Chapter 57: Then there is no regret! Some people treat people differently based on their status...
Some officials who knew how to respond to people differently, seeing that His Majesty was actually praising Prince Xiao so much today, glanced at Li Funing, who was standing in front of the hall with a pale and tired face, and naturally made a decision in their hearts.
My heart is filled with sorrow and sadness. This Lord Li has clearly married again and has become the abandoned husband of Your Highness again!
However, this Prince Xiao came from behind and became the favorite of His Highness.
The entire court, including civil and military officials, whether they were officials on good terms with Prime Minister Li, followers of Grand Tutor Chen, or subordinates of the King of Zhenbei.
Although they pretended not to care on the surface, they couldn't help but feel regretful in their hearts.
Even if you have been well-read and learned since childhood, what good does it matter?
So what if I am deeply loved by His Majesty and respected by all the ministers?
If His Highness gives up or gets tired, then he will have no way out!
He had no choice but to be driven back to the capital in disgrace to make room for the newcomer!
Although everyone looked calm, they all had their own plans in mind and had made their own decisions.
"Your Majesty is right. This Prince Xiao is about the same age as Your Highness. The two grew up together, traveled extensively together, and have a close relationship. Now, they are both on the front lines, fighting alongside the Crown Princess. He is truly a young and promising man, and he embodies the character of the young Prince Zhenbei!"
A small official in dark green clothes suddenly appeared from the side of the back of the hall, holding a tablet in his hand at the same level as his forehead. Two eyes as big as green beans peeked out from behind the tablet. He smiled and flattered Song Luoshu in a fawning manner.
It's a pity that the flattery backfired. Although Song Luoshu praised Xiao Lin on the surface, his favorite son-in-law in his heart never changed.
Praising Xiao Lin like this now is just a temporary measure. Once he can coax the boy from the Li family back to the border from the capital, the task assigned to him by his daughter will be completed.
Who could have imagined that there were such clueless fools in this court?
Although he wanted to scold him bitterly in his heart, he couldn't show it on his face in order to complete the task successfully. Instead, he had to praise him.
Thinking of this, Song Luoshu's mouth twitched, and finally, reluctantly, he revealed a standard royal smile: "My dear minister, you are right. I like what you said!"
"I will reward you handsomely!" The voice was majestic and powerful, lingering in the hall for a long time, and it was so loud that it seemed to be poured directly into the ears of every court official.
Song Luoshu's gaze swept across the last group of green-clad officials in the hall again. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he thought to himself: When the big thing is settled, he will expel these flatterers from the court and demote them to eighth-rank minor officials. No one should get in his way!
The official burst into tears of gratitude and quickly prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowed twice. His tone was respectful and pious, with a hint of excitement as he cried, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! I am deeply grateful! Long live the Emperor!"
After so many years, he finally got the chance to show his face in front of His Majesty.
He was extremely excited, and if it wasn't against etiquette, he would have rushed to Zhuque Street right now, waving flags and shouting, saying that his Zhao family had made progress, and after so many years, they finally had a say in the palace!
Now that he has won the favor of His Majesty, his future career is promising!
Little did he know that his kick hit the person's reverse scale.
Although Song Luoshu and Song Youning, father and daughter, have very different political views and their daily styles of doing things are even more different, they have one identical character in their bones - that is, they are both extremely protective of their own shortcomings.
Seeing that one person had gained benefits, the officials in the court who were originally on the sidelines quickly understood the situation in the court and Song Luoshu's attitude. They all praised Xiao Lin and even brought up old matters that had been accumulated for many years.
It was clearly a bandit suppression operation in Wuzhou a few years ago. The bandit leader and his followers only had more than 20 people in total.
That bunch of sycophants wanted to praise Xiao Lin as the god of war who had descended to earth, the reincarnation of Sun Wu... and even dragged Xiao Lin and Song Youning's few cronies from when they were hanging out in Beijing into the mix.
