Chapter 187 An incomprehensible past life, leading to this...
There was considerable disagreement among the officials in the capital regarding who should make the audience.
Grand Scholar Mu, having been reborn early and possessing high moral character and prestige, organized a meeting for everyone and established a new unwritten rule in front of the new emperor. With him taking the lead, everyone agreed to it.
But then what?
Grand Tutor Wu and the Minister of Justice were highly respected and held high positions, but they were not the only options. Ministers with similar qualifications all wanted to go, which is why the debate raged for some time.
This is the kind of situation that Grand Scholar Mu has been guarding against since he was reborn.
He clearly analyzed the situation in the court and decided to send the person who was currently the most helpful to Prince Rui and the one least likely to arouse Emperor Hongren's suspicion.
Grand Tutor Wu was the former; to put it bluntly, he was the leading civil official with students all over the world. In this respect, his network of connections far surpassed that of Grand Secretary Mu, who had served as the Crown Prince's tutor for many years.
People are shrewd and clever. With him showing goodwill openly, and the key is to grasp the timing, Prince Rui won't be implicated in any big moves he makes in the Six Ministries. When Emperor Hongren hears about it, he will only be pleased that the old minister knows what's good for him.
The Minister of Justice was the least favored of the Six Ministries by Emperor Hongren, entirely because the Minister himself was an inflexible and stubborn old man who tirelessly submitted memorials to review the details of cases, being extremely cautious, and always liked to ask His Majesty to postpone the approval of death sentences and to compile lists of names. This added a great deal of workload to the Emperor's court every year.
The Minister of Justice and these other newly appointed officials all knew that Emperor Hongren was not comfortable with his services, and that within the next two years, Emperor Hongren would reach his breaking point and replace him. The Minister of Justice would be reinstated under a new emperor. His ideas would align perfectly with the new emperor's, resulting in a mutually beneficial arrangement!
At this critical juncture, the Minister of Justice, who is currently sidelined, is the most suitable high-ranking official.
This resulted in a complete silence in the restaurant's private room, with only three veteran officials, who had served for a century, waiting with mixed feelings.
"This tea is getting a little cold," Grand Tutor Wu chuckled self-deprecatingly, sighing. He picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup. His wrist trembled slightly at first, but by the time he finished pouring, the unevenness had subsided.
This meeting was related to the lives, fortunes, and even the future of the nation for many of them, including the changing political landscape and the future direction of the country. Even though Grand Tutor Wu was the most detached person—he had not participated in the glory of the new emperor's reign at all, but only stayed in his hometown and listened to the changes from afar.
But at this moment, even he, a seasoned veteran, felt a bit nervous.
“This tea shouldn’t get cold yet.” Grand Scholar Mu picked up the teacup with a meaningful look. “Look at these emerald green patterns. I love drinking aged spring bud tea.”
"We brought a lot of tea this time, who likes which flavor... Hmph, no one can convince anyone else, there's plenty to brew!" The Minister of Justice followed up with a cryptic remark, his eyes sparkling. He was already past forty, yet every wrinkle on his face seemed to say, "I still want to strive."
Qi Chengming happened to push the door open and come in.
Hearing nothing of tea, he went along with it and said with a smile, "You gentlemen like to drink tea? I don't have anything good, only a jar of medicinal tea that I brought back from the south, which is good for your health and spirit. Little Dezi... give each of you a few packets."
He gritted his teeth, as if cutting off a piece of his own flesh.
The personal eunuch left without a word, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
The Minister of Justice was the first to react, his eyes lighting up: "Could it be the prescription written by that divine physician surnamed Bian?"
Qi Chengming responded, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy as he looked at the Minister of Justice.
Alright, they've definitely done their research and come prepared... It seems he'll have to write a letter of introduction. As for whether Lord Bian is willing to come, that depends on the Minister of Justice's subsequent actions.
"Your Highness, please sit down. Seeing is believing." Grand Scholar Mu's eyes lit up, and he rose to greet him with satisfaction, praising his old friend in his heart.
