“I was just thinking. I used to hate listening to civil officials argue,” he said, “With literary jargons here and there, they just draw some poor, pedantic bird crap. I can’t understand a thing. Moreover, they quarrel and splatter spittles everywhere. I might as well go listen to a monk’s chanting.”

Jiang Suizhou smiled and burst out laughing.

Huo Wujiu continued, “But why is it different today?”

Jiang Suizhou looked at him with a smile on his face: “What’s the difference today?”

Huo Wujiu was serious.

“I just keep thinking. How could I have such a good eye?” he said.

Jiang Suizhou raised his eyebrows and waited for him to say more.

Huo Wujiu, however, didn’t go any further.

He had always felt that human bones were shaped by external factors. The bones of these stinky soldiers were all made of iron, with a cool, icy iron smell; the bones of those literary ministers were shaped by the endless poems and essays. They smell like books and ink, but to Huo Wujiu, they smelled like a pile of rotten books.

Only Jiang Suizhou was different.

He obviously should be no different from others, a young master amidst a beautiful pile of wealth and nobility, that Huo Wujiu was exposed to.

But Jiang Suizhou seemed to be molded in light and freedom.

Upright, forthright, and transparent like no one around him.

His aura was so attractive, drawing people toward him, like a moth flying toward the flame. Even if you were to crash and turn into ashes and bones, you would still yourself at the light and try to embrace the warm light.

Huo Wujiu thought and did so.

He lowered his head and kissed Jiang Suizhou’s lips fervently.

After a few days, a major event happened in the capital.

The residence of the Minister of Ceremonies was heavily guarded, but the guards were all withdrawn. On the next day, Qi-daren, the former dynasty’s Minister of Ceremonies, stepped out of his residence in a grand manner, got on a carriage and entered the palace.

On the same day, Qi-daren was promoted by a half a rank and became the new Chief Minister, commanding all the civil ministers in the south of the Chang River.

This incident not only shocked the court and the public, but also the people inside and outside Lin’an City, who caught wind of it. For a time, both the courtiers and the common people understood one thing ——

Huo Wujiu, who led soldiers to kill the Emperor and burn the palace, was not a bad conqueror. Although he killed the Emperor, he did not hurt the people and courtiers. He even used them and appointed them in high positions.

At the same time, the few Southern Jing officials, who were still on edge, calmed down to some extent —— Even if Huo Wujiu had plans of killing someone after making use of them, he would never dare to kill the highly respected Qi Min. Now that Qi Min had become the same as them, then Huo Wujiu most likely had no intention of killing them.

For a time, everyone settled down.

However, a lot of talk arose about Qi Min, but they were varying opinions. Some said that he received Huo Wujiu’s approval, and some said that he was disloyal and unrighteous.

However, no matter how everyone guessed, only Jiang Suizhou and Huo Wujiu knew what Qi Min really thought.

When Qi Min entered the palace that day, he went to the imperial study to meet Jiang Suizhou.

“The world is so big that there is no shortage of old and useless skeletons like me.” Qi Min said to Jiang Suizhou, “But with the turbulent situation at present, you can use me, and I am willing to help you.”

Jiang Suizhou said, “Qi-daren is very righteous.”

However, Qi Min raised his hand and interrupted him.

“This old and useless man just doesn’t want to die, feeling ashamed in front of the common people under the state.” He said, “However, the day the world is pacified, may I also ask Your Highness not to forcibly let me stay and allow me to resign from office and return home.”

Jiang Suizhou responded, “This Prince will not force you, Daren. Everything is up to you.”

This time, all the officials inside and outside Lin’an were finally completed. Now that someone was appointed to lead them, the imperial court of Souther Jing was finally put on the right track.

Although this situation wasn’t sustainable, everything was finally sorted out. With Qi Min’s assistance, the number of documents sent to the imperial desk also drastically decreased. Jiang Suizhou had been busy for a while, but at this time he was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Huo Wujiu was also relieved at last.

Whenever he saw how frail Jiang Suizhou was against a gust of wind, but was still busy all day long, he was so anxious and annoyed. However, he couldn’t stop him.

Now that the messy business was over, he could rightfully carry Jiang Suizhou and let him rest for a while, right?

Huo Wujiu finally felt at ease both physically and mentally. In a good mood, he even went to inspect the army outside the city.

As a result, before his happiness could last two hours, he heard that Jiang Suizhou, who had returned to his bedchamber, had changed his clothes and left his room again.

This time, the direction he went to was the imperial prison in Lin’an.

What kind of place was that? It was bloody, gloomy and full of dampness.

Huo Wujiu immediately abandoned the business in his hands and rushed there, stopping Jiang Suizhou in the middle of the road.

“Where are you going?” Huo Wujiu looked worried.

Jiang Suizhou replied honestly, “I heard that you had Pang Shao locked up in the imperial prison, so I’m planning to go and visit him.”

Huo Wujiu’s eyebrows knitted up: “Have you recovered well enough to go to that kind of cold place?”

Jiang Suizhou replied, “Now that everything has come to an end, it is time to give him a relief.”

Huo Wujiu fell silent.

He knew that for someone like Pang Shao, death was the best relief. On that day, he killed Jiang Shunheng on the spot on impulse, but there were still many scores to be settled.

Therefore, he delayed the time without letting Pang Shao die and pour all the blame on him.

Presently, they hadn’t settled the score yet.

When Jiang Suizhou saw his expression, he guessed what he was thinking more or less.

He raised his hand and held Huo Wujiu’s tight arm.

“For him, there is no better punishment than to let him die for good,” he said.

“But you…”

“If you’re ill at ease, why don’t you go with me?”

This time, Huo Wujiu did not refuse.

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