153: Chapter 63 The System's Mischief

The next day at morning court, Li Ling was uncharacteristically late.

The civil and military officials had been standing in Taihe Hall for nearly half an hour, looking at each other and whispering.

Minister Lin, the Minister of Revenue, quietly nudged Zhang Zhidong beside him and asked in a low voice, "Lord Zhang, what has happened to His Majesty today? He always arrives punctually at 5:00 AM and never delays."

Zhang Zhidong was also puzzled; he stroked his beard and shook his head, "Could it be that he stayed up too late reviewing memorials last night?"

Only Commander Zhao Tieshan, standing in the front row of the military officials, glanced calmly in the direction of the palace gate.

He knew that Li Ling had indeed stayed up late last night—but not because of memorials, but because of an encrypted document regarding "Special Infiltration Tactics" that he had personally sent back via encrypted telegram.

At this moment, Li Ling was likely in the Imperial Study rubbing his temples and catching up on sleep.

Minister Lin's guess was actually only one-third correct.

Li Ling had indeed stayed up late—he hadn't slept a wink last night, but the reason wasn't handling official business; it was because he had been throwing a tantrum at the System in the Imperial Study all night long.

The matter started last night.

At that time, Li Ling was reviewing the memorial from the Ministry of Revenue regarding the "Tang Yuan Silver Coin Minting and Circulation Plan."

The plan itself was well-written; Minister Lin was truly a veteran of the business world, having considered everything from silver purity and minting craftsmanship to circulation channels very thoroughly.

But when Li Ling saw the clause "need to purchase high-purity silver ingots from the Great Britain people" this, his brows immediately furrowed.

He now held the System in his hands, and the System Mall had a "Resource Point Exchange" function that could materialize various industrial raw materials at a much cheaper cost than buying them from the Great Powers.

So, he habitually started calculating in his mind—could he directly exchange Resource Points for silver ingots?

How much money could this save? Could the saved money be reinvested into military industrial production?

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became; the more he calculated, the more absorbed he was.

Then, during the morning court, when Minister Lin asked, "How does His Majesty intend to handle the procurement of silver ingots?", the string in Li Ling's mind suddenly loosened, and a slip of the tongue nearly caused him to blurt out, "System, help me calculate..."

Those two words had already rushed to the tip of his tongue.

He even felt his tongue touch the hard palate of his upper jaw—and then he suddenly snapped awake, forcibly swallowing the word "tem" back, turning it into an abrupt dry cough that rattled his chest.

Vice Minister Chen Baochen of the Ministry of Rites, who was closest, immediately asked with concern, "Your Majesty, is your imperial body unwell?"

Li Ling waved his hand without changing his expression and managed a calm smile, "It is nothing. I… read too many memorials last night, and my throat is a bit dry. Minister Lin, please continue."

His knuckles were white from gripping the armrests of the dragon throne.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his inner garments on his back.

[Warning! Warning! The host's previous behavior has constituted a high-risk leak! According to Article 7 of the System's core rules, if the host leaks the existence of the System in public, the System will initiate emergency intervention procedures, including but not limited to sudden loss of voice, temporary memory gaps, and severe headaches. This is the first violation, handled with discretion, and serves only as a warning. If there is a next time, the System will execute a punishment—a twenty-four-hour ban on speech. The host should weigh this accordingly.]

Li Ling's heart skipped a beat.

A twenty-four-hour ban on speech? If he were in the middle of court and suddenly couldn't say a word, what would those old foxes below think?

Would they suspect he had been "cursed by Heaven"? Would someone take the opportunity to cause trouble? This was ten thousand times scarier than deducting Resource Points.

Having finally endured until the court was dismissed, he rushed back to the Imperial Study as if escaping.

With a "bang," he closed the door, collapsed onto the dragon throne, and raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, "My god, I almost crashed on the spot!"

[Host, do you now understand what it means for 'misfortune to come from the mouth'?] The System's voice was cold, carrying a sense of "see if you dare to do it again."

"I was wrong, I was truly wrong." Li Ling pressed his palms together and bowed to the air, "Brother System, I promise to be absolutely careful next time! Can you change that 'twenty-four-hour ban' punishment? Deducting my Resource Points is fine too! Deducting three months' worth is fine!"

