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墨書 Inktalez
The Old Man, although aware of the corruption within the court, from top to bottom, felt it was a pity that his son, who was a High Official, would not continue in his position.
He stroked his white beard with his right hand, appearing somewhat experienced, and began to ask.
"Son, your Imperial Historian is a High Official; he doesn't have to do much. If there's something important, he can just advise the Emperor. He also receives a considerable salary. How can he easily resign?"
His mother looked on in surprise, waiting for his response.
Qin Feng was somewhat at a loss; he was no longer the powerless official he once was. Several months ago, he had been appointed Deputy Commander of the Cavalry, the second-in-command of the department.
After careful consideration, he decided to start from when he went to Taiyuan for Negotiation.
He recalled all that had happened; he had truly experienced too much.
There were few joyful moments and many more painful ones. Some were for the suffering of the common people, some for the Emperor's pain, but most came from within himself.
He wanted to serve the country and its people, yet his like-minded peers faced suppression and exclusion. He himself was ridiculed and ostracized by members of the Peace Faction, facing deliberate difficulties; it was too oppressive. He thought about quitting!
The Old Man sighed after hearing this; being a Capital Official was not easy! It was too stifling.
Qin Feng's Father remembered when he served as a county magistrate; there were surrounding county magistrates who engaged in open and covert struggles, undermining each other just to gain more benefits.
Above them was a Prefect, another difficult person to please. It was not easy to be an official; being a good official was even harder.
Qin Feng's mother believed that such matters were between men and that women should not interfere.
Looking at her son with a smile, she said, "Feng'er, I will go check on my two Daughters-in-law. They have been pregnant for quite some time and need care. You two can chat slowly."
Qin Feng also smiled in agreement. In the Song Dynasty, women's status was relatively low; they generally did not handle major family affairs but mainly took care of their Daughters-in-law and grandchildren along with some trivial matters.
"Dear mother, please take care of Xi Yue and Xiao Xiao!"
She happily agreed and slowly turned to head towards her Daughters-in-law's room.
Afu also took the opportunity to help the outside Servant clean up the courtyard and went out.
Qin Feng also looked towards the Primary Wife's House, his eyes filled with affection. However, he was about to become a father, and they were also his beloved women, whom he cherished deeply.
His Old Man deliberately cleared his throat a few times, wanting to say something.
Qin Feng turned his face away, looking serious, while his heart was still thinking about his Primary Wife, who was so enchanting.
His Old Man wore a coarse cloth shirt, with quite a bit of white hair on his head, and his health was not good. At first glance, he looked nothing like someone who had held an official position; he seemed just like a Common Person.
He said, "Son, just now you mentioned that Right Chancellor Li Gang and the renowned Zhong Shidao had good relations with you. As a result, they have both been demoted and transferred out of the capital, yet you have not been demoted and have been doing well as the second-in-command of the Cavalry for several months."
"You submitted your resignation directly to your superior, who immediately agreed. Perhaps the Emperor is still unaware; if he truly looked down on you, he would have demoted you long ago or sent you back to being a commoner. You are misunderstanding the Emperor."
Misunderstanding? Could it be a misunderstanding? The Emperor had already become a foolish ruler, no longer the wise Emperor he once was. Listening to the Peace Faction's words, the grand structure was about to collapse, and there was no way to save it!
Qin Feng felt somewhat disappointed and said, "Family Name! Even if the Emperor were not foolish, what difference would it make? The Peace Faction is in power now—foolish and incompetent—bringing disaster to the country and suffering to the people. The common folk are in dire straits; capable officials cannot realize their ambitions to protect their homes and serve their country. The Great Song is in peril!"
"In the future, Tokyo City will become a very miserable place; the north will be the same. It would be better to seek a land of happiness and enjoy the blessings of being a landlord."
Suddenly, his Old Man grabbed him by the collar and leaned forward slightly, extremely angry.
He scolded, "Unfilial son! What are you saying? Recklessly criticizing the current Emperor as foolish? Do you want to die? Don't drag our whole family down with you!"
Qin Feng felt somewhat afraid upon seeing his Old Man's fierce expression as if he were about to beat him up.
"Family Name, I was wrong! It was just a slip of the tongue; please don't be so angry or raise your voice. There are Servants outside!"
