Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

The Minister of Personnel lowered his head and remained silent, not daring to openly offend the monarch. Even if the Vice Minister of Personnel had a candidate in mind, it would still require the monarch's approval.

"Since Minister He cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, then let my nephew take office," the king said angrily, clearly intending to establish a dictatorship.

This Wu Kingdom belongs to my Xia family. Who gave you the right to point fingers here?

However, is the situation really as simple as the king thought?

Another high-ranking official stepped forward, saying respectfully, "This matter is inappropriate. There is no precedent for this in our dynasty. We hope Your Majesty will reconsider."

This man is the Minister of War, who not only has power but also troops, and his words carry immense weight.

Besides, what they said is also true. Even if Xia Yeran was a top scholar and had received a prestigious degree, he couldn't directly become a third-rank official.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" all the civil and military officials said in unison.

This is undoubtedly the true situation in the Wu Kingdom's court. The power in the hands of the monarch has been divided, and he has even become a puppet. How can he dictate the throne?

The king was so angry he gritted his teeth and almost cursed.

The reason he wanted Xia Yeran to be in a high position was to better assist him and prevent these court officials from becoming complacent. However, he ran into a wall at the very first step.

"The Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture recently stepped down, so why not let the Prince fill the vacancy?" said the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs, a third-rank official, with a smile, acting as a peacemaker.

The Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture was a fourth-rank official position, which was not low. Moreover, he was in charge of the entire Yingtian Prefecture, making it an extremely lucrative post.

"Ye Ran, what do you think?" the king asked, still displeased.

Although the position of Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture was not insignificant, he was mainly responsible for local affairs and rarely participated in court matters, so he could not provide much help to the emperor.

"Your subject obeys!" Xia Yeran clasped his hands and kowtowed, not wanting to make the situation too awkward. Besides, he also wanted to start from the bottom, and the position of Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture was already beyond his expectations.

As long as they don't make mistakes, even if their political achievements are mediocre, they will have a chance to be promoted once every three years. Not to mention that with the support of the monarch, they should be able to truly enter the court in less than a year.

This year should be used as a time to hone myself.

With that, the matter came to an end. After the eunuch announced his farewell, the king turned and left, and the civil and military officials dispersed one after another.

Several powerful officials were chatting and laughing in small groups, while Xia Yeran was all alone.

He was a prince, a member of the royal family, and should have had a bright future and been respected by everyone. It's just that he took the wrong path and was met with unanimous hostility from everyone. Even the position of Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture was filled by him.

So why did the former Prefect of Yingtian resign?

Is he being promoted? Or is he retiring and returning to his hometown?

No, it wasn't that. He was forced to leave because he was afraid he would be punished if he didn't.

Not long ago, a series of strange cases occurred in Yingtian Prefecture, leaving the prefect completely bewildered. Unable to give the people a satisfactory answer or the court a reasonable explanation, he voluntarily resigned.

Therefore, the position of Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture is not easy to hold, and it is even a hot potato. After all, this is Yingtian Prefecture, and any slight disturbance will attract attention.

To appease them?

nonexistent!

Moreover, Xia Yeran is not that kind of person, which means that the road ahead will not be easy.

At this moment, Lin Ping, who was wandering along the banks of the Qinhuai River, was a little tired and found a well-located inn to stay in for the time being.

In crowded places, information is more readily available, and the chances of meeting influential people are greater. Only in this way can he have the opportunity to lead troops to attack the Lotus Palace.

This is also the main reason why Lin Ping chose the bustling city center.

Before long, the sky gradually darkened, and looking at the last red glow outside the window, Lin Ping felt a deep sense of loneliness and desolation.

He used to have a wife by his side, and servants and maids to embrace him, it was quite a lively life. Now, this scene is truly heartbreaking.

The nights in Yingtian Prefecture were much more lively than those in Jiangcheng Prefecture, but Lin Ping was out of place amidst the hustle and bustle. After dinner, he climbed onto the roof alone.

Xia Linglong once took him to the rooftop to admire the moon, and he was surprised to find that the view was indeed excellent, so he climbed up alone.

Lin Ping, perched on the eaves, half-squatted, her hands supporting her cheeks, looking just like a young girl in the throes of first love.

He had always believed in the concept of parallel universes, hoping that Jiang Yunying, who was far away, was also enjoying the moon.

The crescent moon was just like Jiang Yunying's smiling eyes, breathtakingly beautiful.

Love at its deepest point is heartache. Lin Ping deliberately suppressed this thought and temporarily put Jiang Yunying out of his mind to avoid ruining his plan in a moment of excitement.

After his mind went blank, Lin Ping suddenly remembered another woman he had once crossed paths with: Xia Linglong.

The two once admired the moon together, and although they each had their own ulterior motives, it was still a romantic occasion.

To be honest, Lin Ping was indeed amazed by Xia Linglong's female attire; describing her as breathtakingly beautiful would not be an exaggeration.

"I wonder how that tomboy is doing now?" Lin Ping thought to himself. He knew that Xia Linglong had been taken back to Yingtian Prefecture by his brother, and she might be somewhere near him.

Whether they will meet again depends entirely on fate; Lin Ping will not take the initiative to seek out the other party.

Not to mention that his relationship with Xia Linglong is not yet that intimate, even if he does miss her a little, he cannot act rashly. After all, he has offended Xia Linglong and may be suppressed by him, thus ruining his plans.

To temporarily avoid his former enemies, Lin Ping even changed his name, calling himself Ruthless.

"Huh? What's that?" In the dim light, Lin Ping seemed to see a flying figure that was blocking the bright moonlight.

The person was extremely fast; by the time Lin Ping reacted, the person had already disappeared.

Lin Ping was a busybody, and he was certain that anyone scaling walls and rooftops late at night was no good... except himself.

"Trying to escape Master Ping's eyes? No way!" Lin Ping activated both eyes simultaneously, locking onto the man in the darkness.

It must be said that this person was quite agile, causing Lin Ping to shake his head repeatedly, until he finally discovered that the other person was hovering over the two houses.

"Boring." Lin Ping watched for a long time, but the man made no further move. He figured he was just a petty thief and didn't want to waste his energy, so he shut down his eyes and tumbled awkwardly off the roof...

The inn's beds weren't as comfortable as those in the Marquis's mansion, but they were still much better than the conditions we'd encountered along the way.

After several days of travel, Lin Ping was exhausted and fell asleep on the bed. His loud snoring almost drew complaints from other guests.

The next morning... it was almost noon when Lin Ping finally got up, ate a late breakfast, and went out of the inn.

"Are you Young Master Lin?" A man dressed as a servant greeted him with a smile, his anxious eyes suggesting he had been waiting for a long time.

Lin Ping nodded, sensing that the person meant no harm.

"Young Master Lin, this way please. My master has prepared a clinic for you," the servant said easily, explaining his purpose.

"The efficiency of the Paradise Hall is not bad." Lin Ping nodded with some satisfaction, naturally knowing who its master was.