Chapter 46: The first chapter came running over...
Tired birds are returning to their nests, the afterglow is fading, and a last trace of heat remains in the air.
After Zhao Changning went back to wash and change his clothes, he hurried to the Qinzheng Hall.
Seeing his aunt approaching, Anyi whispered, "The Emperor asked about this once, and I told him you should rest today, and he didn't say anything else."
Zhao Changning nodded. "Thank you for your hard work. You won't have to stand guard for the next few days. Go eat."
She entered the palace as usual, and seeing that the emperor was still reviewing memorials, she hurried forward quietly to light the candle.
"Are you back?" The emperor's voice was neither sad nor happy.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I should have been more gentle, but I didn't expect to disturb you." Zhao Changning quickly turned around and knelt in greeting. "Today, I left the palace and went to Minister Zhou's home."
The emperor raised his eyes, put down his red brush, and said, "Oh?" with an upward tone.
Zhao Changning did not hide anything and spoke clearly word for word.
"... Zhou Hai himself is not clean, so why would he want to stop the female official? Besides, I've already made a promise to the Empress that this inner study hall will definitely open. I can't let the Empress think my words are useless, and I can't let those senior officials in the cabinet think that this matter will never be discussed again. This is the first thing you have approved since your accession to the throne. I will not allow others to speculate on your intentions."
She knew the conflict between the emperor and the cabinet best, and anyone who didn't take action would be a fool.
As expected, the emperor's eyes gradually lit up as he looked at her, and he smiled and said, "Then why don't you come and ask me for help?"
Zhao Changning touched his forehead to the ground. "Your Majesty is tormented every day, working tirelessly for national affairs. How could I possibly bother you? Besides, these are minor matters that I can handle myself. Why would Your Majesty have to argue with those old men in the cabinet?"
The emperor smiled and raised his hand, motioning her to stand up. "How do you know so much about the Zhou Hai family?"
"It's not that I know his family well." Zhao Changning smiled as he stepped forward to pour tea for the emperor. "It's Hu Gou'er. I served the late emperor with him, so I know a little bit about it."
The emperor remembered what the late crown prince had said to him before his death, and he did not doubt it. Zhao Changning had served the late emperor for many years and was always by his side, so it was normal for him to know some secrets.
"Forget it, I can't finish reviewing all the memorials. Send someone to tell the Queen that I'm going to have dinner."
Zhao Changning smiled and said "Ah". Now, everyone in the palace was praising the Queen. Even the Emperor was inevitably affected. The Queen was the mother of the country and was respected by everyone, which made the Emperor proud.
She acted nonchalant and said, "Your Majesty, I met someone outside the palace today."
The emperor hummed, and walked slowly with his hands behind his back, followed by a group of palace maids and eunuchs in front and behind, holding palace lanterns to light the road.
Zhao Changning carefully looked at the emperor's expression and told it as a joke.
"It's Mingxuan, the former governor of Zhejiang. He's currently in mourning for his biological mother and is struggling financially. However, he seems quite content. He heard about the nomination of female officials from somewhere, and came to me, saying he'd like to be a tutor."
The emperor was a little surprised when he heard this, but he didn't care too much.
"Mingxuan is aloof and stubborn, and would never accept charity. Even if I were to ask him, he might not be willing to condescend. This is more like what he would do. Now that he has asked, you should accept it. Mourning for your mother is a big deal, but you can't cut off your livelihood."
Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Mingxuan didn't offend the emperor, he didn't have to worry about anything else. Being a tutor could not only support his life, but also increase his chances of being reinstated after the mourning period was over.
"Since the Emperor has approved, Changning will report the matter to the Empress. It will then be a blessing for all the palace maids and eunuchs to invite Master Ming to teach. I hope they will cherish this blessing and learn well, devoting themselves to serving the Emperor and the Empress in the future."
When the emperor heard her say this, his eyes darkened and he raised his lips in a faint smile.
