Chapter 40 The Crown Prince of Chu Came to Our Door

The problem of Doctor Zhang has been solved.

Zhou Chuanxing met Yao Lin again.

He asked Prince Duan to bring Yao Lin over this morning, but he hasn't had time to summon him yet.

When Yao Lin returned from Babaozhai, he was still standing at the door waiting.

The person seemed rather reserved and didn't even bother to find a chair to sit down.

He just stood there properly at the door.

Zhou Chuanxing escorted Tang Xinuan back to her room, then returned and summoned Yao Lin.

"This humble subject greets Your Highness," Yao Lin bowed.

Zhou Chuanxing told him not to bother with formalities, "I called you here today because I have a few questions I'd like to discuss with you young people."

In reality, the two are only one or two years apart in age.

But Zhou Chuanxing has been leading troops in battles for years and always felt that he was no longer young.

It was natural to regard those who had not entered officialdom as younger generations.

Yao Lin was filled with trepidation.

He's the son of a courtesan, disliked even by his own father; how could he possibly be worthy of the title of Regent?

"I am but a humble person, lacking in knowledge and understanding, and cannot undertake any discussion. Your Highness, please feel free to give me your orders."

Zhou Chuanxing asked him to sit down and talk. "I've looked into your background. I heard you're the son of the Grand Tutor, so you should know a lot about court politics. Why don't you speak frankly today? What suggestions or thoughts do you have for the current court?"

Yao Lin dared not speak ill of the court, saying, "Your Highness... this humble subject will not speak recklessly."

Zhou Chuanxing told Prince Duan to close the door. "There are only the three of us here today. No matter what you say, no one else will know. Just speak your mind."

Yao Lin's ability to secure third place in the Caiyuelou competition shows he's no fool.

The Great Zhou Dynasty is facing a talent shortage. The Regent Prince, newly arrived at the court, is eager to find capable individuals. If he can speak to the Prince's heart today, he will surely rise rapidly in rank.

Therefore, today is a particularly rare opportunity for him.

He has to catch him.

"Since Your Highness has asked, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Your Highness, after decades of war, the Great Zhou Dynasty is devastated, and everything needs to be rebuilt. The court faces a daunting task. The most crucial issue at present is to ensure that the people have food, shelter, and security…

Yao Lin was truly talented and learned. When Zhou Chuanxing asked him about his expertise, he naturally spoke fluently and eloquently.

Zhou Chuanxing listened with a sense of both understanding and confusion, "How exactly should all of this be implemented?"

Since Yao Lin was able to bring it up, he must have a way to deal with it.

For the rest of the night, Zhou Chuanxing listened to Yao Lin talk about his strategies for governing the people and benefited greatly from it.

Finally, it was Prince Duan who reminded him, "Second Brother, it's getting late, we have to attend court tomorrow."

Zhou Chuanxing yawned and let Yao Lin leave.

"Go to court tomorrow morning with your father. I will arrange a position for you in the county government so you can get some experience first. Now go back."

As a concubine's son, Yao Lin had lived a very stifled life for more than twenty years.

His mother came from a brothel, and his father treated her like a plaything when he wanted to.

Now that they are old and their beauty has faded, they are even reluctant to spend money on medicine when they are sick.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had not held any imperial examinations for more than a decade, so naturally, no scholars had emerged from among them for more than a decade.

All the students who participated in the provincial examination this autumn were recommended by officials.

As a high-ranking official of the first rank, the Grand Tutor held great power.

They had ten nomination slots, but refused to give him even one.

He even threatened that he wouldn't allow other relatives and friends to give him money.

Therefore, he didn't even have the opportunity to participate in the provincial examination.

Now that he has been favored by the Regent, he will first go to the county government for training, and at least he can get a rank of 8 or 9.

How can it not be considered a meteoric rise?

From now on, the mother and son will no longer have to depend on others.

Yao Lin was overjoyed, radiating an air of triumph.

But this joy ended the moment one foot stepped into the house.

Grand Tutor Yao stood in the courtyard, his face ashen, glaring at him.

The moment they met, he yelled, "Why aren't you at home taking care of your mother? Where have you been?"

Yao Lin restrained himself and walked up to Grand Tutor Yao to bow, "Father, I'm going to see the Regent."

