Chapter 124 Can it be saved? Yes

After Chunzhi and the Song brothers and sisters explained that their identities as the daughters of traitors could be exposed at any time, they followed Huo Zheng to the case file library.

There is a special guard here, and Huo Zheng can only bring Chunzhi in with him even with the token.

The two began to search according to the year. After searching for a long time, they found the case files from eleven years ago. The entire wall was filled with files from that year, and they had to select the case files related to Mu Qingshan.

The case file had been sealed for a long time and smelled musty. Huo Zheng searched for it from dawn to dusk. Chunzhi lit a lamp and the two of them searched all night long.

After searching all night, I finally found any records about Mu Qingshan.

"Found it." Huo Zheng searched through the volumes one by one and finally found it when the sky was just getting light.

He took it out and spread it out on the table.

Chunzhi held the lantern and watched with Huo Zheng.

The guilty minister Mu Qingshan was a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations in the Cheng'an period. Three years after entering the Hanlin Academy, he was transferred to the position of Deputy Director of the Ministry of Revenue. Three years later, he was promoted to Assistant Director of the Ministry of Revenue...

The scroll records Mu Qingshan's life story, and records that Mu Qingshan was confiscated and exiled because he offended the aristocratic families by implementing the order to enrich the people, and insisted on his own opinion at the court meeting, which angered the emperor.

This order to enrich the people was criticized at the time, but now it seems to be a very far-sighted policy that benefits the country and the people.

After Chunzhi finished reading, she placed the lamp on the table and asked Huo Zheng, "Can it be saved?"

Huo Zheng said without hesitation: "Yes."

Since Huo Zheng said he could, Chunzhi believed him.

She asked Huo Zheng softly, "So what should we do next?"

Huo Zheng said, "You go back to the Song residence and have a good sleep. I will go back to the palace to discuss with Yuan Jia and the others first, and then go to the residence of the Minister of Revenue."

Chunzhi knew that what she had to do now was to listen carefully to Huo Zheng and not cause him any trouble.

The two men blew out the lamp and left the file room.

Huo Zheng first sent Chunzhi back to the Song residence, and then returned to the Chang'an Palace, summoning his staff and subordinates to carefully study and analyze the order to enrich the people that Mu Qingshan wanted to implement that year.

Gu Yuanjia was among them.

Master Gu said, "If the Enriching the People Order had been implemented ten years ago, the national treasury would never have been so depleted today."

Everyone said that Mu Qingshan's order to enrich the people was exactly what was needed at the moment. If it could be implemented, it would surely benefit the people and fill the national treasury.

After a day of discussion, Huo Zheng went to the residence of Mr. Zhang, the Minister of Revenue.

In the dim twilight, the carriage passed through one street after another and stopped in front of Zhang's mansion.

The attendant knocked on the door and introduced himself. Minister Zhang quickly came out to greet him. "I didn't know His Royal Highness the Prince of Chang'an was coming. I apologize for not coming to greet you."

Huo Zheng stepped down from the carriage and approached Minister Zhang to greet him, saying, "You are too polite, Minister Zhang. I apologize for disturbing you by coming to your house."

"How dare I?" Minister Zhang said as he invited Prince Chang'an in for tea.

The main gate of Zhang's residence was wide open, and Huo Zheng walked in slowly.

Minister Zhang is nearly 70 years old and is the oldest minister in the court. He had already asked the emperor to retire years ago, but the position of Minister of Revenue is very important. Prince Rui and the Ninth Prince both want to place their own people in the position. The emperor does not want the power of his two sons to expand further, so he has not yet chosen a successor to the Minister of Revenue.

Minister Zhang can only work hard for a while longer.

The Prince of Chang'an has always disdained forming cliques for personal gain and has had little private dealings with the ministers in the court. His sudden visit today really surprised Minister Zhang.

The two of them sat down in the hall, and the maid from Zhang's house made tea and brought it to them.

"Your Highness Prince Chang'an, please try some of the Dahongpao tea from my mansion." Minister Zhang greeted Prince Chang'an. Seeing Huo Zheng take a sip of tea, he spoke again, "Your Highness Prince Chang'an has come to see me at dawn. What's the important matter?"

