A soldier fights minister wisely

In the past, there was a heavenly son who loved to wear rings, and he had his name engraved on one of his favorite rings. Once, he wore this ring to the country for pleasure but somehow managed to lose it.

　　When he returned to the capital, he immediately ordered to inform all his subjects that if anyone found the ring engraved with the name of the emperor and sent it to him, the emperor would not spare any gold or silver and would reward him with a huge prize.

　　A soldier was lucky enough to find the ring. He picked it up and put it in his hand, and stood there thinking: "What should I do now? If I announce it in the army, it will reach the chief; the ring will pass from the junior chief to the middle chief, and from the middle chief to the junior chief, and when will it reach the emperor? Moreover, it will never end like this. Maybe the ring will go from one hand to another on the way, then I will be in vain! It would be better if I went to the Emperor myself."

　　So the soldier went straight to the palace.

　　The guards at the palace gate stopped him with bayonets and asked, "Where are you going?" "It's like this, man, I found the engraved ring of the Son of Heaven and want to give it to him myself."

　　The guard put away his bayonet and let him out.

　　The soldier went up to the captain of the guards and again forbade him to go forward. "What are you doing there?"

　　The soldier replied, "I found the ring of the Son of Heaven and returned it to him."

　　The captain of the guards let him out too.

　　The soldier went up to the palace of the Son of Heaven and was seen by a proud minister, covered with gold medals and dressed in splendid clothes.

　　"How dare you come here?" The minister asked.

　　"It is so; I have found the engraved ring of the Son of Heaven."

　　"Bring it to me, and I will forward it up."

　　"No!" The soldier said, "No, I want to give it to the Son of Heaven himself with my own hands!"

　　"I am his most favored minister!"

　　"I don't want to argue with you about that, just give the ring to the Son of Heaven himself!"

　　The minister jumped to his feet and scolded. However, the soldier refused to give him the ring. Seeing that the threat was not effective, the minister said, "All right, I'll go to the Son of Heaven for you, but on one condition, any compliment the Son of Heaven gives you will be given to me in half!"

　　"Not too many compliments, right?"

　　"Many. You've never seen the Son of Heaven like you've never seen your ears!"

　　"Hey, that's rare luck!" He thought, "Well, it's okay to give him half!"

　　"Yes," said the soldier to the minister, "do as you wish, I will give you half of the Son of Heaven's compliment, but please give a note of half for both of them."

　　The minister was delighted, and wrote very well, counting to himself how much gold would come into his pocket. He took up his pen and wrote a note and gave it to the soldier, and when he had finished writing it he went to the Son of Heaven and reported it.

　　The Son of Heaven came out and took back his engraved ring from the soldier's hand, and was very grateful to the soldier, saying, "Soldier, thank you for what you have picked up; the words of my Son of Heaven are sacred, and you will receive a great compliment from me."

　　He called his treasurer and said to him, "Give the soldier a thousand rubles!"

　　The treasurer counted the money, but the soldier refused to take it, saying, "I don't need such a compliment."

　　"What kind of praise do you want?"

　　"Better a hundred strokes on my back."

　　"Soldier, what's the matter with you? Could it be that you are crazy?"

　　"I'm not crazy, and I don't want any other compliment anyway."

　　When the Son of Heaven saw this situation, he didn't want to argue with him, so he asked someone to bring the sticks.

　　The soldier began to undress, and he first undid all the buttons on his uniform, and when he had finished, said, "I am afraid this is not proper ......" "How is it not proper?"

　　"I first received this compliment from the Son of Heaven is not appropriate."

　　The Son of Heaven is very fresh: "I do not understand at all what is going on, your comment on!"

　　"I have another shopkeeper."

　　"What clerk?"

　　"That's him!" The soldier pointed to the minister and said, "He is extorting half of your compliment from me, and if I don't give it to him, he won't let me see you." The minister shouted, "The soldier is talking nonsense, I have not extorted anything from him!"

　　The soldier took out the note and showed it to the Son of Heaven and asked, "What is this?"

　　The Son of Heaven laughed and said, "Soldier, how cleverly you think! Give the minister half of my compliment!"

　　The minister did not dare to argue with the Son of Heaven, so they pinned him down on the carpet and beat him severely with sticks, while the soldier counted for him. When he reached the count of fifty sticks, he said, "I am not a greedy man, and your minister deserves a larger share. I'll tell you what, I'll give him half of my share."

　　"Hey, you're a man of beautiful intentions!" The Son of Heaven said, "Well, let's do as you say."

　　The Son of Heaven ordered the minister to be beaten with fifty more sticks.

　　When the final few sticks were struck, the soldier quietly slipped out of the palace, while the greedy minister was beaten to the point of pain.