Jiang Wuque came in and took in the situation in the imperial study. He lowered his eyes calmly and saluted Jiang Kunjun.
Jiang Kunjun waved to Jiang Wuque, "Come here quickly," and pointed at Wei Min, and said to her with a boastful tone, "Come and meet today's new champion, the top three. I was just telling Wei Qing that my eighth son learned from Master Jin and has great knowledge, and I was just asking you two to compete with each other when you have time."
Jiang Wuque smiled, but did not respond to her words. Instead, he said, "It seems that the Queen Mother is extremely satisfied with Wei Zhuangyuan." He raised his hand and said, "Then I must congratulate the Queen Mother for finding such a talent."
Jiang Kunjun looked at Wei Min and nodded with satisfaction.
Jiang Wuyong stood aside, afraid that Jiang Wuque would turn the topic over, so he quickly interrupted and said, "The Queen Mother is naturally fond of Wei Zhuangyuan. She just said that she would marry Little Sixteen. The Queen Mother loves Little Sixteen so much, and the wife she chooses for him must be a dragon and phoenix among people. It can be seen that the Queen Mother appreciates Wei Zhuangyuan."
Although the prince consort sounds like a royal relative, he is, after all, just a son-in-law. It's just a superficial glory, and the power depends entirely on how favored her husband is in front of the emperor. It's no better than being a loyal minister.
This princess must have offended Wei Min before, and was afraid that Wei Min would take revenge in the future, so she tried to make her a consort who was dependent on the royal family.
Jiang Wuque sneered in his heart, but his face showed just the right amount of surprise. He then shook his head and said with a smile, "My sister is teasing me again. I heard from my teacher that Wei Min's literary talent is better than mine. I was not convinced at the time and even asked about her. This new champion is good, but she already has a husband at home. How can she be Sixteen's wife?"
Jiang Kunjun frowned and said "Hmm?" meaningfully. He placed his hands on the desk, slightly showing the authority of a superior. He pointed his chin at Jiang Wuque, but his eyes were looking at Wei Min. "Wei Qing, is what the Eighth Prince said true?"
Wei Min was finally able to speak, and he knelt down hastily to pay his respects, bowing his head, "Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness, but I already have a husband at home, and I really cannot divorce him and marry another."
Jiang Kunjun drooped his eyelids and looked at the top of Wei Min's head kneeling in front of the desk. He didn't tell her to get up. He tapped the table with his fingers and said in an emotionless tone, "What if I insist on you marrying me?"
Wei Min stared at the gold bricks in front of him, his fingers supporting the ground clenched slightly, his tone calm but firm, "The reason why I was able to go to the capital to take the exam was because my husband worked hard to support me by embroidering. I cannot let him down for the sake of imperial power and wealth."
Jiang Wuyong was afraid that the world would not be in chaos, so he immediately stepped forward, clasped his fists and said to Jiang Kunjun: "The emperor's gift cannot be declined." Then he flicked his sleeves and looked at Wei Min, "This position of a royal consort is something that many people would beg for, Wei Zhuangyuan, don't be so ungrateful just because your mother appreciates you."
"Your Majesty, what you said is not right," Jiang Wuque looked at Jiang Wuyong and shook his head in disapproval. "The number one scholar Wei did not hide from our mother that she already had a husband at home. She also refused to deceive the emperor and marry the sixteenth brother for the sake of wealth and glory. She was loyal and lived up to her husband who helped her prepare for the exam. She was a person of affection, loyal to the emperor and affectionate. How could your Majesty accuse her of being ungrateful?"
Jiang Wuyong was not angry when he heard this, but sneered, "Old Eight and Wei Zhuangyuan really appreciate each other as scholars. I just said one sentence, and you argued for her for a long time. This kind of affection really makes me envious."
Jiang Wuque seemed to not hear the deep meaning in her words and shrugged innocently, "I just said a few fair words, why would the emperor think so much? It seems that I have been in the border for too long, and my mind is not as active as the emperor's sister. I didn't even think of this, otherwise I would not say anything nonsense even if it was to avoid suspicion."
Jiang Wuyong was so angry that he took a step forward, pointed his finger at Jiang Wuque, and said angrily: "You——"
"That's enough! Have you had enough quarreling?" Jiang Kunjun impatiently slapped the desk in front of him and pointed at the two of them, "Quarrel, quarrel, quarrel. As soon as you meet, you just want to quarrel. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by outsiders?"
Jiang Wuyong glared at Jiang Wuque, but the latter smiled at her good-temperedly.
