Chapter 77: We all hope that you can go higher...
Yunsheng looked behind her and scratched his head in confusion. "Auntie, no one pushed you. You stood for so long just now, maybe your legs and feet are sore."
Zhao Changning ignored his confusing words, pushed his hand away, and staggered to his feet.
Suddenly, someone came running over, shouting, "Your Majesty, great joy! Your Majesty, great joy! Concubine Zhaoyi has given birth to a little prince! Your Majesty, great joy!"
Zhao Changning looked towards the Qinzheng Hall suddenly, with some shock in his eyes.
She had been back for a short time, and perhaps because she was too busy, no one told her about this, including the Queen.
However, this was a matter of the harem and also the emperor's family affair. Since the queen didn't mention it, she pretended not to know.
But the queen still invited her into Kunning Palace.
He probably just came back from Zhaoyi's place. He said that he was very happy to have a new baby in the harem, but his eyes were full of disappointment.
"Changning, the Emperor has only four children. I have a son and a daughter, and she also has a son and a daughter. What do you think, in the future..."
Zhao Changning bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is adorable and older than the younger prince of Yonghe Palace. You don't need to worry so early."
She knew that polite words could not comfort the Queen. After all, her long-time enemy had now given birth to a prince. The Queen knew best what that meant.
The Queen sighed, "Changning, without you in Yujing, this woman's tactics to win over the Emperor have become even more powerful. Tell me, what should I do?"
What should she do to avoid being so panicked, to prevent the emperor from blaming her, and to ensure that she could sit peacefully as the queen?
Zhao Changning looked at the eldest princess in his arms, thought for a moment, and then smiled, "The Emperor once said that as Empress, Your Majesty should take it as your duty to be the mother of the nation, to provide for the royal family's heirs, and to treat the concubines and their children well. This is a heavy responsibility. A new child in the palace is a great joy, but the Emperor still has no children, and the harem is empty. Your Majesty should think more about the royal family, fill the harem, and expand the royal family. The Emperor will be happy too."
The Queen was stunned. "You mean?"
Seeing that the queen understood, Zhao Changning stopped talking and just smiled and nodded.
There was a moment of struggle in the Queen's eyes. She remembered that when she was the prince's consort, she was taught by the nanny that royal offspring was extremely important, and it was the duty of the prince's consort to take concubines and expand the royal family.
However, when the emperor was still the fourteenth prince, he did not value women, so she lived a peaceful and good life for several years until Shang Meir appeared.
All of this was nothing, but when she looked at the child today, she still felt a strong sense of threat.
Her eyes gradually became firm, "Changning, you are right. As the queen, I have the responsibilities of a queen."
The cicadas are chirping and the summer is as hot as fire.
The Ministry of Personnel was much faster this time. According to Zhao Changning's request, they gave the female admiral the official position, specializing in matters between the six ministries and the opening of the sea. She was an eighth-rank official, which was quite fair.
Zhao Changning couldn't help laughing when he received the memorial approved by the cabinet.
Although it was not easy to get here step by step, at this moment, she felt inexplicably happy. She was the only one who could force a woman into the officialdom amidst the turbulent forces.
At this moment, she couldn't help but think of Mingxuan. His words that people's hearts are too easy to guess made her think quickly when facing the officials from the six ministries.
There is no doubt about the candidates. The first batch is Song Huan, Zhou Miao, Ming Qiu and Zuo Yu. These four people have followed me all the way, endured hardships and are very tenacious. They deserve this task.
Zhao Changning did not hesitate and directly wrote a letter to Mingqiu Zuoyu, who was still in Jiangxi, to inform them of the matter, and urged the two to be cautious in their words and actions. The female officials had just started to implement it and had not yet been established, so their words and actions would definitely be watched by those with ulterior motives.
Then he went to the inner study hall.
Both Song Huan and Zhou Miao were giving lectures today. The Queen still favored Zhou Miao and opened a course on numerology, although few people attended.
When the two girls saw Zhao Changning coming in person, they thought something big had happened. Their families were both in the court, so they naturally knew what happened in the Qinzheng Hall.
"Auntie, are those old guys disagreeing and causing trouble?"
"Could it be that the Ministry of Personnel deliberately set up a checkpoint?"
Zhao Changning shook his head. "I don't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, but being able to win you an eighth-rank female admiral is something worth celebrating, right?"
Song Huan and Zhou Miao looked at each other, clasped their hands excitedly, their eyes full of joy.
"A female admiral of the eighth rank? Really?" Song Huan couldn't wait to confirm.
Zhou Miao's eyes lit up. "Really? Aunt, an eighth-rank official! That's great! My parents will be so happy! I should be the first child in my family to become an official, right? I'm so promising."
Zhao Changning was infected by the two people's joy and nodded with a smile, "Of course it's true. The Ministry of Personnel will probably send you two invitations soon. You still have to go to the Ministry of Personnel to get your official certificates."
