Chapter 68 Weakness [First Update]

The Minister of Personnel is sixty-nine years old this year, with gray hair and a face full of wrinkles.

Since returning from Nanjing, my health has not been very good.

In terms of personality, he is the most down-to-earth person, and he also deeply respects the emperor.

After all, the emperor is the Son of Heaven, and they are his subjects.

But today's events left him somewhat dazed.

Is this still the same cautious and gentle emperor?

Things were fine when he first ascended the throne.

It gets stranger every year now.

Although he also disapproved of Su Qing becoming an official.

But what's wrong with Su Qing as an official and as a person?

To be insulted like this by the Emperor.

Regardless of her status, she is now the prefect, an official.

They shouldn't have been treated like that.

As for myself, I shouldn't be treated like this either.

He's got a long beard, and he still does this disgusting thing.

Grandpa Sun looked a little embarrassed.

Anyone could see that the Emperor's handling of this matter was extremely embarrassing.

The Minister of Personnel drooped his eyelids and returned home, instructing one of his subordinates to inform Lord Su.

The subordinate was clearly surprised, but the master waved his hand, telling him to hurry up and go.

The aide following behind the Minister whispered, "Minister, this boy in your household is from Guangyue Prefecture."

The Minister of Personnel kept his eyelids drooping and remained silent.

The staff understood.

The servant from Guangyue Prefecture was only nineteen years old this year, and his name was Quan Jingwu.

She was sent away by her family six years ago to escape the war.

At that time, the two brothers carried their luggage to the capital to seek refuge with a relative who was a minor official.

The older brother died on the road, and this child carried the body on his back to find relatives to bury him.

His relatives in the capital saw that he was a man of honor and a good person, so they used their connections to get him a job as a servant in the household of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who is now the Minister of Personnel.

After Quan Jingwu entered this household, he devoted himself to his work and was praised by the owner several times, who then entrusted him with tasks.

At the time, he was only thirteen years old, and he even sent the money he had saved up home.

After about three or four years, his family not only stopped him from sending money, but also asked someone to bring him items from his hometown so that he could save them himself.

They said that the family had been allocated land again, and everything was good now. They also said that the current prefect was a very good person, and so on.

Quan Jingwu kept it in mind.

Before Su Qing came to the capital, he also helped the fellow townsmen association to find suitable accommodation for Prefect Su.

At the beginning of this year, the government stopped paying salaries.

When Quan Jingwu's relative, a minor official who had helped him, ran out of rice, he went to deliver silver to him. The relative simply said, "My family is not short of food either; just look in the kitchen."

When asked why, it turned out that Prefect Su had sent it secretly.

Therefore, Quan Jingwu did not go directly to Prefect Su after leaving the Ministry of Rites.

Instead, he turned and hurried to his relative's house.

My relative works as a minor clerk in the capital, holding only a low-ranking official position.

It's already the end of April, and I haven't earned a single penny.

If it weren't for Lord Su's help, the whole family would be starving.

Upon hearing Quan Jingwu's account of the assignment, he immediately exclaimed angrily, "Absurd!"

"Why did His Majesty summon Lord Su at this time?!"

People already felt uneasy about the Emperor's intention to bestow a marriage upon someone at the Qionglin Banquet.

Hearing this now makes me even angrier.

Why must Prefect Su get married?

If she can't marry that top scholar Gu, she has to marry the emperor?

Quan Jingwu said, "I've also heard the master mention that Guangyue Prefecture is now wealthy, and many people are eyeing that position."

Su Qing's governance was too lenient; every year when taxes were collected, the minimum amount was always taken.

Some people have calculated that, given the wealth of the people of Guangyue Prefecture and the profits from their medicinal herb trade,

If a stricter official were appointed, more than two million taels of silver in taxes could be collected in a year, at least double that of last year.

The imperial treasury was too poor.

They couldn't help but keep an eye on this money.

They want to replace him with an official who can collect more taxes.

