The matter of the southern tour ultimately did not come to fruition.
Just as she got started, Yun Qing was summoned by the Ministry of Personnel, who said there was a problem with the handling of the matter and she planned to go back and take a look.
Although it was a day off, Yun Qing went to see it out of a sense of responsibility. She didn't allow Xie Rang to go with her, so Xie Rang could only sulk in his heart.
He was thinking that when he went on the southern tour, he would definitely spend a lot of time alone with the Grand Tutor!
-
On April 15th, the results of the imperial examination were released.
Those who got into high school were naturally overjoyed, while those who didn't were sadly packing their bags, ready to try again next time. The capital was bustling with excitement.
Xie Rang was quite impatient and set the time for the palace examination nearby. He would personally review all the remaining candidates before assigning them positions.
The shortage of manpower is not as severe as it was in previous years. According to the rules, these newly appointed scholars are first sent to other places for training, and then return to the capital to take up their posts.
The top three were chosen by Xie Rang and Yun Qing after discussion. Now that the Great Xi Dynasty is at peace, all the best talents have been attracted to the capital. The top three are all remarkable figures.
[Don't let Fang Ji's age fool you; he's a highly praised and exemplary official who accomplished a great deal while serving in Jiangbei. If he hadn't neglected his health, he wouldn't have survived until his return to Beijing.]
Xing Duanfang was not only highly accomplished in writing, but also possessed a keen business sense. Later generations generally agreed that sending him to the frontier might have been a better option… However, that would be somewhat like being demoted after passing the imperial examinations?
Yun Qing was pondering many things, wondering how to bring it up, when Xie Rang seemed to sense something, looked at her, and asked with a smile, "Does the Grand Tutor have any good suggestions regarding their whereabouts?"
The palace examination took a long time, so Xie Rang sent someone to bring Yun Qing a chair to sit down. Having lived in ancient times for a long time, some of Yun Qing's little habits had changed unconsciously. Even when sitting casually, he was used to sitting upright with a relaxed and comfortable posture, without any nervousness in front of the emperor.
Hearing Xie Rang ask, she looked up and said, "Then I'll tell you."
"Fang Ji's writing and strategies are all of the highest quality. He is also calm and composed when answering questions in front of His Majesty. He has a good understanding of the local situation. It would be better to send him to Jiangbei as an inspector."
“Xing Duanfang, your family is in business, so you have been knowledgeable since childhood and are quick-witted. You would be quite suitable to be the magistrate of Mobei County.”
"besides……"
Yun Qing picked out a few that she remembered and talked about them. For the rest, she didn't know much about them, so she just gave a general range.
Unexpectedly, Xie Rang made the final decision the next moment: "Do you have any objections to what the Grand Tutor has said?"
In fact, even passing the imperial examination is only the beginning of their official careers. Both the emperor's favor and the emperor's grace are given, and their future depends on the emperor's opinion. It is already incredible that this has been given so clearly now.
Moreover, every point the Imperial Tutor made was precise. They exchanged a glance, and both saw shock in each other's eyes. They hurriedly expressed their gratitude: "We, the common people, have no objections. Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"
The palace examination went smoothly without any unexpected events. Those whose official positions were not yet determined would be assigned to other posts based on the assessment by the Ministry of Personnel. The rest would depend entirely on their own performance.
After the trip, Xie Rang couldn't wait to arrange things in the capital during the emperor's southern tour. He had also cultivated a large number of core officials who could ensure the smooth operation of the entire government during the emperor's incognito visits.
For truly important matters, the Imperial Guards would be dispatched to deliver the message.
But following the trajectory of history, there should be no surprises.
Yun Qing found Xie Rang's actions somewhat amusing and exasperating: "Your Majesty, are you so eager to go out and see the world?"
Xie Rang was a very easy monarch to deal with. He learned very easily how to pretend to be calm and collected in front of outsiders and maintain the dignity of the emperor. Over time, Yun Qing gradually became unable to tell whether he was pretending or his true personality was being revealed.
Now, she finally caught a glimpse of childishness in Xie Rang's behavior, exactly the same excitement she felt when she took him out years ago.
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it."
Xie Rang's voice was ambiguous. He intended to take Lin Chen with him this time, and the affairs of the Imperial Guard would be handled by Lin Chen's deputy, Deng Yanzhong.
"I haven't been to the places the Grand Tutor has been, so I must go and see them for myself."
Xie Rang's words contained this meaning, but more importantly, they were an attempt to conceal his true intentions.
To Yun Qing, it sounded like he was remembering the time she left him, and he said helplessly, "Your Majesty, you still remember?"
Xie Rang paused for a moment before remembering what Yun Qing was talking about. He had long forgotten about it, but under these circumstances, it seemed wrong to deny it. So he said, "I trust the Grand Tutor. I just genuinely want to go and see."
"Does the Grand Tutor think I'm that petty?"
That's absolutely right!
Yun Qing almost blurted out, but realizing her mistake, she quickly covered her lips with her sleeve: "How could this be?"
When it comes to saying one thing and meaning another, the Grand Tutor is quite adept.
Xie Rang suddenly laughed, with a touch of youthful spirit: "Just kidding, I just want to be with the Grand Tutor."
Yun Qing murmured, "It's as if we've never been together."
But... that's different.
Xie Rang lowered his eyelids, a fleeting dark emotion passing through him. Anyway, it was going to happen soon.
"Grand Tutor, please take another look. Is there anything we need to bring?"
Xie Rang handed Yun Qing a sheet of paper filled with preparations, barely managing to keep his greedy gaze from falling on Yun Qing. He didn't intend to let things fall apart at the last minute.
Yun Qing scanned it carefully: "No problem."
In her opinion, Xie Rang was too well prepared; the envoys were to arrive in the capital at the end of the year, and they would inevitably have to return early.
Otherwise, the capital would be without an owner, and it would look ridiculous if it remained empty.
Xie Rang smiled obediently: "Okay."
...
As May approached, the weather was fine and sunny, and everything was ready before they set off from the capital.
The emperor's travels were not a secret. In addition to the guards who were openly responsible for his protection, there were also secret guards and assassins in the shadows. No matter how peaceful the journey was, there were always unexpected twists and turns. Before turning to water, he still encountered an assassination attempt.
However, these assassins were usually dealt with before they could get close, and Yun Qing eventually became too lazy to go out and check.
Anyway, you can't see anything except blood.
This situation only gradually subsided after people switched to waterways and boarded multi-story boats.
Yun Qing used to travel discreetly and secretly during chaotic times, mostly by land. She had never been on such a luxurious ship before. At first, she was quite excited, but after a while, she felt something was wrong.
Based on her experience, she realized her current situation—she was seasick!
Yun Qing gripped the railing, her lips pale, her stomach churning, and she felt nauseous.
After Xie Rang finished arranging things and came upstairs, he saw her condition and quickly stepped forward to support her, his expression becoming anxious: "Grand Tutor, what's wrong?"
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