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Home/ There’s A Beauty / Chapter 79 (Part 1)

A Seventh-Grade County Magistrate impeached the so-called ‘heavenly officials’ of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Throughout the hundred years before and after the history of the Dayong Kingdom, it was still among the first, and the accusation was also heard immediately, which made the officials even more dumbfounded. Prior to this, they never expected that the once glorious Lord Liu would be tripped over by a petty official.

It can be seen that the new emperor has not touched the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Household Affairs, not because he is afraid of pressure from the officials, but because he is looking for opportunities. When the evidence is this conclusive, who dares to defend Mr. Liu? 

The emperor has already said that official governance is the foundation of controlling the country. Corrupt official administration will lead to the country’s ruin. Those who intercede for Lord Liu are the promoters of the country’s destruction and sinners through the ages. Who would dare to put this hat on their heads? Not to mention civil and military officials, even the emperor’s relatives wouldn’t dare.

Who doesn’t want to leave their name in history? Who wants to bear this kind of infamy for thousands of years? Why not just let Lord Liu figure out a way on his own?

Magistrate Zhao, who was brave enough to expose the country’s shortcomings, was sitting in the main hall of the Qianqing Palace with anxiety and joy. Because his impeachment of the officials in the Ministry of Civil Affairs was in line with the intentions of the new emperor, he was invited by the other party to stay for dinner after the dismissal of the court.

The once magnificent palace has now been stripped of its luxurious gauze curtains and antique decorations, which looks rather empty and simple, yet exuding an awe-inspiring atmosphere. 

The new emperor sat on the throne and extended his hand to invite, “Ou Tai, Magistrate Zhao, please take a seat.”

One was called by their names, while the other was called by their official positions. It was clear at a glance who was distant and who was close. You Shu felt very sad in his heart, and the small dimples on his cheeks faded away. He cautiously entered his seat and stared silently at the jade lamp at hand. 

The new emperor did not speak to him either, but called Ou Tai to his side and asked him in detail about the inspection.

By the time the palace servants set out the meal, three quarters of an hour had already passed. 

Wei Chen seemed to see the predicament of Magistrate Xiao Zhao and smiled, “Nowadays, our country is still in dire state, and His Majesty insists on frugality. The daily meal only consists of two pieces of meat, three vegetables, and one soup. I know that Lord Zhao lived a very poor life before, so this is a dish that His Majesty specially ordered the imperial kitchen to add. Please see if it suits your taste?”

There were more than a dozen dishes on the table, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat, all of which were You Shu’s favorite. His dim eyes lit up slightly, and he looked much more lively. 

The emperor seemed to be chatting with Ou Tai, but in fact, he had been staring at Magistrate Zhao Xiao from the corner of his eye. So upon seeing the other party cheer up, he felt quite relieved.

Ou Tai joked, “This minister needs to thank Magistrate Zhao today, otherwise His Majesty would have dismissed this minister with just two plates of green vegetables and tofu.”

You Shu, who was still smiling in his eyes, froze, and his mood suddenly plummeted to the bottom. If Ou Tai hadn’t told him, he would not have noticed that His Majesty deliberately added a few dishes to entertain him. It seemed to be very polite, but it was just because their relationship was not close enough. If there was no distinction between each other, where do you need to treat him differently? He should also be treated with two plates of green vegetables and tofu, just like Ou Tai.

Even though he knew that the master had changed his identity and could not be compared with the person in his previous life, You Shu still felt sad. Somehow, he thought of Lord Yama who had accompanied him all the way. He now needs a void yet extremely safe embrace so that he can catch his breath when he is tired and be at ease when he feels lost.  

Unknowingly, the other person seemed to have become his backbone, and once he didn’t see the other party, he felt uneasy in his heart.

The new emperor noticed that Magistrate Xiao Zhao was in a low mood again, and his heart that had just been relieved lifted again, racking his brains to think about what he had done wrong.

“Magistrate Zhao, is the food not to your taste?” He asked in a deep voice.

You Shu quickly glanced at the new emperor and shook his head slightly. His master in this life should be a very cold and different person. He had already heard about it when he was in Lishui that the master had a nickname in the fiefdom— Living King of Hell. 

Living upto this nickname, he killed all foreign enemies and showed no mercy to corrupt officials. When he ascended the throne, he even ransacked the royal family, exterminated his clan, and rectified the government’s affairs. He never softened his hand, making all the civil and military officials fear him like a tiger.

You Shu naturally wanted to get his master back as soon as possible, but he also needed to maintain a certain degree of restraint. If he is too eager, he will inevitably cause the other party to misunderstand, and then he will be treated coldly. At that time, he may be sent to another place, or dismissed from the official position. If he became a commoner, he would probably have no hope of meeting such a towering figure again in this life.

You Shu didn’t feel that after being with the master for two lifetimes, the other would always belong to himself. He knows that every reincarnation is a new beginning. His master is not a puppet. He has his own thoughts and ideas, as well as the right and leeway to choose. His master can fall in love with anyone, and that person may not necessarily be himself(ys).

Thinking of this, his heart throbbed with a dull pain, but he was also full of fighting spirit.

Seeing the back of Magistrate Xiao Zhao that had been bent to the extreme like a green bamboo, suddenly rebound and straighten up with full energy, the new emperor became even more puzzled, but he also felt a little relieved. 

He always felt that when Magistrate Xiao Zhao faced him in the mortal world, he seemed to be a completely different person, which was very elusive. In the past, he could guess most of the other person’s thoughts, but now he was completely confused.

