Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 417 Xiao Qinyan
The official's tone was indifferent, and his expression remained unchanged; he was an entirely unreadable person.

Grand Secretary Yu, holding a jade tablet, bowed deeply toward the Emperor's position!
"Your Majesty, I did indeed say that!"

The emperor's expression remained indifferent, unchanged.

"this?"

Upon seeing the Emperor's reaction, Grand Secretary Yu immediately felt a pang of anxiety!
Having served as ruler and subject for many years, the two naturally had a tacit understanding. At this moment, Grand Secretary Yu knew that the person sitting above probably had some opinions about the Yu family.

If I'm not mistaken, things might change for the Yu family.

Grand Secretary Yu's mind raced, but he put on a pitiful and dejected look. He secretly adjusted his strategy, changed his original idea, and called out in a hoarse voice.

"His Majesty!"

This voice was incredibly old, and seemed to carry an endless sense of loneliness.

"Your Majesty, I am old and frail. I am no longer able to handle many official duties. Years of working at my desk have left me old and frail."

After a pause, Grand Secretary Yu seemed to be composing himself before continuing, "Thanks to His Majesty's favor and the Emperor's trust, I have worked diligently and conscientiously, which is why I have served two reigns without failing the court."

"Of course!"

"Although I have no shame before the world, I cannot escape my responsibilities to my family. Time flies, and I am old and powerless. I can no longer hold this position without doing my job. Therefore, I requested to retire the day before yesterday..."

Hearing this, even the usually expressionless emperor couldn't help but be moved.

At this moment, the emperor couldn't help but recall his helplessness when he first ascended the throne.

At that time, the imperial court was in turmoil, and it was only with the dedicated assistance of veteran ministers like Grand Secretary Yu that he was able to stabilize the precarious country once again.

Only those who experienced it can know how many hardships they went through. Now, those old men have long since passed away, and there are very few left in the court.

And Grand Secretary Yu was one of them.

"My dear minister...it's difficult for you too!"

Thinking of what Grand Secretary Yu had just said about being too busy with important court affairs to take care of his family, which led to his descendants forgetting their ancestors' traditions.

Upon thinking of this, the official suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

"This is also my fault!" the Emperor thought to himself, and at the same time, a hint of gentleness slowly appeared in his eyes.

"My dear minister, what makes you say such a thing?" the Emperor finally spoke.

The emperor was tolerant of others, especially the old man who had followed him for many years. At this moment, he no longer held a grudge against Grand Secretary Yu.

Looking at Grand Secretary Yu's aged face, he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion: "This old minister of mine has truly had a difficult life! How can I be too demanding of him?"

So he sighed inwardly, and then affirmed him, "I know you well, my dear minister. Your every word and deed is without shame before the court and the people!"

"I had no intention of granting your request, my dear minister!"

At this moment, the Emperor's compassion for the elderly prevailed once again, and he showed a hint of tolerance on his face, saying, "However, my dear minister is indeed advanced in years, and I had no choice but to grant your request!"

"However, the officials in the court are all aware of your achievements, so you must not be so modest!"

"His Majesty!"

Grand Secretary Yu burst into tears on the spot, sobbing uncontrollably, "Your Majesty, I am ashamed to have failed to live up to your praise..."

Grand Secretary Yu's words had a hidden meaning.

At this point, the officials in the court gradually began to understand the implications of the situation.

"Lord Yu is a pillar of the court and a virtuous minister; how can you so belittle yourself like this..."

"..."

Civil officials below the third rank jumped out one after another and showered Grand Secretary Yu with praise!
The censors, especially those from the Censorate, rolled up their sleeves and started spitting as they spoke, making Li Dongyang blush.

As the saying goes, those who are close to Zhu are red, and those who are close to ink are black.

Li Dongyang is an upright man, but how could someone who holds a high position not be shrewd?
Most of the censors under him were the same. Therefore, they were quick-witted and began to praise Grand Secretary Yu, hoping to gain some favor from Grand Secretary Yu for their boss and get his recommendation.

