Red Mansion Taoist

Chapter 380 Negotiation
Li Qiang read the memorials submitted by the cabinet and was quite satisfied with the cabinet's work.

Since special examinations were held every year, the number of Jinshi and Juren increased every year in Daqian.

Juren are talented people who have the ability to serve as officials, which led to a rapid increase in the number of civil servants in Daqian.

These reserve officials were deployed in large numbers by the cabinet to the occupied areas, working with experienced chief officers to put the rule of the occupied areas back on track.

"Jin Dong, give each person in the cabinet a bowl of magic rice, and the two cabinet ministers three bowls!" Li Qiang was delighted and instructed Jin Dong.

"Yes, master!" Jin Dong bowed in response.

The magical rice is not processed by the imperial kitchen, but comes from the hands of Shaoyao in Taixu Illusion Realm.

Li Qiang discovered that only the spiritual rice cooked by Hua Zhu could bring out the effect of the spiritual rice to the greatest extent.

Jin Dong entered the cabinet, followed by four young eunuchs holding food boxes in their hands.

Everyone in the cabinet was not surprised at all to see this scene. The emperor rewarded food as a favor to his close ministers.

Even though the food is not worth much, it has a different meaning.

"Lord Lin, Lord Gan, the emperor has ordered that each member of the cabinet be rewarded with a bowl of tribute rice. Lord Lin and Lord Gan will be rewarded with three bowls!" Jin Dong said with a smile.

Except for Lin Ruhai, everyone else present, including the cabinet minister Gan Feng, was somewhat surprised at Li Qiang's stinginess.

Even if the food rewarded by the emperor was not worth much silver, it was generally dishes cooked by the imperial kitchen. There was no such thing as tribute rice.

"Thank you, Manager Jin!" Lin Ruhai said with a smile.

"I dare not. Your three bowls of tribute rice have been sealed. Do you want to eat here or go back?" Jin Dong asked, waving his hands repeatedly.

"Take it back. We have eaten all the tribute rice at home!" Lin Ruhai replied.

Lin Ruhai had received the magical rice sent back by Lin Daiyu, but the quantity was not that much.

At first he didn't care about this so-called tribute rice, but after eating it once he knew how extraordinary it was.

As a result, if you eat it at every meal, it will be finished in no time.

He also knew that this tribute rice must be very precious, and he was embarrassed to ask his daughter for it.

This time I got three bowls of tribute rice, which is just right for my wife to have a taste too.

The other cabinet members also realized that even if this tribute rice was worthless, it was still a reward from the emperor.

They expressed their gratitude one after another, and then watched Jin Dong bring bowls with lids to them.

Gan Feng looked at the bowl. It was very small, about the size of a tea bowl. With the lid on, not much rice could be put in the small bowl.

There were three small bowls in front of him, two more than other cabinet members.

He happened to be hungry as well. In official circles, when one is with his superior, it is natural that the superior should pick up the chopsticks first. Lin Ruhai was not going to eat here, so he opened the lid first without hesitation.

The lid opened, revealing the crystal clear rice inside, and at the same time an indescribable fragrance wafted into everyone's nose.

Lingmi, a mild food for immortals, is a great tonic for mortals. When mortals smell the taste of Lingmi, they will instinctively have an urgent need for it.

"Where does this tribute rice come from?" Gan Feng asked. He couldn't resist the temptation and picked up a piece with chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

The sense of satisfaction that rose from his body and soul made him squint his eyes involuntarily to feel it.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and started eating the magical rice in the bowl with shining eyes.

Jin Dong did not answer Gan Feng's question. Even he didn't know where the rice came from. It was not even cooked in the imperial kitchen. It was as if someone had cooked it and sent it directly to Li Qiang.

He only knew that Li Qiang called it spiritual rice and outsiders called it tribute rice.

He is a smart man and will not try to find out Li Qiang's secrets.

Gan Feng quickly finished the spiritual rice in his bowl. He wanted to open another bowl of spiritual rice, but the feeling of fullness in his stomach told him that he couldn't eat any more.

He finally understood why such a small bowl was used for a bowl of tribute rice. It turned out that one bowl was enough.

Waves of warmth came from his abdomen, which made all the fatigue in his body disappear, and the back pain he had suffered for many years was relieved a lot.

The other cabinet members also had their meal and they were just as surprised as Gan Feng.

After the cabinet members had eaten their portions, although they could not eat any more, they still looked at the small bowls in front of Gan Feng and Lin Ruhai with envy in their eyes.