"Oh my God, Sister Huan, please pinch me, am I dreaming?" Zhou Miao was almost fainting with joy.
Song Huan pinched her face lightly, "Okay, it's true."
She looked at Zhao Changning and couldn't help but bow. "Aunt, this is certainly a good thing. We will definitely work hard and will never let you down."
Zhao Changning looked at Song Huan. In fact, he was younger than her, but she had never shown any disrespect to him and was a very reliable girl.
She narrowed her eyes and said, "Although this is a happy thing, I still feel very sorry for you."
The two girls quickly sat down and asked why.
Zhao Changning sighed, "You all know that my position as Nü Shu Ling was not easy to come by. It was all thanks to the intertwined forces and the struggles between them that I became what I am today. I also survived in the cracks, and the same is true for you today."
In the past, she was alone, and she had to bear all the good and bad things by herself. For her own benefit, she urged the female official to come out. Now, there is a string of people following her for no reason, and she always feels scared.
Of course, when I talked about this with Song Huan and Zhou Miao today, in addition to their abilities, I wanted to add another layer of weight to myself.
You know, Song Huan’s biological father is the Left Censor-in-Chief, and Zhou Miao’s cousin is the queen.
Since those men have camps, she must have one too.
She looked at the two women's expectant and happy faces, without any doubt, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After a pause, she said, "I don't know whether this is good or bad. The officialdom of Yujing is treacherous. You must be careful. Protecting yourself is the most important thing."
When Song Huan and Zhou Miao heard this, their expressions became much more serious.
"If my aunt can hold on, we can hold on too."
Seeing how determined they were, Zhao Changning also felt more resolute. She decided to personally send the two girls to the Six Ministries to get acquainted with their family background, so as to avoid the humiliation she had suffered before.
In fact, except for the hall officials and assistant ministers, most of the six ministries are small characters. They are linked together and check and balance each other. Therefore, Zhao Changning did not encounter any obstacles when he went to the six ministries this time.
Anyi was also very happy because he had made great contributions during his trip to Southeast Asia and was awarded hundreds of taels of silver. The silver was not important. The main thing was that he had received the emperor's commendation, which was a great honor for his family.
"Auntie, I wonder how much these people can get?"
Zhao Changning shook his head. "A total of 1.2 million taels was given to the six ministries. If it fell to each person, it wouldn't be much."
But this matter cannot be viewed in this way, just like being an official cannot be viewed in terms of one day or one night. The money that can be distributed in the future is the big deal.
Moreover, going out to sea is different from the weaving bureau, salt, iron, cotton, etc. Those interests have long been divided up. It is harder than climbing to the sky to get a piece of meat from them. This is the main reason why the competition is so fierce.
When they arrived at the Ministry of Industry, Zhou Min was there. He stared at Zhao Changning with a bad expression.
Zhao Changning could vaguely sense his hostility, but when he thought about how he had openly contradicted and mocked him in front of the emperor, he understood and found it funny. It seemed that these people were not as indifferent as they appeared.
When Song Huan and Zhou Miao handed over the account books, they heard Zhou Min sneer.
The Minister of Works naturally knew the officials' thoughts best. "Those who know know that the female secretary is here to perform her duties. Those who don't know think that she is here to show off her power."
Zhao Changning pushed back, neither soft nor hard, "The emperor's order is hard to disobey. My Lord, please consider it as me showing off my power."
Zhou Min glared at the smiling official and said angrily, "If you want to be an inner chamberlain, you should consider yourself carefully. Don't take advantage of your favor and do whatever you want. Look up and see who's sitting above you."
As soon as he said this, the Minister of Works was the first to laugh, and many people who understood what he said also laughed, with sarcasm and contempt in their eyes.
The moment Zhao Changning said it, he realized that it was not a good thing, but probably an anecdote he had never heard of.
Seeing everyone's ridicule, she understood even more clearly that they were secretly mocking her for her lack of education, but she really didn't understand.
She suppressed her anger and stopped Song Huan from speaking, saying with a smile, "Lord Zhou seems to be less careful with his words now. Don't act like you did in the Qinzheng Palace in front of the Emperor. Be careful of your words."
Zhou Min's eyes suddenly turned cold. Looking at Zhao Changning, she gritted her teeth and said, "Nü Shu Ling should worry about herself. With such a sharp edge, it is known that even a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind."
Zhao Changning bowed, "Thank you so much for the reminder, Lord Zhou."
She didn't say a word when she took Song Huan and Zhou Miao back.
Song Huan and Zhou Miao looked at each other, both a little worried.
"Aunt, don't listen to his nonsense. He's just showing off his knowledge because he's read more books and eaten more bowls of rice. I think he's just angry because of shame. The angrier he gets, the more incompetent he is." Song Huan pretended to be angry and used the opportunity to explain Zhou Min's sarcasm. "In fact, the inner servant he was talking about is Shangguan Wan'er during the Wu Zhou Dynasty. As for the "superior" he was talking about, you should understand, aunt."
