Chapter 362: In that case, we have to thank King Jin

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation  Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Zhuo Jun left.

Xiao Hanzheng and Shi Qingluo also remembered the useful information she provided.

The next day, the imperial edict that bestowed Mdm Kong as Nanxi Township Lord arrived at the Xiao residence.

Mdm Kong had already heard from her son and daughter-in-law.

She was very touched by it.

She actually did not care about these statuses.

As long as her family members were safe and happy, she would be satisfied.

However, she wouldn’t reject her daughter-in-law’s good intentions.

After receiving the edict, Xiao Hanzheng invited his teacher, friends, and classmates to a banquet.

Zhuo Jun, Fang Zhijun, and the others also came to congratulate him.

Zhuo Jun chatted with Xiao Hanzheng alone for a while under the gaze of her two personal attendants.

In that period of time, Zhuo Jun would either visit Xiao Hanzheng or invite him out.

This matter did not attract too much attention.

Those who knew thought that the two of them were going to the northern border, so they were grouping up in advance.

On this day, Zhuo Jun wrote a letter and handed it to her close aide.

“Get someone to send it to the northern border.”

Her close aide received the letter and asked, “Has the mission been completed?”

Zhuo Jun replied, “Xiao Hanzheng promised that he would think about it after reaching the northern border.”

The attendant frowned. “Just think about it?”

Zhuo Jun raised her eyebrows. “It’s already good enough that Xiao Hanzheng agreed to consider it. Would you believe him if he said that he would join our Royal Highness now? I wouldn’t believe him anyway.

“After all, we are only citing the benefits verbally. He hasn’t seen any benefits in reality.”

This was also her discussion result with Xiao Hanzheng.

As long as one was not stupid, one would not believe that Xiao Hanzheng would just hop on board so easily.

Hence, this was the most suitable reply she could provide the higher-ups.

As expected, her close companion choked. “Alright, I understand.”

It made sense after thinking about it.

He had yet to obtain anything.

If he were to hop over, then it would indeed not be believable.

He reminded her, “Our master has already made arrangements for you. We will be able to return to the northern border very soon.”

Zhuo Jun tightened her grip on the brush and nodded indifferently. “Okay.”

A few days later, the arrangements for the other first and second ranked candidates were ready too.

The emperor gave an imperial edict.

Xiao Hanzheng headed to the northern border to be the county magistrate of Heyang County.

Zhuo Jun was the county magistrate of Wan’an County next door.

The candidate that clinched the 3rd place was not assigned as a county magistrate but became a seventh rank governor under the northern city’s perfect.

Minister Hu’s grandson and several other people who had been promoted in this year’s exam were also assigned as county magistrate, seventh-rank governor, and secondary seventh-rank governor.

Those who had not been promoted in the exam were assigned as their assistants.

Under Duke Qi’s arrangement, Qi Yiyang was assigned as a county magistrate in a county close to Xiao Hanzheng.

Although Liang Youxiao and Xi Rui had been nominated by their fathers to join the list, they were not even tongshengs, so it was naturally impossible for them to be assigned a position.

Therefore, the emperor arranged for the two of them to follow Xiao Hanzheng.

If they achieved some results when they were at the northern border, he would have other arrangements for them when they returned to the capital.

Liang Youxiao and Xi Rui did not want to go at all, but they had no way to resist.

They could only cry and agree.

The former county magistrate position that Xiao Hanzheng had taken over was flagged for corruption.

After the investigation, he was discharged from his official duty and imprisoned.

That county was anxiously waiting for a new county magistrate.

Furthermore, the northern border was far away, hence Xiao Hanzheng could not go back to his hometown to visit his relatives first.

Instead, he had to go to the northern border immediately.

This was actually within Xiao Hanzheng’s expectations.

Therefore, before he came to the capital, he had already made arrangements for them.

Moreover, his family members had already been brought to the capital.

So he didn’t need to intentionally pay a visit to his family members before leaving.

