Chapter 169: Palace Banquet Assassinated
On the sixth day of June, Xia Sheng officially began operation.
At the same time, the imperial court issued an edict, and the institute recruited researchers for the second time, hoping that skilled craftsmen from all over the world would actively come and sign up.
Anyone who passes the assessment can obtain a ninth-rank official position, which comes with a series of generous benefits.
As the news spread, skilled craftsmen from all over Daxia flocked to Xiajing to sign up.
"I unfortunately failed the assessment last year, but I've been training hard for several months since I returned. I'm sure I'll pass this time!"
"I'm used to being free and unfettered, and I didn't want to get involved, lest I be restricted by the academy. However, the train developed by Marquis Wen'an is so ingenious that I'm deeply impressed. I'm willing to join the academy and learn from him."
"Brother Yuan and I share similar views. Qian has studied under a master of mechanical engineering for over thirty years, yet I still cannot fathom how trains and buses operate. If I can't decipher the mystery, I'm afraid I'll die with regret."
In the following days, the registration office of the institute was crowded with people.
As of June 8th, more than 6,000 people had registered.
Doctor Wan stood in the corner, watching the clerk whose pen left a shadow and the huge crowd in front of the long desk.
"Will Marquis Wen'an come on the day of the assessment?"
"Will I be able to see Marquis Wen'an once I enter the research institute?"
The sound of "Marquis Wen'an" filled his ears, full of urgency and reverence, making Wan Langzhong feel extremely complicated.
He twirled his beard, his expression ambiguous. "I can't believe it, but eight or nine out of ten of these people are here for the Shangshu Lord."
Deputy Dean Feng's tone was emotionless, as if he was stating a fact: "The Minister is a man of both civil and military talents, and can even build firearms and trains. Isn't it normal for such a perfect person to be admired by the people of the world?"
"The hearts of those people are very simple, without so many twists and turns, they are straightforward and pure."
"They didn't care whether Marquis Wen'an was a man or a woman, young or old, tall or short, fat or thin. They only knew that it was the potatoes and sweet potatoes Marquis Wen'an offered them that saved them from hunger. So in their minds, Marquis Wen'an was a good official, and they were grateful to her and supported her."
"Similarly, these skilled craftsmen have only seen the miracles created by Marquis Wen'an. They admire her and are willing to follow her footsteps, traveling thousands of miles to Xiajing, joining the research institute, and contributing their own strength to Daxia."
Doctor Wan was suddenly stunned and looked at Vice Dean Feng, who looked at him calmly with a sense of knowing everything.
He suddenly felt a burning pain on his face and felt extremely ashamed.
Doctor Wan admitted that Du Qingtang was very outstanding, but due to his male nature, it was difficult for him not to have reservations about Du Qingtang's gender.
Every time I come into contact with Du Qingtang, I feel not only uncomfortable but also unwilling.
He has been in the Ministry of Works for more than ten years and is still a fifth-rank doctor. Du Qingtang, a woman, has become the head of the Ministry of Works. Everyone must obey her orders and follow her lead.
Doctor Wan also knew that it was not just him, but many of his colleagues in the Ministry of Works who shared the same inner thoughts as him.
However, intimidated by Du Qingtang's power, no one dared to act rashly, let alone gossip behind his back. They could only keep a low profile and do their job conscientiously.
Vice Dean Feng's words hit Doctor Wan hard. He seemed to have nails growing on his feet. He left in a hurry, saying, "The Ministry of Works still has important matters to attend to. I'll leave first."
Deputy Dean Feng glanced at Doctor Wan's fleeing back, curled his lips, and continued to watch the craftsmen sign up.
Once upon a time, he was also very concerned about the gender of the Shangshu. He felt that for a woman to become the head of the Ministry of Works would undoubtedly tear off the face of all the officials in the Ministry of Works, and even the civil and military officials in the court, and throw them on the ground and trample on them.
Whenever his colleagues in the Ministry of Works talked about this matter, even though he was not good at speaking, he would join in and agree.
Until he was selected by the Shangshu, left the Ministry of Works, and became the vice-president of the research institute.
Vice Dean Feng spends every day with the researchers, and what he hears most every day is their praise for the Shangshu.
Over time, Vice President Feng realized his problems and gradually adjusted his mindset.
So what if she is a woman? Don’t you see that eight or nine out of ten officials in the court are not as good as the Shangshu?
