85 Chapter 85
◎The Princess Goes to Shu◎
The latest issue of "Beijing Weekly" was published and sold out quickly.
In the story, Wu Chuanyue took the imperial examination step by step, and entered a fantasy world from time to time.
Most people think that those fantasies are too far-fetched, but they can't help but be curious and want to see what other shocking things the mysterious Mr. Shi can write besides things that fly in the sky, run on the ground, and dive in the sea.
There is indeed one today, and it is shocking enough to readers.
"What's electric? What's glowing?"
"I think Mr. Shi is crazy."
"How can there be a light that lights up when you press a button?"
"That's bullshit."
In addition to the storybook, there was another page that attracted the attention of a few people.
They were businessmen living in the capital and were accustomed to learning about the latest situation in the capital through newspapers.
It is said that someone in Nanzhili also imitated the "Beijing Weekly" and created the "Nanjing Weekly", but the news and stories in it were not fresh, and gradually there was no news about it.
This time, the advertisement space of "Beijing Weekly" carried a purchase information, which immediately caught the attention of Beijing merchants.
You can even purchase goods through newspapers!
But what is "rubber"? They have traveled all over the country and never heard of it.
A small number of sea merchants were startled. They had seen the features described above on an island before. Could this thing really be worth a huge price?
Their nostrils flared, as if they had smelled a business opportunity.
While newspapers brought excitement, notices posted by government offices also sparked heated discussions.
The notice said that the imperial court had established a new Tiangong Academy and was recruiting like-minded people from all over the world to gather at the Tiangong Academy to jointly study the artifacts mentioned in the heavenly book.
This time, regardless of gender, age or status, anyone who is proficient in the study of nature and creation can be admitted to the academy.
Of course, you need to take a written test before admission, and only those who pass the written test can pass.
Government offices at all levels must disseminate this notice throughout the country and must not be negligent or delay. The local county school will be responsible for registration and preliminary examination related matters. Any favoritism or fraud will be severely punished.
Only those who pass the initial examination can go to Beijing to take the re-examination. If you pass the re-examination, you can enter Tiangong Academy.
When Meng Jijiu heard the news, he knew that there would be trouble at home again.
After Fan Niang entered the palace to accompany the princess to study, his brother Jian is also going to enter that damn Tiangong Academy!
But he couldn't object.
Tiangongyuan was proposed by Her Royal Highness the Princess, approved by His Majesty, and co-founded by the Queen and the Prince of Qi. No matter how bold he was, he would not dare to speak out and challenge the royal family.
He could only call Meng Jian and deliberately scare him: "You need to take an exam to enter the academy. If you fail, others will laugh at you. The Empress is your aunt and will be implicated by you."
"But if I fail to pass the exam, it will be an embarrassment to you." Meng Jian hit the nail on the head.
Meng Jijiu: "..."
He didn't give up and continued, "What future do these strange and ingenious tricks have? The artifacts described in the Heavenly Book are simply impossible to create with human power. Researching these useless things is a waste of energy."
He didn't even dare to say it was a waste of money and time.
Meng Jian was determined: "But in ancient times, when our ancestors ate raw meat and drank blood, they couldn't imagine using gunpowder to blast through mountain walls or using firearms to hunt wild animals."
“…”
"Dad, I don't understand the 'zhihuzheya' in books, and you don't understand the study of things and creation. Can't we just keep to ourselves?" Meng Jian, a smart little kid, turned the tables. "Besides, Tiangong Academy was founded by my aunt. As her brother, shouldn't you support her wholeheartedly? Why are you still saying such discouraging words?"
Although Meng Jijiu is stubborn and old-fashioned, he is not an unreasonable patriarch.
He was unable to argue with his son, nor would he use his father's authority to force him, so he could only nod in agreement.
While the market was in an uproar over the newspapers and Tiangongyuan, the court was completely silent.
Xie Mingzhuo turned and looked at the ministers, his eyes deep and solemn: "Are you all speechless?"
All the ministers were worried and kept silent with their heads bowed.
"Yuan Guande, you speak."
Yuan Guande came out of the class and knelt down to apologize: "This old minister failed to supervise properly. I beg Your Majesty and the Princess to forgive me."
"Shuntian Prefecture has just accepted an unjust case, and your Ministry of Revenue has already sent a message, wishing He Cuiniang, who is complaining about the injustice, would die soon. What are you trying to do? Rebellion?"
All the ministers immediately knelt on the ground and shouted, "We dare not."
