Standing outside the gate of Chang'an Palace, Huang Qubing was feeling very nervous and uneasy.
The garden party was a failure, although he tried to make amends and even went so far as to make fun of himself in the newspapers, sacrificing his reputation to cover up the popularity of the garden party.
But does the Queen approve of his actions?
Has His Royal Highness the Crown Prince made a decision on his wife selection?
He didn't dare to think about the consequences if the garden party was ruined and affected the eldest prince's marriage.
The Queen Mother hasn't asked about the affairs of Wenqing Bookstore for a long time. I wonder what her attitude will be this time.
"Sir Huang, please come in. The Empress is in the study, having just finished her work."
"Your Majesty, thank you for your hard work. Please lead the way."
Led by the eunuch, Huang Qubing came to the door of the study.
Aqing came out and smiled when she saw him.
Huang Qubing kept making eye contact, trying to get some information out of him.
Aqing shook her head slightly, just smiled, and left without saying a word.
After informing, the eunuch invited Huang Qubing into the study.
When you walk in, you will be shocked by the bookcases on three sides of the wall, filled with books.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen, may Her Majesty be well!
"Come on, sit down and talk."
Gu Jiu put down what he was doing and looked up at Huang Qubing.
She smiled and said, "You look pretty good!"
Huang Qubing was a little panicked. Was it a good thing or a bad thing that he was in good spirits?
Gu Jiu teased, "Why are you so nervous? It's not the first time we're having a private conversation."
Huang Qubing breathed a sigh of relief. "Your Majesty's status is no longer what it used to be. I must abide by the rules."
Gu Jiu smiled and said nothing. "Let's drink tea! The new tea sent from the south may not taste as good as the spring tea."
"The tea here, whether it's spring tea or autumn tea, is first-rate."
"Stop the flattery. Tell me about the garden party. Was there really some behind-the-scenes manipulation?"
Huang Qubing felt guilty after hearing such directness.
He nodded slightly, "There is indeed some behind-the-scenes manipulation."
Gu Jiu understood, "Tell me the details."
Huang Qubing considered his words for a moment before speaking, "When the votes were counted, Lord Xu of 'Official Road' had fewer than 10,000 bookmarks. He definitely wouldn't make the top ten, and even the top 20 would be a stretch. Worried about disappointing Your Highness, I secretly had 6,000 bookmarks added to the ballot box, placing him squarely in fifth place. Unexpectedly, someone exposed the conspiracy on the spot, causing an embarrassing scene. I have failed Her Majesty's expectations, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
He simply admitted his mistake and asked for another chance.
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow. "I thought you secretly let people vote before the voting deadline. I didn't expect you to tamper with the counting process. It's really too stupid."
"Your Majesty is right to scold me." Huang Qubing admitted his mistake honestly.
Gu Jiu laughed. "You let people write articles criticizing you in the newspaper, overshadowing the popularity of the garden party. It can be considered as making up for your mistake."
Then, she added sternly, "If anyone knew you were operating behind the scenes just to curry favor with the Crown Prince, not only your reputation would be tarnished, but his as well. To be stigmatized for such a trivial matter is sheer folly. Ultimately, it's all because of your eagerness for quick success and your shady methods."
"Please punish me, Madam!"
Gu Jiu said with a stern face, "I will not punish you severely because of your many years of service. But it will be difficult to pass the test of His Majesty."
Huang Qubing panicked, "Please save me, Madam!"
Gu Jiu said earnestly, "The eldest prince will eventually enter the imperial court, where he will be attacked and impeached by the courtiers, and will bear all kinds of infamy. But now, he shouldn't bear the stigma for such a small matter. You were wrong from the beginning, and your subsequent improper actions have made the mistake even worse."
Huang Qubing was sweating profusely and his clothes were soaked.
"Please tell me, Madam, what should I do?"
Gu Jiu tapped the table lightly. "I promised not to punish you severely, and I will keep my promise. From the year-end dividend, 30% will be deducted and used to build a primary school. You will personally supervise the construction of the school, and someone will verify it afterwards. Are you convinced?"
Huang Qubing felt relieved, "I'm convinced!"
Gu Jiu continued, "The self-deprecating comments on the Lifestyle Show will be removed in a few days. From now until the end of the year, we will focus on reporting on the grasslands and overseas news to encourage more people to turn their attention to the outside world and overseas."
"I will listen to you, Your Majesty." Huang Qubing bowed in response.
"I heard you're planning to expand Wenqing Bookstore and open branches in lower-level state capitals? Do you have any concrete plans?"
"We've already made a preliminary plan. We've selected five high-quality state capitals for the first batch, namely... We're currently recruiting and training staff. By the beginning of next spring, we can implement the expansion plan."
“Very good!”
After finishing the business, Gu Jiu sent Huang Qubing away.
…
Liu Yu walked out of the small study next door.
With a smile on his face, he spoke the truth, "Everyone says that the Queen Mother is kind, but I think she is quite cruel."
