What else?" Emperor Longchang's eyes were practically spitting fire, "Speak! I command you to speak the truth!"

"Your Majesty was too stern in youth, but now in old age, you're too kind-hearted and soft, and not skilled in family governance," Wang Shouzhe spoke frankly, "Recently, princes, commandery princes, and even ordinary royals have been involved in various scandals. While the main reason is their misconduct, ultimately, Your Majesty bears responsibility for lax discipline..."

"And..."

"Wait!" Emperor Longchang, his face flushed, raised a hand to stop him.

"Does Your Majesty want me to be silent? I can comply." Wang Shouzhe respectfully bowed.

"No, no, I just need to catch my breath first." Emperor Longchang glared angrily at Old Yao, "Old Yao, are you blind? Didn't you see the old soul injury I suffered in my youth acting up? Where's my calming treasure pill?"

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, please rest first."

Old Yao reacted quickly, immediately taking out a treasure pill and feeding it to Emperor Longchang, then glaring at Wang Shouzhe, "Shouzhe, you're really inconsiderate, knowing that His Majesty has a hidden soul injury, yet you don't hold back. Let's end today's evaluation here."

What?

His Majesty has a hidden soul injury?

Wang Shouzhe looked puzzled.

He had never heard of this information.

"Alright, let's end it here for today." Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands.

Emperor Longchang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, if you keep scolding, I'll die on the spot.

He immediately put on a weak appearance, "weakly" saying, "Thank you, Shouzhe, for your understanding. However, this doesn't mean I don't listen to others. In fact, Shouzhe's words are quite thought-provoking, truly golden advice. It's just a pity that my health today... sigh~"

"If Your Majesty wishes to hear more, I can write down today's words and compile them into a book for Your Majesty to read at leisure," Wang Shouzhe said "considerately," "If necessary, I can delay returning to reunite with my wife and stay in the capital for a while. Your Majesty can summon Shouzhe for evaluation at any time."

Thank you very much!

Emperor Longchang almost spat out old blood.

Wang Shouzhe, do you really want me to die early?

---