In ancient times, the Emperor was like a deity—an authority ruling over people—and could not be offended. Insulting him could lead to execution, and the entire family would face collective punishment.
Even officials and commoners who wanted to curse had to do so in their hearts; they could not openly express it.
Qin Feng was different; he came from a thousand years later with more open-minded and bold thoughts. Foolishness was foolishness; wisdom was wisdom—he spoke plainly.
He also realized that this was still a feudal era; even at home, such words should not be spoken aloud.
He, the Old Man, saw that he had recognized his mistake and did not pursue the matter further. He looked outside without any change in expression and let it go.
With a hint of anger, he said, "Feng'er, I know you have great ambitions that cannot be realized and that you feel oppressed by treacherous officials. You have many grievances, but the emperor is the supreme ruler and must not be offended. You should not act recklessly in front of outsiders."
Qin Feng immediately nodded in agreement, indicating that he would not behave that way again.
Recalling the Old Man's words, he felt they made some sense and asked, "Family Name, now that treacherous officials dominate the court and the emperor is being misled by the Peace Faction, what should capable ministers do?"
The Old Man sighed in relief, feeling that he was not acting impulsively and might achieve great things in the future, perhaps becoming an even higher official!
As an experienced official, he began to offer guidance.
"Son, since you are a talented minister, you should stay close to the emperor and continuously advise him to heed your opinions. Do not act impulsively or easily resign and return home just because you face exclusion and suppression from the Peace Faction."
"Remember, the emperor is the master of this country; he can exercise all powers. Since you are a minister and wish to be a Loyal Minister, you must keep advising him, even if you fail several times."
Qin Feng looked at him in surprise; he did not expect the Old Man to be so insightful. He seemed not to have been a good official before but was now offering such loyal advice.
He did not belong to this era and pursued equality and fairness as much as possible. He was not accustomed to bowing down like a dog serving its master.
Feeling somewhat hesitant, he said, "Family Name, I have already advised the emperor many times—dozens of times—and he has not listened. Should I continue doing so? He remains unchanged."
Seeing him like this, Qin Feng's Father noted that although he was still not completely devoted to the emperor like a dog clinging to its master, his impulsive attitude had changed considerably.
He said, "The emperor is the master of this country. As a minister and a Loyal Minister, you must keep advising him. Even if you fail dozens of times—hundreds or thousands of times—you must continue to advise him. If you succeed once, it could lead to great achievements."
Qin Feng looked at his Old Man and laughed heartily; his reasoning was indeed admirable!
Deep down inside himself, he had become accustomed to a world of fairness and justice, pursuing equality among people rather than bowing down like a dog serving others—it was truly impossible for him!
"Old Man, some of your advice is indeed very reasonable but also quite late. However, I am now just a Common Person without any official position; it is too late for me. I cannot even see the emperor's face anymore."
"There is no need to bow down to the emperor; as long as you can survive in these chaotic times and live a peaceful and happy life, that is enough."
He, the Old Man, snorted twice in disagreement.
He said, "Son! You are much better than I am. I was only a minor official at the ninth rank, but you have been a third-rank High Official. Although you didn't have real power at that time, it still brings honor to our family. Plus, you married the beautiful daughter of another High Official."
"According to your connections with the current Chancellor and General, and the great contributions you've made in defending the city, the Emperor will not easily forget you. Once there is a War in the court, whether it lasts a few days or a month, they will definitely send someone to invite you back. Just wait patiently! You will inevitably become an official again."
Qin Feng was stunned by this. Could it really be true? The Emperor would send someone to invite him back to be an official? He might not even know that he had resigned; perhaps the Peace Faction had hidden his resignation letter!
Seeing that he was bewildered, the Old Man didn't rush to explain further and decided to focus on his Daughter-in-law first.
"Go check on your two wives! They are in poor health and need more care, especially since they are carrying your children. That is more important than anything else right now! Think carefully about those matters in the officialdom; they will come to you sooner or later."
He came back to his senses and replied with a "Okay," then ran toward his Primary Wife's room.
Both of them were stunning Great Beauties and were pregnant with his children. He hoped their children would be as handsome as him and as beautiful as their mothers; that would be wonderful!
In the future, he would just be an ordinary man, not even reaching the level of a loser. To be able to marry two goddess-level wives was truly satisfying.
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