No matter how slow-witted they were, they knew how precious this bowl of tribute rice was. It was not ordinary rice, but something extremely precious.

"The master said that if the cabinet does its job well, there will be rewards for this kind of tribute rice in the future!" Jin Dong said before leaving.

After Jin Dong left, a heated discussion broke out in the cabinet.

"After using this rice, my mind has become much clearer!"

"Not only that, I feel lighter!"

"My chronic illness has improved!"

The cabinet members expressed their feelings one by one, and they finally turned their eyes to Lin Ruhai.

If anyone here knows the origin of this rice, I'm afraid only Lin Ruhai knows.

"This is only said within the cabinet. I will not admit it once I leave this door!" Lin Ruhai said with a smile.

As for Lingmi, he actually learned something from Lin Daiyu, and what Lin Daiyu said was not a secret.

"I heard that this rice was presented as a tribute to the emperor by the immortals!" he continued.

This is also what Lin Daiyu said to him. There is no essential difference between this statement and the facts, except that the immortals mentioned in it are all Li Qiang's servants.

"Your Majesty has rewarded us with immortal things. We must work hard to repay His Majesty!" Gan Feng said gratefully while clasping his fists towards the Daming Palace.

All the cabinet members nodded. Any items related to immortals are not accessible to mortals.

Li Qiang just gave a casual reward, but it made the cabinet more loyal.

He now sensed that the 100% loyal warrior of Mohachi City was contacting him in a way similar to prayer.

This was a way of connection he found through reading extensively the texts of immortals and venerables.

There is a relationship between him and those who are bound to his loyalty through the "Mirror of Love and Lust" that is similar to that between a god and his believers.

Through this relationship between the deity and the believers, he can connect with the believers.

However, this type of connection cannot convey messages that are too complex and can only serve as a simple means of communication.

For example, if you encounter danger, you can send out a danger signal. If you want to request a meeting, you can send out a meeting request.

This time, it was the signal sent by the warrior of Mohachi City requesting a meeting. He first returned to the Grand Illusionary Realm, and then opened a passage from the Grand Illusionary Realm and came to the City Lord's Mansion of Mohachi City.

He sat on the main seat in the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion. There were now 20 warriors in the city, 10 of whom were patrolling the city, and the remaining 10 were waiting in the hall. When they saw him appear, the 10 warriors knelt down in unison.

"Please stand up. What's the matter?" Li Qiang asked, waving his hand.

"Your Majesty, the messenger sent by Hades, the god of the underworld, wants to meet with you for negotiations!" A brave general stood up and answered.

"Hades, God of the Underworld, what does he want me to do?" Li Qiang was stunned.

What could he talk about with Hades, the god of the underworld? Hell sent so many hell creatures to destroy the world, and he killed them all. So he and Hades, the god of the underworld, had a grudge against each other.

He suddenly thought of the Gate of Hell. Perhaps Hades, the God of the Underworld, requested negotiations this time because of the Gate of Hell.

"Let the messenger in!" After figuring it out, Li Qiang gave the order lightly.

Demigod Benson heard the message and walked into the hall of the City Lord's Mansion.

He immediately saw the young man sitting in the main seat, wearing a luxurious robe.

"Benson greets the great Emperor Daqian!" said the demigod Benson, bowing.

"I can feel the power of the blood in your body. Are you a demigod?" Li Qiang asked in a deep voice.

He found time to learn the languages ​​of various European countries and mastered Greek.

Not to mention him, even the generals sent to the occupied areas learned the local language during their time in the occupied areas.

Practicing the military body-building technique is not just about strengthening the body, but an all-round strengthening.

The warrior's brain has been developed, so he can easily learn various skills.

It is not difficult for them to learn a strange language.

As for Li Qiang, his spirit is many times stronger than that of an ordinary person, and his learning ability is stronger than that of a warrior.

Li Qiang recognized the identity of the demigod Benson at a glance because he had come into contact with demigods. He sensed the aura of the demigod on Benson.

"I am the demigod Benson, the child of Hades!" Demigod Benson did not deny it, nor was there any need to deny it.

"What do you want to see me for?" Li Qiang asked again.

The demigod Benson's body stiffened, his eyes turned white, and he recovered after a moment.

It’s just that his aura has changed, and it is somewhat different from the previous demigod Benson.

"Hades, the God of the Underworld, greets the Emperor Daqian!" This time, the demigod Benson just bowed slightly and greeted him again.

Li Qiang waved his hand, and a big hand appeared in the void, grabbing towards the demigod Benson.

