Chapter 52: "Harmony with its light, unity with its dust"...

Zhao Changning didn't open his eyes, and a trace of fatigue appeared on his fair and beautiful face.

"If he doesn't drink, even if he wants to find someone to help him, someone will force him to drink. He won't survive anyway."

"But, Auntie, aren't you afraid he'll betray you? What if someone investigates?" Anyi was worried. "Why don't you let me go down and kill him? I'll prevent him from saying anything and ruining your reputation."

Zhao Changning opened his almond-shaped eyes slightly and shook his head, disagreeing.

"Don't keep thinking about using your godfather's tactics. If you can avoid getting involved, then do it. Human nature is the easiest to exploit. Don't worry, whether he betrays me or not, he will definitely die. This is a good opportunity to use him to show some people that I am not someone to be trifled with."

As for reputation, she doesn't care.

The choice of Cen Chun was naturally a well-considered one; she would not act rashly.

She had to make him die now, not only to vent her anger, but also to let the old woman see that once something fell into her hands, she would definitely get it, and he couldn't just not give it to her if he didn't want to.

Zhao Changning thought about how she was treated like a monkey in the Ministry of Personnel and how she was frozen in front of the Wenhua Palace for so long. That old guy was hiding in the Wenyuan Pavilion, thinking that she didn't know?

Thinking of this, she couldn't calm down her anger.

Anyi stared at his aunt in a daze. Although his godfather had been gone for quite some time, he knew that his aunt was as ruthless as his godfather, but some things were just different. The way they looked and the ways they used to be ruthless were different.

In the past, when I was with my godfather, I was always afraid that I would be used to ward off disaster sooner or later, but when I was with my aunt, I felt inexplicably more at ease.

He laughed silently.

"What are you looking at me for?" Zhao Changning was feeling uneasy. When he opened his eyes, he saw Anyi staring at him with an inexplicable smile. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, no," Anyi shook his head hurriedly, "Aunt, can't we go back to the palace tonight?"

"Yeah." Zhao Changning nodded. "Luckily, I have a small house. Let's stay there for one night."

When Grandma Xu saw the two of them coming back, she rolled noodles overnight and put two eggs in the noodles.

"Girl, I plan to raise some chickens and ducks in the backyard. The eggs on the street are expensive. When you come over, you won't have to worry about not having delicious food."

Zhao Changning had no objection to this and just let Grandma Xu make the decision.

Grandma Xu boiled a pot of hot water and waited until the two of them had washed and gone to bed before she went to bed.

The next morning, the sky was gloomy. The snow that fell yesterday only fell a little and then disappeared. Today, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and it looked like there would be another heavy snow.

Zhao Changning got up early and saw that Anyi was motionless. Thinking that he came back late yesterday, he didn't bother him.

She sat by the window, letting the cool breeze keep her awake, and quietly flipping through a book.

"Hey, you're here?" Granny Xu opened the door. "Have you eaten? Come in, I just steamed some steamed buns and flower rolls. They're hot."

Granny Xu enthusiastically arranged things and called people in. "It's so cold. Don't stand at the door. Come in."

Mingxuan responded with a smile and pulled his sister into the yard.

He took out a small blue cloth purse and said, "Mother-in-law, please accept this money."

Granny Xu waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, I didn't do anything, I can't accept this money. I like Yunqiu, and with Yunqiu by my side, I'm not lonely."

Mingxuan insisted, "You always send food and drink to our house, and take care of Yunqiu. I would feel bad if you don't accept this money. My salary now has a surplus after I buy medicine for Yunqiu. Mother-in-law, please accept it, otherwise it will be difficult for me to send Yunqiu here again."

Granny Xu still shook her head. "Then I shouldn't have accepted the money. If you want to give it, give it to the girl. In fact, it was the girl who asked me to send the food and drinks. She gave me a lot of money, and I can't spend it all..."

Zhao Changning sighed and regretted not coming out to stop Grandma Xu from speaking.

