Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Xue Fenglin has only been in Sarawak for two years...
Xue Fenglin had only been in charge of Sarawak for more than two years, but he had achieved remarkable results. He built Sarawak up and prospered, and together with the surrounding Jianzhou and Pengzhou, formed a prosperous economic belt along the southeastern coast of Dajin.
Since the opening of the Sarawak port, the tax revenue of the Sarawak government has increased day by day. It has transformed from a notoriously poor state to a prosperous place that everyone aspires to.
However, in just half a year, the number of merchants traveling to Sarawak has increased more than ten times compared to previous years.
The people of Sarawak have also tasted the sweetness. Whether they are farmers, factory workers or small business owners, all have benefited from Sarawak's rapid development.
Not only has the income increased several times, but the lives of every household have also improved. Everyone wore new clothes, ate pork, and their houses were renovated with new tiles.
People from nearby states and counties are also flocking to Sarawak. Many of them have moved there with their families to settle down. There is even a popular saying that people should marry in Sarawak.
As expected, not long after Lord Tang submitted his memorial, Emperor Wu of Jin praised Xue Fenglin greatly in the court. He also praised Lord Xue for his good parenting and gave him many rewards.
Lord Xue was very proud of this incident and was in a good mood every day. He walked lightly during court sessions and looked several years younger.
Emperor Wu of Jin also specially sent an imperial envoy to inspect Sarawak, saying that he wanted to discuss with Xue Fenglin the construction methods of Sarawak so as to promote them to other prefectures and counties in the Jin Dynasty.
After Xue Fenglin learned about this, he compiled and copied the practical experience he had gained in Sarawak in recent years into a book and waited for the arrival of the imperial envoy in the government office.
While Xue Fenglin was enjoying great success in his career, he returned home that day and suddenly learned a piece of good news that made him even more excited!
Shen Xuan had a poor appetite today, and originally thought that he was tired. As a result, after resting at home for a few days, there was no improvement, so he asked a doctor to come to his house to check.
You wouldn't know until you see it. It turned out that Shen Xuan didn't suffer from fatigue at all, but was definitely pregnant!
It's an interesting matter. Since Chen Xuan agreed to have a child with Xue Fenglin, the two have been trying for more than a year. But because Shen Xuan's foundation was damaged when she was young, and because it was not easy for a man to get pregnant, Shen Xuan's belly remained motionless for a whole year...
Xue Fenglin had originally made some big boasts, but after a few months, when he saw that the situation was not going well, he dared not mention the matter again. Instead, Shen Xuan took advantage of him and made fun of him.
However, seeing that there was no progress in the matter of offspring, Shen Xuan couldn't help but feel a little worried. On the contrary, Xue Fenglin saw it, which made Shen Xuan feel relieved.
Even if he has no children in this life, it will not be a problem for him. Within a hundred years, he can just give their private property to the nephews and nieces of the Ye family.
Not long after Shen Xuan let go of his worries, he began to feel lazy.
I don’t know if it’s because I feel relaxed that it makes it easier to conceive. However, a month later, Shen Xuan felt unwell, so she sent a doctor to her home, who found out that she was nearly two months pregnant.
Xue Fenglin was very excited when he heard about this. He had always treasured Shen Xuan, and now he regarded him as the apple of his eye!
"This is your first pregnancy, so you need to be careful. It's not easy for a woman to get pregnant, let alone a boy!" Xue Fenglin held Shen Xuan's hand and walked very slowly, wishing he wouldn't let him go down the stairs: "I have asked Doctor Li to stay at home and take your pulse every day, so that you won't have no one to treat you when you are unwell!"
Shen Xuan was speechless, he was just pregnant and there was nothing wrong with his body, but Xue Fenglin's behavior seemed to treat him as the empress in the palace! Even ordinary officials’ families in Beijing rarely have such people!
"Doctor Li is from the Minji Clinic in the city. If you invite him to your home, what will happen to the clinic? Who will the people in the city go to for medical treatment?" Shen Xuan couldn't help asking.
"There are eight clinics in Sarawak City now. If the doctor of Minji Clinic is not here, the people will go to other clinics. What's more, there is more than one doctor in Minji Clinic. He also has three apprentices who have learned good skills and can take charge of the clinic on their own!"
"I give Doctor Li twenty taels of silver a month, and I serve him well with good food and drink. He is eager to stay in the mansion for a few more months. Don't delay his fortune!"