Having just heard the dissatisfaction in Doctor Wan's tone, Vice Dean Feng couldn't help but say a few more words.
Even a man as thick-skinned as him could see that his former colleague was being respectful on the surface but hiding a dagger behind his back. How could the Shangshu, who was so perceptive and had such a pair of sharp eyes, not notice it at all?
Vice President Feng didn't care about the people in the Ministry of Works. He got along well with Doctor Wan and didn't want to replace his colleague and start over from scratch.
......
On the ninth day of the sixth lunar month, an urgent report about an earthquake came from Pingyang Prefecture.
Post-disaster reconstruction was the responsibility of the Ministry of Works. After the morning court session, Du Qingtang called Doctor Wan and asked him to arrange 500 craftsmen to go to Pingyang Prefecture with the disaster relief team.
Doctor Wan bowed his head and said yes, his expression unclear as he lowered his head. "Your humble servant will obey your orders, sir."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows and ground the ink stick: "Go, arrange it as soon as possible."
Doctor Wan bowed again and retreated respectfully.
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes and began to deal with official documents.
It was not an illusion. Lord Wan was much more respectful to her.
There is a difference between superficial respect and true respect.
Seventy to eighty percent of the officials in the Ministry of Works belonged to the former category, while the officials and researchers in Shaoqing Prefecture, headed by Zhou Tongzhi, belonged to the latter category.
In fact, Du Qingtang did not take the little thoughts of the officials in the Ministry of Works seriously. She could not stay in the Ministry of Works forever, so why should she bother herself with the hypocrisy of a group of small fry.
I don’t know what happened to Doctor Wan, but he seemed to have been reborn.
Du Qingtang stamped the document and immediately put the idea out of his mind.
All she wanted was for them to obey her orders.
The rest is unimportant.
It’s a pity that some people can’t even do this, and they are always looking at the pot while eating from the bowl.
Thinking of Du Yi's report last night that someone in the Ministry of Works had hooked up with that bastard Fifth Prince, Du Qingtang's eyes turned slightly cold.
Then don't blame her for taking advantage of the situation.
On the other side, Doctor Wan returned to the Du Shui Qing Li Si. As soon as he entered the door, he saw several minor officials gathered together, talking about the Shangshu to pass the time.
In the past, he would have added a few more words.
But now I just feel that the faces they use when they talk are so ugly and disgusting.
Doctor Wan couldn't help but wonder, was he like this in the past?
A voice answered in his ear, "Yes, you are the same as them. You let an excellent person become the gossip of a group of villains. It's just as ugly and disgusting."
Doctor Wan was both ashamed and annoyed. Even if no one knew what he was thinking, he wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into and escape the ugly truth.
Not far away, several minor officials were still chatting as if no one was around, their words showing complete disrespect for the Minister. Doctor Wan took a deep breath, slammed the table in anger, and shouted, "Shut up! How can you talk nonsense about the Minister?"
The clerk was shocked and didn't understand why Doctor Wan suddenly had such an attack.
"From now on, if I discover anyone disrespecting the Minister again, I will make sure you have the final say!"
After Doctor Wan finished speaking, he glanced at the officials of the Dushui Qinglisi with a cold, warning look, snorted coldly, and left.
Everyone looked at each other, feeling confused.
"Master Wan, is this a case of eating gunpowder?"
"There's something wrong with Lord Wan. Normally, when we talk about this, he always agrees with us, but today he's acting out of character..."
Before he could finish his words, someone interrupted him, saying, "Most likely he's just come to his senses and realized he shouldn't be gossiping behind people's backs."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Huang, the Director of the Dushuiqinglisi.
This person has a strange and bad temper, and no one likes to associate with him.
It is worth mentioning that Huang became the head of the department when he was forty years old, and now he is in his seventies and still sits in this position.
It's not that he is incompetent, but that he had offended the current Minister of Personnel who was working in the Ministry of Works with his words many years ago.
That person was narrow-minded. He was still holding a grudge from twenty years ago. Even though Huang Zhushi had accumulated enough experience and made several small but significant contributions, he was never on the list of promotions in the Ministry of Personnel.
The clerk named Li Jiao looked unhappy and stiffened his neck as he demanded, "Who is gossiping behind someone's back? Isn't the Minister a woman? Or is it that she didn't kill all the officials appointed by the court just because of a minor disagreement?"
Huang, the official, slowly sorted through the documents and said without looking up, "It was the other party who offended first. Your Excellency is simply giving them a taste of their own medicine."
