Qian Wei was feeling emotional. Seeing him dazed in a daydream, the Emperor therefore asked, "Lord Qian, what are you thinking about?"
"This subject is thinking about how to handle the aftermath of these matters." Seeing the Emperor looking at him with a smile, as if they were a ruler and subject in perfect harmony, Qian Wei still replied immediately, lowering his head respectfully and not daring to meet His Majesty's gaze directly.
After all that had happened before, even though Qian Wei remained utterly loyal to the Emperor, he still felt a lingering fear toward the Son of Heaven.
"Indeed, handling the aftermath is no easy task!"
The Emperor was quite satisfied, rubbing his brow and letting out a deep sigh, his expression growing much more relaxed around Xu.
Right now, the important thing was not the governance of the realm, nor the struggles of the empire; the most important matter unexpectedly turned out to be an internal problem—the Imperial Grandson.
The Emperor did not need a subject who would resist him, even if it were done in the name of loyalty to himself and the imperial court; what he needed was someone who possessed both ability and allegiance exclusively to him.
"The Senior Grand Secretary submitted a memorial to resign due to age this morning. What do you think?" The Emperor paced back and forth before coming to a halt.
The Senior Grand Secretary had informed Qian Wei of this matter of his resignation long ago.
Yet, loyal though Qian Wei was, he was no fool. Naturally, he would not make himself appear as though he were already in the know. He jerked his head up, revealing just a trace of astonishment before pressing it down again, and replied respectfully, "Replying to Your Majesty, the Senior Grand Secretary