"You're going to see the Regent?" Grand Tutor Yao was furious. "Do you think you can just see the Regent whenever you want? What are you? You're just a beast born of a courtesan, yet you dare to bring shame to our Yao family."

Yao Lin tried to explain, "I didn't lose face..."

On the contrary, the regent admired his talent and even sent him to the county government for training.

This means that as long as you pass the inspection, you can rise rapidly in rank at any time.

Grand Tutor Yao had no patience to even hear him finish. “You’ve got some nerve! How dare you talk back to your father? Who do you think you are to go around swaggering around like this? From now on, keep your head down and behave yourself, or don’t blame me for kicking you out.”

He got angrier and angrier as he cursed, “Get out of here and kneel in the ancestral hall. You’re not allowed to leave the house without my permission.”

Yao Lin gritted his teeth, "The Prince wants me to go to court with you tomorrow..."

"Outrageous!" Grand Tutor Yao was furious. "You, a bastard born of a courtesan, dare to enter the imperial court? You don't feel ashamed, but I do."

After speaking, he ordered his servants to drive the people to the ancestral hall.

He then left, seething with anger.

Because of her humble origins and timid nature, Yao's mother dared not come out when Grand Tutor Yao was angry.

Only after Yao Taifu left did she rush to her son's side.

"Ah Lin, I'm so sorry, I've dragged you down with me."

Yao Lin hugged his mother and couldn't help but shed tears.

No matter how hard he tried, his father couldn't see his good qualities.

His background is etched into his very being; anyone who sees him can take a jab at him.

The next day, Zhou Chuan went to court and, as expected, did not see Yao Lin. He asked Grand Tutor Yao about it, and Yao Lin was quite nonchalant about it.

"My unworthy son is of lowly status and would not offend Your Highness's eyes, so I will not attend court."

Zhou Chuanxing couldn't help but want to lose his temper.

But he glanced around the court.

The Grand Tutor and the Left Chancellor were the Empress's men.

The Grand Tutor and the Right Chancellor were both people of Prince Rui.

Almost none of the high-ranking officials or ministers supported him.

Of the six ministers, only the minister of war was his man; the other five were either elderly or younger and had long since chosen sides, creating a complex web of relationships that was impossible to untangle.

A single move could have far-reaching consequences; with his own power, he would have to dismiss everyone in the court.

But back then, who would do all the errands?

It's also his fault that he's been leading troops in battles all these years, leaving all the logistics to the emperor. He never imagined that one day the emperor would fall seriously ill, and he would have to leave the army behind and return to the capital to face these challenges alone.

Zhou Chuanxing was a beat slow to react. He looked at the Grand Tutor with some confusion: "Is the Grand Tutor a son-in-law? I haven't been back in court for long, how come I've never heard of this before?"

The Grand Tutor didn't react either.

He looked at the Grand Tutor.

The Grand Tutor was even more bewildered. "Your Highness, what do you mean by that...?"

Zhou Chuanxing explained, "In our Great Zhou Dynasty, children are born according to their fathers. The Grand Tutor is of noble status and naturally would not have a lowly son, unless the Grand Tutor is a son-in-law and his children follow the mother's family."

Grand Tutor Yao: "..."

These words were an insult to him.

The key issue is that Yao Lin's mother was a courtesan, so wouldn't that be an insult to him for marrying into a brothel?

"Your Highness, you..."

The Grand Tutor couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Grand Tutor Yao, you really are something. Marrying a courtesan is not a scandal, so why are you making a fuss about it with your son?"

These words were a slap in the face to Grand Tutor Yao.

"Grand Tutor, don't push your luck!"

The Grand Tutor took the initiative to recommend Yao Lin to Zhou Chuanxing, saying, "I have observed that Grand Tutor Yao's youngest son, Yao Lin, is both talented and promising. Why not arrange a position for him in the county government?"

The Grand Tutor and the Grand Preceptor have always been at odds.

Over the years, the Grand Tutor has sided with Prince Rui, causing the Emperor a lot of trouble.

When the emperor is healthy, of course he can't come up with anything interesting.

But now that the Emperor is seriously ill, those who support Prince Rui are starting to make trouble.

