Prime Minister.

Chapter 70, Page 069: [As Wish Fulfilled]

“With your current intelligence, you could easily handle a spoiled brat like Qin Zhang who has no guile, and things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.”

The emperor's tone was calm, but his next words were like a steel knife, stripping Xue Huai bare from the outside in.

"For the past two years, you have been like a headless fly, running around aimlessly. You have the ambition to govern the world and benefit the people, but you lack the corresponding means and cunning. You think that you can clear the sky with some hearsay and unfounded evidence."

"I've given you many chances out of respect for your father, but you still can't distinguish between ideals and reality. Even Shen Wang couldn't teach you properly, so how can I waste too much attention on you?"

"I just never expected that the accident on the banks of the Nine Bend River would cause such a big change in you."

"Perhaps this is your destiny."

Having said this, the emperor smiled faintly, then turned and walked away.

Xue Huai quickly followed, while Chen Shun led a group of palace servants to follow at a distance.

Walking through the magnificent palace, the emperor slowly said, "Aren't you curious about how I was able to guess that you wanted to leave the capital?"

The second half of the sentence is not a question, but a statement.

From the moment he proposed the transfer to another region, Xue Huai had been focused and dared not slack off in the slightest.

Lin Miao did indeed guess the Emperor's mind, but only half of it.

The emperor was reminded of the past by Xue Huai's poem about plum blossoms, and thus felt a little moved, but that was all.

How could an emperor who ruled for nineteen years, wielding absolute power and being the only one of his kind, possibly dwell on the past for so long?

He asked Xue Huai to stay behind to present his memorial, but the reminiscence of the past was only a secondary reason; the main purpose was to interrogate Xue Huai's heart.

He wanted to know why Xue Huai wanted to escape from the central government, and whether there were any secrets he was unaware of.

Xue Huai thought of many things in an instant. He said calmly, "Your Majesty, I know that I have many shortcomings. Just as Your Majesty said, I have ambitions but do not know where to start. Although I have been in office for nearly three years, I am still young, impetuous, short-sighted and ignorant. That is why I want to go to the local areas to gain experience."

Now that the emperor has made his point clear, any further ambiguity would only bring him trouble, so he might as well admit it frankly.

But this was not the answer the emperor wanted to hear.

He didn't criticize Xue Huai too harshly, but said calmly, "Shen Wang taught you all this, didn't he? He told you to stay away from the court's turmoil for the time being, and then taught you how to achieve this goal. So when you saw Qin Zhang appear, you immediately thought of how to use him to make a big fuss about this matter. You don't have to deny it, Qin Zhang is just a cowardly playboy. If you hadn't provoked him repeatedly, he wouldn't have dared to lay a hand on you. You did this simply to make me dislike you as a troublemaker, so that I would send you away far away."

"His Majesty."

Xue Huai could frankly admit his desire to be transferred to a post outside the capital before the emperor, but he could not risk his mentor being accused of speculating about the emperor's intentions. Therefore, he sincerely said, "The Grand Minister of Works has never said these things to me. He and my late father always taught me to be a person who is beneficial to the country and the people. As for today's matter, the reason I provoked Qin Zhang was simply because I was angry. A noble son like him does not think about serving the country and the people, but acts recklessly all day long, and does not even respect the court officials. I wanted to make a big scene so as to teach him a lesson."

The emperor remained noncommittal.

He arrived at the Taiye Pond and entered the waterside pavilion. Chen Shun quickly led his men forward to lay thick cushions on the stone benches.

The Emperor sat down, gazing at the cold, clear water of winter, and calmly said, "Don't be nervous, I won't blame Shen Wang. His actions are understandable. You are like a sharp knife, capable of hurting others but also easily hurting yourself. If you stay in the central government, you will cause even greater trouble sooner or later. It's better to let you go to the provinces to gain experience and mature for a few years. I understand his good intentions towards you."

Xue Huai felt somewhat helpless.

The two sides are not on the same level at all, and no matter how he explains or elaborates, the emperor has no need to care.

"I understand that Shen Wang values ​​you."

The Emperor smiled and said meaningfully, "He doesn't care about his own path to the cabinet, but he uses the Ministry of Works corruption case to pave the way for you and helps you plan a way to extricate yourself. He has gone to great lengths."

The cold waters of Taiye Pond spread out silently, the surface still, reflecting the gray sky and the towering eaves of the palaces along its banks.

Xue Huai stood with his hands at his sides, the cold air from the pond seeping into his clothes, making him even more tense.

The emperor's final words, "to exert all his strength," carried a hint of sarcasm.

The next moment, the emperor said in a low voice, "It seems that my court has become a den of dragons and tigers, or a ferocious beast that will devour anyone it chooses, and cannot tolerate a young Hanlin Academy reader."

"Your Majesty, the Grand Minister of Works had absolutely no such intention!"

Xue Huai dared not hesitate and quickly said, "I firmly believe that the Grand Minister of Works is a loyal and upright minister, and at the same time, he only fulfilled his duty as a teacher to me. If it weren't for the Grand Minister of Works' guidance, I would still be that reckless and ignorant fool."

“Shen Wang is naturally loyal and upright.”

The Emperor turned to look at Xue Huai, letting out a very soft chuckle that was exceptionally clear in the empty, quiet waterside pavilion. "And what about you? You are the third-ranked scholar appointed by me. Why do you want to escape the central government? What are you afraid of?"

