"What? You want to teach at Shanhe Academy?"
Minister Lu was extremely surprised, and his expression was indescribable.
Renqiu nodded, a little afraid. But he still said boldly: "Mr. Yang invited me so kindly, I don't want to disappoint him."
At this moment, Minister Lu felt as if he was pierced by thousands of arrows.
Even though he was usually gentle, he couldn't help but curse, "Yang Yuanqing, you old bastard, you're looking for death by poaching people from here!"
Ren Qiu said boldly, "You have to call him Mr. Yang! Only once every three hundred years does a Sanyuan Gong appear. How rare!"
fart!
Shi Lu felt a pain in his stomach.
It feels like the tender cabbage in your own garden has been eaten by a pig.
He pointed at Renqiu, feeling very disappointed with him.
He is such a smart person, but he likes to act stupidly.
He was so angry that he couldn't speak.
"I really like Shanhe Academy. I've also visited the Imperial College, but it's not even one tenth as good as Shanhe Academy. I go there once a month, no, once every two months, to learn about mountains and rivers and geography."
Renqiu looked at Minister Lu pitifully.
Minister Lu snorted coldly, "Old man Yang Yuanqing is plotting against you. I don't believe you can't see it. It's very likely that all this is Madam Zhao's doing. Don't be fooled."
"I know! I'm not really stupid."
"You knew and you still went?"
Minister Lu was very angry.
He said, how could Renqiu, such a smart and insightful person, not see through Yang Yuanqing's conspiracy.
What kind of car crash? It was clearly planned.
"I admire Sanyuan Gong's knowledge. He's the most learned man I've ever met. Even in our conversation today, I couldn't stump him. Do you know the exhilaration of meeting an equal? It's like meeting a close friend. Even if he's plotting against me, I'm happy with it!"
"absurd!"
Minister Lu was almost mad with anger.
Renqiu was even angrier than him.
However, there is one thing about him when he is angry: the angrier he is, the calmer he becomes. The silly smile disappears from his face, and the curious glint in his eyes disappears.
He said calmly, "You asked me to come out of retirement, saying the capital was teeming with talent. Yet, you've disappointed me. The Imperial Observatory is a swarm of old men, and their combined numbers wouldn't even reach the size of a finger. The other so-called talents are even worse. The Imperial College only teaches the Four Books and Five Classics, which makes one's mind rigid and inflexible. It's truly boring."
Now, I've finally found an interesting place with a rival of equal strength, but you're for selfish reasons, preventing me from going. So, I'd rather resign and return to the mountains, where I can find some peace and quiet."
"Don't mess around!"
"I'm not kidding! Either let me go to Shanhe Academy to talk to Sanyuan Gong, or let me go back to the mountain. Choose one of the two.
"You, you, you are deliberately trying to piss me off."
Renqiu snorted and turned away.
"Stop! Stop right there. Okay, okay, I promise you, I'll go to Shanhe Academy once every three months to teach. I bet you'll be satisfied, right?"
Renqiu turned around, smiling like a fool, and said, "Then it's settled. Next time I have a day off, I'll go to Shanhe Academy to talk to Sanyuan Gong. I heard that Shanhe Academy has a huge library with tens of thousands of books. Sanyuan Gong promised me that he can take me in."
"There is also a library in the palace, so there is no need to go to Shanhe Academy specifically." Minister Lu said helplessly.
"The library in the palace has no atmosphere. The eunuchs have a bad smell, I don't like it."
Minister Lu gave up, but before giving up, he still had to make one last struggle, "Don't be so willful."
Ren Qiu said proudly, "Your Majesty allows me to be willful, and you cannot interfere."
Minister Lu had to remind him, "Your Majesty is just talking, don't take it seriously."
"That's why I didn't go to the palace because I was afraid someone would find fault with me and cause you trouble. If I go to Shanhe Academy, I won't have that worry."
Minister Lu completely gave up struggling and said, "As you wish! I hope you can remember your limits and not talk nonsense."
…
Minister Lu verbally agreed to Renqiu, but he was still resentful of Yang Yuanqing in his heart.
"How dare you, old bastard Yang Yuanqing, plot against me! I can't just let this go!"
However, Minister Lu obviously does things differently from others.
He did not suppress Yang Yuanqing secretly, nor did he make things difficult for the Yang family.
Instead, he sent an invitation to Sanyuan Gong Yang Yuanqing, inviting him out for a drink.
When Sanyuan Gong Yang Yuanqing received the invitation, his beard trembled.
He muttered, "I've lost a lot!"
He cleaned himself up, made himself neat and tidy, and went out to keep his appointment.
Minister Lu rarely visited Xinmin County, and as soon as he arrived he discovered that Xinmin County had changed again.
The most obvious change is that there are many more houses.
The population has become extremely dense. Everywhere you look, there are only densely packed heads.
It seemed as if all the people in the capital had come to Xinmin County.
The number of people wearing cotton and silk clothes on the streets has increased significantly.
Even street vendors wore cotton.
Several new beef shops have opened.
The Great Zhou Dynasty strictly prohibited the private slaughter of oxen for work, and once discovered, severe punishment would be imposed.
In the past, beef was very rare and expensive in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Many people had never eaten beef in their entire lives.
The situation was not improved until Sihai Trading Company started doing business with the Northwest Army through the Shaofu.
