Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

Chapter 103: After Mo Chi, Who Can Be Prime Minister? (4000 words, two chapters combined)

With Emperor Wu's approval, Xu Ming's memorial declining the marriage had spread throughout the entire Wu Capital, and even the entire Wu Kingdom.

Initially, many common people were shocked when they heard that Xu Ming had refused the marriage and defied the imperial decree.

Emperor Wu was going to give his most beloved daughter to you, yet you refused?

Some felt that Xu Ming was too arrogant, ungrateful, and even had a sense of superiority.

Others admired Xu Ming even more, because his refusal of the marriage showed that he did not covet power and wealth, and possessed the integrity of a scholar. Xu Ming's image in their hearts was greatly elevated.

However, almost everyone thought that Xu Ming would be punished.

But this memorial declining the marriage was released.

Only Emperor Wu and Fang Ling were present at this banquet.

As a mother, Chen Suya was proud of her son. Chen Suya knew that she didn't have much ability.

Otherwise, why would almost everyone in the Blood Floating Citadel have many tasks every month besides fighting? And each task was not easy, and might even lead to death outside?

Emperor Wu: "Who comes after Chen Xuan?"

Emperor Wu: "I wonder how Elder Fang views Xu Ming?"

Emperor Wu: "..."

Baihe County has produced three prime ministers of the Wu Kingdom.

Fang Ling closed his eyes and thought for a long time this time: "Xu Pangda."

The careers of these three prime ministers all started in Baihe County.

Emperor Wu did not understand Fang Ling's intention, but he approved it.

Fang Ling only asked Emperor Wu for a branch from the banyan tree in front of the palace hall and made a ruler out of it.

The day before Fang Ling left, Emperor Wu invited Fang Ling to the palace for a banquet.

Even if Emperor Wu was worried, he was worried that the Xu and Qin families would not know their limits and would form cliques for personal gain, which would not only tarnish the reputations of Xu Ming and Xu Pangda, but also make the entire court a mess.

Just as the heat of Xu Ming's "memorial declining the marriage" had not subsided much, another piece of news came from the court, stealing Xu Ming's "top search".

When the child comes back, there will be a home for him in such a courtyard in Wu Capital, and his mother will always be waiting for him here.

If Xu Pangda passes the assessment and is indeed a promising talent, then Xu Pangda will be transferred back to Wu Capital.

The Director of the Town Guard Bowed.

Yes.

After Fang Ling submitted his memorial, Emperor Wu naturally refused and tried to persuade Elder Fang to stay.

Or perhaps he could see if he could break through and increase his lifespan by thousands of years or so.

Emperor Wu quickly stepped forward and helped Fang Ling up: "Prime Minister, there is no need to be so polite, please rise quickly."

Therefore, Emperor Wu appointed Xu Pangda as the magistrate of Baihe County. In the eyes of many, this was a sign of Emperor Wu's intention to give Xu Pangda an important position.

As a man, he must rely on himself to make contributions! Instead of being a caged bird!

All that was seen was an old man, leading his grandson, smiling at him like an old farmer.

Emperor Wu rewarded Fang Ling with a thousand taels of gold, one hundred maids, white silk brocade, and one hundred acres of fertile land as Fang Ling's retirement pension.

Xu Ming knew that this Prime Minister Fang was the only person in the history of the Wu Kingdom who had served as prime minister as an ordinary mortal.

Fang Ling shook his head: "Your Majesty, I am no longer the Prime Minister."

If Xu Ming was really given any real power, whether it was a civil or military position, it would require distraction.

But martial artists are different. Martial artists need to hone themselves in one battle after another, surpass their limits, and even comprehend their own martial arts path between life and death.

This sentence was transmitted to Emperor Wu's ears through the Listening Wind Pavilion.

And now everyone is just going through the motions, everyone's face looks good, and it is also giving you a good ending, and even leaving a posthumous name for you.

Emperor Wu: "Who comes after Fei Yi?"

