Chapter 133 Stealing Credit
At the dinner table, Du Qingju asked about the main business: "There's a lot of noise in the city today. I can hear it from the clinic. What happened?"
Du Qingtang paused his chopsticks mid-air. "A few days ago, I saw the acne scars on Lord Zhou's face, and suddenly remembered smallpox. I asked someone to investigate, and they found that almost no one had been vaccinated. So, we put this matter on the agenda today."
Du Qingju was quite surprised: "The people in Shaoqing Prefecture didn't get vaccinated?"
As early as last year, the imperial court promoted cowpox vaccination across the country, and local officials also actively organized the people to be vaccinated.
Without exception, all the girls in the Du family have been vaccinated against smallpox.
Du Qingju thought that only a few people had not been vaccinated, but she didn't expect that there were still many people who had escaped the vaccination in Shaoqing Prefecture.
Du Qingzhu spread his hands and said, "Shaoqing Prefecture was in such chaos before, I don't think the government would respond to the court's call and organize vaccinations for the people."
Du Qingju thought the same and sighed, "In the past, Shaoqing Prefecture was isolated from Daxia for a long time, belonging to no country and enjoying no preferential treatment."
The people here are struggling in the darkness, trying hard to survive.
Until Xianyu appeared, dispelling the darkness and bringing light to them.
Du Qingzhu remained silent. He freed his hand to pet the meowing Youyou, then held down her claws as she tried to scratch at the plate. "Little greedy cat, you can't eat this... Ultimately, it's the fault of that relative from the outside. If it weren't for him, how could the government force the people to revolt? Not to mention the subsequent banditry."
Du Qingju suddenly remembered something, and her face flushed. "Last year, in early summer, I came to ask her to be my disciple. I introduced myself, and she recognized me immediately. Her words were filled with admiration. I had always thought that the news of Tianjuyin and the Lord of Deyang had already reached Shaoqing Prefecture, but I didn't expect..."
Then what about the fact that she had gone to great lengths to conceal her identity and never revealed her full name to anyone?
Du Qingzhu chuckled, met Du Qingju's fierce and threatening eyes, and quickly shut his mouth, but his shoulders were still shaking as he struggled to hold back his laughter.
Du Qingtang glanced unhappily at Du Qingzhu, who seemed to be enjoying the excitement, and offered solace, "Ordinary people don't even know about cowpox and Tianju Drink, so how could they possibly know about Du Qingju and the Deyang Township Master? Your little disciple probably recognized you because she heard about you from her grandfather, who runs a medical clinic."
According to Du Qingju, Liang Chuxia's grandfather had many disciples.
Some of them opened clinics in Shaoqing Prefecture, while others went to other places.
Tianju Drink and Deyang Township Master are widely known. I think those people must have heard of them, and it is not impossible that they told Liang Chuxia's grandfather.
Du Qingzhu finally managed to hold back his laughter, cleared his throat, and said seriously, "But in my opinion, it's best to conceal your identity for now. Xiao Ba, your Tianju Drink is of great significance. There's no guarantee that those old idiots won't pester you and make some excessive demands."
Du Qingju agreed and returned to the topic: "Although there has not been a large-scale smallpox outbreak in Shaoqing Prefecture, it is better to be safe than sorry, so we still need to take precautions in advance."
Du Qingtang nodded and said, "Everyone will be vaccinated in five days. The men will be in charge by the military doctors, and I'll have to trouble Eighth Sister and your little apprentice to help look after the women."
Although Du Qingtang vigorously advocated gender equality in Shaoqing Prefecture, it is undeniable that female doctors are sometimes more convenient.
Du Qingju raised her eyebrows and said, "If the government needs me, I will certainly do my best to help."
Du Qingtang suddenly remembered something: "Has Chuxia ever been vaccinated against smallpox?"
Du Qingju nodded: "Her grandfather had the whole family vaccinated against smallpox. Chuxia can go over and help."
"What about me?" Du Qingzhu raised her hands. "I've also been vaccinated. I can help Xiaoba and Chuxia take care of the women who have been vaccinated."
“Meow meow meow!”
When Youyou saw the number one poop scooper raising his hand, he tilted his head and raised his front paws tremblingly after a while.
But she was too small, still a cub, and her body was unstable and she fell head over heels.
Du Qingtang was the first to see it, and the smile on his lips disappeared in an instant.
Du Qingzhu laughed so loudly, but Du Qingju knew to restrain herself. With a smile on her face, she held the kitten on her lap, rubbed her back, and soothed her hurt emotions.
“Meow meow meow!”
Youyou lay in the arms of the second poop scooper and accused the first poop scooper of his bad behavior.
The shouting was intense and the curses were quite dirty.
As a result, Du Qingzhu not only did not restrain himself, but laughed even louder.
Du Qingtang: “…”
After dinner, Du Qingtang thought of the four newly built schools.
It was already difficult for Wang Nianzhi and other women to be in charge of the original four schools. They also had to find time to teach the members of the Qiongying English Society in their busy schedules. Obviously, they were unable to be in charge of the new school.
"How are the girls in the Qiong Ying English Club doing?" Du Qingtang wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "How many of them can read and write?"
Du Qingzhu answered truthfully: "I have finished studying the Three Character Classic and Hundred Family Surnames, and am currently studying the Thousand Character Classic."
