Prime Minister.

Chapter 69, Chapter 068: Reminiscing About the Past

Qin Zhang felt a chilling and murderous aura envelop him, and his legs went weak.

Standing not far away, Marquis Qin Wan of Zhenyuan had a solemn expression, but his heart was calm. He knew that the emperor would not dare to kill Qin Zhang for this matter. At most, he would have someone give him a beating in court and use it as a warning to Qin Zhang, who was a powerful marquis.

Qin Wanli knew exactly what kind of person his son was. He had tried to discipline him over the years, but with little success. Besides the obstruction from Old Madam Qin, Qin Wanli's own determination was not very firm.

Although he came from a military background, he was by no means simple-minded, and he was especially good at understanding the emperor's mind.

The emperor disliked those below him wielding absolute power, which is why Ouyang Hui was able to remain an unshakeable figure in the cabinet, remaining steadfast despite attacks from all sides by the Ning faction's henchmen.

The same applies in the military.

Duke Xie Jing of Wei is highly respected and not yet too old to walk. Judging from his robust physique, he may live for another ten years or so. Now that he is the top military leader of the Great Yan, the emperor will naturally help him find some rivals like Qin Wanli.

Faced with such a suspicious emperor, Qin Wanli had to demonstrate sufficient ability, but he couldn't appear too perfect. So, seeing that he couldn't change his mother's doting on her youngest son, Qin Zhang, he simply let it be.

Nowadays, everyone in the capital knows that the young master of the Qin family is a first-rate good-for-nothing playboy, and the emperor occasionally uses this to admonish Qin Wanli.

Both the ruler and his minister felt at ease, creating a strange balance.

Right now, Qin Wanli's thoughts are mostly focused on that young third-place scholar.

I still remember that grand court assembly, where Xue Huai defeated Gu Heng with his sharp words and meticulous logic. At that time, Qin Wanli also chimed in to ridicule the ways in which civil officials amassed wealth.

From that day on, Qin Wanli began to observe Xue Huai's actions intentionally or unintentionally. He watched as Xue Huai performed outstandingly in the Ministry of Works corruption case, even causing the Prince of Dai to be confined to his residence for self-reflection because of his impeachment. Now, he easily dealt with Qin Zhang, which showed how deep Xue Huai's scheming was.

As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his father. Qin Wanli knew at a glance that Qin Zhang was not lying. His youngest son either didn't act at all, or when he did, it was definitely not as simple as just giving him a push.

In short, although Qin Zhang was at fault first, the subsequent fight was clearly instigated by Xue Huai.

However, Qin Wanli could only keep these speculations to himself, because he knew that the emperor was currently immersed in a feeling of nostalgia.

On the throne, the emperor remained silent for a long time, his slender eyes gleaming with a deep light.

"Qin Zhang."

"Your subject... Your subject is here."

"Even though I have lived in the palace for a long time, I have heard of your great name many times. In the past, I have reprimanded Marquis Zhenyuan many times because of your absurd nature. I thought you were just young and ignorant, but I never expected that you would be so arrogant and disrespectful to everyone."

The Emperor's tone was somber as he stared at Qin Zhang's pale face and said, "Even if pushing Xue Huai down was an accident, how do you explain what happened before? Who gave you the courage to lead a bunch of good-for-nothings and openly spout nonsense in front of more than twenty court officials? Do you have any sense of hierarchy?"

Qin Zhang trembled, his voice shaking as he said, "Your Majesty, I know my crime, I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

Cao Xuan and the others repeatedly admitted their mistakes and begged for forgiveness.

"If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll only become more arrogant and ignorant in the future."

The emperor snorted coldly and waved his hand, saying, "Take Qin Zhang away and give him forty strokes of the cane in court, and give Cao Xuan and the others twenty strokes of the cane, as a warning to others."

There was silence in the hall.

Qin Wanli stood there obediently, not daring to plead for his youngest son.

Several burly imperial guards stepped forward and coldly led away the trembling Qin Zhang and his companions.

The emperor looked at Zeng Min, who was standing beside him, and said coldly, "You go and keep an eye on things yourself."

Zeng Min felt a chill run down his spine, realizing the deeper meaning behind the emperor's words—the court flogging contained profound wisdom. Some people were beaten until they cried out in pain but were actually not seriously injured and could recover after a period of rest. Others, however, were beaten until their bones were fractured and their flesh was torn apart, leaving them disabled, after only a dozen or so strokes.

Qin Zhang and the others were, after all, sons of noble families, and the imperial guards carrying out the executions would inevitably hesitate about how to apply the appropriate force. The emperor's action was to tell Zeng Min that the forty strokes of the cane should be carried out thoroughly, as long as Qin Zhang was not killed or maimed.

Zeng Min took small, quick steps as she walked outside, giving Qin Wanli an apologetic look as she passed by.

Qin Wanli bowed his head respectfully to show that he would never harbor any resentment.

The emperor withdrew his gaze and looked at the group of Jinshi graduates from the Gengchen examination, a shadow passing over his eyes.

While brawls among officials are uncommon, the group in question consists of lower- to middle-ranking officials who are in their prime and full of youthful vigor. Their momentary outburst of anger is understandable and unlikely to cause a major uproar in the government or among the public.

What truly concerned the emperor was the remarkable unity of this group. Apart from the relatively calm Gao Tingbi and the prematurely unconscious Cui Yanqing, none of the others hesitated. Furthermore, given their shared ancestry, it was easy to predict that they might form a close-knit alliance in the future.

