As the foremost of the Three Dukes, the Grand Tutor was generally an honorary title.
The Grand Protector, however, was tasked with overseeing and assisting the monarch, and in the future, would also be responsible for guiding the Crown Prince. Regardless, this position held more actual power than the Grand Tutor!
It was just that people did not know that the future Crown Prince’s biological father was also Liang Xiao…
Only then did Liang Xiao step forward to accept the imperial decree, declaring loudly, “Your subject, Liang Xiao, thanks His Majesty for his immense favor! However, as Your subject’s qualifications are still shallow, I dare not accept the position of Grand Protector! Your Imperial Majesty’s boundless grace and the people’s trust are favors that even death cannot repay. Your subject hereby swears: I will forever be loyal to the Great Qian Dynasty, until my last breath!”
He had certainly delivered his prepared speech, leaving everyone present in awe.
Having received such great favor, he still remembered to publicly pledge his loyalty, stabilizing the hearts of the people and silencing any potential criticism!
However, no matter how grand his speech, who among those present could guarantee that Liang Xiao would not naturally become the Grand Protector upon his return to the capital?
The youngest Minister of Personnel, Grand Master of the Household, and the first ever Marquis of Ten Thousand Households in history!
And now, he might also become the youngest Grand Protector??
While the Emperor’s appointment might seem to disregard certain礼法 (lǐfǎ - established norms/rules) due to Liang Xiao’s age, based on his merits, it was entirely justifiable…
With everything settled, Gongyang He knew he was powerless to stop it. He felt as though something was blocking his chest, like a fishbone stuck in his throat. His vision spun, and he tilted backward.
“Grand Tutor!” “Father!” “Teacher!”
Gongyang Long, Dugu Xiao, and others exclaimed in alarm, rushing to support him and escort the unconscious Gongyang He back to the Grand Tutor’s mansion, away from this place of sorrow.
The entire crowd bid Liang Xiao farewell as he returned to the Zhuo Mansion with Ding Wuyi, and the populace dispersed with satisfaction.
As common folk, they were unaware of the complexities of officialdom. They only knew this: whoever made their lives better was a good official and a loyal minister.
The three women, Jian Qin Wan, were already so excited that their faces were flushed, barely suppressing the urge to remove their veils and kiss Liang Xiao publicly. Krisiti, on the other hand, was astonished throughout.
He came from a family of generals, lacked the background of scholarly officials from previous generations, and was only nineteen years old…
Krisiti had to admire Xiao Qing’s boldness.
At this moment, the Zhuo Mansion was filled with joy. Zhuo Zifang, in particular, was in high spirits and planned a grand feast for everyone.
In the pigsty, Liang Xiao, using the pretexts of "this child is a picky eater, I need to help its digestion" and "this child is heartbroken and needs comforting," slaughtered two of the largest fragrant pigs.
Even though the others were accustomed to Liang Xiao’s shameless demeanor, they couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. This time, however, the number of senior figures who couldn't help but roll their eyes at him increased by one: Ding Wuyi.
At the Grand Tutor’s mansion, Gongyang He lay unconscious, while Dugu Xiao and others wept bitterly.
“Teacher (Father), you must hold on! If you cannot recover, Liang Xiao will become even more lawless…”
Everyone was filled with anxiety.
After a long while, Gongyang He slowly regained consciousness and trembled, saying, “Contact the Southern King frequently, and replace him as soon as possible. I will personally cut Liang Xiao into five pieces and boil him in a cauldron sooner or later…”
During the banquet, Liang Xiao raised his goblet to Ding Wuyi and asked in a low voice, “Eunuch Ding, why was I suddenly promoted?”
Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Ding Wuyi replied, “His Lord had already anticipated that the Grand Tutor would obstruct this. Therefore, while the news of smallpox prevention and the lowering of salt prices spread throughout the country, he sent people to various regions to hint at the local prefects to prepare ten thousand-person umbrellas for young Master Liang. His Lord then used this as a pretext for the promotion.”
Everyone couldn't help but sigh at Xiao Qing’s boldness and foresight.
“Alas, Little Shuang Zi is truly kind!” Liang Xiao was almost in tears.
Ding Wuyi remained silent, looking at Liang Xiao and inwardly chuckling: Truly kind, is he? You’ll know when you become the Emperor’s son-in-law; you’ll never escape this gentle trap!
If not for Liang Xiao having matters to attend to in Jiangnan, Ding Wuyi would have eagerly whisked him back to the capital right now and presented him to his Lord, to see how he would react after becoming "Little Shuang Zi's" Imperial son-in-law!
In the West Palace Villa, Xiao Qing, resting in a red robe like a celestial maiden descending to earth, sat at her desk, humming a happy tune as she read the new poems Liang Xiao had written.