Du Qingju continued, "Currently, the Qiong English Society has over 300 members. Most of them are illiterate, but only about a dozen are literate. My Seventh Sister, my Sister Wang, and I are very busy, so we often have to teach the members."
Du Qingtang had a plan in mind: "Rest well these few days, you will be busy when the time comes."
"Okay~"
"Xianyu, you should also go to bed early."
Du Qingtang ruthlessly took away Youyou's claws that were pulling her arm, got up and went to the study.
Due to the limitations of Daxia’s transportation conditions, fruits and vegetables can only be sold in a few surrounding prefectures.
But dried fruit is different. As long as it is properly stored, it can be sent to all parts of Daxia.
Everyone knows that woolen sweaters come from Shaoqing Prefecture, so dried fruits also need a trademark. Whenever dried fruits are mentioned, people will naturally think of Shaoqing Prefecture.
Du Qingtang planned to design a pattern and have the craftsmen carve it on a porcelain jar.
Du Qingtang went through several drafts, and the final one was a fat baby holding a piece of watermelon, smiling so hard that his teeth were showing, looking very adorable, with the words "Fresh Fruit Garden" written above his head.
She placed the drawing paper next to her official hat in case she forgot to take it away the next morning. Then she sat under the lamp and read a few pages of a book before going back to her room to rest.
The next day, after his shift, Du Qingtang called Wang Tongpan and handed him the trademark: "Engrave it when you fire the porcelain jar."
Wang Tongpan took a look, clapped his hands and smiled, "Your Excellency has superb painting skills. You have made this doll very pleasing. Everyone will surely like it."
Du Qingtang calmly accepted Wang Tongpan's flattery, waved his hand to let him go, finished dealing with the official documents at hand, and rode his horse to the Qiongying English Society in the east of the city.
In June, the sun was scorching. When Du Qingtang arrived at the Qiongying English Publishing House, he was already sweating profusely.
The members are reading, and you can hear the clear sound of reading even if you stand outside the door.
Du Qingtang took out a handkerchief from the secret pocket of his wide sleeve, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and walked into the T Qiong English Society.
The members had their backs to the door and were unaware of her arrival.
The young woman in charge of teaching faced the gate and saw that the visitor was wearing a crimson official robe and was a woman. She immediately understood her identity and her expression changed slightly.
Just as he was about to call for a stop, he saw Du Qingtang waving his hand.
The woman understood and continued to lead the reading.
Du Qingtang moved a chair and sat in the last row to listen.
For the next half hour, Du Qingtang listened to the woman citing extensive references and explaining things in simple terms. He saw the other members listening attentively, their eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.
"Okay, that's all for today."
The woman closed the book, hurried to the back row, and bowed: "I, Liang Rui, greet you, Your Excellency."
When the members saw this, they were shocked at first, then they quickly stood up and bowed to greet him.
"I pay my respects to you, sir."
"No need to be so polite, everyone." Du Qingtang looked at Liang Rui and said straight to the point, "You're a very good teacher. I've just opened four new schools and I'm worried about finding teachers. Are you interested in being a teacher in the girls' class?"
Liang Rui was stunned, slowly opened her mouth, eyes full of disbelief, and pointed at herself with her backhand: "Can I?"
Du Qingtang smiled slightly. "Why not? I've only been listening for a while. You must have read a lot of books and are well-informed. You're well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge. You're very suitable to teach the children in the school to read and write."
Liang Rui's cheeks flushed, her eyes brightened, and she was shy. "Your Excellency, I am too kind. I am just showing off my skills in front of you."
She paused, then added, "My father was once a teacher at the provincial school. When I was young, my brother was studying, and I followed him and learned a few things. I have never slacked off over the years."
"That's rare," Du Qingtang praised, then changed the subject, "Is your father teaching at the prefectural school now?"
Liang Rui nodded in agreement.
In May of this year, the news that Shaoqing Prefecture had restarted the imperial examination system reached Jingdong Prefecture. My father's good friend, Uncle Chen Liang, came to say goodbye, saying that he was going back to Shaoqing Prefecture to teach.
When my father found out, he was furious and said that Uncle Chen was crazy. He even had some arguments with Uncle Chen.
However, Uncle Chen insisted and said, "Shaoqing Prefecture needs me, and it needs you too."
After Uncle Chen left, my father locked himself in the study for several hours and announced his decision to return to Shaoqing Prefecture at the dinner table that night.
Liang Rui returned to the provincial capital with her father and heard about the various deeds of the prefect, from disguising herself as a man to take the imperial examination to now governing Shaoqing Prefecture so smoothly that the weather is good and the harvest is prosperous. She was full of admiration for the prefect.
Upon learning that the female teachers of Shaoqing School had established the Qiong Ying Society and were inviting women in the city to join, Liang Rui came without hesitation and became a member of the Qiong Ying Society.
The prefect took great pains for women. First, he set up schools so that girls could have books to read. He also issued many decrees to protect women's rights from being violated. She also wanted to do her best for women.
These days, Liang Rui has been teaching at the literary society.
These members originally could not read a single word, but they were diligent and down-to-earth. After learning for a period of time, they made considerable gains.
By now, they can recite "Three Character Classic" and "Hundred Family Names" fluently, and have learned one or two hundred characters. This is really rare, and makes Liang Rui very pleased.
