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◎ Concubine Li's father, Luo Pan, set foot in the capital for the first time.◎
Emperor Xingwu finally chose Lu Qifeng, who was ranked first by Yang Zhimin.
This man currently serves as a fifth-rank deputy governor under the Qianzhou governor. He is a second-class Jinshi who passed the imperial examination in this dynasty and was promoted step by step from county magistrate. He is proficient in administration and engineering, and has made achievements in everything from dredging rivers and repairing city camps to opening up mountain roads and supervising the construction of ship bridges. He is a truly capable official. In recent years, the improvement in people's livelihood in Qianzhou can almost be attributed to him and the Qianzhou governor, who is more adept at governing the people, eliminating bandits, and solving cases.
Precisely because Yang Zhimin had always been reliable in recommending important people, Emperor Xingwu didn't take his anger out on him for the few times he'd helped the Crown Prince. On the contrary, he understood Yang Zhimin's dilemma. The Crown Prince, whose eyes were often red, was also a junior whom Yang Zhimin had watched grow up. Yang Zhimin wasn't the incorruptible type like Yan Xizheng or Nie Ao, so how could he have the heart to refuse? He could only save the Crown Prince's face first, then secretly monitor those officials who were not following the right path, urging them to correct minor offenses and punishing those with more serious offenses according to the law.
Ultimately, this matter still has to be blamed on the crown prince. If he could use his status as the crown prince to suppress his sister who recommended a corrupt official to him, how could Yang Zhimin have had all these troubles?
Suppressing his annoyance, Emperor Xingwu told Concubine Li that evening about the vacancy in the Ministry of Works: "I see that Yang Zhimin also recommended your father. I wonder if Lin'er knows that he is her grandfather."
Embraced by the emperor, Concubine Li instantly grew nervous. "When Lin'er was little, she was curious about whether she had a grandfather. I told her about it once. As for whether Lin'er still remembers it, I'm not sure. Does the emperor suspect that Lin'er deliberately passed my father's name to Lord Yang?"
Emperor Xingwu clasped his fingers with her right hand and said self-deprecatingly, "How cruel must I be to doubt my favorite child so much."
Concubine Li: "..." I have no doubt what you are saying.
Emperor Xingwu said: "Your father is not suitable for this position, but by the end of this year, he will have served in Runan County for three years. If you miss him, I will transfer him to the capital next year."
Concubine Li immediately said, "No, Your Majesty, please let him continue to serve as an official in the local area. If he is transferred to the capital, I am afraid he will cause trouble for Ren'er and Lin'er."
Her father, who usually showed no talent or ambition, was not a wicked man when he was a county magistrate, but he was by no means innocent either. Unexpectedly, he offered her up as soon as he got the chance in exchange for the chance to continue serving as an official in the territory of King Qi or even get promoted. Fortunately, Emperor Xingwu was a wise ruler, and she did not make any mistakes, otherwise her father might have really gained a prominent position in the capital.
Concubine Li was very afraid that such a father would come to Beijing and try to gain personal benefits for her son who had no ambitions, bringing disaster to both the brother and sister.
On one side is her father who has little affection for her, and on the other side are her two children whom she treats as her dearest child. Concubine Li has no need to hesitate when making her choice.
Emperor Xingwu released her hand and stroked her hair. "With Lin'er and I watching over him, he won't be able to cause any trouble. If he even has the slightest thought of causing trouble, I'll immediately send him back home. However, he has achieved remarkable results in recent years. If I continue to suppress him, it would be unfair to him. Secondly, it would only make people suspect that I'm dissatisfied with you three, and that I'm openly favoring him but secretly suppressing him."
The most important thing is that Luo Pan is old. Although Concubine Li says she doesn't want him, how can she not cry when the bad news comes?
Emperor Xingwu still remembered how when he took Concubine Li away, the little girl, separated from her father for the first time, had tears welling up in her eyes for days. Concubine Li and Luo Pan were simply not close, and when his gambling-addicted father died of his own fault, Emperor Xingwu resented him for so long he suffered sleepless nights.
