Chapter 40: Fighting in the Morning Court! Song Mingjiao watched with great interest
He Wen's voice sounded majestic. After he pushed open the door, the originally noisy room, where people were drunk and lying around, suddenly became quiet.
He Wen glanced around. There were only about six or seven people in the room. Fortunately, the impact wasn't significant. They were mostly low-ranking officials, probably frustrated and frustrated, so they had the audacity to criticize the emperor.
Shang Nanxuan, who was originally enjoying the attention of the crowd, suddenly saw others bowing to He Wen one after another, as spineless as quails.
"Prime Minister, Your Excellency the Prime Minister."
"Uh, He Xiang, we're just drinking here, there's nothing else to it."
Shang Nanxuan was filled with anger. Looking at He Wen's expression, he recalled the day at the Qionglin Banquet when Song Mingjiao suddenly lost interest in him.
Not long after, Prime Minister He Wen, who had been doing his job impartially and had little presence, suddenly gained the favor of the emperor. He went in and out of the imperial study every day, and the friendship between the emperor and his subject was even widely spread in the Censorate.
"What do you think, Lord He? Everything I said is true. Your Majesty is truly—"
The feeling of jealousy surged in Shang Nanxuan's heart. He hadn't seen Song Mingjiao for a long time, but the longer they didn't meet, the heavier the dark emotion became. It even became so bold that Shang Nanxuan seemed to really think that the emperor still liked him, and he could make up stories about the emperor at will.
"Lord Shang, be careful with your words! The imperial examination is a matter of great importance to our dynasty. Are you sure you want to make a fuss about cheating? If you truly have evidence, why not come with me to see His Majesty and confront him face to face?"
Shang Nanxuan had also been drinking and his mind was not clear. Now that He Wen suddenly interrupted him with a scolding, he shuddered all over and broke out in a cold sweat.
He had no evidence that Song Mingjiao had given him the answers.
Even though Song Mingjiao supported him in that way at the beginning, he only provided some resources and did not give him the answer directly.
It was all just that Shang Nanxuan looked at the cheering and admiring eyes of the people around him, and for a moment his vanity took over. He wanted to let them know that he, Shang Nanxuan, was very important in the emperor's heart, and it almost led to a big mistake.
"I, I didn't say anything about cheating in the imperial examination, He Wen! Even if you're the prime minister, do you have the right to slander officials like this?"
Shang Nanxuan was exposed by He Wen in public for his boasting in front of other bureaucrats. He instantly felt that he could not hold his face up. He seemed to sense that the people around him who originally admired him started to look at him strangely, and even quietly moved away to avoid being implicated by him.
Shang Nanxuan became angry and jumped out to accuse He Wen of abusing his power.
But his unconfident actions now made him look even more like a clown, no longer like the somewhat polite demeanor he had previously maintained under Song Mingjiao's disguise. Shang Nanxuan's current state completely exposed his true status as a person of low social status and lack of education.
He Wen has always disliked Shang Nanxuan, and he doesn't want to give Shang Nanxuan face at this time.
He only knew that today's incident involved Song Mingjiao's reputation. Whether Shang Nanxuan was trying to spread rumors about his relationship with the emperor, or about the emperor violating the principles of fairness in the imperial examinations and allowing people to cheat through the backdoor, this rumor must never be spread outside.
"I don't care what you think. Everything you just said is completely false. Anyone who dares to spread it will have to consider the consequences."
The officials who had come with Shang Nanxuan were all frozen in a heap, their sweat already dripping. He had originally thought he was just bragging, letting off steam, but he hadn't expected the conversation to spiral out of control, even reaching the person on the throne.
But seeing Shang Nanxuan's confident oath, they actually believed it just now. However, they didn't expect that before he could finish bragging, the anti-counterfeiting people came.
Obviously, compared to Shang Nanxuan, the top scholar who had only met the emperor a few times and had long since fallen out of favor, they were more convinced by Prime Minister He Wen, who was both powerful and favored by the emperor.