[The punishment measures cannot be changed; this is a core security protocol. However—] The System paused, [The System can consider whether to execute it based on the host's subsequent performance. If the host strictly adheres to the time management plan suggested by the System for the next three months and does not commit the same type of error again, the punishment can be downgraded to the deduction of one fixed monthly lucky draw opportunity.]

"Deal!" Li Ling hurriedly agreed, fearing the System would go back on its word, "I promise, from today on, I will sleep on time, eat on time, and will never stay up late again! I will never let my mind wander during court again!"

[Host, the System's recorder has saved this sentence seventeen times already.]

"This time it's for real!"

[…I will trust you one last time.]

After the System said this, it made no further sound.

Li Ling sat on the dragon throne, panting for a while, before he finally recovered from the recent false alarm.

Just as he was about to take a sip of tea to calm his nerves, the shrill voice of a eunuch suddenly came from outside: "Your Majesty, Patriarch Lin Xiaolian of the southern Lin family has come with his daughter to request an audience and has been waiting outside the palace for some time."

Li Ling was stunned for a moment before he remembered—he had indeed sent someone to notify Patriarch Lin Xiaolian to have an audience this morning.

It was just that the "System crisis" earlier was so thrilling that he had completely forgotten about it.

He stood up, straightened his dragon robe, patted his face in the bronze mirror to confirm he looked energetic enough, and then coughed, "Summon them to the pavilion in the Imperial Garden; I will see them there. By the way, have Empress Su Wanqing come over as well."

In the Imperial Garden in early winter, the vegetation had withered, and only the branches of a few old plum trees were dotted with tiny flower buds.

The pavilion was open on all sides, and the wind blew through the corridors, carrying a crisp, cold chill.

Li Ling sat on a stone stool in the pavilion, and on the stone table in front of him sat a pot of freshly brewed Longjing tea, with curls of fragrance rising.

Patriarch Lin Xiaolian was a man in his early fifties with a thin face, a neatly trimmed short beard, and eyes that were shrewd and steady.

He wore a stone-blue satin robe; the material was excellent, but the style was understated and not at all ostentatious.

Standing beside him was a young woman in her early twenties, wearing a plain white embroidered long dress; she had picturesque features, a slender figure, and a gentle temperament with a touch of scholarly air.

"Commoner Lin Xiaolian, along with my daughter, Wanqing, pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"Commoner Imperial Concubine Hui greets Your Majesty." Her voice was clear and melodious, like pearls falling on a jade plate.

Li Ling looked at Patriarch Lin Xiaolian and then at Imperial Concubine Hui, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment.

Then he suddenly realized—why was this name so familiar?

He subconsciously turned his head to glance at Empress Su Wanqing sitting beside him.

Empress Su Wanqing was holding a teacup, a faint smile on her lips; she obviously had known about this for a long time.

Of course she knew—the Princess had mentioned several times in the residence that the only daughter of the southern Lin family shared the same name as Empress Su Wanqing. At the time, Li Ling was busy handling military affairs and hadn't taken it to heart at all.

Now that he saw her, it was indeed so.

"Rise, and be seated." Li Ling waved his hand, his expression normal, "Patriarch Lin Xiaolian, you have traveled all the way from the south to Jinling; it has been hard on you. I have heard that your Lin family has been flourishing over there; what made you think of coming to Jinling?"

After Patriarch Lin Xiaolian sat down, he leaned forward slightly: "Since Your Majesty asks directly, I will not beat around the bush. I have come to the capital this time to make a 'transaction' with Your Majesty—or more accurately, I want to stake the entire Lin family's fortune and lives on Your Majesty."

He paused, looking at Li Ling with burning eyes: "I am willing to offer my family's entire assets, including five million taels of silver in cash, a banking network across twelve provinces, as well as dozens of merchant ships and factory shares, as the foundation for the Tang Country. I only ask for one thing—please allow my daughter to enter the palace; even if she is only a noble lady, I will be satisfied."

The pavilion was quiet for a moment.

There was only the rustling of wind through bamboo leaves and the faint chirping of birds from afar.

Li Ling looked at Patriarch Lin Xiaolian and then at Imperial Concubine Hui.