Liang Rui didn't expect to meet the prefect in the literary society today, and the prefect also extended an olive branch to her, inviting her to be a female teacher in the school.
Du Qingtang looked at the young girl, whose eyes were blank and seemed to be distracted, and asked repeatedly, "So, are you willing to accept my invitation?"
Liang Rui came back to her senses, nodded vigorously, and answered loudly: "I do!"
Du Qingtang curled his lips and said, "Then the school will start recruiting students in twenty days. You will be responsible for the registration and review."
"Is it just me? Or are Sister Wang and the others here too?" Liang Rui hesitated for a moment before boldly recommending, "Sir, I have more than ten good friends. They've all been studying since childhood, are well-educated, and have excellent character. Furthermore, they've also been teaching members of the Qiong English Society how to read and write. They're definitely capable of handling this task."
Du Qingtang spoke frankly: "In fact, even if you didn't say it, I was planning to invite them."
Liang Rui was overjoyed: "Great! Thank you, sir! I will definitely convey your invitation to them. They will definitely be very happy when they know it!"
Du Qingtang chuckled, his mind clear. "Then I will leave the children of the school to you."
Liang Rui solemnly promised: "Don't worry, sir. I will teach you everything I have learned in my life!"
Du Qingtang spoke to her for a few more words, then turned to look at the members not far away who wanted to approach but didn't dare, and raised his hand to beckon them: "Come here. I heard you have already learned the Three Character Classic and the Hundred Family Names. Let me test you."
The members' eyes all lit up, and they came forward excitedly and nervously, each one holding their head high and chest puffed out, like soldiers waiting for inspection.
Considering that these girls were all beginners, Du Qingtang only asked some simple questions.
They studied very seriously, and except for a few who stumbled due to excessive nervousness, most of them answered questions fluently.
Du Qingtang was very satisfied and said in a gentle voice: "Study hard and don't slack off. Perhaps one day, you can also become a female teacher in the school."
The government office still had official business to attend to, and after appointing a female teacher for the school, Du Qingtang did not stay long and soon returned home.
After Du Qingtang left, the girls chattered away, their excitement hard to conceal.
"Did you hear that? The prefect said I can be a female teacher, too!"
"And me! During the exam just now, the prefect praised me!"
"The prefect is so kind. I don't know why some people call her a cold-faced female demon."
"Don't listen to those people's nonsense. It must be that the decree issued after the prefect arrived prevented them from doing bad things, so they are slandering the prefect." Du Minjing said angrily.
Du Minjing will never forget the day when she beat the drum to appeal for justice. The prefect did not question her statement, but sent troops to encircle Sanli Village that day, rescued her sister, and countless women like her sister.
The prefect was so gentle that he gave them hope of life and the courage to start a new life.
Du Minjing sternly emphasized: "You should never doubt that the prefect is the best!"
This statement was unanimously echoed by the members.
Zhang Caiwei glanced at Du Minjing and said softly, "Don't gather here anymore. Don't forget that Sister Liang asked us to practice calligraphy."
Everyone was cheered up and scattered like birds and beasts in an instant.
"I have to write a few more words now. My parents will be at home when I get back. If they knew I was studying here, they would definitely break my legs and never let me come here again."
"My mother doesn't care about me, but I still have to help her with work when I get home."
A smile flashed across Zhang Caiwei's innocent face. She took Du Minjing's arm and the two went to practice calligraphy together.
-
Five days later, the national vaccination program was officially implemented.
The government set up five vaccination centers in the city and the four counties under its jurisdiction, and sent military doctors to vaccinate the people against cowpox.
At dawn that day, a couple left home with their children and hurried to the vaccination center.
When they met someone they knew on the way, they would say hello: "Hey, where are you going so early in the morning?"
The man smiled and replied, "To get vaccinated."
Grandpa's expression was a little subtle: "It's fine if you two vaccinate yourselves, but why let the child get vaccinated? Cowpox, cowpox, it sounds like it comes from cows. What if it gets infected with something unclean..."
The woman snorted, her hands on her hips, a look of disapproval on her face. "Look at what you're saying. The cowpox was invented by the prefect. People in other places have already been vaccinated. Not only are they fine, but they've even come into contact with people who have had smallpox and haven't contracted it themselves. How can there be something unclean about it?"
Grandpa was stunned, his mustache curling up in a rather amusing way. "The prefect invented the cowpox epidemic? How come I haven't heard of this? How do you know so much? Did it come from the government, or did you hear it from someone else?"
The man nodded. "We heard it from others before, but we were worried yesterday, so we went to the vaccination center to ask. The military doctor there said that the cowpox was indeed caused by the prefect, and that the prefect himself had been vaccinated a long time ago, so there's no need to worry about safety issues."
Grandpa clicked his tongue and said, "The prefect also got vaccinated?"
The woman kindly reminded Grandpa, "Smallpox is very poisonous. It's best if you don't get it. If you're unlucky and get it, it's definitely fatal. Your two children are like naughty monkeys, running around the streets from morning till night. You should get vaccinated, just in case."
The woman was about to say something, but the man tugged at the hem of her dress, so she swallowed the words back and waved her hand, "I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I have to hurry over. There are so many people in the city. If I'm late, I don't know when it will be our turn."
