Prime Minister

Chapter 94, page 093: [The Cage]

"Very well, I refuse to believe I can't control your bad temper."

The emperor glared fiercely at Xue Huai, then shouted loudly, "Zeng Min!"

The Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs hurriedly entered with small, quick steps, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty."

"Go to the cabinet immediately and have Ning Hengzhi summon the Minister of Personnel and the Hanlin Academicians. Tell them it is my decree that Xue Huai, a young and promising scholar of the Hanlin Academy, is diligent and capable, and should be promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."

Xue Huai was stunned.

Zeng Min received the decree and slowly retreated. He had served the emperor for over twenty years, and when it came to understanding the emperor's mind, no one in the inner court could match him. How could he not know that the emperor's decree was just a feint?

Looking at the emperor's cold and stern face, Xue Huai said helplessly and bitterly, "Your Majesty, you previously granted my permission to leave the capital and be sent to a post outside the capital..."

The Emperor said coldly, "What, you're not satisfied with just a Right Vice Minister? How about I promote you to Attendant Reader?"

For some reason, seeing Xue Huai's constipated expression, the emperor suddenly felt very comfortable.

Having ruled for nearly twenty years, he is no longer the cautious and wary new emperor he once was. He has spent ten years consolidating his power, making absolute decisions in the court and deciding the fate of Grand Secretaries at will. Even outstanding figures like Ning Hengzhi have to defer to him.

The saying "the higher you climb, the colder it gets" has become increasingly apparent to him in recent years.

Whether it was Ning Hengzhi, Ouyang Hui, or even leaders of the righteous faction like Shen Wang, they all always wore countless masks in front of him, one after another being peeled off.

Even so, he could still see through these people's hearts. For example, he knew that Ning Hengzhi's concession today was intentional. Some time ago, when Ning Hengzhi recommended Yue Zhongming to take over as the Vice Minister of Rites, he had roughly guessed the Grand Secretary's thoughts.

But he was still very satisfied.

The reason is simple: currently, no one in the court can replace Ning Hengzhi in managing this vast empire for him. Therefore, he only needs Ning Hengzhi to know when to advance and when to retreat, which is an unspoken understanding between the two.

This cat-and-mouse game can easily become tedious and tiring after a while. The emperor occasionally longs to see a clean and sincere minister, but such a person is hard to come by.

Any official who has been in office for more than five years will unconsciously put on a mask in front of him. As for those young officials who have just entered officialdom, they are either foolish and hypocritical like Cui Yanqing, or timid and hesitant like Gao Tingbi.

Xue Huai in the past only met half of the requirements. After all, the emperor only wanted to see the sincerity of his subjects, not to have a loyal minister who would always speak frankly and offer advice.

It wasn't until the Ministry of Works corruption case was over that the Emperor discovered that Xue Huai had indeed changed. Although he still retained his upright character, he had learned some social skills and was no longer as stubborn as before. Therefore, the Emperor wanted to test him again, which is why he put on such a show just now.

Looking at Xue Huai's expression, the emperor sneered, "Even the Imperial Reader is not satisfied?"

"Your Majesty, I have never desired high office or generous salary."

Xue Huai vaguely guessed the man's current state of mind, a feeling that could only be understood but not explained. He composed himself and continued, "I swear on my integrity that I did not intend to deceive Your Majesty. I was only thinking of the fate of the Great Yan state. I am willing to take responsibility for this matter."

"You're not that old, but you've got quite the nerve."

The emperor raised his hand and waved, and Zeng Min understood and respectfully withdrew.

He was still guarding outside the palace, so naturally he wouldn't go to the cabinet to deliver the imperial edict.

"I know who you are covering for."

The Emperor regained his calm tone, his eyes becoming slightly sharp: "I am merely curious as to why Xue Huai, who has always been loyal and upright, would go to such lengths to cover up for the Crown Prince?"

This is actually quite easy to guess.

Xue Huai doesn't care about many people. Shen Wang would never ask him to do such a thing. His relationship with Lin Miao isn't that close, and others aren't qualified either. The only one left is the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, who has met him a few times.

Xue Huai seemed to know that there was no point in hiding it now, and he said with shame, "Your Majesty, this matter concerns the reputation of the Crown Prince, how dare I speak carelessly."

"That's strange."

The Emperor scrutinized Xue Huai and slowly said, "Xue Minglun is of the same clan as your father, so you should call him your paternal uncle. I have never seen you show him any mercy. If I remember correctly, you and the Crown Prince have only met three times, yet he so readily entrusted you with this incriminating evidence, and you actually risked offending me to cover it up for him. Xue Huai, I didn't realize you were so farsighted."

That last sentence was truly a scathing remark.

The emperor's unspoken meaning was clear: as the heir apparent, the crown prince would undoubtedly become the future emperor of Great Yan, and Xue Huai had gone to such lengths for the crown prince precisely because of this.

The problem is, he's still in his prime, and you're already so eager to switch allegiances?

Xue Huai quickly shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I didn't know at first that this was His Highness the Crown Prince's request. Princess Yun'an approached me and asked me to recommend those five candidates in the imperial examination. Princess Yun'an saved my life, and at the time... I wasn't firm enough and didn't refuse outright. I only told Princess Yun'an that I would review the papers impartially and at most not reveal this matter." The Emperor's brows relaxed slightly.

