Chapter 440 Military Strategist, tonight you belong to me!
Zhao Kuo closed his mouth obediently.
In Lin Beifan’s heart, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Princess Ziyue had a sense of propriety and didn’t mention his name. Otherwise, he really couldn’t continue staying still.
Next, Princess Ziyue, who had already been promoted to Empress, hosted guests from all sides. It wasn’t until evening that everyone left for their own homes.
However, Lin Beifan was left behind. On the entire Golden Hall, only the two of them remained.
Empress Ziyue sat on the dragon throne in the Golden Hall, looking at Lin Beifan standing below, and proudly said, “Military Strategist, look, after so many years of effort, We have finally restored the dynasty and ascended to the throne of the supreme!”
Lin Beifan nodded with a smile, “Yes, all the way here, Your Highness has truly been through a lot… No, I should address you as Your Majesty now, haha!”
“But, I still prefer to call you Military Strategist!”
Empress Ziyue joyfully flew down from the dragon throne and came to Lin Beifan’s side, saying with a smile, “Military Strategist, this dragon throne also has a place for you, come and have a seat!”
With that, she pulled Lin Beifan in the direction of the dragon throne. “Uh… how can I do this? I’m not an emperor…” Lin Beifan felt a bit embarrassed.
“Military Strategist, please take a seat!” Lin Beifan was pushed into the dragon throne, and Empress Ziyue sat down beside him, asking with a beaming smile, “Military Strategist, how does it feel?”
Lin Beifan looked left and right and replied, “There’s not much of a feeling, it’s just a chair made of gold! But countless people have toiled and sacrificed for it, with brothers fighting each other and fathers fighting sons, all not uncommon. But in the end, it all turns into dust!”
“For example, the Dayue Emperor, who sat on the dragon throne for more than 20 years, was taken down by you, and his head rolled! So, this dragon throne is really not comfortable to sit on. Once you sit on it, you can only become a solitary ruler! Although you have the world, you have nothing of your own, living less freely than ordinary people. It’s better not to take it!”
Empress Ziyue sighed, “Indeed, if it weren’t for the burden on my shoulders, I wouldn’t want to sit on this dragon throne either! Conquering a kingdom is difficult, but defending it is even harder! So, Military Strategist, please stay. I really need you, and Slanted Moon also needs you very much!”
Lin Beifan smiled wryly, “Your Majesty, I want to stay too, but when I’m in the court, I have no choice…”
Empress Ziyue sneered, “Stop making excuses. Are you not willing to let go of that woman from Great Wu?”
“Which woman?” Lin Beifan pretended not to understand.
“Hmph! It’s naturally the Empress of Great Wu!”
Empress Ziyue snorted and said with a touch of jealousy, “Military Strategist, don’t pretend. I’ve long known about the situation between you two! When you were in the Lin Mansion earlier this year, I saw the Empress of Great Wu at a glance. Her heart has long been set on you! And now, you’ve even started preparing for the wedding. It’s going to be held in a few months, am I right?” Lin Beifan panicked. How did Empress Ziyue know so much?
Now, how could he continue to deceive her?
“But I understand!” Empress Ziyue caressed Lin Beifan’s face, somewhat infatuated, “Someone as extraordinary as the Military Strategist, how could that woman not be attracted to you?”
Lin Beifan immediately nodded happily. “Your understanding is greatly appreciated!”
“However, flies don’t land on seamless eggs!” Empress Ziyue sneered. “If it weren’t for the fact that you attracted attention, constantly exuding charm, how could that woman have set her sights on you?”
Lin Beifan tried to defend himself, “Your Majesty, you’re making a bit of a stretch…”
“Shut up, you heartbreaker! Don’t talk about me making a stretch… Can you count how many women have appeared by your side so far?” Empress Ziyue was furious. “Each one is stunningly beautiful, each one is peerless! You’ve captured them all, not one left!”
Lin Beifan’s face turned bitter. “Your Majesty, calm down. I’ve only made a mistake that all men in the world would make!”
“Do you still have excuses?” Empress Ziyue angrily pinched Lin Beifan’s soft flesh.
Lin Beifan winced in pain.
When this woman got angry, it was always the same. She liked pinching people, and it really hurt!
After getting angry, Empress Ziyue suddenly felt sorry. “Military Strategist, does it hurt? Let me massage it for you!”
As she massaged, she said, “That woman likes you, and I also really like you! I wish I could tie you to my side for 12 hours a day, day and night! But it’s obvious that you can’t let go of those women from Great Wu! Military Strategist, you’re wise, how do you suggest resolving this?”
Lin Beifan was in a panic. This was truly a century-old dilemma in love!
She’s asking me to choose between her and the Empress of Great Wu!
Choosing one side would inevitably offend the other!
But not choosing would lead to disaster!
Fortunately, Lin Beifan was an experienced driver who drove steadily. He asked seriously, “Your Majesty, do you love me?”
Empress Ziyue nodded earnestly. “I do!”
Lin Beifan asked again, “How much do you love me?” Empress Ziyue affectionately replied, “Very much, very much!”
Lin Beifan snapped his fingers, “Love is the answer! Love is meant to be shared! Your Majesty, you should share the things you love with others. It’s better to enjoy together than to enjoy alone!”