"I've always said, don't gossip about others behind their backs. Do you really think the Minister has a good temper? You've been living in peace all this time, and it's just that you haven't been caught red-handed."
"People make mistakes and horses stumble. What if one day..." Huang sneered, "If you don't do good deeds with your mouth, you don't have to worry about retribution."
Li Jiao was rendered speechless by his words. His face turned pale and blue, more exciting than a dyeing factory. He blurted out, "No wonder you're still a sixth-rank official even though you're buried up to your neck in dirt. You have such a foul mouth and yet you're still meddling in other people's affairs. Be careful not to shorten your life!"
Manager Huang was too lazy to pay attention to him and left with the documents.
Li Jiao felt as if he had punched cotton. He fell backward in anger, cursing uncontrollably in a way that was unbearable to hear.
A colleague couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to smooth things over: "You know that Mr. Huang has this kind of temper. Just ignore him."
"But Master Huang is right. You should restrain yourself a little. If the Minister hears about this, he's not someone you can easily deal with. Be careful not to get into trouble and suffer the consequences."
Li Jiao didn't take it seriously. He sat back down, took a sip of tea, and spit out the tea leaves. He said leisurely, "Don't worry, it won't happen."
"The Minister usually only handles official business in the duty room. If he has any instructions, he will ask Zhang to convey them. He will never come to the Dushui Qingli Division."
The colleague shook his head, stopped trying to persuade him, and turned back to sort out the documents.
-
Du Qingtang didn't know that a dispute had arisen in the Du Shui Qing Li Si because of her. After dealing with two piles of documents, she went to the research institute again.
On the third day of June, Vice Dean Feng had a lot of coal brought in, which was stuffed into Du Qingtang's laboratory, taking up most of the room.
Du Qingtang, who opened the door and was almost hit by coal, said: "......"
From this we can see that sometimes being too honest is not a good thing.
Five days passed in a flash, and a lot of coal was consumed, and the laboratory finally had a place to stay.
Du Qingtang opened the door to the laboratory and was about to continue his unfinished research from yesterday when Vice Dean Feng trotted over, a smile plastered across his honest face. "Sir, based on your information, Zhang Fu has cultivated wheat with a yield double the current yield per mu!"
"Really?" Du Qingtang had already stepped over the threshold with his left foot, but he stepped back and closed the door. "Take me over to have a look!"
Among the first batch of researchers who passed the assessment, one was originally a farmer.
Since the assessment required everyone to show their strengths, the farmer named Zhang Fu handed in the high-yield wheat that he had spent many years cultivating.
The so-called high yield means that the yield is 50 to 60 kilograms higher than the current wheat yield.
Food is the most important thing for people, and grain is the foundation of people's survival. Doctor Wan was well aware of this truth, and when he saw this "answer sheet", he hired Zhang Fu without hesitation.
Afterwards, Du Qingtang summoned Zhang Fu and asked him how he cultivated high-yield wheat.
Zhang Fu was a thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man with a limp in one leg. The patches on his coarse cloth clothes betrayed his poverty, and his awkwardness was hard to conceal: "When I was young, I just wanted to play around and grafted jujube and pomegranate trees. The yield was surprisingly good, so I thought about grafting rice and wheat."
"At first, I tried many methods to graft rice, but all failed. So I had to switch to wheat. Unexpectedly, I actually succeeded last year."
"It just so happens that the research institute is recruiting skilled craftsmen from all over the world. Although I am not a skilled craftsman, I thought that if Your Majesty could see my wheat, the people of the world might be able to grow more food. So I secretly came to Xiajing to sign up without telling my family."
Du Qingtang admired Zhang Fu's courage and gave him the relevant information about hybrid rice and hybrid wheat.
Zhang Fu was illiterate, so Du Qingtang specially assigned him a clerk to help him find information.
In recent months, Du Qingtang has been busy with steam engines and trains, and the Ministry of Industry has a lot of trivial matters. He had long forgotten about Zhang Fu, but he didn't expect that he had made progress so quickly.
The per-acre wheat yield in Daxia was about 200 kilograms, which is twice as high as 400 kilograms, which is almost the same as the per-acre wheat yield in modern times.
Du Qingtang walked as fast as the wind and arrived at the wheat field in the blink of an eye.
The wheat in Xiajing matures in June and July. The golden ears of wheat sway in the wind, creating layers of golden waves.