The officials bowed repeatedly, "No, no, Your Excellency. We are only here for dinner today. We absolutely didn't hear a single word, and we don't know what happened."
"That would be best."
Shang Nanxuan looked at his colleagues who had turned against him in an instant like fence-sitters, gritting his teeth in anger. However, he was also a coward who looked strong on the outside but was actually weak on the inside. He knew for sure that if what he said today were to reach the ears of the emperor, he would probably not end up well, and he did not dare to confront He Wen head-on.
Unexpectedly, He Wen, who was about to turn around and leave, suddenly turned back, came to Shang Nanxuan, and forcibly took away the jade pendant and bracelet from him.
Shang Nanxuan held on tightly, but unfortunately he was no match for He Wen's strength. Instead, he was hit by several punches and was kicked to the ground in a very funny way.
"Prime Minister, are you considered a model minister? You're actually a bandit? That was given to me by His Majesty! The patterns on it are all real. I'm not lying this time!"
He Wen showed no mercy and snatched away all the things that Shang Nanxuan had just mentioned that Song Mingjiao had rewarded him. He also seemed to be doing it in a very fair and justifiable manner, and said condescendingly:
"Whether this is true or not, I will naturally go to His Majesty to inquire clearly. I will prevent the royal treasures from being lost and damaging His Majesty's reputation."
"you--"
He Wen then walked away in a respectable manner, holding the jade pendant and bracelet he had just snatched from someone else.
When He Wen thought that this was a gift from Song Mingjiao, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise. He wanted to hold the bracelet in his palm and admire it day and night.
But then he thought again, all these things were on Shang Nanxuan's body just now, and he suddenly felt that this thing was stained with that person's filth. He angrily wiped the jade pendant bracelet with his sleeve many times until the surface was shiny, and then he stopped with satisfaction.
"The gift from His Majesty should naturally be placed in the palace, with someone assigned to manage it and keep it safe. People like Shang Nanxuan have no respect for His Majesty at all, so I brought it here. Only I can keep it safe for His Majesty. Yes, that's right."
He Wen returned to his private room, not in the mood to eat. He said hello to his colleagues and left. On the way out, He Wen played with the jade pendant and bracelet he had taken, secretly convincing himself.
But as they were walking, they were almost at the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion when He Wen suddenly realized that something was wrong.
No! Why did he do that just now, disregarding his status and trying to snatch the jade pendant and bracelet given by the emperor?
No! He and Song Mingjiao were only the emperor and his subject. Hearing someone damaging the emperor's reputation, it was natural for him to feel angry. But why, besides anger, was he also filled with jealousy, resentment, and sourness?
He Wen, who was once a bright and upright person, was shocked by his own inference and stood blankly at the door of the Prime Minister's Mansion, not wanting to go in. Even the doorman at the door was confused and came to inquire about the situation.
"My Lord, you won't come into the house. Do you have any instructions?"
He Wen's mind wandered, and he drifted into the Prime Minister's Mansion. He waved to the doorman, "We are closed to visitors today. Please don't disturb us."
He recalled what Shang Nanxuan had said about Song Mingjiao when he was standing at the restaurant's private room door today, and for a moment, he overturned his previous judgment. Could it be that the little emperor was really interested in men? Could it be that the little emperor really had a relationship with Shang Nanxuan?
He Wen gritted his teeth.
Would Song Mingjiao also go to see Shang Nanxuan like she did that day in the bedroom, wearing only a thin, soft, untidy dress? How could Shang Nanxuan, such an arrogant fool, actually see Song Mingjiao's seductive beauty?
He Wen clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and opened the book "Biography of Flatterers" which he had read a lot recently. He read it all night long by lamplight.
At dawn, the Prime Minister He Wen finally understood:
It turns out that becoming a treacherous minister is not just something the emperor forces upon his subjects, but the subjects can also please the emperor.
Being pleased with the emperor cannot be called a traitor, nor can it be called homosexuality. It is just pure liking and loving bravely. It does not let down the ancestors, nor does it let down the late emperor.
