Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 255

Zhao Xingjin really didn't plan to be out all day.

Not to mention the exhaustion, it was indeed as the Empress said: not all those who came to participate in the autumn hunt were skilled in riding and archery; there were also many civil officials among them. These people couldn't just be left standing around indefinitely.

Therefore, it is indeed necessary to arrange some other activities.

"Hmm, Your Majesty is very perceptive. So, in Your Majesty's opinion, what kind of entertainment would be good?" Zhao Xingjin asked casually.

However, the Empress chuckled and shook her head.

"How could I possibly have such a clever mind? These are just ideas I overheard this morning from Consort Jin chatting with our new top scholar. Consort Jin, don't you think so?"

After speaking, he looked at Xie Jiu and continued.

"I've heard that Scholar He and Consort Jin have some connection. Scholar He is a student of the Xie family's Donglin Academy, right? No wonder he went to talk to Lord Xie first upon arriving at the hunting grounds, and then came to see Consort Jin. If there is some kind of teaching favor between them, it is indeed different."

The hunting grounds are nothing like the palace. Jingming Palace has long been fortified by Xie Jiu, making it impossible for the Empress to get in. But here at the hunting grounds, everyone is new and it's only been a couple of days, so it's chaotic and full of people.

The Empress was determined to find fault with Xie Jiu, but she didn't know how many people she had already bribed to keep an eye on things for her.

These words were deliberately spoken in front of Zhao Xingjin, implying that Xie Jiu was secretly currying favor with ministers and that He Anshi, the newly appointed top scholar, was trying to curry favor with the favored concubine.

Zhao Xingjin listened to the Empress's words, his smile remained unchanged, but his gaze toward He Anshi turned slightly colder.

He naturally had his own feelings, both inside and outside the family, especially since he had just been intimate with Xie Jiu last night. So, instinctively, he wouldn't blame Xie Jiu, nor would he think Xie Jiu was wrong.

The fault naturally lies with He Anshi, who wanted to take a shortcut by using the fact that the academy he studied at was run by the Xie family as a connection, attempting to curry favor with the favored concubine and fantasizing about becoming a top scholar who would rise smoothly through the ranks.

"Her Majesty the Empress is truly meticulous; she even knows the background of Scholar He so clearly."

Xie Jiu's calm voice rang out, with a faint smile on his face, seemingly unaffected in the slightest.

"However, Your Majesty must have known that Scholar He came from Donglin Academy during the palace examination. As for the favor of teaching, I dare not accept it. I am younger than Scholar He and did not know him before. How could I have the opportunity to be his teacher? If we are talking about teaching, besides the teachers of Donglin Academy, the examiners of the autumn examination, and even Your Majesty who appointed the scholar, these are the real favors."

At this point, there was a hint of joking in his tone.

"Your Majesty's words make it sound as if the top scholar, who came from Donglin Academy, became a retainer of the Xie family. Does that mean the second and third place scholars this year are retainers of the Zhou family? I heard that after the autumn examinations, the Grand Secretary sent many congratulatory gifts to the second and third place scholars. Why was our top scholar left out?"

Guo Zhang, that is, the Empress's father.

Xie Jiu always focused on the previous dynasty, so how could he not pay attention to these kinds of news?

Why didn't Xie Jiu lend a helping hand to He Anshi immediately? To be honest, it was because of Xie Jiu's own selfish reasons. She knew that He Anshi was poor and penniless, so she wanted him to experience the coldness of human relationships in the capital and feel the fickleness of the world.

It's not enough to become the top scholar; you still need to be on the right side and have a powerful backer.

Seeing the Zhou family treat the second and third place scholars so well made He Anshi even more determined to get close to the Xie family.

Schemes are indispensable; without benefits, where would so many people come from to serve for no reason? The Empress did not expect Xie Jiu to know these things, and her smile immediately froze on her face.

"I am not aware of what is happening outside the palace. Perhaps Scholar He is ambitious and different from others, and is willing to accept the kindness of others. Who knows?"

"Your Majesty, in your wisdom, no one from the Duke of Anguo's mansion has ever come to see me. Perhaps this is because I am a student from the Donglin Academy."

Just then, a man's voice came from the room.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that He Anshi had stood up.

"Your Majesty, I do not know the meaning behind Her Majesty the Empress's words just now. My family is poor, and I have been studying at Donglin Academy since I passed the county-level imperial examination. The teachers at the academy have been very kind to me, and they have paid for all my expenses over the years, from food and lodging to writing materials. They even provided the travel expenses for my trip to the capital for the imperial examination. I know that all this money came from the Xie family. So today, I only wanted to express my gratitude to Lord Xie, but I did not expect to run into Consort Jin. Her Majesty was considerate of my difficulties in pursuing my studies and said a few words of encouragement to me."

At this point, He Anshi looked at the Empress.

"Your Majesty's words just now truly frightened me. I study to serve Your Majesty, to seek the well-being of the people, and to contribute to the great cause of the Great Jing Dynasty. I will only ever be Your Majesty's subject."

The empress was taken aback by the scholar's impulsiveness, and her face darkened further.

Zhao Xingjin's gaze fell on He Anshi, and he was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected He Anshi to be so outspoken and so blunt.

"Aren't you afraid I will punish you for disrespecting the Empress like this?"

“Your Majesty, I have only spoken the truth. If I have offended Your Majesty in any way, I am willing to be punished. However, if I do not stand up and Your Majesty misunderstands Lord Xie and Consort Jin because of Your Majesty’s words, which are not in full, wouldn’t that be a wrong to the innocent? I do not want anyone to be implicated by me.”

He Anshi cupped his hands in greeting, his face full of sincerity.

For a moment, everyone present dared not breathe, for fear of being implicated by He Anshi's bold move.

Zhao Xingjin's face showed no emotion, but he stared intently at He Anshi, as if trying to find a flaw in him.

After a long silence, he suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"What a fine new top scholar! He has courage and a sense of responsibility. The court is in dire need of someone like you who dares to speak the truth. By imperial decree, He Anshi shall be appointed as an Inspector General of the Censorate, effective immediately!"

He Anshi's eyes immediately lit up. He was both scared and excited, and immediately knelt down to thank the emperor for his grace.

Xie Jiu remained silent, taking everything in with her, and then turned to give the Empress a faint smile.

The Empress's face was stiff as she clenched the handkerchief in her hand, never expecting things to develop this way.

Originally, she intended to use this incident to dampen Xie Jiu's arrogance and make Zhao Xingjin think that she was interfering in the previous dynasty and was restless.

Unexpectedly, Xie Jiu had a hidden trick up his sleeve, knowing the Zhou family's movements, and turned the tables on her, leaving her in an awkward position.

The Empress glanced cautiously at Zhao Xingjin out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that he didn't seem to intend to hold it against her, she breathed a sigh of relief and remained almost completely silent throughout the rest of the luncheon.