Deng Cunli returned to Beijing after many years and was amazed at the great changes in the capital.
This time he was urgently recalled by the Queen Mother, and he had many guesses in his mind.
Without bothering to observe the changes in the capital, he immediately handed in the note and went to the palace to pay his respects.
The palace also changed its appearance.
The biggest difference is that there are fewer people in the palace, but it is more popular.
After being informed, Deng Cunli was invited into the study of Chang'an Palace.
The study is deserted today, without the sound of abacus being turned.
There were several baskets on the ground, all filled with account books. It was actually very busy.
Deng Cunli understood clearly that the popularity in the palace obviously came from Chang'an Palace.
Chang'an Palace is where the Empress lives and also where she works.
Because it was close to the Imperial Garden, everyone entering and leaving Chang'an Palace used the Jingyao Gate, avoiding all court officials.
"This old servant pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen. May Her Majesty live long and happily."
"Eunuch Deng is back, get up quickly!"
Gu Jiu invited Deng Cunli to sit down and talk.
After Deng Cunli thanked him, he sat down gently on a small stool.
The two looked at each other.
Gu Jiu's gaze was direct, while Deng Cunli's was reserved.
"I haven't seen you for many years, and Eunuch Deng is still the same."
"I have grown old, but Your Majesty has not changed at all. She still looks the same as when I left the capital."
Gu Jiu laughed, "I didn't expect you to be so good at flattering me. Thank you for your hard work over the years. The overall situation in the northwest is thanks to you. Otherwise, the plans of this palace and His Majesty would be difficult to achieve."
"Your Majesty is in charge of the overall planning, and I am merely following orders. Before I returned to the capital, the Northwest Army was in the process of relocation and deployment."
"Tell me the details. How many people has the Northwest Army recruited? Are those soldiers willing to follow them westward?"
Deng Cunli pondered and said, "The Marquis of Lu personally went out to buy people in the northwest, driving up prices on the market. In less than a year, she probably bought no fewer than 3,000 people, 2,000 male servants, and 1,000 female servants."
Gu Jiu nodded. "The weather has been good in recent years, and there haven't been many disasters. Where do all these people coming from in Yashi? Could it be that there are kidnappers involved?"
Deng Cunli said, "Your Majesty, I've secretly inquired and found that the people Madam Lu Hou buys mainly come from mountainous areas. The land is poor and life is difficult in mountainous areas, and there has always been a tradition of selling children. In addition, the matchmakers have raised the price, and many families who can barely make ends meet will sell their children early because of the high price. In recent years, the court has cracked down on kidnapping, and the number of men and women being trafficked is relatively rare. Most of them are sold by relatives to matchmakers, who then sell them to Madam Lu Hou."
Gu Jiu nodded. "The Northwest Army alone has tens of thousands of combatants. Are their families accompanying them?"
Deng Cunli said: "Over the years, the Northwest Army has recruited soldiers locally in the Northwest. Soldiers from outside the Northwest have either retired or been taken over by the Grand Marshal's Office."
"You mean, the families of the soldiers are willing to follow us westward?" Gu Jiu was secretly shocked.
Deng Cunli's words were rather subtle. "Lord Lu is quite capable in leading troops. According to investigations, Lord Lu began preparing many years ago. Perhaps when the Empress was plotting against the Northwest Army, Lord Lu had already guessed her intentions and, taking advantage of the situation, began to recruit troops in the Northwest, leading to the current situation."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "I have never dared to underestimate Marquis Lu. To be able to manage such a large situation in the northwest, he is naturally no ordinary person. It is not surprising that he was able to guess my intentions many years ago. It's a pity that I have never had the opportunity to meet with Marquis Lu."
Deng Cunli said, "Before returning to the capital, I said goodbye to the Duke of Lu. He also said he was sorry that he could not meet the Empress."
Gu Jiu laughed, "It's very likely that this lifetime, this palace and the Marquis of Lu will never meet. I really want to meet him. I wonder how much of the Marquis of Lu's true teachings Pei Meng has inherited?"
Deng Cunli thought for a moment and said, "It's hard to say."
"Oh? Are there things you can't judge?" Gu Jiu was curious.
Deng Cunli pondered and said, "Pei Meng, the Earl of Pingxi, appears to be a reckless man who only knows how to fight. However, anyone who views him that way will ultimately be defeated by him."
"You mean he's pretending to be a tough guy?"
"A reckless man may be truly reckless, and a treacherous man may be truly treacherous."
Gu Jiu understood, "I understand what you mean. There is a type of person who looks rough and rough, and whose words and actions are also rough, making people mistakenly think he is a rough man. However, few people know that rough men also have a delicate side."
"Your Majesty is still insightful."
"Stop the flattery. The Northwest Army's advance into Xiliang is still a secret within the court, known only to a few officials."
The court officials only knew that the Northwest Army was going to counterattack Xiliang, but they did not know that the Northwest Army’s purpose was to attack the Xiliang royal city.
"I will keep my mouth shut and won't let a single word slip."
"Food and weapons have been delivered to the Northwestern Army, and fortresses and strongholds have been built along the way. I hope Marquis Lu is truly worthy of his great reputation and can conquer Xiliang for the Great Zhou. Does Master Wuwang have any news?"
"Civil strife in Xiliang! Master Wuwang only sent these four words. All our spies in Xiliang have lost contact. Master Wuwang's message came through a tribal leader in Beirong."
