Chapter 503 Extra: The First Noble Family of Dayu (Part 3)

Shen Qingjun felt a little regretful.

He should have known better than to argue with that general in court.

They won! The subsequent handling of the wasteland was also based on his ideas.

But he devoted his entire life to it.

To be precise, he dedicated his entire life to the imperial court.

After demonstrating his composure and logical problem-solving skills, he noticed that people seemed to view him differently.

My maternal grandfather, the prime minister, seemed to be even kinder to me.

The other ministers seemed to respect him even more.

Even his cousin sitting on the dragon throne seemed to be treating him more kindly...

He...didn't do anything outrageous!

Until one day, my grandfather, the prime minister, suddenly took my hand and spoke to me earnestly.

“Jun’er, you’ve grown up under your grandfather’s watchful eye. I’m very proud of your vision today!”

Shen Qingjun felt uneasy.

What is Grandpa trying to say now? Or is there some farmland issue that needs to be addressed?

"Grandpa is getting old, and his legs aren't as good as they used to be. I guess he won't be able to attend court anymore..."

Grandpa, are your legs not good?

"It's alright, I know a few good doctors who specialize in treating the elderly. I'll ask them to take a look at you," Shen Qingjun said immediately.

Prime Minister Shangguan...

"It's not the doctor's fault. Grandpa's leg can't be cured by a doctor. So many imperial physicians in the palace have examined him."

Even the head of the Imperial Medical Academy said there was nothing that could be done.

My grandfather then stopped going to the doctor and suffering that ordeal.

"When people get old, they have to accept their fate and submit to it," Prime Minister Shangguan sighed.

Shen Qingjun looked at his grandfather, whose face was rosy and who seemed to be full of energy.

How come he didn't notice that Grandpa was getting old? Grandpa isn't old at all!

Could it be that my maternal grandfather has a hidden illness that neither I nor my mother know about?

That's possible! My grandfather has always been aloof, and even if he's feeling unwell, he certainly wouldn't tell outsiders.

But so what if I have difficulty walking? It's not a big deal.

"Grandpa, since you don't want to drink bitter medicine every day, let Rui Ge make you a wheelchair."

Rui Ge'er's cooking skills are pretty good now.

They can make anything.

Once the wheelchair is ready, you can use it to attend court.

"His Majesty will surely understand your age and allow you to attend court in a wheelchair," Shen Qingjun said earnestly.

Prime Minister Shangguan...

How can this child be so honest? It makes me unsure what to say next.

Haha, as for attending court in a wheelchair...

He would never sit there, even if you killed him.

He was a former official who spoke out against injustice, a man of unyielding integrity; how could he possibly attend court in a wheelchair...?

Another year passed, and Prime Minister Shangguan seized an opportunity, claiming that he had caught a cold and was resting at home.

With the prime minister absent, debates suddenly increased in the court.

In the past, when everyone was debating, Shen Qingjun would just listen and never speak unless it was something that didn't concern him.

My mother always said, "If it doesn't concern me, I'll mind my own business..."

However, on this particular day, the two sides argued so fiercely.

The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works got into a fight.

After listening for a while, Shen Qingjun realized that both sides had their own reasons and neither could convince the other.

I looked at the sun outside...

The court would usually have ended by this time, but today it has been delayed until now.

Looking again at my cousin sitting on the dragon throne, he seemed to be deep in thought as well...

After thinking about it, Shen Qingjun decided to try to mediate so that he could finish court early, go home, and hold his daughter.

"Please stop for a moment, gentlemen. I have listened to your explanations and both of you have a point."

Lord Yu, what you say makes sense, but Lord Ma also has some real problems.

The Ministry of Works' development of new war machines and warships will inevitably result in losses.

No one succeeds on their first try!

"If you encounter the same problem as Lord Ma, how should you solve it?" Shen Qingjun asked.

Preparing for another impassioned speech, Lord Yu...

What to do? How could he possibly know what to do?

"And Lord Ma, Lord Yu also has difficulties."

Lord Yu is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Although everyone says that the Ministry of Revenue is rich, all six ministries rely on the Ministry of Revenue for its money!

"If you were Lord Yu, what do you think you should do to allocate that little bit of silver to the Six Ministries?" Shen Qingjun then looked at Lord Ma of the Ministry of Works.

Mr. Ma...

Why should he care about these things? He's not from the Ministry of Revenue...

Seeing that neither of the two adults spoke, Shen Qingjun had something else to say.

"I know the adults are all thinking of the greater Chongqing area."

However, the people in the imperial court did not quarrel for the sake of quarreling. Everyone wanted to contribute to Dayu and to the people of Dayu.

Therefore, let's bring up everyone's problems and discuss how to solve them.

If everyone works together towards the same goal, that's all that matters.

Lord Yu, Lord Ma, you two will definitely not get to a conclusion by arguing about this in the imperial court.

Why don't you two find a place to have a cup of tea or a drink after court, so everyone can be at peace?

They pondered how to resolve the problem, and once a consensus was reached and Prime Minister Shangguan returned, they would present it to His Majesty.

Don't you agree?

When Lord Ma and Lord Yu heard this, they also felt that it seemed to make sense.

We're definitely not going to reach a conclusion today, and it's getting late, everyone should head home...

Or perhaps we should find another place to continue arguing...

And so, the court assembly quickly came to an end.

Shen Qingjun, who was happily heading home to hug his daughter with everyone else, was informed that his imperial cousin wanted him to wait at the Hall of Diligent Governance...

"Did His Majesty say anything?" Shen Qingjun immediately asked the eunuch who had come to deliver the message.

"Lord Shen, I am only here to deliver an oral message and do not know anything about it."

However, His Majesty also sent a eunuch to your residence.

"They said lunch was eaten at the palace, so please don't worry," the young eunuch said respectfully.

Shen Qingjun...

Well! I wonder what this emperor cousin is up to now...

As expected, Shen Qingjun had barely arrived at the Hall of Diligent Governance, and before the grand ceremony was even finished, the emperor's cousin began to complain.

"Cousin! Look at what's going on since Grandpa isn't attending court. People are making such a fuss."

You can't just ignore me...

Shen Qingjun...

What more do you want from me? I've stopped farming and am going to court every day, what more do you want from me...?