Seeing that Gu Nianhe was angry, Qiao Lian'er gently patted her back.
“Mu Xinghe, isn’t he from the Ministry of Personnel? If someone needs to be transferred, it should be from the Ministry of Rites, which has more experience in receiving foreign guests.”
Generally speaking, the Court of State Ceremonial (鸿鲁寺) was the primary body responsible for receiving foreign guests, while the Ministry of Rites (礼部) played a secondary role.
Gu Nianhe was already dissatisfied with this matter, but she didn't know who to talk to. Now, the woman beside her had unintentionally mentioned it, which perfectly matched her feelings.
Qiao Lian'er handed over another item—a cup of modern milk tea. Using this to win over young girls could instantly shorten the distance between them.
Gu Nianhe took a sip, her pupils widened instantly, and she quickly snatched the milk tea cup back, taking two big slurps in.
After pausing for a moment, she said, "My father originally thought of transferring someone from the Ministry of Rites, but Li Zanran, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, strongly recommended Mu Xinghe to him, saying that Mu Xinghe was mature beyond his years and handled matters reliably. Moreover, the Ministry of Rites always likes to take credit every year. If someone from the Ministry of Rites were to fill such an important position, the Court of State Ceremonial would suffer. It would be better to transfer someone from another department."
“Mu Xinghe won’t take credit, so just give him a little benefit. But the problem is that he has never handled this before and is completely unfamiliar with it. He’s still learning the ropes. I don’t know when he’ll get the hang of it. It’s really going to kill my father.”
Li Zanran, Qiao Lian'er remembered this name. It seems that Lord Gu's suspicion can basically be ruled out.
She sighed, "If only Lord Bai and Lord Zhao hadn't gotten into trouble, but they suddenly collapsed. I'm afraid many people will find something amiss."
Gu Nianhe thought about it carefully: "Isn't it late autumn now? It's not just the two of them who caught a cold and fell ill, so why are there so many conspiracy theories?"
"Some people say it was the Qiao family's fault, but that's just absurd. I think the Qiao family members are either busy training troops or busy doing business. And that princess is rarely seen. It's impossible even if you think about it with your toes."
Qiao Lian'er inexplicably felt that Gu Nianhe was still somewhat cute.
"That Li Zanran, as Lord Gu's subordinate, should share more of Lord Gu's burdens, but instead he recommended someone who knows nothing. Isn't that just making things difficult for him?"
"He's good at flattering people, but he doesn't have much ability himself. He often tries to get close to my father, and my father trusts him enough to take his advice."
"Now look what's happened. My father doesn't sleep until midnight, and I heard that Mu Xinghe does too. I'm afraid that in a couple more days, it'll be my father who collapses from exhaustion. Nobody will have an easy time. As for Li Zanran, he just talks, and I see him looking radiant—"
Gu Nianhe paused for a moment, then spoke her mind: "My father collapsed from exhaustion, so he took over, and even the position of Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies was his."
"I'm afraid it's not that serious," Qiao Lian'er said.
"I've never liked Li Zanran. I always felt he was dishonest. I hope I'm just overthinking it."
Gu Nianhe was unwilling to continue the conversation. She angrily stuffed a few mouthfuls of popcorn into her mouth, chewing it with a crunching sound.
Qiao Lian'er felt that she had gotten enough information; if she asked any more questions, Gu Nianhe might become suspicious of her.
They started discussing the content of the play. When Gu Nianhe heard that she hadn't seen it, she immediately became interested and spoiled the whole thing, a mischievous smile flashing in her eyes.
When the play was about to end, Qiao Lian'er got up and left.
Gu Nianhe was still eager for more and looked at her expectantly.
"Will you come again tomorrow? I'll reserve this spot for you."
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