Chapter 113 The great undertaking of recovering lost territory is imminent...
The ministers gained a new understanding of Fusu.
Leaving aside the strangers who had never interacted with him, the three members of the new government had quite a few interactions with Fusu, witnessing his rise from the Imperial Academy to the court. His brilliant talent was undeniable, and his words and actions often revealed flashes of brilliance. The Emperor also protected him like the apple of his eye. These people originally thought that Prince Cheng would be a lively and flamboyant person, and that he would only feel that praise was not enough.
...And then he actually got shy?
Su Shi didn't boast much; at most, he repeated what he had done, and then he was too shy to see anyone.
It turns out that His Highness Prince Cheng is actually a humble and shy person. This is truly a remarkable discovery. Many people who were initially resentful immediately softened. Alas, they had completely forgotten that His Highness is still only four years old.
But how could Su Shi comply? The opportunity to criticize his friend by imperial decree was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and he certainly couldn't let it slip by easily. So he pretended not to see it and continued to nod and gesticulate, talking about his achievements, public opinion, and how much people he knew and didn't know admired him.
"The other day, His Highness Prince Cheng was lecturing at the Imperial Academy, and it was quite a spectacle, with gongs and drums and firecrackers going off everywhere..."
"But it can't compare to the Imperial Guard camp, where the soldiers would cheer collectively as soon as they heard that Sanyuan had arrived."
"On the street, countless people, upon hearing that the editor-in-chief was Sanyuanlang, bought the two-cent 'Seeking Knowledge Daily' without hesitation."
Su Shi's narrative ability was superb; he could vividly recount the scenes in just a few words. Gradually, some people were even drawn into the scenes he described, listening with great fascination.
Fusu: "..."
Fusu: "…………"
His face was flushed crimson, almost as if dripping blood, like a burning sunset. His small hands were clenched into fists, and even his teeth were chattering slightly, it was hard to tell whether it was from shame or anger. After failing to stop him, he tried to glare at Su Shi to force him to stop, but the latter was unmoved.
Finally, Fusu, having exhausted all other options, glared fiercely at the Emperor, turned, and dashed out the back door of the main hall. Don't think he didn't know! Su Shi dared to ignore him only because the Emperor hadn't called a halt. Fine, I'm leaving first. If you want to show off your son, go ahead and do it all yourself!
And so, the crowd below saw the little boy on the high platform vanish without a trace, leaving the official standing there dumbfounded. Only the echoes of Su Shi's witty, comedic praise remained in the hall. The scene was truly a dry, ironic comedy.
"Uh..." The Emperor exclaimed in surprise. His first thought was not how to appease the bewildered officials, but how to win back his angry son. He glanced several times in the direction Fusu had fled, then left hastily, saying, "My ministers, enjoy yourselves."
A while later, the imperial attendant Huang Duzhi relayed the emperor's decree, summoning Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, and others to the Funing Palace immediately. Clearly, they were all privy to the true identity of Prince Cheng, and the emperor's summons was obviously to appease his son.
Sigh, I'm so envious.
I also want to be a close advisor to the emperor.
Fan Zhongyan and the others were fine; in fact, they were used to it. Su Shi, however, was experiencing for the first time the intense scrutiny of hundreds of eyes upon him. Everyone knew that his privilege of knowing Prince Cheng's identity wasn't due to his status as a high-ranking official, but rather because he was Prince Cheng's classmate at the Imperial Academy!
This one special trait was enough for the emperor to remember the name of a minor seventh-rank official, and even appoint him to a high position, making him the center of attention. How could such a meteoric rise to power, achieved through sheer luck, not be the envy of others?
Su Shi quietly stuck out his tongue, ignoring the envy and jealousy of others. But among all the gazes, one stood out, seemingly filled with overwhelming anger, drawing everyone's attention. Oh, it's his father's. Never mind then.
Heaven knows the turmoil in Su Xun's heart. He was initially pleased that his son had befriended the exceptionally talented Sanyuan. But Sanyuan was no pushover, causing numerous upheavals in the court, enough to make this newly appointed seventh-rank official worry for his son. And now he was told that his son's close friend was actually a prince, and the Emperor's only son at that? The future Crown Prince?
His son dared to publicly mock Prince Cheng, yet the prince hadn't even become angry with him—clearly, their relationship was very close. What should have been a joyous occasion turned into a source of even greater distress for Su Xun. His distress wasn't for his son, but for himself!
There's no need to worry about my son's future. But he will surely experience the same frightening moments a hundred, a thousand times over!
Speak of the devil, and he appears. As soon as Su Xun covered his mouth to stop talking nonsense, his colleagues gathered around him. While congratulating him and his son on their promising future, they also said with a hint of jealousy that he "kept it a good secret" and "kept a low profile."
Su Xun could only weakly say, "That kid didn't tell me at all. I just found out myself."
His colleagues immediately fell silent, but their expressions all changed to "Who would believe that?"
Su Xun: "..."
He clenched his fists, his palms itching. This kid really deserved a good whack on the head!
-
"This isn't right." Fusu's face cooled down, still soft and chubby, but her eyes and brows showed an expression of utter disbelief.
"Shouldn't I be the one who angers everyone, then publicly announce that I am the Crown Prince, and no matter how angry you are, you can't get rid of me, and in the end, I will be collectively boycotted and rejected by the entire court, thus successfully missing out on becoming the Crown Prince and reaching the pinnacle of life? That's not right."