The eunuch had just arrived at Kunning Palace to report that the emperor was coming to have dinner, and the emperor arrived right after, which surprised the queen very much.
Seeing Zhao Changning following behind the emperor with a smile on his face and nodding slightly at her, she couldn't help but feel moved. "Your Majesty, it's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. I have personally prepared two dishes today. Your Majesty, please try my cooking."
Zhao Changning knew that the queen could handle it. The people and things in the palace were boring, and a small change was enough to make people feel it.
Not to mention that the emperor had been reviewing memorials all day, and the most important thing at this time was to relax and eat and drink.
Yun Hui followed behind, shaking her head and saying, "Yonghe Palace has been full of crying and making noises lately. No wonder the Emperor doesn't like to go there..."
Zhao Changning listened and couldn't help laughing.
Sometimes some people just can’t figure out something that’s so obvious, let alone do it.
At night, Zhao Changning personally kept watch and carefully sorted out the memorials that the emperor had not reviewed during the day, and put them back into different categories.
She corrected some greetings and memorials that the emperor was too lazy to review and put them aside.
She knew that doing these things was of no use, but habit was a terrible thing, like water moistening everything without being noticeable, but one day, it would gather into the sea.
The next day, there will be a court meeting.
Zhao Changning still stood behind the emperor, watching his surroundings, unobtrusive, and listening carefully to the movements in the hall.
Sure enough, without Zhou Hai's shouting, the wind direction in the court changed a little.
Although there are not many people who support the female official's affairs, the voices are enough. At least no one is as loud as Zhou Hai, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Together with the neutral people, there are not many obstacles to the female official's affairs.
Of course, the most difficult thing to shake one’s head about is the emperor’s attitude of support.
What was surprising was that Prime Minister Gao Yun actually nodded in agreement.
This surprised Zhao Changning very much. Looking at the old man's gray hair, he felt very emotional for a moment. He was able to live safely under the late emperor all his life, and now he became a minister assisting the country. Naturally, he must have his wisdom.
The cabinet cannot always be powerful, so it is okay to be soft-spoken occasionally. There has always been a balance of power between the emperor and his ministers.
Either you overwhelm me or I overwhelm you.
When the emperor heard Gao Yun say this, he leaned forward slightly on the dragon throne and said with concern, "Please stand up, Lord. When my father was alive, you were a highly respected Lord. I have just ascended the throne, and I hope you will give me advice from time to time."
Gao Yun was supported by Qi Yuwei and nodded with a smile. "In fact, whether it is us or the future female officials, we are all doing errands for the emperor. As long as we do our work sincerely and considerately, there is really no need to worry too much."
Zhao Changning's eyes were dim.
The old man is very good at saying nice things, but in fact the cabinet is the last one who wants the female official thing to be implemented. Smart people always look ten steps ahead.
She stood there silently, looking up slightly at the people kneeling on the ground. Some of these people might be dissatisfied with her standing there, but no one spoke out.
One is like a monk ringing a bell, too lazy to pay attention;
Second, the emperor doesn’t care, so why should they care?
Third, she is a woman, and no one cares about her at all, nor will they regard her as a threat.
Zhao Changning's blood boiled uncontrollably, and his desire for power rose again.
Power, what an itchy thing.
Perhaps one day, these people will see her standing inconspicuously beside the emperor, and on that day, she will no longer be easily ignored.
After the court was dismissed, several old ministers of the cabinet came together again.
Sun Zhidao was the first to lose his temper. "Lord Gao, why did you agree to such an absurd thing? The emperor is still young, you should have advised him. The late emperor entrusted both the emperor and Dayong to you."
Zhou Min stood aside, head down, without responding.
Qi Yuwei said, "The Emperor has just ascended the throne and will listen to our arrangements in everything. However, the Cabinet is the Emperor's Cabinet after all. It's just a matter of a female official. If we keep refusing, it will inevitably make the Emperor resentful of us."
