Chapter 202 The Crown Prince's Body Lays Rest and He is Posthumously Granted a Title...
Qi Chengming was surprised that Granny Liu would say that. A thought crossed his mind, but he suppressed it and said, "Alright, I remember your family is also in the capital? Just three streets away? I'll secretly send someone to keep an eye on them."
It seems I'll have to wait until next time to inquire about her husband's family. Let's see if this is just another conspiracy.
Qi Chengming lowered his head and thought for a moment.
He was usually too aloof, and there were very few people in the vast Prince Rui's mansion who could truly get close to him or catch his eye. It was difficult to find fault with other people, but the Liu wet nurse's husband's family was indeed the most glaring weakness.
Now we might also have to add Chestnut and Persimmon Frost, whose identities are still questionable, to the main courtyard.
Let's wait and see without making a sound.
Qi Chengming excused himself and left from the backyard. At that time, Song Gu only briefly mentioned that the various factories and shops were developing normally, and that any occasional setbacks had been resolved. He didn't ask for details, saying he would find another opportunity to discuss it later.
Qi Chengming was concerned about something else:
He returned to his study alone, closed the door, and silently opened the infrastructure system.
The mission "[Rise in the Military]" has changed and now indicates that it has been completely completed.
This task should have been completed when Wen Zhongnan was appointed as a general of the fourth rank by the court, but it has not changed for a long time. Perhaps it is because... Wen Zhongnan has not yet been appointed to a substantive post?
Qi Chengming made this guess as he took out the reward.
...But things changed tonight, and perhaps he will receive an answer tomorrow.
He was nervous and apprehensive: the first two rewards were modern high-tech items, such as cameras and radar infrared scanning devices; he wondered what the third reward would be and whether it would be useful.
[Outdoor small generator (hydraulic)].
Qi Chengming: "...!!!"
nice one!
He couldn't resist taking the thing out, and with a sudden heave, he hugged the colorful, mechanical object and kissed it, feeling an overwhelming sense of intimacy.
He gave the family's only generator to Mr. Huang to take to Silver Island to charge his MP4 player. It was his only secret means of communication with Silver Island overseas—convenient and quick.
However, Qi Chengming's radar and pinhole cameras also need charging. Although they currently use replaceable batteries that can last for a few months at most, after that, he'll have to worry about how to recharge them.
This generator came at just the right time!
However... hydroelectric power is still more suitable for the environment in Silver Island Prefecture.
Qi Chengming opened the system and sent a message to the mp4 page, asking Huang Dong to select a reliable confidant to come to Beijing and exchange generators with him.
Under the emperor's nose, finding a place to generate hydroelectric power would be easy, unless he lived on the estate every day.
[Understood. Will the silver still be sent to the money exchange this year? Is His Highness lacking in daily expenses in the capital?]
Huang Dong replied quickly.
[Don't worry about me, you all continue as usual, but be careful.] Qi Chengming wrote without any emotion, then gave a cold laugh.
The vast amounts of silver unearthed in Yin Island Prefecture, sent to money shops, could revitalize the entire southern region using a voucher system and save countless lives. If it were sent to the capital for his use, would he use it to form cliques and engage in corrupt practices? This is currently the thing the emperor is most wary of; it's better not to do it at all.
What if he's short of money in the capital? He can just ask Emperor Hongren for it! He's made so much money, Emperor Hongren won't refuse him even a penny.
In the past few days, Qi Chengming has come to realize that even though the capital's economic system has deteriorated to the point of chaos, it is still incredibly lucrative. Some minor officials and honest bureaucrats are struggling to make ends meet, but for the powerful and wealthy, it's merely a matter of complaining a bit; they still buy all the latest gadgets without hesitation.
Qi Chengming's face darkened, and he sighed deeply: "...What a festering sore!"
In the first few days after arriving in the capital, he had a long, fatherly conversation with Emperor Hongren. During that time, he not only presented grain seeds but also most of his publicly known inventions. Seeing that he avoided discussing these topics, Emperor Hongren also coveted the idea of extending the rationing system nationwide.
That would be the time for Emperor Hongren to declare other currencies invalid, allowing Dingguo to reap another huge profit. He hoped to win back the hearts of the people and restore his image as a wise and benevolent ruler.
Qi Chengming had long anticipated this day.
All the inventions he possessed were mere embellishments, nothing more. What truly captivated Emperor Hongren were only two things: the three high-yield grain varieties and the rationing system. These two were remedies for the nation's survival; combined, they could ensure his lasting fame.
but--
Emperor Hongren, as a ruler, was completely ignorant of economics. Qi Chengming tried to teach him basic economic principles, explaining why previous attempts to issue various types of banknotes had failed and why the people had completely lost trust in the government. Emperor Hongren suddenly understood, but still wanted a system based on banknotes.
He didn't understand—once Emperor Hongren so eagerly promoted the ticket system throughout the country, wouldn't it just become the next silver note?
A healthy southern economy simply cannot support the ailing state of Dingguo. Once the trade deficit is broken, it will be instantly dragged into an abyss. At that point, Qi Chengming will have no idea how to save the country through indirect means.
Perhaps only a forceful change of leadership, eliminating the problems from the bottom up, can salvage the situation. Or perhaps immediately taking power in this vast country and implementing more meticulous and refined measures could salvage the situation to some extent?
Both options have their drawbacks: a military change could trigger war and cause immense suffering for the people, resulting in far more than just hundreds or thousands of deaths. It's hard to say whether this option is worse than a protracted and stagnant state.