It was worth his repeated encouragement. After his old friend's visit, the Second Prince's appearance and demeanor were completely different from when he returned to the capital in his previous life! Although his figure looked thinner due to weight gain, a closer look revealed that the young prince had a rosy complexion, calm and bright eyes, and a completely different spirit. Now he was truly a dashing and handsome young man!
In their past lives, these old ministers were all shrewd and wouldn't easily take sides. It's one thing that none of the princes were particularly outstanding, but it's another that the only outstanding one, the second prince, looked sickly.
Although he was exceptionally talented, some of his ideas were too outrageous, and he always had a faint air of weariness that made people uneasy. In addition, the second prince had no heir and actively avoided suspicion from the ministers, so the ministers dared not openly or secretly try to curry favor with him... It wasn't until he was made crown prince that things changed.
"..." Scholar Mu could hardly contain his amazement.
Compared to how he remembered the boy, he looked completely different, as if he had been reborn!
No.
If it weren't for the help from these reborn individuals, both overt and covert, given the Second Prince's tumultuous past, wouldn't he have become the way they remember him?
Those experiences... were what truly transformed me.
Grand Scholar Mu pondered deeply for a moment.
Grand Tutor Wu gave him a look, then chuckled and continued to smooth things over, preventing the conversation from falling flat: "Your Highness is probably wondering why we old folks are suddenly making such a fuss, isn't he?"
"Not at all." Qi Chengming was also secretly holding his breath. He was not good at exchanging pleasantries, and now he was just putting on a composed face. He said with a slight sense of gratitude, "I must thank Lord Mu. Lord Mu has been working diligently in Liuzhou these past few years. He loves the people like his own children. He is a good official! He has saved me a lot of trouble."
"Being able to help the Prince is his skill... To receive this praise is worthy of our Mu family's motto." Grand Scholar Mu was initially happy, but by the second half of his sentence, he had restrained most of his emotions, and his appearance was calm and gratified.
After exchanging a few meaningless pleasantries, they tacitly accepted each other's advances and extended olive branches, putting each other at ease.
Qi Chengming felt a weight lift from his heart.
Even though he knew the purpose of his visit today, Qi Chengming felt at ease after hearing Grand Secretary Mu subtly confirm his willingness to serve the Prince, and that he would help Prince Rui in the capital just like Prefect Mu...
After the four of them finished arguing, they finally sat down around the table. It was Grand Tutor Wu's turn to speak again. He had come prepared today, and he deliberately enunciated his words carefully: "I heard that Your Highness is planning to set up a factory to help the refugees, and His Majesty has agreed. I wonder if you have any concerns?"
"What does Lord Wu mean...?" Qi Chengming wanted to correct him, saying that he wasn't helping refugees, but rather finding new ways for ordinary people and refugees to make a living, and expanding the economic pie. But after thinking about it, it didn't really matter to these high-ranking officials; he was just throwing money around.
Could it be that this Grand Tutor Wu has a keen eye and foresaw that these people would become golden hens, and wants to join his cause? Or is he simply trying to curry favor with him by giving him some money?
"The national treasury doesn't have much surplus silver either; it all depends on Your Highness's own efforts. My family is relatively well-off, and I can certainly share Your Highness's burdens!" Sure enough, Grand Tutor Wu revealed his purpose quite frankly.
"This..." Qi Chengming intended to explain further, "This task ultimately falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works. Lord Wu is currently putting in so much effort, I wonder...?"
It should be known that all of his new tasks were intended to be transferred to the Six Ministries to generate revenue for the national treasury and provide a way out for the people. He himself was only in charge of the overall management and was not aiming to make money. Emperor Hongren was also aware of this.
Since Grand Tutor Wu wanted to bring his own provisions, he wouldn't be able to get a share of the profits from Qi Chengming. At most, he could use his connections in the imperial court to be assigned tasks by Qi Chengming, but he couldn't be too greedy.
We need to be prepared to eat only leftovers.
There is no feast here.
With such a large discrepancy, if the investment and psychological expectations are not aligned, isn't it bound to collapse sooner or later?