“Granny, will he be very happy when he receives the imperial decree and the ten thousand-person umbrellas?”
Ning Xuejun, standing beside her, nodded with a smile, “He definitely will! But everything young Master Liang does is for His Lord and the people. He will surely want His Lord to be even happier!”
Only then did Xiao Qing’s face bloom into a smile. She nodded, then suddenly changed her expression, pouting, “Hmph! He’s been flirting with other women again in Jiangnan~ My sources are very well-informed. The Golden陵 Painter Immortal and Krisiti are one thing, but the former head of the Hundred Springs Pavilion, the great scholar Gu, the great scholar He, Lin'er… they all admire him so much~”
Hearing Xiao Qing's sour tone, Ning Xuejun also chuckled heartily, a rare occurrence.
“When he returns, I’ll let him know who loves him the most! Oh, no! I’ll teach him a good lesson and whip him with a small leather whip together with Qingxue sister~”
After Xiao Qing’s outburst, her pretty face blushed again, and she mumbled, “Oh dear~ He’s such a scoundrel. When he comes back, he’ll become an Imperial son-in-law, and I won’t be able to pretend to be Little Shuang Zi anymore. I, I, I, I’m afraid I won’t be able to bully him anymore in the future. What should we do, Granny Ning? Help me think of a solution…”
Ning Xuejun laughed even more joyfully.
It was only when matters concerning that young Master Liang were involved that her Lord truly displayed the demeanor of a young girl.
With Liang Xiao’s appointment as Minister of Personnel finalized, Ding Wuyi even brought his official seal.
However, Zhuo Zifang also received a new written directive from Xiao Qing, allowing him to continue acting as Liang Xiao’s Minister of Personnel.
After all, Liang Xiao was a hands-off manager. In the short term, the duties of the Minister of Personnel could be delegated to Wang Canghai in the capital and Zhuo Zifang in Jiangnan. But in the future, someone would definitely have to work for him.
Liang Xiao had likely already identified his target.
In the Ministry of Works in the capital, a certain Mr. Zhang suddenly shivered.
Huang Xing, the Minister of Works, looked at Zhang Yang, the Tongyi Daifu and Secretary of Fields, and asked with confusion, “What’s wrong?”
“I have a strange feeling that someone is plotting against me again.” Zhang Yang wiped the sweat from his brow.
Huang Xing comforted him, “You and the Marquis of Anguo have offended so many people; it’s normal for people to plot against you. Look on the bright side! His Majesty withstood the pressure from the officials and promoted the Marquis of Anguo to Minister of Personnel. You should work hard; perhaps he’ll need your help in the future.”
Zhang Yang: …
The Liang Mansion and the Luo Mansion in the capital were adorned with lanterns and festive banners, filled with joy.
The Liang Mansion finally had an extraordinary Minister of Personnel and a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, and it was widely supported by the populace!
Luo Changfeng considered himself an old man and was unconcerned about political rivals impeaching him. He generously led his household members to the Liang Mansion to attend the gathering.
Luo Qingxue, as Liang Xiao's acknowledged fiancée, managed the businesses Liang Xiao had left behind impeccably and with great grace, earning her the deep respect of everyone in the Liang Mansion.
Zhen Mi, besides her daily studies and playing the zither, also spent her time writing books.
As Liang Xiao was absent, her Journey to the West had reached a temporary conclusion. She had turned to writing her own Great Qian Heroes' Biographies.
At the banquet, Zhen Mi, with her clear, large eyes, asked Luo Qingxue, “Sister Qingxue, I’m writing about General Lü Changhe. Brother Xiao previously said, ‘Lü Changhe will carry sacks.’ Why is General Lü’s divine ability to carry sacks~”
Luo Qingxue was taken aback. Seeing that there were no outsiders around, she whispered, “Perhaps he has a special affection for General Lü. Your Brother Xiao might genuinely like men~ How about this: you write that General Lü can single-handedly lift ten thousand jin of sacks and run a hundred laps around the Northern Army camp without breaking a sweat~”
“That’s amazing! I’ll write it like that!” Zhen Mi nodded happily.
News of Liang Xiao’s promotion to Minister of Personnel spread, astonishing the entire Jinling!
It would soon shock all of Jiangnan, and even the Great Liang Kingdom!
The next day, Liang Xiao summoned three hundred and forty people, officially assigning their official positions, distributing travel expenses and escorts, and sending them to their posts in various regions.
The three hundred and forty individuals, with aspirations for the future, resolutely walked out of the Zhuo Mansion, like dragons emerging from their slumber, ready to display their ambitions. They all vowed to serve the country and the people, to ascend to great heights and bring honor to their ancestors!
Quan San, the captain of the Zhuo Mansion’s guards, rushed to report to Liang Xiao, “Marquis of Anguo, an old acquaintance has come to visit, claiming to be Steward Chen!”