Chapter 569 Zhaojin Imperial Study

The sixth day of the sixth lunar month is the Insect King Festival.

With only two days left until the Insect King Festival, this matter was discussed during court.

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of agricultural affairs, the Ministry of Rites was in charge of prayer and sacrificial activities, and the Insect King Festival was jointly handled by the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Rites.

On the day of the sacrifice, the emperor would personally burn incense, kowtow to heaven and earth, and pray for blessings. At the same time, he would also need to deliver a speech to all civil and military officials and the general public.

The draft of the emperor's speech was drafted by the Hanlin Academy.

The top three scholars of this year were outstanding in their literary talent and their articles were written in a beautiful and eloquent style. The Hanlin Academy then assigned the drafting of the first draft to the three of them.

Cheng Zhao said to his two colleagues, "I come from a farming family and am quite familiar with these agricultural matters. You can leave the writing to me, and I will trouble Lord Fu and Lord Xie to write the other parts about sacrifices and prayers."

Fu and Xie were both from prominent families and knew nothing about farming, so they simply nodded repeatedly.

In half a day, the first draft was ready and handed over to the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy. After the Grand Secretary reviewed and modified some details, he took it to the emperor for review.

The emperor's daily routine consisted of reading memorials and articles. This draft of a prayer for blessings was nothing special to him; he planned to glance at it and then stamp it.

However, his eyes froze when he saw the middle part.

"...In the event of a severe drought, the fields parched, so ditches and canals were dug...If a locust plague strikes, with locusts swarming, lantana has a miraculous effect...All things in the world have their own counteracting forces; by choosing the right method to resist them, it is as if divine intervention has brought forth a bountiful harvest..."

Every word describes farming, yet every word reveals the essence of the people of Sui'an.

The emperor looked up and asked, "Who wrote this prayer?"

The Imperial Academy Scholar bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this was a joint work by this year's top three scholars."

"This year's third place winner must be the nephew of the Sui'an man," the emperor smiled. "He's not only handsome, but also very clever. Ask him to come over."

The Hanlin Academician was filled with apprehension. In the past few days, the name "Sui'an people" had been the subject of much criticism and condemnation. As Sui'an people's nephew, Cheng Zhao was summoned by the Emperor at this time. He didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Although the emperor had a smile on his face, everyone who had served him for a long time knew that his inner joy and anger were not reflected in his outward expressions.

He turned back to the Hanlin Academy and called Cheng Zhao over to give him some serious advice: "...Remember to be careful with your words and actions. Say what you should say, and don't say what you shouldn't say..."

Cheng Zhao carefully memorized the instructions before heading towards the Imperial Study.

Although he worked in the Hanlin Academy in the palace, not far from the Imperial Study, he had no chance to meet the emperor except for the day of the palace examination when he saw him up close.

This opportunity was one he created himself, and it was his only chance.

Arriving at the door of the imperial study, Cheng Zhao took a deep breath, straightened his official hat, then bowed his head and walked in, saluting respectfully: "Your humble servant greets the emperor."

The emperor tossed the memorial in front of him over and said calmly, "Did you write these lines?"

Cheng Zhao lifted his robe and knelt down: "Your humble servant dare not hide anything. These few sentences clearly describe the victory of man over nature, but in fact they want His Majesty to remember the merits of the people of Sui'an."

The emperor showed a leisurely expression: "So, you want to come and plead for the people of Sui'an?"

Nowadays, the news about the Sui'an people is spreading like wildfire, and there is even a pro-war faction that inexplicably advocates going to war with Assab.

This matter is actually a conflict between the Ye family and the people of Sui'an. One is the family of Concubine Yun, and the other is a sixth-rank court lady. The ranks of these two families are not high. No matter what, it is not the turn of him, the emperor, to step in and solve it... But this matter is getting more and more outrageous, and an explanation must be given to the public... Both sides have faults, but according to what everyone says, the people of Sui'an are obviously more at fault, and a little punishment can be considered over.

However, the emperor did not intend to punish them too severely. After all, the people of Sui'an had made contributions to the court and the country, and such talents should not be allowed to develop rebellious intentions.

“Your Majesty, I dare not plead for the people of Sui’an,” Cheng Zhao said, bowing his head. “I only think that since the Insect King Festival is to pray for a bountiful harvest, and the people of Sui’an are Sui’an precisely because of the regenerated rice that has saved so many people from hunger, why not let the people of Sui’an participate in the Insect King Festival and sincerely pray for the people, as a way to make amends for their past mistakes… I beg Your Majesty to give the people of Sui’an this opportunity.”

After he finished speaking, the emperor did not say anything, and the imperial study fell silent.

Cheng Zhao knelt on the ground, sweat oozing from his palms.

He was just a lowly seventh-rank official who dared to make demands of the current emperor. Even if the emperor dismissed him from his post now, he deserved it.

Although he anticipated all the consequences, he still wanted to take the gamble.

He knelt motionless, awaiting his fate.

"You are quite courageous," the emperor said suddenly. "It's not impossible to give you this opportunity, but this so-called atonement is not for the Ye family."

Cheng Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "After the sacrificial ceremony, the people of Sui'an will publicly apologize to Steward Ye in front of everyone and let the Ye family decide their fate."

The emperor nodded, saying that this man from Sui'an was able to bend and stretch, and he could be said to have the demeanor of a great man.

Even if the Ye family was unwilling to accept the public apology, they had no choice but to let the matter drop.

He immediately appointed a resident of Sui'an to accompany the Queen to the Insect King Festival.

When Cheng Zhao came out of the Imperial Study, he was soaked in sweat. Being in the same room as the Emperor was too much pressure to bear.

However, he also understood that getting used to interacting with the emperor and figuring out his personality and preferences would be of great benefit to his future career...

This is his first time stepping into the Imperial Study; there will certainly be a second, a third time in the future…

Cheng Zhao took the imperial edict back to Cheng Wanwan's residence.

"Zhao'er, what I'm about to do is like walking on the edge of a knife. If I do it well, everything will be fine. But if I go astray, our official positions will probably be over." Cheng Wanwan looked up at him, "Are you willing to take a gamble with me?"

Cheng Zhao nodded without hesitation: "I will follow Second Aunt's instructions in everything."

Cheng Wanwan carefully explained her next plans.

The people present included Cheng Zhao, Shen Zheng, and Zhao Sidan. After hearing this, the three of them were unable to say a word.

Cheng Zhao was conservative and didn't like taking risks, so he couldn't say anything against it at this moment. Because if the Ye family didn't deal with it cleanly, after the Asab envoy left, Second Aunt would have no one to rely on and would become fish on the chopping board of the Ye family... Even if Second Aunt could successfully leave the capital, he and Sanniu would become thorns in the eyes of the Ye family.

Even if it means self-destruction, we must bring down the Ye family.

Shen Zheng's expression was serious: "Godmother, I will fully cooperate with you."

Zhao Sidan wanted to say something, but Cheng Wanwan stopped him. She said earnestly, "Sidan, you will most likely go into officialdom in the future. I'm letting you hear this now so that you know in advance how treacherous officialdom is. Watch how your mother deals with the Ye family and learn from her."

Zhao Sidan's eyes were full of worry: "But I'm afraid..."

"Don't be afraid." Cheng Wanwan patted his shoulder. "The worst that can happen is that you'll be stripped of your title and sent back to your hometown. You can always start over."

Shen Zheng grinned: "Exactly, at worst we can go back to Dahe Village. A free and easy life there is pretty good too."