Chapter 1155: This is tricky (Part 1) [Requesting monthly votes]

"His ambitions are grand; this man's ambitions are truly grand!"

After seeing off the super-rich patron, Xun Zhen didn't even have the heart to finish the last two bites of rice before immediately going to find Chu Yao to let him know.

Chu Yao listened to the whole story in a daze.

Thus, the above judgment was made.

Xun Zhen muttered, "This plan isn't very big..."

Chu Yao stopped abruptly: "How can it not be big? The emperor's empress is empty, and he has no children! The emperor has always been very fond of this face that looks so much like Gong Xi Chou, and back then he even bluntly said that he coveted Gong Xi Chou's body... He has wicked intentions."

This person clearly intends to use money and sex to pave the way to power.

Let the blood of the Gongxi clan be added to the Crown Prince of Kang!

Xun Hanzhang is really something, at his age he doesn't know what's important.

Xun Zhen remembered this: "The Emperor will eventually have many concubines and concubines, it's just an empty title. The Emperor will favor those he likes and neglect those he doesn't. Can he force him? I think he's quite deeply in love. The world isn't just about weighing pros and cons and scheming. Once the Emperor opens his mouth, not only will someone as naive as Ji Moqiu be infatuated, but even a seasoned womanizer wouldn't be able to keep his heart. Don't you think so?"

Chu Yao said, "Deeply in love? You believe that?"

He doesn't believe that feelings between men and women can transcend power and status, especially when the woman is already at the pinnacle of power.

Ji Moqiu's intentions are impure!

Perhaps it was Chu Yao's overly contemptuous tone that made Xun Zhen feel increasingly uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but retort: ​​"Believe it? Why don't I believe it? Chu Wuhui, you can't just say it's impure because you're a single old man in your fifties and have never experienced love between a man and a woman!"

Well, actually, Chu Yao is still a few years away from fifty.

However, Xun Zhen's words were indeed quite damaging.

Gu Chi was about to lose his composure after hearing this.

Chu Yao and the other two already knew he was outside, and hearing his unrestrained laughter, neither of them gave Gu Chi a pleasant look. Gu Chi knew he had incurred the wrath of the crowd, and tactfully suppressed the smile on his lips, afraid of offending the two most powerful figures in Kang Kingdom: "It's not even a matter yet, and you're already worrying about it. Use Ji Moqiu if you can, discard him if you can't. If he really has problems, would the Lord be reluctant to let him go? Concubines and concubines are to kings and nobles as male beauty is to the Lord."

What about looks, talent, figure, upbringing...?

None of them are the most important.

The most important thing is to please the emperor, followed by physical satisfaction, and lastly, procreation. As for helping govern the country, the court officials aren't all dead; why should the inner court interfere? The matter is quite simple, but Xun Zhen is blinded by greed, and Chu Yao is headlong into a dead end, worried that the emperor is being used. Gu Chi doesn't take sides; he prioritizes practical interests.

Chu Yao said, "I'm afraid the cuckoo will take over the magpie's nest."

Gu Chi shook his head: "It's not even close to being a done deal yet."

Because the information from both sides was different, he had none of the concerns that Chu Yao and the other person had. From a harmless perspective, Ji Moqiu's safety was even higher than the "leave the father and keep the son" option. However, some inside information could not be revealed yet, so Gu Chi stopped there.

"You wouldn't come to the temple without a reason, what brings you here?"

Gu Chi raised the books he was holding.

"It was instructed by the Lord."

The biggest news these past few days has been the publication of biographies of famous officials and scholars. Chu Yao remembered that he wasn't on the list, so why was Gu Chi looking for him?

Of course, we're here to conduct interviews and gather material.

Chu Yao was indeed not on the list, but his colleagues were.

Evaluations from colleagues are more credible than self-praise and can shape a person's public image from different perspectives.

Chu Yao and Qi Shan were both veteran officials from the same period.