The Grand Tutor is determined to nail Grand Tutor Yao to the pillar of shame today.

So he insisted on arranging a position for Yao Lin.

Zhou Chuanxing had long harbored this intention, and was also angry because Grand Tutor Yao had prevented Yao Lin from entering the court.

Now the Grand Tutor was at the front, and he began to watch the show.

"Grand Tutor Wang, this is inappropriate."

“What’s inappropriate about it?” Grand Tutor Wang personally recommended.

Zhou Chuanxing simply couldn't stand Yao Taifu's hypocritical and sanctimonious demeanor.

If you look down on someone for being born into a brothel, don't loosen your belt.

The child has already been born, and now they're starting to dislike it.

It was as if the son wasn't his biological child.

"Since the Grand Tutor has spoken, I must give him face. Let's skip the county office and go straight to the Ministry of Revenue. He can be a junior official in the Ministry of Revenue. What does the Grand Tutor think?"

The Grand Tutor originally wanted to kick Yao Taifu while he was down.

The position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is a fifth-rank official.

Isn't it a bit too fast for Grand Tutor Yao's son to rise to the fifth rank so soon after entering the court...?

"Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor?" Zhou Chuanxing saw the Grand Tutor hesitate and immediately made a decision, "Since the Grand Tutor agrees, then the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue will draft an imperial edict later and have Grand Tutor Yao take it back directly, so that I won't have to send someone else."

Grand Tutor Yao: "..."

Grand Tutor Wang: "..."

It seems like neither of them got anything out of it.

Prince Duan congratulated the two at the opportune moment: "Congratulations to Grand Tutor Yao's son on his promotion and wealth, and congratulations to Grand Tutor Wang for his meritorious recommendation. You two are truly pillars of our Great Zhou Dynasty."

Both Grand Tutor Yao and Grand Preceptor Wang suspected that they had been insulted.

But they had no evidence.

Tang Xinuan got up early this morning, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to help Zhou Chuanxing manage the Wangfu's accounts.

After a morning, she regretted it.

The Prince's Mansion was just an empty shell, and it was always operating at a loss.

Moreover, she discovered that large sums of money were being withdrawn by the prince every month without explanation.

"Is our prince very poor?" Tang Xinuan couldn't help but ask the soul-searching question.

Eunuch Wei replied truthfully, "How could the prince be poor? The prince has a salary, land, and fiefdom. He should be the richest person."

Tang Xinuan felt something was wrong, "But our Prince's Mansion has no money, the accounts are all negative."

Eunuch Wei was puzzled. "Impossible. If even the Prince doesn't have money, are there any rich people left in the world?"

Tang Xinuan showed him the results, "Look, the account is indeed empty."

Eunuch Wei looked at the clerk: "What's going on? Did you steal the Prince's money?"

The clerk panicked: "How dare I touch the prince's money? It's true that the prince took it all away."

With tens of thousands of taels of silver a month, Tang Xinuan couldn't understand why someone could spend so much.

"Didn't the prince say what it's for?"

The advisor shook his head: "The prince really didn't say that."

Tang Xinuan only worked for one day before stopping her accounting duties.

The accounts of the Prince's mansion are not complicated; the clerk can handle them perfectly well.

She was simply curious about what the prince did with the large sums of money he took away every month.

Zhou Chuanxing didn't return until evening.

Even so, before the affairs of state were settled, all the pottery jars were brought back.

He will no longer attend court; aside from the necessary daily visits to the emperor, he will likely take all state affairs back to his residence to handle.

I promised the young lady yesterday that I would meet Sun Qingzhao, but I haven't had time yet.

We'll have to postpone it until after dinner.

He was eager to see the girl after not seeing her for a day.

That only applies to the time around dinner.

Tang Xinuan also had something to ask him, so the two of them sat down at the table and couldn't help but look each other over first.

Tang Xinuan genuinely felt sorry for Zhou Chuanxing, "You're so busy every day, aren't you tired!"

Sleeping less than two hours a day, and having to guard against the schemes of those old foxes, how can one not be exhausted?

However, all of Zhou Chuanxing's fatigue disappeared the moment he saw the little girl.

"Not tired."

"You're lying," Tang Xinuan didn't believe her at all. "How about I give you a shoulder massage?"

