Upon hearing this, Zhou Shiping's heart, liver, spleen, and lungs trembled violently. He mustered his courage for a final struggle, "Your Majesty, this method is good, but if the people know that the national treasury is empty and the court has no choice but to implement this policy, it will inevitably affect the morale of the troops at the front..."
Zhu Rui smiled slightly, not taking these words to heart at all, and looked at Shen Qingchen expectantly with shining eyes.
He knew that the person who came up with that brilliant plan must have been prepared for this.
In fact, he wasn't wrong.
When making the proposal, Qingchen had already thought of every aspect for him. As the emperor, he certainly couldn't appear short of money in front of his subjects. Even if he wasn't as calculating as Zhu Rui, any other emperor would have lost face.
She glanced at Zhou Shiping and calmly said to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, the place where the Huairou Dam is located is called Qinglong Gorge. I went to see the terrain there. The gorge is winding with many tributaries on both sides, just like a green dragon. The dragon shape of this gorge is naturally formed, but I think it seems to be missing two dragon eyes. Or perhaps it is said that the green dragon has been sleeping and has closed its eyes.”
"Since the time of the Yellow Emperor, the Azure Dragon has been commanded by Heaven, its power extending to all directions. Your Majesty is enlightened, and the current era is one of peace and prosperity, with abundant harvests, a peaceful and prosperous land. It is only natural that the time has come for the Azure Dragon to open its eyes. Your Majesty only needs to order people to select sites on both sides of the river, dig two small pools, and fill them with water, which will be considered the Azure Dragon opening its eyes." She continued, "The Azure Dragon opening its eyes is a blessing for the people, and everyone should contribute their share. We can use this as a pretext to raise funds. Those who donate will receive the Azure Dragon's protection and blessings, which is the interest they can earn. In this way, the purpose of raising funds is fulfilled."
As soon as he finished speaking, the other elders present looked at each other in surprise. Several men in their fifties and sixties were already astonished, their eyes filled with excitement and admiration.
In this series of ingenious schemes by the common people, the emperor's face was not lost, the dike was completed on schedule, the wealthy families who invested money made a profit, and the merchants responsible for generating profits gained favors from the court... In all these links, no one suffered a loss.
Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. This seemingly impossible task was not only accomplished by this person, but he also transformed a dire situation into a win-win situation for everyone. It's truly... extraordinary.
Zhu Rui looked at the thin young man in front of him, and a smile slowly appeared on his lips.
Sure enough, this person did not disappoint him.
"Good! Very good!" The emperor's joy was evident, and he immediately ordered someone to help Han Yuanshu up and offer him and Shen Qingchen seats.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Shiping trembled violently.
Zhu Rui didn't let him tremble. He looked at him with a stern face and said, "Is this what you mean by not doing anything? You are in charge of supervising and auditing all matters of the Ministry of Works. You can't even understand the matter properly before you come to me to complain. You're just filling in the blanks and spouting nonsense. You almost wronged my talented people!"
Zhou Shiping's knees buckled, and he immediately knelt down. "Your Majesty, please forgive me, Your Majesty..."
"Imperial Guards, drag this useless thing out," Zhu Rui said. "It's snowing outside, so I'll reward him by letting him go to the Meridian Gate to watch the snow, and while he's at it, give him twenty strokes of the cane to wake him up."
Zhou Shiping was dragged up, pale as a ghost. He panicked and tried to ask for help, but found no one in the hall to turn to; Song Yue was nowhere to be found.
Qingchen looked at him quietly, her eyes showing a hint of indifference, and she felt no pity for him whatsoever. Justice will prevail, and good and evil will ultimately be rewarded.
After Zhou Shiping was taken away, Zhu Rui's smile returned. "Han Yuanshu, according to Shen Qingchen's method, I order you to carry it out immediately. Raise six thousand taels within ten days, and start repairing the dike as soon as the river freezes... If this plan succeeds, I will reward you both handsomely!"
Zhu Rui wasn't exactly a generous emperor, but this time he surprisingly uttered the words "a substantial reward," partly because he admired Qing Chen, and also because the plan could be replicated.
The country is so vast, there are countless water conservancy projects alone, not to mention temples, palaces, and so on that need to be repaired; he can simply adopt this method. Although the money doesn't go into his own pocket, he can spend less money out of his own pocket, which is something to be happy about.
"Your humble servant obeys." Han Yuanshu nodded calmly, his expression remaining indifferent. After replying, he glanced at Shen Qingchen and couldn't help but think, having caught the emperor's eye, attracted the attention of the Grand Secretaries, and possessing political resources like Song Yue... from this day forward, he's probably on his way to great heights, isn't he?
