Chapter 34: Preparing to Become Diplomats

"My dear Internal Affairs Officer, I see your fortune hasn't been kind lately! Quickly, show some goodwill to my Beast of Misfortune. It doesn't have to be much, ten thousand gold coins will suffice."

The little cat in Li Xie's arms immediately raised its front paw, and Li Xie added, "Oh, and a hundred bottles of wine!"

Erl's face turned sour like a bitter gourd. If it weren't for Emperor Mercedes VII ordering him to issue commands, he wouldn't have wanted to come to the Earl's mansion!

"In the name of the Earth God!" Since the last banquet, Erl had already expressed his goodwill fiercely in order to dispel misfortune and attract good luck. Now strapped for cash, if he had to come up with another ten thousand gold coins, he'd have trouble ahead. He looked pitifully at Li Xie and said with a grimace, "Sir, can't the goodwill I showed last time bring good luck? How much goodwill do I need for good luck? At least, let's not have any more misfortune! I haven't received any rewards recently, and my finances are tight. I don't know if Sir... I can write you an IOU!"

Seeing Erl's pitiful appearance, Li Xie probably guessed that he didn't have much gold left! It wasn't anyone else's fault, only his own overgenerous goodwill last time! A mere Internal Affairs Officer, a Viscount with no land and few properties, didn't have much wealth to begin with. If he received rewards from the Emperor, he could live comfortably for a while, but without them, Erl would be in trouble.

But well, Mercedes VII usually tasked Erl with delivering Li Xie's orders directly, so they met often. It wouldn't be wise to take advantage of this respectful little official too much!

This man was also a smooth operator. Giving him some benefits might even be helpful to oneself.

Li Xie smiled generously, "An IOU? Come on, who are we kidding here? We're practically family! I'll unconditionally give you five hundred thousand gold coins as goodwill. Just wait for your good luck!"

"Really?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

Erl's eyes lit up with excitement. He had only given fifty thousand gold coins last time, which was already a significant portion of his wealth. Unexpectedly, Duke Xie offered fifty times that amount with just one word! And unconditionally! In the name of the Earth God, praise our generous and kind Duke Xie!

Li Xie's cat in his arms perked up upon hearing this, raising its front paw and turning its head to Li Xie with a smirk, as if saying, "You're doing favors, but don't forget my wine!"

Li Xie understood its meaning and felt a bit annoyed. This darn cat, addicted to alcohol as if it were life itself! It even tricks me!

Of course, Li Xie wouldn't be too bothered by the cat's antics. After all, it had helped him earn ten million gold coins last time, and more would surely come in the future. Whatever amount of wine it wanted, he would provide!

After seating Erl on the sofa, Li Xie got down to business seriously. "My dear Internal Affairs Officer Erl, as someone close to His Majesty, you must have an idea of His Majesty's intentions. Don't you think His Majesty has lost his mind? He's asking me to be a diplomat? Does he think I'm capable of that?"

Li Xie, as the Duke and Vice President of the Sacrificial Institute, didn't have to attend court sessions or teach in the institute. Mercedes VII's treatment of him was unprecedentedly lenient.

But Li Xie couldn't understand why Mercedes VII suddenly ordered Erl to issue commands, asking Li Xie to serve as a diplomatic receptionist for a foreign envoy, responsible for all diplomatic matters!

Regarding the foreign envoy's affairs, it had to do with Duke Avril. His "seclusion" period was coming to an end, and while he could postpone some congratulatory visits or audience requests, the Four Empires and the Great Sun Empire had already sent envoys to congratulate Duke Avril on his promotion to Saint Sacrificer. They were expected to arrive in the Tudor Empire within the next month.

When the envoys from the Four Empires and the Great Sun Empire arrived, all affairs would be related to the country's prestige, requiring a respected and dignified figure familiar with etiquette to handle the reception matters. Respected and dignified, Li Xie smiled without saying a word, but the familiarity with etiquette made him smile a bit bitterly!

Li Xie didn't understand any of this. Mercedes VII must have known that he was being set up to make a fool of himself and become a laughingstock, or worse, his ridicule might spread abroad!

Moreover, the Tudor Empire couldn't afford to provoke the Four Empires, and the Great Sun Empire was at odds with the Tudor Empire. If things went awry, it might lead to war!

Li Xie didn't think he could bear this responsibility, so he silently criticized Mercedes VII's decision!

Beside him, Erl was sweating profusely. He dared to directly say that Mercedes VII had lost his mind, probably because there was only this Duke, who was known for his bizarre behavior, in the entire empire!

But when it came to generosity, our Duke was indeed the most generous in the empire!

Erl was still thanking Li Xie for generously sacrificing to appease the Beast of Misfortune for him. He quickly put on a smile and said, "Respected Duke, His Majesty knows that you are bold and unconstrained, not bound by trivial matters. Therefore, this time, His Majesty has ordered you to oversee the overall situation, while the specific details will be handled by me, the diplomatic receptionist, and the attendant guards under the Ministry of Etiquette."

"Oh?" Li Xie raised an eyebrow. Did that mean he could sit in a high position, pose, act cool, and not do anything specific, leaving Erl to handle everything? Heh heh, to reap benefits without lifting a finger, Mercedes VII was truly imaginative! Blessings upon the Great Master, please withdraw all the curses I just had in my heart against our lovely Majesty. He's so adorable! Look at him, throwing all the benefits to us!

