96 Fit
◎Gu Ningxi can handle morning affairs with ease, but not so much on the bed at night.◎
The moonlight was bright, and the curtains between the couches were still rustling with the lingering sound.
Lu Jing hugged the person in his arms, stroked her fair cheek with his fingers, and saw that the touching blush on that jade-like face had not faded.
There was still a dazed look in Gu Ningxi's eyes. After a while, she calmed down a little and couldn't help but move quietly to the middle of the couch when she had the strength.
Lu Jing held him back and asked, "Why were you distracted earlier?"
Gu Ningxi lowered her eyes, and Lu Jing asked, "Are you worried about your elder sister?"
“Yes and no.”
My sister had already agreed to the marriage with the Duke of Qi. In truth, she had no other choice. The Duke of Qi had shown their sincerity in the marriage, and my family would never allow my sister to abandon this marriage.
"You should know Yan Ming's character well. The Duke of Qi's family will not let her suffer any injustice."
"I know. With the Duke of Qi's current status, there's no marriage he can't secure in the capital. My sister just broke off the engagement, and he's willing to propose to the Marquisate, which shows he's genuinely interested."
The marriage between the two mansions has not yet been announced, so we must temporarily avoid the controversy surrounding the broken engagement with the Ningguo Mansion.
The Duke of Qi made his attitude clear to his father and Madam Shen early on, fearing that they would hastily marry his sister off.
Yesterday, her elder sister weighed the pros and cons with her and decided that the Duke of Qi's Mansion was her best destination.
Gu Ningxi looked into her calm eyes. Her sister accepted her fate calmly, and she felt a little sad for no reason.
She thought about herself again. How long could she last in the old dynasty?
Even though everything seems to be going as she wishes now, her fate depends on his thoughts.
He could easily control everything about her, and she was still under his control.
"Um?"
Lu Jing lowered his eyes and kissed the lips of the person in his arms, noticing that she was unusually silent.
Gu Ningxi didn't want to break the superficial peace for the time being and responded to his kiss.
She leaned against his chest, breathing softly, and complained, "I was just distracted for a moment, Your Majesty is going too far."
The second half of the sentence was sincere, and Gu Ningxi's physical strength on the couch was really unable to withstand him.
Lu Jing smiled, kissed her on the cheek, and hugged her to sleep contentedly.
Gu Ningxi was extremely tired. He closed his eyes and his breathing quickly became steady.
We slept in each other’s arms, having a dreamless night.
…
Since the beginning of autumn, the busyness of court affairs has increased.
The reduction of royal titles was carried out vigorously. By November, most of the Lu family princes had received the imperial edict, and their titles of kings were changed to marquises, and all their tributes were reduced accordingly.
The Ministry of Revenue calculated the silver and could save a large amount of money just from the annual salary of the princes, which could be used for other purposes.
Of course, not all Lu County Princes were so obedient. After a long period of being a powerful prince, some people became overconfident.
In Lizhou, Prince Yi'an Lu Chang joined forces with Prince Yong'an Lu Kuo and Prince Jiangping Lu Sheng to rebel, intending to challenge the imperial court.
The Emperor has already dispatched Li Ji, the Governor of Yongzhou and General of the Left Guard, to lead an army of 30,000 to suppress the rebellion. This minor local threat is nothing to be feared.
Gu Ningxi looked at the man who was calm and composed behind the imperial desk. When it came to the art of war, no one in the Jin Dynasty could match him.
His complete control over military power and morale also enabled him to rule the country and conquer all directions with ease.
Gu Ningxi smiled, and a faint envy emerged in her heart for no reason.
She continued to draft the imperial edict. The emperor had already agreed with officials from the three provinces in the Mingtang Hall to divide the country into ten regions, based on the terrain: Guannei, Henan, Hedong, Shannan, and Longyou. No officials would be stationed at the Dao level, serving only as central oversight. Simultaneously, prefectures and counties were being eliminated. From spring to autumn, a five-month process, Wei Fan and his men reduced the country to 303 prefectures and 1,221 counties.
Officials from various prefectures and counties were involved in a large number of dispatches, and the Secretariat and the Chancellery drew up preliminary lists, which were personally reviewed by the emperor for officials above the rank of Inspector.
This matter is huge and complicated, especially since the provincial governor is the father of the region and cannot tolerate incompetent and corrupt people just sitting there doing nothing.
