“It is said that commoners are easy to manipulate but Heaven is hard to deceive,” Ji Xuan said thoughtfully. “But now it seems that this is not entirely true.”
So far, none of the people he has met have been particularly intelligent, but none of them have been stupid.
In fact, this greatly surprised Ji Xuan, who had always thought that the common people were ignorant and unteachable.
"Those ministers in the court," Qi Yong shook his head dismissively, "are indeed quite knowledgeable, but their minds are not necessarily more agile than those of ordinary people."
“This kind of flexibility is just being slippery,” Ji Xuan shook her head. “It lacks foresight and a sense of the big picture, making it unsuitable for important tasks.”
In this respect, they are far inferior to the well-read courtiers. Although they are not as clever, they have a higher perspective and act in accordance with ethics.
Even if there are any shady dealings behind the scenes, they wouldn't be so shamelessly flaunted in public.
Upon hearing this, Qi Yong's heart skipped a beat. "Does Master dislike slick people?"
He himself is rather left-leaning and prefers his own kind, especially disliking those hypocritical gentlemen, always feeling that they are very fake.
“No,” Ji Xuan shook his head. “A rigid person can’t achieve great things, but being too slick is also no good. One must be flexible yet measured, bound by moral principles, and able to uphold the righteousness of a gentleman in order to achieve great things.”
Smooth but not slick, disciplined but not rigid, and possessing the qualities of a gentleman—tsk tsk, how many can you find in the world?
“Master,” Qi Yong’s lips twitched slightly, “your demands are too high.”
"That's why they say a prime minister is hard to find!"
"If the Grand Secretary and the Grand Chancellor heard this, they would be very upset," Qi Yong said with a hint of schadenfreude. "Although they are useless, they won't do more harm than good. Let's just make do with it for now."
“Hmm,” Ji Xuan nodded seriously, “We’ll talk about it after I’ve trained some talented people.”
Just as Liu Zhiyuan was about to knock on the door and enter, he heard the conversation between the master and servant and looked up at the sky speechlessly.
If the Grand Secretaries knew that the Emperor disliked them for being useless, I wonder if they would cry.
However, they do seem to be quite useless; apart from collecting taxes and conducting performance evaluations, they can't do anything well.
Cough cough...
"Your subject Liu Zhiyuan pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"Lord Liu," Qi Yong glanced at the wine cup on the tray, "can we drink today?"
“Yes,” Liu Zhiyuan explained, “You can only drink half a cup today to get used to it, and you can increase it to a full cup in three days.”
"In that case, to what extent can His Majesty's health recover?"
"It's still uncertain," Liu Zhiyuan cleared his throat, "but if there are no unforeseen circumstances, His Majesty can resume sexual relations in half a month, which will be a good opportunity to clear the pent-up anger accumulated in his body."
This is a matter of great importance concerning the fate of the nation.
Liu Zhiyuan was terrified by what had happened before, and was especially concerned about Ji Xuan having children.
Upon hearing this, Ji Xuan froze, her ears turned slightly red, and her voice became somewhat weak, "Thank you for your trouble, Minister Liu."
"That's wonderful!" Qi Yong exclaimed with delight. "Master, I will find a suitable candidate for you right away."
"What's the rush?" Ji Xuan said, annoyed and embarrassed. "Am I in such a hurry?"
“This servant knows her mistake,” Qi Yong said, touching her nose. “It was this servant who was worried about His Majesty’s health; it had nothing to do with you, Master.”
"This will not be allowed to happen again!"
He then took the glass and drank it all in one gulp, followed by closing his eyes tightly and remaining silent, which seemed to suggest an attempt to escape.
Upon seeing this, Qi Yong's lips slowly curled up.
After giving Liu Zhiyuan an appreciative look, he beckoned him out.
“Lord Liu, you’ve done a good job today,” he said, taking out a jade pendant. “Here you go.”
