CHAPTER 570: CHAPTER 570 FLATTERY

Not only did Xingxing feel this way, Su Jin did too.

Xie Jingchen ate a bowl of beef noodles and it wasn’t enough; he ordered another bowl.

This bowl was not small.

Judging by the portion, it seemed as if he had been confined by the Emperor for two days.

But he clearly had breakfast before entering the palace, didn’t he?

No matter how Su Jin interrogated him, Xie Jingchen just wouldn’t say what he did in the palace.

Su Jin automatically suspected that the Emperor had given him a gag order.

Yet, just when Xie Jingchen finished two bowls of noodles, the Emperor’s apology edict had already been transcribed and sent out of the palace, posted on various bulletin boards.

From the time the apology edict was sent to the Hanlin Academy, those adults couldn’t stop praising the edict written by the Emperor.

Unexpectedly, after over a decade on the throne, the Emperor’s learnedness had not declined but improved, making those old scholars who devoted themselves to study every day feel quite ashamed. No wonder the Emperor often criticized them for only piling up words, flashy but not substantive.

Once the apology edict was posted, immediately a lot of people gathered around.

Most were illiterates curious about the commotion; there were also those who only recognized a few characters here and there.

After waiting a while, a scholar finally praised, "Our Emperor truly has great literary talent!"

"Never mind the literary talent, what does it say exactly?" someone anxiously asked.

It’s rare to encounter an apology edict, so us commoners want to see how the Emperor reflects on himself.

The scholar recited it aloud.

Yet no one understood.

The scholar read a sentence and explained it.

After listening, the commoners were moved and said, "What a good Emperor! He’s a wise ruler!"

Marquis Dongxiang returned from the military camp and happened to pass by the bustling street, hearing the citizens praise the Emperor.

He looked at the apology edict twice from atop his horse.

The corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

The wheel of fortune turns; he didn’t expect it to turn to him so soon.

Marquis Dongxiang turned his horse around, and upon seeing this, Su Chong asked, "Father, aren’t you going home?"

"I’m going to the palace first," said Marquis Dongxiang.

Watching Marquis Dongxiang ride away, Su Chong was completely puzzled.

Isn’t it quite normal for the Emperor to write an apology edict?

It’s already evening, what’s Father going to the palace for?

Su Chong looked at the apology edict a few more times and discovered its hidden meaning.

However, he wasn’t the only one to notice. Someone said, "There’s a hidden meaning in this apology edict, look."

A quick glance—

I will be a wise ruler.

"The Emperor is promising us."

"Long live the Emperor!"

Cheers erupted one after another.

These words of praise were transmitted word for word to the Emperor’s ears by the little eunuch.

The Emperor was immensely pleased.

But!

This joy lasted less than half an hour.

Because Marquis Dongxiang entered the palace.

Inside the Imperial Study, seeing the emperor in an extraordinarily good mood, Marquis Dongxiang smiled and said, "It seems the Emperor already knows the citizens are all praising you."

"You came just for this?" the Emperor laughed.

"I was mistaken about the Emperor before, so I came to apologize," Marquis Dongxiang bowed.

The Emperor’s smile couldn’t be restrained.

Marquis Dongxiang not only apologized but also gave great praise.

Though his flattery was clumsy and couldn’t compare to those ministers, yet the Emperor felt an unprecedented sense of delight.

The Emperor almost floated with pleasure.

Hearing praise from Marquis Dongxiang was like seeing the sun rise in the west!

Seeing the Emperor in a cheerful mood, Marquis Dongxiang waved his hand to dismiss all the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the Imperial Study.

The Emperor thought Marquis Dongxiang had something important to report and didn’t mind.

He could sense Marquis Dongxiang’s good mood too, so it shouldn’t be anything bad.

But then Marquis Dongxiang abruptly changed the subject, "Never realized, your Majesty, your skin has gotten so thick."

The Emperor, "...!!!"

Eunuch Fu, "...!!!"

The shift was too sudden.

So sudden that no one could react.

"I’ve been insincerely praising you for so long, and the Emperor doesn’t feel ashamed at all," Marquis Dongxiang said with disdain.

The Emperor, "...!!!"

Eunuch Fu, "...!!!"

The Emperor said nothing.

