Turning it over, the envelope clearly read, "To Princess Shengping."
Without hesitation, he placed the letter on top of the pile of folded papers, picked up his own thin letter, and touched it.
The thickness doesn't really matter; look at the envelope and the paper in this letter—they're much more exquisite, clearly showing a lot of care put into it.
There was even a small design drawn on the envelope.
It looks like a peach but is missing the two leaves on top, but it seems to have a special meaning; there must be something different about it!
He must feel differently in Pan Jiu's heart.
My fingers rubbed together, and this time I didn't tear the envelope to shreds. I carefully tore it open along the seal, trying to make sure it was clean.
"Yan, I hope you are well. It has been over a month since we parted at the pavilion. I have carefully considered everything you said in your letter. Things still need to be done one at a time. I hope you take care of yourself and do not rush things..."
The letter was short; besides expressing concern for him, it briefly outlined some of her scattered thoughts.
She can manage a business, but she has little experience in managing the civil affairs of a country.
The only thing we can do is provide Su Yan with a perspective from a modern point of view.
Whether this perspective is good or bad is for Su Yan to judge for himself.
Su Yan quickly read through the letter, but still wasn't satisfied, so he read it again from the beginning.
The corners of her lips involuntarily turned up slightly, and her eyes and brows were filled with laughter.
"My lord, we have arrived."
The coachman lifted the carriage curtain and saw his master smiling broadly.
Yes, it's rippling.
It looks like the smile on a dog's face when someone pets its belly.
The coachman was suddenly jolted awake. How could he have dared to so disrespect his superior in his heart!
With a smug smile, Su Yan folded the letter carefully and tucked it into his clothes.
He put his feet together, jumped off the carriage, and walked towards the palace.
The coachman stared at his back, somewhat dazed. How could the adult be so... lively the moment he jumped off the carriage?
He had never seen an adult get off the carriage like that before. His master was different from other nobles; he didn't like to step on a stool or use a horse stool. He always got off the carriage by himself.
But in the past, she was always dignified and composed, standing on one foot.
The coachman rubbed his eyes; he must have been sleepy from waking up so early. He didn't need to drive when Lord Yan was around.
So I've never gotten up this early before.
Today's morning court session went on a bit longer than usual, and Censor Wei lost his temper. He picked out a few ministers he particularly disliked and impeached them directly.
Su Yan lowered his eyes; this time, he didn't ask him to do anything.
The impeachment continued, eventually even targeting him.
"Your Majesty is wise! I still wish to impeach Prime Minister Su! This morning, when I entered the palace, I saw Prime Minister Su jump off his carriage at the Meridian Gate, completely lacking in decorum! How can someone of his stature, the Prime Minister of a nation, be so unrestrained!..."
As Su Yan listened, he lowered his head even further.
Ning Xuan, impatient to listen any longer, waved his hand and said, "Prime Minister Su, do you know your mistake?"
Su Yan knelt down, saying, "Your humble servant knows his mistake and will never repeat it."
Ning Xuan barely suppressed a laugh. "Get up. I'll punish you with ten days' salary as a warning to others."
Su Yan wasn't bothered by the salary; his daily salary was more than enough for him to live on for a month.
He had no need for those expensive ancestral worship ceremonies, being an orphan.
The impeachments of other ministers were of dubious veracity; some were trivial and insignificant, while others were based on real events, each impeachment enraging His Majesty.
Su Yan then understood that this was Ning Xuan's doing.
With the announcement of the court's adjournment, Su Yan was summoned to the Imperial Study.
Ning Xuan was in a good mood today, so he stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. "One day, my dear minister, you must let me see how you indulge yourself by jumping off the carriage."
Su Yan smiled and immediately jumped up and down. "Your Majesty, I was just so happy to receive the letter that I lost my composure. Please forgive me."
Ning Xuan smiled and said, "Look at you, I'm not angry at all."
Su Yan took out a memorial and handed it to him, "Your Majesty, Wang Yichun, the transport commissioner of Yangzhou, has submitted a memorial."
Ning Xuan examined it carefully, then scoffed, "If I hadn't established my own eyes and ears before the new year, I would have truly been deceived by these parasites!"
He wanted to punish him directly for deceiving the emperor, but that might result in his eyes and ears being removed.
This is even more counterproductive; the momentary revelation of the truth will only lead to a future of utter darkness, which is definitely not what he wants to see.
Su Yan knelt and bowed, "Your Majesty, I wish to go to Yangzhou to investigate this matter and bring back the main evidence of the Wang family's crimes to the palace."
Although Wang Helu was in the capital, and many of his family members were officials there, most of their wealth came from the canal transport from Yangzhou.
To eliminate the Wang family, we must go to Yangzhou and uncover a large amount of evidence of their crimes, so that we can bring them down in one fell swoop.
As long as there is evidence of guilt, His Majesty can use it as a pretext to launch an attack.
If His Majesty were to demote the royal family without cause, it would be a minor offense that would not harm their foundations and would only alert them.
Emperors must consider the hearts of the people, but the hearts of the people are separated from the emperor by the densely packed imperial guards, who cannot directly harm the emperor.
However, the ministers and the emperor are very close. If the emperor is a tyrant, the ministers will be angry and it will eventually lead to a tragedy.
There are checks and balances everywhere.
Ning Xuan refused without hesitation, "No, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. Su Yan, you must understand that the palace cannot do without you, and Shengping cannot do without you."
If something were to happen to him, Sheng Ping, alone, would be left with her ministers who would not be able to see Su Yan, and they would surely be filled with anxiety.
What will happen then, when the situation becomes critical?
All the planning of a thousand days has collapsed because of this.
Su Yan countered, "Whom does Your Majesty wish to send?"
The Imperial Guards, also known as the Imperial Bodyguards, were under Ning Xuan's control, guarding the palace and the capital.
Chu Guan, a veteran general, commands the Northwest Army and has already sent young generals to the border to train troops.
The troops stationed in other places, especially those in the southeast, are absolutely untouchable. It is already difficult enough to maintain a balance of power with the Wang family in the southeast, let alone break this balance.
There are still a third of the officials in the court who come from humble backgrounds. Who among them could go to Yangzhou alone and come back alive?
The other two-thirds of the noble families and officials, a small portion of whom were married into the royal family, went there only to receive chests of gold and silver as bribes from the royal family, and then returned to the court to complain about the royal family's plight.
Even if there is only two parts hardship in the current memorial, it will be five parts hardship by then.
The court is full of talented people, but they are trapped in the spider web of power, and the slightest move will result in being skinned alive.
Only he, who was on good terms with the officials below and loyal to the emperor above, was incorruptible and unafraid of any filth, could be a sharp sword to plunge into the rotten land of Yangzhou.
Ning Xuan stood up and slowly walked to the window of the Imperial Study.
"In all the world, it is hard to find two Su Yans."
Su Yan shook his head. "Your Majesty, throughout history, among emperors and generals, only three or five ministers deserve the rare praise from Taigong."
Once a person becomes a subject, family and country, individual and collective interests, often become contradictory.
Ning Xuan remained silent; only the scent of ambergris wafted quietly in the imperial study.
He couldn't bring himself to make that decision.
Sheng Ping went to the Imperial Academy immediately after court, as she was to have a face-to-face meeting with the women who had entered the academy.
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