On time, Emperor Wende came to the Household Manager's Mansion to visit the Household Manager.
The housekeeper felt heavy and could not get out of bed to pay his respects.
I was so excited that I cried.
"I have failed Your Majesty's expectations. I am afraid I can no longer share Your Majesty's worries. I feel guilty."
"Uncle, take care of your health. I am still waiting for your recovery. I can't live without you, and neither can the Shaofu."
The Lord Housekeeper shook his head repeatedly, "I'm afraid this old minister is no longer able to do this. I feel so ashamed!"
The housekeeper cried miserably, with snot and tears flying everywhere.
The sons of the Lord Housekeeper were a little embarrassed, fearing that Emperor Wende would blame them.
However, Emperor Wende not only did not blame him, but he personally wiped the cheek of the housekeeper with a handkerchief.
Emperor Wende said, "I know your loyalty. Rest assured, uncle, and recover. When you recover, we will drink and chat happily."
The Household Supervisor sobbed twice, "I'm afraid my health won't improve. However, the Ministry of Revenue cannot be left without someone to take charge. I resign as the Ministry of Revenue, and Your Majesty may choose another virtuous person to share your care."
Emperor Wende hurriedly asked, "Who else is qualified to succeed my uncle?"
Chang En remained calm and signaled everyone in the Jialing Mansion to leave the bedroom.
This is a matter of great importance to the imperial court, and irrelevant people are not allowed to attend.
Even if the children and grandchildren of the housekeeper are unwilling, they have no choice but to obey orders.
The bedroom is empty.
All the irrelevant people left.
The Lord Housekeeper took a deep breath and said, "Regarding the candidate for the position of Housekeeper of the Imperial Household, I do have some ideas. I just wonder if he will be pleasing to Your Majesty."
"Uncle, please speak. I will consider it carefully."
The housekeeper rattled off four names, all of them royal family members. The oldest was in his sixties, the youngest in his early forties. Each had their own merits. Only Prince Consort Huang seemed ordinary, lacking any outstanding qualities and drawing little attention.
Emperor Wende had already made preparations, thinking that the Lord of the Household would recommend relatives, friends, or nephews.
Unexpectedly, the housekeeper did not do so.
This is very commendable.
Emperor Wende said, "I think your son is not bad either."
The Lord Housekeeper shook his head repeatedly, "He is a fool, and he likes to make his own decisions and won't listen to others' advice. If he had a little self-awareness, I would have recommended the good man over his relatives and not recommended that useless person."
"My great-uncle is devoted to the public and is so righteous!" Emperor Wende sighed.
The Housekeeper was panting, exhausted, but he still insisted, "Your Majesty, the position of the Housekeeper doesn't require exceptional ability or strong opinions. The key is to understand some business principles, not be extreme or impulsive, and be willing to listen to advice from below."
The people below them are responsible for specific tasks; they are more aware of how to proceed and how to improve in order to achieve better results. One of the main responsibilities of the Shaofu Household Order is to support the people below them and create conditions for them to do their work with confidence and courage. This is not about meddling in everything and doing everything by yourself.
Emperor Wende nodded repeatedly, "Uncle, what you said makes sense. Do these people recommended by Uncle understand business?"
"That's not the case."
In front of Emperor Wende, the Lord Housekeeper analyzed the advantages of the four people he recommended.
The other three are fine.
The ordinary Prince Consort Huang became a different person when it came into the mouth of the housekeeper.
Loyal and devoted, he is used to following orders, never making his own decisions, but willing to listen to advice. Although he lacks the ambition to make progress, he has the ability to maintain the status quo.
"The Shaofu has been developing rapidly for so many years, and problems are increasing. It's time to stop and rest. At this stage, I think someone who can maintain the status quo is more suitable for the Shaofu. Once the problems of the Shaofu are resolved, we will select someone more virtuous to replace him."
This is the conclusion of the Lord Housekeeper.
Emperor Wende nodded repeatedly, it made sense.
Emperor Wende asked many more questions.
The housekeeper supported his uncomfortable body and answered them one by one.
The emperor and his minister chatted for about half an hour before Emperor Wende got up and left.
Before leaving, of course I had to remind the master of the house to take good care of his health and say things like "I'm still waiting for you."
The housekeeper also repeatedly expressed his loyalty.
Emperor Wende also took the opportunity to inspect the children and grandchildren of the Jialing Mansion.
The housekeeper is right, they are all mediocre people and cannot be commanded.
Emperor Wende felt a little regretful. The housekeeper was quite capable, but it was a pity that he had not taught his children and grandchildren well.
But they forgot that before Gu Jiu cooperated with the Shaofu, the Lord Housekeeper also seemed to be mediocre in ability and was almost replaced by the late emperor.
Gu Jiu's timely appearance saved the Lord's family from a career crisis.
