Chapter 9: The Minister's Wife 09: The Emperor's Appointment and Immediate Departure...
After Lu Huai made his feelings clear, he no longer thought of escaping. He wanted to tell Pei Yu immediately that he couldn't choose between him and Shen San as he had said before. Rather than being unclear, he would rather bear Pei Yu's responsibility for his broken promise.
Pei Yu was Lu Huai's good friend, and Chen Chensheng was his sweetheart. They shouldn't have been placed on opposite sides of the scale for him to choose. How could love be compared to the friendship of a close friend? Thinking about it now, he was really confused at the time.
In his opinion, Huaiyuan was too domineering, and he was also too confused.
At first, he was just like the kind of person that Chen Sheng hated, acting coyly and not daring to love or hate. Even if he had some love, he was unwilling to do anything for it. Once he encountered difficulties, he would climb down the ladder.
But this shouldn't be the Lu Huai who is determined in his goals, who can overcome all difficulties for his ideals, and who is determined to be a gentleman.
Lu Huai sighed deeply, and suddenly felt a little cold, and couldn't help but touch his shoulder.
Xia Lu, who was serving him, saw this and quickly put a thick coat on him.
She wasn't one for words, and there were things she kept deep in her heart that even Chunying, who was closest to her, didn't know. Seeing her son, regardless of the cold weather, standing in the same place where they'd last had a drink with General Pei, looking so troubled, she felt deeply distressed.
The young general had arrived in a hurry that day, and she didn't dare to pry into the master's affairs like Chunying sometimes did. The two seemed to have an unpleasant quarrel at first, but good brothers don't hold grudges overnight. After a while, he summoned her to serve food and wine and they began to drink together. After the meal, Lu Huai signaled that she could leave, and she left, knowing that there might be something else going on.
So… thinking about what Chunying had told her about the affair at the Qionghua Banquet a few days ago, where their names were linked together with Shen Sanhe, Xia Lu felt that this must be related to the young master's abnormal behavior. Thinking that the source of their conflict might be that Shen Chensheng, she couldn't help but blush.
Xia Lu looked at Lu Huai, who was full of thoughts, but now he was no longer awkward.
He was willing to face off with Huaiyuan and fight fairly. If General Pei truly loved Miss Shen San and could promise her a life of peace and prosperity, then he, Lu Huai, would be willing to withdraw. But if Miss Shen San also had feelings for him and was willing to show mercy to him, he would not give in easily, even if the opponent was his close friend.
In fact, he was not a person who was entangled with things. He just thought of Chen Chensheng's miserable life experience and her sad appearance of worrying about gains and losses, and he could not bear to see her heart being displaced again. After suffering in the first half of her life, she trusted the wrong person and entrusted the second half of her life to others.
So even if she chose Pei Yu, he would have to watch him and Shen Meng break off their engagement, and he would only leave if she was really willing to cherish her.
However, he had no choice but to ask Pei Yu out to talk things over, as something happened that left him no time to think about it and he set off immediately.
Lu Huai originally wanted to let things take their course and establish a friendship with his beloved, hoping they would eventually find a way together. A few days ago, he happened to see some shops selling exotic novelties, but he felt that it would be too abrupt to rush in, so he decided to ask Shen Chensheng to meet him outside his house later.
The Duke's party knew she loved opera, so after the court meeting, he sought out his good friend Bai Qichao, a man well-versed in the city's entertainment scene. He learned that Shanglanyuan's Liyuan opera was the best, frequented by royalty and nobles, and so popular that tickets were practically impossible to get. Lu Huai, ignoring his friends' teasing, asked him to connect him with the theater's owner, intending to include this in his travel plans with his beloved.
But why was it that in the court, he, who was not very prominent among the civil servants after being assigned to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler, was suddenly singled out by the emperor?
Although the emperor sitting on the high platform is young, he ascended the throne at a young age, and from being a puppet emperor controlled by relatives and nobles to gradually regaining power, he has become a ruler who is majestic without anger and does not show his emotions.
The tassels on the dragon crown cast a dark shadow on his extremely handsome and aggressive face. His brows were arched and his lines were sharp. The division between light and dark was so clear, as if it showed the emperor's fickle and fickle sides.
Just as Chu Yuanting could smile amiably and share his experiences of incognito visits with his ministers one second, he could then frown and solemnly throw the officials who had gradually relaxed their composure into jail the next second.
