In my free time, I suddenly wanted to reread the earlier parts of the Qing Yu year and start from the fifth volume. I didn't think I would be so engrossed in it. Some of the chapters were really written with talent, I thought narcissistically.
…
…
The Qing court conference began as scheduled. The sky was still brightening, and the Royal Palace was still cold. The Emperor still sat high on the throne, and the officials still humbly and straightforwardly discussed the government affairs of each province. After all the urgent matters had ended, the Emperor, with a faint tiredness on his face, opened his mouth and said, "Is there anything else?"
An official from the Supreme Court stepped out and carefully reported, "Your Majesty, about the matter of Sir Fan junior of the palace treasury transport company, how should we deal with it?"
What many officials in Jingdou did not expect was that the investigation into the Ministry of Revenue's deficit, which had been accumulating power for many days, had not yet begun. The criticism of Fan Xian, who was far away in Jiangnan, had already arrived fiercely.
Within three days, memorials from the Jiangnan Imperial Censors and other officials flew into the Royal Palace in Jingdou like snowflakes. Each word and sentence pointed directly at the head of the palace treasury transport company, Fan Xian, for being arrogant and overbearing. Using his identity as an imperial envoy, he suppressed his colleagues, disregarded the laws of the country and court, and recklessly killed four palace treasury treasurers. He aroused the anger of the people and caused the workers of the three workshops to go on strike.
The three workshops of the palace treasury were important pillars of the Qing Kingdom's finances. It had been many years since something as major as a strike had happened, so when the news reached Jingdou, it shocked many people. Jingdou and Jiangnan were very far apart, so people did not know the true situation at the North Min transport company yamen. They also did not know that it was Imperial Censor Guo Zheng and the officials of the Eldest Princess' faction who were inverting black and white. It was clear that the strike had started and Fan Xian had suppressed and killed people. However, with these officials' impassioned criticism, it became that Fan Xian had killed people without reason first and aroused the anger of the people.
In the hearts of the officials, Sir Fan junior was indeed someone who could do such an outrageous thing.
Thus, before Lao Fan was investigated, the officials began to have deep opinions about Fan junior. They discussed this matter in court for a few days in a row. However, they never came up with a plan. The Emperor also did not relent.
Among the civil officials, there were always a few who were not scum. They were not wary of the fact that Fan Xian was the Emperor's illegitimate child. On the contrary, because of this matter, they cast even more distrustful gazes toward Fan Xian. They were worried that such a powerful official would harm the foundations of the Qing court and the interests of the people.
For example, Hu the Scholar, who had already entered the Hall of Governmental Affairs and was beginning to move about in the cabinet, had no contact with Fan Xian. His understanding of Fan Xian was limited to rumors in officialdom and among the people. Although he greatly admired Fan Xian's talent and knowledge through Shu the Scholar's introduction, he still somewhat believed what was written in the memorials.
Hu the Scholar had been a local official for many years and knew how difficult it was to deal with the officials in the capital. He was afraid that Fan Xian would use his family power and background to run amok in the Jiangnan area once he left the capital without anyone to keep him in check.
He decided to speak up for the Jiangnan officials. For one, it was to prevent them from being harmed too deeply locally. For another, he was afraid that Sir Fan junior, whom he somewhat admired, would slip down the wrong path.
Grand Secretary Hu stepped forward and said calmly, "Your Majesty, this matter should be thoroughly investigated."
The Emperor rubbed his temples and asked, "Thoroughly investigated? I know that Fan Xian has long written a detailed report on this matter. The Overwatch Council also has a Council report. The Hall of Governmental Affairs should have a copy on file. Grand Secretary, you should know that the palace treasury trouble this time was caused by Fan Xian investigating old abuses and seeking justice for the workers. "
Grand Secretary Hu said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, this is only Sir Fan junior's one-sided statement. Since there are so many officials who have sent memorials against him, we have to send someone to Jiangnan to ask. If what the memorials say is true, then we have to strictly investigate and properly make up for it. Only then can we not hurt the hearts of the tens of thousands of workers in the palace treasury. If what the memorials say is not true, then we should severely reprimand the Jiangnan Road officials and properly comfort Sir Fan junior and give him justice. "
The Emperor glanced at him with a not-quite-there smile. He thought that after all this, this Grand Secretary insisted on sending someone to Jiangnan. However, Jingdou and Jiangnan were so far apart. Even if he sent someone from the capital, would Fan Xian be afraid of him? However, the Qing Emperor wanted to use the long-exiled Hu the Scholar to return to the capital because he wanted Hu the Scholar's stubbornness and uprightness.