The family of four walked away. Grandpa stroked his mustache, paced in the direction they left, and turned back home after a while.
When he entered the house, his grandfather's son was sawing wood in the yard. When he saw him come back, he called him "Dad".
Grandpa cleared his throat and said, "Daliang, bring your son, daughter, and wife, and let's go to the vaccination clinic."
Daliang was stunned, and he straightened up with the wood saw in his hand. "Dad, what did you say? Didn't we agree not to get vaccinated?"
Grandpa's face hurt a little, but he kept quiet. With a stern face, he continued, "That was before. I just found out that the cowpox epidemic was actually started by the prefect. Other places outside of Shaoqing Prefecture had already started vaccinating last year, leaving us in Shaoqing Prefecture with no one to take care of it."
Daliang curled his lips and muttered, "It's all because of those damn officials before... Never mind, they're all dead anyway. Dad, wait a minute, I'll go wake the two kids up."
Yesterday, he went fishing in the river on a hot day, and came back in the middle of the night, soaking wet and losing his shoes. He and his wife were very angry, so they each caught a fish and rewarded them with a meal of fried pork with branches.
The two unfortunate children cried loudly and didn't fall asleep until the second half of the night. They haven't woken up yet.
Daliang and his wife picked up their daughter and son who were sleeping sprawled on the kang, hurriedly put clothes on them, and without even bothering to wash their faces or eat, they just grabbed their armpits and rushed out of the house.
When we arrived at the vaccination center, there was already a huge crowd of people outside, and all we could see were the backs of heads.
Grandpa took a deep breath and sighed, "There are so many people."
Daliang felt a little regretful: "I should have come earlier."
Someone asked, "Did you come here to get vaccinated because you heard that the cowpox was caused by the prefect?"
Grandpa nodded.
"So do we."
"Actually, my family didn't plan to vaccinate, but I believe the prefect will not harm us."
The echoes came one after another.
Grandpa saw the trust of the people and couldn't help but sigh.
The prefect is truly popular among the people.
As soon as everyone heard about the connection between cowpox and the prefect, they all believed in the effects of cowpox, even he himself...
But this is what the prefect deserves.
Looking back to the past, his old wife was hit and killed in the street by a carriage from the wealthy Zhao family.
He went to the government office to sue the Zhao family's children, but he couldn't even get into the government office. He was ridiculed by the government officials and beaten with sticks.
When the Zhao family learned that he had gone to the government office, they sent people to cause trouble.
In order to protect him, Daliang had his leg broken by the guard. Because he had no money to treat it, he was left with a chronic disease and still walks with a limp.
It’s the prefect.
She was not afraid of power and ordered people to capture the Zhao family's branch members and guards who had killed his wife, and beheaded them in public so that his wife could rest in peace.
Grandpa was grateful to the prefect, so he trusted him unconditionally.
He looked at the long queue in front of him, his mustache curled up: "Just wait, we have to get vaccinated anyway."
Get vaccinated to keep safe!
......
The first group to be vaccinated were children and young boys and girls aged five and above and under fifteen.
Moreover, the vaccination center only accepted two thousand people a day, and the vaccination location was not fixed, some were at the vaccination center, and some were at other places.
——The rooms in the vaccination center were limited, so the government also arranged several houses for the people to be vaccinated, which also facilitated centralized observation by military doctors.
After the first batch is finished, it will be the turn of men and women over 15 years old and under 30 years old, and finally those over 30 years old and under 50 years old.
Taking into account the declining physical fitness of the elderly, accidents may occur during the vaccination process, which may shorten their lifespan, and no vaccination will be given to those over 50 years old.
During the vaccination period, the prefect mobilized thousands of soldiers from the military camp to guard the vaccination sites in the prefectural city and the four counties under his jurisdiction to prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to cause trouble and ensure the safety of those being vaccinated.
The provincial capital was under the charge of Wan Shoubei, while Huang Qianzong, Ma Qianzong and two battalion commanders were in charge of the four counties under their jurisdiction.
Qingyang County, outside the vaccination center.
General Ma Qian stood under the scorching sun, his dark face covered with sweat and greasy.
He placed his right hand on the hilt of the knife, and looked at the plaque with the words "Vaccination Center" with an ambiguous look, and sneered for a while.
“What a pity.”
-
Another half month passed like this.
Vaccination is still going on. The first batch has been completed and it is the turn of the second batch.
That morning, Du Qingtang went to the four new schools in the east, south, west and north to hold unveiling ceremonies.
After the unveiling, people came in to register.
The women's class is led by sixteen women, led by Liang Rui. During the registration period, there are four people in each school. After the formal classes start, the curriculum will be the same as the original four schools, and the sixteen people will be responsible for four schools at the same time.
Although it is a bit hard work, the salary is generous.
The men's class was led by scholars from the city.
After the provincial and academy examinations in April, students began to enroll and teachers returned to their hometowns from other places.
Not all of these teachers attended county and prefectural schools. Some of them opened private schools, while others stayed at home with nothing to do.
Du Qingtang asked the clerk to visit them and invite them to be teachers in the school.
The sixteen invited scholars readily agreed and were now registering the new students with Liang Rui and other women.
Du Qingtang watched for a while, arranged for a minor official to stay behind to keep order, and rode his horse to the provincial school to teach the students.
