Chapter 116 Seeking Transfer

Chapter 116: Requesting a Post Outside the Capital

Zhou Mingqi sighed heavily. "Never mind. In a few days, you can return directly to the mansion. I'll send some guards over then."

Cheng Ge's eyes lit up at once. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The room was filled with curling incense smoke, and a breeze brought in a hint of chill through the window.

Zhou Mingqi swirled the cup in his hand and asked in a deep voice, "You did well by exposing the truth. Is there any reward you desire?"

Cheng Ge's eyes widened at this. He was about to speak, then quickly closed it again.

He immediately sat up straight with a serious expression. "It's my duty to serve you; I wouldn't dare to take credit or ask for a reward."

Zhou Mingqi's eye twitched at his act. "I asked you, so speak up. Don't be shy."

Cheng Ge squinted slightly, and a barely noticeable sneaky look suddenly appeared on his face.

"Your Majesty, winter is approaching. I've always had a cold constitution. But my bed is cold and empty, missing just one..."

At this point, he stole a glance up at Zhou Mingqi.

His cheeks still flushed, he said in a small voice, "Missing someone who really gets me."

Cheng Ge in his head: I need a wife—hurry up and give me a wifey!

Zhou Mingqi froze, then his grip on the cup tightened and his eyes darkened.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became oppressive. Cheng Ge was confused when Zhou Mingqi stayed quiet for so long.

Was his request too much to ask? But he had heard that last time Zhou Mingqi even granted a bunch of beautiful women to Cui Ji.

Now he only wanted one, that shouldn't be too much to ask, right?

Just as he was about to say something, Zhou Mingqi interrupted, "Muyu, have you decided what kind of woman you want?"

This is it! Finally! Cheng Ge could kiss his twenty years of lonely single life goodbye!

But though his heart was pounding, he played it cool.

He cleared his throat, knelt, and said, "I don't ask for much—just a woman who's gentle, kind, understanding, and can cook a little."

Zhou Mingqi gave a cold smile and glanced at Cheng Ge's round head.

"I understand. Is there anything else you want?"

Cheng Ge's hands clenched into fists, slightly excited. Why was that bastard emperor suddenly being so generous?

Did he grow a conscience? Or does he just have money to burn?

Cheng Ge was now swept up in his good luck, figuring he might never get another chance like this—he had to go for it!

Cheng Ge searched his memory and immediately hit on what he wanted. "Your Majesty, I'd like the Kaiyuan Bow."

At these words, even Zhou Mingqi was somewhat shocked. "What do you want the Kaiyuan Bow for?"

Cheng Ge snapped his head up, his eyes full of determination.

He looked Zhou Mingqi in the eye and said, slowly and deliberately, "Your Majesty, I want to join the army!"

Zhou Mingqi: "..."

Zhou Mingqi met Cheng Ge's gaze, rubbed his forehead in bewilderment, and for a moment didn't know what to say.

His gaze involuntarily fell on Cheng Ge's brows and eyes, delicate as spring, lovely as a flower.

Moving downward, his neck like ivory, shoulders finely chiseled, waist slender, down to his jade-white hands.

He looked him up and down, as if trying to find any justification to let him go to war.

Finally, Zhou Mingqi stared at Cheng Ge for a full two minutes.

He thought that if he really let this man go to the battlefield, he'd probably get captured by the enemy before the battle even started.

"Our military is strong enough as it is—we don't need to resort to peace marriages yet."

Cheng Ge: "???" What peace marriage? What the hell are you talking about?

"The Kaiyuan Bow is an item of the Grand Ancestor; it's not appropriate to give it away casually. You can ask for something else for now."

Cheng Ge was a bit disappointed. The bow from the prince's mansion had been taken away by Cui Ji, and he had thought to take this opportunity to ask the emperor for one.

Zhou Mingqi, seeing his expression, spoke in a low voice, "Have you never considered asking me for an official position?"

"Can I?" Cheng Ge's eyes sparkled as he looked at Zhou Mingqi in surprise.

"Of course. You've done great service this time; it's only right to give you an official post."

Cheng Ge scratched his head; for a moment he couldn't think of what official post to ask for.

After all, he had previously been a Fifth-Rank Admonisher—a nobody in the capital—and got fired by the emperor in under two months.

Even if he were granted an official post now, it probably wouldn't be of a very high rank.

After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, could I be sent out to a post in the provinces?"

"Out in the provinces?" That caught Zhou Mingqi off guard. Most officials wanted to be transferred to the capital, since being close to the emperor gave better promotion chances.

And those sent out from the capital were mostly low-ranking ministers who were not valued or officials who had offended the emperor and been demoted.

Cheng Ge was now famous; staying in the capital was basically a foregone conclusion. His sudden desire to go out was truly baffling.

Zhou Mingqi had no idea what he was plotting. "Then where do you want to go?"

Cheng Ge lowered his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Your Majesty, I'd like to go to Lingnan."

Zhou Mingqi was a bit taken aback. Lingnan was remote and the conditions were harsh; Cheng Ge actually voluntarily requested to go there.

"Do you realize Lingnan is full of miasma, has harsh living conditions, is far from the capital, and you'll have little chance of promotion?" Zhou Mingqi looked at Cheng Ge, trying to read his mind.

Cheng Ge raised his head, his gaze firm. "Your Majesty, I have heard that the people in Lingnan are struggling. I want to go there and do some real work for them."

Zhou Mingqi was somewhat moved. He hadn't expected Cheng Ge to have such aspirations.

The drool at the corner of Cheng Ge's mouth almost couldn't be held back. If he could go to Lingnan, then he could eat all the fruit he wanted.

As soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with pictures of lychees, longans, bananas, citrus, mangoes, huangpi (wampee), bayberries, coconuts, olives, jackfruits...

Thinking of this, he discreetly wiped the slightly wet corner of his mouth.

And if he could be assigned outside the capital, he could basically let loose and do whatever he wanted.

He was sick of living in fear and groveling before the emperor.

If he arrived there, far from the capital and beyond the emperor's reach, no one could boss him around.

In the capital, you could run into a Fourth-Rank Official every three steps, just like dog poop, all over the ground.

But it was different in local areas; even a Seventh-Rank Official would be a big shot and look very impressive in front of others.

Just thinking about himself sitting in the court, full of prestige, with yamen runners on both sides shouting, "Hail! Hail!"

Cheng Ge, instantly excited, pinched his thigh—that was so awesome, he was going to be a righteous magistrate, a real 'clear-soup' big shot…

Zhou Mingqi looked at Cheng Ge and saw the hope in his eyes, a sudden bitterness welling up in him.

Having just dealt with a whole batch of corrupt officials, he couldn't help but feel disappointed, but seeing Cheng Ge like this, he felt some comfort.

However, given Cheng Ge's health, Lingnan was still not suitable to go to for the time being.

"You have this heart for the people, and I am very pleased, but you still need to recuperate. We'll discuss Lingnan another time," said Zhou Mingqi.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ge was full of disappointment, but he dared not go against the imperial will.

Zhou Mingqi looked at Cheng Ge's dejected expression, stirred by a thought, and added, "But the Censorate just has a vacancy for Left Chief Censor, so I'll have you fill it for now."

Cheng Ge: "???" Holy crap, a promotion!