Just like how he had used Lin Ruofu and Chen Pingping to fight in the arena many years ago, the Qing Emperor planned to have Hu the Scholar and Fan Xian fight in the arena in the future. Since it was so, he would not speak up at this time and reject the Grand Secretary's face. He smiled slightly and said, "The Grand Secretary's words are reasonable. Choose a person to go to Jiangnan to have a look. No matter what happens, you have to see it with your own eyes to know."
What Hu the Scholar wanted was this seemingly fair suggestion to handle the matter. Since his goal had been achieved, he retreated.
At this time, Shu Wushu the Scholar couldn't help but say worriedly, "Who is right and who is wrong will eventually be found out. I am only worried that after the palace treasury has experienced this storm, there will be problems with this year's revenue. After all, this is Sir Fan junior's first year in charge of the palace treasury. Please give him some pointers, Your Majesty. "
This was a very gentle suggestion, but it also represented the worries of many officials. They were all worried that Fan Xian would be too ruthless and cause a major problem with the production of the entire palace treasury. However, Shu Wushu's gentleness did not mean that others were gentleness. On the contrary, a few officials used Shu the Scholar's words as an opening and began to step forward to express their deep worry and loyalty to the court. They said that Sir Fan junior was, after all, young and the palace treasury matters were important. If this year the palace treasury declined too much compared to previous years, shouldn't the court consider choosing someone else?
This was a brazen lack of trust in Fan Xian. The meaning was also clear. If Fan Xian could not raise the palace treasury's profit level, or even lower than in previous years, then what right did he have to control the palace treasury?
It was because they were brazen and each word seemed to be thinking for the court. Although the officials knew that these officials wanted to move that deity out of the palace treasury, it was not convenient for them to refute.
The Emperor smiled slightly and said, "We won't know what the quality of the palace treasury is like this year until next year. You are all a bit too impatient. Whether or not Fan Xian will disappoint my expectations will have to wait for some time before we know."
The Emperor seemed to suddenly think of something and said, "However, the palace treasury bidding ended a few days ago. The bidding documents should have already been escorted back to Jingdou. You all want to see Fan Xian's ability. You should be able to know a thing or two by looking at the results of this bidding."
The Qing Kingdom's borders were wide, and Jiangnan and Jingdou were far apart. The news of the bidding in Suzhou on March 22nd would soon travel back to Jingdou. Originally, if Fan Xian had taken the secret mail route and the Council newspaper, it would have been a few days faster. Perhaps Fan Xian had forgotten, or perhaps it was because of the problem of the bidding documents being kept secret, he had not revealed any information to the Emperor or the court beforehand. Furthermore, after dealing with the strike in the three workshops in North Min, the Overwatch Council had begun to consciously block the information between the two places. Although Jingdou vaguely knew of the bidding incident that had caused a ruckus in Suzhou, they did not know the specifics.
The news that should have traveled the fastest, under Fan Xian's suppression, traveled even slower than Great Master San Shi.
The Emperor gazed calmly at a person in the line below and said, "Has Taichang Temple received the document?"
All of the income of the three workshops in the palace treasury was examined and managed by Taichang Temple and the internal court, so the person the Emperor was asking about was the official of Taichang Temple.
"Morning has just arrived." The official of Taichang Temple coughed and said with a frown, "I was in a hurry to enter the Palace, so I haven't seen it yet."
The Emperor huffed coldly. "Then hurry and bring it!"
The official of Taichang Temple bowed and quickly jogged out of the Palace.
"Everyone, wait a bit." The Emperor announced the postponement of the court conference with a not-quite-there smile. He took a bowl of tea from Eunuch Yao's hands beside him and slowly sipped it.