Chen Liang walked out of the classroom and happened to run into the prefect. He hurriedly stopped and saluted: "Your humble servant greets you, sir."
Du Qingtang nodded and walked into the classroom with his book.
Chen Liang stood there for a moment, then turned and went to the duty room.
In the provincial school, two teachers shared a duty room, and Chen Liang and his good friend Liang Dahai were in the same room.
As soon as I opened the door, I heard my friend sighing.
Chen Liang was puzzled. After sitting down, he asked, "Why are you sighing for no reason?"
Liang Dahai held up his pen, his wrist resting on his shoulder, a worried look on his face. "The school is recruiting students today, and I wonder if Rui Jie'er will be harassed."
Chen Liang took a sip of his cold tea and said, "If you ask me, you're just being overly pessimistic. The school is the prefect's territory, and there are yamen runners guarding it. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Besides, my sister Fang has also gone, so the two sisters have someone to look after them. No one can bully them."
Liang Dahai put down his wolf-hair brush: "I'm worried about the men who work with her. You and I are both scholars, and we know that some people are overconfident and look down on women. What if they..."
Chen Liang sighed and patted his friend's shoulder. "Given the magistrate's caution, wouldn't she have thought of this possibility? Teachers not only value knowledge, but also character. They are certainly not the kind of people who look down on women."
Liang Dahai felt a little relieved and picked up his pen again to mark his students' homework.
Chen Liang said leisurely, as if chatting casually, "I saw the prefect just now. She came to class again."
Liang Dahai sighed, "I have lived for so many years and have never seen an official as dedicated and conscientious as the prefect."
Chen Liang did not comment.
In theory, the students of the provincial school should be under the responsibility of professors and instructors.
If it was done to appease people's hearts earlier, now that everything has settled, why bother going through all this hardship?
The prefect truly saw things through to the end.
Thinking of this, Chen Liang smiled and said, "So you regret coming back?"
Liang Dahai twirled his beard and said without hesitation, "What do I regret? I don't regret anything."
He was glad that he had made the right choice to return to this land he had been away from for a long time, a land he hated but also loved, and then contribute his own strength.
Although this power is weak, he believes that the sparks will eventually gather into a torch, grow into a prairie fire, and make Shaoqing Prefecture grow stronger and stronger.
"Shaoqing Prefecture needs me, so I came back."
......
Each school only accepted 2,000 students, and they were full in just two days.
Two days later, the school officially started.
Du Qingtang did not go there this time, not because he did not value the school, but because the dried fruit factory was holding an unveiling ceremony that day and recruiting workers at the same time.
The school had already made the decision, but the dried fruit factory needed her as the prefect to support it.
Three quarters past three in the morning, the auspicious time has arrived.
Du Qingtang pulled off the red silk and announced the official establishment of Shaoqing Dried Fruit Factory, and the audience cheered.
Immediately afterwards, the factory gates opened wide and people poured in.
Recruitment officially begins.
-
Xia Jing, in the Golden Palace.
The old censor, his hair and beard all white, stepped out holding a tablet and bowed, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Emperor Qingyuan sat on the high throne and raised his hand softly: "Approved."
The censor bowed again, and then spoke in a resounding voice: "Your Majesty, I wish to impeach the Minister of Imperial Households, Xu Shizhong, for abusing his position for personal gain and committing corruption and bribery!"
The Minister of Imperial Households was dozing off, but when he heard his own name, he was startled, his knees gave way, and he fell to his knees, banging his head on the ground and crying out, "Your Majesty, please understand! I am innocent!"
Emperor Qingyuan looked down at him from the dragon throne, a smile on his round, elegant face. His tone was gentle, yet not without imperial authority: "Don't panic, my dear Xu. I will not let you be wronged for no reason."
Upon hearing this, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but then Emperor Qingyuan changed the subject.
"But Lord Sun has always been rigorous and would never do anything without a purpose. If we don't investigate thoroughly, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public."
The Guanglu Temple Minister's eyelids twitched and he swallowed hard.
"Lord Fang, I'll leave this matter to you to investigate. You must clear Lord Xu's name."
Left Censor-in-Chief Fang Wenyuan stepped forward and said, "Your humble servant shall obey Your Majesty's command."
"In addition, while Xu Aiqing is under investigation, all Guanglu Temple affairs will be handled by Zuo Shaoqing."
"Lord Xu, do you have any objections?"
The Guanglu Temple Minister's heart trembled, like a balloon being punctured. In an instant, all his strength was gone and he collapsed to the ground.
"Your Majesty is wise and sage. I have no objection."
Censor Sun returned to the ranks of civil officials, and the Minister of the Imperial Household was taken away from the Golden Palace.
He was not allowed to attend the morning court again until the Left Censor-in-Chief found out the truth.
Afterwards, Minister Qi stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
"allow."
"So far, 600 kilograms of potatoes have been distributed to the people of Xiajing and planted under the guidance of the tenant farmers..."
Minister Qi spoke eloquently, while the other officials were silent, with beads of sweat oozing from their foreheads.
The reason is simple: the Minister of the Ministry of Rites is a member of Cao's party.
His Majesty's words just now seemed flawless, but in fact everyone knew that the Minister of the Ministry of Rites was about to face a disaster.
Either death or exile.
