I Sell Bottled Water for Gold in Another World!-Chapter 194: Return

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

With a warm genuine smile plastered on his face, the Emperor stepped forward and personally helped Magistrate Sai rise to his feet using both hands in an unusually familiar gesture.

"There is no need for such a formal ceremony between us, you don’t have to bow down to me when meeting in private."

Magistrate Sai didn’t dare to comply, he still respectfully bowed to the Emperor while speaking somewhat cautiously, choosing his words with care.

"Your Majesty, I have traveled here today to humbly request Your Majesty’s gracious permission to address an important matter that weighs heavily on my mind."

The Emperor listened while feeling curious about the nature of this late night request.

"Please speak freely and openly without fear. As long as your request lies within my power to grant, I will absolutely never refuse you for your loyal service."

Magistrate Sai straightened himself properly. His hands trembled slightly as he clasped them together. While bowing deeply with utmost respect he began speaking.

The truth was that Magistrate Sai had wrestled with this decision for hours before finally gathering the courage to approach the Emperor directly.

The court ministers had sent him endless letters over the past days, each more insistent than the last.

They knew he had the Emperor’s favour during this visit to Ironhold.

They pressed him relentlessly to speak for them.

Yet Sai also feared contradicting the Emperor’s judgment after witnessing His Majesty’s reaction to the drought reports.

The Emperor had seemed so certain about postponing military action. To question that decision now felt dangerously close to challenging imperial decree itself.

But the ministers would not relent in the slightest.

Their letters grew more and more urgent, more demanding with each letter.

Finally, feeling trapped between loyalty to the throne and political survival, he had come to present their case despite his own severe doubts.

His voice wavered as he spoke. "The court officials all knew they could not persuade Your Majesty directly through their own arguments after Your Majesty’s initial decision. Therefore, they have composed numerous urgent letters to me asking that I offer counsel and approach Your Majesty on their behalf with their concerns.

They desperately hoped Your Majesty would dispatch an army to test whether successful cooperation with the Lesser Khan might enable us to destroy the Greater Khan decisively during this opportunity."

He stopped for a moment raised his head a little to look at the Emperor, seeing no visible anger he continued.

"Your Majesty need not commit to sending overwhelming forces initially that would definitely drain the treasury. Just dispatch a few thousand soldiers as a scouting probe to assess the actual situation on the ground.

If the military scouting proves feasible and conditions appear favorable, then immediately dispatch massive troop reinforcements from the Westmarch heartland northward to attack the Greater Khan with full strength and decisive force.

However, if the situation proves unfavorable or dangerous, simply withdraw all forces immediately back to our borders.

There would be no significant harm in such a limited probe."

The Emperor frowned with visible displeasure darkening his face by now.

He had not expected that the court officials were all still obsessing about attacking the Khan despite the obvious strategic problems he had outlined in his previous communications.

Why can they not see the simple fundamental problems that even Alex, who does not even participate in court matters, understood immediately through basic observation of people?

Have I raised nothing but short sighted fools who cannot think beyond immediate glory?

However, upon remembering everything Alex had explained to him earlier that same day with such clarity, the Emperor immediately straightened his posture with renewed confidence.

He knew exactly how to answer them now with words that would silence their arguments.

"I am not certain If I can explain these matters effectively to those ministers directly through letters this time," the Emperor said while looking at the nervous magistrate. "So please this time I want you to compose their reply exactly as I am about to tell you, word for word without alteration."

He paused before speaking with deliberate emphasis. "Strategic silence is merely a method of gathering overwhelming power before striking decisively at the perfect moment when victory is within our hands."

The Emperor stated the words as clearly as possible, repeating exactly what Alex had said without changing a single character.

He felt no shame whatsoever in borrowing such profound wisdom.

Magistrate Sai felt completely stunned by this profound statement that seemed to carry layers of meaning.

Within moments of reflection, he fully understood the deeper strategic philosophy contained within that deceptively simple sentence.

