MTLNOVEL Chapter 300 Decision
Ningxin Garden.
Li Nuo walked to the small pavilion in the heart of the lake and fell into deep thought.
The court of Daxia had been ravaged by his father, no longer suitable for cultivating Legalism. Even if he stayed at the Ministry of Justice, at the normal pace, it would take him at least a decade to progress from the Fourth Realm to the Fifth Realm.
If he wanted to take a shortcut like before and make a rapid Breakthrough, his only chance would likely be if King Rui and King Gong rebelled, bringing a cohort of followers to fall into his hands.
But such opportunities were not something he could count on.
In instances like these, Legalism's most effective method was to seek fortunes elsewhere.
After all, the earliest practitioners of Legalism were those who wandered between nations to cultivate.
If Li Nuo was by himself, it wouldn't matter so much; it was only half a year.
But Jiaren and Anning had just become pregnant, definitely unable to accompany him, meaning they would have to part for half a year.
Yet the chance to quickly break through to the Fifth Realm was rare to come by.
In both the Martial Path and the schools of various philosophers, reaching the Fifth Realm was considered an entry into the ranks of the truly powerful.
The current Li Nuo, facing a strong practitioner of the Fifth Realm, was almost completely without the power to retaliate.
The present glory of Li Mansion was only temporary, and the future situation was unpredictable to anyone.
The circumstances at court might overturn overnight, and considering the multitude of enemies his father had, should his father fall, they would face endless adversaries.
Li Nuo could not always rely on his father and his wives; he wanted to become their pillar of support.
Zhao Country had provided him with an opportunity.
Naturally, it was impossible for him not to be tempted by that opportunity.
After pondering for a moment, he had made up his mind.
Just then, footsteps sounded from behind.
Li Nuo turned around and saw Jiaren and Anning walking hand in hand.
Anning took her customary place on his lap and asked, "What are you thinking about? You've been staring into space for a while now."
Li Nuo was silent for a moment, but still he shared the matter with them.
After listening, Jiaren and Anning exchanged glances, and Jiaren, holding his hand, said, "Husband, go and do what you want to do. Anning and I will take good care of ourselves, you don't need to worry about us."
Anning too smiled at him and added, "But while Jiaren sister and I aren't by your side, you mustn't go flirting around over there, or else half a year later, you might bring us back a sister or two."
Li Nuo flicked her forehead gently. His trip to Zhao Country was to accomplish great things, not to charm women.
It was all because of that fortune-teller who told Housekeeper Wu that he had several predestined romantic fortunes, causing Anning to grill him every other day about whether he had entangled himself with any maidens.
After seeking their opinions, Li Nuo was almost ready to make his decision.
With Jiaren and Anning in Chang'an, they would receive the most meticulous care; indeed, there was nothing to worry about.
It was only half a year. After half a year, he would return in time to see his child's birth.
Nevertheless, he still needed to inform his father about this decision.
Ministry of Justice.
Upon entering the government office, Li Nuo saw his father perusing volumes of records while King Chun sat in the corner, engrossed in a solo game of chess and thoroughly enjoying himself.
Seeing Li Nuo enter, he immediately gestured him over and said, "You've come at the perfect time. Come and play a few games of chess with me."
Not only was his father the Minister of Justice, but he also controlled the Spiegel Bureau. With countless volumes to review daily, Li Nuo was not in a hurry, so he sat down to play chess with King Chun.
Li Nuo had only a basic understanding of Go, usually playing tic-tac-toe with Mumu, but this time he handled the game with King Chun with surprising ease, astonishing even himself.
Go was a popular game across the mainland nations, and any literate person would know a few moves. Perhaps it was due to arresting so many people that during one of his integrations, his Go skills had inadvertently improved—a fact he was only now discovering.
King Chun, holding a piece, expressed his surprise, "You play well! This is not the 'basic understanding' you mentioned. You and your father are modest in the same way..."
Li Xuanjing seemed to have finished his work and walked up behind Li Nuo while he was playing chess with King Chun.
Taking advantage of a moment when King Chun was pondering his move, Li Nuo took the opportunity to inform his father of the matter.
Before Li Xuanjing could react, King Chun expressed his surprise, "What, you want to go to Zhao Country? You're doing well here; why go to Zhao Country?"
Li Nuo said, "Given my current level of cultivation, Zhao Country is more suitable for me to cultivate..."