Of course, disliking that Su Qing was a woman was also one of the reasons, which needs no further explanation.

The relatives and Quan Jingwu remained silent.

They were all from Guangyuefu.

When things were tough in previous years, I couldn't do without the help of people from my hometown.

"Inform Lord Su in advance so that he can be on guard," the relative said directly.

Quan Jingwu shared the same idea, and he asked a female relative to go over there.

He would go and deliver the message once things were ready over there.

Looking at the time, it was already early afternoon, around 3 PM.

There were still two hours before the Emperor summoned Su Qing to the palace.

The family rushed to handle the matter, finding the sedan chair too slow, so the female relatives rode horses directly there.

Su Qing was still unmarried, and perhaps because she was shy, she didn't understand the Emperor's meaning.

Unexpectedly, Lord Su immediately pressed, "Are you sure it's the hour of Xu (7-9 PM)?"

The other party nodded, then said, "Sir, you cannot go."

Unexpectedly, Prefect Su smiled and said, "I understand."

knew?

Does Your Excellency really want to enter the harem?

That works too, as long as the adults can go wherever they want.

The people of Guangyuefu have come to trust Su Qing to this extent!

Su Qing comforted him, "Thank you for delivering the message. It gives me time to prepare. Please ask Quan Jingwu to come and deliver the message again in an hour after you return home."

The other party naturally nodded, agreeing to do whatever Lord Su said.

After the man left, Officer Wu's face darkened.

The Emperor is actually this kind of person.

It's ridiculously absurd.

To resort to such despicable means to keep Lord Su here?!

He can't stand the Guangyuefu, can he?

Su Qing told him not to be angry, and simply said, "Prepare my horse, I'm going out."

“If anyone comes to the house, tell them you don’t know where I’ve gone.”

ah?

Is this meant to make the messenger arrive empty-handed?

That seems like a good idea.

If we can't find the person, there's no way to get help.

But in order to complete the task, the other party will definitely have to inquire everywhere.

I'll find you, sir, sooner or later.

Su Qing smiled: "Yes, we definitely need to ask around."

After he finished speaking, the stable boy led the horses over.

Su Qing rode directly towards the west city.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly over there, and the grass was lush and green.

Just as Ms. Feng said a few months ago, April and May are the perfect months to play football.

Many teams preparing for matches are practicing here.

It's estimated that no one expected that Su Qing would actually survive until now.

When Su Qing arrived, many people looked over.

Lord Hai and Lord Liu ran up one after the other, excitedly saying, "Lord Su! What brings you here!"

Seeing Miss Feng also running over, Su Qing said, "I'm going back to my post, so I came to see everyone."

At this point, everyone felt somewhat frustrated.

Lord Su may have a sharp tongue, but he's a very nice person and quite fun.

Without her, I always feel like something is missing.

Many people came to say hello, taking the opportunity to see the renowned Lord Su.

She was already famous.

After the Qionglin Banquet, his fame increased even more.

The story between Gu Zhuangyuan and her is so good it could be made into a storybook.

Moreover, it is said that the top scholar still likes her to this day.

However, Lord Su politely declined the handsome Scholar Gu's offer with the words, "A broken mirror cannot be mended."

Some people also said that when Lord Su went there that day, he truly amazed everyone present.

Su Qing was wearing a light green dress with wide sleeves and a jade hairpin.

It looks refreshing.

No wonder Scholar Gu liked it.

It is said that Gu Zhuangyuan was not the only one who was amazed by Lord Su.

There are already a lot of people on the field.

There were players from various teams, as well as tourists who came to enjoy the spring scenery.

Su Qing wasn't shy at all and could chat with anyone for a bit.

Before long, a large crowd had gathered around him.

Seeing that everyone was having a good time chatting, Su Qing said, "It's a pity that I can't see you actually have a match, it's a shame."

Ms. Feng immediately replied, "What's there to regret? Our team can compete right away."

Master Xiao Hai also said, "How about we have our two teams play against each other?"