Flattered, Zhou Chuanxing nodded, "Okay."

Tang Xinuan got up and moved behind him, her soft little hands landing on his shoulders, gently massaging them.

"Erlang, I checked the accounts today and found that you've been withdrawing tens of thousands of taels of silver every month. What are you using them for?"

Even if she weren't the mistress of the mansion, she wouldn't be able to control the prince, let alone the princess.

But she has a pure heart and does whatever comes to mind.

Now that we know there's something wrong with this expenditure, we naturally need to find out the details.

Zhou Chuanxing didn't hide anything from her, "The national treasury is empty and can no longer support so much military spending. This expenditure is considered a loan from the national treasury to be used for the soldiers on the frontier."

Tang Xinuan asked in surprise, "Is our imperial court that poor?"

Zhou Chuanxing sighed: "The imperial court has been fighting for decades, and since my brother ascended the throne, it has been almost nonstop for the past ten years or so."

Previously, income and expenditure were balanced, but in the past two years, the emperor has been ill, and the officials have been deceiving each other. The wealthiest provinces have not been able to collect a single penny of tax, and the court is now in debt to them.

Where is the national treasury now?

Tang Xinuan had never thought about these things.

She thought the imperial court was very wealthy and that every prince lived a very comfortable life.

It turned out to be just an empty shell.

"So you'll keep filling it up from now on?"

Zhou Chuanxing could not keep filling the gap forever, and besides, his royal palace could not support the hundreds of thousands of troops of the imperial court.

"Once the national treasury's accounts are thoroughly investigated, someone will naturally come up with the funds."

Tang Xinuan asked instinctively, "Why not investigate now?"

Zhou Chuanxing didn't want to investigate, but he had no one to turn to.

He can't possibly go and check it himself, and besides, he doesn't understand accounting, so he wouldn't be able to figure it out even if he did.

He suddenly remembered the day he first met the girl; she had sorted out all the accounting issues in his study in just two hours.

They even meticulously compiled the Ministry of Revenue's disaster relief plan for 100,000 disaster victims.

If you take the young girl to the national treasury, you can catch all the court officials off guard and obtain conclusive evidence before they even realize what's happening.

Who can stop him from pursuing the matter?

Otherwise, one side would be the Empress's people, and the other side would be Prince Rui's people.

The Emperor is still alive. If he takes action against the Empress without solid evidence, not only will the Emperor hold him accountable when he wakes up, but public opinion will also be unable to silence him.

Prince Rui was his younger brother.

He was already criticized by court officials for his excessive killing, and if he were to take action against his younger brother, he would surely be branded by the world as a tyrant with a bloodthirsty nature.

Now that the Great Zhou Dynasty has finally gotten back on track, it must not be allowed to fall into strife again because of the character of each individual, causing the people to be displaced and suffer unspeakable pain.

However, this matter needs to be planned out; we cannot rush it.

"We'll investigate, and we'll need your help then."

Tang Xinuan was eager to help him with something, "Then I'm ready anytime."

After dinner, Zhou Chuanxing went to the Xiaoqinzheng Hall to summon Sun Qingzhao.

He dislikes people who are too cunning.

He left his parents at the age of thirteen to fight in the war, where he was surrounded by a group of straightforward, rough men.

He disliked all kinds of people and things that required him to spend time and effort dealing with.

However, since the girl had spoken, he had to take it seriously.

Prince Duan said with no small amount of sarcasm, "Didn't you say you wouldn't see me? Why are you seeing me again?"

Zhou Chuanxing said in a tone that indicated he had no other choice, "The young lady went to great lengths to recommend me, what can I do?"

Prince Duan looked down on his attitude, saying, "Showing off your love will only lead to a quick death."

Zhou Chuanxing didn't think he was showing off his love; it was just a natural expression of his emotions.

Everyone knows that the Regent's hands are stained with blood; he is ruthless, decisive, and cruel.

When Sun Qingzhao first formally met the Regent, he was extremely tense and wanted to be as careful as possible.

After performing the ceremony, he stood obediently to the side.

Zhou Chuanxing was indeed ruthless in killing, but that was when he was facing enemies.

They were all subjects of the Great Zhou Dynasty. As long as they didn't commit serious crimes, how could he possibly kill people indiscriminately?