Marquis Dongxiang looked at him and said, "Everyone who has seen the Emperor’s apology edict has been praising your Majesty’s talent, calling you a wise ruler."

"If they were to know that it was my son-in-law who helped the Emperor reflect and write that apology edict, I wonder if they’d unanimously criticize you as a foolish ruler?"

The Emperor slammed the table in anger, "Did the Heir of Prince Zhenbei lodge complaints against you?!"

Marquis Dongxiang responded with a roll of his eyes.

"Is complaining even necessary?"

"Ask yourself sincerely, do you really have such literary talent?" Marquis Dongxiang said.

The Emperor, "...."

Eunuch Fu, "...."

The Emperor’s face turned green with anger.

Eunuch Fu almost suffered internal injuries holding back.

He should have left together earlier.

Hearing the Emperor being scolded made his heart race with fear.

But on second thought, he had witnessed the Emperor being hit before, so being verbally scolded was nothing.

After all, he’s an old hand around the Emperor, well-experienced and knowledgeable.

Eunuch Fu, "...."

Hmm.

In the entire court, only Marquis Dongxiang dared to speak like this to the Emperor.

The thing is, the Emperor’s literary talent was well above his.

If you just listened to Marquis Dongxiang, you’d think his literary prowess far exceeded the Emperor’s.

The Emperor glared at Marquis Dongxiang in fury.

Marquis Dongxiang was full of pride and satisfaction.

When his son-in-law helped write a reflective memorial, he was scolded by the Emperor like a grandson; didn’t expect the Emperor to imitate it literally.

Isn’t this courting disaster for living too comfortably?

For Marquis Dongxiang, who always disliked the Emperor, catching such a good opportunity, there was no way the Emperor could escape.

And then—

Just as Marquis Dongxiang was scolded back then, he berated the Emperor now.

His reflection was solely directed towards the Emperor.

But the Emperor was deceiving the entire populace.

Though the vast majority of people didn’t even understand what the apology edict said, they only knew the Emperor attributed the lack of rain from heaven to not doing well enough himself, thinking heaven was punishing him.

How did the Emperor scold him back then?

Ah yes.

Literary skills can be slightly lacking.

But the attitude towards reflection must be correct.

Back then, Marquis Dongxiang didn’t talk back, and now the Emperor could only stare blankly.

After venting, feeling relieved.

Marquis Dongxiang extended his hand, "Twenty thousand taels for hush money."

The Emperor, "...!!!"

Eunuch Fu, "...!!!"

The Emperor thought he misheard.

"Say that again?!" the Emperor bellowed.

Since Marquis Dongxiang dared to ask, it didn’t matter how many times, he would satisfy the Emperor.

"Twenty thousand taels for hush money," Marquis Dongxiang said.

"The Emperor bullied my son-in-law, and I hypocritically praised you for so long. Is it too much to ask for twenty thousand taels?" Marquis Dongxiang said.

The Emperor was puffing with anger.

Eunuch Fu hurriedly said, "The Emperor is out of funds."

Marquis Dongxiang withdrew his hand, "If there’s no money, then forget it. Just praise me back like how I praised the Emperor earlier, and make up for last time."

He wasn’t willing to suffer any losses.

The Emperor almost had his lung explode in anger.

Praise him?

What he wanted most now was to beat him to death!

Is this how a subject acts?!

Seeing the Emperor and Marquis Dongxiang stare each other down.

The flames of anger crackled in their eyes.

Eunuch Fu figured the Emperor’s little treasury might manage to scrape together twenty thousand taels.

After all, a few days ago, the Ministry of Revenue allocated twenty thousand taels to the Emperor, and not much had been spent.

Eunuch Fu hurried to the little treasury to fetch the money, picking an ornament to make up the amount when it was a bit short.

Marquis Dongxiang gave his thanks for the reward and turned to leave.

The Emperor was so angry his heart was in pain.

Eunuch Fu hesitated whether to send for the Imperial Physician.

Just then, the Empress arrived.

Thinking the Emperor was happy now, the Empress wondered if she could plead on behalf of Princess Shouning to have her confinement lifted.

Consort Li also arrived.

After all, it’s rare for the Emperor to be this joyful, and he would surely grant anything asked of him.

Little did they know they were sent up as punching bags for the Emperor—

"Get out, all of you!"