"Sure, it's all practice anyway, so it doesn't matter who we play against."

Su Qing shook her head: "How can that be? I heard that both of your teams have matches in a few days. If you get injured while playing now, it would be too much of a loss."

That's what they say, but how could Miss Feng and the others possibly care about such things?

As a farewell to Lord Su, they also want to play a truly exciting match.

How could they possibly let Lord Su leave with regret?

Finally, Su Qing said, "How about we have the simplest game of juggling a ball? We juggle the ball without it touching the ground, and each person has three chances. Whoever juggles the most times wins."

In this way, there is no physical confrontation, and everyone is essentially fighting their own battles.

But what Lord Su said next excited Miss Feng and the others: "We've already competed, but there's no prize, so it's not fun at all."

“Since this is a farewell ceremony for me, then I will pay for the prize.”

Su Qing pondered for a moment: "I don't have anything good to offer right now."

"How about this: whoever comes in first place, I'll grant them one request."

"Of course, it has to be the kind that obeys the law."

Who is number one?

Lord Su will grant only one request from whom?!

Master Xiao Hai immediately replied, "I'll participate! I'm very good at it!"

Young Master Liu saw what he was thinking and said, "I'll join too!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the capital.

Who's winning!

Lord Su will grant one request to whomever he wishes!

Such a reward is truly tempting.

Don't forget, given Lady Su's current status and her intelligence.

This reward can benefit me personally and bring honor to my family.

Didn't you see that the prefect of Tongmin Prefecture wanted to ask Lord Su for help, repeatedly requesting that she stay there a little longer when she passed through?

So everyone says they should give it a try.

April 27th, a normally peaceful afternoon in Beijing.

To bid farewell to Lord Su, an extremely lively Cuju (ancient Chinese football) juggling competition is about to begin!

Each person has three chances, but only the highest number is recorded.

Let's see who comes in first!

The already lively stadium was further engulfed by a large crowd of onlookers.

The area around the stadium was packed with carriages and sedan chairs from the capital.

Everyone was curious about what request the first-place winner would make.

Gu Congsi, Hua Jingming, and others naturally received the news as well.

These newly appointed scholars, having just emerged from the Hanlin Academy, were all completely bewildered, and then hurriedly headed to the West City Stadium.

The place was bustling with noise and very lively.

Su Qing's residence, however, was cold and deserted.

The servant from the Minister's residence, who had come to deliver the message, waited and waited, but Lord Su did not return home. He said anxiously, "The Emperor is still waiting. It's almost 7 PM. What should we do?"

The speaker was naturally Quan Jingwu. He exchanged a glance with Constable Wu, and then a clueless person said, "Haven't you heard? The sir is at the West City Stadium, watching someone play a ball-juggling game."

"They originally wanted to play a game to send off their parents, but the parents, thinking of them, changed it to juggling the ball. Now a lot of people are going to watch; several of last year's top-ranked teams went to compete."

These top-scoring teams have always been arrogant and aloof.

But because of Lord Su, they still want to compete in a juggling contest that they look down on.

Therefore, it spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

Those who arrive late may not even be able to squeeze in.

Quan Jingwu laughed and was annoyed at the same time: "How could this be! I'll go and deliver the message right away!"

There are so many people! It's good to have so many people.

When Quan Jingwu arrived at Xicheng Stadium, it was already 6 PM.

In late April evenings, a gentle breeze blows and the setting sun shines brightly.

The stadium was packed with people, both inside and out, and everyone was having a great time.

"The most impressive one has already bounced more than four hundred times."

Wow! Doesn't he become the champion?!

"I don't know. I heard there are still some experts who haven't played yet; they're warming up."

"It's so much fun, so incredibly fun!"

At this moment, Quan Jingwu suddenly burst in, his eyes darting around, asking, "Where is Lord Su?"

"I need to speak with her urgently."

"Where is she, sir?"

Someone asked in confusion, "Isn't she right in front of us? She's in the middle of the crowd."