The tenant farmers were harvesting wheat with sickles. When they saw Du Qingtang, they stopped what they were doing and bowed to greet him.
Du Qingtang waved his hand and went straight to the four acres of land that was originally allocated to Zhang Fu.
Zhang Fu was collecting straw with his bare chest. He didn't expect Du Qingtang to come over suddenly. He limped up the ridge of the field, quickly put on his clothes, and rubbed the corners of his clothes awkwardly: "Sir."
Du Qingtang had seen shirtless men before, so his expression didn't change at all. He asked directly, "Are you sure the production volume will be double what it is now?"
Zhang Fu nodded. "I've inquired with the tenant farmers on the imperial farm. Last year, the wheat yield per mu was 193 kilograms. This year, the total yield from four mu of land was 1,600 kilograms."
Du Qingtang asked Zhang Fu to take her to see the quality of the wheat, and then compare it with the ordinary wheat in other wheat fields. It was indeed fuller.
"Excellent!" Du Qingtang's eyes were filled with smiles, as if ice and snow had melted. "I will report this matter to the emperor and ask for your commendation from his majesty."
Zhang Fu's face flushed with excitement, and he waved his hands repeatedly: "It's all thanks to the pieces of paper you gave me, sir. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to cultivate high-yield wheat so quickly."
Du Qingtang shook his head: "I dare not take credit for it. At most, I played a guiding role. How to operate it later and how to take care of Xiaomai are all up to you alone."
"Store the wheat in the granary, keep some for seed, and try the rest to see if you can grow wheat with a higher yield per acre."
Zhang Fu said with some embarrassment, "I'm currently researching how to cultivate high-yield rice. If I were to cultivate wheat as well, I'm afraid I'd be too busy to handle it."
He paused and suggested, "Why don't you recruit a few more people who are good at farming?"
Du Qingtang pondered for a moment and said, "I will have someone post a notice later. After you pass the assessment, it will be sent directly to you. You will be fully responsible."
Zhang Fu was stunned for a moment, and rubbed his hands nervously: "Fuck... can your subordinate do this?"
"You can even cultivate high-yield wheat, but you can't manage a few subordinates?" Du Qingtang put the handful of wheat grains back, clapped his hands, and stood up, saying calmly, "If you don't obey, you will be fired directly."
Zhang Fu felt relieved and said, "Thank you, sir. I will take good care of them."
Du Qingtang nodded, asked Zhang Fu to continue with his work, and went to the laboratory himself.
Five baskets of coal were consumed in one afternoon, and the research finally made some progress, but Du Qingtang did not plan to continue.
She had to go to the palace to tell Emperor Qingyuan about the high-yield wheat. By the way, before she got off duty, she had to ask Doctor Wan to post a notice to recruit farmers who were good at farming to join the research institute to cultivate rice and wheat.
The days are long in summer, so you should post the notice before the hour of You. Who knows, some farmers might come to sign up tomorrow.
Entering the palace, the construction team was laying tracks on the palace road.
Because the four-wheeled carriage could only accommodate Emperor Qingyuan, it was not very large, with a track width of about ten feet. It was built on the left side of the palace road, and the right side was still very spacious.
Du Qingtang first went to the imperial study and entered smoothly after being informed by the eunuch. However, he found that there was not only Emperor Qingyuan in the hall, but also Princess Zhaoyang, whom he had not seen for several months.
The father and daughter were playing chess. Emperor Qingyuan stared at the chessboard, while Princess Zhaoyang supported her chin and looked at Du Qingtang with a smile.
Du Qingtang raised his lips and bowed: "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty, Your Highness."
Before Emperor Qingyuan could speak, Princess Zhaoyang stepped forward, lifted Du Qingtang's right arm, and held her affectionately, smiling with her eyebrows curved: "It's been a long time since we last met, Xianyu, did you miss me?"
Emperor Qingyuan: “???”
Du Qingtang: “…”
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Princess Zhaoyang always likes to say some suggestive words.
But her eyes were clear, without a trace of intimacy, which made people feel helpless.
Du Qingtang glanced at Emperor Qingyuan inconspicuously. The fifty-year-old man had his hands in his pockets and stared at her with unfriendly eyes.
Look at this posture, it's as if he drank a hundred jars of aged vinegar.
Du Qingtang thought of the Tao inkstone in the study, and also recalled the day when the 18-car train was on trial run and Emperor Qingyuan threatened to pry open her head. Driven by her evil taste, she lowered her eyes slightly and looked at Princess Zhaoyang.
