Tianliangyuan

Chapter 199 A dead pig is not afraid of boiling water

After getting drunk, Qi Yunze seemed to have been transformed, and his eyes became much clearer.

He listened to Xie Zheng and stopped lingering among the flowers.

I used to use it as an opportunity to investigate some old matters, but now I realize it's unnecessary.

Qi Yunze was recommended to become the Assistant Magistrate of Chang'an County, a seventh-rank official.

The official position was decent, and it came with real power.

Qi Yunze was appointed as the county magistrate, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will likely pursue a career as a civil official.

Cheng Yuan has been imprisoned!

Xu Zhaozhao was not surprised when she learned of this news. Since the court wanted to use Cheng Yuan as bait, it was bound to take some action.

Moreover, it seems that Cheng Yuan is the only remaining bloodline in the Cheng family.

Of Cheng Yuan's brothers and sisters from back then, some committed suicide, some died of illness, and some went missing. Therefore, Cheng Yuan's life or death is of particular importance at this moment.

The imperial court did not issue a clear decree on how to deal with Cheng Yuan, but only posted a notice reiterating that some of the disaster relief funds from that year had been recovered, and at the same time, reiterated the crimes committed by the Cheng family back then.

This would be tantamount to nailing the Cheng family to the pillar of shame.

After receiving the official report, local government offices began posting notices outside their offices. Without exception, they all wanted to be proactive to avoid being implicated again.

Those who had spoken up for Cheng Gong back then were either demoted or publicly rebuked by the emperor, losing all face.

In short, almost everyone who got involved with the Cheng family met a bad end.

The official gazettes had only just begun to be issued, so the court did not expect any news to arrive immediately.

Right now, we must focus on the important matters of the court.

Previously, Xu Junting had overseen the planting of a very bountiful corn harvest, and the several ways he prepared it for consumption were also quite delicious.

In particular, grinding old corn into powder and then boiling it in hot water solved a major problem in storage.

Emperor Yong'an was overjoyed: "Xu Han, you have truly raised a fine son! This corn, after being naturally dried, can be stored without the kernels being removed, without sprouting or getting moldy. This is truly wonderful news."

"Your Majesty, that is true, but when storing them, you should still try to avoid dampness."

Emperor Yong'an was delighted and walked to the main hall with a smile: "Come, accompany me for a stroll outside."

Xu Han naturally obeyed and followed orders.

Xie Zheng is on duty in the palace today.

Emperor Yong'an strolled around with Xu Han at a leisurely pace, occasionally inquiring about Xu Junting's situation.

After all, Xu Junting came from a noble family, so asking him to farm was really asking too much of him.

"This kid doesn't seem to find it hard at all, and he often stays at the estate for a month or two at a time. I can tell that this kid not only doesn't feel tired, but he's also getting quite wild!"

"Haha! Xu Han, you have too high expectations for your children. Look at your kids, every single one of them makes people envious! Especially your daughter, she's capable, good at making money, and most importantly, not stingy. Ordinary women can't do that!"

"Your Majesty, please don't praise her. This girl has been acting out of line lately. She and her third brother have practically been living on the estate and haven't come back."

“You should be happy. Zhao Zhao is a good girl, and she has a lot of capable farming veterans working under her. With their help, Xu Junting can do his job even better!”

"You are the emperor, whatever you say goes."

This attitude prompted Emperor Yong'an to laugh and scold, "You scoundrel, how dare you act like a rogue in front of me!"

Xu Han smiled nonchalantly and didn't say anything.

Xu Han is not currently serving in the Ministry of War, but he holds the rank of a Grand General and indeed wields military power.

That's why Xu Han has always acted like he's very direct and reckless, basically the kind of person who doesn't have any guile.

Because both brothers had served as officials in the imperial court in their early years, Xu Han had always refused to serve in the Ministry of War, which was actually to reassure the emperor.

Now that his three sons have grown up, although they don't hold high official positions, Xu Han still feels he can step down to make way for his children.

“Your Majesty, I suffered a lot when I was fighting on the border, especially when I was chasing those Turkic dogs in the snow. My knees still hurt every winter.”

Emperor Yong'an stopped in his tracks; he was naturally aware of the war from that year.

Xu Han went north to fight the enemy more than once or twice, and he also fought alongside them when Emperor Yong'an was not yet emperor.

Therefore, he knew that Xu Han was not deliberately playing the victim, but was genuinely injured.

"I'll have the imperial physician examine you properly later, and then I'll get some good medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau for you to take and use. You're still so young, don't try to pull this trick on me!"

As expected of someone who grew up together, Emperor Yong'an knew what Xu Han was going to say as soon as he started speaking.

Xu Han smiled wryly: "Your Majesty, I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to take a break. Besides, there are so many talented people in the court now. Whether they are civil officials or military generals, our Great Xing is full of talented people. I am getting old and it is time for me to give way to those young people."

Emperor Yong'an sneered: "Really?"

Xu Han nodded, his face earnest: "I am serious."

"Very well. I was originally planning to launch a military campaign against the north next spring. Since your leg ailment has flared up, you should rest at home. You should also relinquish your position as Grand General. It would be good to replace you with some younger generals. However, we can't use only young people. I need to think about sending a few veteran generals to lead you before I feel at ease."

Xu Han immediately became anxious upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, is there any need to think about it? Of course, I must be included! Back then, when we went north to defend against the enemy, I was never absent. No one knows those thieving dogs better than me, and I can even understand a word or two of Turkic occasionally."

Emperor Yong'an glanced at him sideways: "Your leg doesn't hurt anymore?"

Xu Han was taken aback, his lips twitched slightly, and then he said in a shameless manner, "It still hurts, but it won't affect my ability to mount a horse and fight! How about you give me some good medicine, and I'll rest at home for the next few months so that I can lead the troops out to battle right away next spring!"

Xie Zheng, who was following behind, could hardly contain himself when he heard this.

You really know how to talk, and you're really bold in your thinking!

He just wanted to skip court and meetings for a few months and just live a quiet life at home!

How can you dream so much!

Sure enough, Emperor Yong'an immediately pointed his finger at him and started cursing.

"You lazy bum, don't you have any ambition at all? Look at you, so pathetic! You're thinking of staying home for a few months and sleeping in? You might as well just die of laziness!"

Xu Han acted like a dead pig that wasn't afraid of boiling water, saying whatever he wanted, just give me a holiday!

With such a mindset, Xie Zheng had to admit he truly admired him!