"Oh?" The emperor lowered his eyes and remained seated on the dragon throne.
Feeling his accumulated power and the profound meaning in his words, Prime Minister Lin felt a tightness in his chest.
He Yunze quickly adjusted his emotions. In his previous life, he had served the emperor for more than 20 years. Serving the emperor was like serving a tiger. He had long since figured out Emperor Guangqi’s temperament and character.
Emperor Guangqi was good at recognizing and using people. He liked useful people the most. He didn't like begging for mercy or flattery, but preferred to present facts and evidence.
My past life wasn't wasted; this is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Therefore, He Yunze replied neither humbly nor arrogantly:
"The idea of adapting to local conditions and employing a complex, interlocking approach was my own. Before I became an official, I overheard my father's concerns about this matter. After I joined the Secretariat, I reviewed materials from various places, striving to find a solution to Your Majesty's worries."
He spoke slowly and clearly, and his words were convincing. If one did not know him, one would think he was a high-ranking official in the court.
The emperor did not speak, his gaze remaining fixed on him.
He continued, "I have a clear conscience for bringing this up in front of Your Majesty. Otherwise, Your Majesty would have seen through my scheme, and I would have been courting death."
As He Yunze spoke, he slowly raised his head and straightened his back:
"As for the Two-Tax System, it was indeed my own idea. I just didn't know that Young Master Su had already brought it up, so I made a fool of myself and caused a misunderstanding."
Su Mingren despised eloquent people the most, and he loathed He Yunce even more. Upon hearing this, he merely snorted coldly.
"A misunderstanding? But your rumor that Su Mingli is dying is also a misunderstanding?"
He Yunze simply nodded, his expression unwavering, concealing all the emotions in his eyes.
"It was a misunderstanding, Your Majesty. I only learned afterward that Lord Su had also come up with the Two-Tax System, but only Su Mingli and Vice Minister Xin knew about it before."
"Lord Su is bedridden and unconscious, and I do not know Minister Xin and have never met him. So may I ask how I obtained the contents of the Two-Tax Law?"
"Are you still so foolish as to offer this method back to Minister Xin?"
As He Yunze spoke, Song Xizhi's face appeared before his eyes, and his tone carried a hint of contempt:
"Could it be that Song Xizhi, my sister-in-law and Lord Su's niece, stole the contents of the Two Taxes Law and gave it to me?"
Upon hearing this, Su Mingren and Su Mingli looked up instantly and exclaimed in unison, "That's absolutely impossible!"
He Yunze laughed: "Since it's impossible, then I am innocent."
He didn't steal this; he knew about it in his past life. So, no matter what, they can't find any evidence.
When He Yunze finished speaking, the officials of the Secretariat remembered their wives who were taking medicine, and they all spoke up for He Yunze.
At this moment, Secretary Zhou stepped forward and began to distort the truth:
"I am the superior of Registrar He, and I have also discussed the contents of the Two-Tax System with him. In fact, there are some differences between the Two-Tax System proposed by Lord Su."
Lord Lü, the Imperial Secretary, also chimed in hastily: "Registrant He has only been in the government office for a short time, but his ability and insight are evident to all. I have faith in Registrant He."
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Vice Minister of Rites spoke up loudly: "We trust Registrar He; his idea is truly excellent."
"We, your humble servants, trust Registrar He!"
Su Mingren coldly observed the officials protecting each other, gritted his teeth, and his goatee twitched with anger.
Emperor Guangqi was somewhat surprised to hear this, and his expression visibly softened: "So many of my ministers are pleading for Lord He, perhaps the matter before was really a misunderstanding."
"From another perspective, the fact that Registrar He has gained the appreciation of all his superiors in just a few days of joining the company also proves that you are capable of coming up with these ideas."
Upon hearing this, He Yunze felt his heart pounding wildly, and he quickly covered his burning gaze.
Then Emperor Guangqi's voice continued, "Minister He, please rise. Your idea is excellent. What reward would you like?"
He Yunze humbly cupped his hands in greeting: "This humble subject dares not take credit."
At this moment, Prime Minister Lin spoke up with a smile: "I think the position of a sixth-rank remonstrating official is excellent!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Mingren and Vice Minister Xin looked up in astonishment.
Su Mingli understood He Yunce and Prime Minister Lin's intentions. He tensed up and his face stiffened.
He Yunze felt everyone's gazes fixed on him, and he tried his best to hide it by lowering his head slightly.
Prime Minister Lin, however, continued to explain with a smile, his face displaying an innocent and kind demeanor:
"He offered constructive suggestions twice. If he has real talent, then by His Majesty's side he can offer advice and strategies. If not, His Majesty can directly punish him if His Majesty discovers his mistakes."
Emperor Guangqi narrowed his eyes. "Three consecutive victories? This is simply unprecedented."
Prime Minister Lin spoke with certainty: "If there had been no previous misunderstanding, He Yunce would not have been merely a registrar even though he entered officialdom through family connections... However, Your Majesty, these are all my humble opinions. I am simply unwilling to let such a jewel be covered in dust!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Guangqi remained silent for a moment.
The attitudes of Prime Minister Lin and other officials all demonstrate that He Yunce is truly talented and a promising young man.
Of course, his suggestions were indeed good.
If there had been no misunderstanding before, given He Yunce's status and talent, it would have been possible for him to become a seventh-rank official through family connections. However, a ninth-rank registrar position would have been quite embarrassing for the Marquis of Anding's mansion.
Thinking of He Jingyan's uncertain fate, the emperor finally relented: "Very well, then I will make an exception for you. My beloved ministers, you should all take He Jingyan as your role model!"
Upon hearing this, He Yunze was instantly overwhelmed with emotion and his blood boiled. He abruptly closed his eyes and then kowtowed to express his gratitude.
"Your Majesty, I am grateful for your great kindness and will do my utmost in the future."
Thanks to Ruoan's medical skills, he gained the support of so many adults and won a resounding victory on his first court appearance, crushing the Su family under his feet!
But this is just the beginning. Rank 6, Rank 5... Rank 1, he will climb up step by step, he will be second only to one person and above ten thousand people!
He wants to make Ruo'an a first-rank imperial consort!
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