Song Luoshu looked coldly at the group of people in front of him who were spitting everywhere, feeling helpless.
You Ning was right. Most of the officials in the court got their positions by relying on the protection of the old system of aristocratic families.
They are just sitting in their positions doing nothing, are illiterate, and all they do is flatter and adjust their stance according to the situation. They are of no benefit to the country or the people.
Yes, such corrupt and rotten malpractices cannot be dealt with slowly, but must be dealt with quickly and thoroughly.
Although Li Funing has always been indifferent to such flattery and even finds it ridiculous.
A few years ago, there was a minor official who went to court for the first time. He did not understand the court rules and did not know how to stand on the side.
He simply praised all the important officials in the court one by one, even the eunuch Guo who was sitting next to the emperor was not spared.
These flattering words were repeated over and over again. When talking about him, this small official had no sense of the seriousness of the matter. He actually said in front of Grand Tutor Chen and Prince Zhenbei that he had a promising future and that sooner or later he would surpass his father and succeed his father as the Prime Minister of the Cabinet.
He only remembered that when these words were spoken, the hall was quiet for a long time, and there was complete silence all around.
Even His Majesty, who was always benevolent and disliked excessive formalities among his courtiers, changed his expression.
He just smiled and never took it to heart.
And today, he actually listened to the words of these fawning lackeys and started to worry about trivial matters?
The more he heard these people praising Xiao Lin, the more flustered he became.
How long had he been gone? How could she and Xiao Lin have such a good relationship?
Maybe I was just standing between them before and was an eyesore to them?
In just half a month, she's already well enough to ask the King of Zhenbei to pass on a message for her?
Not only had he been sleeping in the open and unable to sleep for the past half month, but as soon as he closed his eyes, the scene of their argument that night kept floating before his eyes, reminding him again and again.
The more Li Funing thought about it, the angrier he became, and his face became gloomier.
The breath that had been adjusted with great difficulty began to become disordered. The body under the serious and solemn official uniform was trembling slightly. The palm of the hand holding the tablet became tighter and tighter, and the white fingertips were squeezed slightly white.
Song Luoshu glanced at Li Funing and saw him standing in the line with his head buried, not saying a word. The surroundings were gloomy, so he knew that something was wrong!
"Cough cough cough"
He lowered his voice and tried his best to suppress the guilt in his heart.
But since she was his own daughter after all, he had no choice but to continue as planned: "I also think Xiao Lin is a good kid. Although he is a little naughty, he is a good person and is very good to the Crown Princess..."
"Before, I had some complaints about him. I felt that this boy was always with the princess, running around brothels and gambling dens all day long, and he was not a decent person. I didn't like his association with the princess. Now, seeing the two of them fighting side by side and discussing family and national affairs together, I feel that I was wrong before..."
Seeing that the time was not yet right, he openly added fuel to the fire.
He deliberately avoided Li Funing's direction and looked towards the center of the hall. When he met Li Xiang's inquiring eyes, Song Luoshu's eyes quickly dodged.
His face flushed slightly, and he thought to himself, he promised...after this matter was over, after Song Youning returned to Beijing, he would issue an order to force that little brat to go to the Li Mansion to admit his mistake!
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like thunder in the water, causing an uproar in the court.
Li Funing, who was buried behind Hu Zi, was also stunned. He poked his head out from the board with a whoosh, his eyes lit up instantly like a faint fire in the dark night, and suddenly a hint of panic appeared in his bright eyes. He stood there at a loss.
The oath that he had sworn with such confidence while galloping on horseback was shattered into pieces in an instant by the heavy blow from His Majesty's hammer.
All the dissatisfaction and grievances in my heart were replaced by the panic and helplessness at this moment.
He stood there in a daze, his lips slightly parted, wanting to take a step forward to explain something to His Majesty, but found that he didn't know what to say.
What can he say?
Did he say that he had a huge argument with His Highness and that he had run back to the capital in a rage? Or did he explain to all the court officials that there was absolutely no romantic relationship between His Highness and Xiao Lin?