Time passed by minute by minute. The officials in the Palace waited anxiously, but they didn't show any expression. Furthermore, they were indeed curious. How was Fan Xian's trip to Jiangnan going? Every year, the palace treasury received 40 percent of the deposit for the spring opening of bids. It was the first large sum of income the Qing court received each year. It was impossible for these officials not to look forward to it with excitement and nervousness as they waited.
The Emperor looked at these officials with cold eyes and felt slightly unhappy in his heart. He understood why all of the civil officials had to stand out and express their opinions toward Fan Xian. Even Shu Wu, who had a good relationship with Fan Xian, could not stand out. It was because Fan Xian was his illegitimate son. The officials had long had a stomach full of complaints about the court placing Fan Xian in such an important position. They always felt that this matter was not proper. It was all because the Emperor cared for his own flesh and blood, so he used public tools and official positions to comfort him.
But, this palace treasury is mine. This world is mine. This son is also mine. The Emperor thought coldly, When was it your turn to talk so much? However, the Emperor also knew that if Fan Xian truly failed to live up to expectations and turned Jiangnan into a mess, the palace treasury would also become decadent, and harm an important part of the country, answering the worries of the officials. No matter how protective he was, he would have no choice but to move him back.
However, the Emperor had confidence in Fan Xian. This confidence had been gradually cultivated. Ever since Fan Xian had entered the capital from Danzhou, this Emperor had carefully and meticulously watched Fan Xian's every move. He wanted to see just what kind of ability the child he had with her would display.
In all of these things, Fan Xian's performance had not disappointed him. His literary ability was 300 poems in front of the Palace Hall, his martial ability was a ninth-level martial artist, and his fame was a gift from Zhuang Mohan. His ability to seize money was extraordinary, but he was not greedy or despicable. Even his romantic spirit was not something a normal young talent could achieve. As for his grasp of the state of the court, it was not like that of an 18-year-old young man. His loyalty to his ruler and filial piety to his father were truly something to brag about.
When all was said and done, the Emperor was still a normal middle-aged man. He couldn't help but feel a bit of pride toward Fan Xian's illegitimate child. After all, this was his seed.
Thus, when the officials began to express doubt toward Fan Xian, he had Taichang Temple immediately report the details of the palace treasury bidding. Although he didn't know the exact number, the Emperor had never doubted Fan Xian's ability to scrape the land.
Scrape the land was the simplest skill for an official.
… …
A wave of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall. The official of Taichang Temple ran in with a red face and incessantly wiping the sweat from his forehead. Following behind him was the vice-official of Taichang Temple, Ren Shao 'an, who was panting tiredly. Running all the way from Taichang Temple to Taiji Palace had indeed used up a lot of energy.
After a simple bow, the Emperor had the two of them rise. His body leaned forward and with a glimmer of interest on his face, he asked, "How is it?"
The various elders of the court in the hall also looked nervously at the two officials of Taichang Temple.
The official of Taichang Temple gulped and didn't have time to say anything. With a happy expression, he reported in a loud voice, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
…
…
With these words, everyone knew that the palace treasury bidding in the sixth year of the Qing calendar was looking good. Furthermore, it was good, not just good.
The officials who had the faint intention of protecting Fan Xian all let out a breath and revealed smiles on their faces. Shu the Scholar also nodded his head in relief. Most of the other officials were slightly startled. It seemed that no one had thought that after the Eldest Princess's power had secretly hindered them and the palace treasury strike, Fan Xian, who had just taken control of the palace treasury, would be able to obtain such a good result.
Only Hu the Scholar's expression was calm and there was nothing strange.
After the Qing Emperor heard these words, his heart also relaxed. Although his expression remained calm, he sat his entire butt back into the chair. Although he had confidence in Fan Xian, before he received a definite return, he was still a bit nervous.
The Emperor smiled slightly and said, "What is the exact number?"
Everyone needed money, and the Emperor was no exception. He had all the money in the world and hoped that the total amount of money in the world was as large as possible. He was the biggest landowner in the world. At this time, like all landowners, a faint joy flashed through his eyes.