“It is a doctor’s duty, there is no need for this,” Liu Zhiyuan did not want to accept Qi Yong’s gifts, feeling that they were too sinister. “If Eunuch Qi feels bad, just make some more pastries, the kind we had last time will do.”
After saying that, he smacked his lips twice.
That damned eunuch Qi Yong, though a terrible person, is absolutely amazing at making pastries. His pea shortbread from last time is still unforgettable.
Upon hearing this, Qi Yong's face immediately fell. He snorted coldly and raised his chin, "Lord Liu, it's best not to dream in broad daylight."
Is the food that Qi Yong made by hand something that anyone can eat?
After saying that, he stuffed the jade pendant into his waist pouch and left with a flick of his sleeve.
"You damned eunuch!"
Liu Zhiyuan snorted and prepared to go to the backyard to process the medicinal herbs. Just as he turned around, he heard a knock on the door.
"Doctor Liu, is Young Master Wang here?"
"Yes," Liu Zhiyuan said with a look of surprise as he took the food box. "Why did you bring so much stuff, Madam Jiang?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuan jokingly said, "How about we don't bring it next time?"
"No, I was just saying," Liu Zhiyuan shamelessly demanded, "If there's a next time, please bring more."
That damned eunuch Qi Yong is full of evil schemes. Every time it's his turn to serve food, there's only a tiny bit left, and he's never full.
Liu Zhiyuan touched his face and was immediately filled with sorrow. He felt that he was so hungry that he looked emaciated.
“Okay,” Jiang Nuan readily agreed, “I’ll bring you some that can be stored next time.”
"That's great," Liu Zhiyuan said happily, carrying the food box. "Young Master Wang is inside. I'll go inform him. Please wait a moment."
After Liu Zhiyuan left, Xie covered her mouth and whispered, "Mother, are you sure Doctor Liu is an imperial physician? How can he be so unreliable?"
He lacked the composure of Doctor Gu.
"Perhaps," Jiang Nuan wasn't sure either, "things will turn around when they reach an extreme?"
When Ji Xuan heard the news that Jiang Nuan had come, he felt a moment of rejection. He always felt that he had lost face in front of Jiang Nuan.
What is she doing here?
"I don't know. Should I go out and ask first?"
“It’s too late,” Ji Xuan snorted, reluctantly. “Then let’s meet.”
Is he afraid of a woman?
When Jiang Nuan needed something from someone, her attitude was very proper. She bowed and greeted the emperor with utmost care, saying, "This humble subject greets Your Majesty."
Seeing Jiang Nuan bowing respectfully, Ji Xuan felt a moment of discomfort. She straightened her back and said calmly, "No need for formalities, please rise."
Jiang Nuanqi got straight to the point, "This humble subject has a deal I wish to discuss with Your Majesty. I wonder if Your Majesty would be interested?"
"A deal?" Ji Xuan frowned. "What kind of deal do you want to discuss?"
"How about we exchange the exquisite plum blossom in the courtyard for a small favor from His Majesty?"
“Nothing much,” Ji Xuan said, her eyes filled with suspicion. “What do you want to do?”
"Really not interested?" Jiang Nuan tempted, "Even His Majesty knows about this kind of plum blossom. It has an excellent appearance, a long flowering period, and a wonderful fragrance. In addition, it has another benefit that no one knows about."
As she spoke, Jiang Nuan paused deliberately.
"What are the benefits?"
"It's more accurate to call it a medicine than a flower, as it's excellent for clearing the mind and brightening the eyes, nourishing the body, and relieving dryness and heat."
"Is it really that amazing?" Qi Yong asked, somewhat skeptical. "You're not kidding me, are you?"
"What is it?" Ji Xuan looked up. "Tell me about it."
"Master," Qi Yong said, somewhat surprised, "you don't actually believe it, do you?"
He had seen that plum tree before, so how come he hadn't noticed how amazing it was?
"Shut up first," Ji Xuan waved his hand, "Listen to Lady Jiang."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com