"Cough cough..."
In the splendid Great Hall, the middle-aged, healthy, and radiant Emperor Xiping, Zhao Shu, choked on a mouthful of tea.
He waved his hand to dismiss the head eunuch, Liu Zhen, who hurried forward to wipe up the tea, and barely suppressing a smile, he asked, "What did you just say? Working while shackled?"
Shen Fa, standing in the Great Hall, stammered in a soft voice, "Replying... replying to Your Majesty... it is indeed so."
Emperor Xiping slapped the armrest of his chair. The force was not great, but the veins bursting on the back of his hand revealed that he was really struggling to hold back his laughter.
"Zhong He ah."
He seemed to lament in a soft voice, "You have cultivated a great talent for Us!"
The tone was very gentle, as if chatting among friends.
But Shen Fa was suddenly startled and hurriedly replied, "Your servant is terrified!"
Emperor Xiping chuckled and rebuked, "We are praising you, why be terrified?"
Shen Fa hurriedly replied, "Your servant is dull and has misunderstood Your Majesty’s will, I beg for Your Majesty’s forgiveness."
He seemed to be trembling with fear and anxiety.
Yet Emperor Xiping just laughed it off and spoke gently, "We shall ask you, have the crimes of the officials captured by Yang Ge in Yangzhou Prefecture been sufficiently proven?"
Shen Fa’s mind raced as he cautiously answered, "Replying to Your Majesty, according to the plea Yang Ge has sent back, the case of corruption and bribery in Yangzhou is well-documented with both witnesses and physical evidence, and many culprits have already confessed and affixed their thumbprints, so there should be no mistakes."
His current mood and the earlier mood when facing him were exactly the same.
Wanting to bail out Yang Ge, yet not daring to openly support him, nor daring to speak with too much certainty...
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
Emperor Xiping smiled and nodded slightly, speaking lightly, "Since the evidence is conclusive, then investigate thoroughly. Isn’t Yang Ge keen on making a difference? Let’s appoint him as the imperial envoy, confer upon him the Imperial Sword, charge him with specifically overseeing the case of corruption in Yangzhou, position him equivalent to the Minister of Provincial Administration of Jiangzhe, granting him power over the military forces there, with authority to execute and report afterward!"
The casually spoken words were like a thunderbolt in the Great Hall, causing Shen Fa’s head to buzz.
He froze for two seconds, then suddenly snapped back to reality, forgetting about the crime of presumptuousness, he bowed deeply and urgently said, "Your Majesty, this servant boldly requests to undertake this heavy duty, I will certainly dedicate myself to not fail..."
"Zhong He ah!"
Emperor Xiping interrupted Shen Fa’s plea with a light chuckle, his tone gentle and smooth, "We have known each other since childhood, accompanied each other for many years, today there are no outsiders, feel free to speak what’s on your mind... do you think you can truly protect that reckless young bull?"
The time when they met.
He had been but a prince by birth.
Shen Fa was also just the second son of the Shen Family.
Together with Xie Yu and other heirs without inheritance rights from noble families, they called friends, drank, made merry, and roamed the lands of Heluo.
If not for this connection, Shen Fa’s background as a noble’s son wouldn’t have seated him in the position of the Northern Town Prefectural Commissioner...
Shen Fa was silent for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, "If Your Majesty asks for my heartfelt opinion... protect I shall if I can, and even if I can’t, I must protect. The court is full of officials, both civil and military, but people like him are few!"
These words were quite weighty.
But Emperor Xiping still wore a smile, seemingly not surprised by his answer at all, and asked, "Even if you protect him this time, what about the next?"
Shen Fa hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, after this case is settled, I will certainly enforce strict discipline..."
Emperor Xiping calmly said, "This young man was only at the Qi Sea stage, and you couldn’t control him, and now that he has achieved the Return to Truth, are you sure you can still manage him?"
That brief statement made Shen Fa break out in a cold sweat.
"Observing this young man’s actions..."
Emperor Xiping spoke unhurriedly, "His ambitions are too lofty, his murderous aura too intense, if he holds a high position, he surely will not meet a good end!"
Shen Fa was stunned for a long time and then suddenly realized.
Not wanting to conform to mediocrity is lofty.
Not knowing how to weigh pros and cons is heavy.
Arrogantly speculating about the emperor’s intentions... leads to death!
Even daring to borrow the Emperor’s sword!
And damn it, he borrowed it twice!
Yang Ge ah, Yang Ge, what am I to say about you...
Shen Fa, both frustrated and at a loss for words, bowed and said, "Your Majesty’s insight is like a torch, and I cannot begin to match it!"
Observing his listless appearance, Emperor Xiping could not help but laugh again and said, "Do not be too disappointed. This young man... indeed is a fine blade, but just too sharp, after this matter is over, do well to keep him concealed. In the future, he may yet be able to clear the way for our great Wei!"
This was indeed something only a friend could say.
Upon hearing this, Shen Fa was delighted and quickly took the chance to agree, "On behalf of Yang Ge, I thank Your Majesty for your great grace... After this matter is settled, I’ll send him to feed the horses!"
His joy was not because of the future that the Emperor had painted for Yang Ge.
But because the Emperor was willing to paint such a picture, it meant that after using Yang Ge, he would still spare his life!
"You, ah you..."
Emperor Xiping picked up his tea cup, looked down with a laugh at the figure smiling like a fox that had stolen a chicken below him, and teased, "Better just let that fellow swing a big spoon then, isn’t he fond of playing the innkeeper? Just indulge him for once!"
Shen Fa agreed readily, "Then let that fellow swing the big spoon, not to sway until he pukes, and in this lifetime, he’d better not think of touching a blade again!"
...
"Not to boast, but with my cooking skills, even the Imperial Chef summoned from the palace could only serve as my chopping block!"
Yang Ge skillfully tossed the spoon, stir-frying a pot of spring onion beef to perfection.
Yang Tiansheng stood at the kitchen door, arms crossed, silently watching the rather impressive Yang Ge, and complained, "You’ve still got the mood to cook? Do you know what they’re saying outside?"
"Whatever they say outside, it shouldn’t delay our meal!"
Without turning, Yang Ge lifted the iron pot, moved it over to the already set fish plate, filled it with the pot of spring onion beef, and then eagerly picked up some beef with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth, "Ah, this is the flavor!"