Xie Ming

"Haha, Minister Zeng is a newly promoted favorite of the Emperor."

"I heard that His Majesty's condition has recently worsened and medicine is ineffective."

"Presumably, Minister Zeng, who works in the cabinet, is well aware of the details."

Fortunately, there are no outsiders in my household today.

"I hope you can tell me the truth."

Xiao Jingchuan's eyes held a threatening gaze.

Suddenly, he changed the subject and pressed for more information.

"Alas, in recent years, I have been serving as a military commander in other regions."

"Right now, the enemy is powerful, and we really can't spare the time to move around."

"For Your Majesty, the health of Your Majesty is of utmost importance both within and outside the court."

"I can't be in two places at once."

"How can we, as his subjects, not be concerned about His Majesty's safety?"

"Fortunately, you came today, so you've made it in time."

"Just tell us the gist of the situation, and we'll feel more at ease, right? Haha."

Xiao Lang's clever words redirected Zeng Ji's endless ramblings, and with a resounding counterattack, he pinpointed the source of the Hongguang Emperor's illness.

At this critical moment, with tensions rising both inside and outside the country, the more secretive one is about to be, the more effective it will be in countering that person.

Looking at the situation from the sidelines, Zeng Ji really couldn't have predicted that the Jingguo Guild would make a move to seize control.

"Uh, hehehehe."

Unable to find a response, Minister Zeng racked his brains, desperately searching for a way to deal with the situation.

"Hehehe"

"Lord Duke, you're putting me in a difficult position."

"Recently, Hangzhou has just established a system, and there are many miscellaneous matters to attend to."

"The Ministry of War has a huge mess to clean up."

"In the court, it is mostly Grand Secretary Qiu, Minister Ma, and a few others who are in charge."

Their hasty attempt to distance themselves from the issue and shirk responsibility is clearly a tactic employed by the South China Party to shift blame.

"So, this, hehe."

"I'm not afraid to admit that I'm not worthy of being called a favorite of the Emperor, and I'm really not good enough for it."

"Well, since it's the Duke who has asked this question..."

"Then I will certainly answer to the best of my knowledge."

"Well, speaking of which, His Majesty..."

"Alas, a long-term illness is difficult to cure, as you know."

"It's probably unlikely that he can recover in a short time."

"At present, we can only try to make ends meet."

"After all, a chronic disease has been around for a long time, and once it's deeply rooted, it can't be cured in a day."

"There are occasional relapses, though."

After a pause, Zeng Ji, who had been reserved, turned to be more obsequious, tilting his head to the side and lowering his posture. He even turned his body closer to Xiao Chu to show his sincerity.

"Hehehe"

"Speaking of which, I, Zeng, immediately began to recite."

"Back then, the Duke wielded the Emperor's sword and was dispatched by imperial decree. What a man of spirit he was!"

“When we first met, I predicted that Yu Jiangning would become a pillar of the court.”

"Now, I have come five hundred miles north. Alas, to be honest, I have no choice but to do this."

"With such a true person before me, I will not utter a false statement."

"It may be a bit abrupt, but there are some things that are difficult to say, but I really have to say them in front of the Duke of Jingguo."

"For example, the purpose of my visit this time, well, it is said to be an imperial mission, but in reality it is all just a matter of drafting a document by the cabinet."

"A few days ago, Lao Ma abandoned his ship at the mouth of the Wusong River and went ashore, taking a large sum of money with him to invest in Nanjing."

"How could he possibly keep such news a secret all the way from him!"

"It has already spread like wildfire, and it even reached the imperial court a few days ago."

"That's why I've come here in such a huff, Your Excellency, as you've already seen."

"Who do I, Zeng Ji, think I am?"

"It's true what they say, 'It's like an old man carrying his daughter-in-law across a river.' This trip is a complete waste of effort." "Whether the job will be done or not is another matter. As a pig castrator cutting off pig ears, I'm suffering humiliation from both sides."

"You said it, I..."

"I'm handling this strictly as a business?"

The cunning Zeng Ji, not content with his bitter complaints, unexpectedly uttered this question as a way of testing the waters.

When locked in a critical spot, his thieving eyes were fixed on Xiao Jingchuan's face, ready to dodge at any moment.

Looking back, Xiao Jiang's gaze turned fierce, and he quickly tried to smooth things over, changing his tune and speaking in reverse.

"That definitely won't work."

"How can this be considered reasonable, both publicly and privately?"

"Who is this Duke?"

"He devoted himself to fighting against the Northern barbarians, leading from the front and fighting bloody battles with the enemy."

"He is a person who has made great contributions to the country and saved the people from suffering."

"Your name will surely be recorded in the annals of history in the future."

"Even if we set aside our personal relationship, for the sake of the country and its people, I would absolutely fight to the death to protect a hero and general like the Duke of Jingguo."

"During the period of suppressing the rebellion, the country has fallen to its current state."

"Leading troops to defend against the enemy is of paramount importance."

"A model for the world."

"But there are some people who, even when the country is destroyed and their families are ruined, still dare to try to fly the flag of the imperial court."

"They engage in petty scheming, enriching themselves at the expense of the public, and disrupting the war effort."

"Disregarding the ancestral land and its people."

"These people absolutely deserve to die; their intentions are despicable!"

"Don't even mention how angry you are, I, Zeng, am also heartbroken."

Flattery will get you everywhere, and Zeng Ji finally managed to steer the conversation around after a great deal of effort.

"Yes, very good, Minister Zeng is absolutely right!"

Xiao Lang was unsure how the other party would proceed, so he simply echoed the sentiment without saying anything further.

Listen, Zeng Jiguo is bringing up the topic again.

"Well, on the other hand..."

"The imperial court is also facing difficulties right now."

"Expenditures at all levels have long been unsustainable."

"Just two days before I arrived, I heard from my subordinates that in Fuyang and Xincheng, Zhejiang, county magistrates had already starved to death at home!"

You mean this?

"After years of hard study for the imperial examinations, he ended up with such a fate."

"We cannot let down the hearts of scholars everywhere!"

"The spirit of the scholar is the cornerstone of Fang Daming's foundation."

"So, what about the money Old Ma brought?"

"I mean, maybe, could we allocate a portion of it to help the court overcome its difficulties?"

"I... I'm just barely able to go back and report, you say?"

We've gone around in circles, but we're still in the same place.

Zeng Ji's subtle but forceful approach is both reasonable and urgent.

In contrast, Xiao Jingchuan was surprisingly calm at this moment.

If it were only because of this sum of money, he could have easily made an excuse to leave Nanjing first, leaving Zeng Ji empty-handed, which would have been a good explanation to the Hangzhou court.

The reason why this was not done was that this meeting with Zeng Ji, which included Ma Weimin, was also intended to test whether Lao Ma could be given important responsibilities.

Thus, as Zeng Ji pressed closer and closer, the situation reached a temporary stalemate.

Suddenly, Xiao glanced at Old Ma's face and looked away.

"Hey! Old Ma, did you hear that?"

"Minister Zeng is asking you about that sum of money."

"what do you say?"

Xiao Yan bluntly stated his words, catching Ma Weimin completely off guard.

(End of this chapter)