"Yes!"
He dared not defy the Emperor’s command.
"However, I said you ca to the Capital City to take the examination, so why are you getting yourself into this kind of situation?" the Emperor asked curiously.
Facing the Emperor, he had to answer honestly. To those in power, people with weaknesses are easier to employ.
"Your Majesty, to avoid trouble..." Ye Zi’an started to tell the Emperor about the conversation he had with Yang Chuxia and his own concerns.
The Emperor burst into laughter upon hearing this, pointing at Ye Zi’an for a good while.
"Does it work?"
"It doesn’t!" Ye Zi’an thought of the young lady who last ti sent him the whitening cream.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor couldn’t help but ask, "Really? It seems you are quite popular. Tell , which family is she from?"
"Your Majesty, I don’t know which family she is from. After returning from the streets, a girl ran up to insisting on giving freckle-removing cream, and she even proposed that I marry her. However, I’ve already declined," Ye Zi’an said, feeling a throbbing pain in his heart when he ntioned the incident.
For a man like him to receive such gifts, it was indeed awkward!
The Emperor was stunned after hearing this and took a long ti to recover before asking, "Why did you refuse?" and he looked at him with an inquiring gaze, adding, "The young ladies of the Capital City usually co from noble families. Marrying one would only be beneficial for you."
"Your Majesty, I am already married, and my wife is currently pregnant with twins, who are due to be born any day. I am burning with anxiety. Moreover, my wife and I have known each other since childhood, we grew up together as close friends, and our affection is deep. The path is very narrow, and it’s really impossible to involve another person."
The Emperor remained silent for a long ti, his mind flashing through an image of a lively and charming face, and in the end he couldn’t help but sigh.
This was indeed a heavy topic!
"I plan to assign you to the Ministry of Revenue!"
The Emperor suddenly changed the subject to talk about official matters, just as rumored.
"Emperor, I would like to request an external posting, starting from the bottom!" This was Ye Zi’an’s most genuine thought and sothing he had pondered for a long ti.
"You, you want to be posted externally? Why?" The Emperor barely concealed his surprise, and even the eunuch standing at the doorway twitched his eyes upon hearing these words. Is this new top scholar a fool? So many people want to stay in the Capital City but cannot find a way, yet he actually wants an external posting. Throughout history, no one among the top three scholars has ever been posted externally; their starting points are not the sa, after all.
"Your Majesty, I have traveled around Great Zhou with my teacher, and although I cannot say I have been everywhere in Great Zhou, I have visited many places. So areas have countless cases of injustice, and so local officials blatantly ignore the common people’s suffering by imposing unfair taxes, causing unbearable hardship for the residents and driving them to abandonnt. At that ti, I thought if one day I beca an official in the court, I would strive to uphold justice for the people and bring prosperity to the land. I humbly request Your Majesty’s permission!"
This was indeed his wish.
And even if he returned to the Capital City in the future, it would be through his own substantial achievents and step-by-step promotion.
There was also the matter of his personal preference. With his current status, living in the Capital City required him to bow or kneel to greet others, which he could endure, but Xiaxia definitely would not like it.
"Are you certain you wish to be posted externally? You should know that once you go, you won’t be able to return to the Capital City for at least six years, and that’s speaking conservatively." The Emperor was quite pleased with his answer. If every official in Great Zhou had such thoughts, how could Great Zhou not prosper?
"I am certain!"
After hearing that, the Emperor paced around his desk incessantly, as if considering Ye Zi’an’s words or perhaps contemplating sothing else.
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