Dong Gong Mei

Chapter 896 Jealousy is a virtue

He Kui lowered his eyes and glanced at the pair of boots under his feet. They were made by his wife herself. The robe hanging over the boots was new - he had just been promoted to Guanglu Dafu and it was supplied according to the regulations.

But underneath the new official uniform was the undershirt he had worn for several years, which had also turned white.

He came from a poor family, had no foundation, and had no cliques in the capital.

Having served as an official for many years, he is truly incorruptible and dedicated to the country.

However, he must have the foundation to establish himself. Even if he does not seek fame and fortune among the princes, he cannot let his family suffer with him, right?
He Kui is the official who has worked with Li Xuanye the longest. Li Xuanye is not a particularly easy person to talk to, but he is not a cruel and inhumane person either.

He cleared his throat and said solemnly and politely: "I just said that a wise ruler has the virtue of loving his people. Your Majesty is a wise ruler, so you must have made the decision long ago."

He cupped his hands, looking very determined: "I am destined to have no sons, only this daughter, who has been brought up carefree and innocent since childhood. If a son is not taught well, it is the fault of the father. My daughter has violated the palace rules. Even if she is wrong in many ways, it is all my fault. I deserve to die!"

The air was silent again.

Even though Gu Yong was very well-mannered, he couldn't help but glance at He Kui.

He Kui remained calm and stood tall like a small mountain.

This glance was really nothing. Compared to the contempt his wife and daughter received in the circle of noble ladies, Gu Yong's glance was just a tickle.

However, Li Xuanye also gave him a cold glance, which made He Kui's scalp tingle - he did not forget how the emperor had reprimanded him last time.

But, didn’t his daughter still manage to stay in the palace?

He was feeling very nervous and was wondering whether he should add something. As soon as he opened his mouth, he heard the Emperor speak: "You are indeed guilty of a crime that deserves death."

He Kui felt a chill on his back, but his expression remained unchanged, waiting for the emperor to continue.

"I promoted you to the position of Guanglu Dafu and ordered you to take charge of the palace affairs so that you could share my worries and solve my problems. Now there are so many trivial matters in the palace. The emperor has just moved to another palace and the concubines have not yet been settled. You are so idle that you are panicking. You follow me to make memorials every day, asking me to confer titles on the six palaces and enthrone the queen? You are an official of the court, but you are always thinking about the open and secret struggles in the harem. You deserve to die."

Gu Yong's expression changed.

This was clearly a scolding to He Kui, but in reality it was a scolding to Gu Yong.

He stood in the hall and closed his eyes, as if he was in a place of exile, surrounded by desolate mountains and wilderness. He was full of ambitions to serve his country, but he had nowhere to vent and no one to talk to.

Li Xuanye glanced at him and felt a little annoyed.

His uncle is good in every way except that he loves to control him too much.

Gu Yong is different from other ministers. He not only wants peace in the country, but also wants to be remembered forever and become the number one minister in the former dynasty and the harem.

He became the first minister, so what did he do as an emperor? Just a decoration? A puppet?
"That's all for today, please leave."

"Yes."

Gu Yong and He Kui looked at each other. The two of them, who were at loggerheads with each other when they came in, now inexplicably felt a sense of mutual sympathy.

The two men bowed, gathered their sleeves and retreated to the palace door. They turned around and raised their feet. Before they stepped out of the palace door, they heard a faint voice from inside the palace: "He Kui."

"Yes..." He Kui hurriedly gathered his sleeves and turned around again, "What do you want, Your Majesty?"

Li Xuanye walked to the desk, flicked his sleeves and sat down.

Across the desk, his eyes were deep and unfathomable, and his fingers tapped on the desk, making He Kui's heart beat fast: "Tell me, why do you argue with Gu Yong again and again? What do you want to argue about?"

He Kui knelt in front of the desk and answered truthfully: "I want to fight for my daughter."

"Ok?"

Li Xuanye stopped tapping the table. "He Kui," he asked, "How do I treat you?"

Under the pressure, He Kui lowered his eyes and didn't look at him, but his voice was still calm: "Your Majesty treats me very well, but Your Majesty has done something wrong."

Li Xuanye narrowed his eyes: "What's the matter?"

He Kui bowed and said, "Please forgive me for my innocence, I dare to speak."

Li Xuanye held his forehead with one hand, looking sleepy: "Excuse me, please tell me."

He Kui said: "Your Majesty has married my daughter."

Li Xuanye immediately lost all sleepiness and gave him a cold look.

He Kui was terrified by what he saw, and hurriedly said: "Since Your Majesty has kept my daughter by your side, you should give her a legitimate status. You have been leaving her alone and not paying attention to her, letting her eat without liking her food and sleep at night. This is Your Majesty's fault as a husband. Your Majesty knew that the people in the court were uneasy, but you ignored the memorials submitted to the court and let the ministers attack each other without resolving them. This is Your Majesty's fault as a king. Therefore, I want to fight for my daughter, and also for myself——"

After saying so much in one breath, He Kui suddenly felt a surge of fear in his heart, and he quickly raised his eyes and took a careful look.

Li Xuanye stared at him: "Are you done?"

"No." He Kui answered honestly and seriously.

"Then continue."

"Yes..." He Kui responded, and then he felt the gaze above his head was as sharp as a knife, which made his neck feel a little cold. He kowtowed again, "I dare not say anything..."

"Bang!" A paperweight was thrown out and hit He Kui's shoulder squarely. He Kui was hit so hard that his body tilted and he almost fell to the ground.

Only at this moment did he remember that the young Majesty in front of him was not a weak prince in the deep palace, but a man who once led an army to the border and pacified the brave and warlike Xiliang bandits with only 3,000 troops.

"If you keep talking nonsense, go back home!"

"Yes!"

He Kui gritted his teeth and went for it.

He raised his head and looked directly at the young emperor: "I have been an official for many years. I have no private property, no cliques, and no descendants. Everything I have belongs to your Majesty, and my daughter is also yours. Your Majesty promoted me to a higher position, and I should be loyal to your Majesty until death. But when your Majesty clearly did something wrong, I didn't dare to stop it just because I was afraid of being blamed. How can that be considered loyalty? How can an official who cherishes his life and reputation like that deserve your Majesty's appreciation?"

Li Xuanye sneered: "You still know that I appreciate you?"

He Kui placed his hands on the ground and kowtowed deeply: "I will never forget your kindness in recognizing my talents."

His words were extremely sincere, so Li Xuanye did not doubt them.

Logically, there was nothing wrong with what He Kui said. He gave He Manzhi the status of a concubine just for the sake of...

As the thought came to his mind, a complex emotion suddenly arose. He didn't understand what this emotion was, but it made him embarrassed for a moment.

Although his journey has not been easy, it has not been too bumpy. Now that he is in charge of the world and has the responsibility of governing the country, can he still be trapped in the past and unable to get out of it?

He glanced at He Kui and said, "I appreciate you because I want you to assist me in the administration of state affairs, not to let you be jealous like a woman."

He Kui felt safe when he heard that his tone had become much gentler.

Once you feel safe, you can't help but say something unpleasant -

"Your Majesty, this is wrong. Assisting the government is a duty, but being jealous is a virtue."

I would like to thank my book friend 明月清风两相逢_贰 for the reward, but you don’t need to reward me. It’s good enough to be able to pay for the subscription, so you don’t need to give me extra rewards.