All the beef currently sold on the market comes from the northwest.
It’s either Beirong or Xiliang.
All of them were purchased by Sihai Trading Company through the Shaofu and transported to the capital.
Before the agreed time, Minister Lu ate a bowl of braised beef brisket.
The beef brisket was cooked till soft and tender, thoroughly flavored.
Minister Lu was so satisfied with the meal that he almost couldn't resist having a second bowl.
He rubbed his abdomen gently and restrained his appetite.
When you get older, you should pay attention to your health and not overeat.
"Boss, this tastes authentic!"
The boss grinned and said in a thickly accented Mandarin: "It's inherited from my ancestors. It has a secret recipe."
"Boss, are you from the Northwest?"
"Yes!"
"What made the boss think of opening a shop in Beijing?"
"You can make money here! Business is not good in the northwest. There aren't so many people, and no one wants to eat."
yes!
Who would have been willing to eat it in the past?
It was not easy for ordinary people to earn a little money, and they would spend every penny as if it were ten. No one was willing to go to a restaurant, as a meal would only provide enough food for three or four days.
But this situation has changed since I don't know when.
Thinking carefully, it seems to have started from the establishment of Xinmin County.
In the past, ordinary people would hide their saved money in cellars, rice jars, and on beams.
Now that I have money, if I have little money, I deposit it in the Shaofu Money House. If I have a lot of money, I buy a house in Xinmin County and rent it out to earn rent.
Ordinary people also began to be willing to spend money on food and clothing.
Even traveling merchants were willing to wear cotton clothes to peddle their wares. This was completely unimaginable in the past.
A shoulder pole will damage clothes. If they rub against each other every day, the shoulders of clothes will soon be damaged.
Cotton isn't cheap.
Things that we couldn’t even imagine in the past are now happening right before our eyes.
Lu Shixin felt more emotional.
Speaking of Madam Zhao, her other abilities may not be that great, but when it comes to making money through business, she is second to none, and no one dares to claim to be first.
What is most admirable is that she never eats alone.
Every project she does can benefit thousands of people.
That's amazing.
If every county magistrate, every provincial governor, and every prefect in the Great Zhou Dynasty had this ability, there would be no suffering in the people's livelihood.
"Boss, take the money!"
Minister Lu shook his head, getting rid of the unnecessary thoughts in his mind.
Now is not the time to think about that.
After paying the bill, he walked out of the beef shop and headed for the teahouse.
The newly opened tea house has a quiet environment.
Sanyuan Gong Yang Yuanqing has been waiting for a long time.
When the two met, there was no mutual understanding or appreciation, nor were there any polite greetings.
Minister Lu had a stern face and waved his authority, "Mr. Yang is very calculating."
Yang Yuanqing said slowly, "We have plenty of time today, why don't we sit down and talk slowly."
"I have nothing to discuss with you. I just want to warn you not to set your sights on Ren Jianzheng. You can't afford to offend him."
Yang Yuanqing, the Third Yuan Lord, was cheerful and smiling the entire time. "Lord Lu is overly nervous. No one is targeting Ren Jianzheng. As for me, I am only happy to have met such a talented person and such a beautiful woman. There is no room for scheming. Lord Lu has misunderstood!"
After saying that, pour the tea.
He also invited Minister Lu to have tea.
Minister Lu was dismissive of the tea offered by Yang Yuanqing.
He said sternly, "Whether or not you have plotted against Ren Jianzheng, you know it, I know it, and I'm sure Madam Zhao knows it too. I offer this as a warning. Ren Jianzheng is a person His Majesty values. Do not attempt to challenge His Majesty's authority. You will not be able to bear the consequences."
"Thank you, Lord Lu, for your kind advice. Lord Lu, please have some tea!"
Minister Lu sneered, "Mr. Yang is now riding high and riding high. Everyone in the world knows 'Mr. Yang's Commentary on the Analects' and 'Mr. Yang's Commentary on the Doctrine of the Mean'. Just an ordinary man, Sanyuan Gong, has become a true Sanyuan Gong thanks to these two books."
"I kindly advise you to cherish your hard-earned reputation. After decades in the northwest, you finally returned to the capital. I bet you don't want to return to the northwest at such an old age!"
Yang Yuanqing, the Third Yuan Lord, laughed heartily. "I didn't expect Lord Lu to be so direct. Everyone says Lord Lu is reserved and tactful. Now it seems the rumors are unbelievable!"
Minister Lu sneered, "That's all I have to say. Mr. Yang, take care of yourself."
After saying that, he turned away.
When he reached the door, Sanyuan Gong Yang Yuanqing shouted at the top of his voice, "When will Young Master Ren come to the academy to teach? Last time he said that when he was on leave, he would talk to me for a game of chess. Lord Lu must have heard about this."
Minister Lu paused, feeling angry.
On purpose!
Old bastard Yang Yuanqing must have done it on purpose.
"Mr. Yang, are you demonstrating to me?"
"Lord Lu has misunderstood! I have absolutely no such intention!"
Minister Lu smiled and said, "Mr. Yang, please don't ruin your reputation!"
After saying that, he refused to be fooled again and left.
Duke Sanyuan was in high spirits. It was worth it to see Minister Lu getting angry and embarrassed!
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