Of course, except for the officials from the Ministry of Revenue, the rest of the officials were just watching the fun.
"A general supervisor at the Jianzhou Salt Works had his entire family of sixteen brutally slaughtered. The killer brazenly wore his official uniform. To conceal the truth, he falsely accused the man and then murdered him during the escort. All of this happened in broad daylight. And you, all of you, only wanted to silence an innocent woman crying out for justice. Do you deserve to be wearing this scarlet robe?"
Yuan Guande burst into tears: "This old minister deserves death a thousand times."
He was not the one who delivered the message, but as the highest commander, he had an unshirkable responsibility.
He Cuiniang was illiterate and had no complaint, so Jiang Qing could only record her oral statement and present it to Xie Mingzhuo.
After Xie Mingzhuo received the transcript, he could hardly contain the anger in his heart. These officials and servants were simply domineering and lawless to the extreme.
If this huge network of relationships woven by the profits from illegal salt sales cannot be completely eradicated, it will definitely cause endless troubles.
Fang Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was firmly at the center of this huge network thanks to his great power to influence the promotion and demotion of officials.
Without solid evidence, we can't do anything to him for now.
The person who delivered the message was a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue. Even if this person had some nepotism relationship with him, so what?
There are countless officials in Beijing who are related to each other, and these relationships are quite far-reaching.
No one could convict him for this, not even the emperor.
Therefore, Xie Mingzhuo did not mention the name of the Ministry of Personnel in the court, nor did he even give the Ministry of Personnel a look.
Lao Chang is not here today. He has asked for leave to recuperate on the grounds of "catching a cold". It is normal for him to be unwell as he is old. No one suspects that he is seriously ill.
Although the Zongcui family massacre was only an isolated case, it gave us a glimpse into the serious problems of Sichuan's salt administration.
"Father, salt is a national priority. The death of General Chu is just the tip of the iceberg. If this case is not thoroughly investigated, the salt administration will only continue to accumulate problems and undermine the foundation of our Great Qi Nation."
Xie Mingzhuo's voice was as cold as ice, striking directly into the officials' hearts.
"Why not appoint the Imperial Inspector of Salt to investigate?" Xie Changfeng echoed her sentiments.
"At the beginning of last year, the Imperial Salt Inspector took up his post. What was the result?"
The Salt Inspector was also a lucrative position. At that time, there was fierce competition for this position, and it eventually fell to a young man named Xiang Jingze.
This man was a second-class Jinshi in the previous session. He was only thirty years old and had no deep background, but he was able to get this lucrative position. Everyone investigated privately and found out that this man and the Right Vice Minister Teng Shitong were from the same hometown.
It was just that the two of them had no contact before and after the Spring Examination, so they didn't think of Minister Teng. Even if they thought of this later, it was only a guess, not evidence of Minister Teng's interference.
The Imperial Inspector of Salt in Shandong submitted a report every day, requesting seafood as a tribute to His Majesty the Emperor. However, since this Imperial Inspector Xiang went to Sichuan, not only has there been no news at all, but he also only gave routine work reports every month. He made some reasonable points about the salt affairs, but never mentioned the shortcomings of the salt policy.
The ministers' eyes turned vaguely to Teng Shitong.
They didn't know that Xie Mingzhuo had locked onto the Left Vice Minister Fang Ji through clues. They only heard her say in the court that the Salt Inspector was useless, so they thought she was referring to Teng Shitong.
Teng Shitong was quite patient. He was calm and composed, as if he was unaware of anything. Even if the emperor and princess might suspect him, he did not panic at all.
Everyone gave a thumbs up.
Who among those who could stand in this hall was not a shrewd person? But even the most shrewd person couldn't remain calm when faced with a crime that could result in death. At the very least, they had to pretend.
Xie Mingzhuo also found it strange and deliberately called out his name: "Minister Teng, I heard that Xiang Jingze and you are from the same hometown. What do you think?"
"Your Majesty, Princess," Teng Shitong said calmly as he left the stage, "I believe that if Censor Xiang neglects his duties or accepts bribes, he should be severely punished according to the law."
His stance was very objective, without any intention of pleading for his fellow countrymen.
"Then what do you think, how do we verify this case?" Xie Mingzhuo asked again.
Teng Shitong was silent for a moment, then, using his usually active mind, he answered according to the princess's temperament: "You can order the local governor to inspect the case, or you can send an imperial envoy to inspect it."
“Who is the local governor?”