However, in the end, Emperor Wu not only did not punish Xu Ming, but instead rewarded Xu Ming with a hundred taels of gold, ten bolts of Shu silk, a sweat-blooded horse from the Northern Wilderness, and appointed Xu Ming as a Literary and Military Minister, Rank 5.

Xu Pangda said that he wanted to leave Wu Capital and take a look at the people.

Prime Minister Fang Ling submitted a memorial requesting to resign from his official position, wanting to retire and return to his hometown to enjoy his old age.

If His Majesty were to punish Xu Ming, they would even think about writing a petition together.

Because if you were to be dealt with, you would have been dealt with long ago, and the Town Guard would have kicked open your door long ago.

By that time, Xu Pangda would truly be rising step by step.

When the prime minister leaves office, the prime minister's residence needs to be returned to the imperial family, so it must be inventoried. At the same time, there is another purpose, which is to see how much you have embezzled over the years.

In fact, under normal circumstances, for senior officials who voluntarily resign, even if the Town Guard comes to inventory their property, even if there is some embezzlement, the emperors of past dynasties will turn a blind eye. The Town Guard is also ordered to pretend not to see it.

However, all that was dug out was layers of mud.

As for whether these two brothers will have too much power in the future to threaten the imperial power, or even usurp the throne, Emperor Wu is not worried at all.

Xu Ming's memorial declining the marriage aroused the empathy of many ambitious people who were unwilling to live off women.

Fang Ling smiled and looked at Emperor Wu: "Is Your Majesty calling me here just for a meal?"

For Xu Ming, this is not only a major opportunity, but also concerns the reputation of the Wu Kingdom.

Wait for me to come back in a year and a half.

With these words, Emperor Wu raised his wine glass.

Not to mention that Mr. Zhang had guaranteed the character of these two brothers.

As for the friendship between the late emperor and Duke Xu and Duke Qin, that was in the past.

Anyone who hinders the progress of the Wu Kingdom will be kicked away by the current Emperor Wu one by one!

There are already many people in the court who are sighing at the twins of the Xu family. They don't know what luck the Xu family has had to produce such two people!

Although many people think that Xu Pangda has received such attention from Emperor Wu because of his younger brother Xu Ming.

Fang Ling thought for a longer time, but shook his head and did not say much.

Fang Ling requested to resign again.

In the study of the Prime Minister's residence, there is only a landscape painting given by a friend, a table, a pen, and an inkstone.

After all, everyone has their own selfishness and wants to live a little longer, which is understandable.

Emperor Wu tried to persuade him to stay again.

Emperor Wu said sincerely: "In my heart, Elder Fang, you will always be the Prime Minister of the Wu Kingdom."

The men of my Wu Kingdom must fight on the battlefield, instead of hiding behind and being timid.

Fang Ling smiled: "A month ago, I went to the Xu residence and talked with the Number One Scholar for two hours. I hope Your Majesty will think twice."

This was an official position specially set up by Emperor Wu for Xu Ming. Although it had no real power, it sounded like just a title.

In fact, Emperor Wu gave Xu Ming this idle position to prepare Xu Ming for going to the Rootless Secret Realm later.

Unless the lord of the Wu Kingdom is willful and reckless, and the true destiny is exhausted, otherwise, the mountains and rivers of the Wu Kingdom will not recognize anyone other than the bloodline of Emperor Wu.

But Fang Ling refused them all.

On this day, three days before Fang Ling left, the Town Guard came to inventory Fang Ling's property.

The Director of the Town Guard felt that something was wrong, because no matter what, high-ranking officials like this would have some "extra income", so the Director of the Town Guard ordered people to dig three feet into the ground.

Not to mention that the Azure Dragon Seal of the Wu Kingdom can only be activated by the current royal bloodline.

In the eyes of ordinary people, Chongyun Prefecture's Baihe County is just a simple county town.

Of course, that excludes those deeply entrenched in the imperial court.

This memorial resigning from the marriage was so eloquently written and emotionally sincere that many scholars sided with Xu Ming.

But this title contains the words "civil" and "military."

Moreover, Baihe County is also the hometown of the current Prime Minister, Fang Ling.