Never mind, we'll take care of them slowly later.

The Emperor silently recited the words, then spoke: "As officials of the court, you should always abide by the laws of the dynasty, no matter when or where. Even if you have been wronged, you should act in accordance with the rules. How can you disregard your dignity and act arbitrarily? Considering that this is your first offense and that Qin Zhang and others provoked you first, I will not punish you today. But if there is a next time, I will not let you off lightly!"

"Thank you for your grace!"

The officials bowed in unison.

"All of you, step back."

The emperor slowly rose to his feet, then casually uttered, "Xue Huai, stay."

Xue Huai suddenly felt uneasy.

Has the Emperor already seen through his little scheme to deliberately provoke Qin Zhang?
If the emperor asks him about this later, how should he respond?
While pondering to himself, Xue Huai nodded to his colleagues around him to express his gratitude for their courage in standing up for him today.

The crowd responded with smiles and then filed out. Minister of Rites Zheng Yuan and Chancellor of the Imperial Academy Pan Siqi cast approving glances at Xue Huai as they passed by.

This is certainly not to praise his courage to fight with others, but rather because of his poem about plum blossoms.

If they weren't in the Wende Hall at this moment, these two well-read scholars might have pulled Xue Huai aside to discuss the exquisite details of that poem.

Hanlin scholar Lin Miao deliberately walked a little slower, and then came to Xue Huai's side and said softly, "This poem is very well written, and you can vaguely see your father's character."

These words were like a wake-up call, instantly enlightening Xue Huai. He couldn't help but gratefully whisper, "Thank you, Headmaster."

Lin Miao smiled slightly and left gracefully.

At this moment, a senior eunuch came over and said to Xue Huai, "Xue Huai, please come with me."

Xue Huai recognized the man; he was Chen Shun, a fourth-rank eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, whose position in the inner court was second only to Zeng Min, a fourth-rank eunuch in charge of the seal. He was also a highly trusted eunuch of the emperor.

"Thank you, father-in-law."

Xue Huai remained neither humble nor arrogant, and followed Chen Shun into the inner palace.

Walking through the tranquil and majestic imperial city, Xue Huai had little leisure time. Instead, he kept thinking about the various situations that might arise when he met the emperor later.

It's no wonder he took it so seriously, because this was the first time he had been privately summoned by the emperor since he came into this world.

When he first learned about his background, Xue Huai thought he would soon meet the Emperor of Great Yan, and even felt some worry and resistance. Later he realized that this was just wishful thinking. The Emperor was busy with many affairs of state and had no time to pay attention to a small official like him.
Even after the Ministry of Works corruption case was over, Xue Huai did not receive an imperial decree summoning him.

Until this very moment, due to a sudden conflict, Xue Huai was inexplicably left behind.

He was initially somewhat confused, but Lin Miao's words enlightened him.

Lin Miao said that his poem about plum blossoms captured Xue Mingzhang's character and integrity, which is probably why the emperor was moved by the past and specially kept him to listen to the emperor's speech.

"Xue Shidu, we've arrived."

Hearing Chen Shunping's gentle voice, Xue Huai looked up and saw the emperor standing by the railing about ten steps away, gazing at a corner of the palace wall.

Xue Huai walked slowly forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Flat body."

The emperor continued to gaze into the distance, leaving Xue Huai with only a solemn profile.

The emperor and his minister stood in silence.

After a moment, the emperor asked casually, "Is the injury serious?"

Xue Huai replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, it was just a minor injury from an accidental bump, nothing serious."

The emperor responded with a sound of agreement, then said calmly, "That poem...read it again."

"The minister obeys the order."

Xue Huai felt much relieved and admired Lin Miao's keen insight. The man could guess the emperor's thoughts based on just a few clues. No wonder he was able to secure the position of Hanlin Academician before he was even forty. No wonder Shen Wang had specifically reminded Xue Huai to be more respectful to Lin Miao, as learning even a little from him would be of great benefit.

He suppressed his thoughts and recited the poem "Bu Suanzi" once.

The emperor raised his hand and placed it on the white jade balustrade, seemingly unconcerned about the winter chill, and said softly, "Though fallen into mud and crushed into dust, only the fragrance remains."

Xue Huai stood at attention and listened quietly.

The emperor was silent for a moment, then said, "Xue Huai."

"The minister is here."

"You are not as good as your father."

The air seemed to freeze suddenly.

Xue Huai was puzzled, unsure of what the emperor's true intentions were.

He was certainly not as good as Xue Mingzhang. At least in the emperor's mind, how could a greenhorn be compared with a trusted minister?
The Emperor continued, "In my life, I have seen too many outstanding people, such as Ning Hengzhi, Xie Jing, and Shen Wang. These are all names you are familiar with. There are also some who have left the court and retired to their hometowns, so let's not mention them."

"In my opinion, your father is no less capable than these people. From the first day he entered officialdom, he never made a wrong choice."

"You've been through the trials and tribulations of court life, so you should know how difficult this is."

Xue Huai was slightly surprised. He knew that Xue Mingzhang held a high position in the emperor's heart, but he did not expect it to be this high. He immediately lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am naturally far inferior to my late father."

Hearing this expected answer, a strange smile appeared on the emperor's lips. He said meaningfully, "So you want to follow his example, leave this capital, gain experience outside for a few years, and then return to the central government?"

As he spoke, he turned to look at Xue Huai.

His gaze was calm, yet it carried a heavy sense of oppression.

(End of this chapter)