Zhou Gu, listening to Su Rong’s nonsense, felt embarrassed in his heart. It was impressive how Su Rong could tell such tales without the slightest change in complexion. However, he naturally didn’t expose Su Rong; he just let Fen Ling misunderstand.
He warned himself inwardly, that before he indulges in any tomfoolery the next time, he’d need to be more aware of his surroundings, so he wouldn’t end up exhausted from dealing with the aftermath.
The morning court meeting started just like any other, with ministers lined up to present their reports for the day.
An elderly minister, seeing his report held back by his Majesty, appealed for a second review. "Your Majesty, Princess, this humble old servant believes that Cui Yanjin, who is only eleven, or perhaps twelve years old according to the lunar calendar, is too young to take up the role of a low-rank official at the Ministry of Rites. It is simply too excessive. I implore your Majesty and the Princess to reconsider, for the sake of order in the court."
Nanchu King sat back, "Despite his young age, he saved the Princess and secured Heiya Pass. It’s more than justified to reward him with the position of a low-ranking official, even a title wouldn’t be out of place."
The old man was taken aback and bravely retorted, "Your majesty, if you bestow a title without real power, I’d have no objections. The young master of the Cui family did save the princess and Nanchu, and should be rewarded with a regular salary. Although the position at the Ministry of Rites is minor, its duties are substantial. Cui Yanjin is too young, he is not up to it. I’ve heard that since he joined the Ministry, he couldn’t answer even basic questions posed by Minister Zhang, despite being coached. If he can still hold this position under these circumstances, it will be hard to convince others that he is not causing disorder."
The King of Nanchu had heard that Zhang Lixin had given Cui Yanjin three questions to answer. He couldn’t answer even one and struggled to recite the beginning of an article. The King hadn’t expected such ignorance from a young master from the Qinghe.
But he opined, "He is young and has time to learn. Who was born proficient in everything? Even I learnt on the job as a King. Wasn’t your tolerance high when I made errors?"
All the court officials broke into a cold sweat. Was that the proper way to phrase that? Were these appropriate comparisons? Although they were discontent, they had no choice as he was the King. How could Cui Yanjin be the same?
The King of Nanchu continued, "As you all know, the Princess and her bridegroom have a significant wedding planned in half a year. It’s a lot of work and we’re short-staffed at the Ministry of Rites. The other five ministries can’t spare employees either. Cui Yanjin has his merits; although he is young, he can handle a minor post. If he knows nothing, the employees at the Ministry of Rites can teach him and with Fen Ling guiding him, it’s only a matter of time until he learns, as he is intelligent. I’ve heard that he reads books for an hour after work, which shows promise."
The elderly official sighed, "Your Majesty, since the founding of Nanchu, or even in the whole world, no one has ascended the court at such a young age."
"There’s an old saying, ’A hero has no origin’. Today, I have a saying, ’Promising individuals are not defined by their age’. I have great expectations for Cui Yanjin, there is no need for further discussion." The Nanchu King, knowing that Su Rong and Zhou Gu had no objections to this minor issue, had even fewer. He swiftly dismissed any opposing voices, "If any of you have such a promising young man in your families who has also made significant contributions to the country and the monarch, I would also grant him a government position. If not, then stop fixating on this matter. We Nanchuians, from me to the forthcoming princess, hire based on abilities, not conventionalities."
The old official fell silent, as did the other court officials. Their descendants had not achieved such feats. The most talented among them were good at studying, but still fell short of Cui Yanjin, who despite his young age, had a group of formidable men under him, fearlessly protecting the princess and the city wall during battles.
After the morning court meeting was over, Su Rong headed to the Council Hall to continue the day’s affairs. Any officials who needed to discuss important matters with the princess were already following close behind.
Fen Ling approached Zhou Gu, "Brother-in-law, didn’t you say you weren’t worried about the big wedding? But it seems from the King’s address today, that the grand ceremony is still on schedule for half a year from now, right?"
Zhou Gu glanced at him, "I was just saying. Whether things go smoothly or not, depends on you. The King believes you can handle it."
Fen Ling: "..."
He himself didn’t feel particularly confident, but it seemed his brother-in-law believed in him.
A few days later, Su Rong received a hawk messenger from Yan Huisheng. The message stated that he had asked Dawei for seeds, and Dawei would directly send the seeds to Nanchu. He also mentioned his initial plan of using Yuan Chen as a hostage. Her timely arrival enabled the exchange of ten thousand seeds for Dawei’s second prince as a hostage, to which Yuan Zhao ultimately agreed.
Su Rong heaved a sigh of relief and said to Nanchu’s king: "Father, look, my cousin, the crown prince of Yan, is much more reliable than you."
It was lunchtime, and the king of Nanchu was sitting across from Su Rong, having his meal.
During these days, Su Rong had come to understand that many things could not be rushed. She dismissed the courtiers on time, leaving a break for lunchtime with the king of Nanchu.
The king of Nanchu took the letter and after reading it, he admitted, "Your cousin, the crown prince, indeed treats you well, and it wasn’t in vain that I sent Guixue to fetch him. Despite refusing to leave and insisting on helping him settle the court affairs, I waited for you in agony. Yet, you did not come, making me wait for more than half a year."
Su Rong put away the letter and hummed lightly, "If I hadn’t helped him sort out Dawei’s court affairs before I left Dawei, he wouldn’t have been able to help me. So, would Nanchu still exist?"
"Indeed," the king of Nanchu admitted guilty, "It was my mistake."
Despite his shortcomings, he did what he promised and had his meals with her every day.
After lunch, Su Rong wrote a response to Yan Huisheng. Halfway through, she left a portion of it to be completed by Zhou Gu, who might also have things to say to the crown prince and the old Duke.
As expected, upon his return that evening, Zhou Gu saw the half-completed letter and set to writing immediately. He wrote a few lines to Yan Huisheng and his grandfather before folding the letter, tying it to the rested hawk’s leg, and releasing it.
After finishing this task, he turned to Su Rong, who was lazily lying in bed playing with a set of nine rings, looking much more relaxed than the frowning sleep-deprived person he had seen these past days.
He took a bath and quickly returned to lie next to her, asking, "Have things been going smoothly these past few days? Are there any urgent matters at hand?"
"Yes," Su Rong replied, handing over the nine-rings puzzle for him to play with. "There are quite a few things. Besides, sorting out the seeds, arrangements for agricultural production in Nanchu need to be managed. Uncle Xie warned that heavy rainfall might cause landslides and disasters this year. We need to check whether people’s houses are sturdy, safe, and if not, persuade them to relocate. Several major river basins also need reinforcement and repair of dikes..."
She mentioned a series of pressing matters, all of which were difficult and needed to be pushed forward. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Zhou Gu sighed, "Being a princess is tough."
Of course, being a princess’s husband isn’t easy either.
Su Rong smiled and said, "That’s why Uncle Xie suggested that you write to the grandfather of the Qinghe Cui family. The Cui family is large and renowned, not to mention their rich collection of books, their descendants are not only literate and skilled in archery but also knowledgeable about water control and farming. I asked the Minister of Works, who said that they desperately need such people. If they come, they will be heavily courted."
Zhou Gu nodded. "Alright, I’ll write the letter now, and I’ll have it sent first thing tomorrow morning."
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