"I miss Your Highness day and night. When I learned that Your Highness had returned to the capital, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep all night. Unfortunately, I am busy with official duties and cannot spare the time to visit you. I hope Your Highness will not mind."
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
Princess Zhaoyang looked back and complained, half-seriously, "Father, you are so unkind. Lady Du is in charge of the Ministry of Works and also has to take care of the research institute. What if she gets exhausted?"
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
With Du Aiqing's physique, she has never been sick in Shaoqing Prefecture for three years. Even if she stays awake, she can last for ten days or half a month. How could she possibly exhaust herself?
But these two people sang the same tune, making it seem like he was some kind of tyrant.
It really makes him angry!
Emperor Qingyuan looked at his most beloved daughter and his most daring minister, crossed his legs, put his hands in his pockets, and had a stern face, unwilling to speak.
Princess Zhaoyang was the first to lose her composure and burst out laughing.
Du Qingtang smiled, feeling more refreshed than drinking ice cola in the dog days of summer.
Fu Rui looked at the two ancestors and couldn't help but said: "Poof..."
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
Emperor Qingyuan feigned anger and slammed the table, causing the chessboard to tremble. "How dare you, Du Qingtang! I will punish you for disrespect!"
Du Qingtang's evil taste was satisfied, and he secretly sighed that Princess Zhaoyang was indeed like a tranquilizer.
The reason why he took advantage of Emperor Qingyuan twice in a row was because of this princess.
Under normal circumstances, if Du Qingtang dared to joke with Emperor Qingyuan like this, he would be skinned alive if not dead.
Du Qingtang suppressed his smile and returned to the topic: "Your Majesty, the research institute has cultivated wheat with a yield of 400 kilograms per mu."
The expressions of Emperor Qingyuan and Princess Zhaoyang changed slightly.
"Four hundred kilograms?"
"Isn't it doubled?"
Du Qingtang nodded: "Exactly."
Emperor Qingyuan and Princess Zhaoyang exchanged a glance, then said sternly, "First, we'll try planting it on the imperial farm. If the yield remains the same, we'll promote it to the general public."
Du Qingtang: "Yes."
Princess Zhaoyang gently stroked the gold bracelet on her wrist, thinking, "Since we can cultivate high-yield wheat, can we also cultivate high-yield rice?"
Du Qingtang: "Zhang Fu is trying to cultivate high-yield rice."
Princess Zhaoyang clapped her hands, "That's perfect! Father, Lord Zhang Fu has made great contributions in cultivating high-yield crops. Will you reward him generously?"
Emperor Qingyuan was thinking along these lines. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Furui, tomorrow you will go to the Academy and convey my oral instructions to promote him to the rank of eighth-rank official and give him an additional 100 taels of gold as a reward."
Fu Rui bowed his head: "I obey your order."
Du Qingtang did not stay long: "The Ministry of Works still has important matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."
Emperor Qingyuan waved his hand and told him to leave quickly so as not to delay his chess game with Sister Rong.
Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "Business is more important. I'll wait for you at the mansion tomorrow."
Du Qingtang smiled back: "Okay."
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
Du Qingtang ignored the expression on Emperor Qingyuan's face as if he had eaten something dirty, bowed to both of them, and left the imperial study.
After returning to the Ministry of Works, Du Qingtang went straight to the Du Shui Qing Li Si to find Doctor Wan.
Du Qingtang walked to the door of the Du Shui Qing Li Si and heard someone talking.
And the center of the topic happened to be her Du family.
"Last year, the Minister of Rites caused a scene at the Ministry of Rites because of her older sister who still couldn't get married. I wonder if she's married now."
"Even if she was a daughter of a marquis, rich and famous, and as beautiful as a fairy, she was always out in the public eye, doing business. No wealthy family would marry her for their children or grandchildren."
"Lady Shangshu is different, and so are her sisters."
"But it's been a year since the Minister returned to the capital, and I've never heard of any rumors about her and any other man. Unlike that princess, who only returned to the capital two months ago and already started keeping many lovers."
"Shhh! Shut up! That woman who caused a scene in the Imperial Palace a while ago because of her lover, and even a second-rank official died at her hands, now no one dares to say a word against her. Not even the imperial censors dare to impeach her anymore."