"Your Majesty... I haven't finished speaking yet." Qingchen looked at the emperor staring intently at her and lowered her head.
"Go ahead," Zhu Rui said with a smile.
"In my humble opinion, flood control should focus on dredging rather than blocking. Silt brought by upstream water will accumulate in calmer areas, and over time, this can easily cause disasters when the river rises. Therefore, timely and effective silt removal is the key to flood control. Currently, silt removal relies solely on manual digging, which is labor-intensive and inefficient. According to my calculations, by changing the flow rate and velocity of the waterway, the water flow can be used to remove the silt, greatly improving efficiency..."
Using clever tactics to raise funds only solved the problem of insufficient resources. In the matter of dike repair, the most fundamental issue should be addressing the technical problems, which would have a more universal significance. The reason she went to inspect the dike, conduct in-depth research, and then performed meticulous calculations upon her return was to improve the technology. This was precisely what impressed Han Yuanshu.
A clear and gentle voice echoed in the hall, every sentence reasonable and every word precious.
Upon hearing this, the assembled elders' admiration turned into deep respect.
People like this humble servant, who are both intelligent and hardworking, are extremely rare. Intelligent people often take shortcuts, and once they've tasted the benefits of shortcuts, why would they be willing to work hard?
They were all people who had been in officialdom for decades. In their memory, before Shen Qingchen, there was probably only one person like Song Yue.
On the dragon throne, Zhu Rui gradually lost focus, his mind completely captivated by the appearance and demeanor of the person before him.
The brilliant lights shone on the young woman before him. Her eyebrows and eyes were delicate and beautiful. When her thin lips parted slightly, her gaze was gentle and warm, and her intelligence shone brightly.
At that moment, only one sentence came to Zhu Rui's mind.
The snow-covered river flows clear and pure, the secluded valley is quiet and secluded.
"Therefore, Your Majesty, I implore you to allow me to go to Huairou again to take a closer look at the dikes." Last time, she was in too much of a hurry and fell into the water again, so she didn't get a comprehensive view.
“Accurate, accurate,” Zhu Rui replied quickly, almost without thinking.
It's just a trip to Huairou, and he couldn't be more than happy to grant any request to this refined and talented young man.
"Your Majesty, I thank you."
Zhu Rui smiled and looked at her for a while, then turned to Xu Yan, "Grand Secretary Xu, I know your son is also very smart. You should cultivate him well so that he can be as outstanding as Shen Qingchen."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yan immediately replied, "This old minister is ashamed. Although my son has also been to the Ministry of Works to observe administration, he has not yet made any achievements. Your Majesty is absolutely right. This old minister will certainly give him more advice in the future and make sure he grows up as soon as possible to share Your Majesty's burdens."
"Hmm." Zhu Rui nodded, but her gaze fell on Qing Chen again. Her gentle gaze held satisfaction and appreciation, and even a touch of tenderness.
Qingchen, who had been keeping his head slightly lowered, took the opportunity to raise his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am able to offer you advice today thanks to the careful guidance of Teacher Song, who gave me the opportunity to inspect the dike. As the saying goes, fallen petals are not heartless things, but turn into spring mud to protect the flowers. A teacher for a day is a teacher for life. In front of Your Majesty, I dare not forget the kindness of my teacher in cultivating me."
Fallen petals are not heartless things, they turn into spring mud to nourish the flowers... Zhu Rui looked at the handsome man before him and thought, "He's using fallen petals to subtly compare Song Yue's current predicament, pleading for his teacher. Truly brilliant."
For a moment, Zhu Rui felt a little envious of Song Yue. In terms of the timing of their meeting, Song Yue's discerning eye for talent, and the depth of their friendship, he couldn't compare to Song Yue... This feeling was rather complicated.
"I... understand what you mean," Zhu Rui said slowly, without a trace of displeasure in his tone. He was somewhat reluctant to refuse the request of this gentle and kind young man, a talent he had personally discovered.
However, Song Yue was someone he had just expelled from the cabinet. If he were to bring him back after only two days, where would he put his face?
After that, Zhu Rui didn't say anything more.
Qingchen looked at him and secretly made up her mind. She must work harder to make herself more influential so that she could speak to Zhu Rui and help her teacher return to the cabinet.
This situation was fully observed by Grand Secretary Xu Yan.
Xu Yan was over sixty years old, and having weathered many storms, his heart was rarely stirred. Yet, facing this refined and gentle young man, his heart was far from calm. This junior official was far from simple; he possessed extraordinary intelligence, was meticulous and thoughtful, and adept at seizing opportunities. Given more time and experience, this man would undoubtedly become formidable.
