PDLP Chapter 403
Chapter 403
"Your Majesty, which lord are you planning to appoint as the chief examiner?"Yue Fuguang lowered her eyes and swept her gaze over the lords standing in the grand hall. Emperor Mingxi had bypassed the chief examiner to first announce her as the deputy chief examiner for the metropolitan examination in the royal court. Since she did not want to shoulder the heavy burden, the choice of the chief examiner was crucial.
She hoped the emperor would understand her slacker nature and pick a capable person to take charge above her.
Hearing Yue Fuguang ask this, how could Emperor Mingxi not understand what she meant?
However, he was not in a hurry to announce the candidate for the chief examiner. Instead, he asked Yue Fuguang, "Fuguang, in your opinion, which lord do you think is the most suitable to be appointed as the chief examiner?"
As the emperor's words fell, the lords who had been keeping their heads down carefully raised them to steal glances at the emperor and Yue Fuguang.
Some of them had their desire to be the chief examiner written all over their faces, not afraid that Yue Fuguang would see it, but rather afraid that she wouldn't.
Being the chief examiner would not only make them the mentor of the new scholars but also bring them closer to the Junior Preceptor than their colleagues.
It could be said that even after three years, the Great Yan courtiers' desire to cling to Yue Fuguang's coattails had not ceased. On the contrary, because her prophecies of natural disasters had come true, they were even more eager. Even if they couldn't be the chief examiner, being a co-examiner, a supervising official, or an administering official would be fine!
But in a royal court, there could never be only one voice. While some wanted to cling to Yue Fuguang, others wanted to bring her down.
Although three years had passed, a small portion of the officials in the court were still not within the coverage of her inner voice.
She was neither a saint nor magnanimous. Who told these people to have such low affection for her? She didn't want these people who felt indifferent or even harbored hidden malice towards her to get the chance to enter the central power core.
After all, the tacit understanding between the ruler and his ministers in the entire Great Yan court was that the central decision-making positions must be held by those who could hear the Junior Preceptor's inner voice. Otherwise, if they knew nothing, how could they play the game?
Yue Fuguang being appointed as the deputy chief examiner by Emperor Mingxi had already made some people restless. But the experience of the past two or three years told them that those who opposed the Junior Preceptor never ended well.
They were either dragged to the vegetable market to be beheaded or had their entire families exiled!
The luckier ones were demoted to barren lands, never to rise again for the rest of their lives. So they were still very afraid of retaliation.
Yue Fuguang: I just exposed the dirty secrets of those who disliked me and tried to provoke me. How could that be called retaliation?
Embezzlement, allowing their servants to rob civilian women and lands, maliciously injuring and killing people—they did all these things themselves!
She merely told the plain truth, and the court dealt with them according to the law. She certainly didn't use her power for personal revenge.
Although everyone was very cautious when dealing with her, Emperor Mingxi not only chose a little girl like her to be the deputy chief examiner of the imperial examination but also actually consulted Yue Fuguang on the choice of the chief examiner!
Those who originally wanted to endure it finally couldn't help but jump out. This time they had reason on their side, so what was there to be afraid of!
Those who dared to jump out were not overflowing with a sense of justice and acting entirely for the public good. It was because there had been many doubts among the people recently about the Divine Maiden's abilities, which allowed these people who had long wanted to pull Yue Fuguang down to see an opportunity.
If they could step on the Junior Preceptor's name to rise to power, not to mention the present, even in the future history books, they would definitely have a page of their own.
"Your Majesty, the metropolitan examination is to select outstanding talents for the imperial court. The responsibilities of the chief examiner and the deputy chief examiner are of utmost importance. How can this be treated as child's play?" An official with a gray beard, wearing an official uniform that was seventy percent new, with deep wrinkles on his face and legs that didn't look very nimble, spoke up with an accusation right away.
"The Junior Preceptor is young and has never presided over the spring examinations before. It is already inappropriate for her to be the deputy chief examiner. How can you even consult her opinion on the chief examiner?
How can the words of a child be trusted! This... this is inappropriate, highly inappropriate, Your Majesty!"
Saying so, he knelt down before Emperor Mingxi, tears welling up in his eyes, with a face full of loyalty and devotion to the public, as resolute as if he were taking a solemn oath, making Emperor Mingxi look like a foolish ruler who favored a 'villain'!
[Master, this old fellow not only wants to step on your head, but he also doesn't plan to let the emperor off the hook!]
Emperor Mingxi's face darkened, and the other lords were not much better. Feng Tang was the first to lose his patience and said, "Lord Song, the child you speak of is the Junior Preceptor of our dynasty, ranking above the Three Excellencies!
Moreover, she is a prince of our dynasty, and her name is recorded in the royal genealogy! How exalted is her status?
Leaving aside other matters, Your Majesty, I impeach Lord Song for disregarding the hierarchy and committing the crime of great disrespect against the Junior Preceptor!"
"Your Majesty, I, Ye Lin, object!" As soon as Feng Tang's words fell, an official with slightly dark skin and an ordinary face, in his thirties, impatiently jumped out to question Feng Tang's words.
Yue Fuguang saw that this person looked a bit unfamiliar. Although she didn't pay much attention to who the officials standing at the back of the court assembly were, she had little impression of this person, so she guessed he must be an official transferred here in the past year or two.
Saying a year or two was because the new year had just passed, so it was basically two years!
"Although the Junior Preceptor's status is noble, can it be nobler than Your Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" Saying so, he respectfully bowed to Emperor Mingxi and Xie Zhiyan, establishing the image of a humble and respectful subject.
Emperor Mingxi: That's not necessarily true!
Crown Prince: Don't drag me into this to step on others! Stay away from me JPG
Seeing that his flattery did not achieve the desired effect, Ye Lin assumed the royal father and son were being reserved, and continued along his own line of thought, "Your Majesty, I personally think that what Lord Song just said is very reasonable."
He bowed slightly to Yue Fuguang, "Although the Junior Preceptor's reputation among the people has a tendency to surpass that of Your Majesty due to her accidental discovery of high-yield crops, she is still young after all and rarely participates in political affairs on regular days.
Being able to serve as the deputy chief examiner for the major examination is already Your Majesty's profound grace. For her to decide the candidate for the chief examiner is truly inappropriate. If word gets out, wouldn't our neighboring countries laugh at our Great Yan for having no capable people in the court?"
"Lord Ye, you are overstating things!" There was no need for Feng Tang to scold him; Wu Yong, an official of the same rank, bowed and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I believe..."
'Little Zhu, who is this guy? Saying my reputation among the people is higher than the emperor's, he's secretly trying to draw the emperor's hatred towards me!'
[Master, if the emperor really becomes wary of you because of this, we'll just move to another place!]
Emperor Mingxi: How innocent am I! Getting shot even while lying down, is there any justice left! Pray for me JPG
[Master, this person was just promoted from the local provinces half a year ago, so he looks unfamiliar to you.]
'Is this person very capable?' If he was a capable official who hadn't broken the law or violated discipline, she would just exact a tiny revenge and let it go. Otherwise, she would send him to keep Old Man Song company. At the end of the day, she was not a magnanimous person.
[Uh... he was recommended mainly because of his 'good reputation'. This person's persona is being uncorrupted and honest, as well as filial to his widowed mother. He was set up as a model example, and with good luck, he was transferred from the local provinces back to the capital.
Then he met a noble patron who promoted him, allowing him to luckily slip into the royal court.]
After the divine artifact lord said this, Emperor Mingxi and the Minister of Personnel, Ji Hongming, also recalled this person's promotion history.