Chapter 74: My first female book order is really getting more and more...
Zhao Changning sighed inwardly, wondering whether her job as an official was legitimate or not.
In fact, when it comes down to it, she is still a lady-in-waiting of the emperor. As for this fifth-rank official, she is more like a product of the constraints of the emperor and the cabinet, and can easily become a joke.
She gave Fang Wenhai a look, signaling him not to act rashly. Then she stepped forward, serving him tea while saying, "Your Majesty, your words are truly humiliating. I haven't thanked you for your grace in over a year, and I'm truly terrified."
Nothing in the hall had been changed, even the placement of the teapot and tea bowls was exactly the same, except that the tea bowls seemed to have been replaced.
Fang Wenhai noticed that the emperor's eyes were always following the female scribe's order, with a look of half-smile and full of control, as if he was looking at something new and interesting.
Before he understood what was going on, he was frightened by the look the emperor gave him. He quickly looked at his nose and then his heart, and dared not move anymore.
Everyone said that the new emperor was young and reckless, and did things without considering the consequences, but the few times he had seen him, he always felt that he was very experienced and his dominance was no less than that of the previous emperor.
The emperor slowly leaned back in his chair, supported his forehead with his hand, and looked at Zhao Changning walking slowly towards him calmly.
In the past, Zhao Changning was gentle, quiet, reserved and intelligent, but now she is like a sharpened dagger. The stubbornness in her eyes has turned into tenacity and undisguised ambition, and it seems that nothing can stump her anymore.
"This time, you've done an even better job than I could have imagined, Changning. I'm truly impressed by you."
Zhao Changning served the tea respectfully with her slender hands, her eyes gentle and her tone soft, just like usual.
"It is thanks to the Emperor's wise guidance, your kindness and wisdom, the support of the Imperial Court, and the generous assistance of the Maritime Customs, local officials in Jiangxi, and female officials like Song Huan that Changning has been able to prosper so smoothly."
She still changed her self-proclaimed name. The word "minister" was a bit too heavy for the time being, and she also vaguely felt that the emperor did not seem to like it either.
Fang Wenhai admired what Zhao Changning said. He did not mention the past grudges at all and only said good things. If he were Zhao Changning, he might have complained non-stop at this moment. The most important thing was not to take all the credit.
He admired this very much.
After all, he knew best how difficult Zhao Changning's life was over the past year. Although he was working for the emperor, he had no money and no boat, and he had to rely on himself to get by.
It has not been easy along the way.
Even he, facing those shameless people, felt very angry when he thought about it now.
The emperor saw that she had been away for more than a year and only needed a little guidance after her return, and she was still polite and sensible, not taking advantage of the favor to become arrogant, and her original intention had not changed. As expected, he chuckled.
He took the tea bowl with satisfaction and said with a smile: "My female secretary has become more and more comprehensive."
Zhao Changning's expression remained unchanged, not daring to be arrogant at all. He took the tea bowl that the emperor had drunk from and replaced it on the edge of the table, moving it as before. It was only an arm's length away and within reach.
This is a habit formed by the emperor and his subjects after serving him for a long time.
She helped to tidy up the slightly messy imperial desk, and tried hard to suppress the word "minister" in her heart.
She soon understood what Yun Hui meant. She had been taught many times before. There was a pattern in arranging the papers, otherwise the table would always be a mess. Unfortunately, she just refused to study hard and only cared about dressing up and jewellery all day long. She deserved to be scolded.
The emperor just watched quietly with a smile on his face. His mood, which had not been relaxed for a long time, gradually calmed down with the tidy and clean imperial desk, the tea at the right temperature, the distance between them, and the familiarity of having the beauty by his side.
He gradually truly understood why his father was so dependent on Zhao Changning, and his father had once said that he was the one who was most like him.
People always like things that are familiar, stable, smart, kind and trustworthy.
It just so happens that there is only one thoughtful Zhao Changning, who seems irreplaceable.
"Is there something wrong?" He looked at Fang Wenhai.
