Chapter 21 Receiving the Imperial Decree
"Oh? Tell me more, Cai Qing," Emperor Jinghe said in a flat tone.
"Firstly, the Fifth Prince was once the commander of the Northern Border and has experience in military affairs and pacifying the people, which is incomparable to ordinary princesses."
Such experience is precisely what is needed to handle matters requiring both suppression and appeasement.
The chief minister, Cai, spoke earnestly, "Secondly, Your Highness has been recuperating for many years after being seriously injured, and is now mostly at leisure. You must have an unshirkable responsibility to share the burden of the country."
Thirdly, and most importantly.
Her gaze swept over the crowd: "The Fifth Prince is of noble status and can represent the imperial family. Specific military and mining affairs will be handled by subordinates and local officials. Your Highness only needs to oversee the overall situation and supervise and inquire."
This is a way to take care of His Highness's health.
The words were beautifully spoken, affirming Ling Wei's abilities, emphasizing her status, and showing compassion for her serious injuries and "leisurely" life.
The Grand Secretary stroked his beard without speaking, his eyes darting around as if he were rapidly weighing his options in his mind.
After listening, Emperor Jinghe's gaze slowly swept across the faces of the several important officials, finally settling on the rising smoke from the incense. After a moment, he said calmly, "What Minister Cai said is not without reason. In that case, appoint the Fifth Prince as Imperial Envoy to Pacify the Region and go to Xishan to deal with the peasant uprising, pacify the local area, and ensure the stability of the mines."
The dust has settled.
......
Upon exiting the palace gates, the Minister of Works' prized student, who had just seconded the proposal in the warm pavilion, hurried to catch up with his teacher's sedan chair. Before entering, he asked in a low voice, "Master, I am foolish. Our people in the Western Hills have just made a mistake. Why didn't you recommend the Second Prince to go and oversee the situation, instead sending the Fifth Prince? What if she..."
Before the sedan curtain was lowered, Prime Minister Cai leaned against the soft pillows inside the sedan, lifted his eyelids and glanced at the student. There was no trace of benevolence or kindness in his eyes, only a deep, cold desolation.
“Stupid.” She uttered a single word, her voice as soft as a sigh.
The student stiffened and bowed even lower: "Please guide me, my esteemed teacher."
"You, as His Majesty, are unaware of how close the Second Prince is to us?" Chief Minister Cai said slowly. "If His Majesty recommends the Second Prince, can he rest assured? Will those people in the court agree? They'll probably jump up immediately and accuse us of trying to cover up the truth."
She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, they were filled with calculation: "Recommend the Fifth Princess. She's unfamiliar with the place, and her eyes and ears are only given to her by the local officials. What she sees can only be what we want her to see, and what she hears can only be what we want her to hear."
A cold smile swept across the Prime Minister Cai's lips. "If things are done well, we will be credited for our recommendation, the local officials will be competent, and their positions can be moved up again; if things are done poorly... then it will be because the Fifth Princess is incompetent and her serious injury caused the problem."
Even if His Majesty has suspicions, he can only suspect that she is incompetent and cannot blame us.
As for what happened below...
Her voice grew lower and lower, almost inaudible: "After covering it up for so long, what needed to be cleaned up has already been cleaned up. Sending her is to let her fix the nails that caused her to be ineffective in suppressing bandits or mediocre in handling affairs."
After listening, the student broke out in a cold sweat, feeling both admiration and trepidation. He bowed deeply and said, "I understand now. My teacher is truly insightful."
The sedan curtains fell, separating the inside from the outside.
The sedan chair started moving smoothly, and the face of the chief minister Cai was hidden in the shadows, leaving only his old eyes, which were so deep that they were unfathomable.
When the imperial decree reached the Prince's residence, Ling Wei was lying under an old locust tree, enjoying the cool shade.
Qing Shu came in carrying the scroll. She took it, unfolded it, glanced at it, and showed no surprise. She just lazily said "Oh" and casually put the edict aside.
"Your Highness..." Qing Shu hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
"I understand." Ling Wei interrupted her, patting non-existent dust off her hands. "Prepare the carriage, we're going to the palace, first to Mother Empress."
On Emperor Jinghe's side, she gave a few instructions: "Prioritize appeasement, investigate the root cause," and "Take care of your health; if things become unmanageable, report to the emperor immediately." Her motherly gaze lingered on her face for a moment, but in the end, it turned into a sigh before she was dismissed.
The atmosphere in Su Shijun's palace was not so peaceful.
"What?! They want you to go to Xishan... no, Heishan? To suppress bandits?" Su Jianqing exploded upon hearing this, slamming her teacup heavily on the table. "What is your mother thinking! You've only just recovered a little, no way, I have to go talk to her!"
“Father.” Ling Wei pressed him down, her voice calm, “The decree has been issued, and a ruler’s word is law. I’ll go take a look and come back right away. It’s nothing.”
"It's alright? Do you think you're still back in the North?"
Looking at her still slightly pale face, Su Jianqing felt both heartache and anger. "Your injury... never mind, I'll go and beg your mother to allocate more elite guards for you, and bring a few more imperial physicians..."
Ling Wei let him ramble on until he calmed down a bit before saying, "The guards will be arranged by Qing Shu, so there's no need for the imperial physician. Bai Ji can come along. Father, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Upon returning from the palace, the Prince's residence had already begun packing.
Ling Wei didn't intend to make a big fuss; she only selected a team of fifty royal guards, led by Qing Shu.
These men were her old followers from the North, loyal, reliable, and skilled.
As for the troops, the imperial edict granted her the authority to mobilize the local garrison troops, and she could decide whether and how many to use once she arrived in Heishan.
When Yi Shao rushed over after receiving the news, Ling Wei was looking at the list drafted by Qing Shu.
"Does Your Highness truly intend to go personally?" He looked up, his eyes devoid of their usual languid smile, replaced by a deep, worried expression. "The banditry is treacherous, and Your Highness's life is of utmost importance..."
"The decree has been issued." Ling Wei didn't even look up.
"May I accompany you?" Yi Shao blurted out. "Although I am not good at walking, I am somewhat skilled in writing and calculation, and may be able to share some of Your Highness's burdens."
Ling Wei paused, looked up at him, and said, "The affairs of the manor, and those under your command, cannot be left unattended. My departure is uncertain, so we need someone in the capital who can keep things in check."
Yi Shao frowned: "Those things, even the subordinates can do them..."
“Can you manage your subordinates better than anyone else?” Ling Wei interrupted him, a slight smile playing on her lips. “I heard that you flipped that account a few days ago and increased the profit by 30%? I was counting on you to support me.”
Her tone was teasing, but her eyes were clear, showing genuine approval.
Yi Shao felt his ears burning under her gaze, and the words "I only want to follow Your Highness" almost slipped out, but he stopped himself in time.
These days, he felt like he was going crazy. After finishing all the trivial accounts each day, what he looked forward to most was the time when it was almost time for dinner, so that he could go to her courtyard with a legitimate reason to see her lazily reclining on the couch.
Sometimes in the study, she would read documents while he looked at account books. They would spend an afternoon in silence, but he felt more fulfilled than by any lively gathering.
It's like there's an invisible thread, one end tied to his heart, the other end held in her hand; the tighter the thread, the more he worries about her.
Yi Shao looked away and lowered his voice: "Your Highness is joking. It's just some mundane business. I just feel that Your Highness always needs a reliable person by your side to take care of you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com