The country was newly established, and the court was short of talent. In just the first ten months, Lu Jing issued three edicts, ordering officials to recommend talents and summoning scholars who had retired during the chaos to serve in the court.
This move recruited many talented people, and local schools were restored one after another. By the next spring, the imperial court would reinstitute the imperial examination system.
Government decrees came one after another. Although they were busy, the ministers of the new dynasty were all diligent and conscientious. No one slacked off, but became more diligent.
As a monarch, Lu Jing set an example. He made "light taxes and levies, and allowing the people to rest" the national policy. Since he came to the throne, he did not build palaces or delay farming.
On the contrary, wasteland was reclaimed across the country, the curved plow was gradually extended to various counties and cities, and local areas developed agricultural water conservancy.
In addition to the Yunmen Weir and Hongnong Canal, which are being built under the supervision of the imperial court, the construction of the Changqing Canal in the middle of the river and the Baizhi Canal in the east of the river has been put on the agenda. There are also countless dams, ponds, ditches, etc. built spontaneously by local officials and the people.
Water conservancy projects have always been Gu Ningxi's forte. Lu Jingqiu is busy assessing county officials and has no time to take care of everything.
This general business was gradually taken over by Gu Ningxi. Initially, he was responsible for organizing memorials, monitoring progress, and reporting to the emperor for his decision. Later, Gu Ningxi could make decisions on routine water conservancy matters first, and then compile a summary for the emperor to know.
Lu Jing had to admit that Yuan Le was incredibly skilled in irrigation and water conservancy. As the saying goes, every trade has its own specialty, and Yuan Le's handling of construction projects was far superior to his own. If craftsmen or officials were deceiving their superiors or falsifying expenditures, Yuan Le would be more perceptive than he was.
Lu Jing, always willing to appoint people based on personal connections, wasn't afraid to delegate power to Gu Ningxi. For example, he assigned Wei Fan and Xie Qian to oversee the reduction of prefectures and counties, freeing him up to clean up the bureaucracy. His father and brother were too lenient with their subordinates, and their excessive favoritism towards their cronies led to countless redundant officials at court, fostering a culture of laziness and corruption. While his brother was determined to rectify the bureaucracy and evaluate officials, he ultimately played it safe and compromised, resulting in a system of assessments that existed in name only.
Originally, Lu Jing wanted to put this matter on the agenda later, but with Gu Ningxi's participation in sharing the national task of agricultural production, the burden on his shoulders was lightened a lot, and he had some free time.
Gu Ningxi lived a fulfilling life every day, putting all his previous training at the Ministry of Works into practice. The rush of tasks, coupled with rapid progress, often led to more than six months of learning in a single month. While the construction of water conservancy projects was important, it wasn't just about water conservancy. The appointment of craftsmen and officials, the setting of construction deadlines, and the verification of disbursements all impacted people's livelihoods.
Sometimes she would open the memorials and write as if inspired, as if she had been doing this for years and had some kind of divine intervention.
Gu Ningxi could handle the morning affairs with ease, but it was not the same at night when he was lying on the bed.
He has endless energy and comes up with endless new ideas, as if he is never satisfied.
Of course Gu Ningxi was comfortable, but she couldn't stand his endless demands.
She is just an ordinary civil servant, how can she compare with him?
When Lu Jing collapsed in her arms again, Gu Ningxi thought that she should hand over all the matters she had taken over to him to save him from tossing and turning at night.
Especially on his days off, he acts even more recklessly.
Sometimes, when pushed too hard, Gu Ningxi, lying on the couch, would completely forget about the words "disobeying the emperor." Not only did she address the emperor by his name, she even cursed him out loud, both when she should and when she shouldn't.
The warm sunlight of the morning hour shines through the brocade tent, and it is a bright sunny day outside the window.
Gu Ningxi half leaned in Lu Jing's arms, opened her sleepy eyes, and raised her hand lazily.
Lu Jing tied her shirt for her. She looked so lazy and relaxed, so cute and pitiful.
Gu Ningxi was still angry from last night, and she snorted lightly, refusing to pay attention to him.
Only when she put on the fourth-rank crimson official uniform did she regain some of her rationality.
Lu Jing was very skilled in untying and tying the jade belt of her official uniform.
Gu Ningxi raised her collar to hide the scar on her neck. Thinking of how he had taken advantage of her day off last night to do whatever he wanted, she tried to hold it in, but couldn't. She whispered to herself, "You bastard emperor."
