Chapter 195

Chapter 195

At these words, several provincial officials of humble origins showed sympathy. Indeed, with such meager monthly salaries, living in the capital demanded meticulous budgeting—every penny counted.

However, though Meng Shuping enjoyed powerful backing and imperial favor, he didn't appear overbearing. On the contrary, he possessed an unexpected approachability for someone of his status. To suggest Meng Shuping was pressuring someone—could there be a misunderstanding?

Meng Shuping’s expression grew even more bewildered. “I… how did I pressure him? Did I force him to give gifts? Did I force him to leave his post during duty hours?”

“How dare he say that? Even from a wealthy background, I’m cautious, afraid of making the slightest mistake, worried about salary deductions. How dare he, being so poor, take such risks? Is it just because he plays the victim so well?”

“Hahahaha!”

The Minister of Revenue and others were highly amused by Meng Shuping. “Indeed, even with my slightly higher salary, I still work diligently and dare not neglect my duties. Yet you, with hardly any money to your name, act so carefree!”

“Exactly, you can’t just play the victim because you made a mistake and got your salary deducted, right?”

“That’s right, did Meng Shuping force you to go out and deliver gifts?”

“After all this talk, I still don’t understand—what exactly did Meng Shuping pressure you to do?”

Seeing the expressions of those who had initially shown sympathy begin to change, Gao Ran felt a lump in his throat. He had thought that by deliberately mentioning Meng Shuping’s background, he could evoke empathy and win them over. He never expected Meng Shuping to steer the conversation right back to the matter of him delivering gifts.

Thus, he could only shoot Meng Shuping a hesitant glance before, seemingly wronged, averting his gaze.

Seeing so many officials siding with Meng Shuping, making Gao Ran appear even more isolated, Du Xi grew more indignant for Gao Ran. Merely visiting Prince Zhao had led to such targeting by Meng Shuping, and worse, Meng Shuping had a justified reason for it. This Meng Shuping was indeed as Meng Ran had said—seemingly harmless but actually jealous and difficult to deal with.

He felt somewhat angry but, remembering that he was there to mediate, forced himself to remain calm. “Meng Shuping, he only went to express his gratitude to Prince Zhao and didn’t think too much about it. To call it dereliction of duty is too severe. For the sake of us all serving in the same court, please let this matter slide.”

Gao Ran sighed with apparent helplessness. “Lord Meng, you’ve truly misunderstood. I’ve only met Prince Zhao a few times. If you’re unhappy, I’ll stay out of your sight.”

If Meng Shuping weren’t one of the parties involved, he might have thought he was the one overcome with jealousy. He found it absurd but was quite willing to agree to Gao Ran’s proposal. “Good, then it’s settled. Don’t show yourself in front of me anymore—it puts me in a bad mood.”

“Wow, I have to say, he’s really playing mind games here! No wonder he acted like having his salary deducted was a matter of life and death. Turns out he had ulterior motives!”

“He keeps saying he has nothing to do with Jiang Cihe, yet every sentence ties back to Jiang Cihe. He’s really mastered reverse psychology.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, is he some kind of attention seeker? So fond of acting? Well, I’m not giving him the stage, hahaha!”

“Pfft—” The Minister of Revenue couldn’t hold back his laughter at Meng Shuping’s remark. Indeed, it was just like Meng Shuping—if others dared to say it, Meng Shuping dared to agree.

However, this comment made him realize something. Earlier, he had been too caught up in the drama to think deeply, but now it seemed that this Gao Ran wasn’t here to plead for leniency but to advance his career at Meng Shuping’s expense.

Clearly, Gao Ran was the one at fault, but by pulling this stunt, if Meng Shuping were to target him, it would make people think he really had a close relationship with Prince Zhao. Wouldn’t that make others more accommodating to him in the future?

But if Meng Shuping did nothing to protect his reputation, Gao Ran would escape punishment. Either way, Gao Ran stood to gain.

However, targeting Meng Shuping was a miscalculation—Meng Shuping didn’t engage in fake politeness.

The Minister of Revenue quickly decided to play along with Gao Ran’s act, acting like a bully leveraging his power.

Stroking his beard, he agreed with Meng Shuping. “Yes, yes. Since Meng Shuping doesn’t like you appearing before him, it’s better for you to avoid him in the future. That way, you won’t ruin his mood again.”

The other officials, having reached their positions through intelligence, quickly joined in. “Lord Chen is absolutely right. Since you already know Meng Shuping has a temper, why provoke him, Young Gao?”

