Chapter 307 Gossip Behind the Scenes

But after all, she is my brother's bedmate, and in the future that beautiful girl may become a concubine, a noble concubine or even a queen.

Zhou Ying looked down on Chen Jiaoniang's behavior, but she couldn't make an enemy of her.

Zhou Ying had no choice but to say, "I don't know. Maybe my brother hasn't been to her yard for a long time and he feels bored."

"What about Yu?"

"I cried all afternoon."

Zhou Heng frowned and stopped, as if he was reluctant to enter the house.

Zhou Ying saw clearly that her brother was tired of dealing with women, especially crying women.

"Brother, you should go and comfort Sister Ayu. She's deeply in love with you and abandoned the entire Fang family to come to us in Qiongzhou. This love is worth a thousand gold." Zhou Ying paused and continued, "Besides, we still need her to oversee the firearms. We've invested so much up front, we can't afford any losses later."

A smile appeared on Zhou Heng's face. "My sister is right."

So Zhou Heng pushed the door open and walked in.

He walked slowly into the house and then lifted the green curtain. Zhou Ying smiled and said, "Sister Ruyu, my brother is here to see you. When he heard the news, he immediately dropped his official duties and rushed over."

However, Zhou Heng had already picked up the newspaper on the ground, and then flipped through it. In an inconspicuous corner, he saw a letter of severance written by the eldest uncle of the Fang family. Although there were only a few dozen words, the words were righteous and the writing was cold, which showed that the Fang family hated Fang Ruyu to the core.

Zhou Heng said, "That's the matter. Ah Yu, don't worry. The people I sent over just came back and said that Xu Zhenying didn't implicate the Fang family members because of you. They were merely dismissed from their posts, and they are all alive and well now."

Fang Ruyu's eyes were red and swollen from crying. When she finally stopped crying, Zhou Ying immediately wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, "Sister, did you hear that? The Fang family is alive and well!"

Fang Ruyu didn't seem to have thought of this, and a slight look of joy appeared on her face.

Zhou Heng slowly rolled up the newspaper, then walked over to sit next to Fang Ruyu. "It's inevitable that Master Fang will be angry. Letting them vent their anger is better than losing their lives. Besides, when I take over Jinzhou Prefecture one day, they will be able to redress their grievances and return to their former positions."

Fang Ruyu finally burst into laughter and said, "Your Highness is right. As long as we can quickly invent firearms, we can turn our defense into offense and take back the city that belongs to us."

Zhou Heng became a little impatient when talking about firearms. "Speaking of firearms, I heard from Master Meng today that the gunpowder has arrived?"

"Yes, that Mr. Wang helped us get it, and it's now in the camp."

"I heard that gunpowder is the most important raw material for firearms. Xu Zhenying used this gunpowder to blow open the gates of Lan County, thereby occupying Lan County and starting her career. So, the gunpowder is extremely powerful. Is it safe to keep it in the main camp?"

"Your Highness, rest assured. Without an open flame or fuse, the gunpowder has no way of igniting. Furthermore, the main camp is the safest place in all of Qiongzhou. Gunpowder is very valuable. What if someone steals it?"

Although Zhou Heng still felt that something was wrong, seeing that Fang Ruyu's explanation was very reasonable, he had no choice but to put it aside.

"Ruyu, we've already invested hundreds of thousands of taels of silver in this firearms project, equivalent to several years' worth of tax revenue for the entire Qiongzhou. My subordinates are getting a little anxious, and are even trying to force me to stop manufacturing firearms. I'm also a little hesitant. Can these firearms really be manufactured?"

Fang Ruyu stared into Zhou Heng's eyes, her brows slightly furrowed, and she looked pitiful. "Your Highness, don't you believe me?"

"I believe it." Zhou Heng took Fang Ruyu's hand and said, "It's just... today's battle report shows that we lost another prefecture city. If this continues, Jinzhou Prefecture will become more and more powerful. I'm afraid Jiang Yongkang will soon be at our doorstep."