Concubine Li turned around, buried her head in the man's arms, and said, "I don't care what others think. I know that the Emperor is truly good to the three of us."
Emperor Xingwu smiled, kissed the top of her head and said, "I care about you. I treat you well, so you can't let people suspect that this kindness is fake. I will let him come to the capital after the New Year. The third brother is getting married, and I want him, his grandfather, to have a drink at the wedding too."
Concubine Li couldn't refute it, and asked worriedly: "What official position does the emperor plan to give him? It can't be too high."
Emperor Xingwu said: "He is already this old, and he has worked hard for several years to please me. Let him serve as a scholar in the Hanlin Academy. If he still has the energy, he can compile books and history. If he doesn't, he can just collect a salary and enjoy a leisurely life."
Concubine Li was relieved. The Hanlin Academy was a low-income government office with no great power and was not worthy of others' flattery.
.
At the beginning of August, the emperor returned to the capital. In the twelfth month, it was time for the generals stationed at the border to return to the capital to report on their work as usual every three years. When they went to the capital, they brought back several young men who were entrusted by Emperor Xingwu to teach.
Zhang Su's two older brothers, Zhang Jian and Zhang Heng, also returned. Upon seeing their younger brother, they congratulated him on receiving the Emperor's marriage offer. As for whether or not he was happy about becoming the princess's consort, there was no need to ask. Zhang Jian had seen his younger brother personally choose a gift for the "Third Prince" in Yunzhou, while Zhang Heng had seen his younger brother insist on paying his respects to the Third Prince even on a rainy day off, returning home early after confirming that the princess hadn't left the palace.
There was a restrained joy in the Duke Weiguo's Mansion, but there was a cloud of sorrow in the Deng family of the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, because Deng Kun, who had just returned from the Fuzhou Navy, finally saw with his own eyes his father's old face after a serious illness. He knelt in front of the bed and cried. Deng Chong disliked that his son was unlucky like crying at a funeral, and cursed and insisted that his second son take his brother away.
After Deng Kun finished crying, as several generals entered the palace to accompany Emperor Xingwu for a report, Deng Kun knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Your Majesty, I do not want to return to Fuzhou. I want to stay in the capital to take care of my father and fulfill my filial duty."
Deng Chong came back from the gates of hell, but a bout of malaria destroyed not only his body but also his vitality. This autumn and winter alone, Deng Chong fell ill three times, and each time was a serious illness. No imperial physician dared to guarantee the life span of Duke Dingguo, and they did not even dare to promise him three to five years in vain.
Emperor Xingwu could not bear to hear Deng Kun bring this up, so he waved his hand and agreed, allowing Deng Kun to go back to the West Camp where he used to be to take up his post the following year and continue to serve as the commander of the First Guard.
Each of the four major camps in the capital had ten guards. When Deng Kun returned to the capital this time, he was in the West Camp with his younger brother Deng Tai. The two brothers together controlled the two guards of the West Camp with a force of more than 10,000 people.
Deng Kun felt much more comfortable when Emperor Xingwu agreed so readily. Otherwise, he would have thought that Emperor Xingwu was deliberately reducing his own military power.
Deng Kun was unwilling to go to the Fuzhou Navy for training, so Emperor Xingwu sent Lu Zan's son Lu Chaoguang instead. Emperor Xingwu gave all the enterprising sons of nobles the opportunity to train. As for how much skills the young men could learn, it depended on their own luck.
.
In the late first month of the seventeenth year of Xingwu, Luo Pan, the father of the current favorite concubine Li Fei, who had been transferred from the Hanlin Academy to the clerk position, set foot in the capital for the first time.
Ordinary local officials came to Beijing to serve as officials. Those who were rich could buy or rent houses, while those who were poor could live in official residences. Luo Pan was lucky. The emperor's son-in-law directly rewarded him with a large house with five courtyards, which was enough for him to accommodate his concubines, as well as his adult children and grandchildren who had not passed the imperial examination and were not officials, or his underage children. As for his first wife, she died of illness many years ago.