...
Moments later, after observing Li Nuo's departing figure, King Chun asked Li Xuanjing with confusion, "How could you agree to his request? Zhao Country isn't Chang'an. What if something goes wrong?"
Li Xuanjing continued the chess game Li Nuo had just left, saying, "The child has grown up, he has his own thoughts and his own path to follow."
King Chun seemed to think of something, letting out a long sigh, his expression full of sentimentality.
It's true that everyone has their own path to walk, but not all paths should be taken...
Li Nuo already had two wives and was about to have three children. That guy at his own home never ventures outside, doesn't step beyond the inner gates, and only tinkers with a pile of broken wood. Even when sleeping at night, he'd hold a wooden figure in his arms...
Who knows what's so good about that pile of broken wood. Could it possibly come to life and bear him children?
Secretariat.
As the year was drawing to a close, the Secretariat was quite busy.
At the end of the year, the reports from various departments increased, and on the other hand, it coincided with the emissaries' conference. The economic and political cooperation with various countries had to be finalized through the Secretariat.
Today, including the Secretariat Scheeren and the Assistant Ministers, the officials of the Secretariat were particularly cautious.
Because the Right Prime Minister was present in the Secretariat today.
The Right Prime Minister's official position was Chief of Staff, in charge of the Ministry of Personnel and the Six Departments. Moreover, the left and right prime ministers also oversaw all court affairs, having the power to intervene in any department's affairs.
The Right Prime Minister occasionally visited the Secretariat to review the memorials from various departments while also checking how the Secretariat Scheeren dealt with them. If any official's negligence was caught, that official would certainly be reprimanded severely by him.
Compared to the amiable Left Prime Minister, the officials of the Secretariat naturally feared the stern Right Prime Minister more.
Inside a certain government office, Du Yu stood behind the Right Prime Minister, trembling with apprehension.
The Right Prime Minister was reviewing the memorials he had processed today.
He silently prayed that no mistakes would surface...
But as it often happens, what one fears comes to pass. While he was anxious, he saw the Right Prime Minister's eyebrows furrow.
Du Yu immediately looked at the memorial and remembered as soon as he saw it—it was a report from a young official at the Imperial Censorate, hoping that the court would issue a decree to limit the amount of land that famous families could own and set a maximum for their tax-exempt land.
For such memorials, he usually did not approve them.
It was not something he could decide with a single report.
That official had too high of expectations for the Secretariat.
The Secretariat did not have the authority to decide these matters.
However, the Right Prime Minister did not make things difficult for him but instead slipped the memorial into his sleeve.
Although the court had stipulated that these memorials should be processed collectively and should not be handled privately, Du Yu dared not correct the Right Prime Minister.
Afterward, the Right Prime Minister turned his gaze to another memorial.
Du Yu glanced at it, and his heart slightly settled.
This was a memorial from Honglu Si, according to tradition, Daxia should send a new batch of envoys to Zhao Country.
Daxia and Zhao Country were allies, with many deep cooperations. The number of envoys sent to each other was also the highest, with a general turnover every two years. With this batch of envoys about to return home, the Secretariat needed to draft a list of new envoys.
The Right Prime Minister turned his head and asked, "Has the list of envoys for this mission to Zhao Country been drafted?"
Du Yu quickly responded, "Your Excellency, it had already been prepared by the Ministry of Personnel a few days ago."
The Right Prime Minister said, "Show it to me."
Du Yu took out a list from his drawer and respectfully handed it over to the Right Prime Minister.
After reading it, the Right Prime Minister wrote another line of characters on the paper and said, "Follow this list."
With that, he stood up and left.
Du Yu received the list and looked up—those freshly written characters were several vigorous large characters.
Minister of Justice, Li Nuo.
Du Yu sighed to himself. Surely, his confrontation and public embarrassment of the Right Prime Minister in the Secretariat last time were not something that could be easily forgotten.
Although serving as an envoy to Zhao Country wasn't a tough assignment—in fact, it could enhance one's resume, and normally, one could be promoted immediately after finishing the mission—it seemed that for a long time, Li Nuo would be absent from Chang'an...
The Right Prime Minister left the Secretariat and returned to the Ministry of Personnel.
He entered his office, threw the memorial from his sleeve into the furnace, and as he watched the flames burn brightly, he said with a grave voice, "Young people, so unaware of the vastness of the world..."