Chapter 3294 Accompany
Zhou Man whispered, "My matter is not urgent. There is no need to report to His Majesty. I will return to the Imperial Hospital in a moment."
Bai Shan thought about it and nodded, whispering, "Alright, there's a lot going on in Beihai County, and I may not be able to stay in the palace for long. You should go back to the Imperial Hospital first. When you get off the yamen, wait for me there and I'll pick you up."
Zhou Man nodded.
Bai Shan then stood a little further away from Zhou Man, brushed off the dust on his body, and then washed his face and hands with water.
Yang Heshu, who was standing outside the door, heard no movement from inside for a long time, so he coughed lightly outside and pushed the door open.
Bai Shan hurriedly wrung out the handkerchief and stepped forward to greet him, "Brother Yang."
Yang Heshu pointed to a chair and said, "There's no need for formalities between us. Someone has already gone to report to His Majesty. Someone will come to invite you shortly. Please sit down and rest."
Zhou Man pushed the snacks towards him and said, "Eat some to fill your stomach."
Bai Shan smiled and pinched a piece of dessert to eat. "Brother, do you have something to report to His Majesty?"
Yang Heshu nodded. "It's not a pressing matter, though. Let's see if Your Majesty will issue an order. If not, I'll return to the Ministry of Revenue shortly."
Bai Shan understood that he had made this trip specifically to bring them here.
Bai Shan ate two pieces of dessert, and the emperor, who had just rested, sent someone to invite Bai Shan over, "Master Bai, His Majesty summons you."
The eunuch turned to Yang Heshu and Zhou Man and said, "His Majesty said that he has to discuss matters with Minister Cui and others this morning. The matters concerning the two adults are not urgent, so you can report back in the afternoon."
Zhou Man and Yang Heshu quickly agreed, glanced at Bai Shan, nodded slightly, and left.
Bai Shan tidied his clothes and followed the eunuch to see the emperor.
The emperor was not the only one in the hall. The crown prince, Duke Zhao, and Minister Cui were also there.
Bai Shan lowered his eyes. Duke Zhao must be here because of the war in Qingzhou. Minister Cui...
Does His Majesty want him to decide on the spot whether to stay or go?
Bai Shan knelt and saluted. The emperor raised his hand and said, "No need to be so polite. Sit down and answer. This is Minister Cui from the Ministry of Personnel. You haven't met him yet, have you?"
"Yes," Bai Shan turned around and saluted Minister Cui, "Minister Cui."
"Tell me, why did Baekje suddenly invade the border?" the emperor said. "Your memorial is unclear, saying only that it was for the salt fields. But the salt fields in Bisa City were just built, and it's winter and spring now. How much salt can they produce?"
Bai Shan said, "Your Majesty, Baekje has always been ambitious and profit-driven. Since the construction of the Longchi dock, maritime trade has flourished. I have just learned that maritime pirates are rampant, and most of them are collusion between Baekje and the Japanese, who specialize in plundering our Great Jin merchant ships..."
Zhou Man walked down the stairs one by one. Yang Heshu walked beside her and asked with a smile, "Do you feel at ease now?"
Zhou Man gave Yang Heshu an embarrassed smile, his eyes red, "Thank you, Brother Yang."
Yang Heshu shook his head. "No need. We can't let the entire court see us, the officials of the Great Jin Dynasty, crying on the spot, can we?"
Zhou's face turned red.
Yang Heshu stopped, turned around, looked at her and said with a smile: "You are still young, it's okay if you cry, don't be embarrassed."
Zhou Man: "I'm already a mother."
"Yes," Yang Heshu sighed. The little girl who used to cover her face with a book and sleep soundly in the straw hut with her arms and legs spread out has become a mother now. "But the ministers in the court are still older than you, so you still don't have to be shy. Others have cried before."
Zhou Man asked curiously, "Has anyone ever cried upwards?"
Yang Heshu raised his hand and knocked her on the head, smiling, "You're curious again, don't ask nonsense."
Zhou Man rubbed his head, and Yang Heshu smiled and said, "Let's go. I'll take you to the intersection. I'm leaving the palace and going back to the Ministry of Revenue."
Zhou Man stopped asking questions and they went down the stairs together and separated.
Bai Shan's report this time was particularly long. Duke Zhao and Minister Cui left one after another, leaving only the emperor and Crown Prince Bai Shan in the palace. They even had lunch in the palace, and no one knew what they said in there.
When he got off work in the afternoon, Zhou Man waited in the Imperial Hospital with his chin propped up.
Xiao Yuanzheng passed by her office twice. Seeing that she was distracted, he knocked on the door and said, "It's time to leave the office. If you're not dealing with official documents, what are you still doing here?"
Zhou Man: "Waiting for someone."
Xiao Yuanzheng's teeth grimaced for a moment, and he asked, "It's already time to leave the government office. If he doesn't come, won't you go look for him?"
"Forget it. What if I miss him? I'm pregnant and it's not convenient for me to run around looking for him. I'd better wait for him here," Zhou Man said. "He will come to pick me up eventually."
Xiao Yuanzheng turned around and went out, bringing back a memorial. "Then while you wait, can you help me check some things?"
Zhou Man took it and unfolded it, looking at it, and said disdainfully: "Director, didn't our Imperial Medical Bureau snatch several Jinshi and Mingjing scholars this year?"
"They have a lot on their plate, and this batch is particularly important. I need to review it. You know I'm not very good at calculating, so please help me check it."
Zhou Man could only agree and took out his pen and abacus. "Alright, I'll only be working for another seven days anyway. I have a long vacation in the next ten days."
Xiao Yuanzheng agreed, "I know. Don't worry, I will make sure you take your vacation on time."
Bai Shan knelt on the ground, kowtowed to the emperor, and then stood up and left.
The emperor watched him leave, smiled, and said, "Not bad."
"I thought Father would find it a pity." The Crown Prince frowned. "Isn't going to the East the best option for him now?"
"What one's heart desires is the best," the emperor said calmly. "He's young, so it doesn't matter if he takes a few detours in his career. As long as he's happy, that's all that matters."
The prince paused and looked at the emperor, "Father, why are you suddenly so sentimental?"
The emperor glanced at him and said, "Bai Shan is a minister. He can be sentimental, as long as you don't be sentimental."
Prince: ...
The emperor stood up and said, "Alright, go ahead. I also want to go see your mother."
The prince stood up silently and bowed to see the emperor off.
Bai Shan calmed his breath outside the Imperial Hospital before walking in. The imperial physician who was still working overtime saw him and exclaimed, "Hey, Lord Bai, you're here? You haven't even caught your breath yet. Come and have a glass of water."
"Go, go, go, why are you drinking water after running? Sir Bai, are you here to pick up Sir Zhou? Sir Zhou is waiting for you in the office."
Bai Shan blushed slightly and greeted them before going to the office to find Zhou Man.
Zhou Man immediately closed the folder in his hand when he saw him, "You're here?"
Bai Shan stepped forward to support her and asked, "Can we leave the government office now?"
"Alright, this memorial isn't mine. We can check it tomorrow. Let's go."
In the palace, the two of them couldn't act too close, so Bai Shan let go of Zhou Man's hand and walked out of the palace with her shoulder to shoulder. "I see you're even thinner than when you were pregnant with my eldest sister. Are you too tired?"
Zhou Man: "No, but my appetite hasn't been very good lately."
She said, "I can take maternity leave in the second half of the month."
"I will wait for the imperial court's appointment and have a long period of rest. I will stay home with you... and my elder sister."
"good."
(End of this chapter)
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