Gu Jiu pointed at the chair and motioned him to sit down, "Compared to your father, I am naturally more merciful."
Liu Yu said, "Thirty percent of the year-end bonus is a huge sum of money. It's really cruel to fine them so much just for a small mistake at the garden party."
Gu Jiu laughed, "Are you trying to defend Huang Qubing?"
"That's not the case! I think the Emperor should learn from Mother's example and impose more fines to fill the treasury. Simply issuing an imperial decree of imprisonment doesn't seem to be enough of a deterrent for those court officials whose fighting power is growing stronger and stronger. If the imprisonment isn't confiscated, it won't achieve the purpose of deterring the people and will waste manpower and financial resources. It will only strengthen the Jinwu Guard and make their reputation even worse!"
Gu Jiu smiled and shook his head, "You are obsessed with money. How can you fine every official who is imprisoned? Your idea is very dangerous. You need to correct it."
Liu Yu asked solemnly, "Why does your mother think your son's idea is dangerous?"
Gu Jiu said with equal seriousness, "When you prioritize money over everything, over time, your attitude toward people and things will be measured by money. Then, rich people will be in power, and poor people will be kept away, and the world will be in chaos. Money is a good thing, but it can also blind you, affect your judgment, and make you lose your way. You must be wary of this idea and reflect on it three times a day."
"My son has remembered your mother's teachings. So, your father's decision not to fine officials is based on many considerations."
"Of course! How can the laws of the court be measured by money? Can those officials who were imprisoned pay a sum of money to be forgiven? Isn't that absurd! Fines can only be a supplementary measure, not a necessary one."
"Son, I understand! Thank you for your guidance, mother!"
"Tell me, what do you understand?"
"My mother fined Huang Qubing a large sum of money. Her main purpose was not to punish him, but to set an example. Look, even the Princess Pingyang's husband made a mistake and had to pay a fine to build a school. How could others be spared?"
Gu Jiu laughed, full of approval. "You are right. I do intend to set an example. Huang Qubing's status is quite noble. He is the consort of Princess Pingyang, the former Minister of the Imperial Household, and the General Manager of Wenqing Bookstore. He is very eye-catching. Punishing him can serve as a good example. In the future, your father can also follow this method and impose a fine and build a school. In this way, the court officials will have no reason to accuse your father of taking advantage of the situation. After all, building a school is a great deed."
Liu Yu nodded repeatedly. "Money is a good thing, but it's also called copper smell. It shows that people love money, but also despise it. If you want to make money more attractive and beyond reproach, it's best to associate it with scholars, and the school is the best vehicle for that."
"This boy is teachable!" Gu Jiu said approvingly.
Liu Yu asked, "My Queen Mother once said that she would promote free primary education in the Great Zhou. When will this begin?"
Gu Jiu said, "Let's start with Huang Qubing! Promote it county by county, step by step, steadily and steadily. What I want is that after a school is built, it can stand in the world for twenty years, fifty years, a hundred years... rather than being abandoned after the death of the leader. Therefore, we cannot rush into building a school.
While this is unfair to children in remote areas, who miss out on the opportunity to receive free education, there's no other way around it. If we want to promote free education and make it sustainable over the long term, we need to invest time in exploring and finding a workable and scalable model.
Instead of rushing to build schools and then having no money to continue supporting the children's education, if the schools are abandoned, everyone's confidence will be shaken, from top to bottom. Restarting the project will become ten times more difficult than it is now.
"My son wants to do the free school project."
Gu Jiu was surprised when Liu Yu said this suddenly.
She couldn't help but frown, "Are you sure you want to do this project?"
"My son wants to give it a try." Liu Yu said solemnly.
Gu Jiu frowned, "Tell me what you think."
Liu Yu pondered for a moment, "Life is difficult for the people, and it's hard for poor students to succeed because they've been losing to the children of officials since their inception." His son checked the official files. Not only the local government, but also the court and the various ministries in Beijing, 80% of the officials came from official families or aristocratic families.
The family's financial support supports their studies, and after they become officials, they naturally have to repay their families. This has led to the formation of local tyrants, and the strong become stronger and the weak become weaker.
Even Lord Yang Ji, though his family was poor in his early years, benefited from his family's support and connections during his childhood, allowing him to study under renowned teachers from the very beginning. Although he had severed ties with his family, the Yang family could still rely on his name to grow stronger in the local area, and within ten years, they would surely become a powerful force.
Then there's Mr. Zhou Shi'an. While he certainly lived in poverty in his early years, his family's lineage in Chuzhou meant he was destined to receive a top-tier education from a young age. He had access to a wide variety of rare and out-of-print books, as well as the annotations and reflections of literary masters on the classics, history, and miscellaneous texts. This was an educational resource that even children from humble backgrounds could never enjoy in their entire lives.
Gu Jiu nodded. "What about the remaining 20% of officials?"
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