Chu Chen knew that if his answer was not good, it might have the opposite effect.
To be safe, Chu Chen directly opened the Life Simulator, intending to simulate a life.
[Simulation loading complete, protagonist: Chu Chen! Current points: 55,000 points.]
[Autumn of the year 3243 on the Qingzhou Continent, you, at the age of 24, hold the highest official position of Prime Minister, enjoying immense power. However! You encountered a troublesome matter during the court assembly, a soul-searching question from the Empress.]
[Facing the Empress's question, "Does Chu Chen, you also want to stop me?" you rack your brains to think of how to answer. Fortunately, with the blessing of multiple talents, your thinking speed is more than five times faster than ordinary people, giving you ample time to ponder.]
[You, sweating slightly, thought for two breaths and, using the excuse that the court would be difficult to maintain if all civil and military officials were slaughtered, attempted to dissuade the Empress from indiscriminately killing them.]
[Your dissuasion failed. The Empress completely ignored you and, with a cold laugh, ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest you as well.]
[You angered the Empress, you were beheaded at the Meridian Gate, you died!]
[Aged...]
...Damn it! This answer won't do, try again!
Fortunately, the system operates within one's own divine consciousness sea, or perhaps even within the soul's true spirit, so the time during this process is completely frozen. There is no risk of simulating for too long and being executed by the Empress.
[After one failed simulation, you substituted the new officials, who lacked sufficient mature experience, as a replacement for the civil and military officials, arguing that killing should only happen after they have gained more seniority and experience, to dissuade the Empress.]
[Your words offended all the civil and military officials in the court. Zhang Chengzhu and An Xian were filled with disappointment in you, and the Chu faction became disunited.]
[The Empress ignored these words and, as if possessed, still intended to kill the civil and military officials. Furthermore, your speech drew the Empress's attention, and she, consumed by rage, killed you as well.]
[... ]
Damn it! This also won't do!
If I don't let you kill, it won't work. If I let you kill, it only slightly delays it, and I can secretly rescue my subordinates, but that won't work either!
Then what exactly should I say?
Chu Chen silently activated the blue skill pouch, "Wonderful Plan," and the talent "Insight," and then began another life simulation.
[After one failed simulation, with the activation of the active skill "Wonderful Plan" and the blessing of the talent "Insight," your intelligence and thinking mode were greatly enhanced.]
[You changed your method of dissuasion. You argued that the eighteen million registered households had not actually decreased, but were merely hidden. Now, under the royal merchant association's farm system and the reforms of the new policies, these hidden households can no longer escape detection.]
[Your words had an effect, and the Empress hesitated.]
[You pressed on, stating that the past is past and cannot be changed, but a beautiful future still awaits in the unarrived future. The court's annual revenue has increased from two million taels of silver to twelve million taels, and it is only four million taels away from the peak of sixteen million taels. With the bountiful harvests in various regions, the common people will no longer go hungry. The warm stoves and coal have greatly alleviated the situation of people freezing to death in winter. The grain tax paid by the royal merchant association has already led the court to plan for an expansion of the army by two hundred thousand, nearly half of the national army!]
[Your series of beneficial words eased the Empress's anger. Finally, the Empress calmed her rage and ordered the Imperial Guards to release the civil and military officials.]
[... ]
Finally, it was successful. It seems that a roundabout dissuasion is the way to go!
This time, there was no failure, and Chu Chen knew how to speak.
"Your Majesty! Your subject does not intend to obstruct Your Majesty! Your subject believes that since Your Majesty ascended the throne, the eighteen million registered households hidden by the noble families and gentry in the civilian sector have not disappeared, but were merely concealed. Now, under Your Majesty's wise leadership and the actual actions of the royal merchant association's farm system, these hidden households have been recovered. It is only necessary to order the Ministry of Revenue to re-register them."
Chu Chen looked at the Empress with sincere eyes, which made her pause.
It seems to make sense? The eighteen million people were hidden, not dead. They are still there, but they did not belong to the court before, and now they seem to belong to the court?
Seeing the Empress hesitate, the Imperial Guards also slowed their steps, listening to the subsequent situation with trepidation.
The civil and military officials, who thought they were doomed, never expected Chu Chen to speak up for them. This was not just speaking up for the Chu faction, but for all the civil and military officials of the court!
Among them were many who disliked Chu Chen and wished he were dead. Did Chu Chen possess such magnanimity? No wonder others were Prime Ministers at such a young age, able to hold a ship in their belly, while they, at their advanced age, were still lingering in their original positions.
"Your Majesty, your subject believes that what has happened in the past cannot be changed, no matter how angry one is. It would only be a waste of time. However, a beautiful future still awaits Your Majesty in the unarrived future!"
"Under Your Majesty's wise leadership, the entire Yunyue Kingdom has undergone reforms and innovations. Under your leadership, a new policy has made the Yunyue Kingdom prosperous. Think of the tens of millions of bushels of corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. These grains are enough for the common people to eat for one to two years. Coupled with the warm stoves I invented and the coal I ordered to be mined, the situation of people freezing to death in winter will be greatly alleviated!"
"The court now has both money and provisions. The annual revenue alone is twelve million taels of silver, and it is only four million taels away from the peak of sixteen million taels during the founding of the nation. Under Your Majesty's governance, the court is even expanding its forces by nearly half of the current national army! All of this indicates that the future is changing, moving towards a better future under Your Majesty's governance, and the past was merely Your Majesty being deceived by that traitor Chen Guangliang."
Chu Chen's words left the Empress and the civil and military officials stunned.
The civil and military officials had never seen Chu Chen flatter so shamelessly. This was the first time they had witnessed it, and they all seemed to be meeting Chu Chen for the first time.
So, this fellow Chu Chen was also so eloquent? Speaking of which, why hadn't I thought of this?
The civil and military officials regretted it deeply, and at the same time, their worries were slightly relieved. With Chu Chen's words, His Majesty should no longer have the intention of killing them, right?
The Empress had not heard Chu Chen's shameless flattery for a long time, and she felt amused, which also dissipated a lot of her anger.
After pondering for a moment, she felt that Chu Chen's words were not false. It was all the fault of the damned former Prime Minister Chen Guangliang for corrupting the court, and she had merely been deceived.
The population had not actually decreased, and it was about to return to the embrace of the court. The Yunyue Kingdom's national strength was indeed growing rapidly.
As the Empress thought this, her expression softened, changing from cold fury to calmness. She waved her hand and said, "Release them all!"
"Yes!"
The Zhi Jin Wu, as if granted amnesty, quickly released the arrested court officials with his subordinates.
"Chu Chen, I didn't expect you to be so eloquent now!"