The Prime Minister recalled what his wife had written to him in a letter: Changling had been critically ill several times because of the Song family affair, and had almost not survived.
Especially after marrying Jiang, Xie Changling's health deteriorated day by day, and the situation only improved when the two were separated.
The prime minister felt sorry for his son, so he disapproved of the emperor's actions.
Unlike the Prime Minister's wife, he thought the frontier was a good place to train people.
The prime minister suppressed the hostility on his face. He still needed the emperor's help and couldn't afford to break off relations. Besides, he didn't have the power to do so. He was merely expressing his dissatisfaction.
"Your Majesty, please don't tease me. I am in a position to fulfill my duties and be loyal to Your Majesty. This is my fundamental responsibility."
Xiao Jin knew that what he had done was not right, but there was nothing he could do. He only had feelings for Xi'er, and such a beauty was hard to come by again.
"Prime Minister, I know you are incorruptible and of noble character, but you have rendered meritorious service in this disaster relief effort and are to be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold. Are you satisfied with this reward?"
Upon hearing the words "ten thousand taels of gold," even Xiao Heng cast an envious glance at the Prime Minister. One tael of gold is equal to ten taels of silver, and ten thousand taels of gold is equal to one hundred thousand taels of silver.
One hundred thousand taels of silver—that's an enormous sum! It's enough to support a thousand families from the lowest rungs of society.
The court officials all cast envious glances at him, and Xiao Heng felt even more regretful!
He hated himself for not seizing the opportunity and missing out on a golden chance.
That's ten thousand taels of gold!
The Prime Minister ultimately accepted it. He was not a fool; if he had truly angered the Emperor, it would have been a greater loss than gain.
This ten thousand taels of gold was the Emperor's compensation to him; it was both a reward and a punishment, a way of reminding him to be careful. He knew this clearly.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness, but I have another request."
"Oh, tell me about it."
Xiao Jin suppressed his smile, wondering how the Prime Minister should seek justice for his son.
That old fox is cunning; he knew he was coming back to cause trouble.
Song Lingxi was also a little nervous. The emperor's punishment was also a reward, and she had no choice but to accept it.
She worried that the Prime Minister would mention Xie Changling in public, causing the Emperor to lose face.
Perhaps because her previous life had such a profound impact on her, she didn't want the Prime Minister's mansion to collapse in front of her and die at the hands of its own people.
Under Song Lingxi's worried gaze, the Prime Minister spoke.
“My eldest son has now come of age and is at the age where he should be gaining experience. I dare to suggest that I seek a better future for him.”
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent. After all, everyone knew that the current Empress had been snatched back from the Prime Minister's eldest son by the Emperor—it was a scene of utter chaos.
The court officials dared not utter a sound, their heads bowed low, fearing they would be used as a punching bag by the emperor, and they dared not even glance at him.
Some of them cursed the prime minister for his recklessness, which also implicated them.
Nowadays, everyone knows that the Empress is favored and is the Emperor's most cherished person. Some people should be treated as if they are dead, and should not be mentioned at all.
As expected, Xiao Jin's expression darkened completely.
He wasn't intolerant of others, but he couldn't stand being provoked in public. He would stare at the other person with a stern face, exuding an imposing aura.
The prime minister was startled by his gaze, but being a seasoned official, he regained his composure and continued speaking.
"Your Majesty, I request that you grant my son permission to guard the frontier, protect our home and country, and serve Your Majesty faithfully."
...
Hearing the Prime Minister's words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including Song Lingxi. Her tense little body suddenly relaxed. Thank goodness.
She secretly glanced at Xiao Jin's face and, sure enough, found that his expression had softened. After a moment of silence, he suddenly burst into laughter, his loud laughter easing even the most tense nerves.
"Hahahaha, since the Prime Minister has this intention, then I hereby appoint Xie Changling as a ninth-rank gatekeeper to guard Yanmen Pass, and he shall not return without being summoned."
Ninth Rank?
The ninth rank is the lowest official position. I never expected the emperor to be so vengeful. The son of the prime minister could only get a lowly ninth-rank official position. It's really embarrassing to say that.
Xiao Heng was the most gloating among them. As the most steadfast royalist, the Prime Minister had been greatly humiliated by the Emperor. Since the two were at odds, he could take this opportunity to win over the Prime Minister.
However, to his surprise, and to everyone else's surprise, the Prime Minister accepted it with great joy, without feeling that there was anything wrong with it.
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. On behalf of my son, I thank Your Majesty. Your Majesty's grace extends to the world. We will certainly be loyal to Your Majesty and follow you to the death."
"Your Majesty, we will surely be loyal to you and follow you to the death!"
All the court officials stood up, raised their wine cups, and, imitating the prime minister, toasted the emperor.
Xiao Jin temporarily lowered his guard; he had never heard better news than this: Xie Changling had gone to the frontier.
When he returns, Xiao Jin's own crown prince will be able to recite poems, so her ex-husband is nothing to fear.
Thinking this, Xiao Jin laughed heartily and raised his glass in celebration.
"Hahaha, it is my good fortune to have you all serving the Xiao Kingdom. Let us all strive together."
Next came the usual banquet activities: presenting gifts to the Empress Dowager and enjoying song and dance performances. However, a small accident occurred during this time.
Xiao Jin was focused on peeling fish for Song Lingxi when a charming and delicate voice suddenly rang out in the hall. It was so abrupt that even the musicians stopped playing.
"Your Majesty, may the Empress Dowager enjoy a long and peaceful life. To celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday, I have specially choreographed a dance, which is modeled after the Guangling Sanqu written in an ancient book. I hope it will bring a smile to the Empress Dowager's face."
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