Yang Ji, who is over thirty years old, looks weathered and is no longer the handsome and charming scholar who once was.
A pair of eyes, twinkling with stars.
More resolute and calm.
After years of experience in the Northwest Marshal's Office, he grew up quickly.
He can write calligraphy when he dismounts and kill enemies when he mounts.
He is both literary and martial, and is a great talent.
With the capital in sight, Yang Ji could hardly hide his excitement.
After leaving Beijing for many years, I finally came back.
I wonder how my wife and children are doing? How are my parents?
"drive!"
He spurred his horse forward, heading towards home.
Yang Ji returned home and reunited with his family.
The next day, someone came from the palace and asked him to come in to meet the emperor.
Entered the palace and met His Majesty.
His Majesty sent him away with just a few words and asked him to go meet the Empress.
Yang Ji was bewildered.
What is going on?
The eunuch leading the way, for the sake of the silver, whispered to him, "Lord Yang is from the Shanhe Academy. Now that he has returned to the capital, he should go to see the Empress."
Yang Ji was surprised, "Is this appropriate?"
Perhaps he was overthinking it, and the Queen had no intention of sharing power.
But no matter how he looked at it, he felt that it was the Queen who was dividing the Emperor's power.
The emperor is not alert?
He was very worried.
If the emperor and empress quarreled over power, the situation in the court would be unimaginable.
The eunuch said, "Master Yang, you are worrying too much."
Yang Ji was filled with worry, hoping that he was worrying too much.
Gu Jiuren is in the Imperial Garden.
It’s just the end of the first month of the year and the weather is still cold.
Gu Jiu, wearing a thick cloak, sat in the embroidery building, looking at the palace complex that was officially under construction in the distance.
Xu Yousi went upstairs and whispered, "Your Majesty, Lord Yang is here."
"Bring him up here."
"promise!"
Soon, Yang Ji was taken to the embroidery building.
"Mr. Yang, how are you?" Gu Jiu greeted him with a smile and addressed him respectfully as "Mr."
Yang Ji was extremely apprehensive and said, "I am here to pay my respects to the Empress, and I am not worthy of being called Master."
"In my heart, your knowledge is enough to call you sir. Don't be nervous, sit down and talk. Come and taste the tea sent from the south."
"Students should be respectful and obey orders."
Yang Ji sat down tremblingly.
Things have changed and people have changed.
When she left Beijing, she was still the Lady Zhao.
When she returned to Beijing, she had already become the Empress.
He hasn't fully adjusted yet.
Gu Jiu poured the tea himself, which made Yang Ji even more nervous and frightened.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I told you, Mr. Yang, don't be nervous. Have you met His Majesty?"
"Your Majesty, I have already met His Majesty."
"What did His Majesty say?"
"Your Majesty only asked about the situation at the Grand Commandery and said nothing else."
Gu Jiu smiled knowingly, "Let me guess, you must be full of questions in your mind. You can raise any questions you have in front of me, without any restraint. I will not punish you."
Yang Ji hesitated and was reluctant to speak.
Gu Jiu didn't urge him either.
She understood that he had just returned to Beijing and was entering the palace to meet the emperor for the first time, so it would take some time to adapt.
Yang Ji gritted his teeth. He had to understand the current situation clearly.
Obviously, he has been labeled as the Queen, and he needs to weigh what to do.
"I would like to ask, are Your Majesty and His Majesty cooperating or competing?"
Gu Jiu didn't answer directly, "What do you think?"
Yang Ji said bluntly, "If they cooperate, I'm worried about how long it will last. If they stand apart, I'm worried about the instability of the government and the potential for unrest."
"I understand your doubts. Your Majesty and I are neither rivals nor simply partners. More accurately, we have different divisions of labor. He has his concerns, and I, too, have my own."
"But since this involves the appointment of officials, can Your Majesty interfere? Doesn't the court object?"
"The appointment of officials can only be approved by His Majesty. I am just helping His Majesty to find and fill the gaps." Gu Jiu said with a smile.
Yang Ji was still worried.
Gu Jiu said, "Your Majesty and I have been married for nearly twenty years, and we have a tacit understanding. I know what you are worried about, and I tell you that your worries are unnecessary. I have plans for all your worries."
Yang Ji was surprised.
Gu Jiu nodded heavily, "I have already anticipated any worst-case scenario and have already prepared countermeasures."
Yang Ji let out a long sigh, "I hope that Your Majesty and His Majesty can always live in harmony."
“Yes!”
If Liu Zhao dares to cause trouble, Gu Jiu will "persuade" him.
How to "persuade"?
Of course, all the tricks were used on Liu Zhao one by one.
Yang Ji bowed slightly and said, "I will obey your Majesty's orders."
Gu Jiu said, "I will give you a month's vacation to spend time with your family. One month later, the Ministry of Personnel will officially issue the appointment document, and you will go to Jiangnan to serve as the Chief Clerk of the Jiangnan Grand Military Governor's Office, a third-rank official.
I hope you can quickly seize the Jiangnan Grand Military Governor's Office, rectify the Jiangnan officialdom, and establish the Jiangnan Academy, modeled after the Shanhe Academy. Strive to capture all of Jiangnan's literati and draw them all into our profit chain. For information on the Jiangnan aristocratic families, visit the Baijiafang Archives, where they have comprehensive documentation. Regarding the Jiangnan officialdom, the Lantai Temple and the Archives also have records. This pass grants you free access to both locations.
