FID – Chapter 260

When does he usually go to court?” Liu Yusheng asked, pretending that nothing had happened.

“The court time is usually at dawn. The next court time varies; it can be earlier or later.”

Liu Yusheng nodded with understanding. No wonder he told her not to wait for him to have breakfast for fear that even he himself wasn’t sure of the time of the next court.

Consort Liu completely discovered his relationship with her at the imperial garden yesterday. She wondered if there would be any courtiers who would raise this matter in court.

Just like the modern top gentry and big families in general, their children usually had no freedom of personal choice in their marriage, and all aspects of interests must be taken into account.

Since Feng Qingbai was absent in the morning, she could take advantage of this time to do her own thing.

Liu Yusheng thought for a while and came up with a plan.

After breakfast, she boarded the royal carriage and left the house accompanied by Fu Yuzheng.

The Liu family’s headquarters were in the capital, so they must have their own shops in the city. She wanted to have a look with a groundwork deep inside.

The courtroom, however, was just as Liu Yusheng had guessed.

Someone really brought up the matter of her and Feng Qingbai to the courtroom, plunging a group of ministers into a heated debate.

“Your Majesty, it is not that I want to interfere in the King’s private affairs, but this matter cannot be left unmentioned. His Royal Highness has a noble status. As the regent, His Royal Highness is the benchmark for the royal family. Even the surrounding countries are always watching His Royal Highness’s every move. His marriage is bound to attract the attention of thousands of people. The identity of his consort needs to be worthy of him, lest he’d be ridiculed by the world!”

“Over the years, the Prince Regent has been busy with government affairs and has never been keen on family affairs. I’m quite worried about him. Now that he has a plan, it should be something to celebrate, but if his target is only a civilian County Lady, i-isn’t he making a fool of himself!”

“Rumors about the King and Ruyi County Lady have given rise to much discussion in the city in recent days, but His Royal Highness behaved without shying away in front of people at all. If the King really loves this woman, there is no harm in accepting her, but she can’t be the King of Nanling’s consort.” 

The ministers threw in one argument after another impassionedly and considered Feng Qingbai’s private affairs as a matter of state.

It was lively.

Feng Qingbai stood at the head of the civil officials and slightly inclined his head to look at those officials who were frothing at the mouth. All among the hundred mid-rank officials were pushed out as pawns to add obstacles to him.

On the other hand, those high ranking officials stood with their hands clasped and lowered their heads in meditation without uttering a word.

Waiting for the show.

Feng Mohan was sitting on the throne with his cheek in one hand and eyes partly drooping. Who knew what he was thinking? But he seemed too bored and sleepy.

The group of ministers spent almost most of the dawn court time heatedly discussing this matter.

Many voices were in opposition and many were in support.

Only the person concerned did not open his mouth to speak from the beginning to the end.

Even until the court ended, no one heard King Nanling express his attitude.

Some people couldn’t hold back and caught up with the man who was about to walk out of the hall. “Your Royal Highness, what do you think of the matter we discussed at the court just now?”

“What kind of things did you just discuss?” The man asked.

“…” the person was rendered speechless for a while, then he replied, “It’s Your Royal Highness’s marriage…”

“What does my marriage have to do with you or others?” With the faint reply, the man strode away.

Leaving a group of courtiers stunned in place, messed up in the wind.

He dared to say that they were singing a one-man show in the courtroom for so long.

He didn’t even take their words into consideration.

This was King Nanling’s stand.

They could debate on it and only debate on it.

They happily debated at great length, but it had nothing to do with him.

They couldn’t influence any of his decisions.

When Feng Mohan transferred from the Throne Room to the Imperial Study, the man was already sitting behind the desk reading a memorial.

He divided the hundreds of memorials into two poiles in just a moment’s work. 

One of the piles of nearly 90% of the memorials were all pushed to him, “Read these, ignore those which are empty talk.”

Seeing that there were fewer than ten rolls in front of the man, Feng Mohan’s eyes twitched uncontrollably. “Imperial Uncle, can you take away a little more?”

It would take him at least most of the day to read and not reply to such a pile!

“No.” The man was already busy wielding his brush and answered ruthlessly. “In another two years, you will have to take charge of political affairs. You should get started learning these things now.”

The reason you refused the emperor’s throne is because you don’t have to work hard every day on a bunch of government affairs or go to the harem every day to get moistened, right, Uncle?”

It was fine to write something of substance, but what he hated most was those who have nothing to say but wrote long articles to brush up their sense of existence!

The limited hours of the day were all wasted on saliva!

“With great power comes great responsibility. This world is all yours. What are you still dissatisfied with?”

“If you think it’s good, I’ll give you this world. Um, you do it.” Are you willing? Easier said than done.

The man’s eyes faintly swept over. Feng Mohan immediately lowered his head to read the memorials.

But anything long-winded, tossed.

Too brief, tossed.

Poor handwriting, tossed.

Dense handwriting, tossed.

…

Soon, the small mountain pile was almost solved. Feng Mohan then picked up the brush, opened the only few memorials left in front of him, and slowly approved.

With policies above and countermeasures below, he could exert himself to make the kingdom prosperous, but he absolutely would never burn the midnight oil till his heart ceased to beat.

Most of the emperors were short-lived. Why? It was because they were too tired!

Feng Qingbai pressed his temples that were throbbing violently, but finally didn’t say anything.

The memorials he pushed to the boy were all selected, and the ones that really needed serious review were those in front of him.

After he has reviewed them, he would then let the boy read them in detail and learn the way to govern from them.

“Uncle, those people know that they can’t influence your decision. Why did they still have to bring out the matter between you and Aunt Liu in the courtroom for high-profile discussion?” After reviewing two memorials, the boy couldn’t hold himself back again and asked while biting his brush. 

Feng Qingbai’s lips slightly crooked, and his eyes brimmed with irony. The real purpose is not to force me to make a statement on the spot, but to use the appearance of ‘the ministers are against it’ to guide the world’s public opinion. By then, the whole world will say that I should not marry a commoner. If I still insist on my way, I will lose the people’s heart in an instant, and my prestige will take a plunge to the bottom of the valley.”

Feng Mohan was dumbfounded for a moment. This method was really poisonous. Those in the upper ranks dreaded losing public support most. Once they touched that point, it would be equal to losing a greater part in a game of chess.

At the same time, his admiration for the man also intensified, his eyes loaded with stars-like crystal radiance.

Even if the enemy was cunning, his Imperial Uncle could see through their real intentions at a glance. In contrast, he felt that he could only see the surface on his own. He really wasn’t an emperor material.

Otherwise, why not persuade his uncle again, so that he could take this position back?