Chapter 377: Getting His Person, Still Afraid of Not Getting His Heart?
After the great battle ended, everyone began to tally the casualties.
The Great Xia Dynasty dispatched a total of 200,000 naval forces, but 160,000 of them were buried in the deep sea, with up to 500 damaged ships. The losses were considerable.
The Great Yan Dynasty suffered the most severe losses, with the entire 400,000 naval forces they painstakingly cultivated completely annihilated. Another 300,000 land infantry also perished. The total loss was a staggering 700,000. Such a loss of military power was unbearable for any dynasty.
As for other factions, their losses were not insignificant either. Despite paying such a high price, no one obtained the Dragon Bone. Nevertheless, everyone persisted in their search for the Dragon Bone, sending troops tirelessly.
Among them, the Emperor of Great Yan repeatedly faced opposition from his ministers but still sent an additional 300,000 troops.
The Emperor of Great Xia also sent an additional 100,000 naval forces. However, since that day, the Dragon Bone never appeared again, as if it had only come to this world for a brief moment of amusement. Lin Beifan acted for a few days, then used the excuse of being busy with official duties to leave.
In the court of the Great Wu Dynasty, Lin Beifan had a ashamed expression. “Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble servant was ordered to go to the shore of the Eastern Sea to welcome the return of the Dragon Bone. However, due to fierce competition, I ultimately returned empty-handed, letting down Your Majesty’s trust. Please, Your Majesty, punish me!”
The Empress’s expression was very calm as she smiled, “Minister, it’s not your fault! The Dragon Bone is a divine object, protected by heaven and earth, and ordinary people cannot obtain it. Minister, even though you didn’t obtain the Dragon Bone, no one else did either. You can’t blame yourself for this!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding!” Lin Beifan was grateful and tearful. “From what I understand, there were millions of people competing for the Dragon Bone at that time, not only from Great Yan and Great Xia but also from various forces in the martial world. The competition was extremely fierce, and the casualties were immense! For example, the recent troublemakers, Great Yan, lost 700,000 troops in this battle, severely weakening their strength! And Great Xia lost 150,000 naval forces!”
“Minister, under such circumstances, for you to reduce the losses of our dynasty, or even avoid losses, is already commendable! I am very pleased. Minister, you are truly the pillar of our nation!”
“Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty, but this humble servant is not worthy!” Lin Beifan was humble. The Empress said loudly, “General Zhao and others… come forward!” The 18 generals who were called out all stood up eagerly and said, “We are here!”
“In this expedition to the Eastern Sea, you all obeyed the Prime Minister’s orders and caused significant harm and losses to Great Yan and Great Xia. I am very pleased! So, rewards…”
The Empress distributed a round of lavish rewards. These 18 generals were overjoyed; following the Marshal was indeed rewarding!
Strive for another opportunity next time! “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace!”
“Do your job well; I won’t mistreat you!” The Empress smiled warmly. “As for Minister Lin, I won’t reward you now! You have everything you need, so if there’s anything you lack, just tell me, and I will arrange it for you!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan exclaimed. Afterward, Lin Beifan returned to his usual routine as the Prime Minister, working from nine to five.
In the morning, he attended the early court session and, after that, stayed in the political affairs hall within the imperial palace to assist the Empress in reviewing reports and handling state affairs. At noon, he stayed to have lunch with the Empress, and in the afternoon, he dealt with matters related to the government office and the national academy in a regular manner. As for the evenings, well, no need to mention.
During this time, Lin Beifan noticed that the Little Princess had become even more affectionate than before. She often appeared in the imperial palace, accompanying him to handle state affairs. When the workday ended, she frequently joined him for meals, drinks, and conversations.
At night, she often stayed overnight at the Lin residence. Within the Lin residence, she even had her own small room.
Lin Beifan reminded her, “Little Princess, you are still an unmarried maiden, and frequently staying overnight at someone else’s place—what kind of behavior is that? Remember to go home at night, or people will gossip!”
The Little Princess, who was busy devouring meat, blurted out, “Anyway, sooner or later, I’ll move in here. Why should I care about what others say?”
Lin Beifan: “Hmm?”
The Little Princess realized her words and turned red in the face. She immediately covered her face with her hands and said, “Oh my! How did I blurt that out? You all continue eating; I’ll check the kitchen!”
With that, she hurriedly left with her two short legs.
Lin Beifan: “…”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Li Shi Shi chuckled, “Husband, it seems the Little Princess has deep feelings for you! You’re the current prime minister, and she’s the most favored Little Princess at court. You’re close in age and well-matched in status! The Little Princess is a bit mischievous, but she’s sincere and understanding, a suitable choice for a lawful wife! Minister, you might as well marry her!”
“Yes, the Little Princess is easy to get along with, and our relationships with her are good too!” Mo Rushuang smiled. “Instead of letting some other woman take over the Lin residence, why not let the Little Princess come? We would all welcome her!”
