Chapter 284 Heading North
Qi Er was a little stunned: "The exam is over, why don't you go home? Are you going to sit here and wait for the results?"
Zhao Qiaonian laughed, "See, you're out of touch, aren't you? We're taking the test first, and the teacher will be doing the exercises later. Just wait a quarter of an hour, and all the answers will be announced. They'll be posted on the bulletin board soon. Once you get the answers right, you'll basically know your score."
Qi Er was inexplicably nervous. "So fast? This is different from the imperial examinations of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
"The City Lord said that the questions about the Great Zhou Dynasty were all subjective. Ours are objective questions, so whether they are right or wrong is not that controversial. Do you want to stay and check the answers?"
Qi Er was a little hesitant. She was not used to knowing her score so soon.
"Forget it. It doesn't matter if I die early or late. It's better to let me die quickly so that I don't have to worry about it and can't sleep."
Over there, there was an obvious commotion. The two turned their heads and saw that it was Secretary Zhou in casual clothes who came with his servants.
It turned out that a servant from the Zhou family had also come to take the imperial examination.
Zhou Houfang even brought his wife to pick him up personally, which was quite impressive.
Qi Er sighed, "The morals of Jinzhou Prefecture are truly excellent. Even slaves can take the imperial examinations. Now, won't the lower-class people of Jinzhou Prefecture be completely devoted to following the city lord?"
Zhao Qiaonian was also deeply impressed. "The City Lord has always had a way of manipulating people's hearts. We still have a lot to learn from him."
“I really hope I can pass the exam on my first try!”
As soon as the answer sheet was posted, there was another commotion at the entrance to the examination hall. Countless candidates rushed over, looking up to check their answers.
Some are happy and some are sad.
"Oh my god, I only got one of these numbers right!"
"That's right, the quantity this time is too difficult!"
Zhao Qiaonian and Qi Er, who got the answer right, went upstairs to meet Ming Xiaoshuang.
Seeing that both of them looked very happy, Ming Xiaoshuang knew that they must have done well, so he poured tea for them and said, "Come on, come on, judging by your expressions, you two must have won the exam."
Da Niu also quickly poured tea for the two of them and patted Zhao Qiaonian on the shoulder: "Brother, you can do it! If things really don't work out, our current construction company can still develop well. You can be the boss then!"
Ming Xiaoshuang laughed and scolded him, "What are you talking about! Brother Zhao and Miss Qi will definitely be able to do it!"
Qi Er said modestly: "Don't say that, the results haven't come out yet, what if everyone performs well this time?"
Zhao Qiaonian also said, "That's right. Let's wait for the results to come out."
Ming Xiaoshuang said, "Of course there's no problem. Why don't you think about your future development now? There are so many vacancies down there. Is there any place you want to go?"
Qi Er's face was filled with distress, yet he couldn't hide his pride. "Well, where else can I go? Didn't the city lord tell me to go to Bao'an Prefecture to plant cotton? Look, my cotton-planting masters and their equipment are all ready. I'm just waiting for Feng'er to pack up and set off with her."
Zhao Qiaonian was not without envy: "Are you going to follow Feng Er this time, whether you pass the exam or not?"
Qi Er nodded. "That's right. Last year, cotton-padded jackets sold out, and this year, just at the beginning, the Ministry of Commerce has already received an order for one million pieces. The city lord said that since I'm one of the first cotton growers and have extensive experience, I should go and help Bao'an Prefecture escape poverty. So, if I pass the exam, I'll officially take up the position. If I don't, I'll be a technical expert."
Ming Xiaoshuang sighed, "Sometimes I really think the City Lord is so clever she's practically a demon. Take cotton, for example. We've been seeing kapok flowers for decades, but who could have known they could be made into clothing to keep out the cold? Only the City Lord could come up with these fantastical ideas. Not only that, she even planned ahead. Two or three years ago, when we were still exiled prisoners, she dared to spend half her silver on buying land to grow cotton! At the time, I didn't understand and thought the City Lord had too much money and nowhere to spend it. Now, thinking back, I really feel so narrow-minded."
These words made the other two people feel the same way.
Xu Zhenying is truly a man of such wisdom that he is almost a demon.
"That's right. We can still make some money from cotton-padded clothes this year. Next year, many people will surely follow our example and grow cotton. Then the price of cotton-padded clothes will be brought down." Qi Er thought of Xu Zhenying's instructions and felt relieved. "But the city lord also said that as a necessity, the price of cotton-padded clothes is bound to fall. The prices of people's food, clothing, housing and transportation should not be too high. After all, ensuring that people can afford to eat and wear clothes is the most important thing. We can only wait and see next year--"
Ming Xiaoshuang said, "Your Ministry of Commerce still has a heavy workload. It's said that when Feng'er left, she signed a military order with the city lord, stating that our tax revenue must double in the next two years, meaning it must exceed 10 million taels of silver. This is almost catching up with the tax revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty. This is no small burden."
As a quasi-clerk in the Ministry of Commerce, Qi Er was also in a dilemma. "Oh, there's nothing we can do. There are so many places to spend money. No matter how much money we make, it's never enough. We really should let those people in the Finance Department do our job. All they do is ask us for money all day long, as if it just fell from the sky! If the Minister of Finance wasn't the City Lord's father, I'd really like to give them a good fight!"