After a night of deep contemplation, He Wen finally closed the book solemnly and headed towards the ancestral hall in the mansion. He first bowed to the sky, in honor of the late emperor, then entered the ancestral hall and bowed to the tablets of his ancestors.
Then He Wen burned incense with confidence and said to the ancestors and the late emperor with confidence:
"Your Majesty, Father and Mother, I like Your Majesty and I will treat him well. I am the Prime Minister now, so I am naturally the most suitable person for Your Majesty."
Our Prime Minister has been acting weird since he came back yesterday. Now he has locked himself in the ancestral hall and has not come out for a long time.
The servant watched time pass by little by little, and saw that he was about to miss the time for court. Then he tremblingly came to the outside of the ancestral hall and carefully called He Wen.
"Sir, the time is almost up. Will you still be attending court today? Do you want to take a rest?"
He Wen stood up from the futon: "Go, of course I have to go."
Because this is not called going to court, this is called - going to see his lover.
*
Song Mingjiao didn't know that the effect of repeatedly teasing He Wen in just one day was so great.
He had actually been called "lover" by such a bold person without knowing it.
He Wen told the officials from yesterday not to tell anyone about the slander against the emperor.
But the whole world belongs to the emperor, especially in the capital, where the emperor has many spies. That night, this news reached Song Mingjiao's ears.
The secret guard made a throat-cutting gesture in front of his neck and asked Song Mingjiao whether he should deal with those who talked nonsense or even slandered the emperor.
But Song Mingjiao just lit the secret report lightly in front of the candlestick, then stopped the secret guard from asking for instructions and said:
"Well done! Keep watching Shang Nanxuan and report any unusual behavior to me. As for the others, send someone to keep an eye on them. If they do commit any wrongdoing, expel them all from the capital."
The secret guard took the order and left.
"System, look, it was your male protagonist who got restless first. I was just fighting back. You're not going to deduct points from me, are you?"
The cold mechanical sound of the system no longer affected Song Mingjiao.
[Host, are you really not guiding me on purpose? ]
Song Mingjiao said very innocently and aggrievedly that he had only added fuel to the fire. He had simply sent someone to Shang Nanxuan to spread a lot of news about him and He Wen getting along.
Based on his understanding of Shang Nanxuan, he, the emperor, was once able to praise the top scholar so highly and flatter him so well, but now the gap is so huge, Shang Nanxuan will definitely be unwilling to accept it.
Song Mingjiao didn't find it strange no matter what Shang Nanxuan did, but this man was so stupid that he wanted to spread rumors about him, the emperor, in public. This made Song Mingjiao feel that he had overestimated that man's IQ.
The only use of this kind of male protagonist is that He Wen happens to meet him and can help Song Mingjiao push He Wen.
Now Song Mingjiao wanted to know whether his prime minister would misunderstand his past relationship with Shang Nanxuan and take any action?
With such expectations, Song Mingjiao came to the morning court the next day in a happy mood.
"Your Majesty has arrived—"
When Song Mingjiao arrived at the Golden Palace, all the ministers had already arrived. In addition to He Wen, who Song Mingjiao was familiar with, there was also his younger brother, the Sixth Prince Song Chengnian.
The number of people was very complete, and those standing in the front were all young and handsome ministers. Song Mingjiao felt that they were very friendly to his eyes.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live Your Majesty."
Song Mingjiao had to admit that even though he had been in this ancient world for some time, he still felt a little uncomfortable with such a grand ceremony every time he attended court.
He sighed softly in his heart: Sure enough, this ancient world with strict hierarchy is not suitable for him. I hope that in the next world, the system will not send him to a place with such a background again.
"Everyone stand up."
Song Mingjiao sat on the high platform of the Golden Palace, on the only dragon throne. The chair had a wide seat and was made of pure gold. Even though Song Mingjiao was wearing a heavy dragon robe, he could still feel the coolness coming from the seat.
From Song Mingjiao's angle, he could easily see the court officials standing below and their various actions.