These two have worked together the longest and know each other best.

Gu Chi wanted to know what conflicts or contradictions existed between the two.

Chu Yao sneered: "You expect me to put in a good word for Qi Yuanliang?"

He and Qi Yuanliang had been evenly matched for many years, but now this fellow had won first place, which made Chu Yao extremely resentful. However, he couldn't blame his master, so he could only vent his anger on Qi Shan, who was not present.

Gu Chi said, "You can scold, but don't use anything too offensive."

It will take him a lot of brainpower to polish and revise it later.

Chu Yao: "..."

To be honest, there weren't many conflicts between him and Qi Shan.

The primary difference lies in their expectations of their lord. Qi Shan constantly desires his lord to be a conventional and respected monarch, or even a virtuous one, while Chu Yao believes that a truly perfect monarch cannot be created by human intervention. As subjects, they only need to be loyal and obedient, helping their lord avoid the pitfalls along the way.

Other constraints will only suppress their natural instincts.

Secondly, Qi Shan loves raising cats.

During the years the two lived next door to each other, Qi Shan harbored malicious intentions and often instigated his cat to beat his dog, especially when he wasn't home. Chu Yao only had one dog, while Qi Shan's cat bred litters everywhere and always liked to start fights.

Furthermore, Qi Shan's decision-making style as the Grand Secretary was too radical and ruthless. He was not only ruthless to enemies but also to his own people, causing a lot of trouble for the Ministry of Personnel. This fellow did not treat his colleagues as human beings at all, but rather exploited them like cattle and horses.

The six ministries were filled with complaints.

Finally, concluding remarks—

Qi Yuanliang's inhuman side is indeed very prominent, but his meager conscience balances this out well, making the overall picture more harmonious. Gu Chi asked, "Never had a life-or-death struggle with me?"

This is not a conflict that the outside world would like to see.

It just seems like elementary school kids bickering.

Chu Yao said, "Isn't he still alive?"

If it were truly a life-or-death struggle, Qi Shan would have been killed by him long ago.

The implication is that the conflict hasn't reached that point yet.

Gu Chi looked at Xun Zhen.

Everyone's here, so I don't have to make another trip.

Unlike Chu Yao, Xun Zhen praised Qi Shan highly, and incidentally—inadvertently revealed that Qi Shan likes to cross-dress! He is skilled at using various identities to approach his targets and deceive them completely.

Gu Chi: "..."

He said that Qi Yuanliang's part was very difficult to write.

My lord, you are making things difficult for yourself.

How many people in the Kang Kingdom court could they find who didn't hold a grudge against Qi Shan?

Ning Tunan can barely be considered one.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Although Gu Chi was the chief compiler of biographies of famous officials and scholars, he couldn't abandon his official duties to run around everywhere. He personally interviewed and recorded the few colleagues he could contact, while delegating the rest to his subordinates. He wrote down all the questions he could think of, and his people only needed to visit the interviewees with those questions in mind and record every word they said. Gu Chi then compiled and organized the information.

Reactions varied from party to party.

Fengluo, the capital of the kingdom.

When Xu Jie received the message from the renowned officials and scholars, he was playing chess with Qin Li in the garden pavilion, a servant fanning him. The game was extremely unfavorable for him, and Xu Jie was pondering how to break the deadlock when he spotted his trusted attendant peering out from outside. Xu Jie, without hesitation, made an excuse to get up. Seeing Xu Jie emerge, the attendant approached and whispered in his ear.

Xu Jie suddenly opened his eyes wide.

He would occasionally turn his head to look into the waterside pavilion.

"...I understand, you may leave."

Xu Jie's mind was completely elsewhere; a moment of distraction led to a wrong move, resulting in a complete defeat. He was swiftly defeated by Qin Li, who was dressed in a bamboo-patterned robe. Qin Li picked up the chess piece, his features even more striking than years ago, his eyes as clear and bright as ever, and his voice even more calm and composed: "Wen Zhu, is your mind in turmoil? Have you encountered some difficulties?"