“Don’t you know Prince Zhao is Meng Shuping’s associate? Why meddle? Do you have no sense of boundaries? In my opinion, you brought this punishment upon yourself.”

“I think it’s best if you, Young Gao, get transferred to the provinces so Lord Meng won’t have to see you and be annoyed.”

“Exactly, if you know your presence upsets Meng Shuping, why show yourself? What if your presence affects Meng Shuping’s mood and hinders his work, impacting state affairs? What are you really up to?”

The officials who had spoken earlier all looked at the last speaker in astonishment—impressive, very impressive!

The last official smiled modestly—just doing my job.

Gao Ran was speechless. This time, he genuinely felt wronged and helpless. Not only did Meng Shuping not follow the script, but the others weren’t reacting as he had expected either. Weren’t they afraid of being seen as enabling a bully?

And what kind of twisted logic was this? Meng Shuping was oppressing him, yet he was made out to be the villain? Was there no justice? No law?

Meng Shuping was also stunned. “Tsk, with them acting like this, I’m made to look like the villain. And I never realized I had such good connections with them—they’re quite tough on the outside but soft inside!”

The Minister of Revenue puffed out his chest proudly. Playing the villain felt so satisfying!

Seeing that if he didn’t speak up now, he would truly be seen as deserving punishment, Gao Ran quickly thought. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Very well. Since Lord Meng does not wish to see this lowly official, I will ensure I never appear within Lord Meng’s sight again. I only hope Lord Meng will keep his word and ensure my salary is not deducted.”

With that, he made to rise and take his leave from the assembled officials.

Noticing Gao Ran’s eyes were moist and he looked utterly wronged as he stood, Meng Shuping widened his eyes in surprise. “Oh my, those tears welling up—so pitiable! What a dramatic display! Such unspoken endurance!”

“Wait, no—when did I agree not to report him? He proposed it himself; I promised nothing!”

“Pfft—” The Minister of Revenue and the others broke into laughter again.

Their laughter nearly ruined the mood Gao Ran had carefully built. He felt both embarrassed and furious, his expression turning somewhat twisted.

Seeing Gao Ran pushed to this point and mocked by so many officials, Du Xi grew angry. “Meng Shuping! He hasn’t committed some grave offense. Is it necessary to be so harsh?”

Meng Shuping nodded. “Yes, it is!”

For a moment, Du Xi was left speechless. Then he heard Meng Shuping’s inner thoughts: “Wow, I almost forgot about him—the one so eager to be someone else’s pawn! What does he gain from championing others? Helping them climb the ranks while making enemies for himself?”

“No wonder he’s still stuck in the Hanlin Academy at his age, being ordered around by a youngster. Is he not too bright?”

Du Xi was taken aback. Had Gao Ran been using him? He wanted to deny it, but recalling Gao Ran’s earlier actions and words, he felt a flicker of doubt. Could Gao Ran truly be as cunning as Meng Shuping suspected?

He instinctively glanced at Gao Ran but met Gao Ran’s dejected gaze. Steeling himself, he turned back to Meng Shuping. “Hmph, Young Gao came sincerely to explain and apologize. Why must you be so hard on him? Aren’t you concerned about your reputation?”

Meng Shuping replied indifferently, “No, I’m not!”

“Seriously, did I cost him his position or his life? They were the ones who came looking for trouble, yet I’m supposed to be magnanimous? Are they out of their minds? Besides, those with reputations care about them. I have no reputation—what do I have to care about?”

Hearing this, Du Xi furrowed his brow and stood speechless. Meng Shuping’s reasoning seemed sound. What had Gao Ran actually lost? Some salary, perhaps, but compared to officials who had been sidelined in the past, it was barely anything.

So what was Gao Ran so upset about? If he was worried about future retaliation, Meng Shuping’s inner thoughts suggested he hadn’t even taken the matter seriously. Could it be that Du Xi had indeed been used?

The thought made Du Xi furious. He had treated Gao Ran like a junior, kindly mediating for him, but what had Gao Ran taken him for? A fool?

He glared coldly at Gao Ran. “Since Meng Shuping does not wish to see you, it’s best you request a transfer to the provinces to avoid further misunderstandings.”

Gao Ran’s heart sank. What did Du Xi mean? Was he afraid of offending Meng Shuping and now siding with him against Gao Ran?

He felt both furious and powerless. He had thought the worst outcome would be a salary deduction, but now they were turning the tables, suggesting he be sent to the provinces. Once there, would he ever have a chance to advance?