Shen Xuan: “…”
Doctor Li is a famous obstetrician in Sarawak City. He is best at delivering babies and prenatal care. His apprentices are also good, but they are certainly not as experienced as him.
However, seeing Xue Fenglin's insistence, Shen Xuan had no way of convincing him to send Doctor Li back to the clinic, so he had no choice but to let him go.
A few days later, the imperial envoy sent from the capital finally arrived in Sarawak.
In the past, when the imperial envoy traveled, it was usually in a motorcade of about twenty people. However, this time, the imperial envoy brought a large amount of rewards from Emperor Wu of Jin, which filled several vehicles with large and small boxes.
Because the journey was long, the convoy had more guards than usual, more than fifty in total, who kept a close eye on the property in the car!
Xue Fenglin, along with the two adults Chen Wenxun and Shi Jinrong, were waiting at the door to greet them early in the morning. Even though Chen Wenxun was still not on good terms with Xue Fenglin, he came early today and did not dare to slack off!
Seeing the magnificence of this convoy, not only the Sarawak governor and the state judge, but even the knowledgeable Xue Fenglin was surprised!
After the imperial envoy lifted the curtain and walked out of the carriage with two guards, Xue Fenglin raised his eyebrows, and then invited the two of them into the Sarawak government office.
The imperial envoy sent by Emperor Wu of Jin was named Feng. He was the left vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a third-rank official. He was two ranks higher than Xue Fenglin and could be said to have a prominent status!
The trip of such a high-ranking imperial envoy was extremely rare in the history of the Great Jin Dynasty. Lords Chen and Shi were so frightened that they dared not speak a word, and any words of flattery they wanted to express were swallowed back in their stomachs.
Xue Fenglin, on the other hand, was quite tactful in his actions. He led Lord Feng to carefully read the volumes he had compiled in advance, and then asked the guards around him to move the volumes to the carriage and put them away.
After discussing state affairs with Lord Nafeng, Xue Fenglin invited him to his house for dinner.
In the past few days, Lord Feng has been living in the Xue Mansion for his food, clothing, housing and transportation in Sarawak. Chen Xuan has also arranged the servants in the house and prepared a sumptuous banquet to entertain the distinguished guests!
When Xue Fenglin and the imperial envoy's motorcade arrived nearby, Shen Xuan was already waiting at the door.
It was not until Lord Feng stepped into the gate of the Xue Mansion that he was brought into the main hall by Xue Fenglin.
Xue Fenglin suddenly dismissed the servants in the courtyard, leaving only Wuxin Wuwang to guard the door. He then closed the door himself, and then suddenly bowed to a guard beside him, clasped his fists and said, "Fenglin greets His Highness the Second Prince! I didn't expect that His Highness would have traveled all the way here. I wonder if something big happened in the capital?"
Shen Xuan was standing nearby at this time, and his eyes widened when he heard this!
He looked at the man Xue Fenglin bowed to and saw that he was still young, about twenty-five or twenty-six. He has an imposing appearance and is indeed different from ordinary guards. If you look closely, you can even see some resemblance of Emperor Wu of Jin and the Empress!
Shen Xuan realized it later, and after he reacted, he quickly imitated Xue Fenglin and bowed to the second prince.
After entering the Xue family, the second prince stopped hiding his identity, but took a step forward, held Xue Fenglin's arm, and nodded to Shen Xuan beside him and said, "Prince Xue and his wife, there is no need to be polite. This matter is a long story. Let's sit down and talk about it in detail."
Xue Fenglin then asked the Second Prince and Lord Feng to sit down. After pouring tea for them, Lord Feng glanced at Shen Xuan and said, "The Second Prince's coming with me is a secret of the court. No one knows about it except His Majesty and a few close servants. Lord Xue and his wife, please keep it a secret!"
Xue Fenglin understood what Master Feng meant, so he said, "Don't worry, Master. Although Xuan'er is your husband, he knows how to handle important matters. Only people in the house know about this matter, and it won't leak out at all!"
"But Fenglin doesn't understand why His Majesty asked the Second Prince to come here in person?"
When asked this, the second prince took a long breath and said, "Father is old, and his health has been getting worse since last spring!"
"Although he seems to be in good spirits in the court, he is secretly taking medicine every day to keep himself going. He has vomited blood several times in the palace. Although this matter has been kept secret from the court officials, the Imperial Hospital is not airtight after all, and it cannot be hidden from those who have ulterior motives in the palace."