It's hard to imagine that the two, who were once at odds, would get along so naturally. Qin Li was a frequent visitor to Xu Jie's residence in his spare time. Their good relationship was one reason, but another was that he would come to see the children.

Whether it was some kind of connection with Xu Jie's household or something else, Da Yi's adopted son took a liking to Xu Jie and his wife after meeting them. When Zhao Feng went out to fight, his adopted son was entrusted to Qin Li for his education and simply stayed at his residence. Qin Li didn't want to take care of such a young and unruly child, so he used the excuse of visiting a friend to temporarily leave the trouble to Xu Jie.

Once the child has released all his energy, he can behave himself when he gets home.

Xu Jie probed, "Has Gong Su heard anything about this...?"

"Biographies of Famous Ministers and Scholars?"

Xu Jie nodded: "Mm."

Whether it's announced or not doesn't really matter; those with good connections have already heard about it. These past few days, during the morning court sessions, the officials, one by one, hesitated, craning their necks and looking at him expectantly, hoping to hear something from him. Each time, Qin Li could only ignore them: "This matter will be announced at tomorrow's morning court."

Xu Jie stroked the chess piece: "What does Gong Su think?"

Qin Li said, "You mean Qi Yuanliang? That's expected."

The Lord's favoritism towards Qi Shan wasn't new, so Qin Li remained completely unmoved upon hearing that Qi Shan, not Chu Yao, was on the first list. Back when he joined the Lord, the Lord had personally backed Qi Yuanliang; how could he possibly feel about it?

Xu Jie: "...That's not what I meant."

When did he ask what he thought of Qi Yuanliang?

Qin Li raised his eyes: "What do you mean?"

Xu Jie lowered his voice: "Naturally, it's all those on the list."

Qin Li calmly gave an "oh" and commented, "Our lord has the broadest mind of any man in this world. Once this book is published, there will be no doubt that the Northwest will completely submit to our will. At most, the aristocratic families may have some objections."

Qin Li was still surprised by the list.

But when I think about how it was Shen Tang who made the decision, it seems normal.

In the eyes of the emperor, the commoner Li Lianghua's contributions were worthy of praise, as he had rendered meritorious service to the country and benefited the people. How could he not be worthy of emulation? It was only the aristocratic families who felt uncomfortable, even thinking that this person had tarnished the name of a renowned scholar.

Xu Jie's lips twitched a few times, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Qin Li's answer was clearly not what he wanted to ask.

“...I know what Wen Zhu is worried about.”

Some things should only be hinted at; it's not good to spell them out.

The Xu brothers, Xu Jie and Xu Quan, are now close to Qin Li and his group. Their interests are intertwined, so while they may not share the same fate, they are seen as being on the same side by outsiders. They both served Wu Xian and worked together for many years, so they are naturally more familiar with each other than others. Neither Xu Jie nor Xu Quan have corrected this point.

The lack of a denial is tantamount to tacitly acknowledging this relationship.

Xu Jie was worried that none of them would make the list.

Although there are still second, third, and fourth volumes... after the two battles against the Northern Desert and the High Kingdom, his side hasn't shown any particularly outstanding performance, so he can't help but worry that he might not be as favored by the Emperor as before. Even the slightest hint of success makes him anxious.

Qin Li said, "Don't worry, there's a greater cause to be done."

Xu Jie's eyes lit up: "Gong Su knows the final list?"

Apart from the "Three Wu", everything else has been decided.

Qin Li shook his head: "I don't know."

It was just deduced from the slightest clues.

Xu Jie's joyful expression froze, his lips tightened, and his brows furrowed deeply.

