Grandpa De also looked at Xiao Jinhan with great surprise.
Conferring the title of county princess is a completely different matter compared to rare antiques, gold, and silver jewelry.
The county princess is a member of the royal family and should be listed on the royal jade tablet!
There are only three county princesses in the capital, and they all have royal blood flowing through their veins. As for county princesses from the common people, there has never been one.
Even fewer people are granted fiefdoms... Even Jun Qingcheng, who was born with the title of Princess Mingzhu, has never enjoyed a fiefdom.
"Your Majesty's decision is not to be questioned," Xiao Jinhan said, bowing and lowering his eyes.
"Summer has just begun, and Beiming is already suffering from drought. If this drought worsens, Beiming may take action again when Yu the Great harvests the autumn harvest."
Sufficient provisions are essential for the army's horses to thrive.
Now that the autumn harvest is approaching, it's just the right time to plant another crop of sweet potatoes.
Upon hearing this, the emperor's previous joy subsided.
Although the land of Beiming is vast, it is mountainous and covered in ice and snow, resulting in a severe shortage of food. In recent years, during the famine months, people have been raiding the villages north of Dayu to steal food.
The Beiming people are like hyenas on the grasslands.
He has a habit of doing things secretly and in a shady way.
If the drought continues to worsen, the disputes will likely escalate beyond the minor skirmishes of the past.
In recent years, the treasury of the Great Yu Kingdom has not been very abundant.
Once a war breaks out, the amount of food and supplies needed will be considerable.
Fortunately, the Su family girl offered sweet potatoes in time. The trial and promotion of sweet potatoes is indeed urgent. However, the matter of bestowing titles is of great importance, and he still needs to consider it carefully.
Thinking of this, the emperor sighed softly, "Let me think about this matter first. Does Minister Xiao intend to stay in the capital this time?"
Xiao Jinhan was not surprised that he did not agree immediately. He simply shook his head and said, “Your Majesty, I am already used to life in the mountains. After tomorrow, I will prepare to return to Qingshui County.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor's gaze fell upon the tall figure before him.
Ten years have passed, and the little boy who was once no taller than the desk has grown taller than him. Dressed in a simple moon-white robe, he exudes unparalleled elegance.
Especially those eyes, they were almost exactly the same as hers.
The emperor gazed into those deep, cold eyes, suppressed his melancholy, and smiled slowly, "Minister Xiao is no longer young; next year you will be nineteen."
We should pay more attention to this important matter of marriage.
Whenever Uncle Xiao sees me, the topic he talks about most is your marriage.
"If you, Xiao Aiqing, find someone you fancy in the future, you may speak to me, and I will issue an imperial decree to grant you a marriage!"
Xiao Jinhan raised his face, a pleased smile playing on his sharply defined lips. "Your Majesty, I thank you in advance."
Upon hearing these familiar words, the emperor merely gave a soft "hmm" and said nothing more, instructing Eunuch De to escort the person out.
After a while, Grandpa De returned.
Looking at the somewhat absent-minded person, he sighed inwardly, "Your Majesty, this old servant has already seen General Zhennan out of the palace gate. General Zhennan left you a large basket of sweet potatoes in the imperial kitchen. Would you like this old servant to send someone to bring them over?"
The emperor snapped out of his reverie, "He is quite thoughtful."
“General Zhennan is concerned about His Majesty,” Eunuch De replied with a smile, refilling the emperor’s teacup. “He is concerned about His Majesty, so he thinks of him in everything he does.”
The emperor picked up his teacup and took a small sip, his expression brightening slightly. "Little Dezi, don't you think General Zhennan seems a bit off today?"
The old eunuch paused slightly in his hand holding the teapot. "This old servant is blind and did not see anything amiss."
The emperor seemed to be deep in thought. "General Zhennan has always been a man of few words. Over the years, the number of words he has spoken to me can be counted on two hands."
Today, however, he is so talkative and eloquent, especially after mentioning the youngest daughter of the Su family; his words flowed like a floodgate opening.
Having grown up with the emperor since childhood, Eunuch De naturally understood his meaning. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Has Your Majesty forgotten that General Zhennan just said that this Su family girl will soon come to the capital to open a restaurant? When Your Majesty summons her to meet you, everything will be clear."
"What Xiao Dezi said makes some sense," the emperor nodded slightly.
Eunuch De put down the teapot, glanced at the man's face, and said softly, "This old servant heard from the servants that Princess Mingzhu seems to have gone to Wuxi Prefecture. Now Prince Yan and his wife are very anxious."
While others might not know the details of Princess Mingzhu's affair, those close to the emperor did know a fair bit about it.
Princess Mingzhu has gone south to find General Zhennan.
The emperor waved his hand, "She's not a child anymore, let her do whatever she wants! Besides, I'm an old man and I can't interfere in the affairs of young people."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch De stopped mentioning Princess Mingzhu and simply smiled and said, "His Majesty is in his prime. He can easily ride a horse, draw a bow, and shoot tigers and leopards. How can he be called 'old'?"
"I think you've been sneaking some maltose in the imperial kitchen. You're getting old, but your mouth is getting even more talkative," the emperor said with a laugh.
His gaze fell on the slightly mottled inkstone on the right side of the imperial desk, and a slight smile curved his lips. "If General Zhennan truly has a woman he admires, Ah Heng would be more at ease if she knew this in the afterlife."
Grandpa De kept his eyes down and listened quietly, not daring to respond again.
******
The next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
As soon as Wei Hui entered the palace gate, he felt scorching gazes from all around him, as if thorns were pricking his back.
However, when he turned his head, all he saw were rows of dark heads.
Just then, a purple figure slowly stepped into the palace gate.
"Your Excellency, is everything alright at home?"
Wei Hui narrowed his long, narrow eyes. "His Majesty governs with strict discipline, and now the weather is favorable, so everyone in the family is naturally safe and well. I wonder what makes you say that, Grand Chancellor?"
"It's just a greeting, why is the Right Prime Minister acting like a hedgehog?" He Yunyan raised her lips.
She scrutinized the man for a long time before exclaiming in surprise, "Oh dear, Your Excellency, your eyes are swollen and you have dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night because you were worried about something?"
I have served as an official with the Right Chancellor for decades. Why don't you tell me, Right Chancellor, so that I can share some of your burdens?
Whether it's business or family matters, Mr. He is willing to help.
Wei Hui wasn't a simple-minded fool; upon hearing this, how could he not understand what the other party meant?
No wonder they all looked at him like he was a monkey.
He originally thought that it would take at least three days for news of Jia'er to spread, but he did not expect that it would become the talk of the town overnight.
If no one had done anything strange during that time, even ghosts wouldn't believe it.
This Xiao Jinhan is truly ungrateful and insists on courting death!
Wei Hui gritted his teeth, ignoring He Yunyan, and stepped into the Golden Palace.
However, upon entering the Golden Palace, they discovered that Prince Gong, who had not attended court for a long time, was actually there today!
Moreover, it's unclear whether it was a misperception or just a coincidence.
As soon as he stood still, he felt a pair of sharp tiger eyes staring at him, like knives, making his heart feel heavy with oppression.
Until a shrill voice rang out.
"If you have something to report, speak now; if not, the court is adjourned!"
Wei Hui's heart skipped a beat, and he stepped forward with his hands clasped. "Your humble servant has a report: Xiao Jinhan of the Zhennan Camp..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
