Chapter 9: Another Promotion and Alone Time with the Emperor Father

As the night deepened, palace lanterns lit up one by one, and dozens of exquisite dishes from the Imperial Kitchen were placed before Yue Shen.

Yu Zhi carefully served her, afraid of making any mistakes and not serving this difficult emperor well.

Without Qiu Shuzhi, Yue Shen seemed like a cold icehouse. Her slightly childish face always carried a chilling coldness that did not reveal her imposing manner. Even though Yu Zhi knew she was just a puppet emperor, he never dared to slack off when serving her.

“Your Majesty, please enjoy your meal,” Yu Zhi respectfully said as he placed the bowl and chopsticks in front of Yue Shen.

Yue Shen frowned and kept wiping her hands with a handkerchief. “Dirty.”

Yu Zhi explained, “Your Majesty, rest assured. These bowls and chopsticks have been carefully washed inside and out more than ten times by the servants before being presented.”

Yue Shen made no attempt to hide the disgust in her eyes. “I said you’re dirty.”

Yu Zhi’s fair face flushed red, his delicate face hanging with embarrassment.

“Your Majesty’s mysophobia seems to be getting more and more severe. At this rate, I’m afraid you won’t even be able to write,” a light and casual voice lazily rang out outside Baohe Hall, accompanied by the sound of a folding fan gently closing. Qin Qing slowly approached, his clean and handsome face carrying a hint of a smile.

Yue Shen lowered her eyes. “Greetings, Father. My mysophobia is not a big problem. It’s just that the servants have been serving outside all day, and their smell is unclean.”

Yu Zhi’s face turned red, feeling angry but not daring to speak.

In order to serve Yue Shen’s mysophobia, he bathed five times a day and lost count of the number of times he cleansed his hands with incense. How could he be unclean?

Qin Qing sat down beside her, his light and casual white robe making him look otherworldly. His gentle eyes were inscrutable. “Oh? So by that logic, I also just walked over from Qingning Palace. Am I also unclean?”

Yue Shen’s eyes darkened slightly. “Father is naturally different from the servants.”

Qin Qing’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Yu Zhi has been serving me since he was young. I liked him so much that I let him serve Your Majesty. If Your Majesty doesn’t like him, I’ll have Yu Ye come serve instead.”

Yue Shen’s hand holding the chopsticks tightened slightly, and she almost replied through gritted teeth, “No need, Yu Zhi is fine.”

Yu Ye was Yu Zhi’s older brother and had been serving by Qin Qing’s side for many years as his confidant. He had a steady mind and keen observation skills. With Yu Zhi serving her, she could still make some moves under Qin Qing’s watch, but if he was replaced by Yu Ye, it would be difficult.

Having gained his mistress’s support, Yu Zhi smiled smugly.

No matter if you’re the emperor, in front of the Emperor Father, you still have to be as respectful as a dog.

Qin Qing smiled sarcastically. “Since that’s the case, Your Majesty must treat Yu Zhi well.”

Yue Shen’s face turned pale, helplessly compromising despite her anger. “Yes.”

Qin Qing smiled even more blatantly, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a piece of fatty Dongpo pork in her bowl. “Your Majesty must not have started eating yet. Have some more.”

Yue Shen’s eyes flashed with a fierce look, her fingers gripping until they turned white.

The entire palace knew she disliked eating greasy pork the most, yet Qin Qing dared to…

“Thank you, Father.”

She took a deep breath and quickly adjusted her expression. She put the almost entire piece of fatty Dongpo pork into her mouth. The greasy fat instantly made her face turn deathly pale. Her empty stomach churned as if about to vomit immediately. She endured the nauseating feeling and swallowed the fatty meat whole, feeling sick to her heart and lungs.

Seeing the ruler of a nation in such a sorry state, Yu Zhi’s desire for revenge was satisfied, and he almost laughed out loud.

Qin Qing leaned against the back of the chair and said casually, “Your Majesty need not thank me. But I just received news that the Shuntian Prefecture’s chief administrator suddenly fell ill, and the position is now vacant. It needs a talented person to fill it.”

Yue Shen endured the rolling fat in her abdomen and said, “The position of chief administrator is a major responsibility. Does Father have a candidate in mind?”

“The Hanlin Academy Scholar, Qiu Shuzhi.”

“No!” Yue Shen said immediately. “How can a sour and stinking scholar take on such an important task? Moreover, she passed the imperial examination in March and has already been promoted once. It hasn’t even been a month, and she’s being promoted again. What will the other officials think?”

