Chapter 337: The Concubine Does Not Harm the Country, She Only Wants to Harm the Imperial Master (Forty-one)
I don’t know when the camellia flowers outside the window bloomed. From a distance, they looked like a bright red field, like a sunset glow.
Yu Huo stood under the tree, reached out to touch the pale pink petals, and slowly lowered his fingertips along the veins of the leaves until the small medicine furnace in the pavilion made a gurgling sound, then he withdrew his hand.
He came to the medicine pot, picked up a thick cloth and placed it on the handle, then poured the black medicine juice in the pot into the bowl. After letting it cool for a while, he picked it up and took a sip.
"Tsk, this is too bitter!"
He quickly picked up a candied fruit and put it in his mouth. Just as the bitterness was about to be washed away, a figure rushed in and came in front of him like a gust of wind.
"What are you eating?"
Yu Huo raised his eyes and glanced at Xiang Zhige, who was sweating profusely: "Eat shit."
Xiang Zhige raised his eyebrows: "I don't believe it, let me try it."
As he said this, he was about to pick his mouth.
Yu Huo quickly dodged the heavy hand and pushed the unfinished Chinese medicine on the table over: "I'll take the Chinese medicine!"
Seeing this, Xiang Zhige lowered his head and sniffed the dark soup in the bowl, then asked, "Why did you take Chinese medicine? Are you sick?"
Yu Huo was silent for a few seconds: "Not really, just to recuperate."
Xiang Zhige looked at the young man in front of him, his eyes passing over his thin wrists and waist, and nodded as if in agreement: "You really need to take care of your body."
Yu Huo nodded perfunctorily and was about to ask her what she wanted.
Unexpectedly, the other party scurried up behind him, picked up the glass plate of candied fruit, and chased after him, "What is this?"
Yu Huo turned around and looked: "Liuli."
Xiang Zhige picked up one and put it in his mouth: "Nonsense, this is clearly candied fruit."
Yu Huo: "..."
Seeing that he remained silent, Xiang Zhige ate while pulling the plate closer to himself: "It's just a few candied fruits? What are you talking about Chinese medicine? Look how stingy you are!"
Yu Huo's eyelids twitched, and finally he waved his hand helplessly: "Eat, eat, you greedy girl!"
I don’t know how many meals Xiang Zhige went hungry during this expedition, but he became like this after he came back. Whenever he saw something delicious, he wanted to stuff it into his mouth. This habit cannot be changed for the time being.
Seeing that the plate of preserved fruit was almost half gone, Yu Huo finally couldn't help but ask, "You didn't come here just to eat and drink, did you?"
Xiang Zhige swallowed the candied fruit in his mouth, then remembered why he was here. He immediately took out a memorial from his pocket and said, "Brother, the Spring Examination is approaching, and I want to set up a women's examination hall."
Yu Huo: "...why don't you just continue eating the candied fruit?"
Xiang Zhige froze, put the plate back on the stone table, and said anxiously, "I don't want to eat anymore. Please help me think of a solution!"
Yu Huo shook his head decisively and refused: "I can't think of anything. This is too difficult."
"Not long ago, nearly half of the positions in the imperial court were vacated by those who were demoted or implicated. If they aren't filled, who will handle the accumulated official duties? We can't just pick the tallest among the short ones and use them as is, can we?"
This is a very serious issue. Xiang Zhige couldn't eat when it was mentioned.
“This time when I went to Sishuiguan, I not only saw the poor side of the people, but also saw many kind-hearted wealthy people giving out porridge and doing charity.
Some merchants, unable to take the imperial examinations, paid more attention to their daughters, who could change their family status through marriage.
From accounting to business, from reading to understanding, they are no less capable than men.
If I could select a few people to work alongside me, it would greatly alleviate the pressure of the court's lack of manpower. I also need someone to give me advice, so I can't bother you all the time, right?"
Having said that, Xiang Zhige looked up vigilantly at the window of the inner hall that had been pushed open at some point, then moved closer to Yu Huo as if to complain, and raised his chin towards the man in the window.
"Actually, bothering you is secondary. The main point is that every time I come here, Jiang Feng stares at me sinisterly, making me look like your adulterer... Logically speaking, aren't you two the ones having an affair, eh!"
Yu Huo raised his hand to cover Xiang Zhige's face, his forehead full of black lines: "You are a woman, the word adulterer is not appropriate. And...
If you want someone to help you, why not just issue an imperial decree to recruit those girls into the palace and make them eunuchs?"
Xiang Zhige jumped up when he heard this and retorted loudly: "But I not only want someone to help me, I also want to change the current status of men and women..."
Having said this, she seemed to finally realize something and stopped talking. Then she looked cautiously at the smiling young man in front of her, her heart pounding like a drum.
Yu Huo picked up the plate of preserved fruit on the table and put it back into Xiang Zhige's hand, chuckling: "Zhige, if you have something to say, just say it directly. Hiding things is not your style."
"Aren't I just afraid that you will object?" Xiang Zhige clenched the plate in his hand, looking a little nervous.
"You knew I was against it without asking?"
Xiang Zhige pursed his lips and seemed to mutter to himself: "But you are a man..."
Yu Huo curled his lips and tapped the table with his fingers in dissatisfaction: "Not all men are selfish. At least I think it's good that you have this awareness. And remember one more thing."
Xiang Zhige: "What should I remember?"
Yu Huo: "In the future, if you have something to say, remember to speak directly. After all, with your intelligence, you are not suitable for playing tricks. It will only make you embarrassed."
"..." Xiang Zhige had something to ask him, so he didn't attack him immediately. Instead, he asked, "What about setting up a women's examination hall...?"
"Okay." Yu Huo nodded, and quickly added, "But not now."
Xiang Zhige frowned: "But now is the time to use people!"
Yu Huo reached out and patted the other person's shoulder to comfort him: "No matter how short of people you are, you can't be so reckless. You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. You have to give everyone time to adapt. It's best to do as I say. You can recruit a few women to be eunuchs and work with you.
As for women taking the imperial examinations and even standing in the court...how about this? Boss Qian is currently reselling glass and grain in Hui Country, and the prospects are very good.
If you're confident, send a few of them over there. After Boss Qian withdraws from Hui Country, they can also earn some merit and be given small official positions. With a precedent, the rest will be easier."
"Ah? Go to Hui Country!" Xiang Zhige had a bitter look on his face, and he seemed to be quite sympathetic to women.
Yu Huo clicked his tongue and said, "You said so too. Those girls come from merchant families. If they go there, they can become a help to Boss Qian. This is a great contribution. If you want to reward them, no official in the court will refuse, and no one can refuse."
Xiang Zhige pinched a candied fruit and put it in his mouth, then nodded: "I don't quite understand, but I'll listen to you."
After saying this, she walked out of the pavilion and wanted to say goodbye, but she almost bumped into Eunuch Gao who was late and taking small steps.
Fortunately, Xiang Zhige retracted his legs in time and did not knock the person over.
Gao Ling was still in shock, panting heavily as he said, "Empress, I have finally caught up with you."
Xiang Zhige blinked, walked around him and smiled evilly: "Well, since you have caught up, then come back with me now."
After saying that, Xiang Zhige rushed out again like a gust of wind.
Gao Ling was stunned: "......"
I'm really fed up with this job. Every day I'm either risking my life or risking my life!
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