"Sit down and talk."

Sun Qingzhao dared not, "This humble subject would rather stand."

Zhou Chuanxing didn't press the matter. "I watched the entire Caiyuelou competition and know that you came in second place."

I called you over today to see what other skills you have besides mathematics.

Sun Qingzhao braced himself and asked, "What aspect would Your Highness like to know?"

Zhou Chuanxing took a sip of tea. "So you have a few other special skills?"

Sun Qingzhao was still somewhat confident in his abilities, saying, "It depends on which side Your Highness needs."

This was the first time Zhou Chuanxing had ever seen someone so arrogant.

He glanced at Prince Duan.

Prince Duan smiled and said, "Why don't you analyze the current state of the court?"

Sun Qingzhao was in a dilemma, "This humble subject dares not presume to discuss state affairs."

Prince Duan spoke casually, "Let's chat privately. If you're right, His Highness will reward you; if you're wrong, just consider it entertainment."

Sun Qingzhao hesitated.

The main concern was that the regent was unpredictable, and if one offended him in any way, it could lead to their death.

But this is a rare opportunity for me.

If you miss it, you may never encounter it again.

In the end, Sun Qingzhao decided to go all out.

"Your Highnesses, I do have some thoughts."

"Now that the Emperor is seriously ill in bed and the Prince is acting as regent, the Great Zhou Dynasty has not held any civil service examinations for over a decade, and all officials are appointed through recommendation. There are many places where corruption and malpractice can easily take place here..."

As he spoke, he carefully observed the Regent's expression.

He sat there expressionless, presumably listening to him speak.

He cleared his throat and continued, "Now, with the two prime ministers, the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, and the six ministers, all these layers of government decrees, whether they are issued by the regent or reports of public sentiment and events are relayed from below, must go through them. How many of these can actually be implemented?"

These words touched upon Zhou Chuanxing's pain.

When he returned to court, the execution of a group of ministers had a very good effect.

However, as time went on, a sense of burnout arose, and often his decrees simply could not be effectively communicated.

Some people outwardly comply but inwardly defy, some simply refuse to implement, and some government orders go completely astray once they reach the local level.

"Do you have any good ideas?"

Sun Qingzhao knew that what he was about to say would not only be treasonous, but would also cause a cataclysmic upheaval.

But he had to say it.

“Abolish the position of Prime Minister and establish a special department, which will be personally overseen by the Prince.”

This was the first time Zhou Chuanxing had ever heard of such a bold idea as abolishing the position of prime minister.

He couldn't help but frown.

This was the first time Prince Duan had heard of it either.

It's quite novel, though.

"What will happen to the position of prime minister after it is abolished?"

Sun Qingzhao pondered, "Since the position of Prime Minister has been abolished, it is natural that we do not need this position. Your Highness should establish a special department, and all memorials should be sent directly to this department. They will only have the right to give comments and suggestions, but no right to make decisions."

All government orders were issued directly by the Prince. After the department drafted them, they were sent directly to the implementing units, completely bypassing the Prime Minister.

Prince Duan still didn't understand, "Then wouldn't all the problems fall on the Regent's shoulders?"

Sun Qingzhao: "The regent may appoint two regent ministers who are specifically responsible to the regent."

Zhou Chuanxing had long been dissatisfied with the two prime ministers.

He's standing in the latrine but doesn't use it; he's deliberately going against him.

They can't come up with a policy that benefits the people and the country, but they're a drag on the country; they're number one in that regard.

He wields considerable power and is constantly entangled with the later dynasties, making him a major threat sooner or later.

Sun Qingzhao truly spoke to his heart.

Next, Sun Qingzhao talked a lot about his ideas.

Zhou Chuanxing had to admit that Sun Qingzhao indeed possessed the talent of a general and a minister.

But this person has many flaws and still needs to be tempered.

Moreover, his proposal to abolish the position of prime minister today will eventually get out.

At that time, the two prime ministers would have had to strip him of his title.

...

Just as the group was engrossed in their conversation, someone from the Prince Duan's residence suddenly arrived.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Crown Prince Chu has come to your door with his men, demanding that you hand over their cousin immediately."

Prince Duan was startled: "How did he find my place?"