After a simple tidying up, the 66-year-old Luo Pan put on a brand new official robe of a university scholar and went to the palace to express his gratitude.
Emperor Xingwu specially summoned Prince Xian and the little princess to accompany him in the imperial study.
When the Qingyang brother and sister came over, they found four officials waiting outside the imperial study. Three of them were familiar faces, but the second one was an old man with a dark complexion and a slightly hunched back. They had never seen him before, but he was wearing the official robes of a university scholar, so he must be their grandfather.
Seeing the old man tilt his head, revealing a face that, although old, still vaguely showed the handsomeness of his youth, and a pair of eyes that first glanced casually, then made a guess, and then became excited and tearful, Qin Ren couldn't help but feel tears in his eyes, although he did not turn a deaf ear to his sister's repeated warnings.
"Meet the prince, meet the princess."
Noticing the tears in Prince Xian's eyes, Luo Pan's heart beat faster, but then he met the little princess next to him who looked very much like his daughter, and met the little princess's eyes that looked at him indifferently. That look suddenly reminded Luo Pan of the time when Emperor Xingwu sat on horseback and looked down at him, the magistrate of Jiangcheng, before entering the city. So he didn't dare to show his affection anymore, and saluted politely with the three officials next to him.
The little princess answered them with a simple "No need to be polite".
Soon, the brother and sister followed He Yuanjing in.
Emperor Xingwu first met the official who was in front of Luo Pan. After the official withdrew, Emperor Xingwu glanced at He Yuanjing and asked the brother and sister with a smile: "Did you recognize Mr. Luo?"
Qingyang said impartially: "He does look a bit like an immortal." At least he can be intimidating among a bunch of Beijing officials.
After saying that, Qingyang glanced at his third brother who looked as handsome as a jade.
Qin Ren said a little embarrassedly: "When I saw his eyes filled with tears, I almost couldn't hold back my tears."
Emperor Xingwu: "...your tears are worthless. When you can't hold back your tears, think of your mother. He didn't show any reluctance when he gave your mother to me."
Qin Ren: “…”
Emperor Xingwu then asked He Yuanjing, who was waiting at the door, to summon Luo Pan.
Seeing Emperor Xingwu, whose majesty was even greater than before, after more than twenty years of absence, Luo Pan knelt firmly, first thanking the emperor for promoting him, then stating that he was old and weak and had already submitted his resignation, and begged the emperor to relieve him of his new position and let him enjoy his retirement and grandchildren at home.
Emperor Xingwu smiled and said, "I promoted you because of your achievements. It's not a favor to me, but I want to thank you for raising a good daughter, and your good daughter gave birth to a pair of wonderful children for me."
Qingyang listened silently to his father's polite conversation, but Qin Ren was flattered. As far as he could remember, this was the first time his father praised him for being a good son!
Just as he was enjoying it, he saw his father secretly giving him a sidelong glance full of disdain.
There were still officials outside waiting to report on government affairs. Emperor Xingwu did not exchange pleasantries with Luo Pan for too long. He bluntly rejected his resignation and asked the brother and sister to take Luo Pan to Xianfu Palace to pay their respects to Concubine Li.
On the way, Qingyang just walked in front with his third brother and had no intention of being polite with the so-called grandfather.
If Qingyang didn't understand why Luo Pan, who was in his fifties or sixties, was suddenly eager to seek merit when she was in Xiyuan, it suddenly became clear to her when she learned how many children and grandchildren Luo Pan had brought to Beijing.
This man wanted to give his sons who failed to pass the imperial examination a chance to find an official position with the help of his favorite concubine and daughter. Otherwise, why would he spend all his family wealth to earn political achievements in his old age, for the sake of his career which was about to end, and to see the daughter of the former rebel king and today's emperor, whom he personally sent out to please?
Impossible.
Moreover, no matter what he intends to do, as long as he intends to take advantage of his mother or their siblings, Qingyang will not let him get what he wants.
【Author’s words】
Here I come, 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
Don't worry, this guy won't cause any trouble for the little princess [dog head]
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