Phi-Fic Chapter 546 Xie Jingxian: She gently kissed his cheek.
Chapter 546 Xie Jingxian: She gently kissed his cheek.
Li Sheng tilted her head back, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, and blinked at him.
"I said... I like you the most, Xie Jing..."
Who is your favorite person?
Li Sheng smiled and leaned closer. "Xie Jing."
Not long after she finished speaking, her voice gradually lowered.
Leaning against Xie Jing's chest, her eyelashes trembled slightly.
She was so tired that she fell completely silent the next moment, her breathing becoming long and even as she drifted off to sleep.
Xie Jing looked down at her.
The girl in his arms had gentle features, her cheeks flushed from the wine, and her lips slightly curved.
A strand of her hair fell onto the back of his hand, tickling him and sending a shiver down his spine.
He hesitated for a long time, but finally lowered his head and gently kissed her cheek.
Extremely light and shallow, yet it seemed to have exhausted all his strength.
Xie Jing looked at her sleeping face and silently said to himself.
I like you too.
The next day.
Li Sheng slowly woke up, feeling dizzy, as if she had been hit with a stick.
"It hurts..."
She mumbled something, the discomfort from the hangover making it difficult even to open her eyes.
Li Sheng subconsciously touched her cheek, feeling that something was off.
Last night... it felt like something bit her.
But when I reached it with my fingertips, I couldn't touch anything.
Could it be that she remembered it wrong?
Li Sheng looked somewhat puzzled.
Just then, the door was pushed open, and a maid came in carrying a hot towel. Seeing that she was awake, she immediately smiled.
"The young lady is awake? Breakfast is ready in the kitchen. Would you like to go and eat now?"
Li Sheng nodded, and the maidservants helped her wash up and change her clothes.
A moment later, Li Sheng changed into a light apricot-colored casual outfit and went to the main house for breakfast.
A steaming, hearty breakfast was laid out on the table.
A maid brought over a bowl of hot soup and placed it in front of Li Sheng.
"Miss, this is a hangover soup that the young master instructed the kitchen to prepare this morning. He said that your head must be in a bad pain after you woke up, and drinking this soup will make you feel better."
Li Sheng took the porcelain bowl and felt the warmth emanating from it, which warmed her heart.
She looked around and saw that the courtyard was empty; Xie Jing was nowhere to be seen.
Where is Xie Jing?
The maid shook her head. "Reporting to Miss, Young Master Xie left early this morning without saying where he went."
Zhang Mansion.
Xie Jing stood by the window with his hands behind his back, giving instructions in a low voice.
"Once you take the position of Minister of Personnel, the first step will be to transfer our people from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War into the Ministry of Personnel. The second step will be to delay the promotion of all capable officials in the court. Then, we will secretly promote all our people."
Zhang Qing sat to the side, and the more he listened, the more his brows furrowed.
He finally couldn't help but speak up, "Thank you, sir. The current Minister of Personnel, Lord Han, was the person the Emperor trusted most before he ascended the throne. He has made many merits over the years, and he is highly praised in the court."
“I only entered officialdom three years ago, and I am currently just a sixth-rank official. How could the Emperor entrust me with a position like Minister of Personnel?”
Xie Jing chuckled upon hearing this.
"I will give it to you."
Daliang Palace.
Shen Qingyan sat in Li Wuyang's arms and said softly, "Your Majesty, I have recently heard that Zhang Qing is capable in handling affairs and incorruptible. Why not promote him to Minister of Personnel, so that he can share Your Majesty's burdens?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of confusion flashed in Li Wuyang's eyes.
"Zhang Qing..." he murmured softly, as if trying to grasp something.
Shen Qingyan noticed his hesitation and softened her tone: "Didn't His Majesty say that those who trust his ministers should be employed, and those who doubt his ministers should be discarded?"
"Although Zhang Qing is young, he is extremely loyal, and most importantly, he is completely innocent. If you don't use him, it will only make those old ministers proud."
As Li Wuyang listened to her voice, his thoughts were once again drawn in.
Those fog-like distracting thoughts seemed to be dispersed by a gentle breeze, replaced by Shen Qingyan's gentle voice.
The hesitation in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by obedience and infatuation.
"You're right, we'll do it your way."
Li House.
Candles flickered in the courtyard, and the aroma of food wafted on the night breeze.
Xie Jing followed the aroma and went inside, where he saw Li Sheng bending over, instructing the maids to place the dishes in different positions on the table.
The girl was dressed simply today, with a wisp of hair falling down her temple, which she casually tucked behind her ear.
Xie Jing slowed his pace and stood at the door for a moment.
My heart softened little by little.
Hearing footsteps, Li Sheng turned around and her eyes lit up when she saw him.
"You're back," she said, her eyes crinkling with joy.
Xie Jing walked closer to her. "Why did you do it yourself today?"
“I saw some green bamboo shoots for sale on the street today,” Li Sheng said, pointing to the dish in the middle of the table. “Our Wuli ethnic group also has this kind of bamboo shoot. I’ve been eating it since I was a child. There’s a special way to cook it, and I’ve always wanted to make it for you to try.”
She spoke earnestly, introducing him to the names and cooking methods of the dishes on the table.
"This is stewed chicken with bamboo shoots. It's made with old hens from the mountains and green bamboo shoots. The soup is clear and flavorful."
"And this is our Wuli spicy and sour bamboo shoot shreds, which is especially appetizing in the summer."
Xie Jing looked at her with a gentle expression.
Only after she finished her introduction did we sit down to prepare for dinner.
Xie Jing was about to pick up some food with his chopsticks when Li Sheng reached out first and placed a piece of tender stewed chicken in his bowl.
"Try this, it's especially flavorful today."
Xie Jing looked at the food in the bowl, a smile curving his lips, and picked up a piece to put in his mouth.
After taking a few bites, Li Sheng suddenly seemed to remember something, put down her chopsticks, and asked hesitantly.
"Last night...did I do something strange after I got drunk?"
"do not you remember?"
Upon hearing this, Li Sheng immediately sat up straight, tense. "Did I really do something strange? I wouldn't—"
Looking into her eyes, Xie Jing felt a strange sense of loss.
He had assumed she remembered, which was why he only did it today…
Never mind, maybe it was just drunken ramblings.
He said softly, "No. You fell asleep very quickly after you got drunk."
Upon hearing this, Li Sheng visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was worried I might have said something inappropriate."
Xie Jing looked up at her; the girl was smiling brightly and eating intently.
He didn't say anything more, just lowered his head and continued eating.
For the next month, Xie Jing was busy, leaving early and returning late.
Li Sheng hadn't seen him more than a few times in the entire month.
As the long summer drew to a close, a dryness permeated the air, yet the sky over the capital of Daliang, much like the political situation, was oppressive and gloomy, devoid of sunshine.
Over the past month, the political landscape of the Liang Dynasty has undergone dramatic changes.
From the Ministry of Rites to the Ministry of Revenue, from the Ministry of Justice to the Secretariat, with a single decree from the emperor, old officials left and new officials arrived, and in just over a month, the political climate in the court changed drastically.
Several veteran officials who had held power for many years either resigned, were demoted, or died suddenly at home overnight.
At the same time, the lives of ordinary people in Daliang are becoming increasingly difficult.
Taxes were increased, granaries were short of grain, bandits were rampant, and minor disturbances occurred frequently on the border.