"What do you think of these?" Li Yao asked internally as she inspected the items spread before them.
[They're pretty high quality. And it's only been a few days—I didn't expect him to be so talented.]
When Li Yao heard this assessment, her lips curled into a smug expression, pride swelling in her chest for her senior brother's accomplishments.
"Why are you so smug? I'm not complimenting you," the Empress thought irritably, though she didn't bother voicing this sentiment aloud.
After a moment of contemplation, the Empress spoke again, her tone shifting to something more serious. [You should probably promote your senior brother.]
Li Yao's eyes widened at the sudden serious statement. "What do you mean?" she asked, caught off guard by the suggestion.
[A good leader knows both when to reward and when to punish,] the Empress explained, [As the Sect Master, you should not only punish mistakes but also reward good deeds. Do you get what I'm saying?]
