Chapter 296 Resignation
After the morning court was over.
The emperor left Minister Pei alone.
Inside the imperial study, the air was thick with the scent of sandalwood. The emperor, holding up his teacup, looked at Minister Pei with a smile, "A tiger father has a dog daughter. Minister Pei has raised a good daughter."
Minister Pei was terrified. "Your Majesty, you are too kind. Wanxing has been able to reach this point today thanks to the cultivation of Your Majesty and Her Royal Highness. If it weren't for the female official assessment system that Her Royal Highness launched two years ago, against all odds, Wanxing would not have had this opportunity to stand before Your Majesty."
The emperor sipped his fragrant tea, his smile deepening. "Alright, don't be so modest. Everyone knows that the examination for female officials is more difficult than that for men. Both the number of places and the difficulty of the examination result in only a handful of women being examined each year. It is truly rare for little Pei Aiqing to be able to stand before me. This child is already very outstanding. This is naturally inseparable from your guidance as a father. Pei Aiqing, please don't be so modest..."
He even said jokingly, "Look, the corners of his mouth can hardly be suppressed, and he's still pretending to be so serious with me."
Minister Pei finally couldn't help but let out a fatherly smile: "Your Majesty is so kind to me. I really feel unworthy of this."
The emperor sighed softly, "I think soon this world will be ruled by these young people."
He looked at Minister Pei meaningfully, "Minister Pei, do you still remember what Minister Pei said to me shortly after Zhao Hua returned to the palace?"
Minister Pei's expression changed, as if he was recalling something.
He remembered, but at this moment he could only say: "I am old and forgetful. I have said so much to Your Majesty that I cannot recall which sentence it was."
The emperor knew this old fox was pretending, but he didn't expose him. Instead, he continued to talk: "When you first met Zhaohua, you said that my daughter was much smarter than Crown Prince Lin Ye. She has an indescribable power that convinces people. I said, it's a pity that she is a girl. You said... it's not a pity, not a pity, men and women each have their strengths, and both can achieve great things."
"Your eyes are quite poisonous." He looked at Minister Pei and said quietly.
Minister Pei wiped the sweat from his forehead and said calmly, "The princess was still young at the time, and I was young and impulsive. My words were rude. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
The emperor didn't care and put down the teacup in his hand.
"This time, little Pei Aiqing is going to Xiling with my decree, and he will definitely be assisting Zhaoyue. Now that the affairs of Shengguo are over, I think little Pei Aiqing will be able to make further progress in his official career."
Minister Pei lowered his head and did not dare to respond.
"Lord Pei, if your daughter wants to gain a foothold in the court, it is not enough to rely on you as her father... By the way, I heard that Lord Pei's hometown is in Jing'an City, which is only half a day's drive from the capital, right?" The emperor suddenly asked curiously.
Minister Pei nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty."
The emperor smiled and said, "I just suddenly remembered that it seems that the place where Pei Qing and his daughter were born must be a place of great feng shui..."
Minister Pei was silent for a moment before he spoke, "It is true that I have not been back for a long time, and I miss my hometown terribly. I would like to ask Your Majesty a favor."
As he spoke, he knelt down and kowtowed.
The emperor looked at him. "Oh? What's the matter?"
Minister Pei: "After my daughter returns from Xiling, I ask Your Majesty to allow me to resign and return home. Over the years, my old house has been neglected, and my ancestral graves have long been neglected... I often think about this and cannot sleep at night. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy on me and allow me to return home."
The emperor stared at Minister Pei, who was kneeling on the ground, for a long moment. "Oh? Minister Pei, have you made up your mind?"
Minister Pei said in a deep voice, "Yes, Your Majesty, I beg you to fulfill my humble wish."
After saying this, he kowtowed heavily.
There was silence in the imperial study for a moment.
Minister Pei kowtowed and knelt on the ground without moving.
The emperor suddenly smiled. "If that's the case, then how can I not help you? Pei Qing, I agree."
Minister Pei also breathed a sigh of relief and kowtowed in thanks.
After Minister Pei left, the smile on the emperor's face gradually faded.
Eunuch Hai came over to pour tea for the emperor. "Minister Pei is loyal to Daxia and Your Majesty. Why is Your Majesty..."
As eunuch Hai, who had been by the emperor's side for many years, naturally knew very well that His Majesty was giving Minister Pei a way to resign and leave the court.
The emperor picked up the teacup and blew away the foam. "Father and daughter serving in the same court... is not a good thing. The interests of the court are intertwined. Since I want to promote Pei Wanxing, her father will have no choice but to leave the court."
Eunuch Hai couldn't help but say, "But... if that happens, Miss Pei, as a woman, will have no one to rely on in the court. Will that..."
The emperor said calmly, "Although Minister Pei has resigned and returned home, I will give the Pei family a glorious future. Although they may have no power in the court, they are not without influence or fame. She can still use her father's influence to gain a firm foothold in the court."
Eunuch Hai understood.
Your Majesty just doesn't want Minister Pei to appear in the court.
But he would still build momentum for the Pei family so that no one in the court would dare to touch Pei Wanxing.
What Your Majesty is really worried about is the blood relationship and the accidents that may arise from the involvement of interests in the court, which may pose a hidden danger to Her Royal Highness the Princess.
Minister Pei naturally guessed the emperor's intention.
So he took advantage of the situation and mentioned his resignation.
Eunuch Hai said softly, "Your Majesty and Lord Pei are both good fathers."
They all took great pains for their daughter.
The emperor sighed, but his words were clearly filled with laughter: "Speaking of which, my daughter really went to Sheng State without making any noise..."
Eunuch Hai: “…”
This sounds like bragging...
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