Jing Rong and Qiao Zheng lingered in the hall after the others left to reminisce the past.
Although both of them had conversed a few times back in the capital, they did not have a close relationship. Leaving out the fact that Qiao Zheng had been closely socializing with Prince Yi’s residence, their positions and identities alone were reason enough for them to not have long conversations together as a precaution against needless gossip. If people were to comment that a prince had connections with one of the six ministries, an accusation of treason would be sure to follow.
If that happened, even if the Qizhen Emperor didn’t lop off his head, he would surely be then stripped of his responsibilities, kept at a distance, and face obstructions in every direction..
At this moment, no one was speaking.
Qiao Zheng looked at Jing Rong before hastily shifting his gaze elsewhere. It wasn’t from guilt, but rather a mysterious panicky feeling that came over him just by looking at Jing Rong’s cold and distant face.
On the other hand, Jing Rong had the lid of his teacup pinched between his fingers, idly tapping it on the lip of the cup. It made a clear clinking sound that was neither too loud nor too soft.
Yet, the sound made Qiao Zheng feel numb all over. Finally, he steeled himself and looked up. “Does Your Highness have anything to discuss?”
Hearing that, Jing Rong’s pursed lips curled as a faraway expression appeared on his face. “This prince still remembers that years ago, in front of everyone, Imperial Father once likened the Great Lin Dynasty to a sharp sword and Lord Qiao as a jade ornament hanging on that sword. The pendant accentuates the edge of the sharp blade like a torch, making it all the more fearsome. It is clear that father values you highly. Lord Qiao has been doing his best at his position for the dynasty’s sake all these past few years.”
“It’s what this official should be doing.”
“Lord Qiao is the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, which is a top-ranked position in court. That position is not one that any simpleton could be assigned to, even more so now that the court is desperately in need of talent. Yet, why did you choose to resign and return home at such a time?”
So, this was what he wanted to talk about! Qiao Zheng paused to rearrange his thoughts before replying. “To be honest, Your Highness, this official has been getting old and has been missing the idyllic lifestyle of the countryside. Furthermore, the capital is full of talented and capable individuals waiting to be discovered. This official prefers to step down from the position so that the younger generation would have an opportunity to advance. Being a senior provincial official in Yufu means that I will still be of service to the dynasty while being closer to my family.”
Jing Rong couldn’t find anything wrong with this excuse. However, this was not his actual intent!
He then fired another question. “The newly appointed minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Peng Yuanhai. I heard that he’s your protégé, Lord Qiao?”
Jing Rong finally got to the point.
Qiao Zheng was a shrewd man, easily guessing what Jing Rong had meant and replied. “To be honest, he’s not really my protégé. It’s just that I have taught him some things during my spare time. He’s a quick learner, so he absorbed everything I taught. When this official stepped down, it was within my expectations that he would be appointed as the new Minister of Personnel. ”
“Then, who exactly is this Peng Yuanhai? This prince has gotten curious, after all, I have not heard about him till now.”
“This man is a student of Teacher Yu. He was a bangyan (ranked second in the National Civil Examinations) who was originally working in Hanlin Academy. This official noticed his meticulousness in performing tasks and brought him into the Ministry of Personnel as an assistant minister.”
“From Mingshan Academy?”
“That’s right.”
Now things are getting interesting. Jing Rong smiled as he sipped his tea. “So he’s Teacher Yu’s student. No wonder he dared to petition me.”
“Your Highness, are you referring to the petition from the Ministry of Personnel?”
“Oh? I thought Lord Qiao would be unaware of outside matters after resigning. It seems that your ears are still working hard.”
“This official has only heard some things here and there.”
“That must mean that news about the incident had already spread throughout the capital?”
“Your Highness worries too much. Although Your Highness had relieved numerous officials of their positions during his trip to Yufu at your own discretion, it was done to remove the dynasty’s scum and ought to be celebrated. Furthermore, His Majesty knows about this and would definitely not hold it against you.” It was difficult to discern whether Qiao Zheng was speaking the truth or was just flattering him for the sake of it.
Jing Rong felt that he was about to hook and reel in this large fish named Qiao Zheng. “Then, in Lord Qiao’s opinion, where did this Peng Yuanhai get the courage to petition this prince from? He knows full well that Imperial Father would not question me, so why did he still do it? What’s even stranger about this is that the Office of Transmission that was supposed to sift and select the documents did not do their job that day and submitted everything to Imperial Father. Don’t tell me that there’s a connection between them?”
Qiao Zheng immediately realized that this prince had been setting a trap for him. Yet, he was already on the hook and had no more options for retreat. He could only reply. “Peng Yuanhai petitioning Your Highness should merely be…... just a ploy of a newly appointed official.”
“Then how do you explain the Office of Transmission’s actions?”
“This...” Qiao Zheng was speechless “This official does not know about that.”
“Based on this prince’s understanding. Lord Qu of the Office of Transmission was appointed at Prince Yi’s suggestion. Furthermore, Lord Qiao had also been closely connected to Prince Yi’s household. The moment Lord Qiao resigned, this Peng Yuanhai immediately began submitting petitions against this prince. Don’t tell me that... the person who really wished to petition this prince was you, Lord Qiao. Yet, you were afraid that you would be implicated and so you hastily resigned and threw this steaming, hot yam over to Peng Yuanhai, your protégé. This prince wonders if his guess is on the mark?”
Ah!
In other words, Jing Rong was saying that since this incident had something to do with Prince Yi, it also meant that Qiao Zheng was involved as well.
Qiao Zheng trembled and leapt to his feet. “Your Highness must be impartial, this official has no such intention at all. Although I was closely connected to Prince Yi’s household, I would never do such a thing. This official was also never close with Peng Yuanhai.” He was extremely panicked and trying to draw a clear line between himself and them.
Jing Rong’s brows furrowed. His eyes were firmly fixed on Qiao Zheng.
Meanwhile, Qiao Zihua, who was waiting outside, didn’t dare to wander about. Thus he blankly stood in the small courtyard, waiting for his second uncle to come out. It was getting late. Surely their discussion must be done soon? He should be out shortly.
At that moment, a leather ball smashed hard onto Qiao Zihua’s head. His body swayed from the force of it, almost causing him to fall onto the ground. [1]
Managing to regain his balance after stumbling a few steps, Qiao Zihua looked at the girl that approached him and frowned. “Why did you hit me?”
Tang Si walked over, looked at him from top to bottom and asked in an unfriendly tone. “Are you Qiao Zihua?”
“I am.”
“Then I am going to hit you.” Yeah, I didn’t get the wrong guy!
Qiao Zihua was bewildered. “When did I provoke you?”
“Of course you did. Why didn’t you open the door when we came to the Qiao Estate this morning? This was the first time I ever had the door shut in my face, of course I have to get revenge for that humiliation.”
“This...” What did I have to do with that?
Tang Si extended her leg and flicked the ball from the ground right into her hand. She tossed the ball up high with a wicked smile. Without another word, she kicked it towards him with all her strength.
The ball seemed to be wreathed in flames as it plummeted towards Qiao Zihua’s face.
A large thump resounded.
A large figure crashed onto the floor on his back. His spine made a crunching sound as if something had broken.
“Ah!” The pain caused Qiao Zihua to cry aloud.
His face hurt!
His backside hurt!
His lower back hurt!
His heart hurt too!
A pair of hands was just simply not enough to protect himself.
[1] Specifically, a Cuju 蹴鞠 , a leather ball filled with rice husks. The earliest form of football ever, starting from 300-200BC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuju