Chapter 986: Chapter 822: Is Choosing Min Feng Really the Right Decision?

Gu Chengyu just hadn’t expected that it would actually be Min Feng who was chosen. For such an important matter, was choosing Min Feng really a good idea?

It wasn’t that Gu Chengyu looked down on Min Feng so much as that, comparatively speaking, Min Feng was still a bit too green; he feared he wouldn’t be able to hold down those State officials.

Ahem! When it came down to it, wasn’t this just because he felt Min Feng wasn’t as capable as he was? Gu Chengyu couldn’t help feeling a bit ashamed; he really was quite full of himself.

But even if this matter were handed to him, it wasn’t as if he could guarantee perfection either. All he could do would be to give it everything he had!

"Emperor! Min Feng’s qualifications are still shallow; I fear he cannot accomplish this. I beg the Emperor to choose someone more capable!"

At this point Xia Qing couldn’t care about anything else. If his little disciple really went to Jiangnan, he himself would inevitably be constrained in what he could do.

When the time came, if he failed to get his own affairs done and his little disciple also botched the assignment, master and disciple alike would be mocked by those jealous men in the court.

The Emperor’s face darkened. "You’re always saying I never give Min Feng opportunities, and now that I have given him one, you want to decline on his behalf. What is this? You look down on the errands I assign?"

The Crown Prince glanced at Gu Chengyu and found the other man had his head lowered, as if his eyes were tracing the patterns on the carpet.

The corner of the Crown Prince’s mouth twitched slightly. Gu Chengyu really could keep his composure!

He certainly didn’t believe that map of Gu Chengyu’s had been copied by a steward at his residence; perhaps Gu Chengyu had long since started paying attention to the States along the Lijiang in Jiangnan.

Otherwise, Gu Chengyu couldn’t possibly have come up with a solution so quickly.

Since he’d been paying attention all along, what Gu Chengyu was aiming at hardly needed saying, did it? He’d probably set his sights on this opportunity for promotion long ago.

So just now he’d wanted to propose to his imperial father that he himself go to Jiangnan and take Gu Chengyu along, as a way of doing the man a favor at no cost to himself, since in the end his imperial father would send Gu Chengyu anyway.

It was just a pity that, exactly as he had expected, his imperial father hadn’t agreed at all.

The Crown Prince wanted to recommend Gu Chengyu and raise his favorability again.

But when he lifted his head and saw how ugly his imperial father’s expression was, he couldn’t help but beat a retreat.

Since Gu Chengyu was this calm, he must already have a plan.

Besides, if he brought this up now, his imperial father might not agree.

If his imperial father had that intention, he should have raised it long ago. He’d better keep watching for now; the time wasn’t ripe!

"Emperor! This matter is no trivial one. Min Feng has been in officialdom for just over two years, and to have him shoulder such a heavy responsibility now seems somewhat inappropriate."

Xia Qing only feared the Emperor would forcibly press this matter through, and by then Min Feng would be unable to bear it. After all, Min Feng was not yet up to something this big.

"Chief Minister Xia speaks most truly! Emperor, this flood is no child’s play—it concerns the lives of millions upon millions of commoners! I beg the Emperor to think thrice on this!"

Deng Chenghong felt this was simply absurd. Such a major affair was being entrusted to nothing more than an Imperial Academy Attendant from the Hanlin Academy?

"Min Feng and Gu Aiqing entered service the same year. Gu Aiqing manages to complete everything I entrust to him every time—why should Min Feng not? To say he cannot before he’s even tried only proves that all your usual talk was bragging, that Min Feng is nothing special!"

The cold smile on the Emperor’s face stabbed deeply into Xia Qing. He knew that if he did not agree today, Min Feng would not get far on his future career path. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The Emperor was plainly harboring quite a bit of resentment toward Min Feng; it must be that the matter of his two consecutive promotions had left the Emperor displeased.

At the time, the Emperor had brushed the matter aside with a few light words, and Xia Qing had secretly rejoiced, thinking he himself would have to show some sincerity but unexpectedly finding the Emperor didn’t seem to mind.

