Drunk Bamboo

Hua Qinfeng's back gradually disappeared until he was hidden in the crowd. Zhang Xinghe withdrew his gaze, hid his thoughts deep in his eyes, and walked towards the Ministry of Justice.

On the other side, Prince Wen Hua Qinming was called to Baoping Palace by the emperor alone.

"Your Majesty, I, your son, pay my respects to you and wish you a happy and healthy life." Hua Qinming bowed politely.

"I'm fine." The emperor waved his hand, and Eunuch Dong moved a chair for Hua Qinming.

This is how the emperor treated King Wen differently. When the Crown Prince and King Feng came, he would answer them while standing. Only Hua Qinming could sit.

"Minister Li of the Ministry of Personnel has reported to me many times that you have been in the Ministry of Personnel for a short time, but you have already taken control of most of the affairs and done a very good job." The emperor put down his pen and chatted.

Hua Qinming sat down, raised his face slightly like a banished immortal, and smiled: "My father, I am not as smart as the crown prince, nor do I have the ability of my third brother. My father overcame all objections and canonized me as King Wen before I was twenty. I cannot live up to my father's expectations, and I cannot let him down. My father asked me to enter the Ministry of Personnel to study with Lord Li. I can only work day and night to master the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel as soon as possible, so as to share my father's worries."

This smile melted even the emperor's heart.

Immaculate without a speck of dust, this is probably what Hua Qinming's face is like.

"It's good that you work hard, but you should also take care of your health. You have been weak since childhood and cannot overwork yourself. You can learn about the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel slowly, there is no rush." ​​The emperor saw that he seemed to have lost some weight again, and said with concern.

"Thank you for your concern, father. I will take good care of myself. Father has been worried about the Loushan case for many days. Now my third brother has not only solved the case and caught the robbers, but also recovered the lost 100,000 taels of silver. Father is relieved of his worries, and he can rest assured for a few days."

The emperor smiled and asked inconspicuously: "Feng'er said there might be someone else behind the case, what do you think Ming'er?"

He lowered his head to read the paper, but his eyes glanced at Hua Qinming.

Hua Qinming's eyes moved slightly, his expression remained unchanged, and he spoke in a charming voice: "Everyone knows about the Loushan case, which concerns the people on both sides of the Yangtze River. Although I want to do my best to help, I can't even leave Zhongdu City. I can only focus on the work of the Ministry of Personnel and do my best with my own strengths. I am not good at handling cases, but I heard from other officials that the Loushan case was very tortuous and thrilling. Perhaps the purpose is not simple. Father is a wise monarch, and he will definitely see through the mystery, but I can't. If father needs it, I will definitely die for him."

Every word and sentence was spoken with sincerity and frankness, and was very appropriate.

The emperor withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, nodded, raised his eyes and smiled:

"I just asked casually, Ming'er, don't take it to heart. The case has been settled, and any follow-up is the Ministry of Justice's business. Your mother hasn't seen you for many days and misses you very much. Go to Fu'an Palace to pay your respects to your mother."

"Yes, I will retire."

Hua Qinming retreated, and Baoping Hall became unusually quiet.

The emperor's smile had long since disappeared from his face, and he spoke quietly, "Do you think what King Wen said just now is credible?"

The only person left in the palace was Eunuch Dong.

He bowed his body, not daring to answer directly, and only said: "Reporting to your majesty, the people who tried to murder Prince Gu before were some gangsters, and they showed no signs of making friends with officials in Zhongdu. In addition to going to the Buddhist temple to burn incense after court every day, King Wen has been busy with the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. During the day, he is watched by a group of officials in the Ministry of Justice, and at night he is mostly in the study for official business. He should not have the opportunity to meet outsiders."

"Didn't you say that Han Jian's son Han Xin had dealings with some Jianghu people?"

Eunuch Dong paused.

The emperor shouted, "Han Jian supports King Wen. This is so obvious. Do you think I am blind?"

"Your Majesty has a keen eye." Eunuch Dong continued with a flattering smile, "Minister Han has a wide range of friends. The palace once invited people from the martial arts world to practice martial arts, but Minister Han opposed it. He felt that Minister Han neglected his studies for this, so he dismissed all of them. Another thing is that during this period, Minister Han fell ill with a strange disease. Minister Han went to the palace to ask Your Majesty to invite the imperial physician to come out of the palace to treat him. Your Majesty was furious at the time."

His eyebrows slightly frowned. "I remember that Han Jian also worked hard for his son. Two years ago, in order to let Han Xin join the Ministry of Works, he sacrificed his reputation and came to me. If it weren't for the fact that he has been by my side for many years and is quite capable, he would have appointed anyone with just a word. He didn't do it privately, but specifically asked me for help, which is not partiality. That's why I issued a special decree to appoint him."

Otherwise, with Han Xin's qualifications and abilities, he would never be able to sit in the position of Minister of Works.