"Oh! There's civil unrest in Xiliang. That's a good thing. Has Beirong also been successfully divided?"
"The Beirong royal court has lost its voice, and the other tribes have rebelled. Beirong is advancing westward and is currently stationing troops on the Xiliang border. Xiliang is facing a formidable enemy, but the two sides haven't yet engaged in a war. However, this old servant's information is from three months ago, and I don't know the current situation between Xiliang and Beirong."
"Don't worry. The soldiers of the Northwest Grand Commandery have been chasing Beirong all the time to prevent Beirong and Xiliang from joining forces to counterattack."
Gu Jiu tapped the table lightly and ordered someone to take out the map of the Western Regions.
"The Northwest Army must speed up its march. The situation will become complicated in winter."
"The main force of the Northwest Army set out a month and a half ago, led personally by Pei Meng, the Earl of Pingxi."
"Can the supplies keep up?"
"Try your best."
All preparations have been made for the Northwest affairs. Now it depends on how the Northwest Army performs.
It's too far to reach, and there's little Gu Jiu can do now.
She asked Deng Cunli, "I suddenly summoned you back to the capital. Did you have enough time to arrange matters in the northwest? Did it disrupt your plans?"
"Everything has been arranged. Huang Zhuo and Zhao Minfa are both capable of handling the situation on their own."
"That's very good. Do you know why I summoned you back?"
"Please give your instructions, Madam."
"I intend to arrange for you to enter the Shaofu and take charge of the overall situation."
Deng Cunli was horrified. "How can an old eunuch like me preside over the affairs of the Imperial Household? Absolutely not. The Imperial Household has always been presided over by members of the imperial clan, serving Your Majesty."
Gu Jiu raised her hand to stop him. "This is a temporary solution. Huang Qubing insisted on resigning and refused to continue serving as the Minister of the Imperial Household. You should know better than me how rotten the imperial family is. I want to find someone with both talent and virtue who can be trusted by Your Majesty. I have searched through the imperial family archives and cannot find one."
"Either they have virtue but no talent, or they have talent but no virtue, or their status is too sensitive to be used. So I have come up with a temporary solution: I will appoint an elder from the imperial clan as the Shaofu's household manager, and you will be in charge of all the Shaofu's affairs."
Deng Cunli was speechless and hesitated, "Lin Shuping and Qian Fu are both more suitable for this position than this old servant. They are your majesty's confidants."
Gu Jiu shook his head. "They are His Majesty's confidants, that's true. However, they don't understand business, finance, taxation, or the various intricacies of commerce. They are not qualified for the position of Shaofu, and I don't have the time to train them."
What is the most expensive thing these days?
Talent!
Many years ago, Gu Jiu cried out that talents are rare.
Even today, talented people are still hard to come by.
Cultivating talents requires time and soil.
It is even more difficult to train someone who can take over the position of Shaofu.
The power of the Shaofu is so great and the industries involved are so wide that it is not something that an ordinary person can take on.
Externally, the Shaofu had to generate income for the emperor by running various industries. He also had to frequently subsidize the Ministry of Revenue to solve its financial difficulties.
Internally, they were responsible for minting coins, distributing rice to support the royal family, and solving the royal family's employment problems (Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Personnel).
They were also responsible for manufacturing military equipment, repairing palaces, imperial tombs and other construction work (Ministry of War, Ministry of Works).
It is also responsible for royal family disputes and litigation (Ministry of Justice).
Responsible for selecting and training eunuchs and palace maids, and responsible for managing the imperial palace (Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Internal Affairs).
...To sum up, the Shaofu is actually a small court, with all the functions of the Six Ministries and the Imperial Household Department.
The difference is that the Shaofu is only responsible to the emperor.
Other government offices, don’t even think about interfering with the Shaofu.
Since the day the post of Shaofu Household Director was established, it has always been held by members of the royal family without exception.
Even Liu Zhao had never considered giving up the position of Shaofu Household Director to a civil official or nobleman.
Deng Cunli asked cautiously, "What does Your Majesty say?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "You don't have to worry about His Majesty. His Majesty has agreed to recall you to take charge of the overall affairs of the Ministry of the Imperial Household. Whether in terms of ability, qualifications, or knowledge, you are qualified to serve as the Minister of the Imperial Household. However, in name only, your position is the Minister of the Imperial Household's Craftsman, and you will be doing the work of the Minister of the Imperial Household."
The position of Shaofu Jiangcheng was often held by eunuchs, so Deng Cunli's appointment to this position was not unusual and would not attract criticism.
Deng Cunli said, "I am afraid I will disappoint your Majesty."
"I will support you, so feel free to do what you want. You don't have to worry about the royal family, His Majesty will keep them in line."
Deng Cunli breathed a sigh of relief. "With your Majesty's words, I feel relieved. What does your Majesty wish me to do in the Ministry of Personnel?"
Gu Jiu instructed: "When you go to the Shaofu to work, your primary task is to cooperate with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to cooperate with the Northwest Plan, ensure that money, food, and military equipment can be delivered to the Northwest in a timely manner, ensure logistical supplies, and try not to delay Pei Meng's advance plan.
Secondly, cooperate with the Audit Department to investigate all mines, with the goal of shutting down 50% of them. I'll send you the details, or you can search the Baijiafang archives. You also know Chang En, who is now the head of the Audit Department. You will have many opportunities for cooperation in the future, and I hope you can get along well with him."
Chang En?
Deng Cunli laughed, "I will definitely get along well with Eunuch Chang."
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