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Two flowers bloom, each with its own branch.
After parting ways with his daughter, Lu Desheng, guided by a familiar eunuch, walked along the familiar path leading to the Imperial Palace.
Upon reaching the Imperial Palace, he first apologized to the Emperor, “Sorry, Your Majesty, I was late because I waited for my daughter to leave together.”
Emperor Kang Cheng was surprised, “You left with your daughter?” Lu Desheng rarely mentioned his wife and children. His son would only be mention them occasionally when he talked about the Crown Prince and other princes. Today, he actually brought up his daughter?
Lu Desheng smiled, “Yes, the Empress Dowager summoned her, and we parted at the palace gate.”
“The Empress Dowager summoned her? For what?”
“I don’t know.”
Emperor Kang Cheng didn’t mind and casually comforted him a few words before inviting him to play chess.
They played two or three games, and Lu Desheng lost every time. He lasted the longest in the first game, but the next two games were lost faster and faster.
Emperor Kang Cheng was a terrible chess player, and he was in a good mood after winning three games in a row. He smugly commented on Lu Desheng, “Desheng, your chess skills need improvement.”
Lu Desheng disagreed, “Your Majesty, I disagree with that. My chess skills are not bad. I’ve played chess for so many years, and I’ve played countless chess games, my level is there, how could it be bad?”
As if to prove his point, he added, “We used to play chess together, Your Majesty, and we were evenly matched. Don’t you remember?”
The Emperor sipped his tea and chuckled, pointing at the unfinished game, “Look, you lost three games in a row, and you’re still being stubborn?”
“I was distracted!”
Lu Desheng said this with his mouth, but secretly rolled his eyes in his heart. The Emperor’s terrible chess skills only bullied honest people like him. He knew that the Emperor couldn’t beat many officials, and they all secretly let him win. However, he could see that some officials were letting him win, and he was unhappy. The Emperor just liked to bully weaklings like him. He had played chess with his daughter, and she was shocked when he boasted about how he occasionally won against the Emperor, saying that their battles were simply chickens pecking at each other. After thinking about it, he realized that it was probably true.
Perhaps Emperor Kang Cheng was in a good mood and indulged Lu Desheng, the old minister, in his stubbornness. “Alright, tell me why you were distracted?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Desheng’s mood visibly sank, “Today was the first time my daughter entered the palace alone, and I was worried that she wouldn’t understand the rules and offend the Empress Dowager.”
Emperor Kang Cheng instructed, “Wei Zili, send someone to Chang Le Palace to take a look, and report back later.” This official of his kept mentioning his daughter, it seemed like he was truly worried about her.
“Yes.” Wei Zili walked out, thinking to himself that this Lu was truly favored by the Emperor. He then ordered his most trusted apprentice to personally go to Chang Le Palace.
Emperor Kang Cheng smiled and asked him, “Now you can rest assured, right?”
“I thank Your Majesty for your concern.”
“Would you like another round? I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself.”
Lu Desheng shook his head, feeling that it wasn’t enough, and waved his hand, “Another day, another day. I’ll go home and practice for two days before coming to play chess with Your Majesty. I will definitely redeem myself then!”
“Hahaha.” Emperor Kang Cheng laughed, “Alright, I’ll be waiting.”
Lu Desheng looked at him with resentment. Your Majesty, are you laughing because you think no matter how much I practice, I won’t be able to beat you?
Emperor Kang Cheng stopped laughing and pointed to the boxes stacked on the table next to him, “Alright, those things are your reward, go take a look and see if you like them.”
Lu Desheng glanced at them and then reluctantly averted his gaze, “Your Majesty, I have something to say.”
Lu Desheng’s unusual reaction made Emperor Kang Cheng raise an eyebrow, “What is it, just say it.”
Lu Desheng immediately knelt down and expressed his loyalty with a string of words.
For the Emperor, Lu Desheng, the minister he had personally promoted, coming to express his loyalty was very gratifying. But when he heard Lu Desheng say that no matter how much merit he earned or how much experience he accumulated, he didn’t want to rise any further, Emperor Kang Cheng was first surprised, then his suspicious and sensitive nerves as an emperor were touched.
The Emperor started to theorize conspiracies, “There are always commoners who want to harm me!”
Emperor Kang Cheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Why do you have such a thought?”
Could it be? “I heard that you were attacked at the door when you went home the other day?” Scared? Are you so cowardly?
Lu Desheng said nonchalantly, “Oh, it was just some small fry who didn’t like me, throwing rotten eggs at me, what kind of attack is that? I don’t know where those little brats got so many rotten eggs, eggs are so delicious, they don’t eat them and save them to rot and throw at people, what a waste!” The last sentence was a mutter.
“As for Your Majesty asking why I have such a thought, to be honest, I’ve had this thought for the past year.”
“I am currently a Fifth Rank Imperial Censor, I feel like I’ve climbed high enough, I’m content. In my hometown, this is a high-ranking official, in the words of my hometown, it’s like my ancestors’ graves have been blessed by smoke.” Speaking of this, Lu Desheng couldn’t help but puff out his chest.
Emperor Kang Cheng laughed. What kind of high-ranking official is a Fifth Rank Imperial Censor? On the streets of Chang’an, if you throw a brick, you’d probably hit several officials.
“I will always remember that when I was a low-ranking official, it was Your Majesty who saw my potential, went against the tide, and promoted me to the Censorate. Without Your Majesty, I might have been tricked back to my hometown, I don’t know where I would have been a farmer.” As he spoke, Lu Desheng glanced at Emperor Kang Cheng, who gestured for him to continue.
Lu Desheng whispered, “Watching the affairs of the court these past two years, I’ve become a little afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“I’m afraid that if I rise further, higher and higher, the change in my position will make me lose my heart and do something that harms Your Majesty one day. Most importantly, I like the position of Censor, because other officials can’t do it as well.”
“You, you…” Emperor Kang Cheng raised his hand and nodded in the air. This Minister Lu, he speaks so honestly. If someone else said that, they would put the words “most importantly” in front of the previous sentence, to show their sincere loyalty to him, the Emperor.
At this moment, neither the Emperor nor the minister spoke.
Emperor Kang Cheng squinted his eyes, observing his minister.
Lu Desheng sat upright, eyes fixed on his nose, and his nose on his heart, allowing Emperor Kang Cheng to observe him, but he wasn’t very nervous. He had analyzed this situation with his daughter, no matter what Emperor Kang Cheng considered, he wouldn’t be in danger.
This official of his had many flaws, he was straightforward, petty, and couldn’t take any insults, but he also had his strengths. He was very good at impeaching and framing others, he was grateful, and most importantly, no matter how much blame he took on for him, the Emperor, he never complained. Now, he had added another strength, self-awareness.