Qin Qing raised his eyebrows, unconcerned. “The Hanlin Academy Scholar is a proper fifth-rank position, and the Shuntian Prefecture’s chief administrator is also a proper fifth-rank position. It’s not a promotion.”

Yue Shen sneered coldly. Even ghosts wouldn’t believe Qin Qing’s words.

The Shuntian Prefecture governed five regions and twenty-two counties and could even manage the capital. It was the center of power that countless officials looked up to in their lifetimes. They would rather have their rank lowered by one level to squeeze into the Shuntian Prefecture. One could imagine what a great position it was. Even if the chief administrator of the Shuntian Prefecture was also nominally a proper fifth-rank position, the power behind it was far beyond that.

However, since Qin Qing was willing to promote Qiu Shuzhi, who had little political achievement, into the Shuntian Prefecture, it happened to fulfill her wish, and she was happy to take it easy.

But on the surface, she still had to put on an act.

“But Qiu Shuzhi has no foundation or achievements in the court. Letting her enter the Shuntian Prefecture may be difficult for the other officials to accept. It’s better to let her remain in the Hanlin Academy,” she said, pretending to be in a difficult position.

Qin Qing waved his folding fan lightly. “Qiu Shuzhi is the disciple personally chosen by Your Majesty and was once the Emperor’s Teacher. Who would dare not accept her entering the Shuntian Prefecture?”

Yue Shen was silent for a moment. “Since that’s the case, then let it be as Father says.”

The next day, when the imperial edict was issued, the officials were shocked and privately discussed it endlessly.

Qiu Shuzhi, who came from a poor family, was actually able to be promoted two ranks within a month or so and even entered the Shuntian Prefecture. That was the Shuntian Prefecture!

Some were envious, while others were jealous to the point of seeing red.

The officials all knew that the emperor had no real power, and the one who had sole control over the court was the Emperor Father Qin Qing. There was no need to think that this edict was Qin Qing’s will.

And what about Qiu Shuzhi?

She was young and beautiful, the dream lover of many men in the capital. The Emperor Father was also still young…

Some people thought of the previous Qionglin Banquet, where the Emperor Father praised Qiu Shuzhi, saying, “The best in vibrant charm.” Rumors of Qiu Shuzhi serving people with her beauty and being the Emperor Father’s minion under his robes spread.

However, this ill-intentioned rumor, meant to ruin Qiu Shuzhi’s reputation, didn’t even have a chance to spread to the people before it was intercepted halfway and forcibly extinguished.

Qiu Shuzhi herself was still unaware of this rumor. She was being led by Yu Ye into Qingning Palace, the true pinnacle of power in the Great Qi Nation.

“Your humble servant Qiu Shuzhi pays respects to the Emperor Father.” She knelt on the ground. Just as she was about to kowtow, a cool fan handle lifted her chin.

Following the force of the fan handle, her gaze slowly moved upward. Aloeswood incense quietly burned, filling the entire palace with fragrance. She felt a little intoxicated by the incense and met Qin Qing’s gentle, smiling eyes.

“Madam Qiu need not stand on ceremony,” he said, his voice low and hoarse.

It was Qiu Shuzhi’s first time meeting Qin Qing alone. Not sure of his temperament, she said respectfully, “The Emperor Father has shown kindness to this servant. This servant does not dare to be disrespectful.”

Qin Qing laughed softly, the light in his peach blossom eyes flickering finely. “Knowing that I have shown you kindness, yet you’re still so afraid of me?”

Qiu Shuzhi’s eyelashes fluttered, her eyes determined. “This servant is not afraid of the Emperor Father. This servant is willing to go through fire and water for the Emperor Father.”

Qin Qing’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. The fan slowly moved up, the cool fan bones tracing the gentle contours of her face. His words carried a strong seductiveness. “There’s no need to go through fire and water. I’m helping you not because I want your life. As long as you do a good job helping me, I will naturally assist you in rising to the top and reaching the pinnacle of officialsdom.”

“This servant will definitely not let the Emperor Father down.” Qiu Shuzhi raised her eyes, her clear and bright eyes shining like water, reflecting his refined and elegant appearance.

Qin Qing looked at those eyes that shone like stars and was stunned for a moment. The jade hand holding the fan handle tightened slightly.

Ever since their first meeting at the Qionglin Banquet, he had inexplicably been unable to forget Qiu Shuzhi, tossing and turning at night, involuntarily thinking of her.

He pondered over it endlessly but couldn’t understand, until today he finally realized it was these clear and gentle eyes. In the Forbidden City, people’s hearts were shrouded in haze, as if covered by a layer of black clouds blocking out the sunlight all year round. It had been too long since he last saw such pure eyes.