In their minds, having them kneel here for nearly half an hour was already King You’s punishment for them.

Or rather, it was a warning set by King You.

Such a warning, for these senior officials, was indeed very effective.

If any of them dared to show the slightest dissatisfaction, the new king would probably seize this opportunity to impose harsher penalties.

Otherwise, if they got through this, they would have passed the time of the new king’s accession.

However, they also knew in their hearts that after this event, there probably wouldn’t be another one.

At the same time, they secretly speculated that today’s punishment was over, but the sweet reward should come afterwards.

At the very least, they all showed obedience to the new king on the surface, showing no grievances at all, and at this time, the fellow should find a way to compensate them.

Balancing benevolence and authority is the way to rule. Only by doing so can they be convinced in heart and speech.

Of course, these were just their own wishful thoughts and speculations, and did not represent Lin Yi or imply that Lin Yi would do so next.

But just as they were pondering over what excuse Lin Yi would use to compensate them, suddenly, Lin Yi from above began to speak.

Moreover, what he said left everyone stunned. They looked at each other, unable to grasp the meaning behind Lin Yi’s words.

"My six Ministers and two Chancellors, who have contributed greatly over the years, today, I shall have their portraits painted. Indeed, I summoned you here not to paint a portrait for me, but to create a portrait for each of these esteemed officials."

This was clearly addressed to everyone present, and after speaking, he turned his gaze to a group of painters nearby, speaking with a very serious tone:

"These senior officials, in the Dayou Kingdom, can be considered highly esteemed and have worked hard over the years. Even if there have been no significant achievements, their efforts are immense.

Knowing the hardships they’ve endured since my ascension,

I have summoned you today to paint portraits for them. Use all your skills and make every effort to paint them.

If I am not satisfied, don’t blame me for being uncompromising."

After saying this, the painters immediately knelt down with a thud, all promising to use their utmost skills and efforts to create the portraits.

Seeing this, Lin Yi nodded with satisfaction. With a wave of his hand, a stack of neatly arranged white paper appeared on his desk.

Then he turned to Xiao Chen and said:

"Go ahead and distribute these sheets to them. Two pages per person. These sheets will be used to create the portraits."

Lin Yi’s ability to produce objects out of thin air never failed to astonish everyone present.

This time was no exception; not only the painters but also the ministers who had seen it before were all shocked, staring wide-eyed at the stack of white sheets.

They also realized one thing: this item was called paper.

Moreover, this time, the items produced were significantly better than the previous ones. Why do I say this? Because it appeared perfectly white and flawless.

The whiteness even stirred their appetites, making them almost want to take a bite to taste what it was like.

Upon receiving Lin Yi’s order, Xiao Chen immediately took the set of items and distributed the sheets among the painters.

Looking at the painters, they were all momentarily frozen in place.

Gazing at the pristine white sheets in their hands, they couldn’t comprehend what it was, having never seen such a thing before, as it didn’t exist in their society. Let alone pristine sheets; even coarse paper was unheard of.

Examining it up and down, left and right, they couldn’t figure out what it was.

Lin Yi observed this scene with keen interest, though he had no intention of making things difficult for these painters, who posed neither threat nor harm to him.

They were not harmful to the entire Dayou Kingdom either.

Uncorrupted and law-abiding, these artisans made their living through craftsmanship. Thus, Lin Yi showed special concern for them.

Thus, he looked at the crowd and began to explain in a thoughtful tone:

"This item is called paper. It can be used for writing or drawing, similar to bamboo scrolls or animal hides, but its material is superior. This doesn’t mean it’s more durable than hides; on the contrary, it’s very fragile and can be torn with a bit of force."

Saying this, Lin Yi picked up a piece of paper from his desk, gently tore it, and, in an instant, it was punctured.

Additionally, with a ripping sound,

the paper in his hand was torn in half, leaving everyone below dumbfounded.

All eyes fixed on the two halves in Lin Yi’s hand, and for a moment, their minds were filled with one thought: this thing is fragile and can’t serve great use.

Not only were the ministers thinking this, but the painters shared the same sentiments, frowning at the xuan paper.

In their hearts, they mumbled that even though it looked white and clean, its practical use seemed limited. This fragile item, leaving aside whether one can draw well on it,

even preserving it safely after drawing would be a challenge.

One careless move, and it could tear, ruining the recorded or drawn content on it.

[To be continued...]