But the court officials were standing far away from the stage, either with their heads bowed or looking straight ahead. Few dared to look up at the emperor. Even if they did, they couldn't see the emperor's expression clearly because of the beaded curtain.
"I have something to report."
Surprisingly, the first person to step forward at the court meeting today was Prime Minister He Wen. You know, He Wen usually keeps a low profile and rarely steps forward in such a prominent manner.
Song Mingjiao looked at He Wen with some amusement. He wanted to see He Wen's reaction, but this guy was so impatient?
And unlike usual, Prime Minister He Wen, who was supposed to stand below properly and not look around, looked up very boldly that day, looking at the emperor sitting on the clouds. His eyes were full of straightforward and strong emotions, which almost made Song Mingjiao think that something big had happened.
It can only be said that fortunately the ministers around him were very cautious and dutiful, otherwise He Wen's behavior alone would have been brought up by some old guys and impeached, which would have wasted a lot of Song Mingjiao's time.
Song Mingjiao rested one hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, supporting his chin, with the corners of his mouth raised and an unconcealable smile at the corners of his eyes, ready to watch He Wen's performance.
The emperor's voice came from above: "My dear minister, please speak."
"Winter is approaching. Based on past experience, the area north of the Ling Mountains may soon face a frost disaster. I implore Your Majesty to send a special person to inspect the area and prepare relief food."
Fortunately, although He Wen had been dazzled by Song Mingjiao's beauty and voice, he at least remembered that he was the prime minister of the emperor and had to share the emperor's worries, so he had to report everything he had to report.
Song Mingjiao propped up his head and listened to He Wen's talk.
The area He Wen mentioned reminded him of a major event. According to the background setting given by the system, in the near future, a foreign invasion would occur in the north of Daliang, and it would happen in the winter not long after.
In fact, even such a large-scale war was only briefly mentioned in the system's settings. After all, the original mission setting only required Song Mingjiao to be a self-deprecating and dog-licking emperor. The plot and other things were not important at all.
It was thanks to Song Mingjiao that he went through the book over and over again and kept the background in mind, so he was able to find these things from every corner.
However, Song Mingjiao believed that since he had come here, taken on the emperor's persona and enjoyed the emperor's treatment, even if he could not do much, at least he knew what the dynasty would be like when it was handed over to him. When he left, he also wanted to return a prosperous and clear dynasty.
It would not be possible that Song Mingjiao would destroy the former Daliang Dynasty in such a short period of time.
After analysis, Song Mingjiao believed that the subsequent foreign invasions were closely related to the frost disaster.
He Wen gave some detailed countermeasures, and it was obvious that he had put in a lot of effort in private, working diligently for the emperor Song Mingjiao.
Song Mingjiao could not be said to be good at governing the country, but at least he could use modern and other knowledge. The two of them discussed the prevention plan and ignored the other court officials.
After a long pause, Song Mingjiao finally said, "Prime Minister, you are absolutely right. Do the other ministers have anything to add?"
Some ministers lowered their heads and whispered to each other, apparently still discussing the plans that He Wen had just proposed.
But what no one expected was that the Sixth Prince Song Chengnian, who had just been qualified to attend court and had been a transparent person just to punch in, actually stood up today.
"Brother Your Majesty, I believe that Prime Minister He's proposal is flawed. Distributing grain to alleviate the disaster is only a temporary solution, not a fundamental one. It will also place a heavy burden on the already scarce treasury."
The usually idle Sixth Prince Song Chengnian actually expressed his views seriously in the court. However, the words he said seemed to be deliberately targeting He Wen.
Some sharp-eyed ministers even noticed that before the Sixth Prince began his speech, he glanced in He Wen's direction with disdain.
"Your Highness has lived in the capital for a long time, so I'm afraid you may not know. Ministers have tried other methods in previous years, but they have had little effect."
He Wen said it lightly, ignoring the look Song Chengnian was giving him, which seemed like a declaration of war. It was as if he was referring to Song Chengnian's youth and his elder status, and also implying that Song Chengnian had been pampered since childhood and, as a child of the royal family, had no understanding of the suffering of ordinary people.
