Looking at Qingyin's expression, Lin Chaozong's heart, which had been pounding, finally calmed down.
At that moment, he knew that His Majesty probably already knew his deepest secret.
He didn't know how much His Majesty knew, but looking at His Majesty's wise and beautiful face, Lin Chaozong had a feeling that His Majesty probably knew everything about him.
Lin Chaozong told Qingyin everything about the Eighth Princess's marriage to the Eighth Prince, including the fact that his nephew's child had been dressed as a girl since childhood.
Qingyin was shocked to hear Lin Chaozong's voice, which was filled with regret and anger. He had honestly told her all his secrets, including his idea of taking his sister and nephew away.
Qingyin was shocked.
She looked intently at Lin Chaozong, who had just finished speaking, and said, "Minister Lin, aren't you afraid that I will punish you for a heinous crime? After all, your Lin family protected the Eighth Princess by deliberately concealing the gender of a member of the royal family. This is a crime of deceiving the emperor!"
Qingyin deliberately spoke in a cold tone.
Lin Chaozong knelt down.
"I understand, Your Majesty, but no matter how Your Majesty punishes me, I beg Your Majesty to forgive my sister..."
...
Looking at Lin Chaozong kneeling on the ground, tears welling up in his eyes, Qingyin even had time to think that her minister looked better crying than when he was usually so serious.
Her pretty, delicate face was red from crying, giving her a pitiful, innocent look.
Qingyin thought to herself with amusement.
She beckoned to Lin Shilang, who was staring at her from the ground.
"If you want me to forgive your sister, fine, but come here first."
Unlike his usual majestic appearance in his dragon robe, His Majesty today wore only a simple, moon-white fitted robe. The robe made His Majesty's waist appear even slimmer and added a touch of aloofness and otherworldly beauty to his androgynous face.
He seems more like a celestial being banished from heaven.
But that ethereal emperor now beckoned to him with his finger.
But he himself looked pathetic, crying pitifully, his robes covered in dust as he knelt on the ground…
Lin Chaozong's face immediately turned red, not from anger, but from embarrassment.
How could he approach His Majesty in such a disheveled state? This is not...
Qingyin glanced sideways, her fox-like eyes darting around, "Aren't you coming over?"
Lin Chaozong blushed and obediently replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
As she approached His Majesty, who was like a god in her heart, step by step, her ears turned completely red.
Qingyin looked at him and pretended not to notice his bright red ears.
He said in a serious tone, "I can give you a chance to let your sister and nephew leave the Eighth Prince's mansion, but Lin Chaozong, you have to do one thing."
When the matter was brought up, Lin Chaozong, whose mind was a complete blank and who was still captivated by the emperor's good looks, straightened his expression and said, "Your subject is willing to serve Your Majesty."
—
Imperial Censor Zheng, who was in charge of disaster relief in Ningpei County, has returned.
Those in the court couldn't help but fall silent when they saw Imperial Censor Zheng, who had returned with a face tanned dark and as thin as a disaster victim.
"Is Imperial Censor Zheng off to provide disaster relief or to mine coal? Why is he so thin, even compared to some of the poor old men from those impoverished families!"
This was everyone's first impression of Imperial Censor Zheng, who had returned from Ningpei County.
Secondly, there was a thought: it was fortunate that they didn't go to Ningpei County; the Ningpei flood was truly devastating.
Zheng Huaien looked at the people in the court who were scrutinizing him with various expressions, and chuckled inwardly.
Don't think that just because they don't speak, we don't know what they're thinking. Their suffering is nothing compared to that of the people who are truly suffering from disasters. Besides, officials are responsible for the people. If they can't even endure this little bit of hardship, they might as well go home and retire.
But Zheng Huaien knew that these officials from aristocratic families who had served in the court for a long time would not relinquish their power and obediently return to their residences.
Thinking it over, he gave a disdainful look back at some of his colleagues who were looking at him with disdain.
Zheng Huaien also figured it out. After his trip to Ningpei County, he knew that His Majesty was truly concerned for the people. He didn't need to curry favor with these officials for the sake of formalism. The key was to do practical things.
Thinking of Zheng Huaien, his eyes brightened even more.
The officials who received eye-rolls from Zheng Huaien were speechless.
Why did Zheng Huaien go to Ningpei? His arrogant nature has become even more extreme; he used to be somewhat restrained.
Some people were confused, while others understood something.
When Qingyin arrived at the hall, she saw Lin Chaozong, Zheng Huaien, and Wei Chengming, who were following her, standing tall and proud, looking at her. Meanwhile, some officials from aristocratic families stood to the side with a hint of disdain. The two groups of people were subtly hostile to each other.
Qingyin watched that scene and curled the corners of her lips as she looked at the group of officials from aristocratic families.
"Minister Zheng is back?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I have returned, having lived up to Your Majesty's grace," Zheng Huaien said excitedly as he stepped forward.
Qingyin nodded and asked him, "What is the current situation in Ningpei County?"
Zheng Huaien spoke eloquently, giving a detailed account of the current situation in Ningpei County.
Qingyin nodded in satisfaction. "Well done."
...
Seeing that His Majesty had praised that old man Zheng Huaien, everyone's eyes turned to envy and jealousy.
Some people were thinking to themselves: If they had known that handling the Ningpei County matter well would earn them praise from His Majesty, they would have volunteered themselves. How could it have been given to that old fellow Zheng Huaien?
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