Even if he survives by chance, the Guanglu Temple will fall into the hands of Guanglu Temple Zuo Shaoqing.
As everyone knows, the Left Shaoqing of the Guanglu Temple is your Majesty's man.
It had only been about ten days since the last member of Cao's party was impeached and demoted after the charges were proven true.
Your Majesty is acting so aggressively and sweeping the court with such force. Aren't you really afraid of angering the Prime Minister?
Even a rabbit will bite when it is cornered, let alone a tiger.
Although this tiger is very old, it is still strong and its claws and fangs are sharp.
In fact, this time it was not the work of Emperor Qingyuan.
Although he was eager to achieve a highly centralized monarchy, he also knew that a lean camel is bigger than a horse.
Cao Yuan has been in power for many years and has countless cards up his sleeve. If he had not sent the fourth son to the imperial mausoleum, Cao Yuan would have already resorted to desperate measures.
During this period, Emperor Qingyuan had vaguely felt Cao Yuan's bottom line and was planning to temporarily cease fire, but unexpectedly, Censor Sun impeached the Minister of Guanglu Temple at the morning court.
After the morning court session, Emperor Qingyuan sat on the dragon sedan chair, thinking carefully, and sighed helplessly: "This child..."
He knew that Sister Rong resented him and hated him.
Always knew.
Not only him, but also Cao.
Thinking back to last month, when Censor Zhang impeached Sister Rong for keeping a lover, the helplessness on Emperor Qingyuan's face faded and the coldness disappeared in an instant.
Never mind, after all, it was the daughter of the Cao family who made the mistake first, so what if he, as a father, takes the blame?
After all, he was the one who let her down.
Thinking that the Guanglu Temple Minister and the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion were related by marriage, Emperor Qingyuan's eyes flashed and he tapped the armrest with his fingers.
"Fury."
"The servant is here."
"Zhaoyang loves to listen to music. Go to the Pear Garden and pick out a few good-looking musicians to send to her."
Fu Rui lowered his head, the corner of his mouth twitching: "Yes, I will go right away."
After saying this, he turned around and headed straight for the Pear Garden. At the request of His Majesty, he selected a few young and handsome musicians and personally sent them to Princess Zhaoyang's mansion.
Princess Zhaoyang suffered a lot in summer. Since the beginning of summer, she hardly went out and kept company with ice all day long.
Nanny Fang advised: "Your Highness, using too much ice will cause your body to become cold..."
Princess Zhaoyang didn't take it seriously. She tilted her head and slowly bit the grapes the handsome man passed to her. She said lazily, "Madam, please don't worry. I don't plan to have children. I have a cold, so it's okay."
Nanny Fang's nose felt sore and she almost burst into tears. She didn't dare to say another word from then on.
When Fu Rui led the musicians to ask for an audience, Princess Zhaoyang was leaning against an ice jar and eating honeydew melon, her narrow eyes slightly narrowed, looking lazy and comfortable.
"Your Majesty knows that Your Highness loves to listen to music, so he specially asked me to send you some musicians."
Princess Zhaoyang glanced at them and all the musicians blushed.
Princess Zhaoyang's eyes showed no sign of fluctuation. She simply waved her hand and said, "I understand. Send her to the Pear Garden."
This Pear Garden is not that Pear Garden, but the Pear Garden in Princess Zhaoyang's mansion that is specially used to house musicians.
As far as Fu Rui knew, there were already a dozen beautiful musicians in the opera house.
Fu Rui: "...The person has been sent, and it is time for me to return to the palace and report."
After saying this, he bowed and retreated respectfully.
Princess Zhaoyang lowered her eyes, admiring the nail polish she had just applied yesterday, and gave an ambiguous laugh: "Father thought I was still thinking about him."
What's so good about a traitor?
If the girl from the Cao family had not hooked up with the wife of Censor Zhang through the wife of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and then instructed Censor Zhang to impeach her, she would have forgotten about that person long ago.
It was a great favor that Xu was allowed to live for more than a month.
Don't be in a hurry, take them one by one.
It's just to make things difficult for her.
Want her life.
This is just the beginning. She is determined to turn Xiajing upside down to justify the ten years she spent in Daqi.
......
On the other side, Cao Yuan came to the cabinet after the morning court session. As soon as the door was closed, he dropped the teacup on the ground.
"Xia Ming! This is too much!"
He has retreated again and again. Does Xia Ming really want to force him into a situation where he has no way to retreat?
Cao Yuan rested his hands on the table, his chest heaving rapidly, murderous intent in his eyes.
With a creak, someone pushed the door open and walked in.
Cao Yuan didn't even look at him and shouted, "Get out!"
"Grandfather, it's me."
Cao Yuan looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person coming was the Fifth Prince, who had just returned to the capital yesterday afternoon after completing his mission.
"Why is Your Highness here?" Cao Yuan's anger faded. He fetched two teacups, filling them one by one, and presented one to the Fifth Prince. "Your Highness, please have some tea."
The Fifth Prince took a sip of tea and looked at Cao Yuan with a smile, his face full of nonchalance, unable to hide his mischievousness. "Your Highness is worried about Grandfather, so I came to check on him."
Cao Yuan sat opposite him. He closed his eyes and exhaled, "It was my incompetence that prevented the Fourth Prince from returning to the capital, and even caused the Fifth Prince to incur His Majesty's wrath."
