kvmb Chapter 194 Promotion
Chapter 194 Promotion
Chapter 194 Promotion
This great victory was a significant achievement. Chang Wei was not blinded by success. He sent his trusted generals to take over the Red-Clad Army. Only after seeing their genuine surrender did Chang Wei write a memorial and send an urgent message back to the capital to report the Red-Clad Army's surrender.
Zheng Hao deserves much credit for the successful recapture of the Red-Clad Army. General Chang said to Zheng Hao, "I have already stated your merits in the memorial, but unfortunately, I cannot put you first."
Because Emperor Jian'an was wary of collusion between civil and military officials and clearly disliked close personal relationships between military supervisors and generals, General Chang only briefly mentioned Zheng Hao's contributions in his memorial and dared not write about them in detail.
Zheng Hao said, "I understand Uncle Chang's intentions."
It was rare to encounter such a agreeable junior, so Chang Wei asked, "When will you return to the capital?"
Zheng Hao: "The new military supervisor will arrive in Jibei Prefecture in about two days. After handing over the affairs to the new military supervisor, I will set off immediately."
Chang Wei, though somewhat reluctant, said, "I will come to see you off when the time comes."
Zheng Hao said, "I appreciate Uncle Chang's kindness, but there are many military affairs to attend to. Uncle Chang, please stay and handle the military matters. When you come to the capital in the future, I will invite you to a gathering."
"Good lad, I'm waiting to drink your wine." Military generals don't like to be sentimental. General Chang dispelled his worries and made an appointment with the young military supervisor to meet again in the capital.
Two days later, the new military supervisor arrived in Jibei Prefecture. Zheng Hao handed over his official duties to the supervisor as instructed, and the next day, without delay, he and Gu Lin returned to the capital by carriage.
Unlike their trip to Beijing for a work report, which required a boat trip, the two had no time constraints on their return to Beijing. Gu Lin was prone to seasickness, so the two chose to travel by car for the entire journey.
Although the carriage was slower than the boat, the two hurried along the way and returned to the capital before the heavy winter snow.
Upon entering the city gate, Zheng Hao did not return to the mansion with Gu Lin. He dismounted from the carriage, mounted his horse, and turned to instruct Gu Lin inside the carriage, "Uncle Gu, go back and rest first. I will go to the palace to report to His Majesty."
"Go ahead, I'll have someone prepare dinner for you."
Gu Lin lowered the carriage curtain and had the coachman drive back to the mansion.
Having already received news of their return today, Sister Zhao and the others were waiting in the main hall. As soon as Gu Lin entered the mansion, the group surrounded him.
A group of people gathered around Gu Lin and came to the dining table in a lively atmosphere, only to find that the young man was missing someone.
Sister-in-law Zhao asked, "Where's Mingzhang? Didn't he come back with you?"
Gu Lin recounted how Emperor Jian'an summoned Zheng Hao to the palace to report on his duties. Zhao's wife said, "Then let's wait a little longer and have dinner after Mingzhang returns."
As everyone took their seats, Gu Lin looked at the steaming food on the table: "Winter food gets cold easily, so we don't need to wait for him. We keep fresh vegetables and meat in the kitchen at night, so we can cook it when he gets hungry."
Since Zheng Hao became an official, Gu Lin has noticed that some of his behaviors have become even more extreme than when he was a student. For example, he always drinks cold water regardless of the season, and in order to save time, he doesn't even care whether the food is hot or cold before eating it.
This could damage his stomach in the long run, but he didn't care. Gu Lin watched him and tried to reduce the amount of food he ate that had been repeatedly heated.
Listening to Gu Lin's words, Zhao's wife and the others felt that they made sense, so they didn't wait for Zheng Hao to return and started eating together.
After the meal, Gu Lin chatted with Zhao's wife and the others for half an hour. Seeing that they were getting tired and that they had to go to work the next day, Gu Lin told them to go back and rest, and that they could chat again later.
With important matters concerning their shops on their shoulders, Zhao's wife and the others didn't stand on ceremony with Gu Lin and turned to leave.
At night, Zheng Hao returned home. He went straight to the front yard, but instead of going back to his study or his own room, he went through a gate to the young man's courtyard.
"You didn't drink?" Gu Lin leaned back on the soft couch, holding a storybook, but due to the long journey, he felt a little tired after reading a few pages.
Seeing the young man return, and noticing that he looked normal and didn't smell of alcohol, Gu Lin made a judgment.
Zheng Hao said, "His Majesty is not in good health to drink alcohol, so there is no wine at the banquet."
Gu Lin didn't get up, but instead sat up straight from leaning against the bed. The candlelight in the room flickered slightly. He blinked, feeling even more tired. Seeing the young man walk behind the screen to change his clothes and come out, Gu Lin yawned and said, "There's hot soup noodles prepared in the kitchen. Would you like some?"
The banquets held in the palace were all served cold food, but the emperor's grace was so great that his subjects were required to finish every last bite. Therefore, Zheng Hao was not hungry.
Seeing the young man's tired face, Zheng Hao's heart softened. He walked towards the soft couch, bent down and picked him up. Suddenly feeling weightless, Gu Lin's mind jolted. He looked up at the young man. Zheng Hao carried him to the bed while gently patting his back and said, "Go to sleep if you're sleepy."
After saying that, Gu Lin did not make any further moves. The steady and strong embrace gradually put him at ease. Feeling drowsy, Gu Lin fell asleep before even reaching the bed.
After a night's rest, Gu Lin was full of energy. He did not stay at the mansion to rest any longer, but went out for a long time to inspect the various shops under his name.
Zhao Saozi, Yu Ge'er, and others were all personally trained by him. Even though he was away from the capital for many days, he managed the shops very well. Among them, Zhenyulou and Xiao Cui were completely capable of handling things on their own.
Xiao Cui said, "After the master left the capital, someone did indeed come to Zhenyu Tower to cause trouble. I heard that if the master couldn't handle it, he would go to Madam Fang. After Madam Fang met with the person behind the scenes once, he never dared to come to cause trouble again."
Gu Lin said, "You did a great job. I'll invite Madam Fang to a get-together another day to thank her."
After a day of inspection, Gu Lin returned home, and coincidentally, Zheng Hao arrived home at the same time.
With his gaze half-lowered, Gu Lin noticed the official robe in the other person's hand and subconsciously smiled, saying, "Congratulations on your promotion, Lord Zheng!"
Zheng Hao was used to keeping his emotions hidden, but seeing the young man congratulating him with a smile, he found it hard to keep his handsome face in check.
Seeing that the two were in a very good mood, Da Zhuo, who was standing to the side, also dared to interject a few words: "Husband, the lord is now a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue!"
This time, Gu Lin's surprise was no exaggeration: "Wasn't you a junior official in the Ministry of Revenue? How come you were promoted directly to a doctor in the field?"
The rank of a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue is one level higher than that of an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Revenue.
Zheng Hao grasped Gu Lin's hand. At this moment, Zhao's wife and the others had not yet returned, and Gu Lin did not push him away.
As Zheng Hao walked, he explained, "After we left the capital, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was found to have embezzled tax silver and was imprisoned by His Majesty. I offered a plan to defeat the Red-Clad Army, and His Majesty then promoted me to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."
"Your promotion is faster than drinking water," Gu Lin couldn't help but exclaim. But even so, he knew that it was all due to Zheng Hao's good luck.
Upon entering the room, Gu Lin broke free from the young man's grip. Zheng Hao pursed his lips slightly, but released the young man's hand with a gentle pull.
"The New Year is almost here, won't your Ministry of Revenue be swamped with work?"
Preparing for New Year's expenses, drafting rewards for officials by Emperor Jian'an, and finalizing the grain transport operations across the country...
Zheng Hao said, “The Ministry of Revenue itself has busy affairs that are not difficult to handle. Over the years, the Ministry of Revenue has long had a complete set of procedures. What really gives the Ministry of Revenue a headache is that His Majesty’s birthday and the New Year’s Eve banquet are half a month apart. Whether it is the former or the latter, the Ministry of Revenue cannot be negligent.”
In particular, Emperor Jian'an's birthday banquet was a grand affair. He loved extravagance, and if the banquet wasn't well-organized, everyone in the Ministry of Revenue was prepared to be punished.
"You won't be assigned this thankless and arduous task, will you?" Gu Lin asked.
Hearing Uncle Gu's undisguised words, Zheng Hao sighed and smiled slightly, "I am but a lowly person with little influence. Such an important event as His Majesty's birthday banquet should naturally be presided over by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."
