Chapter 172: The Fifth Musketeer in the Third Row of the Right Wing, Raise Your Musket an Inch Higher! (1 / 2)

The next day, as soon as Xu Yanmiao entered the officials’ waiting room, he immediately felt a number of eyes on him.

“?”

Xu Yanmiao resisted the urge to sniff himself.

[Could it be that I didn’t wash properly and still smell like cured meat?]

It wouldn’t have been a big deal, but as soon as he thought about this, several officials’ faces visibly filled with regret.

They had originally thought they were the only clever ones. However, upon realizing that everyone else had also thought to act cleverly, the result was a traffic jam of “clever people” all arriving on the same day.

How could Xu Yanmiao possibly have a good impression of them now?

This shared unease lingered until it was time for the morning court session.

“Your Majesty! I impeach Grand Scholar Dong Guo Nanyang for errors in his readings of official texts…”

“Your Majesty! I impeach Assistant Minister Ye Tingzhen of the Ministry of Revenue for leaving early during his duty shift yesterday…”

“Your Majesty…”

[Here we go, here we go.] Xu Yanmiao suppressed a yawn and skillfully drifted off into his thoughts.

Ever since his promotion, Xu Yanmiao had rarely spaced out during court sessions. But this didn’t apply to things like someone impeaching someone else for misconduct before the throne, someone being late or leaving early, or someone tripping while presenting a report.

Of course, Xu Yanmiao didn’t realize that the ministers were just as skilled at ignoring his internal monologue while he zoned out—unless it was something critical, everything else became background noise.

[What am I going to do with all this cured meat? Did the officials coordinate beforehand or something? They’re all giving the same type of gifts.] Xu Yanmiao silently grumbled. [At this rate, I’ll be eating cured meat until next year. Why didn’t anyone give me fresh meat instead? Even though cured meat lasts a while, I can’t keep it for three to five years! They say it can last three years if stored properly, but I have no idea how to do that.]

[If I don’t store it long-term, am I supposed to eat cured meat for every meal?!]

Several ministers’ faces showed hints of awkwardness.

Let’s say it again: clever people were not rare in court. Most officials had either fought their way out of the brutal imperial exams or survived real battlefields. This meant that when everyone tried to curry favor with Xu Yanmiao, their gift ideas ended up surprisingly similar.

Ten or twenty pounds of cured meat would have been thoughtful; hundreds of pounds of it was simply burdensome.

[It all feels so thoughtless. Thank goodness I haven’t gotten carried away with my promotion. Even as a Palace Attendant (Shizhong), I’ll continue to act cautiously, just as before.]

[Still, it’s fortunate that this cold and distant court has someone like Gieshi Zhong Jie Huai, who brings a touch of warmth.]

[He sent me a chef as a gift—what a great person! Thankfully, I got promoted; otherwise, I wouldn’t even be able to afford the chef’s wages.]

Gieshi Zhong Jie Huai merely smiled faintly but subtly straightened his posture.

Of course! He had calculated everything!

Jie wasn’t a common surname, and when narrowed down to “Gieshi Zhong,” it could only refer to him. It was undoubtedly his doing.

Some officials, equally uninterested in listening to the impeachment reports, cast envious glances at the clever Jie Huai.

Why didn’t I think of that?

Such a unique gift was sure to leave a deep impression on Xu Yanmiao.

[With emotional intelligence like that, no wonder the Emperor trusts him so much—first appointing him to the Hanlin Academy, then letting him concurrently serve as Gieshi Zhong!]

The Hanlin Academy was responsible for drafting imperial edicts, while the Six Ministries (Liuke) were directly under the Emperor’s command, possessing the power to approve or reject documents. This meant that if Jie Huai wished, he could endorse an edict’s issuance while choosing not to exercise his veto power, making the edict’s passage relatively smooth.

—Relatively smooth because any Gieshi Zhong in the Six Ministries could veto an edict. Jie Huai’s vote was just one-fifth of the decision, though he could lobby for support.

Hearing Xu Yanmiao’s silent praise, Jie Huai maintained his mild smile.

If he could speak, he might’ve cupped his hands, humbly and politely saying, “You overpraise me!”