"Kong Ganyi," Teng Shitong replied respectfully, "I submitted a memorial last June, stating that my old illness had relapsed and that I was old and frail, and requested to retire, but the emperor did not grant my request."
Xie Changfeng: “…”
How come this happened to me?
Last June, Shaoshao was still in Anlu. He got a headache and eyesight from reading memorials every day. Except for the major events that really endangered the country, he didn't care about the rest and didn't even remember that this happened.
He looked innocent. Xie Mingzhuo was amused, but said calmly, "Since that's the case, do you have anyone suitable to take over?"
The candidate for the post of governor needs to be discussed in court. How can a court discussion be conducted when there is not even a candidate at the moment?
"If not, then send an imperial envoy."
Ministers: “…”
The imperial envoy also needs to be discussed together. Generally, he is selected from the officials of the Censorate. Who is suitable to be sent?
To be honest, all the ministers knew that at this juncture, being ordered to inspect the salt administration was not a good job.
Driven by greed, the profits from smuggling salt are enough to make people become extremely cruel, and killing people to silence them is a common occurrence.
Death is fine, but I'm afraid of falling into someone else's trap and getting stuck in the quagmire, unable to extricate myself in the end, and ending up hurting my whole family.
Xie Mingzhuo knew that they were unwilling and had no intention of choosing from among them.
When no one in the court responded, she stepped forward and said loudly, "Father, I, your son, request to be the imperial envoy to thoroughly investigate the case of the chief inspector."
Ministers: ???
This is really an unexpected result.
They had no position to refute. Although there was no precedent for a princess serving as an imperial envoy, the one in front of them had already set many precedents. What else was missing?
Moreover, the emperor on the throne didn't even bother to pretend and immediately said, "Rong'an is concerned about the country and the people, which comforts me. I will appoint you as an imperial envoy to inspect Shu on my behalf and thoroughly investigate this case."
"Your son obeys your order."
After the morning meeting, Xie Mingzhuo changed into casual clothes and took a car to Changfu to visit his teacher.
Chang Wei's energy was not as high as before. He lay on the low couch by the window in the study, holding a book and turning the pages with his eyes squinted.
The windows were replaced with glass a long time ago, and they are very light-transmitting. They are indeed good things. Perhaps the Tiangongyuan established by the Queen and the King of Qi can really bring about earth-shaking changes to Daqi.
Upon hearing that the princess had arrived, he hurriedly stood up to greet her. Before he reached the door, he saw a tall and slender figure already in the corridor.
Why didn’t the housekeeper report it in time?
"I told them not to disturb you in advance," Xie Mingzhuo smiled as he stepped forward, lightly supporting Chang Wei's arm before letting it go as they reached the wide chair. "Here, you are my teacher, and I should respect you."
Chang Wei shook his head and joked, "I appreciate your kindness, Princess. But I never know if someone will report me one day and accuse me of disrespect."
"I will just pretend I don't see this kind of memorial."
The two smiled at each other, which diluted the solemnity between the monarch and his subject and added a bit of closeness between teacher and student.
Chang Wei's expression became even more kind and gentle. "Princess, you suddenly came today. Did you just want to taste the cooking of my chef, or did you take a fancy to some ancient book in my study?"
"What if it's all of them?"
Chang Wei raised his beard and said, "It is an honor for the chef, but a pain for this old minister."
"Teacher, you can't even bear to give me a book?" Xie Mingzhuo sighed in a fake tone. "I heard that your previous students all received books as gifts from you. It seems that you are not satisfied with me as a student."
Chang Wei glared: "Isn't the book I gave you enough?!"
"Hahahaha, it seems the teacher is truly heartbroken." Xie Mingzhuo joked, then changed the subject, "What if it's neither of the two?"
Chang Wei snorted lightly: "That means there is something going on at court today."
"The teacher has a sharp gaze."
"The princess's praise makes me feel a little flustered," Chang Wei sighed deliberately, "When one gets old, one should retire early."
Xie Mingzhuo lowered his eyes: "I am a burden to the teacher."
Given Chang Wei's physical condition, he could indeed rest at home, but he is the chief minister of the cabinet. Once he falls, the situation in the court will change drastically. With Xie Mingzhuo's current foundation and political achievements, it will be difficult for him to keep his position.
The new Minister of Personnel will be chosen between Fang Ji and Teng Shitong. Judging from the current situation, Fang Ji has more supporters and is more likely to be the new Minister.
This is not the result Xie Mingzhuo wanted.
