vstars Chapter 631 Satirical Provocation
Chapter 631 Satirical Provocation
Was the Second Prince's plan premeditated or a spur-of-the-moment decision?
Of course the latter.
The poisoning was something he hadn't anticipated. If it weren't for Jiang Xiaoqi's detoxifying pills, he might not have been able to be saved.
After regaining consciousness, he didn't even have time to rehearse his lines with the Empress. Somehow, the moment he saw the Emperor, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he felt that this was a good opportunity to "return to normal".
Why can't a person recover from another serious illness? Didn't the gentleman once say something about "two negatives making a positive"?
So the second prince immediately began to display his incredibly natural acting skills. Although the empress was shocked for a moment, she quickly recovered.
The empress's cleverness lay in acting as if nothing had happened, thus avoiding any test of her acting skills and allowing the emperor to fill in the blanks in his mind.
It can only be said that the empress knows her husband too well. The emperor had indeed filled in the blanks in her mind, and even exceeded expectations.
After the Jiang family finished their banquet to celebrate Jiang Xiaoqi's promotion, the Liu family also held a banquet for Liu Peng.
Although the Liu family was also from the same era, their influence was naturally much greater, after all, they were from different social circles, and Prime Minister Liu's connections and status were undeniable.
Not to mention court officials, many members of the royal family also came to offer their congratulations. There were also relatives and merchants who were not in the top ranks, who could only leave gifts and did not even get a seat.
Nevertheless, no one dared to harbor resentment; they simply said a few auspicious words and took their leave.
Jiang Xiaoqi and Xiao Ming were not included in this group. Moreover, the two of them were seated at the secondary main table, which was very close to the main table where the Prime Minister was sitting.
"Brother Liu, is it inappropriate for us to sit here?"
What Xiao Ming really wanted to say was that their rank was too low, while the people at the main table next door were high-ranking officials of the first or second rank in the imperial court!
“What’s inappropriate about it? My grandfather’s table is full of people he has good relationships with in the court, and my father’s table is full of people he’s close to.”
Is there a problem with you two sitting at my table? Besides, where else would you sit? Surely you wouldn't want to go to the women's table, would you?
Liu Peng made a little joke to dispel their concerns.
"Alright, since Brother Liu says so, we'll go along with it! We'll help you out when you get married in the future."
"Alright, alright, we'll help with the wedding procession, haha~"
The three chatted and laughed, leaving the rest of the table standing there.
An official who wasn't very old gave a soft snort, but Jiang Xiaoqi still caught it. There was no way around it; having such sharp ears could be a nuisance.
I glanced at the man out of the corner of my eye. Oh ho, he seems to be from the Ministry of Works. Apparently, he's on the same level as my great-uncle, both being vice ministers of the Ministry of Works.
A fourth-rank official, barely in his thirties, is considered an outstanding individual, something even Jiang Xiaoqi has to acknowledge.
After all, her great-uncle was over sixty years old. If it weren't for the health-preserving pills she secretly gave him, it was uncertain whether her great-uncle would still be healthy enough to continue serving as an official.
Jiang Xiaoqi helped his great-uncle and grandfather, who were both old men, cheat by using his "golden finger" (a metaphor for his ability to gain experience and influence). Otherwise, in two or three years, they would have reached retirement age and would have had no hope of advancing through seniority.
Jiang Xiaoqi used the health-enhancing pills and brain-boosting pills produced by the system to ensure a person's physical functions and mental clarity and agility, thus fulfilling the basic requirements for becoming an official.
Good health and a sharp mind—so what if he's a bit older? He just wants to dedicate a few more years of his life to the people and the Great Zhou.
What kind of spirit is this?
This is a spirit of fearlessness, a spirit of self-sacrifice and dedication, a spirit of selflessness and selflessness.
If you don't work hard when you're an official today, you'll be back home farming tomorrow.
While enjoying the delicious food, Jiang Xiaoqi's thoughts drifted to the Himalayas.
After finally managing to bring my thoughts back to the banquet, I realized that the atmosphere was a bit off.
Huh? What happened while I was lost in thought?
Jiang Xiaoqi decided to wait and see; asking Xiao Ming or Liu Peng at this point would be too obvious.
Everyone was sitting at the same table, and whatever the three of them said, the other seven could hear it clearly.
"Some people suddenly rise to high positions at a young age, and I don't know what methods they used."
Oh?! This is coming for me? It can't be aimed at Liu Peng, can it?
He is the grandson of the Prime Minister, and even though he is Liu Peng's father, he is still a third-rank official, despite holding a sinecure.
None of the people at this table want to offend the Liu family.
So as soon as these words were spoken, everyone at the table fell silent and turned their gazes toward Jiang Xiaoqi.
Cough cough, so he's convinced he's the one who's in such a high position at such a young age, huh?
Xiao Ming's face darkened, and he was about to lash out when Jiang Xiaoqi reached out and stopped him.
Jiang Xiaoqi smiled slightly, picked up his wine glass and stood up, saying, "How can you say that, sir? Although you have just turned thirty this year, you are not too young anymore."
Furthermore, you consider this fourth-rank position, the Vice Minister of Works, to be a high position? Then your ambitions are truly not high; you're quite easily satisfied.
Upon hearing Jiang Xiaoqi's words, Liu Peng and Xiao Ming exchanged a glance, both wanting to laugh. Haha, Mingfei's ability to interrupt and annoy people has improved even more.
The face of the Vice Minister of Works changed from white to red, then from white to black, just like an actor on stage who had been painted with makeup.
"Prime Minister Liu is a pillar of the court, and the Liu family is a prestigious family in the capital. Young Master Liu would be wise to choose his friends carefully, lest those petty people who want to curry favor with him succeed."
Hey! Is this never going to end? Jiang Xiaoqi rolled her eyes inwardly.
"Oh, no need for Lord Qin to trouble himself with that. Although I am just a young sixth-rank scholar, I do not consider family background or official rank when making friends."
I make friends based entirely on my own preferences. What if someone I get along with is just a scholar? What if someone I don't get along with is a general or marshal?
As you said, with my family background, I don't need to accommodate anyone. When it comes to making friends, why are there so many rules and regulations?
Making friends should be about being carefree and unrestrained!
Minister Qin was speechless, his face turning red. After a long while, he finally managed to stammer out, "I was just worried that Young Master Liu would be misled by a villain!"
Since you, sir, do not appreciate my good intentions, then pretend I said nothing!
His attempt to sow discord failed, and he became enraged?!
After saying that, he glared fiercely at Jiang Xiaoqi.
Jiang Xiaoqi: Hey! I've got a short temper! Just you wait! Today's Liu's home turf, we can't let him ruin it, or you'll be leaving!
Xiao Ming thought the same way, and had even planned where to put the burlap sacks in a more concealed location.
The atmosphere at the table remained awkward, especially among the other six people who hadn't said a word the entire time.
Sigh~ I was originally quite happy to be assigned to the secondary main table, thinking it would be closer to Prime Minister Liu, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this.
This Lord Qin must be out of his mind!