Therefore, the two vice ministers of the Ministry of Revenue were having a terrible headache in the face of the empty national treasury.
On the contrary, Gu Lin felt relieved.
Suddenly, he turned to Zheng Hao and asked, "You haven't prepared a birthday gift for His Majesty yet, have you?"
The young man asked a question, a sly glint in his eyes that Zheng Hao couldn't ignore and found quite endearing.
Zheng Hao asked, "What suggestions does Uncle Gu have?"
Gu Lin said, "Master Ning and his men have been making glass. From the prefectural city to the capital, they are constantly striving for perfection. I will go and take a look tomorrow. If the glass is of good quality, I will show it to you."
"You don't need to prepare any gifts for His Majesty's birthday."
Seeing that the young man had made arrangements in an orderly manner, Zheng Hao felt that the other man had an inexplicable endearing quality, and couldn't help but feel a little amused. He teased, "I helped Uncle Gu make a name for himself at His Majesty's birthday banquet. How will Uncle Gu reward me?"
Although the young man spoke these words with a serious expression, seemingly without any other meaning, as dusk faded and night deepened, an uncontrollable ambiguity arose between the two.
A burning sensation rose in his ear. Gu Lin glanced at him and said, "Let's talk about it when the time comes."
Uncle Gu glanced at him briefly, his gentle yet sharp gaze sweeping over Zheng Hao, making Zheng Hao's neck and ears tingle.
He stared at the young man with his dark eyes and said, "Uncle Gu, just wait for good news."
The full moon of the twelfth lunar month is the birthday of Emperor Jian'an.
The birthday banquet of the emperor was a grand and extravagant affair. All officials of the third rank and above, former nobles, and princes of the imperial family were required to attend. Of course, the banquet was not limited to these people. Some of the emperor's favorites, such as Zheng Hao, were also present. Some of them had received special permission from Emperor Jian'an to attend the birthday banquet.
Because of his meritorious service in suppressing the Red-Clad Army, Emperor Jian'an was very pleased with Zheng Hao after he returned to the capital. At his birthday banquet, Emperor Jian'an even arranged for him to sit in a position not far from himself, in the same seats as the Crown Prince and other princes.
However, there were many officials of higher rank than Zheng Hao at the banquet. After Zheng Hao sat down, the hall was filled with singing and dancing for a long time, while Emperor Jian'an was still busy talking with other ministers.
After the reunion with court officials and members of the imperial family, the singing and dancing gradually subsided, and it was time for those present to present birthday gifts to Emperor Jian'an.
The Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, was second only to Emperor Jian'an in status. He was also the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and both in public and private matters, he was the one to present gifts first.
Stepping out of his seat, the Crown Prince ordered someone to present the birthday gift. Under Emperor Jian'an's kind and expectant gaze, the Crown Prince personally opened the gift box and said, "Your son has come across a pair of porcelain pieces, as white and smooth as jade. Although they are not as precious as those in Your Majesty's private collection, they are the best I have ever seen in my life. I hope Your Majesty will accept them with pleasure."
As the Crown Prince finished speaking, not only Emperor Jian'an, but also all the ministers present couldn't help but look at the congratulatory gift presented by the Crown Prince. In the black wooden box, a pair of white jade porcelain vases decorated with gold-painted red plum blossoms lay quietly on red silk. The Crown Prince claimed that the white porcelain was of poor quality, but just by looking at the white porcelain with the naked eye, one could tell that it was no ordinary object.
When the birthday gift was presented to Emperor Jian'an, he touched the white porcelain inside the box with his own hands and was deeply moved. He looked at his son, on whom he had placed great hopes, with a kind smile and said, "The Crown Prince's filial piety is commendable."
The Crown Prince humbly withdrew, and the remaining princes presented their gifts one after another. Some of the treasures they had collected were no less valuable than the pair of white porcelain pieces. Emperor Jian'an was also very pleased, but he did not smile as genuinely as he had when he treated the Crown Prince.
After the Crown Prince, the other princes, and the princes of the imperial clan presented their birthday gifts, it was the turn of the court officials.
[I have a heavy study load lately, so I'll try to write and revise on the same day. If I can't finish, I'll post it first and revise it the next day!]