They both raised their hands at the same time and said, "I know I was wrong."
Jiang Kunjun looked as if he was too lazy to look at them anymore. Instead, he looked at Wei Min and said, "I really admire Wei Qing's talent. In addition, you have a good appearance and good character. I believe that Xiao Shiliu will have the same idea as me.
My son has a kind heart. If he recruits you as his consort, he will certainly understand that you have married a husband before. If you don't want to let down your husband, I believe that Little Sixteen is willing to make an exception and let him be a servant. ”
Wei Min's hands, hanging in his sleeves at his sides, had already been clenched into fists.
Her Aruan, who worked hard and devotedly for her, her Aruan, who traveled thousands of miles to find his wife just for a dream, her Aruan, who was waiting for her to live a good life after high school... Aruan, who was held in her heart and in the palm of her hand, was now defined as a lowly servant so lightly!
"Forgive me, I won't do it."
The veins on the back of Wei Min's hands were exposed, and these four words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth.
Jiang Wuyong could hardly suppress the smile on his face when he heard this. He thought to himself, "Wei Min, the Queen Mother has considered your first wife, but you have refused again and again. What does that mean? Is it that Wei Zhuangyuan is young and hot-tempered and doesn't like my brother? Or is it that he is too arrogant and can't stand the Queen Mother's arrangements?"
Her tone was quite serious and questioning, and after she finished speaking, the imperial study fell into silence.
Jiang Kunjun raised his hand to stop Jiang Wuque from speaking, and looked at the top of Wei Min's head. He shook his head slightly and said in a heavy tone, "Wei Qing is young after all. Although he has good literary talent, he is young and full of energy. He will suffer a great loss in the future."
Jiang Kunjun flipped through the books on the desk in front of him, pulled out a folder underneath, opened it, and nodded, "This is it."
Spreading the memorial on the desk, Jiang Kunjun said, "This is a memorial submitted by the prefect of Zhucheng. The previous county magistrate fell off his horse and died. She is asking me for a new county magistrate."
When Jiang Wuque heard that it was Zhucheng, he clenched his fingers tightly around the wheelchair handle and said, "Mother Queen!"
"Shut up!" Jiang Kunjun glanced at Jiang Wuque and continued to say to Wei Min: "Marrying the prince or going to Zhucheng for training, Wei Qing, which one do you choose?"
As soon as Wei Min heard Jiang Wuque's voice, he knew that Zhucheng was definitely not a good place to go, but he had no other choice.
Wei Min lowered his eyes and said calmly, "I choose Zhucheng."
"Okay, very good." Jiang Kunjun smiled, not sure if he was angry or not. He just sighed and said, "Wei Qing, you are still young and inexperienced. Do you know what this Zhucheng is?"
Jiang Kunjun was not asking her at all, and immediately gave the answer, "This Zhucheng is a small border town, a place where good and bad people are mixed together. Someone previously submitted a memorial saying that the previous county magistrate did not fall off his horse and died, but was murdered by someone, and asked me to send someone to investigate. When the officials of the court heard that it was Zhucheng, they all refused in various ways, so this memorial has been shelved until now."
Jiang Kunjun closed the letter in front of him and said, "I'm giving you a chance. You can still regret it now."
Wei Min suddenly felt as if the dust had settled, and his heart was calm, "I will not regret it."
Jiang Kunjun nodded, raised his hand and asked the Palace Department to review it, and drafted an edict on the spot: Appoint the new top scholar Wei Min as the magistrate of Zhucheng County, and investigate the cause of death of the previous magistrate.
Afterwards, the Palace Department handed the imperial edict to Wei Min, and Jiang Kunjun said indifferently, "Pack up and go to Zhucheng."
Wei Min held the imperial edict in both hands, thanked the emperor and left.
After leaving the imperial study, Wei Min passed by the Neijinshui River carrying the imperial edict of exile. Looking at the river that curved like a bow in front of him, he could not help but stop and inexplicably thought of a poem:
The spring water in the Imperial Canal gurgles in the morning.
Straight like a rainbow and curved like a ring.
It is only a short distance from the palace.
Then it is divided into heaven and earth.
Wei Min lowered her eyes and looked at the imperial edict in her hand, smiling bitterly silently. A moment ago, she was the top scholar on the imperial road, with a bright future ahead of her, just like the sky. But in the blink of an eye, she became a magistrate of Zhucheng County and fell into the human world.
Isn't this heaven on earth in the blink of an eye?
If it were an ordinary person, he would have gone crazy after experiencing such ups and downs.