"Your Highness, firearms are our only chance to turn the tide. Without them, we will only lose faster." Fang Ruyu's eyes were red and swollen, but her voice was firm. "Your Highness, don't worry. The gunpowder is already in the barracks warehouse, and the barrels of the firearms are on their way. As long as these two things are in place, we can quickly turn the tide of the battle."

Zhou Heng received Fang Ruyu's firm assurance, and his face couldn't help but show joy, "Really?"

"That's right. I originally wanted to tell His Highness the good news today, but who knew that Chen Jiaoniang..."

After saying that, Fang Ruyu looked at Zhou Heng with anger. Zhou Heng quickly pulled her into his arms and asked, "Are you jealous, Ruyu?"

Fang Ruyu gently pushed him away, a little shy on her face, but she couldn't help but look at Zhou Ying: "Your Highness, please let go. The Princess is here."

Zhou Ying smiled and said, "Alas, I'm suddenly a little hungry. I want to go to my sister-in-law's small kitchen to see if there are any ready-made snacks."

After saying that, she turned around and left, and asked all the maids to leave as well.

After everyone had left, Fang Ruyu said timidly, "I'm not jealous of Jiao Niang! I know her father is a prominent official in Qiongzhou Prefecture, in charge of money and land. Your Highness naturally favors her." Fang Ruyu looked at him, her red and swollen eyes seeming to force a smile. "Your Highness, I understand everything."

Zhou Heng stroked her head with some heartache, "Ayu, you are following me now without any proper reason, which will always attract criticism. Why don't we get married first?"

Fang Ruyu shook her head, her face miserable. "Your Highness, my family is all in Jinzhou Prefecture now. How can I get married? Even if I get married, it would be a laughing stock in Qiongzhou. How can a bride marry without anyone from her family? Where would I marry from then? Where would my parents be? Where would my sisters and brothers be?"

Zhou Heng felt a little distressed. "Blame it on me, blame it on me. Blame it on me for not thinking it through. I was too impatient—"

"Your Highness, I hope we can return to Jinzhou Prefecture in style and have a grand wedding. This will also reassure my parents."

"Okay, don't worry." Zhou Heng hugged her tightly, "As long as we can invent firearms, I will definitely take over Jinzhou Prefecture immediately. When the time comes, I will definitely marry you in a sedan chair, with a formal matchmaker, and three letters and six betrothal gifts -"

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On a cotton mountain somewhere in Jiangling Prefecture.

It is the season when grass grows and birds sing, the mountains and forests are full of green, and spring is gradually taking hold.

The last batch of cotton was picked last year, and now the mountains are bare, with only trees, flowers and plants to admire.

Beneath the pavilion, a dozen talented young men gathered around the fire, brewing tea, wearing feather fans and silk scarves, and talking about everything, which was quite an elegant and interesting sight.

One of the students, with a long, thin face, pointed at a farmer in the distance and said, "The Luoyin spinning machine has been invented in Jinzhou Prefecture for only two or three months, and the prices of ready-made clothes, spun yarn, and cotton cloth have plummeted. Now even ordinary farmers can wear decent and clean clothes. It's true that they say His Royal Highness Zhao Wang is blessed by heaven, and this fortune is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Look at our Jiangling Prefecture now, its prosperity is probably comparable to that of Bianjing--"

Another man, holding a white porcelain teacup, shook his head and said, "How can a woman be blessed by dragon spirits? A hen crowing at dawn is a burden to the family. Only women's words are obeyed. Abandoning the offerings and not answering them is a sign of disaster. Look at how many female officials we have in Jiangling Prefecture, for example. Prefect Song, for example, is only seventeen years old now. To put it bluntly, she's just a little girl who hasn't even grown all her hair yet, and yet she's forcing the academy to make some reforms, accepting so many poor students and even teaching them arithmetic. This is outrageous and disregards ethical principles. Are we going to have to compete with these prostitutes, dock laborers, and country folk in the next imperial examination? Tsk tsk tsk tsk, I think we should just flee to Bianjing City, where the true Confucian tradition is!"