Times make heroes.
Time and again, opportunities have earned the reputation of being good at financial management.
In fact, Lord Jialing is not really good at managing money. He just seized the opportunity and then stood out.
…
Two days after Emperor Wende visited the Household Master, the Household Master passed away in his sleep.
Emperor Wende was filled with grief and cried out in front of his court officials, "I have lost my humerus."
Immediately afterwards, Emperor Wende issued an edict, bestowing the title of Prince Taifu on Jialing.
This is posthumous honor.
The funeral ceremony of the housekeeper was suddenly changed from a third-rank housekeeper to a first-rank prince's tutor.
This honor is the first of its kind in the Wende Dynasty.
The ministers were envious.
The royal family was even more envious.
With this posthumous honor, the descendants of the Lord of the Household, no, now they should be called the Prince's Tutor, will also benefit from it.
Gu Jiu went to the Prince's Tutor's Mansion to pay his respects as soon as possible.
The children and grandchildren of the Crown Prince's tutor were originally very sad, but now they are not so sad anymore.
The posthumous honors benefited the whole family and soothed the sadness of losing the backbone of the family.
Gu Jiu performed the rituals of a younger generation and offered sacrifices devoutly.
And presented a generous funeral gift.
She said to the current head of the Liu family, "If you have any difficulties, send someone to me. I will definitely help if I can."
"Thank you, Madam Zhao! My father was always thinking about Madam Zhao when he was alive. He always said that he passed away too early and could no longer help Madam Zhao."
Gu Jiu was heartbroken. "My ancestor worked hard all his life, but he didn't enjoy many days of happiness. If you have any difficulties with the funeral, don't be embarrassed, just tell me. My ancestor helped me a lot, I should do something for him."
The head of the Liu family was too embarrassed to speak, as funerals were indeed difficult.
The funeral specifications were raised to the first-rank prince's tutor, and the expenses also increased exponentially.
The whole family has to make a living, and since the family hasn't officially split up yet, I dare not spend money indiscriminately.
The money for the funeral is a bit tight.
Seeing the other party's hesitation, Gu Jiu knew what was going on. But she didn't point it out, just said, "I know everything. I'll handle it."
After Gu Jiu left, Xu Yousi found the head of the Liu family and gave him 30,000 taels of silver.
Xu Yousi whispered, "This is a small token of my wife's filial respect for the Crown Prince's tutor. You should use this money to plan the funeral. You must make sure the tutor's funeral is grand and dignified, without the slightest neglect."
The head of the Liu family nodded repeatedly, "Please tell Madam Zhao that we are sadder than anyone else about the old man's passing. We will never neglect the old man's funeral. We will handle it as it should be done and will never skimp on it just to save money."
"That's great! Do your job well, and you will definitely benefit from it in the future."
The head of the Liu family's cheeks flushed with excitement, and he repeatedly promised to do a good job and never let Madam Zhao down.
…
Princess Fu Ya took the opportunity to pay her respects and met with Gu Jiu.
She didn't beat around the bush and, seizing the moment, asked directly, "Does my son-in-law really have a chance to take on the position of Shaofu Household Supervisor?"
Gu Jiu drank tea and said softly, "Your Highness, don't worry."
"How can I not be anxious? This person has left, and there's no movement in the palace. What if His Majesty changes his mind..."
"Your Majesty has not made up his mind at all."
Gu Jiu said firmly.
Princess Fuya raised her eyebrows. "You even know His Majesty's thoughts. Are you in the palace?"
Gu Jiu gestured to Princess Fuya to calm down. "I know Your Highness takes this matter very seriously, and so do I. But as the old saying goes, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. The position of Shaofu Household Director is of great importance, and Your Majesty must be extremely cautious. Let's wait until the funeral of the Crown Prince's Tutor is over before we discuss it."
Princess Fuya frowned slightly. "I'm not going to ask you how you're going to handle this. I'm just asking you, how confident are you? Do you need me to give you a push from behind?"
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows, "I wonder how Your Highness plans to push you."
Princess Fuya said as a matter of course: "There are two paths: the court and the harem."
Gu Jiu sneered, "Forget about the harem. Your Majesty is not one to listen to whispers. As for the court, I know that several of the Huang family's relatives hold high positions. But I suggest that Your Highness not do this, lest your actions be exposed, causing Your Majesty's displeasure and ruining the future of the prince consort. As for me, I have my own ideas. Your Highness, why don't you wait patiently for the results."
"So you are sure that my son-in-law can get the position of Shaofu Household Order?"
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows, confident and powerful. "When have I, Gu Jiu, ever failed to keep my promise? Is the credibility of more than ten years all fake?"
Princess Fuya smiled awkwardly, "You misunderstood. I have no doubts about your ability."