Fang Wenhai still had his head down, not realizing that he was being talked to, and was still standing there like a quail.
Zhao Changning pursed his lips and chuckled, then stepped forward and said, "Master Fang, the Emperor is tired today. Why don't you come back tomorrow to report to him?"
Fang Wenhai's heart was pounding, and he responded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I will take my leave now."
He always felt something was wrong.
After Zhao Changning and the others left, he relit the incense and greeted them with a smile, "Your Majesty, have you been in good health over the past year? Changning has been worried about you all the time."
The emperor waved his hand, indicating that people should stop talking nonsense.
"I'm in good health, but my liver qi is stagnant. I'm exhausted from arguing with those old men."
"Changning," he suddenly paused and said seriously, "For over a year now, I've been toiling alone in this Qinzheng Palace, with no one to confide in on government affairs. Now you're finally back."
Zhao Changning stood up with a smile, "Your Majesty, you are really too kind to me."
"It's not a compliment. Those vulgar people can't compare to your intelligence and cleverness." The emperor casually took the cup from a suitable distance and took a sip of tea.
Seeing the emperor's relaxed look, Zhao Changning told him everything about his experience in Jiangxi. Of course, he did not go into details about his own affairs.
"I know everything about what happened in Jiangxi. I'm sorry for putting you through this. I heard you were sick. No wonder you've lost so much weight." The emperor said nothing more, not to mention complaining. He simply handed her a memorial and said, "Here, take a look."
Zhao Changning opened the letter and found it was from the Ministry of Revenue. After just a few glances, her face tensed, her eyes filled with anger, and she slammed the letter shut.
She squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth, "How can these people have the nerve to do this?"
The emperor looked at Zhao Changning calmly and said gently, "I've gotten used to seeing this over the past year or so. Of course they're embarrassed, but you just think they're embarrassed."
Zhao Changning tried hard to suppress her anger, and the words of complaint were about to burst out of her throat, but in the end she held it back.
"Your Majesty, I disagree, absolutely disagree. Please immediately confiscate these 2.7 million taels of silver into the national treasury..."
The emperor smiled and shook his head, "Changning, you just came back, go and rest. This matter is not urgent, and the rules have not been set yet. We need to discuss it later."
"I haven't been home for over a year, so I have to pick up the pieces of palace business." He paused and said, "Go and pay your respects to the Queen."
Zhao Changning thought about it, held back his words, pursed his lips, bowed and took his leave.
She turned around and went directly to Kunning Palace. She always had to bear the title of imperial lady-in-waiting, and the queen was also her master.
It was a hot day, and the Queen was playing with the little prince in the waterside pavilion. When she saw Zhao Changning coming, she was immediately surprised.
She stood up to greet him, "Changning, you're back?"
Zhao Changning knelt down immediately when the Queen personally came to greet him. "Changning pays homage to the Queen. May Her Majesty live a thousand years."
"Hurry up, why are you so distant?" The Queen helped her up. "Why have you lost so much weight? It must have been a hard journey."
Zhao Changning shook his head. "I'm working for the Emperor, so I dare not complain. Your Majesty, I brought you quite a few things. They're not worth much, but I just wanted to give them a taste of something new. There's also something for the eldest princess..."
She cast her eyes on the little prince, a little embarrassed, "I actually forgot that the child grows with the wind. The little bellyband I prepared doesn't seem to be suitable anymore."
Chunyun smiled and said, "It's okay, Changning. Maybe it can be left to the little prince's younger brothers and sisters."
The Queen glared at Chunyun and said, "Don't listen to her nonsense. It's not true..."
The eldest princess waited for a long time. Finally, when the adults had finished talking, she threw herself into Zhao Changning's arms and said in a baby voice, "Auntie, what did you bring me?"
Zhao Changning held the soft and sweet-smelling princess in his arms, and his tone of voice became involuntarily soft.
"Aunt bought the eldest princess so many fun things, lots of Western gadgets, including a clairvoyant. It's so fun! It can see very far away."