The two women deeply understood that with their status, they couldn’t match Lin Beifan.
Being a concubine would be one thing, but to become the lawful wife, even if Lin Beifan were willing, the entire court, and the whole Great Wu, wouldn’t accept it. It would lead to gossip, and rumors are more fearsome than tigers.
It could even affect Lin Beifan’s career.
Lin Beifan tightly held the hands of the two women and said with a bitter smile, “Let’s just let things unfold naturally. Actually, with both of you, that’s enough for me! Speaking frankly, I can’t make decisions about my marriage!”
“Huh? Why not?” The two women were baffled.
“This is an order from the Empress,” Lin Beifan explained. “She said my marriage is a matter of great importance to the country and has far-reaching implications. Therefore, the choice of a spouse must be cautious, and I cannot marry freely. Right now, I can only take concubines and not wives.”
The two women were once again taken aback. Could there really be such a thing? Even though their husband was not from a royal family, he couldn’t make decisions about his own marriage?
“So, Husband, when can you marry a wife?” Li Shi Shi asked.
“Her Majesty said we’ll discuss it when she’s ready!”
Mo Rushuang and Li Shi Shi: “Huh?”
Lin Beifan couldn’t help but sigh and said, “I’ve sacrificed too much for the Great Wu!”
On this day, the Little Princess sneaked into the imperial palace again. She cautiously peeked her head into the study, looking particularly cute. This scene amused the Empress, who waved her hand and said, “Little Yunying, come here!”
The Little Princess rushed over, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “Empress sister, are you busy right now?”
The Empress shook her head and smiled, “Well, there are indeed some matters, but nothing is more important than what Little Yunying has to say! Little Yunying, what can I help you with?”
The Little Princess hesitated and said, “It’s not a big deal, mainly… it’s about Lin Beifan.”
The Empress’s interest was piqued. “Him? Has he done something to upset you?”
“That’s not it,” the Little Princess said gloomily. “In these past few days, I wanted to spend time with Lin Beifan and build some rapport… but he’s always been a bit indifferent, and our relationship hasn’t made much progress. Empress sister, what should I do? Did I do something wrong?”
“So, that’s it. Our Little Yunying has her own troubles,” the Empress chuckled heartily. “Empress sister, please don’t make fun of me; I’m serious!” the Little Princess blushed and protested.
“Little Yunying, actually, you’ve done well in various aspects. You’re cute and charming, sometimes mischievous but understanding when it matters. Many men like the kind of girl you are.”
“But Lin Beifan still ignores me! Empress sister, what should I do?” the Little Princess humbly asked for advice.
The Empress instantly transformed into an emotional coach, her gaze sharp as she said, “Little Yunying, the issue isn’t with you; it’s with Lin Beifan. He’s completely different from other men! Don’t be fooled by his serious appearance; he’s full of mischief, and you never know when he’ll do something shocking!”
“Empress sister is right; he’s such a mischievous person!” The Little Princess seemed to think of something fun and giggled.
“So, when dealing with a man like him, don’t play games or use tactics because you won’t win against him! Be proactive, go straight for it. If you can get him, are you afraid you won’t get his heart?” The Little Princess was shocked; what kind of words were these?
She didn’t expect the Empress to be like this, so bold!
“Empress sister, is this really okay?” the Little Princess asked, feeling shy.
The Empress dismissed her concerns and said, “What’s wrong with it? Anyway, sooner or later, you’ll marry him. What’s wrong with taking the initiative? With me backing you up, what are you afraid of?”
The Little Princess was obviously somewhat intrigued. “Is this really feasible?”
“It’s definitely feasible!” the Empress said with a cold smile, and that seductive enchantress has done it this way several times.
The Little Princess made up her mind. “Okay, I’ll go and give it a try! Thank you, Empress sister; I’m leaving now!”
With a light and brisk pace, she left. The Empress watched her departing figure with a satisfied smile and said, “Little Yunying, this is as far as I can help you.”
At that moment, a white figure appeared on the ceiling. Bai Guanyin provocatively said, “Your Majesty, you can also be proactive! If you can get him, are you afraid you won’t get his heart?”
The Empress blushed and stammered, “Bai sister, don’t say that! How can I do such a thing?”
White Guanyin shook her head and teased, “Your Majesty, you teach others one set of rules after another, but when it comes to yourself, you become shy. It’s not like your usual self!”
The Empress blushed, her beauty incomparable. She lowered her head, pretending to be serious, and said, “Bai sister, I still have state affairs to attend to, so I won’t talk to you much.”
Bai Guanyin shook her head again, and her figure gradually disappeared. The Empress secretly sighed, and she felt sweaty all over.
In that brief moment, the pressure on her was immense, akin to being pressured by family elders to get married.
