It took a combination of coaxing, persuasion, and threats from Fen Ling and Ziye to finally convince Cui Yanjin that he was destined to be roped back into the Ministry of Rites by his cousin, Zhou Gu.
Standing at the entrance to the Cui Residence, he watched the two leave, feeling unsure of himself.
Fen Ling patted him on the shoulder. "Little Yanjin, why did you come to Nanchu? Wasn’t it to help Brother Xingzhi? Now that you have this opportunity to serve in the Imperial Court at such a young age, you’re more fortunate than thousands others. Moreover, you’ll be with me. What is there to fear?"
Cui Yanjin took a deep breath and stood tall. "I’ll follow you, Brother Feng. You have to treat me well, and don’t put me in a disadvantageous situation."
Fen Ling chuckled, "For saving my sister and me, I will be good to you for the rest of my life, don’t worry!"
Cui Yanjin felt relieved.
Thus, the next day, Zhou Gu went to the Ministry of Housing to fill the vacancy. Fen Ling and Cui Yanjin went to the Ministry of Rites to do the same.
The arrival of the Princess’s husband at the Ministry of Housing and her confidant, Master Feng, at the Ministry of Rites as Assistant Minister did not surprise anyone. However, the sudden arrival of the young son of the Qinghe Cui family at the Ministry of Rites to fill the role of an Assistant Minister was shocking to many.
Even in Daliang and Dawei, the youngest Number One Scholar to enter the Imperial Court was 16. Cui Yanjin, who had turned twelve this year, was joining the court at an unprecedented young age.
So, many senior officials wrote letters of protest. They were concerned that giving high-ranking positions to such young candidates would disrupt order, make young people take shortcuts, and ultimately harm the country.
The King of Nanchu received more than ten of these complaints.
He recalled the time when Fen Ling had asked Zhou Gu for Cui Yanjin, and how he had also agreed to give him a post as Assistant Minister. He hadn’t thought that Fen Ling would not only take Cui Yanjin under his wing but also to let him enter the Ministry of Rites.
He didn’t respond immediately, but instead decided to discuss the matter with Zhou Gu and Su Rong.
When Fen Ling had returned yesterday, he had reported to Su Rong about how he had agreed to let Cui Yanjin join the Ministry of Rites as an Assistant Minister.
Su Rong raised an eyebrow.
Fen Ling quickly explained, "Sister, you want to support the Qinghe Cui family, right? It’s not possible to rely solely on Cui Xingzhi. Cui Yanjin might be young, but remember, he played a significant role in defending Heiya Pass from the Evil Ghost Sect, and he saved you and the whole of Nanchu. Thus, we should reward him with the title of Assistant Minister."
Su Rong took a sip of her tea, "I’m not saying what you did is wrong."
Fen Ling grinned and relaxed, "Don’t worry, Sister. I have a sense of propriety. When I went to fetch him, I thought it wouldn’t be fair for him to work without any benefits. Thus, I promised him a position as Assistant Minister. But I had forgotten that you’re now a Princess, so I shouldn’t have made such a promise without consulting you. I understand it’s not like the old times, and everything we do now affects the whole Imperial Court. If you think it’s inappropriate, I can go to the Cui Residence and sort it out."
Su Rong nodded, expressing her agreement with Fen Ling. "You didn’t scare Yanjin, did you?"
"I did scare him a bit. He froze when he heard about the position. I had to coax and persuade him until he finally agreed. "
"I know, I haven’t forgotten." Su Rong said, "I was also thinking about how to reward the Cui brothers. Cui Xingzhi is easy to deal with but Yanjin is a bit young yet made significant contributions. I was pondering over this when you promised him the title. Now, I think it’s quite appropriate."
Fen Ling reassured her, "I won’t act independently in the future. Just this once."
He returned home, realizing that he would also become a court official soon and that he should not have promised an official title so lightly. However, he believed that Su Rong would forgive him.
"Alright, be more careful next time. It’s not a big deal." Su Rong yawned, dismissed him, and told him to go to bed so he wouldn’t be late for the Ministry of Rites. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Fen Ling sighed at Su Rong’s disapproval. He quietly got up and went to sleep.
When Su Rong returned to her room, she saw Zhou Gu waiting for her. "What happened? Why were you talking with Fen Ling for so long?"
She briefly explained the situation with Cui Yanjin, how Fen Ling promised him a position, and how Fen Ling felt guilty for acting impulsively.
Zhou Gu nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Your brother is helping you out. He solves the problem of how to reward your cousin and gains you a powerful ally in the capital. Your uncle would have made the same decision."
Afterward he expressed his admiration, "Uncle Xie clearly trained Fen Ling for more than just being an undercover guard. His planning is far-sighted."
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