The eldest princess's face flushed red, and her round eyes sparkled. "Thank you, auntie, you are so kind. Auntie, are you still leaving now that you are back?"
Her eyes were full of anticipation. "Can the clairvoyance see where my aunt is going?"
Zhao Changning keenly noticed that the eldest princess was clinging to her even more, even though they hadn't seen each other for such a long time. Children are most likely to forget people.
When I turned around and saw the Queen holding the little prince, kissing and coaxing him, I understood a little bit.
She felt a surge of affection in her heart and stroked the eldest princess's furry little head. "Auntie doesn't know either, but this time when you come back, you will play with the eldest princess every day, okay?"
The eldest princess nodded vigorously, "Aunt, can Yao'er go out of the palace to play?"
Zhao Changning remembered that the eldest princess had pestered her several times, but she rejected her every time.
She couldn't say no at the moment, so she pondered and said, "Well, I have to ask the emperor. If the emperor agrees, I will take you out to play, okay?"
The eldest princess jumped up and down with joy, clapping her hands and spinning in circles.
Zhao Changning bid farewell to the queen and returned to his residence.
Yunsheng and Anyi had come back to report the news a long time ago, and Xiaoshun and the others were waiting there. Everyone was standing in a neat row at the door, their expressions all showing the same excitement and joy.
Xiao Bian was the youngest and couldn't help but run out and throw himself into Zhao Changning's arms, "Aunt, why did you take so long? I thought you wouldn't come back."
Zhao Changning pushed him away and wanted to scold him, but seeing his tears streaming down his face, he sighed, "Fool, where else can I go if I don't come back?"
She didn't have time to exchange pleasantries. After giving everyone some instructions, she asked Anyi to notify everyone in the palace that they had to report to her tomorrow, especially the newly selected female officials.
After giving instructions on trivial matters, he took Yunsheng out of the palace.
The emperor showed her the memorial for a reason. She had to find out what was going on with the money.
"Yunsheng? Aunt?" Taiping waved her hands so vigorously that even shadows were left. "Here, here, come here quickly."
He saw the two of them, wiped his sweat and smiled, "Finally, I've waited for you. The master said that when you return today, you will definitely go back to Shui'er Lane, so he asked me to wait here all the time."
Yunsheng complained, "Taiping, can't you park in the shade? It's like a steamer in this car, it's so hot."
Taiping was so angry that she slapped him on the head, "Do you know how long I've been waiting in the sun for you? You still think it's hot? If you think it's hot, just run back..."
Zhao Changning listened to the two people bickering and smiled and shook his head.
Shui'er Lane was still the same as yesterday, as if she had never left. The trees in the lane were still lush and leafy, and Yunqiu at the door was squatting there playing with stones.
In early summer, Yujing is already covered with greenery.
When Yun Qiu saw her, he first smiled sweetly, then ran in and dragged the person out.
"Ouch, Yunqiu, go slower, be careful not to fall..." Mingxuan turned his head and saw Zhao Changning. A smile immediately spread across his handsome face, and he looked him over gently. "You've had a hard time along the way, and you've lost some weight."
Zhao Changning couldn't help but laugh, "Why does everyone say that?"
Granny Xu followed them out and happened to overhear the conversation. She smiled as she cleaned up, "I gave her some supplements. When I was in Jiangxi recently, she not only lost weight but also got a lot darker. Fortunately, she's recovered a bit after a while."
She turned to Zhao Changning and said, "I haven't been home for a few months, but the house is still clean. Thank you, Mingxuan."
Zhao Changning said to Yunsheng and Taiping, "Go to the Zhou and Song families and see if Song Huan and Zhou Miao are there. Tell them I'm back and ask them to come over to discuss something."
Mingxuan smiled and said, "No need to go. I've asked the little boy to go and call him. He should be here soon."
Zhao Changning looked at him in surprise, "How did you know I'd come back at this time?"
He actually notified people in advance, he really has some ability to predict the future.
Mingxuan chuckled, "I also know why you came back."
As soon as Zhao Changning thought of the memorial, his smile disappeared and he really couldn't laugh.
