Let's leave Chapter 298 here for now.
The Emperor felt that Prince Rui was the most suitable person to serve as the head of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau. Jiang Yu also thought so, not only because of his princely status, but also because of his abilities. Moreover, the Heavenly Crafts Bureau was originally established because of him.
Unexpectedly, Prince Rui refused without even thinking. When the emperor heard his refusal, his face darkened, but Prince Rui, whom he had spoiled, was naturally not afraid. He just smiled and looked at the emperor, who could do nothing about it.
He thought to himself, "Never mind," and then looked at Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu quickly cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I am unable to attend to this matter."
The Emperor frowned. He knew how busy Jiang Yu was, but he felt that besides Prince Rui, Jiang Yu was the best candidate. At this moment, Jiang Yu said, "I believe that we can select from the existing personnel of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau, since they understand the Heavenly Crafts Bureau."
After listening, the emperor pondered without responding, so Jiang Yu also remained silent. Previously, the emperor might not have considered the Heavenly Crafts Bureau to be very important, but now, knowing the power of rockets and explosives, the Bureau's importance naturally rose significantly in his mind.
Such an important department naturally needs to be managed by a trustworthy person, and ideally, that person should also understand the Heavenly Crafts Bureau. These two factors combined make it difficult to choose a suitable candidate. Although the Emperor felt Jiang Yu was very suitable, he knew that Jiang Yu's current position allowed her to utilize her abilities to the fullest.
Silence followed until they were seated in the hall. The Emperor looked at Jiang Yu and Prince Rui and said, "Until a suitable candidate is found, the two of you will jointly preside over the Heavenly Works Bureau."
Jiang Yu and Prince Rui naturally could not refuse. Seeing that the two agreed, the emperor ordered the officials from the Imperial Workshop to be summoned. A short while later, a group of people entered and respectfully bowed to the emperor.
The emperor glanced around at the crowd, his gaze lingering on Yan Fengju for a moment before he ordered them to rise. Yan Fengju was the only woman among the staff of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau, naturally attracting the emperor's attention.
A silence fell over the room, an awkward silence. The emperor didn't recognize these people and was unsure what to ask or say. Seeing this, Jiang Yu looked at Prince Rui, gesturing for him to introduce his staff.
Prince Rui had never experienced anything like this before and was completely unaware of his role as host. Only when he received Jiang Yu's gaze did he realize that he was the head of the Imperial Workshop and that he was currently receiving the emperor's inspection team.
He touched his nose, then beckoned to the attendant guarding the door, signaling him to bring over the personnel list. He then introduced each person on the list. Jiang Yu, unsure how to comment on him, sat there silently drinking her tea.
The emperor knew what kind of person his younger brother was, and since he had raised him himself, he didn't see anything wrong with it. However, if someone else had done the same, they might have been dismissed from their official post.
Prince Rui introduced Yan Fengju last, and when he introduced her, he didn't just read from the list, but spoke highly of her ideas about "hand playing," and of course praised them as well.
The emperor summoned Yan Fengju to the front, looked at her, and asked, "Your surname is Yan. Do you have any relation to Grand Tutor Yan?"
Yan Fengju was a little nervous when she was asked the question, and her gaze involuntarily turned to Jiang Yu, who gave her a reassuring smile. Although Yan Fengju was still a little nervous, she felt much more at ease. She cupped her hands and bowed to the emperor, "Your Majesty, I come from the Grand Tutor's mansion. Grand Tutor Yan is my grandfather."
Although somewhat nervous, Yan Fengju spoke and bowed with grace and poise, earning the emperor's nod of approval. He also glanced at Jiang Yu almost imperceptibly. He had witnessed the interaction between Yan Fengju and Jiang Yu earlier and suspected that Jiang Yu had played a role in Yan Fengju's entry into the Heavenly Crafts Bureau.
He was actually quite pleased with this outcome; if he could accept Jiang Yu into the court as an official, he could also accept other women.
"You are quite good," the emperor said.
Yan Fengju was thrilled by the emperor's praise. However, she tried her best to suppress her emotions and not lose her composure. In the eyes of the cunning emperor, her behavior seemed somewhat childish. But this improved the emperor's impression of Yan Fengju even more; it was better for the people of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau to be more straightforward.
The Emperor dismissed Yan Fengju, then summoned a few others he found agreeable, asked them questions, offered words of encouragement, rewarded them, and then left with Jiang Yu. Prince Rui escorted them to the entrance of the Imperial Works Office, and as the Emperor was about to board his sedan chair, he said to him, "Go back and rest quickly. Research is important, but your health is even more important."
Prince Rui obediently agreed, and after watching the emperor's entourage walk away, his gaze lingered on Jiang Yu's retreating figure for a moment before turning back. Just now, in front of the emperor, he had tried his best to refrain from looking at Jiang Yu.
Firstly, he didn't know how to handle his own feelings; secondly, Jiang Yu was in mourning and it wasn't advisable for her to be involved in romantic relationships. Furthermore, his elder brother, the emperor, would likely not approve of his romantic entanglement with Jiang Yu.
"Let's leave it at that for now," he told himself.
...
Jiang Yu, on the other hand, informed the emperor halfway there that she had other matters to attend to and returned to her official residence. Upon entering her study, she did not do anything else but stood by the window, quietly contemplating.
Although the presence of the Rocket Force and explosives gave them confidence, they couldn't underestimate the Prince of Lingnan. The Prince of Lingnan had been a thorn in the side of several emperors, yet his palace remained intact, demonstrating its formidable strength.
The Lingnan Prince's Mansion must wield considerable power in the capital, though it may not be outwardly apparent. So, who is it?
Prime Minister!
Jiang Yu's first thought was of him. The emperor wanted to make the eighth prince the crown prince, but the prime minister vehemently opposed it. Under normal circumstances, a cunning old fox like the prime minister shouldn't have opposed the emperor at this time, even if he didn't obey him. But he did exactly that.
Importantly, Consort Su and the current Prince of Lingnan once had a romantic relationship. As for whose son the Eighth Prince is, as my grandfather said, it doesn't matter whose son the Eighth Prince is, as long as the Prince of Lingnan acknowledges him as his son.
Taking all three factors into account, there is a high probability that the Prime Minister colluded with the King of Lingnan.
Furthermore, the Xie family inexplicably targeted the Duke of Chu's mansion, and Xie Yun later stated that it wasn't his intention. Many of Xie Yun's actions were instigated by the Prince of Lingnan, so the real person targeting the Duke of Chu's mansion could very well be the Prince of Lingnan? Of course, it could also be the Prime Minister, given their marriage ties with the Xie family.
Jiang Yu looked out the window at the flower branches adorned with delicate pink buds, serene and charming...
She thought of what her grandfather had told her about the entanglement between him and the Prime Minister's sister. Could it really be because of the Prime Minister's sister's death that the Prime Minister harbored hatred towards her grandfather?
If that's the case, then the matter concerning the Duke of Chu's mansion has nothing to do with the Prince of Lingnan. But she always felt that the mastermind was the Prince of Lingnan.
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