The young woman was lowering her head, her ears slightly flushed, but her back was straight; she clearly had known long ago that her father would propose this.

She was not afraid, nor was she avoiding it; she was just quietly waiting for the verdict of fate.

Li Ling was rapidly calculating in his heart.

The Lin family was the largest comprador capital group in the south, controlling the commercial lifeline of half the south.

If he won them over, it would be equivalent to driving a nail into the southern business world; the funds, materials, and channels needed for the Five-Year Plan would no longer be a problem.

More importantly, the Lin family had indirect connections with some consortia in Southeast Asia and even Meijian Country; if this line could be used well, there would be another way to leverage international resources in the future.

As for Imperial Concubine Hui herself—she appeared to be a young woman with her own ideas, her eyes clear and not cowardly, and her demeanor dignified but not dull.

Such a woman entering the harem would not cause trouble for him; instead, she might become another pillar besides Empress Su Wanqing.

"Patriarch Lin Xiaolian, your sincerity is deeply comforting to me." Li Ling spoke, his voice steady, "I can agree to your request and appoint Miss Lin as a noble consort. But I have one condition—after Miss Lin enters the palace, she cannot just be a vase. She must help me do things and share my burdens. My harem does not need women who can only embroider; what I need are helpers who can carry the load."

A flash of surprise crossed Patriarch Lin Xiaolian's eyes: "Your Majesty can rest assured! My daughter has followed me to learn business since she was young; she is capable in reading, writing, accounting, and handling interpersonal matters. She is definitely not a vase that can only stay in the harem to embroider!"

Imperial Concubine Hui also raised her head, looking directly into Li Ling's eyes, her voice clear and firm: "This commoner is willing to share Your Majesty's burdens. As long as Your Majesty gives the order, I will do my utmost."

Empress Su Wanqing pursed her lips and smiled from the side, picking up her teacup and taking a light sip.

She had a good first impression of this future "younger sister"—she had courage, a sense of propriety, and was not the type to blindly flatter and fawn.

Li Ling nodded: "Good, that is settled. The Ministry of Rites will choose an auspicious day; I want to welcome Miss Lin into the palace with great fanfare. As for the Lin family—" He looked at Patriarch Lin Xiaolian, "Do not rush to put that five million taels of silver reserve into the treasury. My Ministry of Revenue is currently designing the minting plan for the new silver coins; once the plan is finalized, your silver will directly enter the national treasury as a reserve fund. This will be more effective than simply donating silver."

A flash of keen light sparked in Patriarch Lin Xiaolian's eyes, and he immediately understood Li Ling's deep meaning.

He didn't just want silver; he wanted to use the Lin family's capital as an endorsement to stabilize the credibility of the new currency.

This was a major strategic move, and the Lin family would be the most important piece in this strategy.

"Commoner… no, your subject will definitely cooperate fully!" Patriarch Lin Xiaolian's voice trembled slightly; it was excitement, and also the unique thrill when ambition is activated.

That evening, the news spread throughout Jinling City: the great southern financial magnate, the Lin family, had completely turned to the new dynasty, and its only daughter was about to enter the palace as a consort.

At the same time, a draft of the "Tang Yuan Silver Coin Issuance Announcement," guaranteed by the Lin Family Bank, was delivered by fast horse to the desk of Minister Lin, the Minister of Revenue.

Meanwhile, deep in the Gobi Desert on the northwestern border, Commander Zhao Tieshan was crouching on an abandoned beacon tower, using an encrypted satellite terminal to send the latest report back to Jinling: "All three enemy outposts have been completely removed. It is estimated that in seventy-two hours, they will completely lose their reconnaissance capability over our border region. Shall we initiate the second phase—the 'Decapitation' operation?"

Thousands of miles away, Li Ling was standing in front of the window of the Imperial Study, watching the evening glow filling the sky.

He handed the encrypted telegram in his hand back to the adjutant, his voice calm but filled with unquestionable murderous intent: "Tell Commander Zhao Tieshan that the second phase of the operation can begin. I want those people to know that the Tang Country's border line is not a place they can come and go as they please."

He turned and walked back to the desk, picked up a vermilion brush, and drew a heavy circle on the northwest position of the map.

As the brush tip fell, it carried a kind of near-cold certainty.