Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

When He Yong arrived at the Imperial Study, Li Hong had just returned from court.

Upon seeing He Yong, Li Hong immediately shook his golden cloak and said with a smile, "He Yong, come, come, I have just finished court. Come and enjoy some tea and refreshments with me."

He Yong bowed and replied, "Your Majesty appears to be in good spirits. Could it be that something pleasant happened at the morning court session?"

Li Hong smiled and said, "You must know that the Queen of Qi served me in bed yesterday, right?"

He Yong immediately put on an expression of complete understanding and replied with a smile, "His Majesty is in the prime of his life and bestows grace upon foreign envoys with his supreme body. This is a blessing that the Queen of Qi has accumulated over many lifetimes."

"Hahaha."

Li Hong smiled and waved his hand, then whispered to He Yong.

"You're mistaken. Actually, I didn't touch the Queen of Qi at all last night. I sent her back after midnight."

What if she gets pregnant with my child and tries to blackmail me? I wouldn't do such a thing. I'll just follow the ancestral procedures.

Besides, the state of Qi is a tiny, insignificant state; how could it possibly tolerate my offspring?

He Yong immediately began to flatter him: "Your Majesty's foresight and wisdom are truly unmatched in the world."

"Alright, you always manage to say what I want to hear, so say less."

Li Hong smiled broadly and led He Yong into the imperial study. After they sat down together, the eunuch Feng Chun brought tea and snacks.

"This Eight Treasures Vegetarian Cake is sweet but not greasy, and it is also my favorite food. Ah, at my age, I just like to eat these kinds of things to fill my stomach."

"His Majesty is extremely busy, getting up before dawn every day to review memorials. He is truly the most diligent emperor in the world."

"Alright, stop flattering me. I dealt with two matters in court today that have put me in a difficult position. Analyze them for me."

Upon hearing this, He Yong immediately stood up and waited to the side: "Your Majesty, please speak. This servant is not very talented. If I can share Your Majesty's burdens, then it would truly be a blessing from our ancestors."

Li Hong took a sip of tea and slowly said, "This morning at court, I mentioned to my ministers the matter of providing grain relief to the State of Qi."

As a result, Yang Yongju, the Vice Minister of Revenue, objected, saying that our dynasty is currently suffering from its own disasters, how can we send grain abroad? This angered the Emperor, and he dismissed Yang Yongju from his post on the spot.

Tell me, did I do the right thing?

Without hesitation, He Yong replied, "Yang Yong is short-sighted, only seeing immediate gains while disregarding the bigger picture. Your Majesty's decision to dismiss him is entirely justified."

His Majesty exempted disaster-stricken areas from poll taxes for many years, postponed tax collection for three years, and even donated the money intended for the repair of Wanfu Tower.

The remaining shortfall will be covered by donations from the local government's granaries. It is believed that the disaster will be brought under control soon, and the people will be able to continue living in peace and prosperity.

Providing grain relief to the State of Qi will enhance our reputation for military might and benevolence overseas. Those foreign states that are not yet willing to submit will surely be inspired to pledge allegiance after seeing our dynasty's generosity towards its vassals.

At that time, the glorious reign of Emperor Wu Zhao will surely be enjoyed by the world, and His Majesty will shine like the rising sun, illuminating the five lakes and four seas, attracting the worship of all nations.

"Hahaha, okay, okay."

Upon hearing this, Li Hong couldn't stop smiling.

"He Yong, you are very good. Every word you say has touched my heart. If Yang Yongju understood my thoughts even half as well as you do, then I could rest easy."

He Yong looked flattered and said, "This servant was only guided by His Majesty. I have only scratched the surface of His Majesty's teachings, but I have already benefited from them for three lifetimes. It is all thanks to His Majesty's excellent guidance."

Li Hong nodded, gesturing for He Yong to sit down.

"The second matter is also related to the disaster in the south. Today, the Ministry of Rites submitted a memorial stating that Huizhou has suffered a disaster."

Seeing the people suffering from the disaster, Cen Shiyi, a wealthy man in the county, donated money to provide porridge and relief to thousands of victims.