But why is this person in such a hurry?

Quan Jingwu casually replied, "The Emperor wants to see her, and it's scheduled for 7 PM. It'll be time soon."

The Emperor summoned Lord Su; no wonder he was in such a hurry.

Quan Jingwu asked questions along the way and finally arrived in front of Prefect Su.

Su Qing looked at him, and the man immediately said, "By imperial decree, Lord Su Qing is summoned to the palace for a talk."

"Sir, we couldn't find you anywhere. Stop playing around and hurry up, we're going to be late."

Upon hearing this, everyone around was stunned.

Why is it so urgent to summon Lord Su to the palace at this time?

Why?

It's getting dark soon, is there any urgent official business?

The game, which was in high spirits, suddenly stalled, leaving everyone stuck in a rut.

Su Qing was also puzzled: "Why did the Emperor summon you so urgently? Is there something wrong?"

Quan Jingwu: "I haven't heard of it. You should leave now."

"But what will happen to the competition if I leave?"

More than a hundred contestants came because of Professor Su.

The one or two thousand onlookers were there to join in the fun.

Now you can just leave whenever you want?

"But the Emperor summoned me, so there was nothing I could do."

Too.

Who can disobey the Emperor's orders?

This is such a disappointment.

Only Gu Congsi and Hua Jingming's expressions changed drastically.

They both seemed to realize something.

“I’ll go with you,” Gu Congsi said immediately.

Su Qing laughed: "Whoever goes with me will be unlucky."

Gu Congsi and Hua Jingming are definitely not afraid.

Hua Jingming said, "What's the big deal? I'll go with you."

Su Qing glanced at the disappointed crowd.

Then he looked at Miss Feng, who was completely unaware, and even Lord Xiao Hai, who were simply troubled because Lord Su had been summoned.

Then I watched as the sky gradually darkened and night fell.

"Let's go, let's go to the palace."

"You don't think he'd dare to do it again, do you?"

Su Qing was summoned away by someone sent by the Emperor.

The so-called ball-juggling competition came to an end without any progress.

The group arrived full of enthusiasm but left disappointed.

On my way home, looking at the night sky again, I thought of Lord Su's appearance.

And the rumors circulating behind the scenes.

No way?!

They weren't wrong?!

A few people felt as uncomfortable as if they had swallowed a fly, and they all stayed at home cursing the emperor for being absurd.

Perhaps they guessed wrong.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Surely the Emperor wouldn't do such a thing?

She was a meritorious official; she did countless things for the people and the soldiers.

Such a person should not be insulted like this.

Fortunately, most people just felt that the emperor was a disappointment.

Everyone's having a great time.

Why summon Lord Su?

Is there something important?

After all, in the eyes of most people...

It was a very common occurrence for the emperor to summon officials.

It's normal if it's a little late.

Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, however, the Emperor's face was ashen.

Those who know him well know that this is not normal.

In full view of everyone, Su Qing was called over.

What kind of job does the Minister of Personnel do?!

He didn't send any female officials or eunuchs to summon Su Qing, precisely to avoid attracting attention.

Why treat me like this!

Su Qing found it strange.

Why would you go to the sports field for no reason?

Grandpa Sun, who was standing next to him, raised his head slightly, then quickly lowered it again.

Although Su Qing arrived in a hurry, he still changed into his official robes.

Upon entering the Hall of Diligent Governance, they respectfully bowed.

Inside the main hall, only the Emperor and Eunuch Sun were present.

Now there's another one, Su Qing.

The eunuch led her inside and then closed the palace door.

The Emperor stared at Su Qing's face for a while before saying, "My dear minister, you play Cuju very well."

Su Qing was terrified: "I intended to bid farewell to my friend, but I didn't expect His Majesty to summon me."

Yes, who would have thought?

But what if someone tips them off?

Even if they tipped them off.

How can she attract so many people to compete for her?

Su Qing made a verbal promise.