The emperor had just walked in when he heard this remark and almost burst out laughing again. He quickly tightened his lips, afraid that any hint of a smile would anger his son.
Fusu raised his head, looking at him with a deep gaze: "Your Majesty, did you and Lord Fan make an appointment?"
He doesn't even want to call himself "Master" anymore.
He suspected that he had been set up by the emperor and his minister.
The Emperor hurriedly proclaimed his innocence: "I did nothing! I know nothing! If you don't believe me, Minister Fan is outside. I'll summon him in for a confrontation!"
Fusu almost jumped up: "Should we announce it!"
Fan Zhongyan and the others immediately entered the Funing Palace, but a little tail followed them. Fusu glared at the person, annoyed: "Why did you come along too?"
Su Shi scratched his head, knowing that Fusu was really angry this time, and softened his tone: "Next time, before I speak, I will definitely discuss the poem with you, so as not to embarrass you, okay?"
"Not good at all!" Fusu rolled his eyes. "You'd better shut up!"
He spoke fiercely, pointing to the chair beside him. Su Shi immediately changed to a beaming expression, thanking him and sitting down. He knew that this meant Zhao Xiaolang had forgiven him.
After everyone was seated, Fusu immediately turned his gaze to Fan Zhongyan: "This..." He vaguely glossed over the chaos that followed the incident: "What exactly happened?"
Fan Zhongyan had already realized in the main hall that things might not be as he had expected. He had only overheard the conversation between the father and son outside, and he never imagined it was such a huge misunderstanding. From the monarch to the princes, no one intended to reveal their identities. It was entirely his own wishful thinking.
A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, a rare sight indeed. Even when he was under attack from the conservatives, he had never been in such a predicament.
"Uh, it was an old minister who made a blunder..."
He was naturally too embarrassed to continue calling himself "Master".
As Fusu listened to Fan Zhongyan recount his inner thoughts, when he heard that Fan Zhongyan thought "the Emperor's closed eyes and feigned unconsciousness was a signal," Fusu's eyebrows furrowed, and he revealed an expression that was both crying and laughing: "What signal? Father is just sleepy and wants to take a nap!"
Fan Zhongyan lowered his head even further.
Emperor Renzong earnestly advised from the side, "Your master meant well and was thinking of you. Su'er, don't blame him anymore."
"It's because Master helped Father! Don't think I don't know!" Fusu said.
Emperor Renzong, realizing his thoughts had been exposed, could only chuckle awkwardly. He patted Fusu on the shoulder to calm him down.
Fusu did not refuse.
After he calmed down, strangely, he wasn't angry at all. The dramatic blunder made him laugh, and it diluted his annoyance.
Besides, who's to blame? Fan Zhongyan? Or oneself, who's become overly idealized in one's own eyes?
But with his act of playing dumb to outsmart others over, Fusu inevitably felt lonely and bored. He was no longer a lowly fifth-rank official with little influence, nor a free agent in the imperial court, free to do whatever he wanted without restraint, knowing that the government would always back him up.
From now on, he will have to appear in public as the King or even the Crown Prince, and his every move will be watched. If he does not act in accordance with his status, he will be subject to impeachment.
"Sigh..." Fusu sighed again, "I originally planned to continue until I became a first-rank official. I could have been given positions like Privy Councilor and Grand Master of Ceremonies, and maybe even solved the problem of redundant officials in the Song Dynasty."
It sounds like a joke, but he had actually thought about it.
That sounds so impressive!
The emperor's eyelids twitched when he heard the words "redundant officials." Su'er was always like that; with just a few words, she could criticize the ills of the time. She had pinpointed one of his most pressing problems at a glance.
But the solution he offered... he chuckled and shook his head: "No matter how many official titles you have, you're still just one person. Do you think you can fill all the redundant official positions?"
“No.” These words were not spoken by Fusu, but by Fan Zhongyan. He suddenly spoke, his voice deep and serious: “Of course Your Highness alone cannot, but the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun can.”
Fusu and the Emperor were both taken aback.
"You mean..."
Both men were intelligent and naturally understood Fan Zhongyan's unfinished point: "Redundant officials" refers to those who receive salaries but hold no real office and have nothing to do. There was nowhere to place them within the Song Dynasty's borders, but after conquering the Sixteen Prefectures, there were vacancies everywhere. Wouldn't assigning the surplus personnel to these positions alleviate the redundancy?
Fusu lowered his eyes: "Not all redundant officials are virtuous and talented. We'll have to screen them again. To be on the safe side, we should also use the original officials. They are also from the south."
"Southern people" refers to Han Chinese. This was a term unique to the Liao Dynasty.
Fan Zhongyan: "Your Highness is right."
He then changed the subject: "So, the revelation of Your Highness's identity may not be a bad thing. At least the great cause of recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun is within reach."
Fusu suddenly looked up: "You mean..."
He realized that Fan Zhongyan was right. He was the one with the best plan for the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. And his restoration of his status as Prince Cheng meant he possessed legitimate authority, enough to mobilize various forces in the court. Even the last link—the food problem that he and Fan Zhongyan were most worried about—was solved by the appearance of potatoes.
Fusu suddenly realized that the great cause of recovering lost territory had never been closer than it was now.
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Author's Note: The next chapter will unleash the power of time manipulation! [Let me see!]
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