Tu Shanjin had a completely blank expression. He even tore two sheets of paper from the scrolls on the table, crumpled them into balls, and stuffed them into his ears.
Lin Qingti and Niu Xiu'er, who were pressing in on him from both sides, wailed for quite a while before their emotions gradually calmed down.
Afraid that the two of them would burst into tears again the moment they disagreed, Tu Shanjin immediately got down to business.
"The post of Archivist you currently hold carries far too little authority. The former Senior Compiler at the Hanlin Academy has been promoted, leaving the Compiler position vacant. His Majesty will appoint you to fill it."
"For further promotions after that, you will have to deliver tangible results yourself, so that His Majesty can make the move smoothly."
"His Majesty will assign you the task of compiling the imperial history of the previous dynasty. Do it well, and you can leverage that achievement to get another promotion."
These few lines were packed with so much information. He was just a lowly Archivist, and now he was skipping the position of Junior Corrector entirely to get promoted all the way to the seventh-rank official post of Compiler?
Was this what it felt like to have a powerful backer? Getting promoted was as easy as drinking a sip of water!
Snapping back to his senses after the pleasant surprise, Lin Qingti thought of something and directly used his intimate pet name for her: "Yao'er, His Majesty also wants to take down Yun Liang, right? Will things be difficult for you? After all, he's your father..."
"And there's no rush to promote me. I've secretly collected quite a bit of evidence of Yun Liang's crimes these days. You already have it so tough in the palace..."
Seeing that Lin Qingti was about to ramble on again, Tu Shanjin cut him off with a single blunt line: "I'm the one who wants to take down Yun Liang."
"And." Tu Shanjin fixed his gaze on Lin Qingti's eyes, about to lay down a harsh rule, only to be wrapped up by the searing, deep concern shining in those eyes. That strange, fluttering emotion rose in his chest once more.
He looked away uncomfortably. "From now on, whatever I say, you just do as you're told!"
Though he'd been snapped at, Lin Qingti felt even happier deep down. Yao'er had such a domineering, bold personality!
He loved it, *squeal~*
Tu Shanjin: "......"
Just then, an imperial decree arrived at the Hanlin Academy.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims! It has come to Our attention that Lin Qingti is naturally brilliant, quick-witted, and works diligently with all his heart. We are greatly pleased, and hereby order the Ministry of Personnel to award him exceptional merit, promoting him to the post of Compiler of the Hanlin Academy. So decreed!"
Lin Qingti strode forward, knelt down, and accepted the imperial decree with both hands.
At that very moment, Lin Qingti shed his usual modest, accommodating facade, and a sharp, imposing aura radiated from him.
Yun Liang, you harmed my elder sister, broke Yao'er's heart, and blocked my path to advancement!
Now, it's my turn to fight back!
*
After Yun Yaoyao took her pet "rice bucket" for a walk, she returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, just in time for Di Shunzhi to request an audience. She immediately had him summoned in.
"Dear Di Minister!"
"Your Majesty!"
After a long, lingering, almost mushy exchange of glances, Di Shunzhi stated the purpose of his visit.
"Your Majesty works tirelessly to govern the realm and labor for the good of the people. This humble official has specially sought out a precious item to present to you!"
Di Shunzhi respectfully held out a piece of blood-red jade.
"This jade is called the Fragrant Calming Jade. It has the effect of refreshing the mind, boosting alertness, and calming the spirit."
"You are very thoughtful, my dear minister!"
Yun Yaoyao took the blood jade, putting on a look of genuine delight, waiting quietly for Di Shunzhi to get to the real point.
She watched as Di Shunzhi first rambled on about the current state of the imperial court and corresponding policies, then moved on to his suggestions for the Grand Canal, before he finally spoke carefully, choosing his words.
"Your Majesty, Minister Lou's reputation among the common people has been very poor lately. It seems someone is deliberately targeting him."
Yun Yaoyao put down the blood jade: "Oh?"
Di Shunzhi continued, "I followed the trail to investigate, and found that the source of all this is a storyteller going by the name Mr. Fugui. To be able to weave such sharp, insightful views into his stories, he's quite an extraordinary figure!"
Yun Yaoyao found it hilarious in her heart, but played along perfectly on the surface: "I know of him. He's the most famous storyteller of them all, and the stories he writes are wildly popular among the common folk."