"That's because you didn't use the right method at all!"
How could Song Chengnian tolerate such a provocation? The two of them immediately started arguing in the court.
After all, they are all civilized people and will not curse loudly, but every word they say is sarcastic and cunning.
Some ministers who understood what was being said quickly turned a blind eye and decided not to participate in this inexplicable war. Other ministers who did not understand what was being said actually believed that they were engaging in a serious discussion and even joined in.
The entire Golden Palace was made as noisy and chaotic as a vegetable market.
Song Mingjiao sat there the whole time, watching coldly, with no intention of interfering.
In fact, such arguments were common during court meetings. After attending court a few times, Song Mingjiao felt that the real life in ancient times was very different, and his previous serious impression of the morning court was shattered.
Fortunately, there was a rule that weapons were not allowed during the morning court session, otherwise Song Mingjiao really suspected that these ministers would fight in his throne room.
But at least it was other court officials who were quarreling before, and He Wen never got involved. Song Mingjiao still felt that he was indeed a good prime minister and very considerate.
As a result, today, his good prime minister and his good brother have become the main force in this war.
He Wen stood there calmly, as if he wasn't going to argue with a child. Every time he said that, Song Mingjiao turned his head and stared at He Wen, nodding up and down, which made He Wen even more excited!
Song Chengnian was not to be outdone, and he almost insisted on saying, "I am the most valued younger brother of the current emperor." He refuted He Wen's every word, and the key point was that he could actually find reasons.
Song Chengnian said something, and Song Mingjiao turned his head again and stared at his good brother. This made Song Chengnian feel that his royal brother was supporting him. They really were a family! Song Chengnian felt that He Wen, who insisted on causing trouble, was abominable and must be stepped on.
Song Mingjiao watched with great interest and almost wanted to reach out to ask for food from the eunuch Zhao who was sweating profusely beside him, but he remembered that he was now in the Golden Palace, and barely resisted the mentality of just watching the show.
Song Mingjiao didn't know when He Wen and Song Chengnian started to dislike each other. Logically speaking, they shouldn't have had much in common.
But forget it, after arguing for so long, it’s time for him, the emperor, to take charge of the situation.
"Alright, what a disgrace this is at court."
The emperor finally spoke and scolded the two instigators, He Wen and Song Chengnian, one by one. However, Song Mingjiao's scolding sounded a bit like indulgence to the two men.
The court officials below also had to stop and listen to the emperor's decision:
"Let Song Chengnian handle this matter. You've been with the Ministry of Industry for a while and are good at construction, so this is an opportunity for you to gain experience."
Song Chengnian glanced at He Wen complacently, thinking that his royal brother really loved him. How could outsiders compare to the brotherhood between them!
"Thank you, my Royal Brother. I will leave this matter to you, my Royal Brother. You can rest assured."
He Wen, who was glanced at by Song Chengnian, looked calm, neither humble nor arrogant, as if he was not disappointed that the emperor ignored him.
After Song Mingjiao whetted the two's appetite, he deliberately watched them argue for a while, then slowly said to He Wen:
"But what the Prime Minister said is also not without reason. The Prime Minister is experienced and the conventional response method will be left to the Prime Minister."
Song Chengnian lowered his head and glared at He Wen fiercely.
He Wen's expression seemed calm, but Song Mingjiao could see that the corners of He Wen's mouth curled up slightly.
He Wen deliberately adjusted his court robes, revealing the jade pendant Song Mingjiao had given him that day. After making Song Chengnian furious, he bowed and thanked him:
"I will definitely live up to your Majesty's trust."
After that, the events at the court meeting were uneventful. Not long after, Song Mingjiao ordered Eunuch Zhao to adjourn the court.
After listening to the "noise of the vegetable market" for the entire morning, Song Mingjiao felt that his ears needed a rest. When he was about to return to the Yangxin Palace, he heard a young eunuch come to report:
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister requests an audience."
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