"Brother Peng, you're wrong. Those arithmetic problems are much more in-depth than the mathematics we're learning now, and have been verified in land division, accounting, budgeting, and military affairs. Apart from other things, at least the mathematical knowledge passed down from Jinzhou Prefecture is ahead of the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

"I know that the knowledge is true, but it only cost us more than ten years of hard study, and now we have to start all over again. More importantly, before we only had to compete with a few hundred or a few thousand people, but now we have to compete with tens of thousands of people!"

This statement was echoed by other students.

"Yes, books that once cost one or two taels of silver now sell for dozens of coins, not to mention paper and pens. The shops selling pens, inkstones, and paper in Jiangling Prefecture have been wiped out. Only one or two that managed to establish contact with Jinzhou Prefecture in time have made a fortune."

"Not to mention that after the promotion of pinyin, many people were able to learn to read on their own. They weren't as diligent and hardworking as we were when we first started learning. They didn't care about the character's integrity; they just wanted to be able to recognize and write. They had no knowledge of ancient texts. Prefect Song, who hadn't even studied the Four Books and Five Classics, was able to rise to the top and manage the vast Jiangling Prefecture. It's simply ridiculous."

"That's right. We scholars are really stuck in the middle these days. You said we should start over and study with those people in the literacy class, but I don't want to lower my status and be on par with those peasants. But if we continue to stalemate like this, seeing that the Queen has already taken over the twelve states, and this month's newspapers say that the war in the west is progressing smoothly, I'm afraid that victory news will come from there soon. By then, she will occupy most of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and Jinxue will become the orthodox school. What will we do? Are we going to have to look for a way out then? But by then, all the official positions will probably be filled. What can we use to compete with them?"

When everyone heard this, they all felt that this statement hit the nail on the head and couldn't help but feel dejected.

Yes, it doesn’t matter if this queen fights for the throne, but why must she abolish Confucianism?

If "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness" are abandoned, what doctrine will the queen use to govern the entire country?

"You could learn from Deng Lianxin in our school. When the people from Jinzhou Prefecture arrived, he immediately asked the dean to abolish the Confucian textbooks and focus on studying Jinxue instead. It's simply a disgrace to the school!"

"Don't look down on this fence-sitter. He's already a favorite of Prefect Song. He's just waiting for the next civil service exam to see him rise to prominence—"

There were bursts of sarcastic laughter.

"It's truly a dead end for us." The man who spoke sighed repeatedly, "It would be great if something happened to that queen. It would be best if a thunderbolt struck her to death. Perhaps then our Great Zhou Dynasty would be able to last forever—"

Someone immediately warned, "Don't talk nonsense. His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is only eighteen years old now. He is in the prime of his life and will live for at least a few more decades—"

It seemed that when the dozen or twenty people mentioned that familiar yet unfamiliar person, even though they were dissatisfied, they still felt fear in their hearts.

So the one who spoke first laughed and said, "It's not like we don't have a way out. When His Highness ascends the throne, we can still go to the audition for the Emperor's husband."

The group of people laughed, some laughed sadly, some laughed helplessly.

On the road not far from them, Xu Zhenying, who was in a carriage, almost spit out his tea when he heard the students talking.

Lin Han glanced at her with a resentful look. "See, it's not just me, this old minister, who's worried about the succession issue. The students of Jiangling Prefecture are also concerned about it. Your Highness, don't you see anyone in this group who's pleasing to the eye or good-looking?"

Xu Zhenying was speechless. Lin Han was acting like an old nanny now. He kept talking about heirs and marriage. Even Miao Shi was not as diligent as him.

The most hateful thing is that old man Lin Han is good at saving the country in a roundabout way. He was smiling and praising her for not getting married for the time being as a far-sighted move just a second ago, but he turned around and went to visit Miao and asked Miao to urge the marriage.

Xu Zhenying lived for thirty years in her previous life, and Old Man Xu had never urged her to get married. Now Old Man Lin has made up for it for her.

"Mr. Lin, are they thinking about the heir? Didn't you hear them scolding me just now?"