Zhuo Jun’s family was originally residing at the northern border.

She, a bangyan, and her other aristocratic relatives lived in the capital after they were thrown out, so she did not need to visit her relatives elsewhere.

Therefore, the emperor asked them to head to the northern border together ten days later.

He would send someone to escort them on the way.

After they arrived at the northern border, they would split up and part ways to take up their positions.

In fact, the places where these people went for their appointments were basically the territory controlled by King Jin.

Therefore, the emperor deliberately provoked King Jin and his people and agreed to send their family’s legitimate descendants along.

In fact, he was also using this opportunity to set up a plan at the northern border.

Both the emperor and King Jin were scheming and fighting to see who would win in the end.

Shi Qingluo and Xiao Hanzheng were mostly ready.

Although it was quite dangerous to go to the northern border this time, they were even more worried about leaving Mother Xiao and the others in the capital.

No matter where their family went, they had to handle their family well.

Therefore, Xiao Hanzheng and Shi Qingluo thought about it and consulted Mother Xiao and the other two.

In the end, they decided to bring the three of them along.

Otherwise, they were afraid that King Jin would target the three of them when they were not around.

It would be very easy for them to accidentally step into his trap.

At that time, they were further away at the northern border.

It was completely out of their reach.

The emperor did not suggest that Mother Xiao and the other two stay.

He would not question those that he had given an official appointment.

If he deliberately left the three of them in the capital, it would instead make Xiao Hanzheng and his wife feel uncomfortable.

There was no need for that.

After receiving his appointment, Xiao Hanzheng compared the news from the northern border and discovered something.

He said to Shi Qingluo, “The place I’m posted to is the county where the old Xiao’s family is located.”

Shi Qingluo was stunned. “Is this intentional, or is it a coincidence?”

Xiao Hanzheng thought for a moment. “Maybe King Jin did it on purpose.”

The possibility of the emperor doing so was not very high.

Recently, King Jin’s people had taken the initiative to steer the opinions in the imperial court.

The Ministry of Appointments proposed most of the appointments.

“The assistant minister in the Ministry of Appointments should be King Jin’s people.”

This was not on the list of names given to the emperor by Zhuo Jun, but Xiao Hanzheng knew that he had been taken down by the emperor in his previous life.

Shi Qingluo frowned. “Could it be that King Jin still wants to use the old Xiao family to pin us down?”

Xiao Hanzheng thought for a moment and said, “It’s very possible.”

Shi Qingluo asked, “After all, your scumbag father’s biological parents are there. Don’t tell me that King Jin wants us to go to the northern border and continue fighting with your scumbag father? Or perhaps he wants your scumbag father to pin us down?

“If this is arranged by King Jin, then he will definitely cause trouble between us and your scumbag father.”

She felt that King Jin would definitely know what Xiao Hanzheng’s scumbag father did at the northern border.

After all, that was King Jin’s territory.

If her young husband could find out about it, King Jin would naturally be able to find out as well.

Xiao Hanzheng nodded. “I also think that King Jin wants to create trouble between us and my scumbag father.

“After all, my scumbag father’s position in the northern city isn’t low. If he doesn’t seek refuge with King Jin, he will minimally bring some trouble to King Jin.”

Shi Qingluo rubbed her chin and smiled. “That’s good too. If something happens too far away, we won’t be able to deal with it in time. It’s better to keep it under our noses.

“And we can watch Little Lady Ge and the old Xiao family members tearing each other apart.”

Previously, it was a pity that they couldn’t watch the three parties tear each other apart.

Now that it was under their noses, they could definitely watch it.

Xiao Hanzheng chuckled. “That’s right. With us suppressing them, the old Xiao family members won’t be able to become a demon and use my name under our noses.”

If the old Xiao family were in other counties, they might use his name to do evil things.

Shi Qingluo curled her lips. “In that case, we still have to thank King Jin.”

If King Jin wanted to watch them fight with Xiao Hanzheng’s scumbag father, they would do as he hoped for.