"She's become lawless due to His Majesty's favor." However, Li Jiao didn't continue speaking. He changed the subject and said, "Do you think the Minister intends to live out his life in solitude? This woman will eventually get married. With the Minister being so strong, I'm afraid no man would...ah!"
Before he could finish his words, Li Jiao felt a pain in his buttocks and flew into the air, landing heavily on the long desk used for placing documents.
The long desk overturned and hit Li Jiao, and the piles of documents were scattered all over the floor.
The incident happened so quickly that several clerks who were chatting behind the door were startled and subconsciously stuck their heads out to see what was going on.
When they saw the woman standing at the door with her hands behind her back and a cold expression on her face, their minds went blank, but their bodies moved faster than they could realize, and they fell to their knees like dumplings.
"My lord, have mercy on me! My lord, have mercy on me!"
"I didn't say anything, they said it all!"
Du Qingtang ignored him and walked over to the long table, squatting in front of Li Jiao. "Women have to get married eventually. I'm so strong-willed, I'm afraid no man would dare to marry me."
Every time Du Qingtang said a word, Li Jiao shivered and shook like a quail.
He never expected that his colleagues reminded him to be more restrained in the morning and not let the Shangshu hear it, but it became true in the afternoon. He was caught on the spot by the Shangshu and received a fatal kick.
Li Jiao felt that his waist was about to break, and his arm was hit by the long table. The severe pain at that moment almost made him faint on the spot.
"What did I say on my first day in office?" Du Qingtang patted Li Jiao's face frivolously. "It would be best if we can live in peace with each other. If not, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"You guys have been away from your posts, and you're all gossiping like gossips, gathering together to gossip about me. Do you really think I'm dead?"
Du Qingtang has always been very clear about her position. She is not an approachable boss, but rather overly strict and demanding.
Therefore, she allowed her subordinates to occasionally complain about her and vent their resentment, just like modern employees complain about their bosses.
But Li Jiao should never have let her, Du Qingtang, Du Qingzhu and Princess Zhaoyang become the topic of conversation when they were lazy.
He should not have been a traitor and boarded the Fifth Prince's shabby ship.
Who knows what kind of crazy things that bastard will do? Du Qingtang is not a superhero and doesn't have the time to keep an eye on him all the time, so he just deals with it directly and pretends that out of sight, out of mind.
"The Ministry of Works doesn't support idlers. From now on, the five of you will no longer be minor officials in the Ministry of Works..."
"Please spare my life, sir! Please be magnanimous and spare me this time!"
"You can't do this. I just said a few more words. You have no right to dismiss me!"
Li Jiao didn't expect Du Qingtang to be so arrogant and actually want to expel him from the Ministry of Works.
Thinking back to yesterday, when the Fifth Prince had asked him to stay at the Ministry of Works and that he would contact him when the time came, Li Jiao reluctantly pushed the long desk aside and banged his head on the ground: "Forgive me, sir. I was blinded by greed, which is why I said such foolish words. I will never dare to do that again. Please give me another chance!"
Du Qingtang stood up and looked at Doctor Wan who had rushed over after hearing the news. He repeated what he had just said and said in a cold voice: "I don't care how you view me, respectful or rude, that is not important."
"But whenever and wherever you are on duty, you must behave yourself. If you can't control your mouth again, I won't mind sewing his mouth shut myself."
Doctor Wan was sweating profusely and nodded repeatedly.
Officials from the three neighboring departments came over after hearing the noise, and stood in the corridor to watch the excitement, pointing and talking endlessly.
Doctor Wan was so angry that his heart was bleeding.
They had been warned before, but they caused trouble again today, causing the Shangshu to be furious.
From now on, the Du Shui Qing Li Si is likely to become a laughing stock among the four departments.
Doctor Wan secretly sighed at his bad luck and regretted that he should have disciplined his officials and prevented them from talking nonsense.
"Sir, please give me another chance!"
Doctor Wan looked coldly at Li Jiao, who was kowtowing like crazy, and waved his hand: "Drag him out!"
Immediately, several minor officials jumped out and dragged Li Jiao and four others out of the Ministry of Works.
Du Qingtang dealt with the traitor and did not stay long. He asked Doctor Wan to post a notice and warned before leaving: "What happened today must not be spread outside. Anyone who violates this will be punished with the same crime as Li Jiao and others."
Everyone was silent and responded in unison.
After Du Qingtang left, everyone looked at the overturned long table and the documents scattered on the ground. Some of them felt gloating, but more of them felt relieved.
