The hotpot lasted for nearly two hours. The eight of them ate nearly 30 plates of mutton and almost finished Lin Chen's stock.
Lin Chen's heart ached.
"Are you all full?" Lin Chen looked at Li Er and the others and asked.
Cheng Yaojin patted his belly and said in satisfaction,""I'm full. I haven't eaten so much in a long time. Mr. Lin, your hotpot is really delicious.”
"Hehe, as long as you're satisfied." Lin Chen looked at Lin Zixuan." Xuanxuan, calculate the money. Let them pay for it later."”
"Ah?" Cheng Yaojin was stunned." You want more money? Didn't Old Master give it to you?”
"That's the room fee. The meal fee will be calculated separately." Lin Chen pursed his lips." Aren't the prices of food very expensive now? If you guys eat so much and don't give me money, can I afford it?”
"Then…how much is it?"
"I've calculated. It's about 200 taels of silver."”
"Two hundred taels?" Cheng Yaojin stood up immediately." Why don't you rob them? Two hundred taels is enough for an ordinary person to live for a year. There must be a surplus."”
Lin Zixuan pouted." This is the price of my house. If you think it's too expensive, give it back to me!"”
Cheng Yaojin was about to cry. I've already eaten it, how am I going to return it to you? Could it be that he spat it out?
"Master, why don't we leave?" Cheng Yaojin walked to Li Er's side and whispered,""This is an illegal shop. If we continue to stay here, I reckon that our pants will be left behind.”
Li Er was not in the mood to pay attention to Cheng Yaojin. He looked at Lin Chen and asked with a frown,"Mister Lin, what did you mean by that?”
"Could it be that His Majesty's edict of self-sin is really just a joke?”
Lin Chen pursed his lips." What else?”
"Do you really think that this storm is some kind of punishment from the gods?”
Li Eryi was stunned." Isn't that so?”
"Haha." Lin Chen sneered," You ancient people are really pedantic.”
Ancient people? What did he mean? Is it us?
Li Er didn't understand, but he didn't want to ask this question either. The self-reproaching edict was a big deal.
"Mister Lin, if you don't mind my stupidity, please enlighten me.”Li Er cupped his fists and bowed politely.
Lin Chen thought for a moment." Alright, since I have nothing better to do, I'll talk to you since you're so sincere.”
"Thank you, Mister Lin." Li Er was very excited.
Lin Chen looked at Lin Zixuan and her siblings." Xuanxuan, pack up. After you're done, if there's nothing else, you can go play in the house with your siblings.”
"I'll chat with Old Yellow for a while."
"Yes, Father." Lin Zixuan nodded.”
Then, Lin Zixuan looked at Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong." Don't be idle. Clean up with me. Don't just sit there after eating. You're so lazy."”
Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong were extremely depressed. They were the Duke of the Great Tang, after all. How could they be expected to clean up the house?
At this moment, Li Er looked over. Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong stood up obediently and helped Lin Zixuan clean up the table.
Great! I finally understand that I, the Duke, am nothing in this family!
What a bitter life!
……
In front of the window, Lin Chen and Li Er were sitting side by side at a tea table. Fang Xuanling was behind them.
Li Er cupped his fists." Please enlighten me, Mr. Lin."”
Lin Chen waved his hand." I can't say that I want to teach you. I'll just tell you my opinion.”
"Where were we? Oh, right, speaking of you guys being pedantic, aren't you?”
"Actually, I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about the officials in the court and those civil and military officials.”
"The storm is a natural and man-made disaster. How can it be resisted by humans?”
"If the Self-Condemning Edict was effective, then the previous dynasties of the Great Tang would not have perished.”
"If anything happens, can't you just issue an edict to punish yourself?”
Li Er deeply agreed. He didn't want to issue this self-reproaching edict in the first place. It was all forced by the civil and military officials.
Just as Lin Chen had said, what did natural and man-made disasters have to do with him, the emperor?
Why should he issue an edict to apologize?
"Mister Lin, why do you think His Majesty issued such an edict?”
Li Er seemed to have found a soulmate and wanted to hear Lin Chen's opinion of him.
Lin Chen took a sip of tea and said indifferently,"How would I know what the current Emperor is thinking?"”
"However, I'm guessing that His Majesty must be feeling aggrieved.”
"He shouldn't have taken the initiative to issue this self-reproaching edict.”
Li Er was even more excited. That's right, I was forced.
Lin Chen continued," The weather is torrential and the price of food is skyrocketing. The people are in dire straits and will naturally complain.”
"In order to stabilize the regime, the Imperial Court must find someone to take the blame.”
"If it were any other prefecture or county, the ones who would be blamed would be the parents.”
"However, the famine in Chang 'an is bound to be blamed on His Majesty.”
"Actually, I feel that the current Emperor is also quite aggrieved. He has raised all the civil and military officials in the court, and each of them eats their salaries so well.”
"But at the critical moment, none of them are useful. We can only push the emperor to take the blame.”
"This is a typical example of a person eating his own food and not doing anything else!”
Fang Xuanling, who was behind them, was trembling. Master Lin, you really dare to say that.
I beg you, please show mercy. Otherwise, I'm going to lose my life.
When Li Er had issued the edict to punish himself, Fang Xuanling had also submitted a memorial.
If Li Er really blamed him, he would not be able to escape.
"Take the blame, what a good scapegoat!" Li Eryi slammed the table." Hearing Mr. Lin's words is like being enlightened!”
"So the civil and military officials wanted to make His Majesty take the blame to cover up their incompetence.”
"Old Fang, don't you think so?"
Fang Xuanling almost slipped under the table as cold sweat poured down his face.
"Mister Lin, what you said isn't entirely correct.”
"His Majesty is the Son of Heaven and can reach the celestial heavens. This self-reproaching edict is just a way to communicate with the celestial heavens. If it can move the celestial heavens, the famine will naturally be resolved.”
Fang Xuanling hurriedly defended himself. If this continued, he would really lose his head.
"Hehe, is that so?" Lin Chen chuckled." If that's the case, why is the storm still coming?”
"His Majesty has issued a decree to punish himself and has also burned the memorial tablet to worship the heavens. According to your logic, the storm should have stopped.”
" This…" Fang Xuanling was speechless. He scratched his head anxiously." Maybe he's not sincere enough?"”
"What is considered sincere enough?" Lin Chen raised his eyebrows and said," Do I have to let His Majesty gouge out my heart and liver to be considered sincere?”
"Hehe, why don't I say that you guys are pedantic?”
"There are no ghosts or gods in this world. They are just people's imaginations.”
"Think about it. Do you want the ghosts and gods to know when you do something good? Do you want the ghosts and gods to know when you do something wrong?”
"If there really are ghosts and deities, they would be worried to death. We've really put them in a difficult position.”
When Li Eryi heard this, he frowned." What do you mean, Mr. Lin?”
"Are you saying that the Confucian Way that our Great Tang believes in doesn't exist?”
"This…Eh? The rain has stopped. You should leave." Lin Chen pointed out the window.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。