“What are you all doing here?” Just as Gao Ran felt despair setting in, Jiang Cihe walked in from outside. Gao Ran’s spirits lifted—he still had a chance! If Jiang Cihe would just speak up for him, the situation could still be saved.

He hurried over to Jiang Cihe. “Greetings, Prince Zhao!”

Jiang Cihe looked somewhat confused. “And you are…?”

Seeing that Jiang Cihe seemed not to recognize him at all, Gao Ran was stunned. “Prince Zhao, I am Gao Ran. I came to visit you the other day—you don't remember?”

"Pfft..." Several of the onlooking officials couldn't hold back their laughter again. This guy, Gao Ran, didn't even know Prince Zhao, yet he had the audacity to approach Meng Shuping to explain his "relationship" with His Highness. What a joke!

Gao Ran's face flushed bright red. It was only then he realized that Jiang Cihe couldn't possibly have forgotten him in just a few days—it was clearly Prince Zhao trying to humiliate him. In an instant, his face went deathly pale. It's over. This time, it's *really* over.

Jiang Cihe didn't care what Gao Ran was thinking. He walked straight toward Meng Shuping. "If there's nothing else, let's head back."

Meng Shuping couldn't wait to leave. At that, he quickly stood up and walked out with Jiang Cihe.

Once they were in the carriage, Meng Shuping couldn't hold back his laughter. "You did that on purpose, didn't you? Haha! You should've seen Gao Ran's expression—it was priceless!"

Jiang Cihe's lips curved in a faint smile, looking at him. "What do you think? Are you happy now?"

Although he hadn't been present, he had made sure to learn the details of what happened. Given his status, countless people had tried to cozy up to him and claim some connection since he was young. How could Gao Ran's petty scheming escape his notice?

Meng Shuping laughed so hard he slumped against Jiang Cihe. "Haha, this is too funny!"

Even though he hadn't suffered any loss dealing with Gao Ran, having to face a crowd after a long day's work instead of going home straight away was still annoying.

Jiang Cihe skillfully steadied Meng Shuping to prevent him from bumping into the carriage. "Aren't you afraid that I might actually have something going on with him?"

Meng Shuping wasn't worried at all. "How could that be? You're not that kind of person."

Just as Jiang Cihe's lips curved into a smile, he heard Meng Shuping add, "Even if you did cheat, it wouldn't matter. If it doesn't work out, we can just separate. Wait, no—we're not even married. If it doesn't work out, we can just break up!"

Still thinking about breaking up? Jiang Cihe shot Meng Shuping a deep look. There won't be such an opportunity.

A few days later, Meng Shuping heard that Gao Ran had been demoted to a local magistrate. The one behind it was none other than Du Xi. After hearing about it, he didn't give it another thought. Gao Ran had used others, so retribution was only natural.

If Gao Ran truly had ability, he would have opportunities to rise again in the future. Although Meng Shuping disliked Gao Ran's character, he wouldn't go out of his way to make things difficult for him. He could only hope that Gao Ran would be a good official from then on.

The next day, right after the morning court session ended, Meng Shuping was summoned by Emperor Qianyou. He was utterly puzzled. "What does His Majesty want with me? Ugh—is he trying to assign me more work again? No, no, even if I'm efficient and cost-effective, he can't just exploit me alone!"

Emperor Qianyou felt a vein throbbing on his forehead. How is this exploitation? If someone was capable, why not put them to good use?

However, today, he hadn't summoned Meng Shuping to assign work. He cleared his throat. "Beloved Minister Meng."

Meng Shuping quickly snapped back to attention. "Yes, yes, I'm here."

Emperor Qianyou smiled warmly. "Since you and Seventh cannot marry, I have decided to adopt you as my godson. This way, you will be considered a member of the royal family. How does that sound?"

Meng Shuping was astonished but agreed without hesitation. "Of course, yes! Thank you, Father!"

"Why would I refuse such a great opportunity? I'm not stupid—this is the biggest backing I could ever get in the entire world!"

Emperor Qianyou's mood improved even more. Although he had many sons, none were as lively in his presence nowadays. Meng Shuping might appear timid on the surface, but his inner thoughts were spirited. Having such a godson was quite satisfying.

He thought to himself, *Besides, now that he's my godson, won't it be even more convenient to assign him tasks from now on?*

...

In the 31st year of Qianyou, Emperor Qianyou held a banquet in the palace to announce the adoption of Meng Shuping as his godson. Thereafter, Meng Shuping became the undisputed most favored minister of the court. Great Chu experienced clearer governance, fuller treasuries, and a golden age even more prosperous than before.

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