NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 555
Take, for instance, Mo Jiuye, whose breastplate proudly bears a golden 'King' emblem: the ultimate symbol of his current status as the King of Defending the West.
His brothers from the Mo family sport similar breastplates adorned with golden 'General' insignias, each denoting varying ranks, with the highest-ranking generals boasting gold fonts, typically indicating the title of Grand General.
Upon sighting these armored figures, officials, county prefects, and government envoys hastily kneel and bow, their peripheral vision keenly observing the insignias adorning their armor. Once Mo Jiuye's identity as the King of Defending the West is confirmed, the crowd, led by the prefectural magistrate, collectively proclaims, "Long live the King of Defending the West, a thousand years, a thousand times over."
Mo Jiuye, usually indifferent to such formalities, harbors a dislike for this particular individual due to their chance encounter at the Jingxian Building and the recent incident involving the handling of corpses.
Especially irksome was the inquiry made by this official to Meng Huaining about seeking financial assistance from the prefecture, which, according to Meng Huaining, was met with outright refusal and disdain from the magistrate.
Based on these events, Mo Jiuye concludes that this magistrate is not a competent official.
With the northwest now under his jurisdiction and the authority to transfer officials within his domain, Mo Jiuye has no tolerance for incompetent magistrates.
Initially, he had planned to reorganize his administration after the end of the war.
However, to his surprise, this magistrate has come knocking on his door today.
Given the circumstances, Mo Jiuye decides not to waste any time and swiftly makes arrangements.
With his mind made up, Mo Jiuye casually instructs them to rise and proceeds to walk away in the direction behind him.
Meanwhile, Meng Huaining, who is seeing off his relatives as they depart for battle, observes the magistrate's entourage from a distance.
Mo Jiuye approaches and pulls Meng Huaining aside to a less crowded area.
"Huaining, I intend for you to take on the role of this magistrate. What do you think?"
This proposition catches Meng Huaining off guard.
"Brother Jiuye, why do you want to arrange this?"
He knows the magistrate's character well and anticipates that Brother Jiuye will eventually dismiss this person after receiving his fiefdom, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Furthermore, he never thought about becoming a magistrate himself. Mo Hanyue loves Xi Ling Village, and as a county prefect in Yun City, he can still commute on horseback every day. If he were stationed at the prefecture, it would be too far from Xi Ling Village, and he wouldn't be able to spend as much time with his beloved wife.
Mo Jiuye is unaware of Meng Huaining's concerns.
"This magistrate needs someone capable to fill the role, and at present, you seem most suitable."
Of course, he's the perfect fit. According to historical records in the space of his wife, Meng Huaining is the top-ranking official of Nan Yu, so becoming a magistrate seems like a bit of a waste of talent.
Mo Jiuye has no intention of obstructing Meng Huaining's career advancement; he simply believes that at the moment, Nan Yu hasn't shown any signs of promoting him to the capital, so it's beneficial for him to assist in the northwest for a while.
Before Meng Huaining can respond, the sound of urgent hoofbeats echoes from afar, accompanied by a voice shouting, "Imperial edict arrives..."
Everyone looked at each other when they heard that the imperial edict had arrived, unable to comprehend why another one had come so quickly after the last.
The messenger of this edict appeared to be dressed as a guard, judging by his robust physique, he was likely skilled in martial arts.
Raising the imperial edict high while on horseback, the messenger proclaimed, "County Prefect Meng Huaining of Yun City, receive the edict."
Once again, all eyes fell on Meng Huaining.
Confused, Meng Huaining respectfully knelt before the messenger.
Following suit, everyone else knelt as well.
Meng Huaining proclaimed, "This humble servant, Meng Huaining, receives the edict."
Without delay, the messenger unfolded the imperial edict and read aloud, "By the grace of heaven, the Emperor decrees that Meng Huaining, County Prefect of Yun City, is a man of both literary and martial talents..."
In summary, Meng Huaining was praised in various ways before being tasked with rushing to the capital within a month to assist the Emperor, receiving the prestigious position of Prime Minister.
Being appointed Prime Minister was no small matter; it wielded more power than even the Prime Minister, and only one of Meng Huaining's ancestors had ever held such a position in the history of Da Shun.
However, this was a departure from historical records. Historically, Meng Huaining had served alongside Nan Yu for many years, contributing significantly to the establishment of the empire before being appointed Prime Minister, which occurred many years later.
Nevertheless, this change was for the better, as Meng Huaining would now wield power sooner, aiding in the faster development of Nan Yu's reign.
Meng Huaining, no longer needing to worry about returning to Xi Ling Village after serving as a magistrate, was now headed directly to the capital.
Meng Huaining accepted the imperial edict in astonishment.
The messenger offered no further words of courtesy, simply advising, "The Emperor is currently in need of capable individuals. His first decree upon ascending the throne was to summon the esteemed Prime Minister to the capital. The Emperor hopes that the Prime Minister will not disappoint his high expectations."
Could Meng Huaining refuse to go?
No, he couldn't!
To do so would be to defy the imperial decree, and besides, Nan Yu had indeed saved his life. Without Nan Yu's help, Meng Huaining might have lost his life by now.
"Very well, I will prepare and depart for the capital immediately."
As soon as the messenger left, Meng Huaining was surrounded by the Mo brothers.
The eldest brother patted his shoulder, "Brother-in-law is a man of great talent. Remaining in the northwest would only bury your talents. Now that the Emperor has recognized you, it brings honor to both the Meng family and the Mo family."
These words echoed the sentiments of all the Mo brothers. While they all wished for their sister and brother-in-law to stay in the northwest with them, none of them wanted to hinder their prospects.
A capable person should be in the right position.
Mo Chuhan emerged from the crowd, having spent the most time with Meng Huaining and sharing the closest bond with him.
He draped his arm over Meng Huaining's shoulder, speaking with conviction:
"Listen up, buddy. Remember this well. With the backing of us nine brothers, Han Yue is well-supported. If any of us catch wind that she's not enjoying her time in the capital, you better watch out because we won't hesitate to pay you a visit and sort things out at your residence."