Li Xie's attitude suddenly did a 180-degree turn, bursting into laughter. "So that's how it is! His Majesty truly has vision, knowing someone like me, who always grasps the correct direction! Well then, I'll reluctantly accept this task! Erl, my dear attendant minister, does His Majesty have any other instructions? Like rewards or something? You know, receiving foreign envoys is quite a demanding job. I'm getting on in years... I mean, I've only just recovered from a serious injury a month ago, it's too strenuous for me. Gotta express it, right?"

Erl broke into a cold sweat again. This Duke of ours was really bold! His Majesty's intention was clearly to acknowledge that you don't understand etiquette! In the end, it's going to be me who's going to suffer!

"His Majesty didn't mention rewards, but I believe that once this task is done, there will definitely be rewards! Come to think of it, His Majesty had a saying that I didn't quite understand. Your wisdom is ten million times greater than mine, so you'll surely understand His Majesty's intentions."

"Oh? What saying?"

Erl imitated Mercedes VII's manner, with a stern face and a lowered voice. "Our Duke of Sin will understand His Majesty's intentions, and he should also express His Majesty's intentions to our lovely envoy!"

Oh!

Intentions!

Li Xie thought that when a powerful nation visited, their envoys would come empty-handed and leave with a bunch of riches. Could it be...

"Could it be that the foreign envoys have brought a lot of gold coins?" Li Xie immediately asked.

Erl broke into another cold sweat at such a foolish question. Well, it was because of our generous Duke! He quickly replied, "The Four Empires will undoubtedly bring countless gold coins and treasures to showcase their splendor and power. The Great Sun Empire probably won't be any less!"

Wow!

Li Xie seemed to see five carriages pulling five piles of gold rushing over!

The cat in his arms opened its eyes, twitched its ears, and lazily meowed, "Meow..."

Li Xie understood what the cat meant and followed up, "And the wine?"

Why did the Duke of Sin love wine so much?

Erl was puzzled but replied truthfully, "Wine is an important item for socializing, so it will definitely be indispensable!"

Meow Meow heard this and suddenly stood up on Li Xie's left arm with a loud "swoosh," startling Erl. Then, Meow Meow lifted its right front paw with a "swoosh," revealing four sharp, hook-shaped claws.

Li Xie understood, and he hooked his right index finger around Meow Meow's paw, shaking it. Both Li Xie and Meow Meow had a mischievous smile on their faces, revealing their white little fangs.

"Meow... Wine, this cat wants it!"

"Hehe... Gold coins and treasures, this Duke's!"

Seeing the eerie gleam in both Li Xie and Meow Meow's eyes, Erl shivered violently!

Why did the Duke of Sin's appearance seem like it was molded from the same mold as the Beast of Misfortune? My goodness, the Duke of Sin has fangs! Could he be the incarnation of the Beast of Misfortune? I heard that powerful beasts can transform into humans...

"Sir, I still need to report to His Majesty. I'll take my leave now."

"Hehe, take care. Feel free to visit my mansion, Duke of Sin, when you have the time."

"Yes... the Duke of Sin's mansion is too terrifying, the invisible pressure! I won't come even if I have free time! Definitely not! Erl was so determined.

"Hey, don't run too fast. Be careful, I saw Lily accidentally spill oil just now..."

"Ah..."

Royal Palace of the Tudor Dynasty, Study Room.

Mercedes VII sat with a smile on his face, while Prime Minister Harry Intrl stood beside him. In front of Mercedes VII, Erl was reporting Li Xie's acceptance of the position of diplomatic receptionist.

"Alright, you can go down now and heal well! You're usually steady, how come you've been stumbling so much lately?"

Erl had a bitter feeling but bid farewell, covering his forehead.

Beside him, the Prime Minister said, "Your Majesty has appointed the Duke of Sin as the diplomatic receptionist, forgive me for being dull, but I don't understand."

Mercedes VII smiled proudly. "It's rare for the Prime Minister to not understand! Prime Minister, please take a seat."

The servants serving in the study were all called out, leaving only the Prime Minister to move a chair and sit down on his own. He said lightly, "The arrival of the envoys from the five countries this time is an unprecedented crisis for our dynasty. If anything goes wrong, it will be irreparable! Forgive me for being presumptuous, but only I, from top to bottom of the dynasty, can bear the heavy responsibility of the diplomatic receptionist! Your Majesty, please think twice!"

Mercedes VII nodded solemnly. "The unexpected promotion of Duke Avril has caught us off guard. A Divine Descendant can elevate the dynasty, and so can a Saint Priest! Unfortunately, this matter cannot be concealed! Now that the entire Gods' Continent knows that our Tudor Dynasty has a Saint Priest, the most vigilant ones are the Great Sun Empire! Why did they send an envoy? We both know! It's not to strengthen the position of the Prime Minister and the Pantheon family! Hmph! As for the Four Empires, they are mostly engaged in petty conflicts with each other. For a long time, they have maintained a stable balance. If a new empire rises, it will completely disrupt this balance! The Four Empires' visit is nothing more than to woo and threaten! These five countries are all coming with danger. One wrong step, and the Great Sun Empire will attack the North, and the Four Empires may even send troops to help!"

"If Your Majesty understands this, why did you appoint the Duke of Sin to this important position? It's not that I look down on the Duke of Sin. By letting him take on the role of diplomatic receptionist, I'm afraid it's not the Four Empires sending troops to help, but a direct invasion of the Tudor Dynasty!"