Chapter 59 059 I Invite Your Favor.
Disorganized thoughts are like water in a cloth, squeezed out completely in a warm embrace.
Xie Lanzhao seemed to have thought a lot, yet also seemed to have thought of nothing at all. For a brief moment, she fell into a state of emptiness.
After a while, Zhao Jialing loosened his grip.
Xie Lanzhao regained her senses.
The first sensation was the warm breeze brushing against my ear, and in a daze, it felt as if I were being held by warm lips. A tingling, electric-like sensation continued to flow through my limbs and bones, finally converging in my wildly beating heart.
This wasn't the first time His Majesty had managed to ambush them, but they had never felt so dazed and disoriented before.
Was His Majesty holding on too tightly?
"If this still doesn't make you feel my sincerity, then I have no other choice." After hugging Xie Lanzhao for a while, Zhao Jialing let go of her. Her expression was a little strange, with a hint of helplessness hidden in her secret joy, as well as a kind of magnanimity and indulgence that made Xie Lanzhao, who had just come back to her senses, speechless.
His Majesty is so self-righteous that anyone who sees this would briefly doubt their own fault.
Was she being unreasonable? Was she demanding His Majesty's unusual hug?
"Your Majesty—" Meeting Zhao Jialing's bright eyes, Xie Lanzhao was speechless again. She should have told His Majesty to tone down his frivolous behavior, but the thought vanished as quickly as it arose, like waves crashing on the beach. After a moment's hesitation, she sighed, "Your Majesty, I have no intention of blaming you."
Zhao Jialing blinked and leaned forward.
Xie Lanzhao: "..." A look of panic returned to her face. The blush that had appeared earlier had not yet faded, and it reappeared at the corners of her eyes, adding a touch of beauty to her cold face. She pursed her lips, "Your Majesty, I did not... seek favor." The last two words lingered on her tongue, and even the last syllable trembled when she uttered them, carrying a hint of unease.
Zhao Jialing gave an "Oh," and slowly said, "Then... shall we take it as an invitation from me?"
Xie Lanzhao took a deep breath.
She was defeated by His Majesty's thinking.
The matter of defending one's innocence was simply thrown to the winds.
Your Majesty's actions are indeed nothing special.
Having composed himself with a mix of emotions, Xie Lanzhao left the palace and was once again the elegant and dashing prime minister.
In the palace.
Zhao Jialing savored the moment again and again, unable to hide the smile on his lips.
In previous years, she felt that every day was the same, boring and tedious. Occasionally, when she thought about the past, she would inexplicably get angry and collapse.
Unlike now.
I feel that life is becoming more and more hopeful.
The Wise Ruler System strongly agrees with this statement.
If the host continues to slack off, even if they manage to complete a few tasks, it will be useless if they don't push forward the "rewards".
No matter how self-absorbed the host was, the mission was finally successfully completed.
Peace and tranquility are in sight!
As for the host occasionally going crazy, it's nothing, since it's not the host that's suffering.
By April, the Ministry of Works and the Directorate of Works reported that large workshops of various types, such as glass factories, sugar refineries, and steel mills, had been completed and were ready to begin operations. Zhao Jialing was naturally overjoyed, as this meant that production could be expanded. Some of these workshops could be extended to other prefectures and counties, saving them the trouble of sending artisans to Chang'an.
In the spring breeze, Zheng Qiongyu, who had been promoted from Prefect of Puzhou to Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, also returned to Chang'an with his family.
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was a high-ranking official of the third rank, so Zhao Jialing naturally had to receive him. She had originally planned to summon Zheng Qiongyu to an audience after she had settled her family, but to her surprise, Zheng Qiongyu came to request an audience that very afternoon. Zhao Jialing was holding a meeting with her ministers in the Xuanzheng Hall, and things had been going well lately, so she was in a good mood. Sensing Zheng Qiongyu's somewhat anxious expression, she frowned slightly, then relaxed, and instructed a eunuch to invite Zheng Qiongyu into the hall.
Zheng Qiongyu was born into the Zheng family of Xingyang. She passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty-four and has been a scholar for over twenty years. Her official career has not diminished her spirit; her back is straight like a proud pine tree, and her eyes are bright and clear, filled with boundless ambition.
Zhao Jialing's eyes brightened slightly. Even at over forty, he still displayed a sharp edge, unlike those slippery, opportunistic fellows in the court. The predecessors planted the trees, and the successors enjoy the shade; the late emperor had indeed done some good things.
Zheng Qiongyu stepped forward to express her gratitude.
Zhao Jialing breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't reported anyone the moment she entered Chang'an. However, as she listened to Zheng Qiongyu's advice, the system's mechanical voice sounded again.
[Host, another mission has been triggered.]
Is there something wrong with Minister Zheng? Could it be that both I and Xie Lanzhao have misjudged him?
Zheng Qiongyu, who was speaking, paused, a look of slight bewilderment on her face. Realizing her lapse in composure, she quickly finished speaking, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over the faces of the ministers. Seeing that their expressions remained unchanged, she frowned slightly.
She just heard voices; could it be a hallucination?
Indeed, who would dare to speak nonsense in the Xuanzheng Hall? Perhaps it was due to exhaustion from days of travel.
Zhao Jialing gestured to Zheng Qiongyu that she did not need to be formal and could take her seat. She appeared calm, but deep down she was having a conversation with the system.
[This isn't about eliminating treacherous officials, but rather promoting virtuous ministers.]
After explaining to Zhao Jialing, the Wise Ruler System immediately issued a task: [Main Quest - Governing the Country - Promoting Wise Men III - Truth or Falsehood Difficult to Distinguish.]