Zhao Qiaonian looked around and then lowered his voice and said, "I think the location of the Finance Department needs to be moved."
Both of them looked at him.
Don't be fooled by Zhao Qiaonian's low profile. Apart from being a little late in joining Xu Zhenying, he is a smart man with a long-term vision.
Everyone who followed Xu Zhenying to make his first fortune from the very beginning was an extraordinary person.
Zhao Qiaonian curled his lips slightly, looked at the two people who looked expectant, and said with a smile: "That's what I said."
"Hmm." Ming Xiaoshuang said this, but he had an idea in his mind.
Zhao Qiaonian couldn't possibly say anything without thinking. Could it be that the city lord wanted to take advantage of this official assessment to change the positions of his subordinates?
It's not impossible.
During the last discussion on the administrative structure, although many departments were established, most of them were just concepts. Now, the positions of the heads of many departments are vacant, and it is possible that many new people will emerge.
"Why are the students from Bailu Academy here too?" Ming Xiaoshuang pointed at a group of people below who were arguing fiercely over a certain topic, and then his face showed a complicated expression.
Qi Er asked, "Is there anything wrong?"
"Not really. It's just that these people have written many poems and essays cursing the city lord before. They all claim to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic and will never go along with us. It hasn't been long since then, and they can't wait to take the exam."
Zhao Qiaonian said, "Things change. It seems the city lord's conquest of cities this time has been very effective, and our internal opposition has become much smaller. Now that the matter of becoming king is settled, we will become a legitimate imperial court."
When talking about Xu Zhenying's becoming the king, several people felt emotional and excited.
However, as the quarrel in the Bailu Academy below grew louder and the crowd became more and more agitated, Ming Xiaoshuang hurriedly led people down to maintain order.
After waiting for a long time, Ming Xiaoshuang came back and said angrily as soon as he entered the house: "These scholars should continue to be locked up in jail."
"What happened?"
"It's nothing serious, just some red eye." Ming Xiaoshuang sat down again. "Lu Shiwen was promoted to the head of the Criminal Department because of his outstanding performance in Sanping County. The notice just came out, and the students at Bailu Academy are a little jealous."
"Why is that?"
"Hey, that Lu Shiwen was in the same exam room with them! These guys studied hard for over a decade, and Lu Shiwen only spent half a year and scored tens of points ahead of them. Naturally, they're not convinced. Now they're still taking the civil service exam, and he's already a minister. Who knows, they might even have to act according to his wishes in the future. Aren't they just jealous?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Er laughed and said, "This can't be blamed on Lu Shiwen. The City Lord gave the students of Bailu Academy a chance, but they didn't seize it."
Zhao Qiaonian also nodded. "If they can't catch him this time, they can only blame themselves."
On Amber's side, Mrs. Zhou wanted to take the servants downstairs to see the answers herself, which undoubtedly put great pressure on Amber. Fortunately, Zhou Houfang stopped her in time.
She and Amber squeezed into the crowd together. Zhou Houfang didn't ask any questions, but Amber felt a little annoyed after reading it herself. She lowered her head and didn't speak for a long time.
Zhou Houfang comforted her, "It's okay. If you don't pass this year, you can try again next year. There will be more opportunities in the future. The city lord said that the civil servant examination will be reformed soon, and the authority will be delegated to each prefecture. If you don't pass in Jinzhou Prefecture this year, you can try in Bao'an Prefecture or Xiangshui Prefecture next year."
Amber's smile was forced.
The main reason was that Zhou Houfang made this matter known to everyone, and Mrs. Zhou often gave her warnings. Although it was an honor bestowed by the master's family, it also put a lot of pressure on her.
What should I do if I fail the exam?
I should have tried harder earlier.
At this moment, compared to the bustling streets outside, the government office was quiet.
Xu Huiming and Xu Zhenying sat alone in the study. Somehow, Xu Huiming felt inexplicably nervous and awkward.
After all, it is different from before.
When the announcement of his enthronement spread far and wide, Xu Zhenying's status rose rapidly, and he was only one step away from becoming the emperor. This also meant that the Xu family had to muster all their energy to deal with Xu Zhenying.
After all, there is an old saying that serving the king is like serving a tiger.
Even if Xu Zhenying acted easygoing, his family had already been warned by Lian and others to be cautious in front of Xu Zhenying and not to rely on their status to be arrogant.
Only Xu Huiming missed Xu Zhenying's entire development process because he was always away.
When they left, they were still just siblings who could support and help each other; but now, they have become a monarch and his subject, which makes Xu Huiming feel complicated.
What's more, he has been back for so long, but Xu Zhenying has never summoned him alone, whether because he is too busy or for other reasons.
Xu Huiming even suspected that Xu Zhenying was deliberately ignoring her.
However, Xu Huiming has always been good at regulating his mood.
If Xu Zhenying really became emperor, then he would be a subject.
The ministers must naturally obey.