"Luckily I kept my mouth shut."
"As the saying goes, judge by deeds, not by heart. No matter what you think, just save face."
"Tomorrow I'll have to warn my subordinates to keep their mouths shut and get more done. The Shangshu's wrath is something we can't withstand."
......
The Fifth Prince's Mansion.
When the housekeeper came, the fifth prince was playing with Jinbao.
The tiger, about ten feet long, was as obedient as a kitten in the hands of the fifth prince. It retracted its sharp claws and allowed the fifth prince to rub it.
"Your Highness, there's a man named Li Jiao outside who wants to see you. Do you want to see him?"
The Fifth Prince narrowed his eyes and sighed softly, "How heartless."
He raised his hand and the butler understood and retreated quietly.
The Fifth Prince played with Jinbao for a while longer, then glanced at the body lying on the ground, which had been bitten to pieces, and said casually, "Deal with it. It stinks."
The guard who served Jinbao answered yes and respectfully saw the fifth prince off.
The fifth prince strolled towards the main courtyard. Passing by the main courtyard where the fifth prince's wife lived, he suddenly saw a woman coming out carrying a medicine box.
After returning to the main courtyard, the Fifth Prince summoned the butler again: "Are there any distinguished guests visiting today?"
The housekeeper thought for a moment and said, "The princess is not feeling well, so she has asked Doctor Du from the Female Medical Bureau."
"Doctor Du..."
The fifth prince had his hair curled up in a walnut shape, his eyes slanted upwards, and he smiled like a fox.
So what if Li Jiao was discovered?
He still had a way to make her kneel before him crying and beg to marry him.
-
On the tenth day of June, Du Qingtang went to the princess's mansion.
In order to entertain Du Qingtang, Princess Zhaoyang specially asked the kitchen to prepare a feast of seafood.
After the guests had their fun, the two of them lay on lounge chairs under the tree to enjoy the cool breeze, while the maid turned a hand-cranked fan beside them, bringing a slight breeze.
Princess Zhaoyang covered her face with a round fan and said lazily, "So your sister has gone to the Lotus Temple to practice asceticism?"
Du Qingtang closed his eyes, letting the scattered sunlight fall on his face: "Instead of staying in the Marquis of Wen'an's mansion, which would be awkward for both of us, it's better to separate."
"Greed is insatiable, like a snake swallowing an elephant. Too much ambition and desire will inevitably backfire." Princess Zhaoyang sighed, feeling deeply regretful. "I actually missed out on such a fun thing. If I were in Xiajing at the time, I would have joined you and turned the Cheng'en Mansion upside down."
Du Qingtang smiled and said, "Next time for sure."
Princess Zhaoyang was overjoyed: "But I am a little surprised that you, Xianyu, actually spared Guo Qian's life."
Du Qingtang opened his eyes and watched the sunlight penetrate the gaps between the leaves, making his fingertips almost transparent and a healthy pink. "He has other uses."
Princess Zhaoyang took off her round fan, glanced at Du Qingtang, and did not ask any further questions, but changed the subject.
Du Qingtang stayed in the princess's mansion for an afternoon and returned to the Wen'an Marquis's mansion in the sunset.
After dinner, Du Qingtang called all the girls over and said, "I've been busy with the research institute recently and haven't tested you for a month. Now that you have some free time, come one by one."
Let’s start with a few girls - Ruan Ran, Du Qingqin’s only daughter Feng Xiu, Du Qingshu’s only daughter Qian Ran and Du Qinglan’s only daughter Gu Yajun.
Then it was the turn of Du Qingqi's only son Zhou Cheng, Du Qingshu's son Qian Quan and Du Qinglan's son Wu Rui.
After testing everyone one by one, Du Qingtang was reluctantly satisfied and pointed at Qian Quan and Wu Rui: "The college entrance examination will start in August. According to your current level, it is not a problem to be on the list, but you must not take it lightly. Read more books and practice more questions. If you don't understand, you can ask me or ask Mr. Qu..."
After some instructions, the two of them bowed and said, "Yes, we will follow my aunt's instructions."
In mid-June, Qian Quan and Wu Rui set out for their hometown.
Du Qingtang wanted to see him off, but unfortunately, bad news came from Guangdong Province.
Many years ago, the Governor of Guangdong embezzled money for building a river embankment and filled it with straw. Last year, the imperial court ordered that the embankment be built with cement, but he pretended to obey the order and not only did he not build the embankment with cement, he also sold the cement production method to local wealthy businessmen to make a profit.