Although his expression remained calm, his impatience was already reaching its peak. Hearing the Chancellor of the Prime Minister's faction and the Chief of the Imperial Guards of Prince Gong's faction arguing in the courtroom over the lucrative position of receiving the Northern Xiongnu princes and envoys in Chongzhou, the atmosphere between the two men was simply tense.
Chu Yuanting really wanted to have these two troublemakers dragged out, their quarrels becoming increasingly ugly, but their superiors hadn't taken any extreme action yet. A falling out would likely paralyze most of the court machinery. He rationally suppressed his anger and quelled this impulse.
However, he was the supreme ruler, and no one in the world could or dared to make him bow down. Regardless, he wouldn't use anyone from either faction. He even tried to squeeze a few drops of oil out of a mission that concerned the nation's prestige. Whether he could actually get the job done was even more questionable.
Furthermore, the Xiongnu Kingdom was vast, and the Xiongnu people traveled on horseback, each one a brave warrior. Although they currently maintained a good contractual relationship with Dayong, if unrest arose one day and they refused to submit, it would be a major threat to the country.
He knew that some people were already restless and ready to betray him, but as a minister for life, he would never allow the Xiongnu to rebel.
There was no fluctuation on Chu Yuanting's face, but his eyes were dark and gloomy, and his mind was in turmoil.
"Lord Li and Lord Zhang are both loyal and devoted, and are both my most trusted ministers. However, Chongzhou is a long journey, and you two are approaching your prime years. I fear that your health may be damaged, and that I will no longer have such talented people to serve me."
Chu Yuanting spoke in a cheerful mood, his words smooth and sophisticated, but his tone was neither hot nor cold. Those present were all experienced officials, and it was difficult for the ministers who spent their days trying to understand the emperor's intentions to fail to hear the hidden meaning in his words.
The emperor's words seemed caring and considerate, but in reality, they just didn't want them to go! But thinking of the tough tasks and promised benefits assigned to them by the bigwigs behind them, Li Gun and Zhang Zhou had no choice but to stubbornly pretend not to understand the emperor's intentions. They even wanted to risk their old bones to compete on the spot to prove their physical toughness to Chu Yuanting.
The newly appointed historian held the pen tremblingly, watching the mighty ruler who held the power of life and death firmly controlling the rhythm in the court and skillfully restraining several factions from fighting each other. On the one hand, he was glad that the saint would not pay attention to a small official like himself, but on the other hand, he could not help but wonder how he dared to do such a thing that could easily cost him his head. If he made people dissatisfied, he might even be rewarded with a gift package for his nine clans. The words he wrote were as ugly as a reptile.
The two of them were fighting fiercely, but Chu Yuanting didn't want to see these clowns performing in the court anymore.
This factional strife has caused endless harm, as it has caused inefficient decision-making.
He was thinking about who should be assigned to handle this matter, and when he looked through the entire court, he found that most of the high-ranking officials, whether openly or covertly, had been taken over by the two factions.
After much thought, the name of a person who once made him feel that his appearance was too flamboyant and not steady during the palace examination, but was finally awarded the title of top scholar by the emperor because his policy essay was so consistent with his ideas, came to his mind.
According to the rules, that man had been admitted to the Hanlin Academy, so he should not have held a high position. However, the strategies for implementing the new laws that he had written by his teacher were indeed brilliant and ingenious, showing that he was a man of both ability and talent.
Moreover, he has indeed not joined those corrupt cliques that buy titles and sell official positions and have powerful supporters. Although his foundation is weak now, it would be a good thing to support him to become my loyal minister and work wholeheartedly for me in the future.
"Is Lord Lu Huai here?"
In the middle and back rows of civil officials, among the Hanlin scholars, a gaunt figure in official uniform stepped out, holding a tablet. He was as respectful and courteous as any other court official. His posture, identical to that of the other court officials, held an inexplicable captivating power that made it impossible to look away.
"Your Highness, I, Lu Huai, pay my respects to His Majesty."
The clear sound was like the gurgling of a stream flowing past my ears, which was really refreshing compared to the noise just now.
Chu Yuanting's mood actually brightened slightly. He watched with interest as the tall, bamboo-like figure sitting below him, his graceful posture, slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of clear, pure eyes that seemed to be shrouded in lake water, followed by a nose with elegant lines like a mountain range, and lips that were naturally rosy without makeup...
This Lu Huai was really...beautiful and beautiful, which was worthy of his evaluation at that time.
The emperor described the top scholar's pleasing and graceful outline with an appreciative yet playful gaze, until the atmosphere began to become tense. Lu Huai did not receive the emperor's next instructions for a long time and began to have some doubts.