According to the secret report sent by the Jing'an Division, Xue Huai's words should not contain any lies, which explains why he suppressed the matter.

This is a stubborn and conflicted young man. He owes Jiang Li a life-saving debt and feels uneasy if he doesn't repay it. However, favoritism and corruption would violate his conscience and principles, so he can only keep this matter to himself while trying his best to maintain the fairness and impartiality of the imperial examination.

If it weren't for the rivalry between Sun Yan and Yue Zhongming, Xue Huai most likely wouldn't have exposed the matter, but instead would have diligently completed his task of grading the papers before leaving the examination hall.

As for his covering up for the Crown Prince, the Emperor could understand it. A pure minister like Xue Huai, who upholds the principles of Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, and Teacher, values ​​the foundation of the country extremely highly. After all, the Crown Prince is also a sovereign. If the court and the public knew that the Crown Prince had interfered in the imperial examinations, it would surely cause a huge uproar.

Thinking of this, the Emperor asked meaningfully, "Since it was the Crown Prince who entrusted Yun An to find you, and he did not reveal this to you, how do you know that this was the Crown Prince's doing?"

Xue Huai thought for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, Princess Yun’an is far removed from the court. Why would she suddenly have the idea to interfere in the imperial examination? Although I have not had much contact with Princess Yun’an, I know that she hates these trivial matters the most. Therefore, someone must have asked her to do something. After thinking it over, I think that apart from Your Majesty, only His Highness the Crown Prince can persuade Princess Yun’an.”

"Not too stupid."

The emperor smiled faintly and asked, "It seems that your attitude towards Yun'an is rather unusual."

Xue Huai said somewhat awkwardly, "Your Highness, Princess Yun'an saved my life, and I feel only gratitude towards her."

The emperor looked into his eyes but ultimately did not delve into the topic.

In the past, he certainly wouldn't have wanted Jiang Li and Xue Huai to get too close. After all, everyone in the court knew that he loved Jiang Li, and her marriage should be treated with care. This was related to his future arrangements for the court, and whoever became the imperial son-in-law would affect the court's structure.

However, Xue Huai's performance over the past six months has truly surprised him. Shen Wang has also been hardworking and conscientious in the Ministry of Works. In addition, Ouyang Hui is getting older and the gap between him and Ning Hengzhi has become more and more obvious in the past two years. This has made the emperor re-examine the structure of the cabinet.

Perhaps... Shen Wang is a good candidate for Grand Scholar, at least he won't be as suppressed as Ouyang Hui by Ning Hengzhi.

But Shen Wang alone is definitely not enough. As the saying goes, one tree cannot support a forest. He needs young talents like Xue Huai to help restrain the Ning Party.

Based on these considerations, the emperor did not interfere too much with Xue Huai and Jiang Li's contact, which can be regarded as sending a signal to the court and the public that he now values ​​Xue Huai.

"I was just saying it casually, why are you so nervous?"

The Emperor smiled and said slowly, "Your Highness, you need not concern yourself with this matter anymore. I will make my own decision."

"The minister obeys the order."

Xue Huai silently apologized to the Crown Prince. At most, he could only extricate himself and Jiang Li from the situation. As for the Crown Prince facing the Emperor's wrath, there was nothing he could do to help.

"On another note, your performance in the imperial examination this time was outstanding, and I am very satisfied."

The Emperor said gently, "I grant your request to be transferred out of the capital."

Xue Huai felt relieved. Facing such a capricious and deep-thinking emperor, he dared not slack off in the slightest. Fortunately, he finally got what he wanted, so he bowed and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

The emperor then asked, "Where do you wish to go? Most likely to Jiangnan?"

Xue Huai was unwilling to miss this opportunity and said frankly, "Your Majesty, I wish to go to Yangzhou. Last year, the Ministry of Works' accusations against my late father were slander, but it is also a fact that Yangzhou suffered heavy losses due to the floods. My late father's spirit in heaven would certainly not want to see the people of Yangzhou displaced. I am not talented, but I am willing to carry on my late father's legacy and do my part to rebuild the homes of the people of Yangzhou."

The Emperor remained silent for a moment, ultimately not giving Xue Huai a clear answer, only saying, "I will have the Ministry of Personnel issue a memorial as soon as possible. You can go back now. During this time, you can arrange your family affairs and bid a proper farewell to your colleagues in the Hanlin Academy. In the future, do not always compete with others. Even if you cannot blend in with the world, you must learn to be both firm and gentle."

This was one of the few times the emperor had revealed his true feelings during their conversation.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take my leave."

Xue Huai performed the proper rites and slowly withdrew from the Wende Hall.

Upon arriving outside the hall, he nodded to Zeng Min and then left, guided by a palace attendant.

Zeng Min glanced at the young Hanlin scholar's back and mentally elevated his status by two levels, secretly marveling, "Although Xue Shidu is young, he has already won the Emperor's favor."

After passing through the Chengtian Gate and reaching the Imperial Street outside the palace, Xue Huai suddenly stopped.

He looked back at the majestic and magnificent imperial city, which presented a bright and grand beauty in the late March sunlight. However, in Xue Huai's eyes, it was like a cage drawn on the ground, trapping the most powerful small group of people in the world inside.

Xue Huai raised his hand to shield his eyes, feeling a surge of pride and confidence.

If one comes into this world and cannot see the beautiful landscape with one's own eyes, wouldn't that be a great regret in life?
(End of this chapter)