Qi Chengming could have easily sabotaged Emperor Hongren's rise to power and salvaged the situation, even if he could issue new currency using his own credit. However, this was merely a stopgap measure, not a fundamental solution. Whether it was meticulously monitoring the economic bubbles caused by the rampant growth in various regions or the desolate economy that had plummeted to rock bottom, he would have to work tirelessly like a human machine, cautiously and constantly adjusting the system. It was uncertain how long it would take to bring this unruly bull, Dingguo, under control.
The most likely scenario is that while Qi Chengming is still walking a tightrope with his regulatory efforts, the suffering and misunderstood populace will rise up to overthrow him, or the ministers will oppose him. Even in the best-case scenario, everyone ultimately followed through, and he successfully revitalized the ailing old emperor, Dingguo…
That would probably only extend the country's lifespan by a few decades.
Qi Chengming shuddered.
He couldn't imagine how tired he would be. Could his body and mind still hold up? It would be a huge challenge—that is to say, it was too dangerous to develop to that point for such an almost impossible idea.
So Qi Chengming earnestly persuaded Emperor Hongren, presenting facts and reasoning to try to delay his adoption of the voucher system. He also contributed a lot of real silver to the court, which temporarily appeased the emperor.
"It seems I should activate my backup plan," Qi Chengming murmured, deep in thought.
He didn't know how long Emperor Hongren would be appeased by this large sum of money, so he had to think things through in advance and plan ahead.
Earlier, when Qi Chengming was still in Liuzhou, he secretly sent people to spread the word that the secret to the success of the ticket system actually lay in a science. If one did not understand this science, and if no one worked on his system in real time, simply copying an empty shell would not be successful.
Who wouldn't want to make a fortune? Who wouldn't be completely baffled by the new currency? Even the imperial court has repeatedly failed with this little thing called "money," only Prince Rui has mastered it.
Liuzhou has endured wave after wave of surveillance and attacks for this, but no one has been able to find the secret. Now, the ripe fruit has finally blossomed.
...
The next day, Qi Chengming went to the palace to present the funeral gifts to the eldest prince, and then went to a palace that had been vacated in the former dynasty to pay his respects.
He missed the first prince's encoffining and funeral rites during his smallpox illness. Now the first prince has been placed in a coffin and is awaiting burial in 49 days.
The exact age of the prince's death is somewhat unclear, falling between a simple burial and a normal one. Emperor Hongren's tomb still hasn't been built; he never imagined his son would die before him, and was completely unprepared. For now, they can only place him in a simple coffin and send him to the imperial burial site. Once the tomb is built, they'll find an auspicious day to renovate and rebuild it—after all, imperial tombs are typically built every ten years.
Even so, Emperor Hongren's insistence was opposed by some court officials, which provoked another outburst of anger.
"The eldest son of the Emperor is intelligent, studious, gentle, and filial. He is posthumously granted the title of Prince Dun. The eldest grandson of the Emperor is hereby ordered to enter the palace to study after his death. This is the imperial decree."
Qi Chengming knelt in the mourning hall, listening to Eunuch Fuman announce the imperial decree. He slightly raised his head and saw the First Princess Consort, who was diagonally in front of him, moved to tears. She was almost crying out loud, and her shoulders were shaking with suppressed emotion.
The praise in this imperial decree is full of flaws; which of the eldest prince's claims matches? Qi Chengming was tricked by him the moment he transmigrated, with him constantly stirring up trouble, almost losing his life in the process. Even the emperor knows his true colors, yet he's now being praised with the title 'Dun'.
Indeed, respect for the dead is paramount; Emperor Hongren only had eyes for his eldest son. The grudges between Qi Chengming and him vanished without a trace, and he never even got to face retribution…
However, while the Crown Prince's wife appeared grateful, she was probably heartbroken and on the verge of tears. She had no legitimate son yet, and her entire family consisted of illegitimate sons. It wouldn't matter to her who became the heir apparent in the future. Now, the Emperor was clearly trying to elevate the eldest grandson.
Yes, a son born out of wedlock.
Qi Chengming paused for a moment, then tried to dig into his memory.
He remembered that the original plot seemed to include a scene where the eldest prince's wife gave birth to a legitimate son, and calculating the timeline...
Qi Chengming's gaze sharpened as he looked at the Crown Prince's wife, who was being helped up to receive the imperial decree, and began to consider who should bring up the matter of having the imperial physician examine her pulse.
Originally, the eldest prince's lineage was all secretly causing trouble for the new emperor. But now the eldest prince is gone... the grown-up illegitimate sons, the young legitimate sons, and the heir apparent position have not yet been confirmed.
Qi Chengming planned to curry favor with the Crown Prince's wife.
This is a casual move, but also a well-intentioned reminder. Even if it's not needed in the future, it won't be a disadvantage for him. Why not do it? Otherwise, given the hardship of the mourning period and the Crown Princess's mindset, if she's already pregnant, there's a high chance she'll miscarry.
"..." Qi Chengming suddenly gave a bitter smile.
He too was assimilated by the ancients.
I wanted to remind the Crown Princess that even doing a good deed requires convincing oneself of the potential benefits. This is because ancient times couldn't tolerate such unprincipled kindness; if one doesn't think things through carefully, it might bring trouble upon oneself at any time.
Qi Chengming's gaze swept across the mourning hall, but he couldn't find a suitable person. He could only take advantage of the Crown Prince's wife's maid coming over to make tea and refreshments for them, and whisper a few words of what the Crown Prince had said in the restaurant, telling the women to take care of themselves, before hurriedly leaving to avoid suspicion.
The palace maid returned and reported the truth to her aunt. The female official tearfully persuaded the Crown Prince's wife, and only after the day was over did they invite an imperial physician to examine the entire family.
Qi Chengming had just woken up in the Second Prince's quarters the next day when he heard hurried footsteps outside; a piece of good news was coming—
The Crown Prince's wife is already about two months pregnant!
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