"That's exactly the truth." Gao Yun sighed, "Our emperor is also a new official who has made three major changes since he took office. We suppressed those previous incidents too harshly. Since he wants to do it, then let him do it. It's just a few women. What big trouble can he cause?"
Sun Zhidao sighed repeatedly, "We can't just let him do whatever he wants. You know, our treasury is empty."
Gao Yun didn't care. "When will the treasury be empty? If that's the case, then spending this extra money won't be a big deal. Let him do it."
He had already understood the relationship between the monarch and his subjects during the time of the previous emperor.
"At least it's not some foolish act of drinking and carnival, so don't blame him too much." Gao Yun said gently, "Once he vents his anger, he will naturally sober up. He can still be laid off later, so it's not a big deal."
Zhou Min spoke at this time, "The elder is right. Lord Sun, don't be too anxious and angry. The emperor has just ascended the throne, and who knows how many such things he will have to deal with in the future."
As everyone talked and comforted each other, the atmosphere eased and they were no longer so resistant to the female official's affairs.
It rained in the early morning, drizzling for half an hour. The sky was clear and the willow branches were drooping, looking much greener. Mist lingered under the eaves for a long time. In the distance, the ground was covered with yellow flowers under the osmanthus trees, and the faint fragrance lingered.
Zhao Changning walked out of the Qinzheng Hall, took a deep breath, and felt refreshed.
She went to the Inner Study Hall, which was originally the location of the Imperial Household Department. Now the Imperial Household Department was in name only and the eunuchs had scattered, so the place was just right to be used as the Inner Study Hall. It had a good location and was large, making it very suitable.
Yunsheng looked at the dozen or so pine trees at the door. They were tall and straight, standing tall like a canopy, like a scene in a painting, and he couldn't help but yearn for it.
"Auntie, studying here makes me feel more engaged."
Zhao Changning smiled. "The Inner Academy is even better than ordinary academies. I only hope you can cherish it, as opportunities never come again."
Yunsheng nodded repeatedly, "If Lord Ming really comes, I will definitely study hard. He is the third place winner chosen by the late emperor."
Zhao Changning walked in and happened to meet Song Zongheng.
"Teacher? It seems like today isn't your day to teach."
Song Zongheng smiled and said, "Didn't I promise to introduce you to a teacher?"
Zhao Changning also laughed. There were no secrets in the palace, so how could Lord Song not know about it?
She followed Song Zongheng in. Behind the first ceremonial gate was the inner study hall. In the courtyard, under a laurel tree covered with yellow flowers, stood two tall women, whispering to each other.
One is wearing a goose yellow pleated skirt, and the other is wearing light blue. Both are elegant and bookish, and they look like the people in the painting.
Song Zongheng stroked his beard and said, "Huan'er, Bi'er, come here and meet someone."
Zhao Changning went to meet the two girls and finally got a clear look at their appearance. The one with goose yellow hair had a heroic air and looked older. Her eyes were like the deep sea, as if she could see through people's hearts at a glance. The one with light blue hair was gentle and had a sweet smile on her face. She seemed to have a good personality, but she was also a little older than Zhao Changning.
However, the two women were dressed like girls, so they must be unmarried. She didn't know how to address them, so she waited for Lord Song to introduce them.
"This is my daughter, Song Huan." He pointed to another one, "This is Huan'er's best friend, and she's also the daughter of the Chen family, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College. Her maiden name is Chen Qi."
"This is Aunt Changning in front of the emperor."
The two girls saluted together, "Greetings, Aunt Changning."
Zhao Changning saw the two of them looking at him curiously, so he smiled and said, "I'm very happy that the two girls were recommended by the teacher."
Song Huan was generous and polite, kneeling down and said, "It would be great if Aunt Changning doesn't despise us women."
Zhao Changning saw Master Song out. Seeing that Master Song looked rather troubled, Zhao Changning was afraid that he might regret it, so he said, "Teacher, if the two young ladies are capable and are favored by the Empress, I will definitely not show favoritism."
