The two elders beside them also realized what was happening, and their smiles immediately froze.
To master both literary and martial arts skills and serve the emperor was not only a goal, but also a belief.
Both of them, as Grand Secretaries, took it upon themselves to create a prosperous era for the Great Zhou Dynasty, but they suddenly discovered that the monarch they served had secretly abandoned them.
This feeling is, to say the least, terrible.
Worse still, they had to pretend they knew nothing and continue to cooperate as ruler and subject.
"Your Majesty has grown a lot!"
Grand Secretary An sighed deeply.
If it weren't for today's discovery, he would have thought this person was as honest and naive as ever.
The ruler of a nation is indeed not someone to be underestimated!
Thinking of this, An Qingyun had some guesses about what had happened before. Although he did not want to doubt the emperor he had watched grow up, it seemed that whether it was being forced to donate most of his wealth or being expelled from the court, it was all due to his influence.
Immediately, a chill ran through my heart.
Even the joy of a bountiful harvest couldn't lift his spirits.
Liu An wasn't much better off.
He thought that his previous collusion had allowed him to infiltrate the emperor's inner circle and become a trusted confidant, but...
Although I don't know what corn is, something that the Emperor went to such lengths to hide must be extraordinary, and its importance may be no less than that of rice or wheat.
In the end, all his sincere feelings were misplaced.
If it weren't for the need to maintain decorum, Liu An would have loved to curse him as a "big pig's trotter."
"Your Excellencies," Fang Qianhu cupped his hands in greeting, then spoke, "the weight has been tallied, totaling 6,800 jin, averaging 93 jin per mu."
“That’s right,” Liu An nodded slightly. “In this way, even a family with only one acre of paddy field will not lack fish and meat.”
However, the thought of the ruthless and cold-hearted emperor made Liu An unable to feel any joy.
He simply couldn't understand how he had wronged the Great Zhou or the Emperor's grace, that he had been relegated to the very periphery before even starting, and not even given a single chance.
He's not even as good as that eunuch Qi Yong!
"Quickly keep them in buckets," Liu An said after a moment, then instructed, "These are all auspicious omens; they must be sent to the capital. We can't be careless."
"Auspicious omens? Sent to the capital?" Madam Xie looked bewildered. "Mother, what are they talking about? These fish?"
"That should be correct."
Jiang Nuan's expression was also indescribable.
She was speechless. How could these things be associated with auspicious omens? When did a fish the size of her palm become an auspicious omen?
“But,” Xie said with difficulty, “we agreed to send some to Juquanlou. We also need to leave 500 jin for Manager Jin and his family, send some to Jiangjiazhuang, and the same to Jijiacun. We’ll keep some at home too. There’s nothing we can send to the capital.”
He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, the distance is so far, they might die halfway there."
After saying this, he looked at the two elders with embarrassment, seriously doubting their intelligence.
"Ignore them, just proceed according to the original plan. Also, we can't let the people who came today go empty-handed. Give each of them two catties to share the good fortune."
“That won’t do,” Liu An strongly disagreed. “These are auspicious omens; they should be sent to the capital.”
“What auspicious omen?” Jiang Nuan’s lips twitched. “Don’t cause any trouble. The bigger the commotion you make now, the harder it will be to clean up later.”
An ordinary fish has become an auspicious omen. When people find out the truth later, won't they laugh their heads off?
“That’s right,” Cao Zhen chimed in, “Your Excellencies, the rice-fish farming method will eventually have to be promoted, and if…”
Cao Zhen didn't say the rest, but everyone could imagine it.
Treating an ordinary fish as an auspicious omen is indeed akin to fooling people.
“It does seem a bit inappropriate,” Liu An said somewhat awkwardly, “but this matter is extraordinary and must be reported.”
“Let the painters create the painting,” Grand Secretary An decided directly. “In any case, this matter is of great significance and must be recorded in history.”
"Alright!"
Not long after persuading the two ministers, and before the painter had finished his work, a large procession of envoys from the capital arrived.
"Lady Protector of the Nation, am I not too late?"
Grandpa Yuan smiled very humbly.
"No," Jiang Nuan said with a slight headache, "Does His Majesty want this batch of rice paddy fish?"
"No, His Majesty has other matters to instruct me on."
"What's up?"
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Yuan looked around, his eyes sweeping across the room, and smiled without saying a word.
Although she didn't know what Ji Xuan was up to, Jiang Nuan secretly became wary.
Then, he glanced subtly at the two elders.
When An and Liu saw Eunuch Yuan, their mood was indeed not very good, but they still held onto a sliver of hope.
"Little Yuanzi, does His Majesty have any instructions for me?"
"Grand Secretary An, His Majesty has instructed you to rest and recuperate in peace, and not to worry about state affairs. Your health is of utmost importance."
"And what about me?"
“Grand Secretary Liu,” Yuan Gonggong paused, his tone subtle, “His Majesty has not instructed me to deliver a message to you.”
Not a single word?
"right!"
Upon hearing this, Liu An felt a chill run down his spine.
He felt abandoned, but couldn't understand why.
His face immediately fell.
Although he felt uncomfortable, he still maintained the basic qualities of a Grand Secretary and insisted on handling the matter properly before returning to his own courtyard.
"Brother An," Liu An could no longer hold on after returning to the courtyard, "what do you think His Majesty means? Is he really giving up on me? I think I can still be saved."
Although he did have some powerful families behind him, they were not close to him. Apart from the Liu family, he could abandon the others at any time.
Even the Liu family doesn't need to worry too much; once they sided with Liu Xun, they were already at odds with him.
“It shouldn’t be,” said Grand Secretary An, who was even more distressed than Liu An. “His Majesty at least didn’t tell you not to worry about state affairs.”
As for himself, he was practically ready to openly request to resign from his official post and retire as a scholar.
Grand Secretary An felt very wronged. He felt that he had been sensible enough. He had retired when the emperor asked him to, and given up his wealth when he asked him to, but in the end all he got was a word to take good care of his health.
He should take good care of his health; he's a high-ranking official, and the chief advisor at that!
Upon hearing this, Liu An looked at Grand Secretary An with sympathy, "You don't need to worry about it, His Majesty is just afraid that you will be troubled."
Grand Secretary An didn't reply, but glared at Liu An and pondered to himself.
Since arriving at the manor, in order to reassure the emperor, he has rarely used his influence to receive news from the capital.
I originally wanted to show the Emperor my sincerity, but now it seems...
Thinking of this, Elder An's eyes darkened, and he began to feel agitated.
The reform of the imperial examination system was essentially cutting into the interests of powerful families and clans. By hiding himself at such a crucial moment, he was bound to incur their resentment.
Even so, the Emperor did not appreciate it.
He originally wanted to please both sides, but in the end, he pleased neither and was disliked by both. He really made a terrible move.
With a deep sigh, Grand Secretary An began to worry about his future.
Having offended powerful clans and lost the emperor's trust, he felt his future was bleak.
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