Official Ren Shao 'an coughed and took out a file. In a clear voice, he read, "On the 22nd of March in the sixth year of the Qing calendar, the palace treasury transport company has opened the bidding. North, South, and East Roads have the right to purchase 16 lots. The total is …"
At this point, he seemed to be shocked by the huge number again. He calmed himself down a little and said, "Yes.
He calmed his mind and said, "24,220,000 … Exactly!"
…
…
Once these swaying words left his mouth, the entire Taiji Palace became absolutely silent. For a long time, no one was able to speak.
Twenty-four million two hundred and twenty thousand taels? So much? This was a full 80% more than last year. Fan Xian … How did he do it? Did he know a sorcery that bewitched people's hearts and turned the Jiangnan royal merchants into fools?
The officials were all dumbfounded and looked at each other. They were pressed down by this enormous number until they could not breathe. Everyone's spirits sank into a kind of confusion.
There was a crash!
Shu the Scholar's face was bright red as he fell to the ground, causing a commotion among the officials. It took a long time before they managed to help him up. The scholar's expression was incomparably excited as he said to the Emperor on the dragon chair, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Only now did the officials react. After a roar of surprise, they turned and bowed to the Emperor and sang praises. The flattery was like a tide, the flattery was like the sea, the Emperor's grace was like a mountain, the heavens blessed the Qing Kingdom, the Emperor was wise, and so on and so forth.
24 million liang of silver. Even if only 40% of it could be earned, it was still nearly 10 million liang of silver. Such a large sum of money could be used to do many things, such as repairing the river, strengthening the military, helping the people, or increasing salaries? Regardless of what faction these officials belonged to, they were, after all, the officials of the most powerful Qing Kingdom in the world. Thinking of the fact that the court had such a large sum of silver and could solve the urgent problem of the empty national treasury, they all began to cheer.
This kind of cheer was not fake. It was true happiness. The officials, regardless of whether they were greedy or not, virtuous or foolish, always hoped for the court to be better.
While these people were furiously flattering the Emperor, they couldn't help but think of the person they had suspected and opposed earlier … Sir Fan junior.
The palace treasury bidding had gone so smoothly and brought such great benefits to the court. Fan Xian, who was far away in Jiangnan, had to take the most credit. However, how were they going to turn this corner? Thus, some of the officials rolled their eyes and refused to mention the Jiangnan matter no matter what.
At this time, it was Hu the Scholar who was the first to stand out.
Once he stood out, the lively and happy court immediately quieted down. Everyone wanted to know what Hu the Scholar wanted to say.
Hu the Scholar calmly reported, "This amount is truly hard to believe. I don't hope that Sir Fan has used some other method, like draining the pond to catch the fish. This year, the Jiangnan royal merchants have been squeezed dry. If the palace treasury's production can't keep up, what will happen next year?"
In the midst of the peace, there was suddenly an additional discordant note. It truly made people uncomfortable. The crowd of officials clamored. Even those who didn't like Fan Xian couldn't stand it any longer. They all spoke up for the palace treasury transport company, thinking that Hu the Scholar's words were inappropriate.
The Emperor also broke away from his earlier excitement. He gazed coldly at Hu the Scholar and said, "In your opinion, Fan Xian has obtained so much silver for the court. Instead of being rewarded, he should be punished?"
Hu the Scholar shook his head and said resolutely and decisively, "My words are only a glimmer of misgivings. After all, I am not in Jiangnan and do not know the specifics. I am only doing my duty to remind the Emperor. As for Sir Fan junior, as long as there are no problems with the bidding this time, he should not be punished at all. Instead, he should be greatly rewarded. "
The Emperor calmed his state of mind and quietly asked, "In Hu's opinion, how should he be rewarded?"
"Although it is a matter of silver, it is the foundation of the country," Hu the Scholar calmly said. "Sir Fan junior has performed such a great service, so he should receive an extraordinary reward."
The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "What is an extraordinary reward?"
"After completely investigating the matter of the bids in North Min and Suzhou," Hu the Scholar raised his head and warmly said. Hu the Scholar raised his head and warmly said, "I am willing to recommend Sir Fan junior to join the Hall of Governmental Affairs and discuss matters in the cabinet."