Empress Ziyue: “…”
She was so angry that she once again pinched Lin Beifan’s soft flesh.
“Stop talking nonsense! Clearly, you’re just finding excuses for your fickle heart. Don’t you have enough women already?”
Lin Beifan pitifully said, “Of course not enough! As the saying goes, more friends, more paths; more women, more experiences! I’m an orphan, a lonely life. I long for a few more of you…”
Empress Ziyue scolded Lin Beifan, “You unfaithful man! You’re straying with multiple women?” Lin Beifan immediately defended himself, “I’m not unfaithful; I just get seasick! Balancing multiple relationships allows for a smoother journey!”
“Pah! That’s all nonsense!”
They continued their playful banter for a long time.
Lin Beifan noticed it was getting late and, more importantly, his body couldn’t handle much more, so he excused himself, saying, “Your Majesty, it’s getting late. Let’s discuss anything else tomorrow!”
Empress Ziyue coldly smiled, “Leaving? Where are you going? This is your home! Stay with Us tonight!”
Lin Beifan felt anxious, as if something was about to happen tonight. “Your Majesty, wait, I’m not prepared!”
“But I am prepared!” Empress Ziyue spoke with great solemnity, “Military Strategist, the dynasty has been restored, and I’ve ascended to the throne. We must think about the future! The dynasty must not end, so the responsibility of continuing the bloodline can only fall to us!”
Lin Beifan suddenly felt the weighty responsibility pressing down on him. He couldn’t refuse this!
If he led to the dynasty having no heir, he would become a sinner!
Empress Ziyue lifted Lin Beifan’s chin and said with a fragrant breath, “Military Strategist, tonight you belong to me!”
Afterward, Lin Beifan was led into the dragon’s embrace, and the night unfolded in a passionate manner.
The next day, after foreign diplomats had attended the coronation ceremony, they gradually departed.
However, Lin Beifan remained behind. Firstly, because the Slanted Moon Dynasty had just been restored, and there was much work to be done. Empress Ziyue lacked political experience, and her advisors were scarce. Managing this newly established nation was a daunting task, so Lin Beifan stayed to help Empress Ziyue formulate policies and handle state affairs, guiding the Slanted Moon Dynasty towards stability.
Secondly, the royal family couldn’t afford to have no heirs; otherwise, the court would become unstable, and the nation would be in turmoil. Lin Beifan understood the gravity of this responsibility and chose to stay, dedicating himself to the welfare of the dynasty.
After several days and nights of hard work, Lin Beifan finally handed over the ten-year development plan for the Slanted Moon Dynasty based on the actual situation.
“Your Majesty, this is the ten-year development plan I’ve formulated based on the current situation of the Slanted Moon Dynasty! It should be followed according to the outlined measures. In ten years, the Slanted Moon Dynasty will surely regain its former glory!”
Empress Ziyue, after reading it, was very satisfied. She said, “Well done, Military Strategist. I’m very pleased with the national policy you’ve formulated. Let’s follow the plan outlined above! I hope that in ten years, as you’ve said, our former glory will be restored!”
“Your satisfaction is what matters, Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan said eagerly, “You see, I’ve devised so many policies for you. Charging you a few million taels shouldn’t be considered expensive, right?”
Empress Ziyue rolled her eyes in exasperation. At this moment, he still remembered money! This Military Strategist had truly fallen into a money pit!
Empress Ziyue lifted Lin Beifan’s waist and headed towards the dragon bed.
Lin Beifan was quite anxious. “Your Majesty, what are you planning to do?”
“Military Strategist, didn’t you want money?” Empress Ziyue said with a mischievous smile. “Since I don’t have money, I can only offer… compensation in flesh!”
Lin Beifan was extremely frustrated. “I knew it! Love discussions are costly, and now I won’t make any money in the future!”
Empress Ziyue laughed heartily in triumph.
This went on for over two weeks.
Since Lin Beifan hadn’t returned to Great Wu for a long time, the Empress who ruled the Great Wu court was somewhat uneasy. She thought, “Could this unfaithful man be enchanted by that seductress and reluctant to come back?”
Immediately, the Empress gathered information through her secret channels to learn about the situation in Slanted Moon. She came to a conclusion: it wasn’t that Lin Beifan was reluctant to leave, but he was possibly being forcibly kept there and couldn’t return.
“This is outrageous!” the Empress fumed. “This unfaithful woman! I kindly helped her restore her country, and she wants to snatch away my man?”
She quickly wrote a letter and sent it urgently, 800 li, to the Empress of Slanted Moon.
When Empress Ziyue received the letter from the Empress of Great Wu, she burst into laughter. “That woman actually wrote to me? She probably wants me to send Military Strategist back! Haha, this is quite interesting!”
With a sense of satisfaction she couldn’t explain, Empress Ziyue opened the letter. But as she read further, her expression grew increasingly serious. Eventually, she broke into a cold sweat, which turned into a bitter smile of helplessness.
“I underestimated this woman; she actually knows everything! The favor I owe her is enormous!”
1. What does a stretch mean in slang?
Used to describe something that is unlikely, or really out of the ordinary; quite difficult