Mingxuan was obviously stunned. Thinking of Zhao Changning's cold and distant look, as if he didn't want anyone to approach him, he really didn't expect that he would specifically give him these instructions.

Unfortunately, he couldn't even meet Zhao Changning right now. "Mother-in-law, please give this money to Miss Changning for me."

Granny Xu was helping Yunqiu put on her hat. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "The girl is at home. You can give it to her yourself. The money has a different meaning once it passes through someone else's hands. Don't you want to thank the girl? It's perfect."

Mingxuan was very surprised, and his handsome eyes couldn't help but look towards the lattice window.

Without the obstruction of the huge banana leaves and vines, he could see a picturesque, quiet and beautiful woman, sitting leisurely in front of the moon-shaped window, reading a book. Her long hair was loose and her face was serene. She happened to look towards him, her eyes unusually peaceful and gentle.

He tried to turn his eyes away and said, "Miss Changning."

Zhao Changning casually picked up a hairpin, tied up his long hair, walked to the window, and said in a gentle voice: "Master Ming, there is no need to be so polite."

She is indeed not a stingy person. Since she has done good deeds and left a name for herself, she will stand up openly.

Li Yunqiu pulled at the corner of his brother's clothes, and pointed at the big white steamed buns that Grandma Xu brought to the table, blinking his big eyes.

Mingxuan patted his sister's head and said with a smile, "Yunqiu, be good and listen to Grandma Xu. Don't make trouble, okay? I'll bring you some candy when I come back tonight."

Zhao Changning saw that he was being too polite and knew that it was caused by her attitude, but she just wanted to distance herself from him. She was not an unkind female demon. Having a simple meal with him was fine.

"Master Ming, please sit down. Don't let Granny Xu down."

Anyi just stood up at this moment and was surprised to see Mingxuan, but he was a servant, and since his aunt did not explain or introduce him, he did not ask any more questions.

The meal was tasteless, except for Granny Xu and Li Yunqiu, an old man and a child, who were happy.

When Mingxuan stood up to say goodbye, he hesitated and asked, "Miss Changning, are you going back to the palace?"

Zhao Changning nodded, "It's time to go back."

Mingxuan breathed a sigh of relief. He had been unable to speak at the dinner table just now, and his purse was almost soaked with sweat from holding it in his palm. Now they could walk together and talk on the way.

"Miss, if you don't mind, come with me. The car is parked outside the alley."

Zhao Changning raised an eyebrow. He probably couldn't afford a carriage with his salary, could he? But he was too lazy to rent one on the street. It would save trouble.

But when she went out, there was no carriage at the entrance of the alley, only an ox cart with Taiping standing next to it. The big yellow ox had probably just eaten and was shaking its tail while defecating.

There was a pile of black cow dung at the entrance of the alley, but fortunately someone came and shoveled it away quickly. Cow dung is good fertilizer.

Zhao Changning: “…”

She couldn't help but ask, "Is this what you were talking about, the car?"

Mingxuan nodded and said calmly, "A horse-drawn carriage is too expensive. I really can't afford it. Renting one is too expensive. An ox-drawn cart is much cheaper and is just right for transportation."

It's better than him running around every day and making his legs thin.

Zhao Changning looked at the ox cart and then at the clothes on her body. This was a set of fine material that Xiaoshun insisted on making. It was a sky-blue color, low-key, steady and clear, and most importantly, it was new clothes.

She hesitated and said, "Master Ming, I suddenly remembered that I still have something to take. You should go first."

Mingxuan pursed his lips, looked at the ox cart, then looked at Zhao Changning, and realized that something was wrong.

He held his not-so-bulky purse in both hands and said solemnly, "Miss Changning, thank you for taking care of me during this period. I was a bit clumsy before, so I hope you don't mind. This money is not much, but please accept it."

Zhao Changning looked at him quietly and didn't take it. Instead, he said gently, "If Master Ming really wants to thank me, then teach your students well, show your sincerity, and contribute to their future."

She no longer concealed her feelings and said to Anyi, "Let's go to the street corner and rent a carriage."