After these words were said, the court was shaken. The officials were shocked. What kind of role was the Hall of Governmental Affairs? It was the center of the court. After Prime Minister Lin left, the Qing Kingdom no longer had the position of Prime Minister. The scholars of the Hall of Governmental Affairs were responsible for the functions of the Prime Minister, particularly after Qin Heng took the position of Commander of the Jingdou Garrison. After the Minister of Justice, Yan Hangshu, left, and Hu the Scholar returned to the capital, the position of the Hall of Governmental Affairs in the cabinet was already set. If one could enter the Hall of Governmental Affairs, it was equivalent to entering the highest decision-making authority of the court. Did Hu the Scholar want to recommend Fan Xian into the cabinet?
The officials wondered which side this Hu the Scholar was on. Why did he say such bad things one moment and then give Fan Xian such power and such a high position the next? The Minister of Justice, Yan Hangshu, stared at Hu the Scholar with a glimmer of jealousy and confusion.
Unexpectedly, the Emperor heard this suggestion and didn't even think. He straightforwardly said, "No, Fan Xian is too young."
The officials were slightly at ease. They thought that the Emperor's suggestion was acceptable. Otherwise, it would be too absurd to have a young man not yet 20 enter the Hall of Governmental Affairs to discuss matters.
Hu the Scholar calmly said, "In ancient times, there were 16 sages who were prime ministers. Furthermore, the Hall of Governmental Affairs is the Emperor's writing organization. It is not a true Prime Minister. Furthermore, Sir Fan junior is talented and brimming with talent. He holds many positions and has many abilities. Such a talent should help the Emperor share his worries and solve his difficulties in court. "
The Emperor glanced at him with a not-quite-there smile and still simply shook his head. "He is the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. According to the Qing law, Overwatch Council officials cannot be a court official. Even after he retires, he can only take up a position in the three temples."
Hu the Scholar followed up quickly. "In the end, the Qing law is not as good as the Emperor's edict. His youth is not a problem, and his position in the Overwatch Council is not a problem. If it were not so, how could I say it is an exceptional reward?"
The Emperor smiled and waved his hand. "There is no need to discuss this matter further. I … will not allow it."
…
…
The Emperor's words could not be taken back. Hu the Scholar could only retreat. However, there was no other expression on his face.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes and looked down. He saw Hu the Scholar and Shu Wu exchange glances. He knew that Shu Wu, this old man, had received the news beforehand and immediately guessed why Hu the Scholar would take the opportunity to make such an absurd suggestion.
"A talent … An Zhi is indeed a talent."
It was precisely because the abilities Fan Xian had displayed were too shocking that the civil official system would always be wary of Fan Xian in the Overwatch Council. They were more than willing to let Fan Xian leave the Overwatch Council and throw him back into the warm embrace of the civil officials. After all, Fan Xian wore the hat of an immortal poet and was faintly the leader in the hearts of the young scholars. For Hu and Shu the Scholar, the two heads of the civil officials, accepting Fan Xian was not a difficult matter.
Hu the Scholar and Shu the Scholar were people who cherished talent and understood the situation. They could see the Emperor's plans for the future, but they were not willing to let Fan Xian, a bright pearl, be thrown into the darkness of the Overwatch Council. Regardless of whether it was for the safety of the civil official system or for Fan Xian, they both wanted to poach Fan Xian over.
Although it was a bit early to bring this up, Hu the Scholar had already seized this rare opportunity to demonstrate the sincerity of the civil official system. Many years in advance, he had begun to lay the groundwork for his speech.
The Qing Emperor had always been tolerant of the officials' little thoughts and didn't care much about them. On the contrary, from this matter, he felt more and more how much glory his illegitimate child had brought to the royal family.
The Emperor's heart was proud. His expression was calm, but his gaze was complicated. He glanced at the Minister of Revenue, who had been silent in the line the entire time, his son's father in name, Fan Jian.
If you want to know what happens next, please log on to WWW. CMFU. com. More chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