What qualifications does he have to speak like that? What status does he have to speak like that?
He was just a vague candidate for the former emperor's husband whom she had never acknowledged from the beginning to the end...
Thinking of this, he took two steps forward and then took a step back. He lowered his head again and shrank into the tablet in his hand.
He tried to use it to cover up his pale face and the pitying looks others cast at him, as if he were a poor little animal abandoned by its owner and not knowing what to do with itself.
Seeing that Li Funing, who had always been cold and aloof, was so depressed, Song Luoshu felt a little bit reluctant.
But this was, after all, a mission assigned by his own daughter. If he showed mercy this time, she would undoubtedly cause a scene in his Yangxin Palace when she returned...
Moreover, this was a matter between the young couple, so he couldn't interfere too much, so he had to do as the letter said.
Seeing that the atmosphere is almost complete and the effect has been achieved, if we continue...
Song Luoshu raised his eyes and glanced at Li Xiang who was sitting in the first row in front of the hall.
Old man Li, who always had a kind face and treated him with great respect, was now staring at him with his beard puffed out. His pale eyebrows, which were usually stretched and smooth, were now pulled into a ball, like two balls of wool torn by a cat's claws.
Although he didn't say a word, he could tell from his long-term friendship with him that he must be furious.
He kept silent in the court just to save his face.
"Let's leave the Crown Princess's matter here for now. It won't be too late to make a decision after she returns. When will all the nobles come together to make their statement?"
Song Luoshu simply cut the conversation short and changed the subject. Seeing that there was no chance for them to flatter and gain merit quickly, everyone retreated into the ranks and became invisible.
When it came to the political discussion, Li Funing's mind came up with the important matters that Jingwen reported last night.
Although his emotions were surging like heat waves, in the end, they were not as important as people's livelihood. He took two deep breaths and forced himself to suppress all the negative emotions in his heart.
He poked his head out from behind the obstruction of his tablet, forcing a smile and pretending to be calm. "Your Majesty, although I have been transferred to the position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Princess, there is still no suitable candidate for the position of Minister of Personnel. All matters have not yet been completed..."
"Therefore, I will temporarily handle the important matters of the Ministry of Personnel. Yesterday, my subordinates reported that merchants in the capital were secretly purchasing large quantities of timber and stone. The amount was astonishing."
"I dare not act on my own initiative. I humbly ask Your Majesty to make a decision. Should this matter be thoroughly investigated?" His eyes changed from being evasive at first to calmness.
"Buying wood and stone?"
Song Luoshu repeated softly that if it was just an ordinary transaction, the Ministry of Personnel would never interfere.
However, since this matter had alarmed the Ministry of Personnel and was personally reported by Li Funing, it must be of great importance. Li Funing was always meticulous and would never have made such a serious request in the court if he had not grasped some clues.
Song Luoshu frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Let Li Qing investigate this matter. If there is any disturbance, report it immediately!"
"Yes!" Li Funing bowed in agreement.
"Also, the position of Minister of Personnel is of great importance and concerns the foundation of the country. I have not yet found a suitable candidate to entrust this position to, so Li Qing will continue to take this position temporarily. When I find someone else in the future, I will let him take over."
"I have a report..." After Li Funing finished his report, everyone in the court also joined in. For a moment, time flew like an arrow shot from a bow.
Until the bell for the end of court rang.
All the officials filed out in order. Li Funing received the order, and with a plan in mind, he followed the crowd out of the hall and headed straight outside.
At this time, Song Youning was standing on a small sand pile on the border, looking into the distance to the north.
She slowly raised her hand, and with her fingertips she gently sketched out the word "Li" in the empty sky filled with yellow sand. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and her eyes were filled with determination.
"I've already asked you this!" she whispered to herself, her voice filled with unquestionable determination. "I want both you and the world..."
"—You promised me that at that time."
"Then you can't regret it..."
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