Chapter 327 Advance Recommendation of Merit for Them
Attending the morning court session in ancient times was a symbol of status for officials, but it was also a genuine ordeal. In modern terms, the morning court session started at 5:00 AM, meaning officials had to get up at 3:00 AM. Those living far from the palace had to get up even earlier.
However, many people are not required to attend court every day. Moreover, on the day of court, if there are no important official matters after court, one can go directly back to one's residence to rest.
The Duke of Chu's residence wasn't far from the palace. Although Jiang Yu had gone to bed late the night before, she always slept very well, so she felt quite refreshed after waking up. After having a simple bowl of porridge, she got up to go to court.
When she arrived, many officials were already there. After getting off the sedan chair, she chatted with everyone as she walked forward. When she reached the vicinity of the palace gate, she saw her maternal uncle, Lu Yuntao, talking to the Duke of Wei. Not seeing her maternal grandfather, the Marquis of Anyuan, Jiang Yu went over to inquire.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuntao replied, "I caught a cold a couple of days ago and have already asked the Emperor for leave."
Jiang Yu looked worried. "I'm going to visit my maternal grandfather this afternoon."
Knowing she had a lot on her mind, Lu Yuntao said, "Don't worry, I've already seen a doctor. The doctor said two doses of medicine will do the trick."
Jiang Yu nodded, but decided that after meeting with Prince An, she would go to the Marquis of Anyuan's residence to visit her maternal grandfather. She turned to speak to the Duke of Wei, but in doing so, she saw the Prime Minister, and their eyes met. The Prime Minister's gaze was wary and probing, while Jiang Yu remained quite calm.
The Prime Minister couldn't discern anything from Jiang Yu's face, so he turned his gaze to Lu Yuntao and the Duke of Wei. Seeing that both men also remained calm, the Prime Minister withdrew his gaze and looked at Jiang Yu again, asking, "Duke of Chu, how is the reform of the money shops progressing?"
Jiang Yu smiled at him, "Some people tried to sabotage things, but they were all dealt with, and it went relatively smoothly overall."
"That's good. I was just worried that the reform of the money shops would cause unrest." The Prime Minister's face showed concern, but he said, "However, the Duke of Chu is very capable, and the reform should be completed smoothly."
Jiang Yu bowed to him, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Prime Minister."
The two remained silent after that. Lu Yuntao and the Duke of Wei looked at Jiang Yu, their eyes asking if something had happened. The conversation between Jiang Yu and the Prime Minister, though seemingly simple, had a tense undercurrent of tension between them.
Jiang Yu didn't explain to them, but whispered, "Hold your positions." Lu Yuntao and the Duke of Wei, though unaware of what had happened, nodded almost imperceptibly. After nodding, they were both stunned; it seemed that these old men had been obeying Jiang Yu's orders since when.
Lu Yuntao and the Duke of Wei exchanged glances, then immediately looked away. They were both elders, and it seemed somewhat inappropriate for them to subconsciously obey a junior's orders.
Jiang Yu, oblivious to the subtle tension between them, kept his eyes fixed on the vermilion palace gates, pondering the Prime Minister's earlier actions. After last night's events, although there was no explicit communication, they both knew what was going on. The Prime Minister must have guessed that he would gather people to impeach him today.
Thinking this, Jiang Yu raised the corners of her lips. She was going to disappoint him this time; she had no intention of impeaching him at all. However, Prince An would give a normal report on what happened last night; as for how the Emperor would judge it, that remained to be seen.
For a suspicious person, the results told to them by others will be questioned. However, the results they deduce themselves are the most accurate. In any case, since the Marquis of Qiyang's confession has already implicated the Prime Minister, even if the Emperor trusts him the most, the seeds of doubt will still be sown.
So, once it is revealed that Chancellor Changsun committed murder to conceal his infertility, how will the emperor make his judgment?
Just then, the palace gates opened, and officials began to enter the Taiji Hall. Those officials who had received the Prime Minister's message the previous night, upon seeing him, all hinted to him that they were prepared. Therefore, the Prime Minister felt even more confident.
After taking his place in the front row, the Prime Minister glanced at Jiang Yu out of the corner of his eye. Since Jiang Yu entered the court as an official, they had never clashed directly. He wanted to see how this rising female duke would fare.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
As Zhao Fuquan's voice rang out, the emperor entered. He sat on the dragon throne, surveyed the officials below, and then turned his gaze to Jiang Yu, asking, "Duke of Chu, how is the reform of the money shops progressing?"
This is the most important matter for the court at present, and also the matter that the emperor is most concerned about. Jiang Yu has not been summoned to the palace for the past two days, so the first thing to do at this morning's court session was to inquire about the progress of the money shop reform.
Jiang Yu was prepared for this. She stepped forward, took out a memorial from her sleeve, and presented it with both hands. Zhao Fuquan quickly went down to take the memorial and handed it to the emperor.
The Prime Minister's gaze followed the memorial until the Emperor finished reading it, and then he said to Jiang Yu, "Duke of Chu, please tell all my ministers about the progress."
"Yes," Jiang Yu said loudly, "The seven money shops headquartered in the capital have all reached an agreement. As for the local money shops, Li Zhengze, Kou Bin, Lu Tianzong, and Jing Yingyu have been dispatched to oversee the process. The feedback we've received is that 80% of the local money shops have reached an agreement."
Among them, the "Yunjin Manor," jointly sponsored by the Jiangnan Textile Bureau, sought to exchange 60% of its shares for facilitating customs clearance for grain transport. I have ordered it to be included in the first batch of pilot projects.
At this point, her gaze fell on the Prime Minister and the officials who had impeached her for competing with the people for profit, and she said, "This move is in line with the court's intention to control the money supply, and it also allows merchants to enjoy the benefits of mutual benefit between officials and merchants. I think you gentlemen will no longer have any doubts about 'competing with the people for profit'?"
These words silenced the entire hall. Whether officials were involved or not, they all realized one thing: the Duke of Chu held a grudge. The emperor, seated above, nodded in approval of her competence.
"Anti-counterfeiting waist tags have been issued to the managers of various money shops for the exchange of banknotes. With the tags, they can go directly to the Ministry of Revenue to verify the seal ink. When old banknotes are exchanged, the householder's land deed number must be registered to prevent embezzlement by clerks and to clarify the amount of silver in various places."
At this point, she looked at the Minister of Revenue, "After the three-month replacement period ends, I will compile a list of the bank statements of each prefecture and submit it to the Ministry of Revenue. At that time, the Ministry of Revenue will be able to make a clear statement at a glance."
The Taiji Hall remained completely silent. The officials who attended the morning court session were all seasoned veterans of the bureaucracy. They all knew that the reform of the money shops was a complex matter, involving far too many people and issues. Ordinary people couldn't do it, much less do it well.
In fact, for many days, many officials have been watching coldly, and quite a few were even waiting to see Jiang Yu make a fool of herself. But judging from Jiang Yu's narration just now, it was clear that she was proceeding in an orderly manner.
Many officials also turned their gazes to the elders of Li Zhengze, Kou Bin, Lu Tianzong, and Jing Yingyu. Jiang Yu's emphasis on their names earlier was a preemptive attempt to recommend them for credit.
These four are all young men who have only recently entered officialdom. With such merit, their future careers will be much smoother. Especially Li Zhengze, who used to be a playboy.
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