When this conversation reached the ears of the prime ministers, their expressions changed slightly, and they all looked at Zheng Qiongyu. Could it be that the Zheng Qiongyu who came to the capital was also an imposter? Whom did she impersonate? When did she begin impersonating someone? Zheng Qiongyu, who heard the conversation again, was even more surprised and uncertain. She exchanged glances with her colleagues, and their astonishment deepened.
[What's so hard to tell if it's true or false?] Zhao Jialing eagerly devoured this gossip—or rather, began to delve into the tasks issued by the system, pondering what kind of beneficial rewards it could offer. His wonderful anticipation made his eyes burn with desire, and when he looked at Zheng Qiongyu, he felt an immense satisfaction at having gained a loyal and virtuous minister.
Zheng Qiongyu had risen through the ranks from a low-level bureaucrat. Her expression was calm, but a turbulent storm raged within. The bewildered looks from her colleagues were enough to show she wasn't dreaming. Who was speaking to His Majesty? Recalling the various auspicious omens and supernatural phenomena she'd heard about in Puzhou, Zheng Qiongyu's eyes became subtle. She used to scoff at auspicious omens; the strange occurrences at Xianling were clearly His Majesty's way of getting rid of Prince Zhong—wasn't the fate of Prince Zhong's officials later proof enough? But now, she was uncertain.
This involves the Dali Minister's family affairs.
The system's sigh was quite human-like.
The sage who triggered this quest is Ruan Sijing, the daughter of the Minister of Justice.
Zhao Jialing was still unaware of what was going on, but the ministers who heard his thoughts had rather unusual expressions.
Even Xie Lanzhao looked at Zheng Qiongyu with a strange expression.
Her mother also came from the Zheng family of Xingyang, belonging to the same northern branch as Zheng Qiongyu. Zheng Qiongyu was away on official business, so the two families didn't have much contact, but Xie Lanzhao still knew some things about Zheng Qiongyu's family. Moreover, as the prime minister and Minister of Personnel, Xie Lanzhao would need to verify the household registration of those he promoted. As far as she knew, Zheng Qiongyu only had one son named Wang Shiqiu. How did this daughter come to be?
Zheng Qiongyu suppressed her astonishment and listened carefully. Upon hearing the word "daughter," a change finally appeared on her face. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but before she could speak, she quickly and cautiously fell silent. After His Majesty ascended the throne, she returned to Chang'an for the first time. Although she had heard various news from Chang'an, she knew that some things could only be truly understood by stepping into the vortex.
"Where did she get her daughter?" Zhao Jialing asked.
She had decided to rise up and would no longer simply approve the candidates for key positions submitted by the prime ministers; she would also consider the officials' past records. If she remembered correctly, the newly appointed Minister of Justice had only one son.
This is where the truth becomes difficult to discern; her daughter was secretly switched at birth by her husband, Wang Liulang, in collusion with the midwife and servants.
Zhao Jialing: "?!" How was she supposed to proceed with this task? Should she just tell the Dali Minister who had just returned that "your 'son' is a fake"? Her sympathetic gaze swept back and forth over Zheng Qiongyu. After a moment, Zhao Jialing, who was hesitant to speak, gave up the idea of telling her frankly and decided to wait for the Dali Minister to rest for a while before telling her the bad news step by step.
Zheng Qiongyu was on the verge of collapse; this news was like a bolt from the blue.
This trip to the palace was fraught with danger; she couldn't tell whether the strange voice was real or not.
She must be out of her mind, right?
With a heart full of worries, Zheng Qiongyu followed the ministers out of the hall.
Xiang Yanyi, the Minister of Revenue, and Zheng Qiongyu were classmates and often exchanged letters and poems. With the belief of helping the emperor and her friend, she caught up with Zheng Qiongyu after leaving the palace and said, "Third Sister, everyone says that a son resembles his mother, but I think my eldest son—" Xiang Yanyi met Zheng Qiongyu's gaze and hesitated.
Some things don't need to be said outright; it was precisely because of this subtle and indirect approach that Zheng Qiongyu instantly understood. Her eyelids twitched, and her heart plummeted into an icy abyss. Her face turned pale, and after a long while, she exhaled a breath of stale air, bowed towards the direction of the palace, and softly said, "Even ghosts and gods inquire about the affairs of the common people?"
Xiang Yan smiled and said, "May Heaven bless him."
Zheng Qiongyu was speechless.
She shouldn't have believed such strange things, but Wang Shiqiu was just a good-for-nothing idiot, and she had more than once had the thought that the thing wasn't hers. She had very little mother-son relationship with Wang Shiqiu, and every time she looked at that face that looked so much like Wang Liu, she felt annoyed.
Wait a minute, Dalang doesn't look like her, but he looks exactly like Wang Liu!
If that strange sound was real, and it was Wang Liu who colluded with the servants to switch people, then—
Zheng Qiongyu felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her thoughts flowing smoothly in an instant. Her face turned ashen, and all the composure she had shown when meeting the emperor was gone.
That Wang Liu is something else!
Shengyefang.
The servants who arrived in Chang'an first had already rented a house, and Zheng Qiongyu and her family had unloaded their luggage and moved in.
"Father, I heard that the Imperial Academy is not favored by His Majesty, and that Mingde Academy is what His Majesty values. I want to study there," Wang Shiqiu said excitedly. He had long wanted to leave Puzhou, and now that he was in Chang'an, wasn't this the time to make connections with the powerful and influential? He had originally intended to go to the Imperial Academy, but after hearing that the students were being reprimanded repeatedly, and that even members of the imperial family were unwilling to study there, he immediately gave up the idea.
Mingde Academy was quite famous, and he had heard of it even in Puzhou.
His mother is a high-ranking official of the third rank. Doesn't she even have the qualifications to enroll in school?
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