Chapter 934 My Husband Thinks So Too
Qi Heng has countless subordinates, but few are truly learned. Once he sits in a high position, he will inevitably promote capable people.
One King Keng Luo is not enough; the more the merrier.
"The person I had my eye on, you stole from me?"
Lin Yuesha was furious; when it came to poaching someone's partner, she couldn't compare to Qi Heng's skills.
"No, I'm not trying to steal your partner."
Qi Heng and Lin Yuesha discussed the matter. Their understanding of Scholar Zhuang was rather vague, based on hearsay, so they decided to pay him a visit. If Scholar Zhuang was as the old man described, they would lure him over to work as a servant for Lin Yuesha.
"If Zhuang Xiucai is a capable person, we shouldn't look down on him."
The world belonged to the couple; they tricked Zhuang Xiucai into doing hard labor, and the couple benefited from it.
Qi Heng never had any illusions about that position. If Lin Yuesha was willing, it would be quite interesting for her to be an empress.
"I am willing to be the one behind you."
Qi Heng spoke sincerely, though it was difficult to understand; his words came from the bottom of his heart.
For him, the people around him come first. He lost his parents and relatives when he had no other choice, and for the past twenty years, he has always had regrets in his heart.
"Stop trying to trick me."
Lin Yuesha waved her hands repeatedly. It was true that she was focused on her career, and her initial intention was to give herself and her family a better life.
The patriarchal system of the Great Qi Dynasty, where men were superior to women, was a deeply ingrained custom that had persisted for thousands of years. It was almost impossible to change it overnight.
Lin Yuesha just wanted to live a comfortable life. Accompanying Qi Heng in his rebellion had already made her rack her brains to come up with ideas, and she was living a very tiring life.
Sitting in a high position, under the watchful eyes of the world, is unsettling.
Qi Heng has no ambition, but the person at the very top can only be him.
"I just passed by at the foot of the mountain; the hot spring is halfway up the mountain."
Skipping over the topic, Qi Heng pointed out to Lin Yuesha that there was a shed in the mountains, which was a place for villagers to store their clothes.
It was already late, and the villagers had long since gone to sleep. The village paths were deserted.
Qi Heng moved closer to Lin Yuesha and hooked his finger around hers.
This was a tentative gesture, something Qi Heng would do before each hand-holding.
Lin Yuesha generously returned the handshake, and Qi Heng immediately grasped it, the couple's fingers intertwined.
In her heart, Lin Yuesha mocked Qi Heng, saying that people with many thoughts live a tiring life, and that even a simple gesture like holding hands cannot be done directly and openly.
Using the same trick every time, how childish!
Qi Heng thought that as Lin Yuesha's stepbrother, no matter how close they were, they still had to respect the proper boundaries between men and women. Since the siblings had never held hands, it would be better for them to have the status of husband and wife.
"Hey, who is it!"
Suddenly, someone darted out from the corner, shattering the couple's romantic moment completely.
Lin Yuesha glared at the newcomer. Couldn't they have greeted her in a gentler way?
"hey-hey."
The person who came was holding a folding fan. Despite the cold winter, they opened the fan to fan themselves.
He did it on purpose, will he say it?
In front of a man who can't find a wife, they're showing affection in the middle of the night, pulling and tugging at each other, which makes him feel jealous.
Judging from their attire, the two were not from this village; they must have come for the old pine tree.
Zhuang Xiucai became interested and decided to test the couple.
Zhuang Xiucai had already thought of the test question and was about to speak when Qi Heng beat him to it.
"How should officials who have been appointed to high positions, those who have misused funds, those who have been placed in positions of power to seize salt, those who have demanded military supplies at the border, and those who have woven prohibited silk fabrics be judged?"
Qi Heng spoke first. He was being tested on the laws and regulations of the Great Qi Dynasty, which was beyond the scope of a scholar's studies.
Scholar Zhuang was taken aback, thinking he had met a kindred spirit, and replied with great excitement: "Those who recommend officials for wrongdoing shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane and dismissed from their posts without further appointment..."
Qi Heng asked a question, and Zhuang Xiucai answered fluently.
Qi Heng nodded in satisfaction and then asked, "If the official who made the mistake was your own father, how could he be exonerated?"
In officialdom, officials protect each other; the predecessors plant trees so that the successors can enjoy the shade; it is inevitable to have to clean up other people's messes.
How an official manages to escape punishment after committing several major crimes demonstrates his shrewdness as an official.
"Can he still get away with it?"
Zhuang Xiucai lowered his head; it was the first time he had been stumped by a question.
A true man acts with integrity and respect for heaven and earth; how could he behave in such a petty manner?
Those who exploit the people and abuse their power for personal gain are absolutely the black sheep.
"Don't forget, water that is too clear has no fish."
Many things are unavoidable in officialdom. Greed and exploitation of the people are unacceptable, but even honest officials can be quite difficult to deal with, threatening to kill themselves at the drop of a hat, resorting to crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide.
It's not that being honest and upright is bad, but rather that one needs to be flexible in life.
Those in positions of power value checks and balances and strategic maneuvering; they cannot allow the East Wind to prevail over the West Wind, nor can the West Wind prevail over the East Wind.
Only when the two sides are in balance can the position of the person in power be most stable.
Therefore, Qi Heng planned to cultivate a talent to stand on the opposite side of King Luo and make King Luo suffer.
This meddlesome, argumentative, and meticulous scholar, Zhuang, could be considered as a backup option.
"I'll have to think about it and give you an answer tomorrow."
After learning where Qi Heng was staying, Zhuang Xiucai said, "Brother, don't leave. If you leave, I'll have to come looking for you again. Just give me one night..."
After saying that, he walked away muttering to himself.
"Husband, what do you think of this man?"
Once the person had walked away, Lin Yuesha immediately asked the question.
"Good, let's see his answer tomorrow."
Qi Heng nodded, quite satisfied. He didn't need to find someone cunning; just finding a stubborn, argumentative person would be enough to put the Prince of Luo in a difficult position.
"Isn't this a bit unfair to your uncle?"
Lin Yuesha touched her remaining conscience and hesitated.
Luo Wang is a good person, but Qi Heng wants him to keep doing hard labor.
"If I don't treat him this way, all these chores will fall on my shoulders, and how can I accompany you on your travels?"
Qi Heng pinched Lin Yuesha's cheek and teased, "Then I'm afraid you'll have to make do."
"No, I was just saying it offhand. My uncle is a pillar of the nation; such talent should not be buried."
Lin Yuesha immediately spoke righteously and pushed Xu Da forward, saying, "My cousin is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and he is proficient in everything. You must arrange a suitable position for him so that he can continue to shine."
A real man should make achievements and find his sense of accomplishment through his merits, while a woman like Lin Yuesha can only take a step back and live a leisurely life.
"That's what I think too."
Qi Heng held Lin Yuesha's hand, and the two walked briskly. As expected of a couple, their fate was not just a matter of destiny; they thought the same thing.
After spending the night at the old man's house, Zhuang Xiucai arrived at the door at dawn the next day, his hair a mess.
The old man was starting a fire when he saw Zhuang Xiucai. His expression immediately changed, and he said in a trembling voice, "Young Zhuang, I've already memorized the ancient poem you tested me on last time!"
The old man was filled with apprehension, wondering if Zhuang Xiucai had come to inspect. After some time, he had completely forgotten about the ancient poem.
"no."
When Zhuang Xiucai saw Qi Heng come out of the house, his eyes lit up as he waved his arm, "Brother, I'm not very talented, but I've figured it out!"
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