Di Shunzhi's heart leapt with joy. From the tone of His Majesty's voice, he seemed to admire this Mr. Fugui! So it should be perfectly safe to admit today, right in front of the Emperor, that he himself is that very Mr. Fugui!
But then Yun Yaoyao suddenly shifted her tone: "He's written one story after another that insinuates and satirizes me. He's labeled me tyrannical, cold-blooded, temperamental, and overly authoritarian. All those bad reputations people have about me came from his works."
"Oh, and he even wrote a story about me in a romantic relationship with a man, depicting me as a lecherous, deviant ruler who indulges in male favorites."
Her deep, cold voice dropped, sounding almost sinister through gritted teeth: "If I ever find out who he really is, I'll make him pay dearly for this!"
Every time Yun Yaoyao spoke a line, Di Shunzhi's body shook a little more. By the end, his legs were trembling so badly he could barely stand, and cold sweat was pouring down his face.
Waaah, Your Majesty, it was all his fault for being young and reckless back then! He could argue... no, explain himself!
But it was obvious the Emperor wouldn't listen to any explanation right now. The world was such a beautiful place, and he still wanted to see more of it. He'd confess the whole thing to His Majesty later, when the time was right!
Seeing how thoroughly spooked Di Shunzhi was, Yun Yaoyao bit back the grin that was about to burst across her face, and put on a stern, solemn expression. "Alright, Dear Di Minister, let's stop talking about this unpleasant person who ruins the mood."
Yun Yaoyao picked up a memorial and started flipping through it, before suddenly slamming the document down on the table. "Yun Liang dares to commit such outrageous acts!"
Di Shunzhi immediately stepped forward warmly, and poured her a cup of tea. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
"On the surface, he always looks like the most law-abiding, conscientious, and hardworking official. Who would have thought it was all a facade? He dares to form cliques for personal gain, and plot to harm his fellow court officials!"
Di Shunzhi's eyes went wide with shock. Was this information he got to hear for free, no strings attached?
He'd long suspected Yun Liang was a hypocrite, and it turned out he really was no good. As soon as he got back to his residence, he'd add a brand new character to his storybooks, and write a scathing critique of Yun Liang to share the burden with His Majesty!
Yun Yaoyao flipped open another memorial, her brows furrowing tightly as she sighed. "As for the Grand Canal project, there are huge difficulties with organizing the labor force. The migrant workers building the canal have to leave their homes and families for years on end. The common people have very little enthusiasm for the work. Most of them only care about putting food on the table, and have no idea what benefits the completed Grand Canal will bring. They often flee from their corvée duties or slack off on the job."
Seeing that Di Shunzhi was listening closely, Yun Yaoyao went on to explain all the advantages the Grand Canal would bring, and laid out the bright future that awaited the Yanchi Dynasty, just as she had done with Zhou Siren. Di Shunzhi listened, his eyes practically glowing with excitement.
"On the other side of the ocean, there are really people with dark skin all over their bodies? And there's an entire kingdom where the land is practically soaked in oil? That's absolutely unbelievable."
The Grand Canal would bring so many great benefits, but the ignorant commoners had no idea. He definitely had to write stories praising and spreading word of all these great things!
He would do both of these tasks quietly, secretly. That way, when the day finally came for him to confess to His Majesty that he was Mr. Fugui, he'd have a little more credit to his name.
Thinking of that, Di Shunzhi felt the weight of his new mission settle on his shoulders. He knew he'd be burning the midnight oil (a.k.a. staying up late) nonstop once he got back.
Time was of the essence, so Di Shunzhi clasped his hands in a formal salute and asked for permission to leave.
"Very well, you may go. Dear Di Minister, you are so diligent and capable, and I am truly very pleased with you."
The second Di Shunzhi left, the stern, dignified emperor immediately slumped over the table, and burst into the first full, hearty laugh of the day.
Di Shunzhi looked like a sharp, righteous little wolf dog on the outside, cracking cases and delivering verdicts with unstoppable efficiency. But in private, he was a storyteller who loved writing all kinds of wild, creative tales, always coming up with the most unexpected, amusing ideas.
He had such a huge, endearing contrast between his public and private personas, and he was so gullible and easy to tease. It was so much fun messing with him!