However, looking at Xu Zhenying, there doesn't seem to be much change. She still has shoulder-length hair, and her face seems to have some flesh on it. She has grown taller and looks a little stronger than before.
But those eyes seemed more calm and restrained.
"Brother, I've been so busy with official duties lately that I've neglected you. I was thinking that you've been away for a long time, and Mother just returned from Qianzhou. It's been a rare opportunity for our family to be together, so I wanted you to spend more time with them and help me fulfill my filial duties."
Although he didn't know whether what Xu Zhenying said was true or not, Xu Huiming felt that it was very appropriate.
Fortunately, Xu Zhenying's personality is still as frank as before. Even though he is in a high position and has great power now, he still seems to be straightforward and doesn't like to play tricks.
Xu Huiming said, "Yes, when you were in Xingyuan Prefecture, mother was always worried about you."
Xu Zhenying sighed, "I don't know when this separation of our family will end."
Xu Huiming pondered these words and said with a smile, "Does the City Lord have anything to assign me?"
Xu Zhenying smiled, "Big brother is indeed smart. But the work I assign to you is always dirty and tiring. Do you mind, brother?"
"Sister, let me hear it."
Xu Zhenying sat back in his chair, staring at him with a smile. "Now that the war in our west has stabilized, we are happily fighting with the Ming King in the north. I don't know what the Great Zhou Dynasty is planning. But we have to be on guard."
Xu Huiming frowned slightly: "Does the city lord want me to go north?"
Xu Zhenying nodded. "This is the only place we haven't touched yet. What does the Great Zhou Dynasty think? Is there any war in the north? I need someone to open up the situation in the north."
Xu Huiming lowered her head. "What do you need me to do?"
"Anything that can help us break the deadlock and unify the country as soon as possible. For example, we can place our spies in the palace, ideally to sow discord between Zhou Mian and his son; spread our ideas of equality for all in the north; bribe officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty to work for us; and when the time is right, create chaos within the Great Zhou Dynasty to slow them down."
Xu Huiming's heart started beating fast when he heard this. This sounded like what Feng'er had done in Shouzhou.
Judging from what Xu Zhenying said, she had already made up her mind to unify the world.
But they have only been rebelling for more than two years!
Is this a step too big?
Xu Huiming asked directly, "Isn't it too early to do these things now?"
Xu Zhenying smiled, "This should be done sooner rather than later. I'll be honest with you, brother. I have no plans to go north within the next five years."
Xu Huiming was shocked. "Five years?"
"We've been slow to act over the past two years, and our territory isn't stable at all. The people of the six states don't fully trust me, and they'll listen to whoever conquers them. This is a huge hidden danger. What I need now is steady development and digestion." Xu Zhenying sighed. "Also, we've been at war so frequently in the past two years, and the people of Jinzhou haven't had a peaceful life in a long time. Not only are our logistical supplies a major problem, but the people are also overwhelmed. So I decided to stop for now. It's a good idea for you to go north and cause some trouble for the Great Zhou Dynasty so that they'll be too busy to attack us too soon. This will buy us some time to develop."
Xu Huiming suddenly felt a great pressure on his shoulders.
According to Xu Zhenying's plan, he had to buy them five years of development time in the north, which was no simple or easy task.
This also means that he has to stay in Bianjing City for five years.
This time, it’s different from the previous time. It’s been five years since I left.
Maybe when the brother and sister meet again, it will be the time when Xu Zhenying will conquer the world!
But when he thought of this scene, Xu Huiming was actually a little excited.
"Again, whether you go or not is up to you, big brother."
Xu Huiming smiled slightly. "My sister is about to be crowned a king, and she has money and food. I often think that it would be nice if I could just be an idle person for the rest of my life."
Xu Zhenying was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's fine. It's all up to you, brother. My dream in life is to create a free and fair world. Who says dreams can't be about being a free and unrestrained person? When I'm tired of working, maybe I'll retire early and follow in your footsteps."
Xu Huiming was originally joking, but from Xu Zhenying's tone, it seemed that she had even thought of a way out.
She was only fifteen years old, but she was already thinking about retirement.
At this moment, he suddenly felt a little sorry for Xu Zhenying.
She carries the dreams and futures of so many people on her shoulders. Everyone can stop, but she cannot.
"City Lord, I was just joking. Retirement? Fighting for supremacy is a feat that takes decades, and we still have a long way to go. I've said the same thing, I'll go wherever you need me. Bianjing City is a very prosperous place, and I'm looking forward to returning to the place where we once lived."
Xu Zhenying smiled and said, "Okay, this time is different from last time. This time, I will prepare the best team for you, Big Brother. I will give you ten spots, and you can pick whoever you want."
Xu Huiming smiled meaningfully: "Can I also want the people around the city lord?"
Xu Zhenying looked hesitant, then said, "Well, can I take back those ten spots?"
"City Lord, your words are not a joke—"
"I am a woman."
"You'll be crowned king soon. And you said that men and women are equal."
"Alright." Xu Zhenying held his forehead with his hand. "Don't dig too deep into the corner! Leave some people for me!"
Xu Huiming chuckled, "I'll try my best."
The brother and sister's banter brought them closer together.
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