Selling the Bicycle to the Courtiers

After saying this, the Emperor struck while the iron was hot and brought up another matter. He coughed lightly and asked kindly, "I wonder if my beloved ministers are tired from walking all the way here from the outside?"

The officials quickly knelt down and said in unison, "I'm not tired! It is our honor to serve Your Majesty!"

If it was any other time, the Emperor would have been very happy. But now, he looked at the black mass of officials kneeling below and felt a little embarrassed.

This couldn't do. If they weren't tired, what was he going to say next?

Thus, he said, "I know of the loyalty of my beloved ministers. However, I feel that my beloved ministers have already worked very hard for the development of the Great Wei Kingdom. I can't let my beloved ministers work so hard in other aspects."