Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Sure enough, Xianfeng looked at Prince Gong meaningfully.

Yi Xin quickly knelt on the ground and replied, "Your Majesty, I am busy with many matters in my palace and am truly unfit to take on this important task. Please choose someone else!"

Xianfeng replied calmly, "Alright, my brother, Liu Ye will be the main person in charge of this negotiation. You recommended him. If someone else were to take charge, I'm afraid it would be inconvenient. I'm sorry to trouble you this time!"

Yi? was extremely anxious and said quickly, "Your Majesty..."

"Alright, that's it. I'm a little tired. You can all leave first. I will issue an edict tomorrow..."

Yi? had no choice but to retreat with Liu Ye.

Yi Yi glared at Liu Ye fiercely and walked out first. He really didn't know what to say to this kid. Could it be that such a smart man didn't know that serving the emperor was like serving a tiger? He was the person the emperor was most suspicious of!

Liu Ye also felt that he was a bit rash. He was too embarrassed to speak and smacked his lips lightly. Damn, he still couldn't control his mouth!

Returning to Prince Gong's residence, Yi Fangcai angrily said, "Liu Ye, don't you know that the Emperor is quite suspicious of me? He actually asked me to take charge. Now, we're both being targeted!"

Liu Ye smiled awkwardly and said, "Your Highness, I really forgot about this. Please forgive me, please forgive me!"

Yi Yi sighed and replied, "It's come to this. This is the only way. Let's finish the job first. If we mess it up, neither of us will be happy!"

At the morning court the next day, Emperor Xianfeng announced his decree first, appointing Prince Gong Yixin as the chief minister of the four-nation negotiations, Grand Secretary Wen Xiangwen as the co-minister, and Liu Ye, a doctor in the Lifanyuan, as the assistant minister. The three of them were jointly responsible for the negotiations with the four countries!

It is obvious that Liu Ye is just a fifth-rank civil servant, but he actually directly entered the negotiation team and became the third person after Prince Gong and the Grand Secretary. It is really incredible!

Woren, Guiliang, Du Han, and the others all walked out of the court, firmly opposing this. What kind of thing was this? A mere fifth-rank official, a newly appointed fifth-rank civil servant, was actually being involved in state affairs. How could this be absurd? Where would these bigwigs put their dignity?

Facing the heated court debate, Xianfeng rubbed his temples. Damn, this group of people are not very good at doing their job and are trying to sabotage each other. This is absolutely rare in the world!

Even Prince Gong and Grand Secretary Wenxiang beside them looked embarrassed and didn't know how to fight back. This matter was difficult to handle because Liu Ye was too young and his official position was too low. It was no wonder that others attacked him. If these big men were in their twenties and still studying hard, who wouldn't be jealous?

Liu Ye looked at the big guys around him who were spitting everywhere, smiled faintly, and said, "Damn it, today I'll let you see how powerful I am!"

Liu Ye looked at Wo Ren who was standing beside him. This guy was the one who was making the most noise. He was the leader of the conservatives and held a high position. If they wanted to take action, they had to find someone like him!

Liu Ye took two steps forward and bowed to Wo Ren, saying, "Sir Wo Ren, may I ask why I cannot serve as your assistant?"

Woren snorted coldly and shook his head, ignoring Liu Ye. He was a dignified Grand Secretary, a first-rank official, and the Prince's Grand Tutor. It would be embarrassing for him to waste time talking to a twenty-year-old brat like him!

Liu Ye didn't care and continued, "Let me ask you, my lords, what are the criteria for recruiting officials in our court?"

Wen Xiang, standing by, replied, "The imperial court naturally selects officials based on their talents and virtues, choosing the virtuous and capable."

Liu Ye smiled at Wen Xiang and thanked him, "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Wen. Since you are selecting the most virtuous and capable, I would like to ask Lord Wo Ren, why do you think I can't be the assistant secretary? Do you have a better candidate for the position of assistant secretary?"

"This one……"

Wo Ren froze immediately. He didn't expect Liu Ye's words to be so sharp. He kicked the ball to him!

Woren was a Neo-Confucian scholar. Although he was conservative, his moral integrity was good. Where could he find someone who understood Western affairs? Not to mention that Guo Ye was known for being proficient in several foreign languages, a rare figure in the world!

Liu Ye's gentle questioning left Weiren speechless, but Du Han, standing by, was not going to give in. He reported to Emperor Xianfeng, "Your Majesty, Liu Ye claims to be proficient in foreign affairs, but no one has ever proven that. Furthermore, he is too inexperienced. If he is appointed as an assistant minister, I'm afraid he will be laughed at by the foreigners, who will say that we have no one left in the Qing Dynasty..."

Before Liu Ye could reply, Sushun on the side replied, "Well, Lord Du, Liu Ye's proficiency in foreign affairs is not self-proclaimed. Prince Khorchin once strongly recommended him to the emperor. This is not a problem. The problem lies only in his qualifications and official rank. Your Majesty, whether it is a minister or an assistant minister, they have always been first- and second-rank officials. Guo Ye is only a fifth-rank civil servant now. It is inappropriate for him to hold such an important position!"

Although Sushun was overbearing, he always looked up to talented people. He wanted to bring Liu Ye under his command, so he showed his goodwill to Guo Ye again.

However, all the important officials in the court were at least fifty years old. Suddenly, a young man took on this heavy responsibility. Of course, they were dissatisfied and resentful. Even if Sushun stood up, it was still difficult to suppress his voice.

Liu Ye once again said to Xianfeng: "Your Majesty, I have something to say!"

Xianfeng asked, "My dear, if you have anything to say, please speak."

Liu Ye replied, "The four nations are pressing hard, and the situation is urgent. If Your Majesty continues to allow you gentlemen to continue the negotiations as planned, war will inevitably break out in the capital region. I am willing to issue a military order and ask Your Majesty to grant me the power to make an arbitrary decision. I am willing to negotiate with the American envoy first and have the United States withdraw from the four-nation alliance within three days!"

Xianfeng was shocked. Although this little guy's words were not very reliable sometimes, his responsibility and courage were rare among the court officials. Look at these big guys, they have all become old foxes. They usually only know how to flatter or say sweet words but have evil intentions, and trip each other up. Once something happens, they are all helpless. If I don't use such people, should I rely on those losers?

Xianfeng said in a deep voice: "Liu Ye, there is no joking between the emperor and his subjects. Are you really sure?"

Liu Ye said solemnly, "Your Majesty, if you only give me the power, I will definitely withdraw the United States from this dispute. This is absolutely true!"

Xianfeng clapped his hands fiercely and shouted, "Alright! Liu Ye, as long as you can persuade America, then why should I hesitate to give you a small temporary assistant? Even if I give you the title of governor, what's not to like?"

Everyone was horrified upon hearing this. A governor? That was a true second-rank official, a high-ranking official! In the entire Qing Empire, there were only about twenty governors! Could it really be given to this brat who was not even twenty years old?