The Emperor’s words seemed straightforward on the surface, but they actually contained profound philosophical meaning and strategic wisdom that few could understand so concisely.

If not spoken by a great sage or truly brilliant ruler, no ordinary person could possibly understand something so perfectly concise yet so meaningful in its implications.

It appears that His Majesty, who used to consult extensively with his civil and military officials on virtually everything both major and minor, has always kept his true strategic intentions hidden beneath the surface all along.

Perhaps we have all underestimated his wisdom.

Seeing Magistrate Sai’s shocked amazed expression, the Emperor immediately felt a powerful sense of satisfaction and smugness wash over him.

He once again thought about Alex with deep appreciation. That man is indeed an impressive and valuable person that I must not let slip away by any means.

By simply repeating his wise words carefully, I can immediately subdue and convince my ministers completely without usual lengthy debates!

It seems I should definitely visit him much more frequently in the future and continue our conversations on these strategic topics. It is far better than listening to those ministers who have nothing useful to say after hours of discussion on weekdays.

The Emperor paced back and forth across the study floor with both hands clasped firmly behind his back in his characteristic manner.

Then he spoke with authority. "Magistrate Sai, please understand clearly that it is absolutely not that I lack desire to destroy the Khan completely and avenge past humiliations. Rather, the current strategic situation forces me to practice patience temporarily until conditions favor us.

You must comprehend that once open warfare erupts with the Khan, it will not merely involve two countries fighting in isolation. Instead, it will shock and alarm all surrounding territories and trigger major geopolitical reactions throughout the entire region.

The Dwarven Holds will watch nervously. The Elven Kingdoms will begin forming defensive pacts. The Orcish tribes will see opportunity in our distraction."

He gestured emphatically. "We absolutely cannot afford to test the waters cautiously in battle.

Once we commit our troops to action, we must completely annihilate the Khan’s regime in one overwhelming decisive blow that leaves no room for recovery.

Otherwise, if we merely test their defenses today with small probing forces, it will definitely arouse intense vigilance among foreign races harboring ulterior motives and ambitions toward our territories.

At that point, they will remain constantly on high alert and guard against our empire’s every move with suspicion. Then we will find ourselves facing numerous additional difficulties and obstacles in any future campaigns when we truly commit our forces."

The Emperor had completely forgotten his earlier confused thoughts and uncertainties about the situation.

He directly used all the strategic wisdom that Alex had taught him to instruct Magistrate Sai with complete confidence and authority.

Magistrate Sai stood listening in stunned amazement as his facial expression changed dramatically several times during the comprehensive explanation.

The court officials were not genuinely unaware of these fundamental strategic principles, but they did just not care to think on it.

They were simply unwilling to accept the necessity of patience and restraint when glory seemed within reach.

Now that the Emperor had seen through their motivations so clearly and explained the situation so comprehensively with such profound wisdom, Magistrate Sai felt deeply impressed and grateful for this lesson.

"It was entirely my oversight and rash thinking that led me astray on this matter. Your Majesty, please forgive my foolishness in even presenting such short sighted arguments."

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively with genuine warmth. "You were also thinking of the country’s best interests and acting as the ministers requested, so there is absolutely no need to blame yourself harshly for doing your duty."

Magistrate Sai bowed deeply with renewed respect and departed to compose the Emperor’s response to the impatient ministers.

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Meanwhile, across the city in a different part of Ironhold, Alex had returned to his warehouse after the pleasant dinner.

He walked through the familiar space checking on stored goods and making mental notes about upcoming business matters.

Jacob had been sent home for the evening, leaving Alex alone with his thoughts.

It had been an enjoyable evening with good wine and delicious food.

He made some notes about grain prices and supply routes for the coming weeks.

After finishing his immediate tasks and securing the warehouse properly, Alex prepared to return to his own time.

The familiar sensation began building within him like gathering storm clouds.

Then in a blinding flash of light that filled the entire warehouse for a brief moment, Alex disappeared completely from the ancient world.