EBE Chapter 196 Being calculated
Chapter 196 Being calculated
Xiao Mo lowered her head, waiting for the emperor's reply.
What Nie Changyuan hated most was the intrigues in officialdom. Even if he really received an imperial edict, he would most likely disobey it.
It would definitely not work to persuade him, and she didn't want him to live a life he didn't like when he got older.
After much consideration, Xiao Mo could only turn her attention to the emperor.
She raised her chin slightly and glanced at the emperor with half-closed eyes.
As the atmosphere became tense, a civil servant stepped out and said, "General Xiao's tongue is still as sharp as ever!"
He glanced at Xiao Mo with contempt, walked past her and came to the front of her, bowing to the emperor.
"This old minister supports the emperor's proposal. Since this master is so powerful and has trained many disciples, why not have him return to the court to become a tutor, specifically responsible for teaching martial arts to the princes?"
After hearing his words, the emperor's eyes lit up and he nodded with a smile: "My dear minister, what you said makes sense."
Xiao Mo glared at him coldly and looked at the emperor: "Your Majesty, think twice. The prince's tutor is still here. How can we let my master go again?"
"Grand Tutor Wang is old, and I have allowed him to retire and return home. It's just right that your master can take his place."
The emperor looked at her calmly, without any extra expression on his face.
"But my master is already too old to take on this position!"
Xiao Mo was a little anxious, and even her tone of voice was obviously panicked.
The civil servant standing in front of her left glanced back at her and looked at the emperor sincerely.
"The Emperor is the supreme ruler. Can't he even decide whether an ordinary subject should stay or go?"
After saying that, he turned his head again and glanced at Xiao Mo: "General Xiao, don't rely on your military achievements to disobey the emperor's words."
Xiao Mo sneered: "It seems that the emperor hasn't decided yet. Do you keep saying this because you want to make the decision for the emperor?"
"General Xiao is clearly making up his mind, yet he wants to throw dirty water on me. This really opens my eyes."
"You say I'm making up stories, so I want to ask you, how much do you know about Qin Shan's master?"
This question stumped the civil servant who always opposed Xiao Mo.
He opened his mouth, hesitated several times, and finally could only look at the emperor in silence.
Xiao Mo scorned him and said to the emperor earnestly, "My master was once injured on the battlefield and left with a stubborn disease.
Every time the seasons change, my whole body aches, and I spend every day with my medicine jars. I simply cannot bear the grace of Your Majesty. Please, Your Majesty, choose another Grand Tutor."
When the emperor heard Xiao Mo say that her master was in such a state of health, his majestic and cold eyes softened a little.
Just when Xiao Mo thought that the emperor was going to give up the idea of recruiting her master, another official stood up from the crowd.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that during the reign of the previous emperor, there was a General Nie who had a close relationship with General Murong.
The two were sent by the late emperor to the border to recover lost territory. After the battle, General Nie resigned from his post to the late emperor due to poor health.
It is said that he later went to Qinshan. I wonder if General Xiao's master is called Nie Changyuan?"
Xiao Mo's pupils suddenly shrank at his words, and her mood, which had just calmed down, became excited again.
The emperor lowered his eyes and looked at her: "Is that so, General Xiao?"
Xiao Mo lowered her head and remained silent, her mind blank, not knowing how to respond.
The civil servant saw the opportunity and quickly said, "General Nie is not an ordinary person. When he resigned, the late emperor tried to persuade him to stay but failed.
If he can really return to the court to serve as an official, it will be a great joy for our country!"
"Of course not. I heard from my father that General Nie is older than General Murong, and General Murong has consulted him a lot on battlefield matters."
"Really? General Murong was the God of War of the Southern Yao Kingdom when he was young!
"This is what they call there's always someone better than you. If General Nie really comes back, won't the previous dynasty be in turmoil?"
"But General Xiao said he was suffering from a chronic illness and had to take medicine all day long. Even if he came back, he wouldn't be as good as he was before."
"Who knows if she's just making this up? Besides, even if it's true, there are still three thousand nails on the broken ship. If she can't go to the battlefield, she can always teach some students, right?"
The emperor sat on a high place, watching the people below discussing the matter one after another. He felt complicated and dizzy, and was annoyed.
Xiao Mo gritted her teeth and secretly looked up to see the emperor's reaction.
The emperor frowned and closed his eyes, making it impossible to understand his emotions.
Xiao Mo pursed her lips tightly, not wanting to give the initiative to others, so she could only explain it herself.
"Your Excellency the Censor is right. My master is indeed General Nie Changyuan, who once dominated the region.
But he is old now, and his body has many old ailments left over from injuries sustained on the battlefield. He is in pain here and there every other day.
Your Majesty, please allow him to remain in Qinshan and live out his days in peace, considering his past military achievements."
The emperor was moved by what he heard and was about to soften his heart, but at this moment, another person stood out from the crowd.
"Your Majesty, during my last trip to the northwest, I heard some rumors about General Nie. Since they've been mentioned today by various parties, I dare not conceal them any longer."
The emperor frowned curiously and said, "Speak."
"It is said that General Nie had to leave because he fell in love with the princess of the enemy country.
The enemy king learned about this and married the princess to the King of Liangzhou.
Qinshan is only about thirty kilometers away from Liangzhou State. I believe there is no need for me to explain the mystery behind this."
Xiao Mo opened her mouth slightly in shock, but this feeling of disbelief was soon replaced by anger.
She glared at the man who had said these words: "Minister Chen, you should rely on evidence when speaking."
Chen Ye knelt respectfully on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have said this beforehand. This is just what I heard.
However, it is not difficult to prove the truth of this matter. We only need to recall General Nie."
The emperor's obscure eyes kept wandering between him and Xiao Mo.
He had indeed heard about the story of a princess from an enemy country falling in love with a general of our dynasty and then being married off to another country by her father when he was still the crown prince.
But he never knew that the general of our dynasty who was loved by the princess of the enemy country would be Nie Changyuan.
Moreover, Nie Changyuan's hometown is in Jiangnan. He has never thought about why he went to Qinshan after leaving the imperial city, and the distance between Qinshan and Liangzhou Kingdom.
Now that Chen Ye reminded him of this, he suddenly had an epiphany.
It seems that it is not certain who started the affair between Nie Changyuan and the princess first.
If someone of his level were to be exploited by someone with ulterior motives, the consequences would be disastrous.
Even if it does not pose a threat to his throne, it will still cause quite a stir.
It seems that this person can no longer stay far away, and he has to live under his nose.
Among the civil and military officials, there were some who wanted to speak up for Xiao Mo, but they were discouraged by the low pressure emanating from the emperor.
Moreover, many officials of the older generation have heard of this incident, so they dare not speak out of turn.