The Fifth Prince shrugged nonchalantly, "Grandfather, you're too kind. You've worked so hard for Fourth Brother, and now, under the constant pressure of Father, you're having a hard time. How can I, His Highness, be so harsh on you?"
"It's all because of the Emperor's ruthlessness..." The Fifth Prince paused and whispered, "Grandfather, we can't go on like this. Otherwise, not only will Fourth Brother not be able to return, but you won't be able to protect yourself either."
Can’t protect yourself?
Cao Yuan smiled bitterly, it was just that he couldn't even protect himself.
He has been in a difficult situation since the first month of last year.
But at that time, the Fourth Prince was still in Xiajing and held an important position in the court.
Except for the Fourth Prince, the Eldest Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Seventh Prince are all unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility.
Although the Cao party's wings were clipped, Cao Yuan also fought back many times, causing Emperor Qingyuan to lose his wings.
All he hated was Xia Ming's cunning and treacherous nature, for framing the Fourth Prince to embezzle disaster relief silver and grain, which led to Cao Xingxuan's death. The Fourth Prince was also sent to the imperial mausoleum, with an uncertain return date.
——Cao Yuan firmly believed that Linjiang Prefecture was a trap set by Xia Ming, otherwise how to explain Shi Zishan’s sudden appearance in Linjiang Prefecture?
Ever since the Fourth Prince went to the Imperial Mausoleum, Cao Yuan has been concerned about him, fearing that Xia Ming would attack him. He wanted to replace the Fourth Prince with a substitute, but the Imperial Mausoleum was heavily guarded, so he didn't dare to act rashly. He was thus restrained and constrained by Xia Ming.
Even if they wanted to fight back, they could only secretly send out assassins, and each time they would never return.
By now, he had almost no way out.
Thinking back to the time when I was in power in the court, it seems like a fleeting dream.
The fifth prince complained quietly, "I've been mentioning my fourth brother in front of the emperor quite often lately, but my father always turns a deaf ear and a blind eye, completely disregarding the father-son bond between me and my fourth brother."
"Grandfather, we were all wrong." A fierce look flashed in the Fifth Prince's eyes. "Unconditionally giving in will only make Father even more ruthless. Then, neither my fourth brother nor my mother nor Cao will have a good ending."
When the fifth prince was young, he always stayed with Empress Cao and rarely interacted with Emperor Qingyuan.
Later, when he left the palace at the age of fifteen and set up his own home, the opportunities for father and son to spend time together became even fewer.
Even when he entered the court to participate in politics, he treated the emperor as a subject first and then as a father and son. He was respectful but not close enough.
To be fair, compared to Emperor Qingyuan, the Fifth Prince cares more about the Fourth Prince and the Cao family behind him.
As long as Cao is around, the Queen Mother can sit firmly on the throne of the Empress, and he and his fourth brother can be the legitimate princes of Daxia.
Without Cao, his situation was even worse than that of a lowly servant born to the eldest prince.
Cao Yuan shook his head: "It is said that even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, but this obviously does not apply to Your Majesty. The Empress only has you and the Fourth Prince. If anything happens to you two..."
The Fifth Prince chuckled, "When did Your Highness say he would do it himself?"
Cao Yuan narrowed his eyes: "What do you mean?"
The Fifth Prince pointed northwest and said meaningfully, "Grandmother has always been thinking of Uncle Jin. As a son, how could Father allow a loving mother and son to be separated?"
Cao Yuan smiled slowly and breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Highness is wise. I, an old minister, had never thought of this."
He was probably so angry with Xia Ming that he forgot about the King of Jin who was far away in his fiefdom.
The Queen Mother was always thinking about asking Xia Ming to make Prince Jin the Crown Prince, and she had no idea who gave her this honor. She was really stupid.
But she is Xia Ming's biological mother after all.
And Daxia ruled the world with filial piety.
He asked Prince Jin to return to the capital, and in exchange, the Queen Mother asked the Fourth Prince to return to the capital.
When Prince Jin returned to the capital, Xia Ming could take his eyes off him.
He was able to catch his breath. All the humiliation Xia Ming had inflicted on him today would be repaid a hundredfold in the future.
All in all, this is a deal that kills three birds with one stone.
Not a loss!
Not a loss!
-
The dried fruit factory's recruitment lasted for five days, after which the government spent another ten days visiting and screening, narrowing the 20,000 applicants to 5,000.
Two days later, the workers who received the notice entered the factory and the dried fruit factory officially started operations.
It only took half a month for him to go from a novice to a skilled worker, and then for the first batch of dried fruits to pass quality inspection and be put on the market.
In mid-July, dried fruits are put on the shelves in the fresh orchard.
At the same time, workers from the sales department traveled to various places with porcelain jars filled with dried fruits, negotiating cooperation with local pastry shop owners to have them sell the dried fruits from the Shaoqing Dried Fruit Factory on their behalf.
On the first day of the fruit being put on the shelves, the guys at the fresh fruit garden stood at the door and shouted hard.
"Fresh Fruit Garden has a new product. Try it before you buy. If it doesn't taste good, you don't have to pay!"
"A must-have for visiting relatives and friends during festivals, fresh orchard dried fruits are a must-have!"
Passersby stopped to listen for a moment and then walked into the fruit garden.