Chu Yuanting smiled and said the purpose of summoning him, "This time, to welcome the Xiongnu envoys to the capital, I would like to order Lu Aiqing, the Imperial Academy Editor, to bring Chen Qingyuan, the Doctor of the Ministry of Rites, as the representatives of the Beijing officials to Chongzhou to escort them."
Li Gun and Zhang Zhou below were in disbelief when they heard this, but they also knew that their actions had upset the emperor, so they dared not jump around anymore, like eggplants hit by frost.
The leaders of both factions were somewhat unhappy, but after all, the Chu Yuan court was no longer what it once was. Their power had been quietly weakened, making it impossible for them to manipulate it arbitrarily. Well, this matter didn't necessarily mean to throw it into a trap and sell out the young emperor...
Seeing that no one was ignorant of the current situation and interfered, Chu Yuanting continued to move forward with his plan.
"Where is Lord Chen?"
A tall and thin official who was older than Lu Huai stepped out and saluted upon hearing the voice.
This doctor was also an official who worked hard on his own and was honest and upright. Chu Yuanting often lamented that it was rare to have such a useful person in the Ministry of Rites, a complicated place with serious infighting.
After explaining some key points to them, Chu Yuanting finalized the matter and ordered them to set off the next day.
So, Lu Huai and Chen Qingyuan received their mission that day and went back to pack their bags. Both of them were simple people who didn't care about fame or fortune. They boarded a simple and spacious carriage, took some servants and gifts, and headed for Chongzhou.
Pei Yu wasn't surprised to learn that Lu Huai had gone to meet Shen San, as he knew Yan Jin was a gentleman of propriety. However, he was still worried that the woman's enchanting beauty would steal his friend's attention and change his mind, so he wanted to test Yan Jin's opinion.
Two days ago, his father had arrested him to discipline those unruly and arrogant new recruits, and he was really unable to get away. After clarifying his feelings, he saw his beloved in the court today. Even in her loose official robes, she stood out like a crane among chickens and shone brightly. He couldn't help but stare blankly, thinking about taking Yan Jin for a walk after the court.
Unexpectedly, the emperor in the court gave Yan Jin the mission and asked him to set off immediately. He could only watch helplessly as his plan fell through, and even his beloved would not be able to see him for a long time.
Pei Yu, unwilling to admit defeat, was afraid of disturbing Lu Huai's work, so he endured it until the next day, almost noon. When he arrived at Lu's residence, he only saw the carriage disappearing in the distance.
The young general went back with a sour face, and started practicing weapons with murderous intent. He was not interested in answering people who asked for advice, and his attitude was so bad that Pei Zhi scolded him.
Lu Huai didn't know that a poor man would come to him just after he left. He just chatted with Chen Qingyuan in the carriage. It only took a little time for him to go from being reserved at the beginning to being relaxed later.
The two quickly became friends by name. Chen Qingyuan was a learned man with seven years of experience in government. Along the way, he taught Lu Huai many lessons about life, politics, and being an official.
But unfortunately, the two of them had different positions on the reform. It was a pity that such an outstanding and capable person could not be used to promote the new law.
But everyone has his or her own stance and fate, and they all work to be loyal to the king. One should not be too demanding and impose one's own ideas on others.
Lu Huai understood the many drawbacks and impracticalities of the new law as soon as he heard Chen Qingyuan talk about them. Therefore, he showed no interest in this regard and quickly passed over the topic, not wanting to spoil the fun by arguing.
As a taskmaster, Lu Huai thought, the emperor was truly open-minded and thoughtful. Chu Yuanting of this small world knew how to place the most appropriate individuals in the most appropriate positions. Whether they were reformists who sided with him or conservatives who opposed him, he promoted and appointed them equally, worthy of his later title as a wise ruler.
Even the official road still has many potholes, and the journey up and down the mountain is tiring and bumpy.
The scholar was weak, and even though he was in good spirits at the beginning, he could not bear it anymore and fell asleep and was woken up by the shock again and again. This cycle was very uncomfortable.
Seeing that it was getting late, the two men were helped out of the carriage by the coachman and servants and went to a nearby inn to have a meal and rest. They were so tired that they could hardly utter a word.
On the second day, they set out on their journey without stopping before the rooster crowed.
The author has something to say:
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A chapter of career~ Today is the official skin Huai
The next time Chen Sheng appears, he will be super high-energy. Haha, let him brew for a while and then pull the emperor out to meet everyone.
There will be a lot of people in the next chapter! It might be very exciting, here's a preview hehe
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