Though he said those words, the way he tapped the desk with the memorial didn’t exactly exude dignity either.
Shen Yibai grinned broadly, flashing his teeth as he replied, "Yes, yes! This humble official will correct it immediately! Whatever Your Majesty says!"
Jin Cheng laughed heartily. "Come on, tell me—was Lucheng fun?"
"Not at all!" Wei Xinglu groaned. "Not only did we have to work for that old man all day, but it also rained constantly in Lucheng! Everything was sticky and damp—nothing like the dry north we’re used to!"
He Zheng nodded in agreement, adding with a puzzled frown, "We stayed there for a whole month and never got used to it. I don’t know why Mr. Su likes it so much."
Shen Yibai guessed, "Maybe because there are fewer people and the days feel longer? A single afternoon of work feels like an entire day—exhausting and never-ending. And since we’re not preparing for the imperial exams anymore, he doesn’t even make us write poetry after work. What’s the point of it all?"
The little troublemaker burst into laughter. "How is that pointless? The crops you grow can be eaten! My brother and I would’ve loved to go but couldn’t."
He Zheng chimed in, "Mr. Su was completely cut off from news. We were the ones who told him about your ascension to the throne, Your Majesty. You should’ve seen his face—his eyes nearly popped out like goose eggs!"
The entire hall erupted in laughter.
"What kind of ridiculous description is that?" someone teased. "If Mr. Su heard you, he’d compose three hundred poems just to curse you out!"
He Zheng chuckled sheepishly. "Mr. Su was stunned. He said when Luo Jingfeng dragged him to the capital, he thought he’d just be tutoring some official’s kid. Never did he imagine that kid would end up sitting the palace exams and becoming Emperor! If he’d known, he would’ve taken the chance while he was still by your side to report every single official who ever made him lose his temper."
The little troublemaker covered his forehead, torn between laughter and exasperation. "Good heavens, thank goodness I didn’t go with you. With how much he loves writing poems to insult people, I’d have to listen to him tattle for a month straight—my ears would’ve grown calluses!"
Zong Wenxiu suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right—did you tell Mr. Su not to write any poems cursing Jin Cheng from now on? Insulting the Emperor is a serious crime."
Poets were known for their unrestrained temperaments, freely cursing heaven and earth without pause. But Jin Cheng’s status had changed—insulting him now carried grave consequences.
The little troublemaker’s smile faded slightly as he recalled the failed scholars who had publicly questioned and insulted him, only to be executed on the spot by Luo Jingfeng.
Wei Xinglu reassured, "We told him. Mr. Su said given Your Majesty’s temperament and character, you probably wouldn’t do anything tyrannical. If anything, it’d be Luo Jingfeng’s doing. He figures he’ll be able to tell the loyal from the treacherous and just curse Luo Jingfeng alone."
Jin Cheng’s lips twitched. "His feud with Luo Jingfeng just keeps deepening."
He Zheng added timidly, "Last time, Luo Jingfeng sent an urgent eight-hundred-li dispatch with the poems we wrote praising him. Mr. Su was so furious he couldn’t eat for two days. He ended up writing dozens of poems cursing Luo Jingfeng—one of them even became quite popular in Lucheng..."
He only dared mention it now because Luo Jingfeng was away on campaign. Otherwise, Luo Jingfeng would’ve stormed straight to Su Xi’s hideout.
Jin Cheng coughed. "Keep it quiet. Don’t let Luo Jingfeng find out."
He Zheng asked curiously, "Your Majesty, I heard you once had a big argument with Luo Jingfeng. Is there anything we can do to help?"
The little troublemaker smiled. "No need—I can handle it myself. Let’s talk about your assignments. You’ll be taking up your posts soon—are you happy with where I’ve placed you?"
After the palace exams, the top three scholars typically entered the Hanlin Academy, while the next few highest-ranking candidates might also qualify. But Jin Cheng hadn’t assigned He Zheng, the top-ranked second-tier scholar, to the Hanlin Academy. Instead, he sent him to the Censorate.
Wei Xinglu was the first to raise his hand. "Jin Cheng, my father’s in the Censorate. Why did you send He Zheng there instead of me?"
Logically, if he joined the Censorate, he’d be groomed as part of his father’s faction, with Censor Wei shielding him from above. His career path would be smooth sailing.
Jin Cheng smirked. "Did your father say the same thing to you?"
Wei Xinglu grinned sheepishly but didn’t deny it.
The little troublemaker arched a brow. "Your father keeps getting impeached because he overlooks small details. If you joined the Censorate, both of you would be impeached daily, making it hard for you to get by. So instead, I sent someone with sharper instincts to help your father out."
That someone was He Zheng.
The Censorate oversaw all officials. Having a leader who was too rigid wasn’t ideal—someone needed to temper him.
Wei Xinglu’s eyes lit up with realization. "That makes sense!"
He Zheng joked playfully, "Don’t worry, Xinglu. Once I’m in the Censorate, your father will be my father too! I’ll fulfill your filial duties for you—and get promoted in your stead!"
Wei Xinglu burst out laughing. "Oh, shut up! First stealing my father, now my boss?"
The group laughed uproariously.
Though Jin Cheng had assigned Wei Xinglu elsewhere to avoid favoritism, he hadn’t sent him far—just to the Ministry of Rites, which was under the Shen family’s influence.
Shen Yibai, meanwhile, was assigned to the Ministry of Justice, where the Minister of Justice was Xu Wan’s father. Though they weren’t close, the minister was politically astute and would likely show some leniency out of respect for Prime Minister Shen.
Jin Cheng had arranged things this way because they were all still young. Without guidance in their early years, they could easily suffer major setbacks in their careers. The tutors, meanwhile, were assigned normally to the Six Ministries, starting as seventh-rank officials.
Shen Yibai clenched his fist indignantly. "Wenxiu-ge and Teacher Pan are only seventh-rank compilers in the Hanlin Academy, while Qin Ye gets to start as a sixth-rank official right away! So unfair!"
The little troublemaker encouraged, "Being an official isn’t just about book smarts. Applying your policy-writing skills to court affairs is a whole new challenge. The starting points might differ, but the gap isn’t huge. Work hard, and you might even surpass Qin Ye in a few years!"
"That’s true!"
"Down with Qin Ye!"
"We’ll make it to second rank!"
The group burst into laughter again. "What kind of motto is that?"
"Yep! Until we overthrow Qin Ye, this is our class slogan! Brothers of the Marquis Manor Elite Class, charge!"
"Charge!"
"..."
Amid the laughter, Shen Yibai suddenly remembered. "Oh, right! Mr. Su also gave us a package to deliver to you."
Jin Cheng was surprised. "What is it?" He accepted the bundle and unwrapped it, only to find a packet of sunflower seeds inside.
The little troublemaker deflated instantly. He rolled his eyes. "I thought it’d be something exciting. That old man—does he expect me to plant sunflowers in the palace now?"
The others laughed. "Your Majesty can try planting them when you’re free! If you need help, we can come to the palace and lend a hand."
"Yeah! I’m better at farming than writing policy essays now!"
"Pfft—stop bragging!"
The young men joked and chatted for a while longer before finally taking their leave, leaving only Zong Wenxiu behind.
Jin Cheng carefully tucked away the sunflower seeds and asked with concern, "Brother, you seem down. You barely spoke today—are you worried about Second Uncle?"