As if he knew what Gu Ningxi was complaining about, Lu Jinglang smiled and pecked her on the lips.
He took her hand and got off the bed: "Let's go."
"Um."
The two of them boarded the imperial carriage and went to the imperial study together.
The days passed like this, and in winter, news of victory came from the front line, and the rebellion in Lizhou was completely quelled.
It was just a mob, not a force to be reckoned with. By imperial decree, only the leaders of the rebellion were executed on the spot, and the rest were spared. The soldiers who participated in the rebellion were released and returned to their homes, granted land to farm and earn a living.
The local area gradually stabilized and the people became united.
At the beginning of the new year, Lu Jing officially issued an edict to change the reign title to Tianguan. The imperial decree spread throughout the four regions and became known to the world.
When spring came and flowers bloomed, Gu Ningxi requested permission to leave the capital and inspect water conservancy projects in all directions on behalf of the emperor.
The imperial envoys were divided into two groups. Gu Ningxi headed east, passing through the Guannei Road, and then through the Hedong Road and Henan Road. This was her first time traveling far away from the capital since she entered the court, and she was on her own.
In addition to the guards sent by the court, Cheng Wu, in accordance with the order of His Majesty, escorted Lord Gu along the way.
The scenery outside Kyoto is different. The scenes that Gu Ningxi had only seen in calligraphy and paintings before gradually appeared before his eyes.
Daizhou is a hilly area, and the first high-speed drum cart was built on the banks of the Ji River.
The flowing water continuously hits the slope, the water wheel keeps turning, and the bamboo tube on the chain draws water and sends it to higher places, which is the hope of spring plowing and the hope of the people.
The crops in the fields have sprouted new buds, and the tender green color is full of infinite vitality.
Farmers can be seen working in the fields everywhere, often with families working together. Despite their busy schedule, their faces reveal a long-lost sense of liveliness and hope.
The Central Plains has been ravaged by war, countless civilians driven from their homes. The population has plummeted, and with so much land and so few people to support it, the people, suffering to this day, long for stability and a good life.
The spring rain pattered softly, and Gu Ningxi unconsciously reached out to catch the falling raindrops. This year's abundant rain, coupled with the use of drum wheels and curved plows, greatly facilitated farming for the people.
In the misty spring rain, farmers are still working hard in the fields.
Gu Ningxi carefully observed the use of the plows in the fields, and chatted with the farmers in their spare time, hoping to make further improvements.
Knowing that she was an imperial envoy sent from the capital, the people were very enthusiastic and talked to her about the fields, crops, and the possible harvest this year.
The imperial court lowered taxes again and again, and even the illiterate common people knew that the current dynasty was different from the previous one. There was no longer endless forced labor and endless taxes to pay.
The people's attitude towards the court can be seen from their attitude towards the imperial envoy.
Gu Ningxi stepped on the soft soil, and his clean official boots, which were used to standing on the golden bricks in the court, were covered with mud.
But this is a down-to-earth feeling, an experience that you will never have in Kyoto.
He wrote page after page of official documents reporting on his work. In his spare time, Gu Ningxi would also write letters back to the capital to share what he had seen and heard with the person in the court.
During his campaigns abroad, he likely witnessed the displacement of civilians, and knew that benevolent government would always be more reassuring than harsh punishment. Despite the constant raging of war, he pacified the Central Plains in a matter of years, ending the endless chaos. How could he not be popular?
Just as the Queen said, this country belongs to him.
Gu Ningxi's return date, originally scheduled for June, was postponed again and again.
In the hot summer, the rice seedlings are green, as if they want to bring coolness to people through the scorching wind.
Gu Ningxi sat with her knees hugged under the shade of a willow tree. She was born into a wealthy family and had a smooth and comfortable life from studying to taking the imperial examinations to becoming an official.
She had previously thought of being sent abroad to benefit the local people, but she had never been to the fields to truly witness the suffering of the people. Some of her political assumptions were like castles in the air, naive and delusional.
Farmers in the fields sweated profusely, the steam rising from their feet and enveloping them, even the soil emitting a scorching heat. The blazing sun shone on their backs, like a burning fire.
The breeze blew through a strand of Gu Ningxi's hair, and the scene before her was enough to make her silent for a long time.
【Author’s words】
At this time, a little Lu is waiting for his wife to come back [burst into tears]
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