kvmb Chapter 487 Distinguished Guest
Chapter 487 Distinguished Guest
The wise prince's face darkened, his patience wearing thin: "Zhang Weiping, why aren't the two ministers here?"
Aside from the Emperor of Northern Qi, who would dare make him wait?
Those two old geezers are far too arrogant.
Zhang Weiping said with a worried look, "The Minister of Personnel said that his wife is holding a birthday banquet and he is too busy to come. He will come to apologize to you after the banquet."
Having said all that, the wise king naturally couldn't hold it against him, but he was still somewhat unhappy.
He raised his chin, signaling Zhang Weiping to continue.
Zhang Weiping stammered, "The Minister of Justice has official duties to attend to and cannot spare the time."
The wise prince sneered, "He's holding a grudge because I didn't see him last time."
The ministers standing nearby exchanged glances, each with their own thoughts.
The attitudes of the Minister of Personnel and the Minister of Justice have been made clear.
Does this mean they no longer intend to support the wise king?
Previously, the Northern Qi emperor had protected the Prince of Guangling during the morning court session, seemingly valuing him highly and granting him considerable power and privileges—an unprecedented favor bestowed upon a prince of the current dynasty.
The Prince of Guangling was not only favored by the emperor of Northern Qi, but also deeply loved by the people and enjoyed a very high reputation among them.
However, the reputation of the wise prince was damaged, and the people opposed him becoming the crown prince.
Given the current situation, the Northern Qi emperor's insistence on appointing the virtuous prince as crown prince suggests that the remnants of the previous dynasty, lurking in the shadows, may seize the opportunity to incite uprisings among the people in various regions, thus overthrowing the Chu family's rule.
In addition, the king's cruel and ungrateful nature, and his tendency to discard those who had served their purpose, made them waver.
Having made up their minds, they put in a good word for the two ministers: "Your Highness, His Majesty has recently purged some officials and needs to conduct additional assessments and selections to fill the vacancies. The Ministers of Personnel and Justice happen to be key figures in their respective departments, and their official duties are indeed very busy."
Although the Prince Xian never doubted their loyalty, he thought of what Zhang Weiping had said to him at the Prince's residence.
For no apparent reason, the wise king felt a sense of crisis: "You have all been loyal to me, and I am not an ungrateful person. It's not that I was unwilling to help those officials who got into trouble. It's just that I'm being watched by the Prince of Guangling, and I can't even protect myself. If I make any rash moves, I'm afraid he won't let it go and will continue to dig deeper, dragging you all into it as well."
The ministers remained silent as they listened to the wise king's grand and eloquent words.
The wise king sighed: "Don't worry, I will get justice for them."
The ministers quickly said a few polite words: "We know you care about us, and we can understand your good intentions and difficulties."
The wise king was slightly relieved and brought up the important matter: "You must have heard the rumors outside. Do you have any way to help me get through this difficult time?"
"This..." The ministers exchanged glances, then looked at the wise king in bewilderment: "The people of Yongqing County believe that you have embezzled more than 100,000 taels of silver from them. The 10,000 taels of silver that you donated to them was originally their silver. Instead of remembering your kindness, they are attacking you."
"If you want to quell public anger, you'll have to donate 100,000 taels of silver to them, but that would only confirm the public opinion. Otherwise, there's only one other way: you need to produce evidence to prove your innocence, and that will calm the public outcry."
The wise king frowned deeply; all those involved were dead.
Where can he find evidence to prove his innocence?
The wise king then asked, "Is there any other way?"
The ministers shook their heads, looking helpless: "Why don't you go and discuss with His Majesty how to resolve this matter?"
No one could come up with a solution, and the wise king grew weary, for there was truly no one of any useful ability.
The Minister of Personnel and the Minister of Justice are still the most useful.
The wise king found them an eyesore and said, "Alright, you can all leave now."
The officials breathed a sigh of relief and took their leave.
As soon as they left, the wise prince picked up a teacup and smashed it on the ground, venting the anger that had been building up inside him.
Zhang Weiping, standing to the side, realized that the attitudes of these officials were completely different from when he received the silver.
It's not that there's no way, but rather that they're unwilling to serve the wise king.
"Your Highness, I do have a plan." Zhang Weiping pursed his lips, met the Prince Xian's gaze, and offered his strategy: "Shift the blame eastward."
-
The days passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was time for the birthday banquet of the wife of the Minister of Personnel.
Following the instructions of the Northern Qi emperor, the wise prince prepared a generous gift and took it to the Ministry of Personnel.
The old lady celebrated her 70th birthday with a grand banquet.
All the high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital came.
To demonstrate his status, the wise prince arrived at the Minister's residence last.
The Minister of Personnel personally received him.
Just as the wise king was about to present the birthday gifts, he noticed that everyone's eyes were on what was behind him.
He turned his head and saw a group of people surrounding the old lady as she headed towards the gate of the mansion.
Before he could see clearly, a servant ran over and said to the Minister of Personnel, "Master, distinguished guests have arrived at the mansion. The old lady has led the family members to greet them."