The disaster victims saw the Cen family as their second parents and bowed deeply in gratitude.

Heh, in my opinion, Cen Shiyi's relief efforts for the disaster victims are a pretense; his true intention is to use disaster relief as a pretext to gain fame and fortune for himself.

It's such an obvious point, yet the local government still sent me a document asking me to write an inscription for the Cen family?

I really don't know what these good-for-nothings are thinking. If they agree to this, who knows if others will follow suit in the future?

If that happens, what will I be in the eyes of the people? Therefore, I immediately drafted an edict to confiscate all of the Cen family's property.

"Isn't he distressed for the disaster victims? Then I'll grant his wish and confiscate all his property to aid the victims. In this way, Cen Shiyi will at least have a good reputation."

He Yong immediately replied, "Your Majesty handled it perfectly. No matter what the Cen family is like, everything they possess was given to them by Your Majesty. How could they possibly compete with Your Majesty for fame?"

If this trend is not stopped, all the wealthy will follow suit. Then, who will truly rule the world – the Emperor or the rich and powerful?

In this way, wouldn't the powerful families that Emperor Taizu had worked so hard to suppress be at risk of rising again?

“That’s right, that makes sense.” Li Hong praised He Yong’s words. “I was also worried about the prejudices of the aristocratic families in the past, so I did this. You have great insight.”

He Yong immediately stood up and bowed: "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your praise."

Li Hong gestured for him to sit down and talk.

"However, He Yong, there's something I need you to do."

"Your Majesty, please give your orders, and this servant will do everything in my power to fulfill them."

Li Hong nodded: "As you know, our dynasty is currently on a distant expedition against the Eastern Barbarians, and money and provisions are flowing in like water. Since I have promised the Queen of Qi..."

Naturally, I must gather these three million shi of grain, lest people think I am untrustworthy.

Therefore, you shall take care of raising relief grain for me.

Upon hearing this, He Yong's face immediately showed a hint of difficulty, and he did not immediately agree to the task.

Seeing that He Yong remained silent, a hint of displeasure flashed across Li Hong's face: "What, you're unwilling?"

He Yong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty misunderstands. This servant was merely thinking about where would be the most appropriate place to begin procuring grain. However, this servant is currently only a Minister of Foreign Affairs, a fifth-rank official, and my actions are inevitably hesitant and timid, so..."

"Hahaha."

Upon hearing this, Li Hong immediately laughed: "It was my oversight. Here's what we'll do: you will concurrently serve as the Deputy Chief of the Grand Council, carrying out my imperial edict to coordinate local finances and provisions."

He Yong immediately knelt down excitedly: "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."

Looking at He Yong, who was bowing down to him, Li Hong said earnestly, "He Yong, do a good job. I will not treat you unfairly. If you are truly capable, I will not be stingy with official positions."

"This servant will do his utmost to share Your Majesty's burdens and resolve your difficulties, and will certainly not tarnish Your Majesty's reputation!"

"Okay, get up."

"Yes."

After He Yong stood up, Li Hong suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, how did things go with the Chu envoy?"

He Yong pulled out the agreement: "This servant has already ascertained their needs. This is the trade agreement proposed by Ban Dingyuan. Your Majesty, please take a look."

Li Hong took the agreement and glanced at it carefully, his expression remaining calm and indifferent.

After a long while, Li Hong laughed: "It's amazing that they could come up with such a thing. Not only do they want to readjust tariffs, but they also plan to lease my Wuzhao territory. It's truly laughable."

He Yong: "That's what I was thinking too. Your Majesty, shall I go and refuse them?"

"No, don't rush to refuse," Li Hong waved his hand and replied, "It seems that the Chu Kingdom is too confident in itself. I want them to witness the power of my Wu Zhao Kingdom with their own eyes."

In a few days, I will be inspecting the training level of the Imperial Guards. I invite all nations to come and observe, and I will also bring the envoy from the State of Chu along.

"Once they experience the formidable martial prowess of my Wu Zhao, I will tell the Chu envoys that if they wish to trade with my Wu Zhao, they must have their Empress speak with me!"