Qin Li vaguely guessed the source of Xu Jie's recent inexplicable anxiety: the problem lay with Xu Quan. Some gossipy member of the Xu clan had mentioned that Xu Quan was still single at his age, causing Xu Jie and his wife anxiety. They were seriously considering suitable candidates, planning to meet with Xu Quan again after his return from the war and choose the most suitable one. Xu Jie didn't intend to let him associate with the families of meritorious officials in Kang State, nor did he intend to become more deeply entangled with the interests of people like Qin Li.

He hoped that Xu Quan would marry a woman from a modest family.

He came from a simple family, had a resolute character, and was only capable of managing a household—perfect for a military family. When the fighting subsided, he mentioned this in a letter home, and the two brothers started arguing.

It's unclear what Xu Quan mentioned, but it infuriated Xu Jie so much that he refused to eat or drink for several days. Qin Li, lacking similar experience, couldn't offer advice and could only say tactfully, "Her Majesty acts justly, and her righteousness has won her favor over the years; the first place should be a sure thing..."

Zhao Feng's loyalty and righteousness best suited the lord's purpose.

If not him, then who?

A person of great righteousness makes one feel at ease, unlike Qi Yuanliang.

In order to give Qi Yuanliang the opportunity to be the first in the book, the emperor even wrote a preface, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?", which makes people's teeth ache.

As a result, Xu Jie's expression was one of utter despair.

Not only should it be broken, but it should also look like it's about to bring tears to one's eyes.

Upon seeing this, Qin Li knew that something was amiss and pressed for details.

Xu Jie cried out in anguish, "...Alas, what a misfortune for our family! That rebellious son, Wen Shi, of all people he could have chosen... If he hadn't chosen that person, even if he wanted to enter the inner court to serve the Emperor, I would have abandoned my pride and begged the Emperor for it, but instead—"

Qin Li frowned: "Who has Wen Shi taken a fancy to?"

He had always had a good impression of Xu Quan and didn't want this promising young talent to go astray. Who exactly had Xu Quan taken a liking to that even Xu Jie was helpless against? Xu Jie gritted his teeth and said, "It's Gong Xichou! That kid, he's got a death wish!"

This kid is reckless, but his cousin is.

I haven't heard of Gongxi Chou being a homosexual over the years.

He said that no matter how much he urged the boy, he refused to get married and resisted the marriage proposal. It turned out that he was so obsessed with Gong Xi Chou that he had become ill and was on his deathbed. He was not afraid of being beaten to death by Gong Xi Chou! When Xu Jie thought that Xu Quan's lineage was about to end, he would shed tears in private when no one was around.

Qin Li: "...Is there a misunderstanding?"

Xu Jie said, "I've asked, there's no misunderstanding."

Qin Li: "..."

No, he felt there must be some misunderstanding.

Xu Jie's eyes reddened with anger: "How could I possibly win against him!"

Qin Li: "..."

He suddenly understood why Xu Jie cared whether any of his own people were on the list this time. Was he trying to solidify his position and then use his power to suppress others?

Xu Jie said, "This rebellious son is trying to collect a debt."

He might scold his unfilial son, but deep down he still loves his own child.

Even if the hope is slim, we should still give it a try.

It's just that instead of shamelessly begging his master, he's now shamelessly begging Gongxi Chou. Sigh, if he'd known this kid's obsession with Gongxi Chou would lead him astray, he should have cut off Xu Quan's food and supplies back then, so he wouldn't have the money to emulate his idol. That would have been better than this situation.

Zhao Feng's inclusion on the list meant that Qin Li and his group were still favored by the king, that the Xu family's position was secure, and that Xu Quan still had a sliver of hope. He believed that no man in the world could resist the offers the Xu family made! Xu Jie exhaled a breath of stale air, his expression still somber.

Qin Li: "..."

Should I ask the Lord what's going on?

Gong Xichou kept sneezing all day.

He suspected that the pearl powder sent by Xu Quan was the culprit.

|ω`)

Xu Quan: "???"

Who is spreading rumors?

P.S.: It seems like we can see chapter reviews on the app today.