Wei Min put his hand holding the imperial edict behind his back, shook his head, walked across the bridge belonging to civil officials and left the palace.
…
Jiang Wuyong was extremely satisfied with the emperor's arrangement. She could even imagine that a month later, news of the death of the new county magistrate would come from Zhucheng, stating that he had died in an accident in Zhucheng.
Jiang Wuque endured it again and again, but finally spoke up, "Mother Queen, Wei Min is the top scholar, is it inappropriate to let her go to Zhucheng?"
Wei Min was the top scholar in the first class and should be appointed as an editor in the Hanlin Academy. Only other Jinshi scholars, according to their ranking in the palace examination and the imperial examination, were appointed as Shujishi, Zhushi, Zhongshu, Xingren, Pingshi, Boshi, Tuiguan, Zhizhou, and Xianzhi.
Now, the newly crowned number one scholar has not even had time to ride his horse on the Imperial Street with a red flower on his chest, but he has been demoted to a dangerous place and become a county magistrate!
Jiang Wuyong frowned and asked in confusion, "Old Eight, are you dissatisfied with the arrangement of the Queen Mother?"
Jiang Wuque wanted to throw the wheelchair under him in her face, and said unhappily: "Of course I don't dare, I just--"
"That's enough," Jiang Kunjun interrupted Jiang Wuque and said, "Although Wei Min is talented, she is too young and hot-tempered. If she is not allowed to experience life, she will think that everything will go smoothly as long as she passes the imperial examination."
Jiang Kunjun looked at Jiang Wuque and said, "You just came back from the frontier. There are many things to do in the court. You can help the princess deal with some of them when you have time. Don't worry about these trivial matters. Everyone, please leave."
Jiang Wuyong saluted with a smile, "Yes."
No matter how much Jiang Wuque wanted to say, he could only hold it in his stomach after hearing the word "retreat". His eyes, which were usually smiling, lost all their smiles. He bowed his head and said, "...Yes."
Jiang Wuque politely declined the offer from the Palace Department to push her out, and instead pushed her wheelchair out of the imperial study by herself.
In the deserted corridor in the distance stood a slender figure like a green bamboo, dressed in a silver tights and with a whip tied around his waist. Seeing Jiang Wuque coming out from afar, he immediately went to meet him.
Seeing Jiang Wuque's extremely bad complexion, Feng Yu knelt on one knee beside her wheelchair with some concern. He placed his hand on the back of her hand and looked up at her, "Wife?"
Jiang Wuque lowered his head to glance at him, then looked at the Inner Golden Water River not far away that separated heaven and earth. His eyes were obscure and he said softly, "The Queen Mother demoted Wei Min to Zhucheng..."
Feng Yu was startled, and then he heard her continue: "The number one scholar being demoted is just a trivial matter in the eyes of the Queen Mother! Oh, the talents selected once every three years are squeezed out of the capital like this, this is a trivial matter, what big deal can there be in the court!"
Although they were inside the imperial palace, Jiang Wuque's courage in saying this meant that no one was eavesdropping.
Feng Yu lowered his eyes, took Jiang Wuque's fist with bulging veins, slowly pried open her clenched fingers, lifted her palm and put it against his face.
Feng Yu didn't know how to comfort Jiang Wuque, so he could only look at her seriously with his dark eyes, pursed his lips, and said, "I am Feng Yu, the eldest son of the Feng family... If my wife needs it, I am willing to serve her with this sharp sword in my hand."
Jiang Wuque smiled upon hearing this, and gently stroked his subordinate's face with the base of his palm. He looked at the distant mountains and rivers outside the palace, exhaled the foul breath in his chest, and slowly said, "Wait a little longer, I want to be justified."
The author has something to say: The poem comes from Yuhe Poetry~
Small Theater
Lao Ba: The princess has made me unhappy!
Feng Yu: (holding the sword) You take a rest, let me do it!
Wei Min: The emperor has made me unhappy!
Ah Ruan: QAQ (I, what should I do?)
Wei Min: ...You take a rest, leave everything to my wife
Some readers said that Lao Ba is too weak, but she is treacherous. Hahaha, just kidding. Don't worry, she will be fine, just like A Ruan can talk. Everything will be fine~
Also, I see that everyone hates the Emperor and the Crown Princess. Actually, I really dislike them both as well, but if I let them live for another two years, I will teach them a lesson later. I must make myself feel better!
At the same time, Wei Min is going to take her husband to clear the small map, and when he comes back he will be the big devil!
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