"My elder brother and I have known about this for a long time, and the ministers with some connections in the court should have known about it privately!"
"The emperor has frequently assigned government affairs to me and my elder brother over the past two years. This may be a test of our abilities..."
"The matter of establishing a crown prince is just around the corner, but my eldest brother has not done a lot of things that my father is not satisfied with. Although my father did not say it explicitly, he has secretly demoted several of his capable court officials!"
The eldest brother probably also noticed the emperor's dissatisfaction with him, so he has been a little impatient in recent days. Lord Lu from his wife's family and Lord Bai under his command have also been secretly making some unusual moves. ”
"After Lord Ye noticed this, he reported it to my father. My father called me to the palace and asked me to go with Lord Feng to Sarawak to learn about the governance here. By the way, I will take a look at how you are doing as the governor. If you are doing a good job, I can entrust you with important tasks and promote you one step higher!"
After hearing what the second prince said, Xue Fenglin frowned and remained silent for a long time. No one knew what he was thinking.
However, Shen Xuan understood what the second prince said. Emperor Wu of Jin probably thought that Xue Fenglin was from the second prince's faction and intended to pass the throne to the second prince, so he specially asked him to come to Sarawak to contact Xue Fenglin so that he could make some preparations in advance!
Knock, knock, knock—a few knocks on the door broke the silence in the room.
The Second Prince and Lord Feng in the room looked at each other, and a hint of vigilance flashed in their eyes. Then he heard Wuxin's voice outside the door, asking, "Prince, the kitchen has come to report that the prepared food is waiting outside the courtyard and will be served upon receiving your order."
Shen Xuan saw that the atmosphere in the room was a bit tense, and Xue Fenglin's expression was not good either. It was obvious that he was very conflicted. After thinking for a while, he took the initiative to smile and said, "Second Prince, Lord Feng, it's getting late now. No matter what's important, you have to fill your stomach first."
"Why don't we serve the food first, and then we can chat slowly after everyone has finished eating?"
It must be said that Shen Xuan, who had just heard such a shocking event, did not behave like an ordinary concubine. Not only was he not flustered, he also took the initiative to ease the atmosphere on the scene. He was truly courageous and calm.
When the Second Prince saw this, a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes. He looked at Lord Feng beside him and nodded.
Since Chen Xuan invited him, the Second Prince nodded to Lord Feng and said, "I have been traveling a lot these past few days and haven't had a proper meal at noon. I am really hungry now. Mrs. Xue's suggestion is not bad."
"In that case, I'll ask someone to serve the dishes?" Shen Xuan said with a smile.
When the atmosphere eased, the second prince pretended to be a guard again and stepped aside.
Shen Xuan stood up, opened the door, and said a few words to Wu Xin who was outside the room. After one stick of incense, several attendants and maids came in one after another and placed dishes on the eight-immortals table in the main hall.
This dish was selected by Shen Xuan in advance. It not only has seafood as the main dish, but also some dishes that the nobles in Beijing love to eat. It can be said that it covers all aspects.
Now that she is pregnant, she does not cook herself, but teaches her specialty dishes to Chef Huang and asks her to follow her instructions.
Mrs. Huang, the cook, was very talented in cooking. After learning for a few days, she could cook better than Shen Xuan himself.
There are twelve dishes on the table, each one is different and all are delicious. Even if you are a picky eater, you can still find a few dishes you like. Just smelling the aroma is enough to make you salivate!
After all the dishes were served, Shen Xuan closed the door again.
Xue Fenglin's brows relaxed at this time. He pointed at the dishes on the table one by one with a proud look on his face and invited the Second Prince and Lord Feng to taste them.
Mr. Feng is old and not used to the taste of seafood, but he has a special liking for the roasted lamb and fried chicken on the table.
The Second Prince, on the other hand, was quite appreciative of Sarawak's unique seafood specialties. He listened to Xue Fenglin's detailed introduction to the fisheries and special industries of the southeastern coast, nodding thoughtfully as he ate.
After the meal, the Second Prince and Lord Feng frequently talked to Xue Fenglin about the construction of Sarawak, and never mentioned what they had said before the meal.
Xue Fenglin naturally did not bring it up on his own initiative. He took the two of them for a walk in the garden after dinner to help digest the food, and then sent them to the prepared guest house before returning to his own courtyard.
It was as if the conversation before dinner had never happened!
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