For Jing Zhe, there are many advantages to not attending court.

Back in Jingzhou, he had a lot to do, because he had so many women that if he spent a day with each of them, many days would pass in a flash.

If he were to attend court again, he would not only miss his chance to sleep in, but he would also waste a whole morning. Therefore, he "applied" not to attend court. At least during Murong Xi's stay in Jingzhou, he did not want to attend court to avoid a repeat of today's embarrassing situation.

For him, not attending court was not a punishment, but more like a reward.

How could Emperor An not know what he was thinking?

At this moment, he really wanted to say "You're dreaming," but given that Empress Yueyao was present and Jing Zhe had said "for a period of time," he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, then I will punish you by banishing you from the palace for the foreseeable future. Stay home and reflect on your actions. You may return to court when you have fully reflected on your actions!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Jing Zhe bowed again, his face beaming with joy.

"His Majesty!"

At this moment, Yu Sheng, with a serious expression, stepped forward.

Before he could speak, Emperor An waved his hand and said, "Duke Yu, there's no need to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up, and I will not retract the punishment!"

“Your Majesty, I am not asking Your Majesty to withdraw the punishment, but to increase it! I have had occasional quarrels with Grand Tutor Bai, but those were merely arguments between two officials of the same rank. However, Chief Jing, a mere fifth-rank official, spoke disrespectfully to Grand Tutor Bai, which is tantamount to insubordination! How can simply suspending him from court for a period of time teach him a lesson?”

After listening to Yu Sheng's words, Emperor An looked up at him and asked in a low voice, "Then how does Duke Yu think he can be taught a lesson?"

"Your Majesty, punish him by forbidding him from leaving the capital for a year, so he can stay under the emperor's nose and reflect on his actions! If Your Majesty thinks that's too lenient, then two or three years, or even a lifetime, will do!"

By the end, Yu Sheng looked expectant.

Yu Sheng was like a father-in-law looking at his son-in-law, and the more he looked at Jing Zhe, the more satisfied he became. However, Jing Zhe was always running away from home, sometimes for months at a time. Who could stand that?

He can handle it, but his daughter won't be able to handle it in the future!

So, taking advantage of this, it would be better to keep him locked up in Jingzhou. That way, even if Empress Yueyao wanted to make peace with him, she wouldn't be able to, because he couldn't leave Jingzhou!

Emperor An was speechless.

This punishment is absolutely unacceptable.

Jing Zhe is currently his sharpest sword. He will need Jing Zhe to help him in various places in the future. Jing Zhe has now become the leader of the martial arts alliance and will definitely need to travel around in the future. How can he leave him in Jingzhou? So this punishment is definitely not acceptable.

"The punishment for Duke Yu is too severe. I will let him go home and reflect for a while to see how it goes. If he changes, then so be it. If he shows no remorse, then we will proceed as Duke Yu did!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Yu Sheng withdrew, his interest waning.

At this moment, Emperor An turned to Murong Xi and got down to business.

"Your Majesty, you've come to see this as a laughingstock!"

Emperor An gave a wry smile, then said, "Chief Jing is a capricious and irritable man who often makes such frivolous and impolite gestures. Many officials in the court are dissatisfied with him and have complained to me about him many times—don't you agree?"

"Yes, Your Majesty is right!"

None of the ministers who came to court were stupid. They knew that Emperor An appreciated Jing Zhe, but now he kept belittling Jing Zhe. Coupled with their previous conversation with Murong Xi, how could they not know why?

So the chicks started nodding like they were pecking at rice.

Emperor An was equally satisfied and continued, "Although President Jing has some talent and can compose a few poems that are passable—well, that's about it! After all, there are many talented people in Anguo, and you can easily find many like him in Jingzhou and Jiangling. However, he has become arrogant and haughty because of his talent, doesn't know any manners, and acts recklessly. Everyone has been suffering from Jing Zhe for a long time!"

"..."

Although Jing Zhe knew that Emperor An was acting, he still felt that Emperor An spoke with great emotion and spouted words so naturally. Could it be that Emperor An actually thought of him like this in real life?

After listing all of Jing Zhe's shortcomings, Emperor An continued, "How could such a person of low character be worthy of the Empress? If I were to send him to Yueyao Kingdom for a political marriage, my conscience would be filled with unease. And the Empress just witnessed how disrespectful he was to Grand Tutor Bai, who is both an elder and a superior. How could I dare to let such a person marry the Empress?"

After going around in circles, this is the key point Emperor An was trying to make: highlighting Jing Zhe's utter incompetence would make it easier to persuade Empress Yueyao to leave.

Murong Xi, after hearing this, asked with some doubt, "Your Majesty, I just heard you say that Chief Jing is both talented and skilled in martial arts, and that he is also very helpful. Countless people in the entire An Kingdom have received his help and all admire him greatly. Why are you suddenly saying he is completely worthless now?"

"Forehead…"

It was like a major slap in the face, and it happened in an instant. Emperor An was somewhat embarrassed for a moment, and then said, "Oh? Did I say that?"

"Yes, it was His Majesty who said it."

Murong Xi nodded seriously, completely oblivious to the awkwardness.

"Oh... I don't remember."

Everyone who ascends to the throne is a master of acting. Emperor An looked at the assembled ministers and asked in confusion, "Did you all hear that?"

"Your Majesty has never mentioned this before!"

The ministers, all being shrewd individuals, immediately bowed and replied.

"..."

While Murong Xi was still in shock, Emperor An laughed and said, "It seems that the Empress has misunderstood. How could I possibly praise such an ill-mannered fellow as Jing Zhe?"

After saying that, he immediately added, "The Empress certainly has no intention of a marriage alliance with such a rude person, right?"

Before he could finish speaking, Murong Xi laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I have met many men over the years, including some who are polite and skilled in both literature and martial arts. However, most of them are just seeking fame and fortune. People like President Jing, who are so genuine and unpretentious, are truly rare and have really impressed me..."

"..."

Andi was stunned.

So all that effort he put into finding flaws in Jing Zhe has now become virtues in Murong Xi's eyes?

Emperor An was a little troubled because he felt that Murong Xi's gaze towards Jing Zhe was a bit strange. Although it didn't show any extreme adoration, it was still quite unusual.

This is tricky!

Emperor An thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Today is the Little New Year, a lively day in Jingzhou. Since the Empress is in Jingzhou and not in a hurry to return to Yueyao, why don't you stay and experience the New Year atmosphere of An Kingdom?"

Murong Xi nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"In that case, there's no rush for this marriage alliance. The Empress and I need to discuss it further. Let's leave it at that for today. What does the Empress think?"

Murong Xi glanced at Jing Zhe, then nodded.

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