Xie Ming

Zeng Ji offered his opinion, suggesting that he recommend Duke Jing for the position of king.

These words, though spoken softly, instantly caused the temperature in the hall to drop several degrees.

The officials fell silent in an instant, their expressions of shock passing by. Then, rustling whispers could be heard from various corners of the hall.

“You, surnamed Zeng, have spent half your life studying the classics.”

"Our dynasty has never had a rule of granting a royal title to a living person of a different surname. Did you know that?!"

"What's wrong with the Southern Party, resorting to such blatant flattery?"

"With Qiu Weizhen dead, is there not even half a backbone left?"

“Those petty scoundrels, those who steal like chickens and dogs, are not worth discussing things with, not worth discussing things with!”

Li Shichun's hysteria, the anger that had just been subdued by Xiao Yuanfu, is now reigniting, and the situation is spiraling out of control.

"Humph!"

"Grand Secretary Li should be careful with his words."

"Using a criminal from the previous dynasty to slander ministers of the current dynasty."

"How can you say such a thing?"

Unexpectedly, Lin Zhiwan, this despicable and ungrateful thief, is even more disgusting.

It seems that, for the sake of their own future, they have even forgotten the kindness of the past when Elder Qiu promoted them.

They drew clear lines, showing no gratitude or righteousness, only relentlessly pursuing Xiao Yuanfu, the current prime minister.

"you!"

"You scoundrel, you shameless scoundrel."

Even if Li Erhe was incompetent, he still had some face to lose. He despised these spineless cowards from the Southern Party.

Of course, Lin Zhiwan didn't care what he was thinking at the moment.

The best solution is to align yourself with Xiao and show your loyalty.

"Ah, as the saying goes, those who understand the times are the heroes."

"In this chaotic world, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

"The rightful king shall be the one who is capable."

"Only in this way can our Great Ming Dynasty prosper forever."

"Lord Jing, I, Lin Zhiwan, second the memorial to the throne, recommending you to be promoted to Prince Jing, so as to embolden the army and reassure the people of the world."

Furthermore, upon finishing the conversation, Lin Zhiwan respectfully bowed in submission.

Behind him, a large number of Southern court officials were also stirred up, and they knelt down in unison, recommending Xiao Yuanfu to be promoted to king.

With such a commotion, it's hard to believe that there wasn't some prior coordination.

Looking at the vast imperial palace now, apart from a few scattered Northern faction members, and the fact that Zhi Zhong, Ming Lu, Qi Gang and others had not moved, the rest were all involved.

For this reason, Xiao Lang was somewhat dazed for a moment.

He quickly composed himself, took a few deep breaths, and was forced to remain calm.

After a long while, he slowly began to speak, gently declining the offer.
The golden palace is shrouded in mist and twilight chill, while a few palace crows circle the balustrade.

I have glimpsed the changing of jade couches, and grown accustomed to watching swallows come and go in the vermilion towers.

As he turned to face the falling flute, his gaze grew increasingly complex and he sighed, looking out towards the eaves of the palace.

Just then, a flock of crows swooped down and perched on the glazed tile ridges, flying eaves, and brackets, forming a dark mass, like moldy cotton wool covering the palace.

Suddenly, or perhaps a gust of wind rises, the flock of crows takes flight again, blotting out the sky and the sun, their wings rustling like tearing silk, echoing endlessly through the deep palace.

Their cries were shrill and chaotic, sometimes like the wailing of an infant at night, sometimes like the dry howling of an old woman.

The white expanse, speckled with crow droppings, was glaringly bright as it fell to the ground.

The crows that had perched on the roof ridge of the palace tilted their heads.

His dark eyes reflected the crimson dawn on the horizon, his expression cold and stern as he surveyed the crumbling imperial palace.

When the sun rises again, it will be the end of Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

After the morning court session, Xiao and Zhizhong hurriedly removed their court robes, mounted their horses, and rode out of Qingbo Gate, heading towards Lingyin Temple in the northwest of the city.

