The Tyrant's Beloved Empress

63

Xiao Zhige paid no heed. He beckoned An Chang Qing to sit next to him and said, "Wangfei has been drafting the land legislation I mentioned a few days ago. Everyone, please take a look."

He then looked at An Chang Qing and gave him a soothing smile. An Chang Qing was able to gain confidence under his support.

He was, after all, the Wangfei of the Northern Warlord. He shouldn't let them look down on him by being timid. He put on a serious expression and began presenting his ideas.

The group of officials listened to him speak and had an inexplicable feeling that Wangfei had an air that bore resemblance to the Northern Warlord.

To draft this document, An Chang Qing had done extensive research using old records and literature. He combined ideas from different sources and integrated them with his own insights. Not only did he tackle the current issue of land reformation but also the development of this land for the future. Everything was detailed and well thought out.

The officers who were initially skeptical of his involvement were put to shame after reading his draft.

The draft was finally handed over to Xiao Zhige. By now, Xiao Zhige was already familiar with this draft but still carefully read it over. He then asked, "Does anyone want to change any part of this draft?"

The officers looked at each other but did not speak up. After some time, it was a senior officer who took the lead stating their views on the matter. However, their tone was of utmost respect towards An Chang Qing.

An Chang Qing was delighted but did not show it on his face. He patiently discussed it over with the officers to improve and polish the draft. Eventually, the officers opened up to him and, compared to the Northern Warlord who was silent and serious, they preferred to work with the amiable and good-tempered Wangfei.

By the time they were able to finalize the documents, night had fallen.

Before leaving, an elderly officer who was very content with An Chang Qing grabbed him and said excitedly, "When will Wangfei come for the next meeting? There are still many issues that we don't know how to deal with. We would like to ask Wangfei to give us some advice."

An Chang Qing was still unsure how to respond when Xiao Zhige freed his hand from the elderly officer and grumbled, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. You should go back and rest for now."

The elderly officer happily complied and bid them farewell.

After the officers had left, An Chang Qing's shoulders relaxed. He couldn't hide the joy in his eyes and said to Xiao Zhige, "I didn't embarrass Wangye just now, did I?"

Xiao Zhige held his hand, smiled and said, "Thanks to you, those old men are willing to give me some face."

The civil officers were all stubborn and Xiao Zhige was also not a patient individual. Whenever there was a disagreement between them, Xiao Zhige would always win thanks to his position and notorious temper. These officers felt that they had no choice but to obey.

Today, with An Chang Qing leading the discussion, even though there were diverging opinions, he had eloquently defended his position and had a patient discourse with them to find common ground. And so, the atmosphere in the conference hall was as harmonious as it had never been before.

"Why doesn't Nuo Nuo help me to handle these officers in the future?" Xiao Zhige shook his head and complained, "Dealing with them is quite frustrating and laborious."

The officers in Yanzhou were all diligent and hardheaded, unlike those from Yejing. They were fearless and preferred long winding discussions. For Xiao Zhige, who came from a military background, debating with them was a vexing task. At times, he had wished he could get through to them with his fists instead. If Qi Wei dared to oppose that way, he would've long received a kick from him.

An Chang Qing laughed and said, "It can't be that difficult."

Xiao Zhige nodded, "So it's decided then."

An Chang Qing smiled as he thought to himself. He understood that Xiao Zhige was trying to get him involved with the development of Yanzhou and since he did not dislike this job either, An Chang Qing decided not to be coy and accepted the task.

Seeing that he had agreed, Xiao Zhige changed the focus to his health, "You've been busy these few days. It's good that you're able to sleep well at night but why do I find that you're getting thinner?"

"How's that possible?" An Chang Qing touched his face and said, "Lately, my appetite is really good. I think I should be putting on weight instead."

Xiao Zhige said with certainty, "You do look thinner. Eat more later for dinner, I'll get the kitchen to add tonic soup to your meal."

An Chang Qing stared at him and thought 'who is it that should drink tonic soup instead' but kept it to himself or else he would suffer in the bedroom tonight. As such, he responded "Alright, let's drink it together."