Elder Lin smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming. "Don't worry, Your Highness. Since you're traveling incognito, you're bound to hear a lot of insults along the way. Especially in the various academies, the students are all very proud and arrogant. You've cut off their path to the imperial examinations, so they'll probably gather in private to curse you and vent their anger. This is just the beginning. You have a broad mind, so you shouldn't bother with a bunch of immature students, right?"

Chang Yuanshan, who was standing outside the carriage, said, "Your Highness, they are being rude. Do you need me to teach them a lesson?"

Xu Zhenying held his forehead, "That's not necessary. Elder Lin is right. These people have studied and practiced diligently for over a decade, and now that my path to success has been cut short, they naturally have to complain."

This time, Xu Zhenying went on an incognito tour heading east. Her excuse to the outside world was that the battlefield in the east was unstable and she needed to go there personally to deal with it.

Of course, only a few high-level people knew about this matter.

Xu Yinxi, along with Pang Xiaohua and Jiang Chaoping, temporarily took charge of government affairs.

Zhao Qiaonian, Lin Lao, Ming Xiaoshuang, and two military veterans from the secretariat's office, Chang Yuanshan and Qu Min, followed, along with Zhou Houfang.

Of course, Ming Xiaoshuang was naturally responsible for security. Although they were traveling light and were traveling within their own territory, Ming Xiaoshuang treated them as if they were facing a formidable enemy. He picked up almost all the best men in the military camp and formed a powerful security team.

The coachman, the servant and the maid who took care of their daily life were all good soldiers. They were good at hiding, had strong fighting ability and were highly vigilant. It could be said that they were invincible.

Even they brought a male and female doctor.

This configuration is quite powerful.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Houfang smiled and said, "Your Highness is magnanimous and doesn't bother with them. Honestly, it's their own fault for not adapting quickly enough. With the wave of reform, it all comes down to who can see things clearly, let go, and seize opportunities. With their pedantic thinking, inflexible, and resentful, they wouldn't be good officials even if they passed the imperial examinations in the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Xu Zhenying tapped Zhou Houfang's shoulder gently with his fan. "When you're out and about, remember to call me Boss. Don't reveal your true identity. Although it's only a matter of time before your identity is exposed, keep it a secret for as long as you can."

As if remembering something, Xu Zhenying asked Zhou Houfang, "By the way, is your father okay after being released from prison?"

Zhou Houfang had nothing to hide from Xu Zhenying. At this moment, she also smiled helplessly: "When my father first came out, he was really no different from these sour scholars. Don't worry if you laugh at me. My father was at home and scolded you for being a hen crowing at dawn and disrupting the government. Then he scolded me for bringing disaster to the country and the people and being unfaithful to my wife. Then he cried bitterly and said that the Great Zhou Dynasty was about to end and he just wanted to kick me out of the Zhou family. My mother was also seriously implicated because of this. My father locked her up in the Buddhist temple for a month to reflect on her mistakes."

Xu Zhenying raised an eyebrow, "Is this really true?"

After listening to Zhou Houfang talk about these things, not only Xu Zhenying, but also Mr. Lin, Zhao Qiaonian, Ming Xiaoshuang and others showed great interest.

Zhou Houfang is different from others. She is a native of Jinzhou and the child of an official family. Even though she has not been exposed to Jin studies, she was able to be favored by His Highness, which shows that she has strong abilities.

In addition, her status was awkward: her father was the former magistrate of Jinzhou Prefecture, and had been imprisoned by His Majesty for six months. Some time ago, the Chang family was sent to work as laborers in the mines, while the Zhou family was acquitted. Everyone was wondering if there must be something fishy going on.

Zhou Houfang said, "That's right. Later, he got tired of scolding me, and since he was idle at home with nothing to do, he could only spend time with his old friends enjoying the scenery. Now he's become fascinated by mathematics courses and has gotten to know the mathematics teachers at the research institute. He scolded me less during that period, but he was still a little depressed."

"By the time His Highness conquered the eleven states, my father's attitude had clearly changed. Although he still has a stern face towards me, he no longer scolds me so often and occasionally gives me some experience in officialdom. This time, when I said I would be away on a business trip for a month or two, my mother was reluctant to let me go and was worried about me. However, my father ordered people to prepare my luggage and even helped to persuade my mother."