So the Emperor had just been waiting for him here! Very well then—this matter could also be taken as an opportunity. Better to go all in!

"Since the Emperor so vigorously recommends him, why not have Min Feng personally receive the decree? I, your humble servant, am only his teacher and cannot act in his stead."

Gu Chengyu felt Xia Qing’s compromise was only natural. With things pushed this far, the arrow was already on the string and had to be loosed!

"De’an, send someone to summon the Hanlin Academy Attendant Min Feng!"

Min Feng stepped down from the carriage and followed behind the eunuch, heading toward the inner palace.

His face was expressionless, but inwardly he was anything but calm. His teacher had been summoned to the palace in the middle of the night; he had no idea what had happened.

He had been pacing restlessly in the residence until the eunuch arrived to invite him into the palace.

He was still uneasy now. The silver note he’d slipped the eunuch just now seemed to have had no effect at all. The man had taken the Silver, but all he’d said was that the Emperor had summoned him.

How could he not be flustered by that? As for the eunuch in front of him, he naturally hated him so much his teeth itched.

His monthly salary was only so much, and all his other food, clothing, and daily expenses came from the Xia Mansion. Those twenty taels of Silver were his monthly allowance from the Xia Mansion.

What could that bit of salary from the court do? No wonder some officials lined their own pockets and took bribes—wasn’t it because they had no Silver to use?

In the end, officialdom was really too unfriendly to poor students like them.

Socializing with colleagues took Silver, paying respects to superiors took Silver, and even having the eunuch before him pass on a message took Silver—everywhere he turned, nothing could be done without Silver.

Fortunately, he had his teacher to supplement him. Otherwise, he’d be like those poor scholars in the Hanlin Academy, who had nothing but a white steamed bun and pickles even for lunch.

But he was already married and still living in his teacher’s residence all the time, which was quite inconvenient.

Thinking of this, Min Feng couldn’t help recalling Gu Chengyu. Gu Chengyu was also from a poor family, yet he was quite rich.

Every day he was decked in gold and silver, and his food, clothing, and daily use were no different from those of an aristocratic family; Min Feng truly envied the sight.

It seemed he needed to discuss it with his teacher and think of some side business to provide for his and his wife’s daily expenses.

This notion lingered in Min Feng’s mind for just an instant before he pushed it aside. This was not the time to be thinking about such things.

He raised his head and glanced at the palace halls illuminated by palace lanterns all around them, and doubt arose in his heart.

"Gonggong, this doesn’t seem to be the road to the Imperial Study Room." Min Feng’s gaze toward the eunuch turned unfriendly. This was the Imperial Palace; how could one wander around at will?

Especially at night. The curfew had long since fallen. If he were caught wandering the palace, he’d be in serious trouble.

He’d been to the Imperial Study Room before; did this man think he’d never entered the palace?

What exactly was this person trying to do? Was it not the Emperor who wanted to see him after all?

"Mr. Min, there’s no need to overthink it. The Emperor is receiving you in the Chengqian Palace this time; there are plenty of other officials in the palace as well. I wouldn’t dare do something like falsely passing on a Holy Decree—that’s a crime punishable by beheading."

The eunuch walking ahead heard the fear and suspicion in Min Feng’s words and couldn’t help curling his lip. This one was far too timid.

He was a Sixth-rank Official—did someone really think it was worth plotting against him? Still, the man was the disciple of the Grand Secretary Xia after all, so he had no choice but to explain a couple of sentences.

Though still uneasy, Min Feng did not ask further questions. The two walked one in front and one behind, and after about the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, they finally arrived at the Chengqian Palace.

"Your subject Min Feng respectfully wishes the Emperor peace and health!" Seeing that it really was the Emperor who had summoned him, Min Feng hurriedly knelt to offer his greeting.

"Min Aiqing, rise."

"Thank you, Emperor!" Min Feng stood up stiffly, then turned to salute the officials present.