Everyone was able to remain calm during the first few sentences, but couldn't help themselves after the latter ones. If they fail the assessment, they will be dismissed. Doesn't that mean that their official positions are not stable?
If you perform poorly, you will lose your official hat.
In an instant, everyone in the hall turned their eyes to Shen Huai.
His eyes were full of resentment. If he hadn't insisted on choosing a concubine, the emperor would definitely not have done this.
Now, even they are implicated. They have worked so hard to climb to this position.
Shen Huai naturally felt everyone's gaze. He himself was also innocent.
Before, everyone proposed the selection of the concubine together, so why is it all on him now? He doesn't want to be evaluated.
I don’t know which bastard gave the emperor this idea. If he knew about this, he would definitely teach that person a lesson.
"Quiet," Eunuch Cao interrupted the ministers who were whispering to each other and continued, "This matter will be handed over to the Secretariat for finalization. Once finalized, the Imperial Academy will set the questions. This will prevent some incompetent people from collecting salaries for nothing."
[Some good-for-nothing? Haha, who are the tyrants?]
Yu Yiluo turned his neck to look at the ministers below, then looked at the emperor, and muttered in his heart.
[This wave of tyrants has achieved a decisive victory, putting pressure on the Secretariat, the Imperial Academy, and Shen Huai.]
"Your Majesty, if this is put into practice, I'm afraid..."
"What are you afraid of?" The emperor stared at the speaker with a half-smile. "Are you worried that I'll be a good-for-nothing, or that you don't want to contribute to the country's prosperity?"
With such a big hat put on them, everyone who wanted to make suggestions gave up the idea.
The hall suddenly became quiet again.
The Emperor stood up with satisfaction. "Since all the ministers have no objections, we will proceed with this decision. There is no need to be afraid. The question will surely not be too complicated. Everyone, relax and we will adjourn."
After leaving the palace, everyone surrounded Shen Huai.
"Lord Shen."
Chen Huai stopped and forced a smile that was uglier than crying, "My Lords, this is none of my business."
He originally thought that it was bad enough that the emperor had stuffed people into his way, but he didn't expect that there was such a big thing waiting for him.
"It's none of your business? If you hadn't brought up the matter of selecting a concubine at that time, would the emperor have done this?"
"That's right, was it you who gave the emperor the idea?"
"Hurry up and think of a way to make the emperor change his mind."
Prime Minister Li glanced at the people surrounding Shen Huai and stopped.
"The Prime Minister wants to go over and help Lord Shen out?"
Lord Qin and Lord Su looked at each other and stepped forward to ask.
"I don't have the time for that."
Prime Minister Li got on the carriage and said that the emperor's move was indeed beneficial to the court, and Shen Huai had nothing to do with him.
So why should he waste time worrying about these things? He might as well go back and read more books.
Lord Qin looked at the carriage going away and said with emotion: "The old Prime Minister must be busy reading books."
Lord Su nodded in agreement. "Yes, as the Prime Minister, if he fails the test, where will he put his reputation?"
"Master Qin, Master Su, come over here and discuss countermeasures together."
When the people surrounding Shen Huai saw Prime Minister Li leaving, they tried to pull the two men into their team to rebel against the emperor.
After all, Prime Minister Li is a noble old man and will not join them.
"Do they think that we will go along with them?" Lord Qin asked Lord Su.
These people want to resist the emperor's decision. I don't know whether they are stupid or ignorant.
"I don't know." Lord Su thought about it seriously.
"Everyone, please take your time to discuss this. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
Lord Qin quickly got into the carriage, lifted the curtain and waved goodbye.
…
Those who did not want to get involved left one after another, and Shen Huai tried to persuade those who surrounded him.
"My Lords, this really wasn't my idea to the Emperor, and I don't want to be tested."
He was already busy enough with household matters, and now this had happened. It gave him a headache just thinking about it. How could he do something so detrimental to the emperor that would not benefit himself?
"Then think of a way to prevent this matter from being finalized."
Knowing that he couldn't think of a solution, he must be inseparable. Shen Huai turned his brain, waved for everyone to gather around, and then lowered his voice to repeat the solution he had thought of.
Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard this.
"Sir Shen, it's ok. Just do as you say."
Only after the people surrounding him left contentedly did Shen Huai board the carriage and return to the mansion with a long sigh of relief.
I wanted to go to Du Lin's yard, but then I remembered what happened last night and turned to go to the study.
When Du Lin heard that Chen Huai had returned home, she asked Yanran to bring the prepared soup to her study.
It's better to coax people as early as possible. If you don't go now, you don't know what trouble that vixen will cause.
"Be careful not to spill the soup."
Du Lin gave worried instructions. The maid beside her didn't know what was going on, but suddenly she had a lot of rashes. She was worried that it might be contagious, so she asked this girl to stay by her side and serve her temporarily.
"Yes." Yanran nodded, but she was thinking in her heart how to find clues to get the antidote.
"Master, I made soup for you." Du Lin stopped at the door of the study and raised his hand to knock on the door.
Shen Huai stood up when he heard this, then sat back in his chair when he remembered what happened last night, “I don’t want to drink it, you can take it back!”
He was so embarrassed yesterday, but in the end, he was the head of the family after all, so he couldn't give Du Lin too much face.
Du Lin's hand froze in the air as she wanted to knock on the door again. The master was so disrespectful to her.
She withdrew her hand and glanced at Yanran, "Go back!"
Back in the courtyard, Du Lin wanted to ask Yanran to leave, but she heard her say, "Master doesn't want to drink it, why doesn't Madam give this soup to Concubine Rong?"
Du Lin, who was almost angry to death, looked at Yanran and suddenly laughed.
She had forgotten about it.
"Go and get the red bottle from my box."
Yanran took the bottle as she instructed.
Du Lin raised an eyebrow, but didn't pick up the bottle. Instead, he looked at the soup in the box and said in a low voice, "Put this medicine in the soup and give it to that foxy girl."
Yanran pretended to be afraid and knelt on the ground, "Madam, this..."
"What are you afraid of?" Du Lin stood up and pulled her up. "Once you have taken care of this matter, you can stay in the room and serve me from now on."
She patted Yanran's hand and said, "Don't worry, this is not poison."
She wasn't stupid enough to poison someone.
"Yes." Yanran opened the bottle tremblingly and poured the medicine into the soup.
She planned to remind Qingrong when the time came, but now she had to gain Du Lin's trust.
Du Lin nodded in satisfaction and said, "Send it to them."
…
When Chen Huai heard Du Lin leave, he felt annoyed and got up from the study and went to Qingrong's yard.
As soon as I entered the house and sat down, I heard that Du Lin had sent someone to deliver soup to Qingrong.
Yanran came in with the soup, greeted everyone and put the soup on the table.
Qingrong glanced at the soup and sneered in her heart, thinking it would be unreasonable not to add any ingredients to it.
"There's something added here, be careful."
Yanran lowered her voice as she served the soup to Qingrong.
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