Qing Yao

Chapter 423 My own father!

The old man, who was severely nearsighted and had astigmatism, didn't even see who Zhao An was, or what he looked like, who was kneeling on the ground and looking into his eyes.

In the old man's dim old eyes, or rather in his world, Zhao An, kneeling, was less a living person and more a "human mosaic".

Blurry, so damn blurry.

Zhao An was unaware that the old master's nearsightedness was almost 1,000 degrees. In the old master's eyes, he was completely an abstract existence. He was still presenting his best appearance in hopes of getting a comment from the old master: "The position of the crown prince is not yet determined, so you should work harder."

Anyway, it's a feeling of unwavering loyalty.

Playing the lute to a cow.

The wind was howling through the main hall and was quite chilly. Heshen couldn't care less about "earning points" for his lackeys at this moment. Worried that the old master would catch a cold, he hurriedly said softly, "Your Majesty, it's windy outside. Your health is more important. Let me help you into the hall."

Consort Dun, the mother-in-law, also advised her, saying that her husband would be eighty-two tomorrow, and if anything happened to him, how could she, a widow, live like this?

"Oh."

The old man, having regained his senses, nodded. It was a bit cold here. Knowing that all the officials in the hall were waiting for him, he followed Heshen and stepped into the hall.

Seeing this, Zhao An became anxious: Father Emperor, please say a few words to your son!
say what?
In a flash, Zhao An disregarded all etiquette and quickly slammed his head into the ground with a loud thud on the frozen, hard floor tiles. He then cried out with great emotion towards the Qianqing Palace, the Forbidden City, the entire capital, North China, and the land of China: "This servant Zhao Youlu has finally been able to see the Emperor's face today! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Accompanying the sobs was that face filled with deep affection.

How would you describe this face?

It's roughly the feeling of someone who has worked in a factory for thirty years, only to suddenly learn that their father is the richest man in the world.

After being separated for many years and accumulating a lot of online debt, the son finally bumped into his biological father, who could give him billions, in the vast sea of ​​people.

At this moment, grievances, expectations, and affection for one's children erupted. While it might be an exaggeration to say that tears streamed down one's face, the genuine emotions contained in those voices were undeniable.

Father, Emperor Father, my dearest father!

If Zhao An were to change his second-rank official robes into white mourning clothes, replace his double-eyed peacock feathers with two mourning sticks, cover the otherwise magnificent Qianqing Palace with white cloth, and then put the old master in a coffin and let him lie there, it might be more suitable for Zhao An's impromptu performance.

The old man was clearly startled by Zhao An's sudden shout. His feet, which were about to step into the main hall, stopped abruptly. His cloudy eyes instinctively turned back to the "human mosaic" from before, and he asked curiously, "He Shen, who is this person?"

Well, I've already forgotten the name Zhao Angang gave.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this man is Zhao Youlu, the Acting Governor of Anhui."

Heshen glanced at Zhao An but didn't blame him for speaking up suddenly, because this was indeed a good opportunity to improve the old master's impression, just like his own words back then, "Those who guard the responsibilities cannot shirk their duties," which made him rise to prominence.

Consort Dun, the mother-in-law, was somewhat displeased, feeling that the kneeling official was too ignorant and wondered if he could take responsibility if the emperor caught a cold.

"Master, Zhao Youlu did a good job in Anhui. He not only made contributions to disaster relief but also wiped out the White Lotus Sect. You praised him for his dedication and hard work, saying he was a promising talent. That's why I specially sent him to the capital to take a look."

Heshen kept it brief, not wanting the old man to linger at the door for too long.

"Oh? Zhao Youlu."

The old man muttered something, finally remembering who this person was. He couldn't help but look at Zhao An kneeling there again, but he still couldn't see him clearly, and he was very blurry.

He couldn't help but frown slightly.

Seeing this, Heshen knew that the old master's eyesight was failing and he could not see clearly, so he raised his hand to Zhao An: "Zhao Youlu, come closer and let the Emperor take a good look at you."

"Yes, sir!" Zhao An quickly took three steps forward, moving forward on his knees.

The distance is enough.

The old man gave a slight nod: "Raise your head and let me see you."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Zhao An slowly raised his head, his gaze never daring to meet the old master's eyes directly. He tried to squeeze out an expression that mixed excitement, awe, fear, and a little bit of dazedness because his long-cherished wish had been fulfilled.

It's impressive that he can manage his facial features to such an extent; he's a truly qualified and good actor.

The problem was that the old man, with his squinting, dim-eyed eyes, still couldn't see clearly, so he simply leaned forward to examine it more closely.

This scene, as seen by the princes and ministers who were all staring at the palace gate, looked like an old man bending down to gaze at his son.

They saw it very clearly and very thoroughly.

The officials and members of the imperial clan who were shivering at the palace gate could see more clearly and knew that the old master was scrutinizing Zhao An's appearance. But the officials who were farther away could not see clearly, but they felt that the old master seemed to care particularly about Zhao Youlu, and therefore his gaze lingered on his face for a long time.

As for the officials whose positions were in remote corners, they couldn't see anything at all and had to rely entirely on their imagination: "Hey, is the emperor touching Zhao Youlu's face?"
As for Zhao An's appearance, the old man still couldn't quite make out his features. He could only vaguely sense that the outline of this "human mosaic" was fairly decent, and that he wasn't some kind of villain. Coupled with his preconceived goodwill, he automatically imagined a kind, honest, promising young man who was loyal to him.

The other party is still a young man, which is more in line with the old man's habit of hiring people.

After turning his gaze away, the old man nodded and said with a kind expression, "Zhao Youlu, stand up and speak."

It seems they're preparing to say a few words of praise to Zhao An.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

Overjoyed, Zhao An kowtowed and then carefully rose, appearing humble as if ready to listen to the sacred teachings at any moment.

Unexpectedly, the old man who had just asked him to stand up and speak suddenly didn't want to talk to him anymore, and instead said to Heshen, "It's a bit cold outside, help me inside."

"Yes, master."

Heshen hurriedly and carefully stepped forward to help her up, while Consort Dun gently lifted her husband's other arm.

"."

This blow left Zhao An feeling quite dejected, but unexpectedly, Heshen's voice came from beside him: "Zhao Youlu, the Emperor summons you to the palace."

Zhao An was stunned: Did the old man just say that?
Consort Dun also looked at her father-in-law with suspicion, for the Emperor had clearly not said anything.

Immediately, the mother-in-law lowered her eyelids, her heart skipping a beat for no apparent reason.

Honestly, my father-in-law is much more handsome than my husband.

While Zhao An was still in a daze, Heshen had already helped the old man into the hall. Just as he was about to hurry up and follow, another voice entered his ears: "Zhao Youlu, what are you standing there for? The Emperor tells you to go in, so just go in."

The owner of the voice was an extremely noble young man.

It was none other than the four fools, Fu Chang'an.

Standing next to Fu Chang'an was a man of similar age. Unlike Fu Chang'an, who smiled at Zhao An, this man was expressionless and his eyes held a hint of disgust.

(End of this chapter)