This attracted so many football players to gather around, and so many onlookers to watch the spectacle.

The more the Emperor looked at Su Qing, the more greedy his eyes became. He unconsciously walked to Su Qing's side and looked down at her: "I'm surprised that I summoned you, my dear minister?"

"With your appearance and personality, you can attract others to compete for you."

Su Qing was neither disturbed by these words nor ashamed of their implied meaning.

Because the one who should feel ashamed is definitely not her.

Su Qing simply replied, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."

"I wonder what Your Majesty has summoned me for?"

The emperor looked at her for a while longer.

What I said during the day was just a passing fancy.

Now he's actually quite interested.

But he actually did it.

It won't be tomorrow; the news will spread throughout the entire capital tonight.

Everyone knows why he urgently summoned Su Qing to the palace.

Everyone knows that while he was bestowing a marriage upon the top scholar, he was also coveting the wife of a court official.

The Emperor stared intently at Su Qing, trying to read the answer from her face.

But all that could be seen beneath the calm surface was ambition and open mockery.

The deeper we investigate...

The more I realized she wasn't an ordinary woman.

Is it really a good thing to keep someone like that in the harem?

This person seems somewhat familiar.

The emperor suddenly noticed the jade pendant at Su Qing's waist, and abruptly stepped back. Suddenly, he saw the shadow of a person on Su Qing's body.

"Get out!"

"immediately!"

"Get out!"

Su Qing gave a hasty bow, withdrew from the main hall, and touched the jade pendant.

The little eunuch next to him peeked at it under the cover of darkness and could only make out that it was the shape of a magnolia flower.

Only one older father-in-law suddenly opened his eyes wide.

When the Empress Dowager was young, she loved magnolia flowers.

It is said to look peaceful and serene, and smell delicate and gentle.

In reality, its fragrance is long-lasting and truly rich.

That's how you should conduct yourself; you can only get what you want if you don't let others know what you're thinking.

The Empress Dowager gained a lot, and even almost seized power from the Emperor.

So, Su Qing is actually that kind of person?

Su Qing didn't care about the looks from others.

I guess I made the right bet.

The relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager can indeed be exploited.

This mother and son supported each other through the most difficult times and worked together to seize power.

Furthermore, the abuse of power caused great harm.

Therefore, the emperor both loved and feared the Empress Dowager, knowing that she was his closest comrade-in-arms and the mother who would protect him the most.

At the same time, they were also afraid that she would seize power.

Once he realizes that he will look at women like his mother differently.

He'd go crazy.

Just then, Su Qing saw someone walking towards her from afar. Without looking at him, she walked right past him.

Yan Zhengzhou naturally saw the jade pendant as well, and his jaw tightened even more.

The emperor feared two things: his reputation and the empress dowager.

Su Qing first attracted a crowd to watch, and then used something resembling that of the Empress Dowager to startle the other party.

It hits the opponent's vital point directly.

Yan Zhengzhou arrived outside the Hall of Diligent Governance but was not allowed to enter. He did not linger and left directly.

The emperor inside the gate was even angrier.

Yan Zhengzhou, disregarding everything else, took advantage of the night and went directly to another place.

Su Qing had just changed her clothes when she saw Yan Zhengzhou arrive. She poured him a cup of tea and said, "No rush."

Yan Zhengzhou grabbed her wrist directly: "You did this on purpose."

"You deliberately made me think you had a fiancé, but then you were going to cross the line for me step by step."

"They deliberately tried to spy on me to find out the emperor's weaknesses."

“You deliberately approached me.”

"You want to take advantage of my status."

Su Qing was not afraid; instead, she leaned against him and said, "What are you doing using your identity?"

yes.

What are you doing?

Su Qing gently touched Yan Zhengzhou's chin with the hand that was holding her wrist: "If you don't want to rebel, then don't talk to me."

Su Qing wanted to take advantage of his identity.

To seize power without bloodshed.

He and his identity were only part of Su Qing's plan.