At that time, there will only be one person who can be compared to him, and that is his teacher, Song Yue.
We cannot let this person go unchecked. If he becomes an enemy of Xu's faction and joins forces with Song Yue to deal with them, the blow to them will be devastating.
I must have this person.
Ministry of Rites.
Song Yue asked Zhao Qiran to sit down, poured him a cup of hot tea, and then went to stir the fire in the stove. "What's wrong with Lan Tan?"
“As you know, my lord, Lan Tan is my nephew. I suspect the Xu faction is targeting me this time.” Zhao Qiran took a sip of tea and said solemnly, “Your lord just got into trouble, and they know I’ve been working for you, so they can’t wait to make a move against me. That Lan Tan only knows how to practice martial arts and study military strategy. He’s simple-minded but has a fiery temper. He was easily tricked after being instigated a few times.”
“There’s a centurion in Yongping Guard who’s the son of the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture and the nephew of the Imperial Concubine. He got into a fight and beat someone so badly that the person couldn’t get out of bed for days. Fights are common in the guard posts. Everyone got involved, so it’s hard to say who was right and who was wrong. It’s not a big deal. It’s just that the timing was wrong this time.”
Song Yue thought for a moment, then looked up at him, "Is it because the martial arts selection for commanders is in two days?"
Zhao Qiran sighed and nodded. "Exactly. The son of the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture is also a candidate. He beat someone up at this time and got away scot-free, which is perfect for people to make a fuss about. The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture is Xu Yan's man. That old fox Xu Yan has already had the memorial written. They're just waiting for Lan Tan to be selected as a commander of a thousand, then they'll submit a memorial to me, saying that I instructed Lan Tan to do that, to support military officers in the garrisons, and to collude with civil officials."
Seeing Zhao Qiran's helpless and worried expression, Song Yue comforted him, "Since the commander hasn't been chosen yet, there's still room for things to be salvaged. Don't worry, tell me how you knew?"
“I was unaware of it at first; that kid hit someone without telling me,” Zhao Qiran said. “It was a magistrate from Shuntian Prefecture who overheard it and wrote to me about it. This magistrate isn’t a member of Xu’s faction, which is really fortunate. If I had escaped this calamity, I would have definitely thanked him properly.”
"What's the judge's name?"
“Shen Qian.” Zhao Qiran looked at Song Yue, “the son-in-law of Lin Xiaojin, the Left Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial.”
Upon hearing this, Song Yue was slightly taken aback; it was Qingchen's second uncle. If the Xu faction found out what he was doing…
“Lan Tan can’t withdraw from the martial arts selection for no reason, otherwise he’ll be seen as a coward in the face of battle, making it difficult for him to lead troops in the future. But if he runs for commander of a thousand, Xu’s faction will succeed. It’s a bit of a dilemma.” Zhao Qiran said anxiously, “What do you think we should do? He can’t choose to run, and he can’t not choose. I can’t just beat him so badly he can’t get out of bed. This kid, he knows it’s a special time, yet he’s still so impulsive…”
“Those involved are often blinded by their own interests.” Song Yue looked at him and said calmly, “When it doesn’t concern us, we can often be very objective, but when we are caught in the whirlpool, it is difficult to look at things calmly. Of course, you have been in officialdom for so many years and you are still not immune to this, let alone Lan Tan.”
Zhao Qiran sighed, "I just feel that you already have things on your mind, and Lan Tan and I not only can't help you, we'll only hold you back..."
“I understand, don’t feel guilty. If Xu Yanruo is determined to make things difficult, no one is invincible.” Song Yue thought for a moment and said, “This matter is not as difficult as you think.”
"You have a plan?"
“Hmm.” Song Yue nodded. “Since it’s difficult to choose, then we won’t let him make the choice. The Emperor intends to select some people to fill the positions in the Eastern Palace, and the Ministry of Rites is selecting personnel. Before the selection of the military commanders, I will transfer Lan Tan to the Eastern Palace to teach the Crown Prince martial arts and military strategy. Since he is not in Yongping Guard, he doesn’t need to consider whether to participate in the military selection.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiran immediately exclaimed in admiration, "The Second Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty is indeed the Second Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty. In my entire life, I have never met anyone more intelligent than you."
Upon hearing this, Song Yue smiled slightly, thinking to himself, "You'll see soon enough."
"I'm going to Huairou tomorrow. You go see Lan Tan first and have him apologize to the son of the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture. The more sincere he is, the better. Let him lull the Xu faction into a false sense of security and make them think we have no other options."
"Okay." Zhao Qiran nodded. "What are you going to Huairou for?"
"Something's up."
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