Chapter 80 Accepted with a smile
Guan Zhiwei held the young emperor in her hands, and could assign official positions as she pleased, all of which were certified by the court and granted by the emperor.
With this move, Wei Fuzhi was given the title of General Who Conquers the West and a nominal official position of Grand Master of the Palace.
Even a thousand pieces of gold are spent on a horse's bones, let alone a genuine thoroughbred.
He also brought more than 100,000 people with him.
This moved Wei Fuzhi to tears, and he spoke constantly of serving his country.
Guan Zhiwei could tell that he lacked a formal title and valued it highly.
So they sent a letter all the way back to the imperial court, asking the emperor to personally write a letter of commendation and send it to them.
The young emperor was always good at praising people: "When the great way is abandoned, there is benevolence and righteousness; when wisdom arises, there is great hypocrisy; when the six kinships are not harmonious, there is filial piety and kindness; when the country is in chaos, there are loyal ministers. My dear minister is like an orchid growing in a deep forest, not losing its fragrance because no one is there to appreciate it. You cultivate the Way and establish virtue, not changing your principles because of poverty. I am deeply gratified. I have prepared some simple wine in the capital and am waiting for your triumphant return."
It is said that Wei Fuzhi slept with this tattered cloth around his neck at night.
Even Jun Yuan, upon seeing this, was filled with envy, thinking, "I wish I could achieve great merit and receive such recognition."
This country has existed for hundreds of years, and its foundation remains intact. Whether it's the common people or the powerful families, they still tacitly accept that this is the land of the Great Zhou. It's just that this land has already tilted, and it remains to be seen whether anyone can stand up and turn the tide.
Knowing that he remained silent, it was clear that this thing had not resonated with him.
People are different, and what they pursue is also different. Money, power, fame, and even stability are all kinds of desires.
But without a doubt, you will be controlled by what you seek.
They are all military generals, so it's not good to be too biased.
But for someone like Zhi Fang, no matter what you offer, it's difficult to win his loyalty. The fact that he can stay obediently under someone like Gao Yang only proves one thing: he admires strength.
Guan Zhiwei invited the father and son to go hunting on horseback, showing off her superior martial arts skills from every angle. "I'm even stronger than Gao Yang!"
During those few days, Zhifang looked noticeably more refreshed, no longer gloomy and always lost in thought.
Even if you're a wolf, two slaps will make your eyes clearer than a dog's.
Wei Fuzhi's defection was undoubtedly a good omen, making those heroes vying for power realize that orthodoxy was still their heart's desire.
With the young emperor in her grasp, Guan Zhiwei possessed the rightful title of emperor, and for a time, quite a few people who had risen in rebellion came to join her. The Zhai brothers, being from a clan, not only brought troops but also supplies.
With so many people suddenly entering the city, Gao Huan was busy again, secretly dying once before coming back to life to continue working. He glanced over and saw Guan Zhiwei enjoying drinks with the Zhai brothers.
So he instructed his servants to prepare more hangover soup.
Guan Zhiwei was short-handed, so she even personally took on the task of calming people down.
Yong'an City is not lacking in talented people, but those scions of noble families are all putting on airs. If they don't hold you back, that's already showing you respect. If a couple of them are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, then it's truly a case of a thousand-mile dike collapsing because of an ant.
She had no choice but to use everything she could; Chen Dalang, Guan Zhang, and Jiang Shuzheng—none of them could escape.
The two Guan sisters were literate and had no problem with the soldiers during the census, so they helped with the work.
Guan Nannan had no time to think about her terrible marriage, and Guan Liuliu had no time to prepare for her marriage either.
Madam You, the wife of the Jiang family, subtly expressed that women like the Grand Tutor were one in a million, and ordinary women should avoid showing their faces in public, especially in dangerous places like military camps. She disliked her daughter-in-law going out and showing her face in public.
"So what do you think a woman should be like?"
"..." Madam You dared not use Empress Jiang as an example again, for fear that Guan Zhiwei would describe in detail how Empress Jiang knelt at her feet, tears streaming down her face.
"The noble families and commoners each have their own roles: the noble families accumulate virtue and study, while the commoners farm and do odd jobs; men and women each have their own roles: men establish merit and make a name for themselves, while women are diligent and thrifty in managing the household; the civil and military have their own roles..."
Guan Zhiwei waved her hand to interrupt, "I'm very busy right now and don't have time to listen to this. To be honest, I don't care if you're male or female, a commoner or a noble family, a scholar or a military general. You're all my beasts of burden and have to work for me. You're the same. You can read and write, and you can check the accounts, right? Come on, let's get to work!"
"How can that be allowed?!"
"Why not? If I say it's okay, then it's okay."
This is what she learned from that heartless boss: treat everyone, regardless of gender, like cattle or horses.
The entire city was bustling with activity. Everyone knew that Yuan Qiuhe would be furious and send troops upon receiving the news, and this time the force would be overwhelming.
Even under such a crisis, Prefect Liang continued to slack off.
He doesn't handle matters in the city, doesn't help with relocation, and doesn't issue approvals; he just keeps pretending to be sick.
The higher-ups turn a deaf ear, and the policies below are unclear, leading to frequent clashes and significant delays.
Guan Zhiwei got angry and stormed into his house with a knife.
"Grand Tutor, please calm down! Grand Tutor, please calm down!"
The men and women of the manor all came out to beg for forgiveness and admit their mistakes. A common man's anger can cause bloodshed.
"Where is Prefect Liang? I need to see him!"
"Grand Tutor, please calm down! Grand Tutor, please calm down!"
The crowd stammered and begged for mercy, trying to stop them, but in the end, Prefect Liang sent someone to escort Guan Zhiwei over.
He was in his study, with brewed tea beside him, incense burning in the incense burner, and a wall of books behind the desk and chair, some of which were open and he was annotating them with great interest.
Guan Zhiwei's face was contorted; he was living the life I wanted to live.
"I heard you were sick? You're still alive, aren't you? Go get to work!"
"There were men and women sitting together in the official room, and I was doing this for the sake of my reputation..."
"Don't push me too far. If you push me too far, I'll gladly accept your son, your daughter, your wife, and even you. Your whole family will be in my house, all together."
Guan Zhiwei grinned maliciously: "Trying to clear your name? I'll make sure you can't wash it off even if you jump into the Yellow River!"
Prefect Liang was dumbfounded: "How could you do this? Don't you care about your own reputation?"
"Are you stupid? What reputation do I have!"
Guan Zhiwei turned around and pushed open the door. At the bottom of the steps, his son and daughter-in-law both had dumbfounded expressions.
"My daughter-in-law is quite pretty too." She smiled and strode away. A cacophony of voices could be faintly heard behind her.
"Father! She may be shameless, but the Liang family has a reputation to uphold! We can't let her do this, Father!"
"Oh, the Grand Tutor praised my good looks."
The next day, Prefect Liang recovered from his illness and was able to manage the city in an orderly manner.
He just kept sighing: "My heart is enslaved by my body, like a horse or ox in this mortal world; my body is bound by fame, like a chicken or duck in a cage."
Guan Zhiwei didn't listen much, and no one knew what she was babbling about; she just focused on getting to work.
This was a wrecked ship, with parts that didn't fit together. Big and small, crooked and misaligned, it was just haphazardly put together, and somehow it set sail.
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