But emotional intelligence?

For a brief moment, Jie Huai was confused. Then he simply memorized the term, intending to investigate it later.

[Even the highest emotional intelligence can’t compete with that of the Emperor!]@@novelbin@@

[Tsk tsk.]

Xu Yanmiao scrolled through the gossip system in his mind, marveling. [Back when the Emperor was gravely ill and thought he wouldn’t make it, he wanted to pave the way for the Crown Prince. He held Jie Huai’s hand—oh, Jie Huai wasn’t even Gieshi Zhong back then.]

[With one “Alas, we met too late to be a model ruler and minister for the ages,” and another “You care for me, and I care for you. I hope the Crown Prince will treasure his father’s beloved pearl and not leave it shelved,” Jie Huai was utterly charmed. Without a second thought, he took on the heavy responsibility of helping the Crown Prince sweep through the heavens.]

To be fair, it was normal for emperors to sweet-talk their ministers. It’s just a way for a boss to provide spiritual value to subordinates and better exploit their talents.

But if this sort of thing were to be explicitly brought up…

The censor currently delivering an impeachment report stumbled over his words, causing a small blemish in what had been a well-crafted and eloquent denunciation of someone’s hypocrisy and extravagance.

For the moment, however, no one paid him any attention.

Inevitably, everyone’s focus subtly shifted to Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts.

[The old emperor is still sitting up there, so he must not have died—oh ho, since he didn’t die, he’s keeping this talented minister for his own use.]

[After all, having someone draft imperial edicts while holding veto power is extremely useful.]

[Gieshi Zhong Jie Huai is a loyalist through and through! Whatever the emperor hints at, he delivers. If the emperor wants an edict passed, Jie Huai approves it; if the emperor dislikes it, Jie Huai vetoes it… Woohoo! Let’s jot down this line too: “The other Gieshi Zhong oppose me, but you alone protect me.” The old emperor truly knows how to fulfill people’s psychological needs.]

The other five Gieshi Zhong: “???”

Was this… the so-called subtle favoritism hinted at in Xu Yanmiao’s inner voice?

Your Majesty! How could you say this? We wouldn’t dare oppose you!

They silently turned their gazes to a certain “traitorous” and “privileged” Jie Huai.

Stare—

Jie Huai stood rigid, as if pierced by a thousand silver needles.

The officials who had been envious of him a moment ago quickly exhaled in relief.

Even though Xu Yanmiao’s remarks would likely encourage the emperor to use Jie Huai even more openly—as an independent and upright minister—if being highly regarded required enduring this level of public embarrassment, they would rather pass. Better to work harder themselves and advance their careers step by step than take this “shortcut.”

Thank goodness! They thought, relieved. Thank goodness we only sent cured meat. At least Xu Yanmiao won’t remember us!

While Xu Yanmiao fretted over his stockpile of cured meat, far away in the capital, those keeping an eye on the situation for the Jibei King were also deeply worried.

Yesterday, after Marquis Yingcheng had been impeached, word reached them immediately following the court session. They also learned that many officials connected to their lord had been similarly impeached and received various punishments.

In a panic, one of them ordered a trusted subordinate, “Ride as fast as you can and deliver this message to the lord in Jibei. If your horse dies on the way, so be it, but this letter must reach him within two days! The court likely knows of our plans!”

The courier galloped nonstop, switching horses several times, and managed to deliver the message to the Jibei King within two days.

“Raise the troops! We must raise the troops!”

Clutching the letter and shouting furiously, the Jibei King suddenly paused as his eyes lit up.

“No! Wait! Quickly, summon Master Hu to see me! He must divine the outcome for me!”

Soon, a man dressed as a Daoist priest arrived. Before he even stepped through the courtyard gate, the Jibei King, looking both anxious and excited, rushed out to greet him, pulling him into the room. Once inside, with the door wide open, the king blurted out, “Master, do you still remember what you said thirty years ago when you passed through the countryside and declared that I possess the bone structure of an emperor?”

“Of course I remember,” Master Hu replied with a slight nod, his expression calm.

“Then, Master, can you divine for me again today? I am about to raise an army!”