Mingxuan was not a shy person. Seeing that she refused to accept it, he could only sincerely say thank you again, pursed his lips, sat on the ox cart, and staggered away with Taiping.

Zhao Changning's carriage was moving very fast. When it was almost at the palace gate, he could still see the ox carts creaking along the road.

It was at this time that the heavy snow finally fell, fluttering down, and in a short moment it accumulated into a thick layer.

The heavy snow fell for a whole day and night before it stopped. Fortunately it stopped, after all, even two uninhabited palaces in the palace were collapsed, not to mention the dilapidated houses of ordinary people in Yujing City.

The emperor naturally could not bear to see the people suffer, so he immediately ordered the Ministry of Works to repair the houses. For those collapsed houses, the government office would pay half of the money to rebuild them for the people.

This move did win the emperor a lot of good things, but the people in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue looked a little bitter.

Zhao Changning saw it all and couldn't help but sneer in his heart when he thought of those termites who were just getting by.

As usual, she carried a stack of memorials to the cabinet, and happened to meet Qi Yuwei again.

Yunsheng thought about how his aunt had hit a wall the last time she came, and she must be unwilling to say much now. Finally, he came to his senses and quickly took out a book from his arms.

"Master Qi, I have finished reading the book you gave me last time and am returning it to you now. Thank you for the book."

Qi Yu took it with a smile and said, "I'll give you another one. The palace is currently testing female officials, but you can't slack off. Books are always new when you read them."

Yunsheng first looked at his aunt, and when he saw her nod, he carefully took it.

"Thank you for the letter, Lord."

Zhao Changning had a calm expression and said nothing. He submitted the memorial and was about to leave, but he was stopped unexpectedly.

"Nu Shu Ling, please stay." Qi Yuwei said in a gentle voice, "Can you let me have a few words?"

Zhao Changning said, "Master Qi, I don't have an official certificate yet, and I'm not a female secretary. You should just call me Changning."

Qi Yu smiled and shook her head. "The emperor has spoken with all his might, and the Ministry of Personnel has already issued you a waist badge and official credentials. Even if many people object, this appointment as the female scribe is a done deal. Don't let other things cause you to harbor resentment."

Zhao Changning curved his lips, half smiling, "If I remember correctly, then Lord Qi is also serving as the Minister of Personnel, right? It's just right, I was wondering, have other people had such a bumpy road getting their official credentials? And I don't know where mine is? Who can I ask to get it? Do I have to go to the Ministry of Personnel, too?"

Qi Yuwei was good-tempered. "Yes, the official certificate must be verified by the Ministry of Personnel before it can be issued to the person. According to regulations, the female scribe must go there herself."

"Really?" Zhao Changning narrowed his eyes and said angrily, "What if I don't want to go anymore?"

Qi Yuwei seemed to have anticipated this situation. She turned around and pulled out a piece of paper from the table. "Early this morning, someone reported that Cen Chun, an official from the Ministry of Personnel's Seal Verification Department, had frozen to death in the snow after drinking too much. My colleagues in the Ministry were all shocked."

He sighed, his eyes were extremely complicated, as if he had a lot to say.

"Many things have rules and regulations, and they can't be easily overturned or circumvented. Changning, you must know that a bow that is too full is easy to break, and too rigid is easy to bend. This officialdom is not as simple as you think. If you really want to enter it, you must humble yourself. You should have read the Tao Te Ching. There is a sentence in it, "Harmonize with its light, be one with its dust." This is what you should remember most now. Although I don't approve of women serving as officials, now that things have come to this, you are a smart person. I still hope you can go on your way. Dayong officials must obtain and sign their official credentials within five days. Failure to do so will result in a penalty."

Zhao Changning looked at Qi Yuwei's serious face and couldn't tell for a moment whether he was reminding him, admonishing him, or sincerely admonishing him.

However, he was still her elder, and even a senior in the officialdom. Besides, Qi Yuwei had never done anything bad to her, so she couldn't take her anger out on him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Qi. Changning will definitely keep your words in mind."