"When I called off the Chang family's marriage proposal, my father was furious. He's been worried that I wouldn't be able to get married and would become a laughing stock in the Zhou family. But now, he hasn't said a word about me getting married quickly. I even heard him tell my mother that it's okay for me to get married later."

"Father now values ​​Mother very much, and they are in perfect harmony. In the past, there was unrest in our family's backyard, with my aunts always vying for my favor. Now, they've given up on that and are now focusing on supervising my younger sisters' studies. Perhaps they've come to terms with it and decided it's better to rely on their own daughters than on their father."

Xu Zhenying nodded repeatedly, then smiled and said, "See, talking is useless. We need to show actual results. Only when we become stronger and more powerful will the voices of opposition become smaller and smaller."

Everyone in the group agreed and continued walking forward.

Xu Zhenying specifically chose a good time to set out. Although the cotton had not yet been planted and there was no white snow-like cloud, the grass was growing, the birds were singing, and the snow had melted.

The air in the mountains and forests is fresh. Occasionally, farmers with hoes can be seen walking through the mountains. From time to time, you can hear children chanting pinyin in their throats. Occasionally, a white bird flaps its wings and flashes through the green shadows, leaving a stunning glimpse.

This was the first time Xu Zhenying had traveled so far.

She has been in the Great Zhou Dynasty for more than five years. Except for the hardships she suffered during her initial exile, she later took root in Lan County and Jinzhou Prefecture and stayed there for four or five years.

It seemed as if her world only consisted of that square corner of the government office.

She was trapped in the conference room.

Therefore, she proposed to make the trip, not only because of the needs of the eastern battlefield, but also because of her personal selfish motives.

A good policymaker cannot be separated from the grassroots.

What's more, as a time traveler, she had no idea what the real Zhou Dynasty was like.

"The current Lord of Jiangling Prefecture is a girl named Song Luo, right?"

Zhou Houfang immediately said, "That's right."

After she finished speaking, she laughed again: "Speaking of which, she and I were both selected for the civil service examination. I was in the same examination room as her at the time. I didn't expect her to be promoted so quickly. She is considered the fastest promoted person in our batch."

"I have an impression of her. She is a very bold and adventurous girl."

Zhou Houfang thought about the type of girl Xu Zhenying liked.

She obviously prefers bold and daring women like Feng'er, Wang Sanniang and Song Luo.

It's just that Xu Zhenying has always been fair in her work. It seems that she also likes the quiet and meticulous type of Pang Xiaohua, and the calm and capable type of Xu Yinxi. All in all, it seems that there is nothing she dislikes.

Oh, it’s so sad that I can’t understand the thoughts of those in power.

Xu Zhenying asked again, "I remember Qi Er was also in Jiangling Prefecture, right?"

"Minister Qi should be heading to Xiangzhou. The cotton planting industry in Bao'an and Jiangling prefectures is already well established, so we just need to follow the same path as before. Xiangzhou, on the other hand, is a newly occupied city, and much needs to be rebuilt. The people are impoverished, and we need to invest more manpower, material resources, and financial resources to develop commerce and revitalize the economy."

Xu Zhenying nodded. "Yes, after Feng'er, the Minister of Commerce, left, only Qi Er, the Deputy Minister, was left to hold on. She had to follow immediately after each city was captured, which was really hard work. But considering that, Qi Er is only in his twenties--"

Not knowing what he was thinking about, Xu Zhenying lowered his eyes, as if thinking.

Everyone had no choice but to remain silent and not disturb them.

After a moment, Xu Zhenying frowned and said, "Do you feel... that our cadre team is a little too young?"

Elder Lin smiled and said, "Isn't youth good? Although he lacks experience, he's not tainted by bureaucracy. Plus, he's in good health, much stronger than us old bones."

Xu Zhenying shook his head. "We do need fresh blood, but having a cadre team that's too young also has its drawbacks. First, there's a lack of experience, which can be remedied over time. Second, the youth of our cadres means that other young people below us don't have opportunities for promotion."