The golden sun sets in the west, the heat of the day gradually dissipates, and a gentle wind caresses the alleys and streets, carrying countless fragrances in the wind.
Zhou Miao and Song Huan arrived quickly, and they were very happy to see Zhao Changning.
"I heard you gave those scoundrels a good beating. That was really nice."
"That's right. Before, for the sake of something important, we were so tolerant. They really treated us like clay..."
Zhao Changning pursed his lips and spoke out the contents of the memorial in an angry tone.
"...In short, the Ministry of Revenue claims to have paid the money, the Ministry of Rites claims to have sent people, and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works claim to have the ships. Everyone wants a share, so I'm afraid it's going to be difficult for this money to enter the national treasury."
"What?" Song Huan stood up suddenly, his face flushed. "Why?"
We worked so hard just to enrich the national treasury, but now the money we earned can’t even go into the national treasury. How can this be justified?
"That's ridiculous. The Ministry of Revenue is so stingy with the little money they have. They won't give it to you despite repeated requests. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works are even more ridiculous. You went to Zhejiang to get this ship back. What does it have to do with them? It's so shameless! Tomorrow I'll have my father report them severely."
Zhao Changning knew that this would definitely not work. It would be useless to make a contribution. It would not solve the problem and would just be a waste of breath.
She had complained before when she was angry, but it was useless. She couldn't punish them for delaying, could she? And they always found a legitimate reason to get away with it.
Although the emperor did not say it today, she guessed that the obstacles this matter faced in the court were no less than those she faced in Jiangxi.
Zhou Miao was even more furious. "This is only the second ship, and we already have 2.7 million taels. It will only be more in the future. If we make 20 million taels in the future, do we have to share it with them? How can this be justified? How can the emperor tolerate this?"
After hearing these words, Zhao Changning felt very angry and anxious.
In the past, she always watched the late emperor get angry because of money and greed, and she always kept aloof attitude. Now, after running around and working hard to earn money, she has to share it with those people, and she finally understands where this anger comes from.
"These people have me by the horns. If I don't pay them, they'll bring up the previous incident and accuse me of taking the ships without going through the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works. This is a serious crime. I'm fined, but if I implicate the Governor, I won't be able to rest easy."
Others are helping her by sacrificing their future, she can't just destroy their retreat.
Song Huan and Zhou Miao were speechless for a moment.
Only Mingxuan's expression did not change, and he was still in the mood to pour tea for them.
Zhao Changning watched Mingxuan brewing tea, leisurely and elegant, his pair of slender hands looked like he was playing the piano, but the calluses on his knuckles were getting thicker, and he was often dressed in cloth, looking less and less like a scholar.
She sighed, "What does Lord Ming think?"
Mingxuan raised his eyes and smiled, then looked at her, "You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"
Zhao Changning didn't say anything, but his face was tense and he was in a bad mood.
Song Huan and Zhou Miao were not as familiar with the officialdom as Zhao Changning, so they both looked at Mingxuan.
Mingxuan replaced a cup of barley tea for Zhao Changning and said slowly, "Let's make an assumption. If the money is given, everything will be fine and all parties will be fine."
Zhou Miao couldn't help but ask, "What if we don't give it to them? They can still kill us?"
She said viciously, "Then let them kill me."
"Of course not." Mingxuan smiled and said, "But I want to ask you one thing, if you don't give it to me, what will you do in the future? Will you fight alone and go to sea relying on your own courage? Where will you get the ship? Where will you get the people? Where will you get the money?"
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The author has something to say: Thank you for the mine from Maple Tree's Ginkgo Leaf Baby, and thank you for your praise.
Thank you for the nutrient solution, I feel like I have more energy to write [heart][kiss][kiss]
Maybe the subject matter is niche, and people still like sweet and sour love, [explosive crying][explosive crying] plus there is no recommendation, the list is also average, even less
But there are still some people watching, that is, the babies are very reserved and don’t like to talk [rainbow fart][kiss][kiss]
Love you guys! [heart]
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