"That's great! It's not appropriate for you and I to meet any longer. I'll take my leave now!"
Gu Jiu got up and left.
Princess Fuya was still sitting in her seat, frowning and thinking deeply.
The maid didn't dare to disturb her.
It was not until Prince Consort Huang finished greeting the Liu family, came to her room, and went back to the princess's mansion together that she came to her senses.
When Prince Consort Huang saw that something was wrong with her, he asked worriedly, "What happened?"
Princess Fuya shook her head and said, "Let's talk about it when we get back."
The couple returned to the princess's mansion together.
After dismissing her attendants, Princess Fuya sat down on the soft couch and stared at Prince Consort Huang with her eyes fixed, which was a bit scary.
Prince Consort Huang felt particularly guilty.
He said timidly, "Your Highness, I have been very honest recently."
Princess Fuya hummed, "I know."
"Since Your Highness knows this, why, why are you still looking at me like that?" Prince Consort Huang was terrified.
Normally, Princess Fu Ya would not even bother to look at him, but today she was staring at him straight.
So weird!
It can’t be that Princess Fu Ya has taken a fancy to him!
Bah! Bah! Bah!
You are husband and wife, why do you come to see me?
Prince Consort Huang was restless and on the verge of collapse.
Princess Fuya finally spoke, "Today, I met with Madam Zhao, and she said something to me. 'Has Gu Jiu ever failed to keep a promise?' It was quite arrogant. If anyone else had said something similar, I would have thrown tea in her face and even spat at her. But coming from Madam Zhao, I couldn't refute it."
Prince Consort Huang came back to life and breathed a sigh of relief, "I was wondering what was going on. Madam Zhao is indeed very capable, and there is nothing wrong with what she said."
Princess Fuya looked at Prince Consort Huang as if she was looking at a mentally retarded person.
"It is precisely because what she said was correct that I was shocked."
Prince Consort Huang didn't understand and looked confused.
Princess Fuya asked, "Among the royal family members you interact with outside, is there anyone who speaks as arrogantly as Madam Zhao?"
Prince Consort Huang shook his head repeatedly.
No, not one.
Everyone was a royal family member and looked very noble, but they were actually very measured in their words.
Especially when interacting with people of equal status, one should be particularly careful with what they say.
Even if you are arrogant, you have to choose the time.
For example, facing people who are not as good as you.
For example, when dealing with poor people, you can be as arrogant as possible.
But Princess Fuya is not a poor person, nor is she a person of inferior status to Gu Jiu.
In terms of seniority and status, Gu Jiu is quite inferior to Princess Fu Ya.
Gu Jiu is a junior, but he is so arrogant that he speaks such arrogant words to his elders. If you think about it carefully, it is really shocking.
After Huang Fu Ma figured it out, he asked, "Maybe Madam Zhao doesn't know the rules, so it should be okay."
Princess Fuya was almost angry to death.
Damn, is Prince Consort Huang mentally retarded?
He actually said that Gu Jiu didn't know the rules.
hehe!
"I have thought carefully about whether it is right for you to take on the position of Shaofu Household Commander."
Prince Consort Huang screamed in his heart: No, it is so rare to get promoted and make money, don’t block his door to making money.
Princess Fuya continued to herself, "I'm trying to figure out her intentions. It seems she has big plans."
"The prince is after that position."
Prince Consort Huang is rarely smart.
Princess Fuya nodded and said, "I am worried that we will be implicated by her."
Prince Consort Huang frowned, "But if we don't want the position of Shaofu Household Supervisor, someone else will grab it. With Madam Zhao's current influence, only others can ask her for favors, not her turn to ask others for favors. If we refuse this opportunity, is it really wise?"
Princess Fuya finally gave Prince Consort Huang a straight look.
It wasn’t easy, but my IQ finally caught up with the conversation.
She asked, "According to what you said, Madam Zhao's influence in the capital is unmatched? How can a woman like her influence the court?"
Prince Consort Huang thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness asked about matters in the court. To be honest, I don't have an answer. I only know that when I was socializing outside, everyone spoke of Madam Zhao with great admiration and respect.
Even if it was the most absurd and impossible thing, as long as they heard that Madam Zhao was going to invest money, everyone would rush in. No matter how incredible the business was. In the court, if there was a policy or a tax, and Madam Zhao was involved and offered advice, everyone would be quite relieved. I don't know about other things.
Princess Fuya frowned slightly. "I had no idea she had such influence. Isn't she even more influential than the Crown Prince?"
Prince Consort Huang nodded, "Of course! Not everyone will necessarily believe what the eldest prince says. But everyone is almost 100% convinced by what Madam Zhao says. Madam Zhao's credibility is known to everyone, young and old."
Upon hearing this, Princess Fuya sighed, "I'm such a naive person. I didn't realize she was so capable."
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