In order to lighten the atmosphere, he had to invite everyone to have a meal because he knew that County Magistrate Xiao Zhao would never be sad after eating. He will eat a big meal when he feels sad; he will eat a big meal when he is angry and fearful; and he will eat a big meal when he is happy and excited. In short, for him, there is no problem that cannot be solved by eating.

You Shu ate a piece of braised pork chops, and after squinting his eyes for a moment, he really forgot all his previous worries. He also wanted to move to his master’s side, serve him dishes, and slowly cultivate some feelings, but everyone adhered to the rule of “no words when eating or sleeping”, so he could only remain silent.

However, Wei Chen was very considerate. When he saw him staring at the dishes in the distance, he would take the initiative to help pick them up, but he didn’t say anything and only smiled slightly. Everyone has already adapted to this dull atmosphere, indicating that the new emperor is indeed a serious and rigid person who is extremely difficult to get along with.

There were moments of frustration, confusion, and high fighting spirit in You Shu, his emotions could be described as full of ups and downs, both sad and joyful. However, he didn’t know that his face had already betrayed all his inner emotions, his eyebrows furrowed and loosened, his lips pursed and tightened, his cheeks bulging and sagging, and his appearance looked extremely funny.

Ou Tai only glanced at it twice before he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He buried his face in the bowl and laughed silently. He was very curious about what Magistrate Xiao Zhao was thinking and why his expression was so wonderful.

Emperor Xuanguang was also equally curious. However, his current personality is that of a cold, serious, and rigid new emperor, so he can only endure it. To be honest, You Shu behaved completely differently when he was in front of Lord Yama and when he was in front of the new emperor, and he didn’t know what the origin of this change was.  

However, he also knew that You Shu wasn’t someone with ulterior motives, nor was he a two-faced person who liked to flatter others. There must be a reason for his abnormal behaviour.

You Shu didn’t know that he was being looked at as a monkey. He was chewing the food with his cheeks bulging, but when he saw that the food at hand was almost finished, he realised a serious problem. After the meal, the master would chase people away, right? Their time together would be over, right? Isn’t it too short?

He is now a seventh-rank sesame official. After his performance review and rating, he may be released or stay in the capital. But even if he is reused again, he cannot be directly promoted to the fourth rank and have the qualifications to attend the imperial court. 

In other words, after meeting the master again today, he doesn’t know how long it will be before he will be able to see the other party again. It’s almost equal to a single glance, which makes the heart even more anxious.

The previous good appetite suddenly disappeared, but You Shu couldn’t put down the dishes. He must eat very slowly, and try to prolong this meal as long as possible.

Emperor Xuanguang could clearly feel the coveted gaze from County Magistrate Xiao Zhao, as if he were some kind of delicacy worthy of the other party’s meal. To put it more bluntly, the look in You Shu’s eyes was even a little affectionate, which was hard to resist.  

He didn’t show it on his face, but his heart was beating rapidly. He repeatedly told himself that it was an illusion. Magistrate Xiao Zhao had a simple personality. Not to mention deliberately seducing, he was afraid that the other party didn’t even know what it means to like someone. In this way, he finally suppressed the thoughts that were about to stir up.

Ou Tai and Wei Chen also noticed that the air was heating up, but they both pretended to be ignorant.

In order to delay time, You Shu even put the chicken feet and duck feet into the bowl and nibbled on them slowly until only a bone was left. 

At this time, Ou Tai had already put down his bowls and chopsticks and was waiting. In order not to embarrass Magistrate Xiao Zhao, Emperor Xuanguang was also sipping slowly from his cup. Wei Chen saw that he had finished the fourth bowl of rice and asked quickly, “Master Zhao, would you like another bowl?”

You Shu wanted to nod, but realised that the food had already reached up to his throat, and quickly shook his head. Only then did he realise that he had left a gluttonous impression on his master. 

Thinking of this, his cheeks suddenly turned red, his eyes became moist, and he looked as if he was about to cry.

Emperor Xuanguang asked in a deep voice, “Magistrate Zhao, are you feeling unwell?” Only those who are close to him would notice that there was a hint of anxiety and worry on his rigid face.

You Shu held his stomach and said, “Reporting to His Majesty that this was a waste of food. This official accidentally ate too much.” Fortunately, he was very smart and found a good excuse, which diluted his image as a glutton.

Emperor Xuanguang put down his worries and nodded, “I see. Wei Chen, go to the Imperial Hospital and ask for some digestive pills. Nowadays, the people of Dayong still don’t have enough to eat. As the leader of the country, I shouldn’t be too extravagant and wasteful. Magistrate Zhao is really serious about setting an example, he really has a heart.” 

Then he looked at Ou Tai and waved his hand, “If you have nothing to do, leave first. Magistrate Zhao has a stomach discomfort, so he will stay here for a while.”

Outai was a careful and witty person, so he quickly bowed to bid farewell.

The dark clouds shrouded over You Shu’s head immediately cleared up, and the sky seemed to be shining brightly again. He never expected that he would be able to stay alone and get along with his master after eating so much. Even though it was just by coincidence, he still felt happy in his heart, and the dimples on his cheeks were looming again.

Emperor Xuanguang pondered with some uncertainty: Are you happy? How come you are so happy after eating too much? Maybe I don’t understand County Magistrate Xiao Zhao as well as I thought?

He personally helped the person to the side hall and let him sit in a lounge chair. Putting on the posture of having a long conversation, he asked, “Where is the ancestral home of Magistrate Zhao?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble minister is from the capital.”

“With this transfer, where do you want to go? Some other place or stay in the capital?”

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