Huo Zheng got straight to the point, "I came to see Minister Zhang because I do have an important matter."

Minister Zhang stroked his white beard and said, "Your Highness, just speak frankly."

Huo Zheng said, "It's about the former Minister of Revenue, Mu Qingshan, who offended the Emperor and had his property confiscated and exiled."

"Mu Qingshan." Zhang Shangshu felt a pity when he thought of him. "He is full of talent and is dedicated to serving the public. When he wanted to implement the Enrich the People Order, I advised him that the time was not right. What a pity..."

It’s a pity that Mu Qingshan’s passion offended the interests of those aristocratic families, and he was attacked by everyone. In the end, even the emperor disliked him.

The year Mu Qingshan took the imperial examination, Zhang Shangshu was the deputy examiner and could be considered half a mentor to Mu Qingshan.

Later, Mu Qingshan joined the Ministry of Revenue. He was willing and capable, and was highly appreciated by Minister Zhang.

Minister Zhang wants to retire and return home. There is no one in the Ministry of Revenue who can take his position, but if Mu Qingshan is still in the court, then this position will belong to him.

It’s a pity that Mu Qingshan has been exiled to the bitter cold of the northern border for many years. It’s hard to say whether he is still alive, let alone returning to the court to serve as an official.

Minister Zhang sighed as he spoke, "If Your Highness had been born ten years earlier, perhaps Mu Qingshan could have been saved."

Prince Chang'an handled the case of Prince Ning of Nanzhou very well. Although his methods were a bit cruel and were criticized by the royal family, if Prince Chang'an did not have such ruthless determination, how could he have cleared out Nanzhou?

Minister Zhang was actually very optimistic about Prince Chang'an, but he was old and his only son died young. Now he only had one legitimate granddaughter.

If there are any descendants of the Zhang family who can serve as officials in the court, he will definitely make them follow King Chang'an.

Huo Zheng said, "Although I couldn't be born ten years earlier, as long as Mu Qingshan is still alive, I can still use him again."

Minister Zhang did not expect the Prince of Chang'an to say such a thing. He asked in surprise, "What does Your Highness mean?"

"This prince would like to ask Minister Zhang to speak a few good words for Mu Qingshan at the Grand Court. Eleven years ago, the Enriching the People Order advocated by Mu Qingshan was rejected by my father and opposed by the ministers. But now it seems that the Enriching the People Order advocated by Mu Qingshan can indeed enrich the people and strengthen the country, and is indeed worth implementing—"

Huo Zheng told Minister Zhang about the various feasible aspects of the Enriching the People Order that he, his staff and subordinates had researched in the mansion today.

After hearing this, Minister Zhang was deeply moved. He had been in the position of Minister of Revenue for more than ten years. When Mu Qingshan wrote the Order to Enrich the People, he was the first one to show it to him.

Minister Zhang knew very well that this was a move that would benefit the country and the people, but this decree was bound to affect the interests of the aristocratic families, so its implementation would certainly be full of difficulties.

As he expected, this order to enrich the people never had a chance to be implemented, and Mu Qingshan was convicted and exiled.

In the blink of an eye, eleven years have passed.

Minister Zhang felt sad and regretful whenever he thought of the three words "Mu Qingshan", but the people in the capital had long forgotten about that brilliant and talented scholar who had won the third place in the imperial examination. He did not expect that the Prince of Chang'an would come to his house and mention him today.

Minister Zhang was overwhelmed with emotion, and somewhat puzzled, he said, "I am old and about to retire. It is not wrong for me to mention Mu Qingshan in front of the Emperor. But His Highness is in great favor. Why would I risk offending His Majesty for Mu Qingshan?"

"This action of mine is both for public affairs and personal reasons." Huo Zheng stood up and bowed to Minister Zhang, saying, "I beg Minister Zhang to lend me a helping hand."

Minister Zhang quickly stood up and said, "Since Your Highness has said so, I, an old minister, will do my best."