Chapter 215: Sword Dance in the Court

Since the death of Prime Minister Lu, the position of Left Prime Minister has been vacant for a long time. The ministers have proposed countless candidates, but all have been rejected.

Now that the emperor had spoken, those quick-thinking ministers immediately understood that the emperor had long intended for Lu Yunjue to inherit the position of Prime Minister Lu!

No one dared to speak, except Duke Xuanyuan, who said in a deep voice, "I believe Lu Yunjue is too young. Although he has some strategy, he is not qualified to take on such a great responsibility."

Because of what happened between Mu Qing and Hu Xiner at the Duke's Mansion, the Duke did not have a good impression of Lu Yunjue.

But what he said makes sense.

The emperor then asked, "Yun Jue, what do you think?"

Mu Qing, wanting to maintain his noble image, naturally agreed: "I thank Your Majesty for your kindness, but as the Duke said, I am still inexperienced and need experience."

"So, what kind of official do you want to be?" Although the emperor had a smile on his face, the palace was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

There is a hidden meaning in these words. If Mu Qing refuses to be an official, the emperor will definitely be unhappy.

But if Mu Qing appointed an official position himself, he would be suspected of disrespecting the imperial power.

Mu Qing said calmly, "Your Majesty, you are joking. The position you appoint is entirely up to Your Majesty. How can I choose it myself?"

The emperor smiled with some satisfaction: "What if I insist that you choose one for yourself?"

Now we are testing Mu Qing's understanding of officialdom.

If he chose a sinecure or a job like editing books in the Hanlin Academy, it would mean that he wrote on a whim or had no understanding of officialdom at all, which would have wasted the emperor's years of cultivation.

Mu Qing said respectfully, "I would like to be appointed as the Crown Prince's Protector. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

The Prince's Guardian is equivalent to the Prince's bodyguard in this dynasty.

The emperor was puzzled: "Think carefully, if you become the crown prince's guardian, your literary talent will be useless!"

Mu Qing said, "I believe that following the Crown Prince will help me gain experience."

The emperor frowned, but was not angry.

Firstly, it was because he did have a good temper, and secondly, it was because Mu Qing's choice of a position beside the Crown Prince was exactly what he wanted.

He felt that Mu Qing had finally come to his senses.

It’s just that the official position he found was not what he imagined.

The positions closest to the prince are his three teachers, namely the Grand Tutor, the Grand Preceptor, and the Grand Protector.

Could it be that because both the Grand Tutor and the Grand Preceptor already had someone else, Lu Yunjue had no choice but to choose the Grand Protector?

The emperor felt a little embarrassed when he thought about it.

He wanted Lu Yunjue to display his literary talent, but he couldn't replace the Grand Tutor and the Grand Preceptor, because they were also talented people carefully selected by him to assist the prince.

Seeing the emperor lost in thought, the crown prince stepped forward to decline, "Father, I think this is inappropriate. I already have guards around me, and Lord Mu is the son of Prime Minister Lu, a man of exceptional literary talent. Being a junior protector is a waste of his talent."

Only after seeing the prince speak out in opposition did the officials behind him dare to speak out.

They thought Lu Yunjue was really being ridiculous!

"Your Majesty, even if Lu Yunjue inherits his father's position, he should start as a civil servant. Moreover, the Crown Prince's Guardian has the responsibility of teaching the Crown Prince martial arts. If he is asked to serve as the Crown Prince's Guardian, I'm afraid it is not appropriate."

The speaker was the Left Vice Minister of Rites.

"I second the motion."

"I also think so..."

Several ministers also came forward.

The remaining ministers also looked at Mu Qing with suspicion.

Mu Qing sneered in his heart. According to his wife, these ministers just felt that his profession was not suitable for him!

Although the ministers in the palace were all more experienced than him, he was not afraid at all and insisted again: "I believe that I am qualified for the position of the Crown Prince's Guardian."

This time it was the prince who jumped out to oppose.

The Crown Prince looked sincere, and it was almost impossible to tell that he was making excuses. "Father, Lu Yunjue is well-known for his calligraphy and painting, but the Young Protector needs someone with good martial arts skills. I'm afraid it's not really suitable."

If Lu Yunjue had not been interested in fame and fortune in the past, he would probably have walked out of the hall right now and said that he didn't want to be an official anymore.

What's more, he was rejected repeatedly by the prince. Even if he was instructed by the emperor, he should have exercised his literary temper.

Unexpectedly, Mu Qing's expression turned serious. "Since none of you believe in my martial arts, Your Majesty, could you grant me a sword so I can prove myself?"

A subtle discomfort emerged in the Crown Prince's heart, and he instinctively objected, "Father, this is absolutely unacceptable! How can anyone in the world use weapons in the court?"

The emperor was very happy to see Lu Yunjue like this.

Being competitive is a good thing for Lu Yunjue, as it is much easier to control than his previous indifferent state!

The emperor now feels that as long as he encourages Lu Yunjue more, he will be able to devote himself to the government until his death, just like the previous left prime minister!

Then the prince would be able to ascend the throne early, and he could travel around the mountains and rivers, seeking immortals and asking for the way!

Therefore, before the prince could figure out the source of his strange feelings, the emperor waved his hand and said, "Okay! Bring me the imperial sword!"

All the ministers in the court had an expression of disbelief on their faces.

Only Duke Xuanyuan was familiar with the emperor, and there was helplessness in his eyes.

Your Majesty is good in every way except that he is a little lazy and doesn't like to get up early to attend court.

Other ministers, including the crown prince, did not think the same way as he did.

They couldn't believe that the emperor's thoughts were so simple, and they firmly believed that there must be a very profound meaning behind this behavior.

The imperial sword can behead the tyrant emperor and the treacherous ministers!

Those officials who had embezzled money were so frightened that their hearts were pounding.

Oh my god, could it be that His Majesty has discovered their corruption and is planning to take this opportunity to stab them to death?!

The sword was unsheathed, and Mu Qing danced with it in court, his murderous aura directly targeting the prince.

The prince has always had an elegant image. At this moment, he couldn't figure out his father's intention, so he pretended to be frightened and took two steps back.

Instead, he was criticized by the emperor: "Prince, you need to practice your courage!"

He couldn't help but sigh. It seemed that he still couldn't retire under the circumstances.

The emperor's loss was interpreted in a different way in the prince's mind.

He clenched his fists, and murderous intent grew in him as he looked at Mu Qing.

Why does this person always overshadow all my own light every time he appears?

After leaving the court, the prince said goodbye to other ministers with an elegant smile.

He turned around and returned to his bedroom with a gloomy face.

Soon, screams were heard from the hall.

The prince held the teacup in his hand, and his seemingly calm voice was filled with coldness: "The tea this little eunuch brought is not even seven-tenths hot. Drag him away and beat him to death."

The young eunuch who was being beaten with a stick suddenly cried out in despair.

Everyone in the palace was so frightened that they fell to their knees and said, "Prince, calm down!"

The prince looked around the hall and sneered, "Your family members are all in my hands. Anyone who dares to say a word will be killed!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After changing the cup of tea, the prince asked everyone to leave, but did not touch the tea in his hand. Instead, he became more and more angry as he thought about it.

He slammed the cup to the ground and cursed at the air: "Father, are you really that old and confused?"