Demigod Benson's expression changed drastically and he quickly stepped back.

"I come here with sincerity, not for war!" said the demigod Benson as he retreated.

He recognized the origin of this hand. It was the hand of the Titan of Destruction Kronos.

Judging from bloodline, the owner of this hand is the grandfather of the demigod Benson and the father of Hades, the god of the underworld.

The big hand stopped in front of the demigod Benson, as if it would crush him to death if the demigod Benson said something wrong.

This is not an exaggeration at all. With the strength of the Titan of Destruction, let alone killing the demigod Benson, even if the real body of Hades was here, it would be difficult for him to escape.

"The gates of hell were opened before because it was an order from Zeus. I could only obey orders. I am responsible for this matter and I am willing to pay compensation for it!" said Hades, the god of the underworld.

"I'm afraid you came to see me not just to compensate me? Tell me everything." Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Emperor Daqian, the Gate of Hell is in your hands. I would like to exchange it for its return. Please tell me what conditions you have." Seeing that Li Qiang was so direct, Hades, the God of the Underworld, stopped beating around the bush.

"It was you who proposed to exchange the Gate of Hell. You should tell me the price you are willing to pay first!" Li Qiang shook his head and said.

He didn't want to put forward his own request first, so as to let Hades, the god of the underworld, speak first, and then he could improve it a little bit according to the conditions stated by Hades, the god of the underworld.

Hades, the god of the underworld, was delighted that Li Qiang did not refuse immediately, which meant that Li Qiang was willing to exchange the gate to hell.

As long as Li Qiang is willing, everything will be easy. The only thing I'm afraid of is that Li Qiang is not willing, that would be the most troublesome thing.

"Hell is rich in gold. I am willing to give up a mountain of gold in exchange for the gate to hell!" Hades, the god of the underworld, stated his conditions.

"Gold is of no use to me. Such mundane things are easily available!" Li Qiang said with a smile and shook his head.

Although the gold in a mountain of gold is extremely valuable, for Li Qiang, who controls a vast territory and whose territory will continue to increase in the future, the value of gold is limited.

He was even more reluctant to use gold as a bargaining chip in transactions with the gods.

Although he has not yet figured out how to use the Hell's Gate, this kind of artifact is definitely not comparable to gold.

"Add another pot of water of life. Drinking a sip can increase a mortal's lifespan by ten years, and a whole pot can increase lifespan by five hundred years!" Hades, the god of the underworld, gritted his teeth and added another condition.

"It seems that Hades is not sincere, so let's just forget it!" Li Qiang said disappointedly.

He stood up and was about to leave, just for show, waiting to see what Hades, the god of the underworld, would say.

"Emperor Daqian, please stay. You should make the request first. Hell really doesn't have any valuable treasures." Hades, the God of the Underworld, said helplessly.

"First of all, I need the location of Mount Olympus!" Li Qiang sat back in his seat and said with a finger raised.

Hades, the god of the underworld, had a conflicted look on his face, as if he couldn't make up his mind for a moment.

In fact, he was ecstatic in his heart. Li Qiang was going to cause trouble for Mount Olympus, which meant to deal with Zeus.

Even though they were brothers, he still wanted to see Zeus suffer misfortune.

"I do. This is a stone from Mount Olympus. Holding it, I can sense the existence of Mount Olympus!" Hades, the god of the underworld, seemed to hesitate for a long time before he made up his mind and said.

This is an ordinary stone, but Hades, the god of the underworld, used the power of the demigod Benson to inject the breath of Mount Olympus into the stone, giving the stone magical powers.

Li Qiang took the stone. He sensed a breath from the stone, and vaguely this breath was connected to somewhere in the distance.

"The second request is, I heard that Hades, the god of the underworld, has an invisibility helmet!" Li Qiang said with a smile.

"How do you know? Damn Zeus, he must have been the one who spread it!" Hades, the God of the Underworld, looked really ugly this time, and he said angrily.

When fighting against his father Cronus, the Cyclops helped Zeus, Poseidon and Hades create three artifacts respectively.

Zeus got lightning, Poseidon got the trident, and Hades got the invisibility helmet.

The function of the invisibility helmet is very simple. Once worn, it will cause the wearer to become invisible, making the wearer invisible to gods, monsters and mortals.

This kind of stealth ability is not like Li Qiang's "group invisibility", which will become ineffective if you move. You can fight with an invisible helmet on, which is definitely the best life-saving treasure in the world.

(End of this chapter)