Chapter 822 The Reward is Huge
Chapter 822 The Reward is Huge
It was customary for ministers to pretend to accept high-level rewards by refusing three times. The Jade Emperor thought Wen Rui was just pretending and said, "Wen Tianzun is too modest. You are the first meritorious in this battle. You should accept it with pleasure. The soldiers and generals will have other rewards. I will not treat them unfairly."
Unexpectedly, Wen Rui was so determined that he said in a very firm manner, "Your Majesty, this catastrophe has not yet subsided. Even if we kill 1 billion demon insects, we have not harmed the foundation of the demon race. There will still be many fierce battles in the future."
"Your Majesty has rewarded me so much for my small contribution. If I fight the demon mosquitoes again and kill billions of enemies, how will I be rewarded?"
"At this critical moment when the survival of the three realms is at stake, I am willing to work together with Your Majesty to save the people and recover the mortal world. That is why I speak frankly and honestly, and do not want to seek credit or reward. I hope Your Majesty will understand my painstaking efforts."
At this point, the Jade Emperor couldn't force a reward on Wen Rui. He put Wen Rui on the spot and pretended to be touched. He supported Wen Rui and encouraged him, saying, "The Wen family is truly a family of good fathers and good sons. The family tradition is upright and they are truly a model for the noble families in the world. With such a minister, what more could you ask for?"
Although they were all acting, the acting skills of the two protagonists were above standard, and in the eyes of the immortals in heaven, there was a sense of true emotion.
"Alas, as the saying goes, 'Time reveals a person's true character, and rebellion reveals a loyal minister.' Your Majesty has always harbored a grudge against Little Heavenly Venerable Wen, and has repeatedly suppressed him in secret. He knows that he is extremely talented, but dares not employ him. If it weren't for the catastrophe of the Three Realms Demon Tribulation, and the refining of true gold by fire, how could Your Majesty truly see the immortal quality of Little Heavenly Venerable?"
"That's right. As a general who died in battle in the Shang Dynasty, I have the most say in the canonization of gods. When Little Tianzun was still the Little Grand Tutor, although he was treacherous and vicious in his military operations, he was kind and benevolent in governing the people. He loved the people like his own children. I wonder how many Shang people have set up longevity tablets for him at home."
"All is fair in war, and all means should be used on the battlefield. This is not a moral stain. On the contrary, being born into an aristocratic family, but caring about the common people and working hard to benefit them is true compassion. Isn't this what the Tathagata Buddha also promotes? He was born a prince and became a monk to save the people. From this perspective, the character of the little Tianzun is not much lower than that of the Buddha promoted by Western religions."
"Hmph, don't say that he is low. On the contrary, I think that Little Tianzun is far higher than the Buddha. The Buddha said that he would save the people from suffering, but that was just talk. Did he actually do anything? Did he actually change anything?"
"The curved plow invented by Xiao Tianzun has ensured that the people have enough food to eat. The book "Postpartum Care for Sows" he wrote has actually allowed the people to eat meat! The Deer Terrace he directed the construction of used lever and pulley technology, saving countless manpower and reducing the casualties of many civilians."
……
The immortals started talking about it, especially the immortal officials who were deified as generals and ministers of the Shang Dynasty, all of whom told the immortals around them about Wen Rui's great achievements in the past.
"Although I am a deified official of the Zhou Dynasty, I have to say something fair. Prime Minister Jiang said more than once that if you have a son, you should have one like Wen Rui. King Wen and King Wu also sighed countless times, saying that King Zhou had no virtue or ability to have the two heroes of the Wen family, father and son, to assist him with all their strength."
"After the successful conquest of King Zhou, Prime Minister Jiang actually borrowed a lot of Wen Rui's local governance strategies. The early Great Zhou Dynasty quickly recovered its prosperity and stability, largely due to the implementation of these policies."
"Fortunately, your majesty woke up in time. Although the current situation is difficult, if the monarch and his subjects get along well, the government is stable and the people are harmonious, it will not be difficult to conquer the mortal world and wipe out the demon insects."
……
Even the immortal officials from the Chan sect and the Zhou Dynasty were infected by the atmosphere and began to speak fair words.
The centrists all began to favor Wen Rui, not to mention his close friends and relatives who already had a very good relationship with Wen Rui. The Twenty-Eight Mansions and the Thirty-Six Thunder Generals were even more moved.
In their opinion, Wen Rui was giving away all his credit to them for free.
All the generals who participated in the battle knew that if Wen Rui had not defeated the three witches and crushed the bloody claws, it would be hard to say whether they could come back alive. Throughout the battle, they were like thigh pendants, doing whatever Wen Rui asked them to do. It was a bit embarrassing to say that they had not made any contribution, but it was hard to say what contribution they had made.
However, everyone had collected quite a few kills, so at least they could show off their achievements when it was time to commend them.
It is an honor for every soldier to follow a commander who is not greedy for the credit of his subordinates but can also protect them from wind and rain.
The more enthusiastic the atmosphere was, the colder the Jade Emperor's heart was. The army and the people were in the same camp. Wen Rui was almost about to dig out a one-eyed stone man from the Milky Way.
Wen Rui was also keenly aware of the immortals' admiration and respect for him, but he did not feel complacent at all. Instead, he felt more guilty.
He thought anxiously: These guys must not harm me. Next time when I send out troops, they may suddenly bring out a golden chair and put on a yellow robe, and I won’t be able to explain myself!
When Wen Rui reached his level, he had already had a vague sense of the Heaven's Way. Although the information he received from the Heaven's Way during meditation was vague and he could not be sure of anything, he could rule out that it was definitely not a sign from heaven, implying that he was the chosen son of heaven who was destined to take on the responsibility of the new generation of Jade Emperor.
Amid the flattery and congratulations of the immortals, Wen Rui gritted his teeth and accompanied the Jade Emperor through the military parade and commendation process.
By the time the Jade Emperor had announced the rewards for the soldiers and generals who had gone on the expedition, the triumphal ceremony had come to an end.
Wen Rui was planning to find an excuse to leave, but was stopped by the attentive Jade Emperor, who smiled and said, "My dear Wen, would you honor me with a private chat? I have ordered people to set up a banquet in Guanghan Palace. Fairy Chang'e has long heard of the name of the Little Heavenly Venerable. She has been suffering from not having the opportunity to meet him for so many years, and she is also looking forward to welcoming you.
Hearing this invitation, Wen Rui's scalp tingled and his eyes twitched slightly. He felt that the banquet was not a good one and there would be no good things waiting for him if he went.
In other words, good things will definitely come from going, but it will also cost a considerable price.
Is this an invitation for me to go out for a drink with him?
Chang'e must be the companion at the banquet. Chang'e is not the Jade Emperor's exclusive lover. Is he trying to use his beauty to seduce me?
"Your Majesty, I have just been through a great battle and am exhausted. I need to rest and recuperate to recover my immortal strength."
Although he was quite tempted, Wen Rui decisively refused. No matter how beautiful Chang'e was, that old woman must be tens of thousands of years old, right?
Maybe he even smells like an old man!
In the eyes of the Jade Emperor, Chang'e is a young girl, but in Wen Rui's eyes, she is an old piece of meat and he can't eat her.
After being rejected in person, the Jade Emperor had no choice but to give up and abandon the opportunity to win over Wen Rui at such a great cost.
Wen Rui then slipped back to the Creation Palace, secretly opened the statue, and launched a projected clone to the mortal world. The next moment, the clone appeared in the Taishan Demon Cave, and as soon as he appeared, he faced the Mosquito Taoist who was surrounded by black air.
(End of this chapter)