"Anyway, try it before you buy it. If it doesn't taste good, just leave."
"Sweet and sour, rich in fruity aroma, quite delicious, give me a can!"
"The little doll on this porcelain jar is so cute. I'm going to buy it for my son. He's sure to like it."
"I'll buy two cans for my daughter too. She loves this sweet and sour snack."
"Give me a can of each type of dried fruit and send it to the Fang family on Yangliu Street."
"Buy five cans of each of these and send them to the Xu family on Fuyang Street."
......
"Sir, this is the profit of the dried fruit factory for half a month. Please take a look."
Du Qingtang took over the account book and Wang Tongpan reported it in a serious manner.
"The total profit from the fresh fruit garden was 4,400 taels, and the total profit from selling it to various pastry shops was 68,000 taels."
Du Qingtang flipped the page in the account book and casually asked, "How many pastry shops have you reached cooperation with so far?"
Wang Tongpan replied fluently: "There are currently 62 pastry shops."
After that, he sighed again: "Food is the most important thing for the people. This is really true."
Du Qingtang remained silent. No matter what era, there were always many people who had a big appetite and spent all the money they earned on food.
Just as he was about to ask again, a yamen runner came rushing over: "Sir, someone is coming from the provincial capital!"
Du Qingtang frowned slightly, stood up and walked out: "Who is coming?"
The yamen runner said, "It's the Left Governor."
Wang Tongpan rubbed his chin, feeling that the other party was not friendly. "Why did the governor come to Shaoqing Prefecture for no reason?"
Du Qingtang seemed to be thinking about something and gave some instructions to the yamen runners.
"Yes, I'll do it right away!"
The group arrived at Binxing Hall, where the Left Governor was sitting high up in the seat, lazily drinking tea with arrogance visible between his brows.
Du Qingtang took a quick look around the moment he entered the room, lowered his eyes imperceptibly, and led the four people, King Zhou, Wu, and Zheng, forward to pay their respects.
"Your humble servant greets His Excellency the Governor."
"Get up." The Left Governor leaned back in his chair, his expression indifferent. "Lord Du is truly capable. Shaoqing Prefecture seems to have been completely transformed. I almost thought I was in the wrong place the whole time I was walking here."
"Your Excellency is too kind. This is my duty." Du Qingtang was in no mood for witty banter and asked directly, "I wonder what brings you to Shaoqing Prefecture?"
The Left Governor raised an eyebrow. Seeing Du Qingtang's straightforwardness, he didn't waste any words and directly stated his purpose: "The Governor heard that Shaoqing Prefecture has built a clothing factory and a dried fruit factory. Business is booming. Even in the provincial capital, woolen clothes and dried fruits from fresh orchards can be seen everywhere. He specially sent me here to inspect it."
Is it your turn to inspect the things in my Shaoqing Mansion?
The kings of Zhou, Wu, and Zheng secretly complained in their hearts, but they showed no sign on their faces. They all looked at the prefect in unison.
The prefect is the mainstay of the entire government office and even the entire Shaoqing Prefecture. Whenever something happens, they go to the prefect, and they just cheer and shout from behind.
Du Qingtang sat upright and said calmly, "The garment factory and the dried fruit factory involve confidential information. Please forgive me for not agreeing to this."
The kings of Zhou, Wu and Zheng all breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that the prefect did not agree.
I always feel that this person has bad intentions, and he must not be allowed to go to the garment factory and the dried fruit factory!
The Left Governor narrowed his eyes, half-smiling, "It's just making clothes and dried fruits, how can it be a secret?"
Du Qingtang said nonsense seriously: "Your Excellency has never run a garment factory or a dried fruit factory, so naturally you don't know the secrets."
Seeing Du Qingtang evading the issue, the smile on Zuo Buzhengshi's face completely disappeared: "What if I really want to see it today?"
Du Qingtang stood up slowly and bowed, "The garment factory and the dried fruit factory are not owned by me alone. Please forgive me for not agreeing to this."
At this point, Du Qingtang could vaguely guess the other party's intention, and he could not fulfill his wish.
The Left Governor laughed in anger, his eyes like knives, almost piercing Du Qingtang like a sieve: "Du Qingtang, do you think I'm a fool?"
"The garment factory and the dried fruit factory are government-run factories. You are the chief official of Shaoqing Prefecture, so they belong to you. I am your superior, and now I am asking you to inspect them. How dare you refuse?"
The Left Governor stood up, his tone full of firmness that brooked no argument: "Let me be frank with you. The Governor-General is very optimistic about the prospects of the garment and dried fruit factories and has specially ordered me to take over."
It is true.
This is because Shaoqing Prefecture is on the rise, the garment factories and dried fruit factories are making a fortune, and they have sent people to pick peaches.
Thinking about what he had said not long ago that no one dared to pick peaches, Du Qingtang felt a little embarrassed.
But she didn't show any sign of it, and refused to give in. "Your Excellency, you are joking. Shaoqing Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture, and I am the highest administrator. You really don't have the qualifications."
The Left Governor hadn't expected Du Qingtang to so directly tear her apart. He flew into a rage and slammed the table, shouting, "Du Qingtang! How dare a woman like you disobey orders? Are you tired of living?"
Du Qingtang's eyes suddenly turned cold.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
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