She is not a good person, nor does she want to be a savior. Otherwise, she would have turned these things and these people upside down long ago.

Just by being able to say the words "with Qi Guang and with Qi Chen", she couldn't help but be curious about how Qi Yuwei was doing in officialdom.

This discovery was quite surprising to her. Although Qi Yuwei was a student of Prime Minister Gao, he was obviously different from everyone else in the cabinet. That was that he was relatively young.

Zhao Changning walked to the door and suddenly stopped.

Yunsheng was caught off guard and bumped into her again. He was so scared that he quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, auntie."

Zhao Changning ignored him and looked at Qi Yuwei, who was old but still tall and slender, dignified and solemn. He said, "Be one with the light and one with the dust. Is this your own will, sir, or is it forced?"

Qi Yu was startled for a moment, his face hesitant before he spoke softly, "This is in accordance with nature, not with external forces. Going it alone will only bring disaster. Restraining one's brilliance and not showing off one's cunning is also a form of wisdom."

Zhao Changning understood that he was really trying to persuade her, and he was not like those people who looked down on her because she was a woman, so she restrained her previous ridicule.

Besides, the Ministry of Personnel had so many malpractices that it was not something that Qi Yuwei could do.

She bowed solemnly and said sincerely, "Changning thanks you for your advice, Lord."

Yunsheng, holding a copy of the Tao Te Ching, chased after his aunt, "Aunt, what exactly did Lord Qi mean by that?"

Zhao Changning frowned, "He asked me to go to the Ministry of Personnel again."

"What?" Yunsheng shook his head repeatedly, "Auntie, let me go for you? Those people are too evil..."

Zhao Changning shook his head, his eyes firm, "No, I want to go by myself."

However, this time when she went there, the Ministry of Personnel office was completely new. Before she arrived, someone came forward to greet her, obviously knowing she would come.

"Are you the female secretary? Please come this way. First, you can get your official certificate, and then come here to get your waist badge."

Zhao Changning thought these people were going to do something weird again, but unexpectedly, everything went smoothly after he got the official certificate.

"Nü Shu Ling, these are the instructions for governing. All officials taking office for the first time must sign them. Please take a look."

Zhao Changning looked at it carefully and saw that it was something that clearly stated the job requirements, so she raised her hand and signed.

After she received her badge, another person came and said, "Nu Shu Ling, we would like to ask what kind of court dress and patch should a Nu Shu Ling wear?"

The man seemed to be afraid of misunderstanding and explained: "You are a sixth-rank official, a civil servant, and you can also use a heron, but there is no example of a woman serving as an official in Dayong, so I would like to ask, how should this be done?"

Zhao Changning said calmly, "I will do whatever the other adults do. There's no need to be special."

The man nodded repeatedly, "I understand. Please write down your measurements here. The official uniforms will be sewn by the weaving house and delivered to you."

After Zhao Changning finished writing with a stern face, he continued, "Nu Shu Ling, if you are to take up a post outside Yujing in the future, in addition to the appointment document issued by the Emperor, you must also report to the Honglu Temple before you can set off to take up your post. Please remember this."

Zhao Changning bowed and said, "Thank you, sir."

She was quite satisfied with this trip to the Ministry of Personnel and wanted to give some money, but then she felt it was inappropriate, so she left without looking back.

And there were quite a few people looking at her back.

"Isn't that weird? Old Cen offended her that day, and she was a constant drinker, and now she's drunk and frozen to death?"

"Why would a woman like her get involved with men? It's bad luck..."

"That's right. We studied hard for so many years, but we are still no match for a servant girl. Sigh..."

Everyone dispersed after talking. Even if they talked more, who could influence the emperor's decision? Didn't the cabinet elders also not care?

Zhao Changning walked until he reached a deserted place before he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the official certificate and badge in his hands, he could hardly suppress the ecstasy in his heart.

Before she went in, she had already made up her mind that the worst that could happen was that she would kill another person.

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