So Qi Chengming secretly gave this warning, giving a heads-up in advance.
Grand Tutor Wu knew perfectly well that the prince had come to pledge his allegiance. He smiled and bowed, his expression righteous, saying, "I understand Your Highness's concerns, but this is a great thing for the country and its people. How can I complain? I also have old friends in the Ministry of Works. If I can help Your Highness now, wouldn't it be convenient for both sides? And it wouldn't cause any resentment..."
After uttering his last sentence, he gave Qi Chengming a meaningful look.
"The same goes for this old minister." Grand Scholar Mu listened quietly, sipping his tea, and smiled upon hearing this.
"I have nothing else, but the Ministry of Justice has a few capable people." The Minister of Justice readily sent someone out.
Qi Chengming was taken aback, his eyes brightening slightly: "Okay...okay."
Qi Chengming struggled to decipher Grand Tutor Wu's cryptic pronouncements in court, but eventually, amidst his surprise, he understood what everyone meant.
Today's banquet is undoubtedly a banquet to honor those who have pledged allegiance to the emperor.
However, there are differences between seeking refuge and seeking refuge.
Today, the allegiance of Grand Tutor Wu, Grand Secretary Mu, and Minister is exactly the kind of ally Qi Chengming desires most.
These three old men knew perfectly well that Qi Chengming's job was low-paying and troublesome, yet they still planned to join! At least when it came to the phrase "for the country and the people," Qi Chengming saw that Grand Tutor Wu spoke sincerely, and he also wanted to do something for the people, so he wasn't too interested.
He brought his own rations and didn't intend to take any extra money. Judging from Grand Tutor Wu's words, he planned to act as Qi Chengming's capable subordinate, taking on supervisory duties and communicating with the Vice Minister of Works! This was quite ingenious; a shrewd attempt to curry favor at the crucial moment.
Qi Chengming currently only has one job and can manage it, but there will be a severe shortage of such personnel in the future. He is also at a disadvantage in his usual interactions with the Six Ministries.
With their help, it's like adding wings to a tiger!
"Then I'll have to trouble you gentlemen." Qi Chengming sincerely picked up his teacup and offered them a toast with tea instead of wine.
The three of them gladly accepted the gift.
It's best to stop while things are going well for the day.
After Prince Rui left, the three raised their eyes, their expressions filled with unspoken excitement and ambition.
finally……!
Finally, he led this large group of court officials safely and steadily through the procession before the new emperor!
"Lord Wu, it's up to you to deal with the rest." Grand Scholar Mu had finished his leading role and had successfully retired. Now it was up to Grand Tutor Wu to decide how to deal with the reborn officials.
"Don't worry." Grand Tutor Wu replied calmly, but the smile on his lips carried an air of arrogance. "I won't let them ruin the new emperor's arrangements."
In their previous life, they did not understand the new emperor's ambitions or his thoughts.
In the early days of those new things, new words, and new reforms, how many were seen as heretical by them? How many were seen by ministers as opportunities to meddle and enrich themselves? How many ideas were forced to conform to the prevailing trends? And how many ideas had to be delayed in their emergence? They were accepted through gradual and subtle exposure.
These detours should not be repeated.
...and the reborn ministers now seem to be all devoted to the new ruler.
But what if someone wavers? What if someone, under the premise of future loyalty, only wants to reap the benefits of new things and is unwilling to return to the honest and upright life that a new emperor would lead? This emperor is not good in any way, but his benevolence and kindness are the only things that people praise.
What if the reborn ministers want to unite and subtly change the new emperor's system, secretly enrich themselves, and make the court style quietly lean towards His Majesty? Those who are more familiar with the new emperor's ways are more likely to cause harm in private.
These reborn ministers must not become parasites!
Whether it was proactive or reactive... Grand Secretary Mu and Grand Tutor Wu, along with several other senior officials, intended to forcefully draw a line, making them be careful and obediently follow the path originally set by the new emperor!
It was a difficult and arduous road.
But now, the new king is not walking alone... they will follow behind.
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