Inside the imperial study, after listening to Minister Wei's words, the emperor stared blankly at the man before him. He was indeed an upright and honest official, but a somewhat unpopular Minister of Personnel.
He really wanted to say, "Minister Wei, are you joking with me?"
But deep down, she knew that this stubborn old man was unlikely to be allowed into the palace to amuse her.
"She said she didn't mean anything by it, she just didn't want our Fengliang Kingdom to lose face in front of foreign delegations. I've delivered her message. Your Majesty, you can decide for yourself whether to believe her or not. I'll take my leave." Minister Wei could tell from the emperor's expression that he was skeptical.
He didn't try to persuade him; he had already said what needed to be said, and the decision was up to the Emperor.
As for losing face in front of foreign missions, even a king can bear it, so why can't a mere minister bear it?
The main issue is that Lord Wei is unsure what this matter will bring to Xiao Duo. He said there's no need to ask the Emperor for a reward; if things are handled well, the Emperor will surely reward her.
However, we can't only think about the good things; we also need to consider the bad things. I'm really afraid that it might cause that girl some unnecessary trouble.
Watching Lord Wei walk away after he finished speaking, the emperor frowned. Why didn't this old fellow say something to persuade him to agree?
Is he really just relaying a message for that girl? He's a high-ranking official in the court; doesn't he care about the nation's reputation?
"Wait, did I tell you to leave?" the emperor asked in an unhappy tone.
Minister Wei was not afraid. He remained in place, maintaining the posture of cupping his hands and bowing slightly. However, he was secretly amazed. In other words, His Majesty also believed that girl!
You must understand that this matter is different in nature from the matter concerning Empress Gao. For His Majesty, the matter concerning Empress Gao was his private affair, while the matter concerning the mission is a matter of state.
Regarding the matter concerning Empress Gao, this person was probably just trying it out, but if he agrees to this matter, it means directly facing the delegation.
"Since Minister Wei came to deliver this message, you must believe her, right?" the emperor said.
Lord Wei: "Your Majesty, I believe you." Why would I have come to the palace to see you if I didn't believe you?
"Minister Wei, I would like to know how you and this girl met. Would you mind telling me?" The emperor was genuinely curious. The information his secret guards had gathered indicated that the girl had known Minister Wei before she came to the capital to deliver her child.
However, it is really inappropriate for a ruler to gossip with his ministers and ask about such trivial matters!
But things are different now. When it comes to matters of national pride, it's not unreasonable to ask about that girl's background!
"Please excuse me, Your Majesty. I met that girl last year when I took leave from the capital. I met her on the road. Your Majesty should remember, right?" said Minister Wei.
The emperor glanced at him and thought to himself, "Hmph, I don't like it when you make decisions, so you throw a tantrum and try to quit and run away. How could I not remember that!"
"Hmm, I remember. I thought that after Minister Wei went out for a stroll, he would miss the comfortable life outside and never return to the court," the emperor sneered, showing he was quite adept at using sarcastic remarks.
Besides, you're the one who came up to ask this question.
Faced with the emperor's sarcasm, Lord Wei was not at all uncomfortable. After being enlightened by Xiao Duo's words during their encounter, he no longer cared about such things.
"I remember that Minister Wei returned to the capital not long after, so he must not have had much time to get to know that girl. How could you trust her so much?" The emperor saw no discomfort on the other man's face and was quite disappointed. He continued to ask.
"Please excuse me. I'm already this old, and I'm usually quite good at judging people. Don't let her young age fool you; she's very insightful. At such a young age, she's already grasped the true meaning of life, which is truly rare." Speaking of Xiao Duo, Lord Wei couldn't help but smile.
After listening to these words, the emperor pondered for a moment and then said, "Since she is someone trusted by Minister Wei, then I will issue an edict to select her to enter the palace tomorrow to assist the Ministry of Rites in receiving foreign delegations."
"Minister Wei, go to the Ministry of Rites later and find her a suitable robe, something similar to the ones worn by interpreters. If there aren't any that fit, I don't know if they can make one in time."
“Your Majesty has given the decree. If there are no further instructions, I shall take my leave,” Wei Junpei said.
The emperor waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.
After Wei Junpei left, Eunuch Fu stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you send someone to test that young lady to see if she really knows a foreign language? If not, it's not too late. Otherwise, you might make a fool of yourself."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor glanced at Eunuch Fu, his gaze as if he were looking at a fool: "If I could find someone to test me, would I need a little girl to come to the palace to save me in an emergency?"
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Fu raised his hand and symbolically slapped himself across the cheek: "Look at this pig-headed servant!"
The emperor picked up a memorial, weighing it in his hand. The Empress's matter had tormented him for years, yet she had resolved it with ease. As for the case of Prime Minister Dong's youngest son, both the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review said it was practically a done deal, but it was she who stepped in and identified the real culprit.
Even if the mission had nothing to do with her bloodline identification skills, the fact that she offered to speak a foreign language and emphasized that it wasn't just a superficial understanding meant that she truly had that ability.
How could such a talented person be a woman? If she were a man, she would definitely keep him in the capital and give him an official position to serve the court.
The elders of this girl's family are quite strange. They are people from the martial arts world, skilled in martial arts, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Why did they let that girl learn a foreign language?
Could it be that her family felt the local underworld wasn't big enough and wanted her to venture out to foreign lands?
For some reason, the Emperor suddenly felt a sense of anticipation for receiving the foreign delegation the next day. He himself couldn't quite figure it out. Did he want to see the girl handle it with ease? Or did he simply want to confirm whether she really knew the foreign language?
The Ministry of Rites, such an important position, only has two translators who can speak foreign languages, and two of them are stationed in border areas. The whole country has been trying to recruit one more translator for the Ministry of Rites, but to no avail. How could a girl who has been traveling the world like her know a foreign language? Where can you find any reason to believe this?
Mu Rongjing arrived at Minister Wei's residence with three sets of robes hastily made by three embroiderers, as well as the one Hong Xiaoduo had changed into at the Marquis's residence. There, he saw Hong Xiaoduo trying on an official's robe, while Madam Hua, Wei Zizheng's wife, was checking the measurements of the other two robes.
“This outfit won’t do. It’s been worn before. What’s wrong with the Ministry of Rites?” Hua said disdainfully.
"It's just something I'll wear temporarily, it's fine," Hong Xiaoduo said with a smile.
"What is this?" Murong Jing asked, pointing at Hong Xiaoduo, who was dressed in men's clothing, with great confusion. "And, Ministry of Rites? What does that mean?"
Did she go to work at the Ministry of Rites?
Not leaving?
In an instant, Mu Rongjing felt a surge of heat rush to his head...
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