"Are you dissatisfied because the Commandery Princess hasn't promoted you?" Vice Minister Yang, being astute, immediately discerned his nephew's thoughts.
Yang Zheng seemed somewhat embarrassed, but there was no reason to hide such thoughts from his own uncle.
He simply nodded and candidly admitted, "Yes. Both Chief Historian Chen and his descendants are close confidants of the Commandery Princess, unlike me. Even Elder Changning continues to cultivate crop varieties, something I can't match. But now, even Ma Yaosong has been promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Yet, I've gained no benefits whatsoever."
The more Yang Zheng spoke, the more indignant he became. "I was indeed reckless before, lacking diligence in my duties. However, in recent years, I've corrected these flaws. I've put my heart and soul into my work, obeyed the Commandery Princess in everything, and have taken the blame for many things on her behalf. Why can't the Commandery Princess see my merits?"
