He rose slowly and sat down opposite Emperor Yongzheng.
Playing chess with His Majesty was one of his experiences since he entered officialdom. Every few days, Emperor Yongzheng would ask him to play chess with him once.
The first time, Qingyin pretended to be slightly flustered and nervous, but now he was much calmer. This was not because he was overly nervous. For the highest ruler in ancient times, no amount of caution was too much. A ruler of the current dynasty may like a smart minister, but that does not mean he likes an overly smart minister.
Qingyin had to put on a good show for this, but fortunately, he had the experience from his past lives and could handle it with ease. However, he did not dare to underestimate a winner who could ascend the throne in ancient times.
Those who underestimate system workers because of their experience will definitely suffer a great loss, and quite a few people have failed in the small world of missions.
He was in a low official position, and Qingyin was very cautious sitting opposite Emperor Yongzheng. She sat halfway in her chair, obediently focusing only on the chessboard in front of her.
However, he is good-looking, and even just sitting there, he is an exceptionally beautiful sight.
At least Emperor Yongzheng, who was playing chess opposite him, found it very pleasing to the eye.
As expected of the top scholar he chose, his appearance is several times better than those of previous top scholars, and he is also very intelligent.
Doesn't this prove that during his reign, the land was vast and the people were outstanding, with a great number of talented individuals emerging? Otherwise, how come his father and his ancestors didn't have a single top scholar of such good looks?
Thinking of this, Emperor Yongzheng felt even more pleased, and he no longer cared so much about the previous rebels who said that his reign was not favored by Heaven and that various evils had been sent down.
Emperor Yongzheng carefully placed a white chess piece on the chessboard, the crisp sound particularly noticeable in the empty side hall.
"Qingzhang's doorstep has been worn down by people lately, hasn't it?"
Emperor Yongzheng looked at Qingyin and smiled, his tone both teasing and gentle. If the old ministers of the court were to see this gentle side of the usually iron-fisted emperor, they would be extremely shocked.
But this has become the norm for His Majesty's treatment of Lord Luo.
The eunuchs guarding the palace were already used to His Majesty's attitude.
Qingyin hadn't expected that his embarrassing moment had been witnessed by Emperor Yongzheng. However, he didn't know whether it was a whim or a deliberate act by the Emperor, so he feigned fear and said, "Your Majesty is all-powerful, this humble subject..."
Seeing the tension on that stunning face, Emperor Yongzheng felt a sense of control over everything, and his smile deepened.
"Qingzhang, there's no need to be nervous. Just treat me like a curious old man."
Although Emperor Yongzheng said this, in reality, he still looked like a robust and vigorous emperor. Although his face had more fine lines due to age, the power he had gained had given his majestic and handsome face a touch of maturity.
"yes."
How could Qingyin possibly treat an emperor as an ordinary person? Otherwise, he must have lost his mind.
How old is Qingzhang this year?
"Twenty-two."
"You're really young," Emperor Yongzheng said with a smile. Compared to himself, who was forty-seven years old, she was indeed much younger.
"But how did Qingzhang come up with the idea of returning from the temple?" He could understand the knowledge, but how did he, as a subject, know about things like floods that were related to people's livelihoods? Moreover, he had mastered excellent martial arts skills; the parade of the top scholar that day was a sensation in the capital for many days.
As an emperor, it was perfectly normal for him to find out that he had not been recuperating from an illness but had been a monk in a temple. Qingyin understood that Emperor Yongzheng probably just suspected his past.
After a long silence, Qingyin said, "Your Majesty, do you know that I was quite clever when I was young? However, I met my master Kongwu at that time. He once told me that my fate was detrimental to my parents, and that staying at home would easily damage their foundation. I did not believe it at first, but my mother fell seriously ill and my father also had an accident. My name is connected with Buddhism, and going to the temple to cultivate will benefit my family. Since then, I have followed my master to cultivate diligently."
"Life in the temple was austere, but I got used to it. There was a senior brother in the temple who taught me kung fu, and there was also a little girl who had escaped from Jiangnan. My master took pity on her and made her stay to work as a cook..."
"So your understanding of floods comes from that little girl?"
"yes."
In ancient times, people believed quite a bit in matters of fate, and Qingyin's overall demeanor made people believe it. Moreover, the incidents that happened to Lin's mother and Luo's father were real, but the reasons were definitely not the ones Qingyin made up. It was simply that the original owner of the body had angered them those few days, and they hadn't slept well at night. Luo's father panicked, and Lin's mother fell ill.
But it's perfect as an excuse for him.
Seeing Emperor Yongzheng's subtle gesture of touching the white chess piece, Qingyin knew that he had already believed his explanation. Sometimes expressions and words can deceive people, but actions can subconsciously reveal their true feelings.
After chatting with Qingyin, Emperor Yongzheng was noticeably happier than before. The integrity of his subject's background was far more important than his abilities; otherwise, no matter how capable a person was, they could not be used without thoroughly investigating their background.
By the time Qingyin finished speaking, the game was almost over.
Looking at her chess pieces, which were almost all captured, Qingyin smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty's chess skills are superb; this humble subject has lost again."
"Haha, Qingzhang, keep up the good work."
Emperor Yongzheng smiled with satisfaction, and Qingyin also breathed a sigh of relief. Heaven knows how difficult it was to give the emperor a game of chess without him even realizing it.
However, he had already passed the test of the origins of his skills, so things would be easier for him from now on.
At the Earl of Ningyuan's mansion, Madam Lin looked at the towering pile of invitations before her, feeling both proud and annoyed. Ever since her eldest son's legendary performance as the top scholar in the imperial examinations, the mansion had been practically worn down by these prominent families from the capital. Each one was more noble than the last, and each one was more eloquent than the last in trying to curry favor with her. But she only had one eldest son, and she couldn't possibly expect him to marry every young lady in the capital, could she? Besides, her eldest son had his own ideas, and these arranged marriages still required his own consent.
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