We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Li Che spoke earnestly and his series of analyses were like enlightenment, causing all the officers present to fall into deep thought.

Officers like Qian Deming who had once questioned Li Che were so embarrassed that they could not even raise their heads.

These middle-level officials are not inexpensive. There are countless people in the Fengtian Army who are qualified to be middle-level officers.

Apart from his own majesty, which emperor would explain it to them in this way?

If you disagree with the emperor's order, you are disobeying his orders and your head will be chopped off.

After all, His Majesty still remembers the old relationship...

"Speaking of which, what's the point of hereditary titles?" Li Che shook his head. "Throughout history, apart from a few rare families, how many noble families have truly been able to pass down their titles safely and securely, from generation to generation?"

"Most of them only last three or two generations, because of unworthy descendants or because of misfortunes, and their fame, wealth and status vanish into thin air."

Seeing that the time had come, Li Che slowly stood up, patted the shoulder of a young officer beside him, and left a final word:

"Everyone, please think carefully about what I said today when you return home. Let's disperse. The food is almost cold."

After saying that, he said no more, turned around, put his hands behind his back, and calmly left the cafeteria.

The officers were left in silence, chewing on the emperor's words and the slightly cold food on their plates.

My heart was in turmoil and I couldn't calm down for a long time.

The stagnant atmosphere in the cafeteria was not broken until a sigh appeared long after Li Che's figure disappeared at the door.

Qian Deming suddenly stood up and faced his colleagues. There was no trace of the arrogance he had at the banquet on his face anymore, only regret.

He clasped his fists and bowed, "Brothers, I am here to apologize to you all!"

Everyone was silent.

He took a deep breath and continued, "I was drunk and immoral last night, talking nonsense. I made a big mistake."

"Hearing your Majesty's words today, they were like thunder in my ears. I am overwhelmed with shame!"

"Your Majesty has been incredibly kind to me, granting me a house, tax reductions, and honors...yet I've been so short-sighted, focused solely on my own gains. How truly ungrateful!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, and he slapped himself hard in the face, a loud and crisp sound.

"Today, Qian finally realized that Your Majesty's foresight is beyond the comprehension of a crude warrior like us!"

"From now on, if anyone privately criticizes His Majesty's decisions, I, Qian Deming, will be the first to disapprove! I also ask all my brothers to supervise me. If I speak or act like this again, I will be punished by heaven and earth and die a miserable death!"

This self-examination is heartbreaking and sincere.

Many officers present also felt the same way and offered their condolences.

No one noticed that a white figure flashed past the door.

. . . . . .

Inside the Yangxin Hall.

Li Che was reviewing memorials when a night watchman in white came in quietly and reported in a low voice everything that had happened in the cafeteria.

Qiu Bai and Huai En, who were standing by, both frowned after hearing this.

Especially when I heard the night watchman add that earlier, Qian Deming had private conversations with several close military officers, and his words were full of resentment and dissatisfaction, and seemed to be quite inciting.

Qiu Bai was immediately furious and said to Li Che in a deep voice, "Your Majesty! Qian Deming has been slandering Your Majesty and secretly colluding and inciting others. This trend must not be allowed to continue!"

"I request your permission to apprehend him immediately and hand him over to the Imperial Guards for detailed interrogation to determine his true intentions!"

Upon hearing this, Li Che paused slightly with the red pen in his hand, but did not look up.

He simply asked, "What did he say in private? Did he explicitly encourage others to disobey my orders?"

The Night Watchman bowed his head and replied, "Your Majesty, his words were mostly complaints, mentioning his own achievements and lamenting the future of his children and grandchildren. There was no direct rebellion."

Qiu Bai then said, "Your Majesty! Such behavior shows resentment. Even if he is not severely punished, he should at least be stripped of his 'honorary lordship' immediately as a warning!"

In Qiubai's opinion, Your Majesty has done his utmost to the army.

But these old soldiers are really ungrateful and still want to be nobles and members of aristocratic families.

Don’t you see what happened to the aristocratic families under the rule of Fengguo?

Li Che put down the red pen and slowly raised his head.

Instead of anger, there was a hint of smile on his face, and he shook his head gently at Qiu Bai.

"No." Li Che said calmly, "Not only will I strip him of his title, I will grant him the title of baron."

"What?!" Qiu Bai almost thought he had misheard, "Your Majesty! Why is this happening?"

"How can such a villain deserve a title? Wouldn't it only dishearten loyal ministers and enrich the villain?"

Li Che stood up, walked to the window, and said slowly:

"Qian Deming is a straightforward and reckless person. He can't hold back and will speak out if he's dissatisfied."

"These people may seem hateful, but they're actually not that scary." Li Che turned around. "The truly scary ones are those who say one thing in public and another in private, who hide their dissatisfaction deep inside, and who even try to curry favor with others."

"It was precisely because Qian Deming made his and his small group's thoughts known to the public that Zhao Duo and the others reported to me last night. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be able to hear what my own subordinates were thinking."

"He publicly confessed his sins in the cafeteria today, which shows that he still has a sense of reverence and shame, and is not beyond redemption."

"If I punish him harshly for a few private complaints, what will you make of the soldiers in the army who share similar thoughts but dare not speak out?"

Qiu Bai and Huai En stared at Li Che in amazement, both of them realizing something.

"On the contrary, not only will I not punish him, but I will also grant him the title of baron based on his merits."

"This is to tell everyone: I reward and punish clearly! As long as you can distinguish right from wrong and wake up, I will not deny your merits because of your momentary foolish remarks."

"What I want are truly loyal and capable people, not just yes-men."

Li Che sometimes thought that Emperor Qing was wise and powerful when he was young, but in his later years he began to lose control of the states and the army.

Why is this so? Aren’t those aristocratic officials and military officers below all veterans who once accompanied Emperor Qing in conquering the world?

Ultimately, it was because Emperor Qing had been emperor for too long and had lost the ability to hear the voices from below.

Li Che didn't want to go down this old path. He didn't want the people below to be less and less willing to speak to him as his power grew.

In the end, the relationship between the emperor and his ministers became alienated, leading to the collapse of the entire structure.

"Of course," Li Che's tone turned cold, "If Qian Deming still doesn't repent in the future, or even gets worse... then we can settle all the old and new accounts together, and no one will say he was wronged."

"Your Majesty is wise. It was my fault for not thinking carefully enough that I almost made a big mistake!" Qiu Bai was sincerely convinced and bowed to apologize.

Li Che smiled and turned to look at Qiu Bai: "Qiu Bai, you have followed me for many years and are my closest subordinate."

"I ask you, what title do you want?"