Seeing her blaming herself, Chang Wei coughed twice, feeling guilty, and soothed her gently, "Princess, your heart is with the world. If you are to be blamed, it is my health that is the burden."
"Teacher," Xie Mingzhuo raised his eyes, his gaze deep and serious, "I want to make some changes to the salt administration, but the salt administration is a complex issue, and the Ministry of Personnel you are in charge of may also be mired in a quagmire."
She said it tactfully, and Changwei understood.
This was to inform him, the Minister of Personnel, in advance and test his attitude.
Chang Wei sighed inwardly. The princess's action both touched his heart and frightened him.
"I have heard that the princess is suitable for the emperor's inspection tour. However, this trip may be dangerous. Princess, please take care of yourself."
Of course, no one dared to murder the princess openly, but who could have predicted the means behind the scenes?
Even if the officials involved in the smuggling of salt do not take action, won't the Sun and Moon Sect, which was previously severely purged by the princess, take the opportunity to retaliate?
Xie Mingzhuo smiled when he heard this: "Teacher, I will take it to heart."
The two of them tacitly changed the topic and chatted for a while. Seeing that Chang Wei was not in good spirits, Xie Mingzhuo stood up and said goodbye.
"Princess," Chang Wei slowly stood up, "You don't have to taste the chef's cooking, but I still have to give you this old minister's book."
He turned and walked to the bookshelf. The bookshelf was full of books. It was a treasure for those who loved reading, but a nightmare for those who didn't.
Chang Wei had many treasures in his collection. He ran his fingertips over the spines of the books and finally found his target. He pulled it out and handed it to Xie Mingzhuo.
"I was once exiled to Kuizhou in Shu for a mistake. At the time, I was frustrated and even lost interest in government affairs. I spent all day out making friends. Fortunately, I met some unique and talented people, who broadened my horizons. This helped me to dispel my frustration and regroup."
Xie Mingzhuo took it with both hands and saw only two words written simply on the cover - Shu Ji.
"This book was compiled by me and several good friends. Although I am in Kuizhou, I have traveled with them throughout most of Shu. What is written in the book is all what we have seen and heard. It is boring, so please don't despise it, Princess."
The cover is old and the pages are frayed. The teacher must have read it often, repeatedly savoring the mood of his youth.
To him it is a memory of the past, to her it is an extremely precious guide.
Xie Mingzhuo's eyes were slightly warm, and he said solemnly, "This book is valuable, and I will definitely keep it safe."
"It's enough for the book to reflect its value," Chang Wei finally said in a teacher's tone, "but people must be intact."
“The students understand.”
On the way back to the palace, Xie Mingzhuo couldn't wait to open "Records of Shu".
The image of the young Chang Wei comes to life on the paper; the confusion and unwillingness after being demoted fill the lines, revealing a bit of immaturity.
But as time went on, his wording became more mature and steady, and he even had the style of today's minister.
By the time she reached Wenhua Hall, she had barely finished 20% of the book. Because she was so engrossed in it, she stayed up late into the night to finish the book, and it was not until noon the next day that she had finished the entire book.
After reading the book, she gained a more intuitive understanding of the customs and culture of Shu. She also benefited greatly from the insights of the teacher and his close friends in the book.
Although he did not attend court today, Xie Mingzhuo did not feel tired even though he had not slept all night. He immediately spread out paper and ground ink and started copying from the first page.
These were all her teacher's hard work, and after careful consideration, she still couldn't claim them as her own. When Meng Fan entered the palace, knowing that she hadn't slept a wink all night, she volunteered to copy them for her.
On this trip to Shu, Xie Mingzhuo planned to bring Meng Fan with him. Meng Fan also needed to understand the situation in Shu in advance, so he agreed.
Three days later, "Shu Ji" was sent back to Changfu intact.
The princess's carriage was ready to go.
The Emperor and Empress, as well as the two princes, bid farewell to Princess Rong'an at the Jinshui Bridge. The Emperor and Empress's worry and reluctance, and the two princes' earnest instructions, were all recorded on the drawing paper.
Princess Rong'an was dressed in a golden and red robe, looking extraordinarily beautiful. Behind her, Captain Jiang, Ms. Feng, and Meng the tutor were all heroic and impressive.
Serving the emperor in the carriage were five hundred awe-inspiring guards, all armed with sharp weapons, their spirit soaring to the sky.
The court painters were inspired like a spring, and they wrote with divine inspiration, creating one vivid and vivid painting after another.
The emperor was greatly pleased after seeing the painting and named it "The Princess's Journey to Shu".
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