After all, if Lord Li were to become Grand Secretary Li, they would certainly be able to "rise to power along with their relatives and friends."

Amidst a chorus of praise, the Emperor and Grand Secretary Yu finally reached a tacit understanding, and the matter of Yu Zhenghao was thus moved on to the next chapter.

...Amidst the apparent "harmony" in the court, the matter finally returned to its original theme.

"My dear minister, who do you recommend?"

The Emperor looked at Grand Secretary Yu with tolerance and finally asked a question.

At this moment, Grand Secretary Yu, with tears in his eyes and somewhat disheveled, still firmly replied, "Your Majesty, I recommend the Minister of Works!"

"—Xiao Qinyan, Lord Xiao!"

These words were like a bombshell in everyone's hearts!
……

Shengfu.

Ever since the morning court session, Sheng Hong has been feeling very uneasy!
This was not only because Grand Secretary Yu treated him differently, but more importantly, because of the person Grand Secretary Yu ultimately recommended.

Who was Xiao Qinyan, the Minister of Works?

He was a well-known rising star from humble beginnings in the imperial court.

The "new" here does not refer to his age, but rather to his background.

Of course, Xiao Qinyan is not very old, only forty-five, but compared to his peers, the Minister of Works is already an outstanding representative, not to mention that he was recommended to the cabinet by Grand Secretary Yu today.

Compared to the current cabinet members, Hsiao Chin-yen is truly remarkable!

He came from a poor family, and the most powerful ancestors in his family for three generations were only minor local officials. They were not even considered local powerful families; at most, they were only slightly better off than ordinary people. However, Xiao Qinyan was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) fifteen years ago. He was outstanding in ability and quite adept at social maneuvering. Therefore, in the past fifteen years, he has risen all the way up to his current position as Minister of Works.

The reason why everyone was so shocked was that Xiao Qinyan was able to get Grand Secretary Yu to recommend him, which was the reason why everyone was so puzzled.

It should be noted that apart from some official business dealings, Xiao Qinyan and Grand Secretary Yu had virtually no personal relationship.

Even official interactions were not frequent.

Although the Ministry of Works was one of the six ministries, it only had obligations and few rights. In fact, it often had to take the blame. Whenever floods caused dams to burst, the Ministry of Works would inevitably be held responsible.

In short, the Ministry of Works was the most despised of the six ministries.

Therefore, those who entered the Ministry of Works were generally poor children without any background, and Xiao Qinyan was one of them.

Getting back to the main point, after the court session ended, Sheng Hong went straight to Sheng Changquan's Zeyu Hall as soon as he entered the mansion, completely ignoring Madam Wang who was behind him to greet him.

"Oh, my lord! My lord!"

Seeing Sheng Hong's hurried appearance, Madam Wang was immediately puzzled: "What is my lord doing?"

"Could it be that he's going to Linxi Pavilion?"

Upon thinking of this, Madam Wang's face immediately contorted.

"Oh dear, how could this be?"

Madam Wang's maid, Sang Mama, advised, "Madam, judging from the master's posture, he's definitely going to the Seventh Young Master's courtyard!"

"That's true!" Madam Wang thought about it and agreed.

"However, looking at him like this, anyone who didn't know better would think something terrible had happened!" Madam Wang pouted, venting her dissatisfaction.

"Bah! Bah! Bah!"

Sang Mama, who was standing next to Madam Wang, immediately spat a few times and advised from the side, "Madam, you can't say that!"

"Ah? Yes! Yes! Yes!"

At this moment, Madam Wang suddenly realized what was happening!

"Look at my mouth!"

She immediately slapped herself, clasped her hands together, and muttered under her breath, "By the Three Pure Ones above, I am merely rambling nonsense. Please, Your Excellency, do not take this seriously!"

"Don't take it seriously..."

Sang's mother sighed helplessly, "You just can never control your wife's mouth!"

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