Xue Huai felt a cold sweat soak his back. He tried his best to control his facial expression and resolutely said, "Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you. I do indeed have the idea of ​​seeking a posting to a remote area. This is because I want to go to a local area to gain experience, and at the same time, to avoid the limelight." Upon hearing this, the Emperor frowned slightly and said, "Avoid the limelight?"

Xue Huai said defiantly, "Because I have offended His Highness Prince Dai this time, I am worried that he will retaliate when his confinement ends. I myself am not worried, but my mother, relatives and friends are different. They cannot bear the retaliation of a prince. As long as I leave the capital, His Highness Prince Dai's anger will gradually fade away over time."

Only the rustling of the north wind could be heard in the waterside pavilion. Xue Huai's palms were sweaty, but he had no better choice.

After a moment, the emperor said coldly, "Fool."

Xue Huai's lips trembled, but he ultimately held back.

The Emperor continued, “Since I intend to use you, how could I disregard your safety? I cannot control everyone’s thoughts, but the Prince of Dai is my son. If I forbid it, he will not dare to touch you. I thought you had improved a lot, but it seems you are still not smart enough. You can’t even understand such a simple principle.”

"Your Majesty, I am foolish and ignorant."

Xue Huai obediently accepted the scolding.

His words were somewhat risky, but thanks to the upright image he had cultivated in the emperor's mind, his occasional frankness was within the emperor's acceptable range. Moreover, the reason was quite reasonable, since everyone knew the temperament of the Prince of Dai, who was even more eccentric than Qin Zhang.

Xue Huai understood the principle of nine truths and one falsehood. He spoke the truth most of the time in front of the emperor, only holding back in a few places.

The emperor looked up at him and finally stopped being mysterious: "Of course you are dull! Whether you are in the capital or in a remote area, as long as you are willing to do your job conscientiously, it is all for the benefit of the Great Yan. I would love for you young ministers to go to the provinces and do your jobs well, instead of everyone scrambling to stay in the central government."

That's it!

Xue Huai immediately realized that the emperor's displeasure did not stem from his desire to be sent to a distant post, but rather from his unauthorized and unnecessary actions.

If he wants to be transferred to a post outside the capital, he should just ask for it openly. Would the emperor refuse? Or is it that the Great Yan court cannot function without Xue Huai?

Having figured out the details, Xue Huai said with remorse, "Your Majesty, please forgive me; it was my petty mind that led me astray."

"You're being too clever for your own good."

The Emperor coldly criticized him, then said, "The reason I said you are not as good as your father is precisely this. Back then, the salt tax in Yangzhou was deeply corrupt. When Xue Qing came to the palace to request an audience, he told me frankly that he wanted to go to Yangzhou to clean up the salt administration, return the taxes to the people, and replenish the national treasury. His ambition is commendable, and his actions are worthy of respect. How could I not allow it? You have been by Xue Qing's side since you were a child, and have been influenced by him for twelve years, but you have only grasped the form but not the spirit. You have a lot of talent, but you don't know where to put it."

Xue Huai had no argument.

At that moment, he suddenly understood many things.

Humans are complex animals.

Take the emperor before us for example. When he ascended the throne, he had the air of a wise ruler. Now he indulges in pleasure and has lost his former ambition. But this does not mean that he has become an incompetent and foolish ruler.

On the contrary, after nearly twenty years of hard work, the emperor's vision is probably even better than Shen Wang's today.

The difference is that he cannot focus solely on Shen Wang, while Shen Wang can devote most of his energy to the Emperor.

But Xue Huai is not Shen Wang.

Although he had lived two lives, he had not reached a high enough level in his previous life. Now, he came to this world and faced the monarch who controlled the entire empire directly. Naturally, he was no match for him. The emperor only needed to exert a little effort to make him helpless.

Fortunately, the emperor did not intend to break his sword. Seeing that Xue Huai could only lower his head and remain silent after repeated admonitions, he softened his tone and said, "After the imperial examination next spring, I will grant you permission to leave the capital for an external post. I'm giving you a heads-up: if you cannot deliver a satisfactory performance for me during this external posting, you will not need to return to the central government in the future."

Now that things have come to this, Xue Huai could only reply, "Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations."

"I hope you remember this promise."

The emperor slowly rose to his feet.

He walked to the edge of the waterside pavilion, gazing at the desolate scene of Taiye Pond in winter: "Xue Huai, I do not expect you to be as tactful and adept as your father, but you must put away your cleverness from now on. Whether in the capital or in the provinces, do your duty well, like a wedge driven deep into the ground, establishing your own foundation. Only in this way can you live up to the protective golden light that Xue Qing left you."

Xue Huai cleared his mind of all distractions and solemnly replied, "Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered by me."

The emperor gave him one last look, his gaze unfathomable, carrying an indescribable expectation as well as a cold, all-knowing ruthlessness: "Remember, when you are in the midst of a storm, the only one you can rely on is yourself."

"These are your father's most profound insights from his time in Yangzhou, and I will present them to you on his behalf today."

Xue Huai remained silent and bowed deeply.

He slowly straightened up, his solitary figure reflected in the water, appearing somewhat frail against the gray winter sky, yet exuding a steadfast resilience.

(End of this chapter)