Chapter 51 (1/2)

Chapter 51: Mo Cong’s Identity

In her arnered the top score in the imperial examinations, the Emperor had only appointed him to a previously vacant sixth-rank court position as , editing and reviewing the literature and history of the dynasty, in addition to tutoring duties After this, for some unknown reason, he hadRuan had once heard Eighth Prince say that, although this person's talent and learning were outstanding, it was also clear that his field of knowledge was rather narrow Moreover, he was fond of seeking connections with those in power Although, in the capital, the wang family were considered er lived up to their na but e Chao In contrast to hihly talented His father, Mo daren, was the Minister of the Iest son He was gregarious, excitable and inclined to have less regard for propriety, which could admittedly cause headaches for others However, his opinions on political affairs were considerably advanced, and must have sounded fresh to the Emperor who had to constantly listen to the safe and conventional views of his gaggle of court officials After Mo Cong placed second in the imperial examination, he was appointed as a fourth-rank junior minister in the Ministry of Horses^[2], where he was only two ranks lower than his father Mo Cong was friendly towards others, and he received favour from the different factions in the imperial court With someone like this, it was difficult to ascertain which faction he supported, and it could be said that he was neutral In her past life, he gave the Eighth Prince endless headaches

[1] ( 宗正 ) – Minister of the Imperial Clan, one of Ied royal affairs (including enealogy) It was established from the Qin Dynasty and it usually was a close trusted relative of the royal family Read more about the Nine Ministers

[2] Tai pu si ( 太仆寺 ) – the office in ancient China responsible for the breeding,

raising and training of horses

Of course, neither of these two could coed to quietly surpass both of them The Emperor^[3], unlike others, did not believe that one becahly suspicious by nature Not only that, in order to rasp over his court, he often acted unpredictably While Mo Cong and wang Zi Ling had the support of their long-standing faht and plainspoken when he interacted with others This kind of person could be appointed to a position without cause for concern Liu Min was also highly talented Thus, this young upstart in the imperial court very quickly became the most trusted official by the Eed to win over such an i someone speak on her behalf in the palace

[3] Jiu wu zhi jun ( 九五之尊 ) – 九 is nine (9); 五 is five (5) In ancient China, nuative nuative Ahest and five is in the middle Therefore, 'nine' and 'five' symbolise the authority of the e that earlier time, Liu Min had steadfastly supported the Crown Prince He placed great importance on tradition, customs and cerehth Prince However, circumstances would only be in Liu Min's favour in three years' ti Ruan wanted to do was to help this future I in poverty, so that his golden opportunity would arrive sooner

Seeing that Jiang Ruan was still sunk in contemplation, Lu Zhu pursed her lips and spoke abruptly, as if she had suddenly reood news Zhou momo woke up today, and she looks like she is in much better spirits”

Fro Ruan had ordered Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao to look after her However, she had not regained consciousness, and they did not knohether it was due to the recurrence of so Ruan's facial expression relaxed somewhat, and she said, ”That is indeed wonderful I will visit her”

The night sky was full of lanterns which had been hung up toof the year, but had yet to be put away They brightened the norlow Ordinary people strolled along the streets, and the pavilioned stages teroups could be seen in all directions It was extraordinarily lively

In Dong Feng Lou, the purple and gold, pearl-beaded curtain separating the private room from the rest of the establishment was lowered It concealed the doorway securely even as it occasionally flickered with dazzling brilliance

Within the rooainst the , indifferently looking down at the hustle and bustle of the crowds below The laant as a jade carving His long eyelashes were lowered, so that no one was able to clearly read the eht, but they were unable to conceal his cold teance

The curtain was abruptly lifted as a nobleht, and his face reathed in s nobleman clad in black, he said, ” time Why are you in such a rush this time?”

The black-clad youth made no move despite the other's entrance, and only said, ”The Emperor does not know”

”You are the only person under the heavens who dares to flout ientleman said as he sat at the table in the middle of the rooulp before sighing ”If only you'd arrived earlier, I wouldn't have had to eat and drink in the company of that bunch fro

The black-clad youth shook his head, and asked, ”Hoas the preliminary round of the iht I should be able to ht expect, Mo Cong was not in the least concerned A sudden thought came to him, and he said, with pity in his voice, ”Ah, it's a shame about Liu Min Such talent and scholarshi+p If he were not so obstinate, I would actually consider befriending hi Chancellor Chen correctly, I a Chao”

”Jiang Chao?” The black-clad youth's brows knitted slightly