Otherwise, if Xu Ming represents the Wu Kingdom in the Rootless Mystic Realm and embarrasses himself, he will be embarrassing the Wu Kingdom.

Fang Ling just smiled and didn't say much.

This is the last opening of the Rootless Mystic Realm, and it will be a carnival for all the geniuses in the world.

So Fang Ling's resignation was incomprehensible to many people in Wudu.

The Wu Emperor repeatedly urged him to stay.

In the history of the Wu Dynasty, this was a first.

The Wu Emperor smiled and said "Good," and then transferred Xu Pangda to Baihe County in Chongyun Prefecture to be the county magistrate.

Fang Ling resigned again.

In the main bedroom (the madam's room) of the Prime Minister's residence, the jewelry and rouge were all cheap market goods, and she owned no more than five pieces of clothing.

But what Xu Ming needs to do now is to constantly improve his cultivation.

The Wu Emperor smiled: "If Old Fang likes it, I will have people send it to Old Fang every month."

This is the reason.

Martial artists are not like cultivators.

But Chen Suya knew that the only thing she could do for her child was to support his decision and let him fly as high and as far as he wanted.

Fang Ling: "Extravagant."

As the Tanhua (third-ranked scholar) Xu Pangda, the Wu Emperor asked him what official position he wanted.

The concubines and even the eunuch Wei Xun all left.

If others cannot obtain the recognition of that Azure Dragon Seal, then the Wu Kingdom's defense force will be reduced by at least a quarter.

Anyway, as long as cultivators stick to their original intentions, adhere to their own Dao, and walk forward steadily, their state of mind will not be broken, and their cultivation will not decline.

The previous prime ministers of the Wu Dynasty were all Confucian cultivators, and even if they retired to their hometowns, it was because their life essence had been consumed too much, and they wanted to live a few hundred more years or something.

Fang Ling put down his wine glass: "This old man thanks Your Majesty, but never mind, this wine can be exchanged for too much grain, and this old man doesn't drink it comfortably."

In the end, unable to find out anything, the Director of the Zhenyun Division ordered the soil to be filled in, the floor to be laid, and then left the Prime Minister's residence.

After learning that Xu Ming was going on a long journey, Chen Suya didn't say anything.

In less than two years, the Rootless Mystic Realm will open.

Xu Ming naturally knew what the Wu Emperor meant.

It is obvious that he can get along well with both the civil officials and the military officials.

Chen Suya even suspected that Xu Ming was not her own son, because Xu Ming was too outstanding.

The Wu Emperor pulled Fang Ling to sit down on a chair: "Old Fang, these dishes were personally cooked by the Empress, and I am sending Old Fang off!"

So what if he is a驸马 (imperial son-in-law)?

So what if he has the Wu Kingdom's biggest father-in-law?

Wu Emperor: "After Xu Pangda?"

Fang Ling didn't hesitate at all: "Chen Xuan."

The Wu Emperor filled Fang Ling's glass with wine: "The late Emperor said that you are the most accurate judge of character and have never been wrong, so there is something I want to ask you, Old Fang."

However, now the Wu Emperor has already prepared a backup plan. When the day comes when Xu Ming and Xu Pangda are truly valued, if the Xu and Qin families still don't know how to restrain themselves, then they will suffer the consequences.

After resigning three times and being retained three times, the Wu Emperor agreed to Fang Ling's request for the fourth time.

But there are profound political implications in it.

When Xu Ming makes great contributions to the Wu Kingdom one day, returns to the court to be conferred a title, and marries a princess.

But Fang Ling is an ordinary person and doesn't have to worry about the consumption of his life essence.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Fang Ling also raised his wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, smacked his lips, "This wine is really good."

So, during his most recent visit to the palace to thank the Emperor for his grace, Xu Ming expressed his desire to go out and gain experience.

The Wu Emperor's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be that Xu Ming is not good at government?"

Fang Ling still shook his head: "The position of Prime Minister is the greatest waste for the Zhuangyuan (top scholar)."