spoiled brat

Chapter 149, Section 148: The Sun Flame (Part 8)

Zhao Zhao wasn't exaggerating; what she gave Xie Xiaoqing was truly a stroke of good fortune.

The intercepted birthday gift pleased Minister Jiang greatly, but considering it was a "family heirloom of the Xie family," he accepted the gift and then returned it.

With this exchange of gifts and a return of favors, the two grew even closer, and Xie Xiaoqing was frequently invited to the Jiang residence as a guest.

Although he was simple-minded, he was indeed quite learned, unlike Li Qingwen who had accumulated the Four Books and Five Classics for the imperial examinations, but rather he had gained his knowledge from traveling through mountains and rivers.

In addition, he was straightforward and never used official jargon or platitudes; his thoughts were always on his face, which made Minister Jiang love talking to him even more.

One day, Minister Jiang asked Xie Xiaoqing what official position his father held, and Xie Xiaoqing answered truthfully:
"Your Excellency, although my family was once a noble clan, it has long since declined. My father was illiterate and never served as an official in the court."

He paused for a moment: "...Thanks to the blessings of my ancestors, my father served as an official in the village, holding the position of village head."

"Don't feel inferior because of your background."

Minister Jiang skimmed the tea foam with his covered cup. Despite decades of wealth and power, he still preferred strong tea and couldn't appreciate the dried leaves that were more expensive than gold.

"Although your father is a minor official, he plays a very important role, managing agricultural affairs, repairing water conservancy projects, collecting taxes and corvée labor... These things seem tedious, but how many people in the court understand them?"

"Officials usually sit idly by and talk about morality, but when it comes to serving the emperor, they are willing to die for him. They seem heroic, but in reality, they are useless—there are too few people who can actually get things done."

Minister Jiang took a sip of tea and put it down: "It's not strong enough, bring me another cup."

Before the servant could respond, Li Qingwen nodded: "Yes."

There are also rules for brewing strong tea, aiming for a strong flavor without bitterness.

Li Qingwen skillfully washed the cups, poured the incense, stirred the aroma, and poured the soup, his movements fluid and graceful, a delight to behold.

Jiang Ying loved seeing his lowered eyes when he was serious, and said reproachfully, "Father is not good to Qingwen at all, he always makes him do servant's work."

Minister Jiang looked helpless as he accepted the cup offered by Li Qingwen with both hands, praised it, and then said, "Ah, young ladies forget their fathers once they have a husband."

“…He’s not my husband yet!” Jiang Ying blushed.

Due to the war, the two have not yet tied the knot.

But in Li Qingwen's heart, this marriage was a done deal. He had never failed with a woman before; once he was caught in the net, he couldn't escape.

Besides, Jiang Ying only has a few close female friends and no other eligible men, except...

"Young Master Xie," Li Qingwen glanced at him, "What kind of tea would you like?"

Xie Xiaoqing looked up and met a pair of gentle, scholarly eyes. After the birthday banquet that day, Xie Xiaoqing had been living in fear for several days, firstly because he was afraid that Li Qingwen would hire someone to retaliate, and secondly because he was afraid that Li Qingwen would tell Minister Jiang about the matter of switching the birthday gifts.

Unexpectedly, this farce that made him look good and made Li Qingwen lose face was easily forgotten.

Li Qingwen remained motionless, as still as a coiled snake, flicking its tongue in the shadows as it observed the situation.

Now, the snake looked over with a smile, and Xie Xiaoqing neither dodged nor avoided it: "Either is fine."

Holding the tea offered by Li Qingwen, Xie Xiaoqing didn't dare to drink it. He looked at Minister Jiang, who was talking to Jiang Ying, and pretended to be listening intently.

Jiang Ying noticed his gaze, glared at him fiercely, and then playfully punched Minister Jiang's shoulder, saying:

"Father, you've promoted so many people, when will you be able to promote Qingwen to an official position again?"

Li Qingwen stood up in a panic: "Teacher..." Minister Jiang knew what he was afraid of, waved for him to sit down, and said to Jiang Ying: "You really don't care about Qingwen at all."

"Why?"

“Your father is old and thick-skinned, not afraid of what outsiders will say, but Qingwen is still young. If he is like those from the Wu family, and is said to have climbed up by clinging to women, will he be able to walk with his head held high in the future? Accumulating political achievements and slowly rising through the ranks is the long-term plan.”

Xie Xiaoqing, who was sitting silently to the side, thought to himself: Foolish! Since you know your eyesight is failing, why don't you put more effort into recognizing people? You are unaware of the wicked people around you. Who knows what kind of trouble you will cause in the future!
“You’re talking about building up political achievements, but how long has it been since you gave Qingwen a chance?” Jiang Ying was not happy. “He’s still only a seventh-rank official, and his official robe is as green as a turtle in the river. I’m embarrassed to take him out to meet my friends.”

Minister Jiang felt quite helpless, but Jiang Ying continued to plead, pulling on his arm.

Since the deaths of her brother and mother, the widowed woman has never been unable to obtain anything she desired.

Minister Jiang remained silent for a while, not mentioning the matter of assigning tasks to Li Qingwen, but instead asked Xie Xiaoqing: "Young Master Xie, when you were at home before, did you ever assist your father with affairs?"

Xie Xiaoqing was taken aback, then nodded reluctantly.

The village head is caught between the common people and the government, a difficult position. Unscrupulous people will bully the weak and flatter the strong, while virtuous people will manage the balance of power. Xie's father stood out from both—he was neither greedy for money nor did he do anything. He had been immersed in the government for decades and only learned how to avoid trouble.

"Very good." Minister Jiang expressed his approval of Xie Xiaoqing. "The martial arts training ground outside the city has been completed. The grounds are spacious, and refugees often spend the night there. Do you have a solution?"

That area is where students practice riding and archery; it is not yet in use and therefore not heavily guarded.

Xie Xiaoqing pondered for a moment, while Jiang Ying said impatiently, "Father, I asked you to assign Qingwen a job, why are you talking to him again?"

Li Qingwen was more perceptive than her and answered before Xie Xiaoqing could:

"Teacher, in my humble opinion, the training ground is spacious, overgrown with grass, and located near a river. Why not transfer the military horses from the capital to this area and raise them, and also employ some refugees who know how to raise horses? In this way, we can both comfort the people and save the court manpower."

Xie Xiaoqing retorted, "Lord Li's words sound nice, but while this may win the hearts of the people, if refugees take over the jobs, where will the horse breeders find work?"