Zhao Changning suddenly realized what it meant. If she was Shangguan Wan'er, the emperor sitting above her was not Wu Zetian at all.
This is a subtle irony that she got all this by relying on her beauty. Otherwise, who else would reuse another woman?
What a good minister, what a great man, what a good man.
She shook her head and sighed, "It's just a pity. If I were a man, it would be better."
If she were a man, she would openly express her love of power and money. When fighting for power and profit, her ambition would be praised and people would say that this is what a man should be like. Unlike her, she would hide and try to conceal her ambition.
Zhou Miao shook his head repeatedly, "Aunt, if you were a man, how could there be any relationship between me and Sister Huan? You can't think like that."
Song Huan was even more direct. "Aunt, don't listen to the nonsense of those old men. Being well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood doesn't necessarily mean it's a good thing. Look at those people, they are old and white-haired, but they still want to kneel before the young emperor. Their heads are full of loyalty, righteousness, integrity and shame, and they can't even find themselves. Where are their old ideals? They are trapped in intrigue all day long."
She pointed to the grass under the porch and said, "Look at the grass in the flowerpot. Although it's left there, it's always being trimmed, and its appearance is entirely determined by others. But look at the grass in the corner over there. It's lush and green, with a well-developed root system. It grows back year after year on its own. Isn't that wonderful?"
Zhao Changning looked at Song Huan in a daze. She had never thought that someone would comfort her like this.
Song Huan continued, "Aunt, you know that you are now the one we sisters envy and admire the most. What are you afraid of with a few flaws? In the past hundred years of Dayong, no woman has ever reached your level. We all hope that you will go higher and further, and always be at the top. Aunt, you have no idea how amazing and wonderful you are."
Her poetry club became more lively with the addition of her aunt.
Zhao Changning was amused by her words.
It's not that easy. She is not as great as Song Huan said. She is also a despicable person.
After this incident, Zhou Min always had hostility towards Zhao Changning, and everyone in the cabinet also had a bad attitude towards the female official.
Fortunately, Song Huan and Zhou Miao were not from ordinary backgrounds, otherwise they would have been scared away long ago.
Zhao Changning made a special trip to visit the Queen, and the Queen mobilized four ninth-rank female officials to serve under the second woman.
All of this was the face she had accumulated from the Queen in the past. Otherwise, for the Queen, this move would undoubtedly weaken her control over the harem.
The Queen was not interested in this for the time being. "Changning, I am planning to select a concubine for the Emperor. When do you think we should choose the right time?"
Zhao Changning could see the queen's anxiety. After all, Yonghe Palace had been very popular recently.
"Your Majesty, wait until after October. By then, the ships that have gone out to sea will be returning laden with gold and silver. The Emperor will surely be delighted. Proposing it then will surely add to the glory. By the beginning of next spring, the new bride will be entering the palace."
The queen pursed her lips and chuckled, exchanged glances with her, and said softly, "With Changning here, I'm always at ease."
Zhao Changning played with the eldest princess as usual. Now that she had a son, the queen was obviously not as caring towards the eldest princess, and the little girl was very attached to her.
Unfortunately, her plan to take the eldest princess out for fun was hopeless, as the emperor did not agree with the princess leaving the palace.
The six-year-old girl was very sensible. She hugged her and said that they would play in the palace in the future, and also said that she would help her mother take care of her younger brother.
Zhao Changning sighed as he listened, then hugged the eldest princess and said, "Auntie, let me take you to school, okay? There are many older sisters there who will teach you a lot of things."
The eldest princess liked the hustle and bustle, but was very restricted by the queen. When she heard this, she nodded immediately.
"Is it the inner study hall? Aunt, I know, the teacher told me about it." The eldest princess also has a tutor, but she doesn't like it.
Zhao Changning stroked her furry head and said, "Yes, let's go study. Read lots and lots of books. Then you'll be powerful and no one will be able to bully you."
The eldest princess nodded vigorously.
The Queen didn't care about this matter, but she had to ensure the safety of the eldest princess.
This is not a difficult task. The staff in the inner school is not complicated, and most of the teachers are female, so it is very convenient.
Every day, the eldest princess, accompanied by her wet nurse and palace maids, walked excitedly to the inner study hall with her short legs to study.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the camellia flowers in the palace garden finally showed signs of withering. A rain came, and the leaves fell and the flowers withered.
Zhao Changning still accompanied the emperor on his duties in the Qinzheng Hall.
When the emperor was reviewing the memorials, he suddenly sneered.
Zhao Changning raised his eyes and saw the emperor looking at the memorial in his hand with sarcasm and cold eyes.
"Your Majesty, would you like some tea?"
The emperor threw the memorial aside and sneered, "Bandits are rampant in Fujian, and the people are suffering. Look at the people they recommended. They are really calculating, and they want their people to be everywhere."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: [heart][heart]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