Song Zongheng shook his head. "I'm not worried about that. They are both first-rate talents, especially Huan'er. It's just that she has been smart since she was young, read countless books, and has high expectations. I haven't managed her well, so it's inevitable that she has a proud temper. Now that she is in the deep palace, I am afraid that she will offend others."
Zhao Changning smiled. "If you were so worried, why did you send someone here?"
Song Zongheng couldn't help but sigh, "My daughter has been motherless since she was young, so I spoiled her a little. Who would have thought that she has never talked about getting married until now? I'm afraid she will never get married in this lifetime. As a parent, you should always be more considerate and send her to you to make a living by her own ability. Even if I am gone in the future, she can live well and not be bullied."
Zhao Changning had never thought that this was the reason. He vaguely remembered that when the late emperor was alive, he seemed to have said that the only daughter of Song Zongheng's family would have a difficult marriage. They had been talking about marriage for several years, but each time it broke down, he saw it with his own eyes today and finally understood his parental love.
Who knows if he spoke with Chen Fanhai, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College, to promote the female official's affairs? It is inevitable that he did so out of selfish motives for his daughter's future. However, judging by his actions rather than his heart, Zhao Changning did not care about this little thing.
"Teacher, don't worry, I will take care of them."
Song Zongheng couldn't feel at ease, but some things were hard to say, so he could only remind them more often.
"My daughter has always been a very narrow-minded person, looking down on everyone. Changning, please bear with me. I really do value talent. Her talent is unmatched by many in Dayong."
Zhao Changning thought he was just boasting or being modest, or was afraid that others would look down on Song Huan, so he just smiled and didn't take it seriously.
She brought the two women before the queen, and was relieved to see that the two women were well-mannered and not rude at all.
"Your Majesty, this is the instructor recommended by Lord Song." When she said this, she also told her about Mingxuan.
The Queen smiled and said, "The Emperor has already told me that it would be a waste of talent for the third place winner to be a teacher. There is no need to test him. You can arrange a date and come directly to teach."
Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief. He had agreed to do something and now that it had been done, he had finally kept his promise.
As for the examination of teachers, it was not her responsibility. The Empress and people from the Imperial College would be responsible for it.
That night the queen sent someone to say that the two girls were excellent and more than qualified to be tutors, and that lessons could be arranged for them.
Chunyun came in person. Kunning Palace has been very prosperous recently, and she is also proud of it, with a rosy face.
"Changning, you don't know how happy those doctors in the Imperial College were to be rendered speechless by Song Huan and Chen Qi."
Zhao Changning didn't expect that Lord Song really got her two treasures. She immediately regretted her previous guess and felt that she was really mean-spirited.
After the Empress led the palace people to pay homage to Confucius and gave him a speech, the new Inner Study Hall was officially established.
The atmosphere in the palace changed drastically, and even the emperor felt it.
In the past, there were always fights, quarrels and arguments in the palace, but now they all read books, hoping to get promoted. Once they get a rank, they can not only receive a salary, but also exempt their families from labor service, which is also a matter of honor for their ancestors.
Zhao Changning felt very relieved. If these palace maids read more books, they would have more potential in the future.
In order to show his appreciation for Mingxuan's rare support, Zhao Changning put his class first as expected, and made a special trip to wait at Shenwu Gate.
"Miss Changning—"
When Zhao Changning turned his head, he saw Mingxuan running towards him with his clothes lifted up.
Mingxuan was panting, his collar was turned up, and his clothes were wrinkled for some reason. Not to mention his manners, even his usual handsome demeanor was almost gone.
"Luckily I made it in time. I'm really sorry. Yunqiu made a fuss for a long time when I was leaving, and she wouldn't let me go..."
Zhao Changning was stunned. If it weren't for the really good-looking face, she wouldn't bother asking any more questions.
"Don't you have a carriage?"
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