Chapter 179
From the start of court until now, all day long, Duan Gan has been sporting three scratch marks on the side of his neck, attracting many strange looks. Even the Emperor couldn't help but tease him, asking, "Minister Duan, which beautiful lady scratched you like this? It seems she has quite a temper."
Duan Gan, who had always been averse to women and was even seen entering and leaving the Chu Feng Pavilion, did not deny it, saying, "He has a bad temper and is prone to tantrums. I hope His Majesty will forgive him."
These words immediately drew shocked glances from everyone in the court, who couldn't help but wonder: Didn't Duan Gan prefer men? Why was he indirectly admitting that he had a woman?
Could it be that his sexual orientation has been cured? Or does he like both men and women?
So what kind of woman could possibly subdue this devil? But judging from his seemingly complaining yet actually delighted expression, one can tell that this woman must be incredibly beautiful, otherwise, how could Duan Gan tolerate her like this?
Besides, Duan Gan was known for his bad temper and held a high position of power. He was a favorite of the emperor, so what kind of powerful woman could suppress him?
So even the most powerful man can't escape the charm of a woman. I just don't know which noble lady he likes, and I've never heard of him having any contact with any woman before.
This was a question that not only intrigued them, but also the emperor himself.
"Minister Duan, I wonder which young lady you are in love with. Why don't you tell me? If your statuses are compatible, I will act as your matchmaker and bestow a marriage upon you two."
Upon hearing this, Duan Gan glanced up at the emperor, who seemed somewhat engrossed in this gossip, and said calmly, "Thank you, Your Majesty. However, I have not yet won the heart of my beloved and do not wish to make her feel any sense of coercion. I will simply let things take their natural course."
Upon hearing this, the emperor burst into laughter, teasingly saying, "I never expected that Minister Duan would ever suffer a setback. Truly rare...rare indeed..."
The courtiers behind him also wore mocking expressions, but dared not laugh out loud, only secretly chuckling in corners where he couldn't see them.
While they were joking around, some people started to have ideas, thinking about sending a few beauties to win the favor of this Privy Councilor.
If this could help me get on good terms with Duan Gan, that would be even better.
He merely smiled faintly at the emperor's mockery, offering no rebuttal.
After the banter, the emperor got down to business. His slightly cloudy eyes swept over the ministers below. He coughed, cleared his throat, and then said, "For the position of Salt Commissioner of Suizhou, do any of you gentlemen have a candidate to recommend?"
Salt Commissioner of Suizhou?
This position has been vacant for a long time since the Ding family's property was confiscated. Although some candidates were recommended to the Emperor during this period, they were all rejected.
The Third Prince, Qi Huan, glanced at a minister on his right. Their eyes met briefly, and he suddenly stepped forward and said, "Father, do you still remember Su Xiuyuan, the top scholar in the imperial examination two years ago? He was deeply loved by the people for his integrity, incorruptibility, and love for the people. He is now the magistrate of Suixian County in Suizhou."
The emperor thought about it and realized that there was indeed such a person. He had a good impression of this person during the palace examination years ago.
"He seems alright, what do you and the Crown Prince think, Minister Duan?"
Upon hearing the emperor's words of praise, everyone had different thoughts. Some speculated that this magistrate might be the next salt commissioner, a position that had been vacant for quite some time and needed an honest and upright person who was also non-partisan.
The previous Ding Yixu was actually part of the Crown Prince's faction. The fact that the Crown Prince personally ordered the confiscation of his property was not only a warning and a deterrent, but more importantly, it would make some people who were unaware of the inside story lose faith in the Crown Prince, and their loyalty to the Crown Prince would waver.
This alienated them and weakened the Crown Prince's power.
Duan Gan: "Your Majesty, why don't you hear what His Highness thinks?"
He turned the problem that belonged to two people into one and dumped it directly on Qi Heng.
The Crown Prince, who had been silent all along, turned to look at Duan Gan on his right, stood up, cupped his hands, and said, “Father, I don’t know much about this man, but I have heard of Su Xiu’s reputation among the people of Sui County. Why don’t we give him a try first? If it doesn’t work, we can talk about it later.”
Hearing that he did not stop him, Qi Huan looked suspiciously at his back, then at Grand Secretary Zhong, his eyes seeming to ask what to say next.
Zhong gave him a reassuring look, then he focused his attention and made no further move.
After a moment of silence, the ministers standing behind the Crown Prince quickly echoed, "Your Majesty, His Highness is right."
The emperor fell into deep thought. The position of Salt Commissioner was of paramount importance, and a suitable candidate had to be carefully selected. Under no circumstances should a traitor like Ding Yixu, who was disloyal and unjust, appear again.
At this moment, Duan Gan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I will soon be on your behalf to inspect the area. This will allow me to indirectly observe this person's conduct and style. If anything is amiss, I can promptly remove him from office."
The emperor suddenly realized that he had forgotten that Duan Gan had found clues about the weapons he had been investigating in Suizhou, which was why he was given the pretext of inspecting on behalf of the emperor, but in reality, he was conducting a secret investigation.
"Very good, very good. Minister Duan's suggestion is excellent. Let's do it this way."
On his way home from court, Qi Huan followed Zhong Lao's advice, stepped forward, and greeted Duan Gan.
"Lord Duan, I have a pot of begonia in my residence that is currently favored by noble ladies. It was a gift from my mother. As you know, I am careless and cannot take good care of these flowers and plants. Besides, I have not yet taken any wives or concubines. Why not use this as an opportunity to present it to your young lady?"
He said somewhat coldly, "Thank you, Prince Chang, but she doesn't like things for women and prefers to practice martial arts. I'm afraid she has disappointed you."
Qi Huan exclaimed in surprise and stopped in his tracks. He couldn't help but wonder which noble lady was interested in martial arts. Just as he was about to look up and ask, he realized that she had already walked far away, so he hurriedly chased after her.
"Lord Duan, even a military officer's daughter would like pretty flowers and plants... If you want to pursue flowers, that's a must..."
Qi Heng walked back to the East Palace at a leisurely pace, when suddenly someone stood beside her.
Qiu Yanwen looked around and said in a low voice, "Didn't you know beforehand that Duan Gan was going to Suizhou?"
He paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know."
"The current situation is very unfavorable to us. Your Highness should make plans as soon as possible. The emperor is no longer the emperor he once was. The bond between you and your father has been completely exhausted. He has been bewitched by that villain Duan Gan, listened to slander, and is determined to cultivate immortality."
"The fact that the Third Prince Qi Huan is currently in the Emperor's favor is also a warning."
Qi Heng frowned. "Uncle, let's stop everything we're doing right now. Duan Gan is shrewd and won't be easily fooled in Suizhou."
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