From the emperor's tone and attitude, I knew he was not angry, and a gleam of light flashed across his lowered eyes.

"Recently, Minister Han redeemed a brothel girl and took her into the mansion. Madam Han cried loudly in the mansion, and Lord Han fainted several times. In the end, he let the girl into the Han mansion. Although there is no rule in this dynasty that officials cannot marry brothel girls, for the sake of reputation, no one is willing to let a brothel girl into the house. The Han family has been officials for generations, and Lord Han is willing to make concessions for Minister Han, which shows that he really loves Minister Han."

The voice was neither too high nor too low, and it had a joking tone, as if it was a story told to entertain the emperor.

The emperor did not treat it as a story. Instead, he looked serious and pondered for a moment before removing his cold expression.

"I also thought that Han Jian didn't have the guts. So, King Wen should have nothing to do with the Loushan case. The Loushan case involves the foundation of my country. I believe that if I give it to Xinghe, he will be able to find out the truth."

Eunuch Dong agreed: "Your Majesty is right."

Without sufficient evidence, the emperor would not take action against King Wen.

The person who knows the emperor best is Eunuch Dong.

The emperor was not just angry about what Hua Qinfeng said in the hall yesterday.

It is true that he favors Hua Qinming, but that doesn't mean there are no people watching him.

The emperor's expression changed, and he said angrily, "Han Xin did such a bastard thing, I get angry just thinking about it! He is actually the same minister as Xinghe. How can Han Xin be compared with Xinghe? Find a chance to let Xun Bai, Wu Guanzhong and other old officials take charge, and stop being so mysterious all day long."

Eunuch Dong: "Yes. Even if His Majesty didn't say it, Lord Ouyang of the Censorate would have made a report. Speaking of Lord Zhang, he was a child prodigy who could write poems at the age of five and paint at the age of six. It's rare to see one in a century."

When Zhang Xinghe was mentioned, the emperor's expression immediately improved.

In a friendly tone, "Xinghe is very much like his father in both temperament and character. What is most precious is his loyalty, which makes me feel at ease."

A trace of regret appeared on the emperor's face: "It's a pity that Qianhe left so early."

Zhang Qianhe, Zhang Xinghe's father, was the emperor's study partner and childhood playmate, and they had a deep relationship.

When the emperor thought of him, he looked sad: "If it wasn't for the drug test, how could he have left me at such a young age?"

Eunuch Dong comforted him: "Mr. Zhang is kind-hearted and sacrificed himself for the people of Rao. Your Majesty should not blame yourself. Now that young Mr. Zhang is trusted and valued by your Majesty, you will be pleased if you know it in the afterlife."

"As I was talking, I remembered the past. Tell me, am I getting old?"

Times have changed and things and people are no longer the same.

Even the prince charming cannot resist the passage of time and will eventually grow old.

Eunuch Dong is very good at speaking: "Your Majesty is still in the prime of life, how can you be old? Your Majesty remembers and cherishes the old friends, which shows that he is very affectionate."

The emperor shook his head. "Alright, I know it's useless to ask you this. The only one who dares to tell me the truth is Prince Feng. Who did he inherit his reckless and outspoken character from? How could someone as smart and clever as Concubine Shu give birth to a son with such a bad temper?"

"A dragon has nine sons, each one is different. In my opinion, the brave and courageous King Feng looks exactly like your Majesty when he was young."

Eunuch Dong spoke with great discretion, touching the emperor's heart.

"In fact, looking at him now, he doesn't look much like that man." The emperor looked up, his face old and worn, unable to resist the traces of time.

His shrewd eyes moved, and he replied carefully: "They are all descendants of the late emperor, so it is inevitable that they have some similarities in appearance and voice. From what I have seen, the Wind King is more like your Majesty when he was young."

Recalling the past, the emperor's eyes were a little cloudy.

"Nineteen years ago, Prince Liang and Prince Xiao instigated the princes to rise up and force the emperor to abdicate. The steps were stained with blood and I almost lost my life. The most hateful one is Prince Xiao. He usually pretends to be innocent and friendly with me, but I didn't expect that he was lying to me. Feng'er has never liked literature since he was a child. He only likes to wield swords and guns. In addition, his eyebrows and eyes are very similar to those of Prince Xiao back then. He has a bad temper and is stubborn. I don't like him from the bottom of my heart. Now think about it, I let him stay at the western border for these years and made things difficult for him."

"Youguo's new ruler is young, and the country is not as strong as before. Now the border is stable, and Xiao Zhong is guarding it, which is enough. His daughter stays in Zhongdu as Ming'er's concubine, as a hostage, so that I can feel a little relieved."

Finally, he said: "Feng'er, after all, is my biological son. I'd better let him stay in Zhongdu and then return to the Western Frontier. I'm afraid that he will only know General Xiao Zhong and forget about me, his father."

He bowed and agreed: "Your Majesty has thought it through."