As the mountain road stretched on, the lingering scents of cosmetics from Hangzhou gradually dissipated behind the smoke-filled path.

As the sun rises, the morning sun shines higher.

There were already a few pedestrians coming and going on the road.

Some were dressed in simple linen clothes, while others were leisurely scholars in brocade and silk, with folding fans. Occasionally, I would pass by a few old women, their canes trembling, yet they refused to stop.

His soft chanting of scriptures mingled with the morning breeze, and the distant sound of bells echoed through the air, creating a cacophony that reverberated along the mountain path.

The two, Xiao and Qiu, passed through the gorge between the peaks of Feilai and Beigao.

We stopped and reined in our horses, and after galloping for a while, we caught our breath.

"Whoa—"

"Old Xiao, no, take a break, let the horse catch its breath."

Zhi Zhong was slightly behind Xiao Jingchuan and stopped from behind.

Caught off guard, Xiao Lang was suddenly caught off guard and had no choice but to turn back on horseback.

"This is nothing! Why stop here?"

Xiao Dang was a ruthless and ambitious man, so he naturally didn't take this mountain road seriously.

It is clear that Zhizhong cannot be compared to him.

Especially in recent years, he has been preoccupied with court affairs and has had little opportunity to travel.

With my body constantly buried in official cases and philosophical discussions, my health has become increasingly unstable.

"Hey, if you don't rest, the horse needs to rest too."

"These mountains are high and the forests are dense. Is the mountain path you're on, or is it a flat, main road?"

"Look, Lingyin Mountain is just ahead, and the temple gate isn't far away."

Zhi Zhong was panting heavily, his mouth and throat dry. He struggled to maintain his posture and immediately started complaining.

Just then, there happened to be a small tea stall next to him on the way.

The stall wasn't big, and the old man selling tea poured steaming hot tea into rough porcelain bowls.

Several early-morning pilgrims sat around, munching on dry rations and drinking tea as they ate.

Judging from the situation, Xiao Dao finally realized that Zhi Zhong was exhausted.

There was nothing he could do, and without saying much more, he jumped off his horse and sat down casually at the small bamboo table in front of the tea stall, setting out two rough teacups and beckoning the tea master to pour the tea.

Qiu Ye, having been spared, relaxed his stance, dismounted from his horse, and hurried to the table to rest.

"Hey, when is Changting coming back?"

During a break between serving tea, we chatted idly.

"Ah, tell him to send a message to Yuan Ping. Judging by his journey, he should be arriving in Jiujiang soon this afternoon."

"It will take at least two or three days to make the round trip."

"What's up? Do you need to see him?"

Xiao Lang had changed into casual clothes. The imposing manner he displayed in the court this morning had long since been removed along with his court robes and left at his residence.

This ordinary tea stall, where people eat and drink alongside the common folk, exudes a sense of ease and comfort.

"Hey, what can I do for you?"

"But I noticed she didn't come out with you, so I was just asking casually."

"By the way, that memorial requesting merit that Minglu submitted in court this morning... you..."

Zhi Zhong was surprised by the incident at the morning court session and, fearing that there might be some ulterior motive, he consulted with Xiao Shun.

Upon hearing this, Xiao appeared quite indifferent, downed the coarse bowl of tea in two gulps, and then picked up the pot to refill it himself.

“Minglu came to my residence last night.”

"That order was actually finalized by the two of us during the night."

"But why was a different one delivered to the palace this morning?"

"Humph!"

"There must have been some shady dealings or shady activities before the morning court session."

“Zeng Ji and Lin Zhiwan are the ones who act with great cunning.”

"As for Minglu, he works under the Ministry of Personnel, and there are many people and gossips before the morning court session, so it's possible that he can't make it in time to report."

Xiao spoke mostly coldly and indifferently, but one could not tell that he was very angry.

Just as the morning mountain breeze swept by, the tea stall sign fluttered loudly.

Across the mountain path, in the old locust tree, there were several black crows. I don't know how they manage to stay out of sight of me everywhere. (End of Chapter)