"Hahaha, congratulations to the Minister of Works!"
The ministers smiled as they bowed to He Zeng.
He Zeng sat smiling in the seat of honor, his eyes full of kindness as he greeted each minister who came to congratulate him.
At this point, they still knew nothing of the situation before the General of the Guards. They had all come here to celebrate He Zeng's promotion.
Even Zheng Chong had come to offer his congratulations.
Zheng Chong, who usually looked careworn and weighed down by worries, was now all smiles, even taking the initiative to greet people.
After being dismissed, Zheng Chong felt particularly at ease.
He had wanted to resign for far longer than a day or two. Even in Sima Shi's time, he had wanted to leave the imperial court. What he sought was the life advocated by the Seven Sages: retreating into the mountains and forests to become a hermit.
This was because Zheng Chong was cautious by nature and unwilling to take part in the struggles at court.
Often, matters were beyond his control, and all he could do was become an invisible man, living as a hermit within the court.
At last, he would no longer be a mastermind or a pillar of the state. He could go home and do things he wanted to do.
Wasn't that a good thing?
Zheng Chong had already prepared to leave, but the ministers came to invite him along. After thinking it over, he decided to go one last time before his departure.
Most of those who came, however, belonged to the court's Great Clans Faction.
Not a single minister from the emperor's faction had come.
Of the ministers in the Imperial Secretariat, none had come except Xun Yi.
That was because all the other ministers belonged to