I hope you'll be well-informed when you embark on your journey to Jiangnan. Also, Jiangnan is your hometown, and you'll face attacks from your relatives and friends. I hope you can withstand them. If you encounter any difficulties, you can go to Sihai Trading Company and seek help from Eunuch Rong Xinrong.
Yang Ji looked at the pass in his hand. It was made of red wood and written in small seal script. The row of numbers below was unique.
"I am afraid of failing to live up to the trust of Her Majesty and His Majesty!"
"Jiangnan must be rectified. The officials in the court are all more or less entangled in interests with Jiangnan. Your Majesty and I cannot trust them. But I can trust you."
“But the students are also from Jiangnan.”
"Your Yang family has a total of 121 members within the fifth degree of mourning. Ten of these families had a falling out with yours long ago. With your rapid rise in recent years, the relationship has eased somewhat. But from what I know about you, you will not be lenient towards these members of the family."
Yang Ji lowered his head and smiled, "Nothing can be hidden from the Queen."
Gu Jiu added, "Be confident and do it. I have confidence in you. Jiangnan will be the stage for you to make a name for yourself. Once you have put Jiangnan in order, the position of Shangshu Province will be vacant."
Even someone as aloof as Yang Ji couldn't hide his excitement when he heard this promise.
He stood up and thanked her solemnly, "I will definitely live up to your expectations."
Gu Jiu gestured for him to sit down. "A hero needs three helpers. You'll need help when you head to Jiangnan. Do you have any candidates? In the army, in the academy, in the imperial court, as long as their background is clean, their ability and loyalty are no problem, they are all suitable!"
“The students do have a few choices.”
"Very good! Draw up the list and give it to Eunuch Qian Fu, and he will arrange it for you."
Huh?
Why is it the rich eunuch Qian?
Eunuch Qian is clearly someone close to His Majesty.
Gu Jiu smiled knowingly, knowing Yang Ji's doubts. "I've said that Your Majesty and I work together in a division of labor. Many things may seem arbitrary, but in fact, Your Majesty has already made the decision behind the scenes."
Yang Ji breathed a sigh of relief, "Student obeys!"
After finishing the business, Gu Jiucai asked Chen Zhuangshi, "Can Chen Zhuangshi take on such a big responsibility? I hope you can objectively evaluate his ability."
Yang Ji said carefully, "Brother Chen has the ability, ambition, and determination, but he still needs time and experience. He will definitely be able to take on great responsibilities one day."
"How long does it take to train?"
"In another three to five years, I will definitely not let you down."
Gu Jiu nodded, "I understand. The Beirong royal court is still on the run. His Majesty has decided to order the Northwest Grand Military Governor's Office to continue the pursuit. I hope Chen Zhuangshi can seize the opportunity and not let His Majesty down."
"On behalf of Brother Chen, I would like to thank His Majesty and His Majesty."
"I like people who are ambitious, aspiring, and capable. I hope you can discover more talents in this area."
"The student union will keep an eye on the students in the academy."
“Very good!”
After the conversation, Yang Ji got up and left.
Xu Yousi flattered her, "It is a blessing for Lord Yang to meet the Empress."
Gu Jiu scoffed, "Stop flattering me. What else?"
Xu Yousi quickly said, "Recently, many people have been asking about the relocation of the Imperial College."
Gu Jiu said it all in one sentence, "They are just speculators, don't bother with them."
Xu Yousi swallowed his saliva.
Gu Jiu asked him, "What else?"
Xu Yousi said cautiously, "The father-in-law wants to see you."
Gu Jiu was stunned for a moment before realizing that the father-in-law was referring to his biological father, Mr. Gu Zhili.
Gu Jiu rubbed his brows, "Did he say anything?"
"No! I just asked this old servant to arrange a time to meet with the Empress."
Gu Jiu thought for a moment and said, "It's time to meet him. Let's arrange it for tomorrow morning."
"I will send someone to inform the father-in-law right away. I wonder if the Queen will meet him at the Prince of Qin's residence or in the palace?"
"We'll meet at the Small Flower Hall in the outer courtyard of the Prince Qin's Mansion."
"promise!"
…
In recent years, Mr. Gu resigned from his official position and lived a life of luxury. He has obviously gained a lot of weight and looks very wealthy.
With a six-month-old belly, he rode in a four-wheeled carriage to the Prince of Qin's Palace.
All along the way, she kept muttering, "How can a queen still live in the palace? If she can't live in the Weiyang Palace, then she can't live in other palaces either? Ridiculous!"
Butler Gu Quan frowned secretly, feeling worried.
Father-in-law, please don't do anything stupid when you meet the Empress.
The Empress's methods of dealing with people are extremely powerful. You will be the one who will be embarrassed when the time comes.
After arriving at the Prince of Qin's Mansion, Mr. Gu was invited into the small flower hall after being informed.
"Father-in-law, please wait a moment. Your Majesty will come over as soon as she finishes her work."
"I wonder what the queen is busy with?" Mr. Gu asked politely.
"I dare not speak carelessly about your Majesty's affairs."
The eunuch left without saying a word.
Master Gu was nagging his butler Gu Quan, "What an unruly eunuch! How did the Shaofu discipline him?"
"Master, calm down! This is the Prince of Qin's Palace. The Empress lives here, which is equivalent to the harem. Master, be careful with your words while you are in the harem!"
Mr. Gu muttered a few words and dared not speak anymore.
After waiting for a cup of tea, Gu Jiu arrived at the small flower hall.
"Kept my father waiting for so long!"
Mr. Gu wanted to show off his fatherly style, but the housekeeper Gu Quan secretly reminded him, and he reluctantly suppressed the idea of showing off.
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