In May, Guangdong Province experienced two consecutive weeks of heavy rain.
Heavy rains caused floods, which broke down riverbanks and resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
The Governor of Guangdong originally wanted to keep the incident secret, but when he saw more and more people dying due to the collapse of the river embankment, he finally became afraid and reported it to the court.
When Emperor Qingyuan learned about this, he was furious and ordered the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion to go to Guangdong immediately to arrest the Governor of Guangdong and appease the people.
Upon receiving the order, the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion set out from Xiajing with a relief team that same day. He first took a train to Shanxi Province, and then went to Guangdong by official road.
After this trip, it was not until late August that we received an urgent report from Guangdong Province.
The Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion has arrested the Governor of Guangdong and has joined forces with local authorities to organize post-disaster reconstruction, including but not limited to pouring cement on river embankments, repairing houses destroyed by floods, and providing appropriate compensation to the families of the deceased.
After waiting for more than two months, the situation in Guangdong Province stabilized, and then the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion escorted the Governor of Guangdong to Beijing.
When Emperor Qingyuan sentenced the Governor of Guangdong to death by beheading, Qian Quan and Wu Rui also returned to Xiajing.
The two of them lived up to everyone's expectations and successfully passed the examination and became scholars.
The Wen'an Marquis Mansion was filled with joy, and Du Qingshu and Du Qinghua even cried with joy on the spot.
It happened to be a day off, so Du Qingtang asked the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous meal. Everyone toasted each other, chatting and laughing, and did not leave until midnight.
For the next few days, Du Qingtang spent almost all his time in the research institute, except for handling official business at the Ministry of Industry.
Instead of carrying out the original research project, they were making fireworks.
The annual Wanshou Festival is approaching. No matter how much exploitation and suspicion there is behind the scenes, Emperor Qingyuan has given Du Qingtang an official position, title and power, and she has to express her gratitude in some way.
......
The whole country celebrates the emperor’s birthday.
Two days before the Wanshou Festival, red lanterns and red silks were hung in the streets and alleys of Xiajing City, and the air was filled with a festive atmosphere.
On the day of the Wanshou Festival, the king, officials and common people can all take a day off.
In the evening, Du Qingtang, wearing a second-rank official robe, went to the Bixiao Palace alone to attend the emperor's birthday banquet.
The Bixiao Palace is magnificent and beautiful.
The princes and officials toasted each other and enjoyed the graceful movements of the dancers.
Emperor Qingyuan and Empress Cao sat on high seats. This most noble couple in the world talked and laughed happily, and their eyes were full of tenderness when they met.
Fu Rui stood aside, his chubby face also full of smiles.
Du Qingtang saw it and said: "......"
They clearly dislike each other, but they pretend to be deeply affectionate and loving, and don't even feel tired of each other.
All I can say is that all the royal family members are movie stars, and their acting skills are extraordinary.
"Master Du, I offer you a toast."
Du Qingtang raised his glass, took a sip, and looked towards the northeast of the palace with his chin propped up.
The show is about to begin.
......
In the northeast corner of the imperial palace, there is the Palace Supervisor.
In the yard, the eunuchs stood in a row, and the steward carried a bag of silver ingots and distributed them to each of them.
"Today is the Emperor's birthday. His Majesty is so kind that he has ordered the Imperial Court to grant each of you a reward of one ounce of silver. Take the silver and return to your rooms immediately. Do not wander around. If anyone offends the noble, I will skin you alive!"
Little Guozi took the silver ingot, wrapped his tattered jacket tightly around him, and staggered away.
He flushed hundreds of toilets during the day, and his hands, legs, and body ached. He just wanted to lie down on the kang and have a good sleep.
After entering the house, Xiao Guozi took off his tattered jacket and lay straight on the kang.
The three eunuchs who lived in the same room came back one after another, rustled into the bed, and whispered to each other.
"Your Majesty is so generous! He actually gave a full ounce of silver!"
"Your Majesty is a wise ruler. It's a pity that in his early years, he was suppressed by the Prime Minister and was restricted in every way. Otherwise, our Great Xia would definitely be better than it is now."
"Things have changed, and Cao has finally gotten his comeuppance."
"What kind of retribution is this? Compared to the injustices Your Majesty has suffered over the years, Cao should have stabbed himself a thousand times and apologized, instead of shamelessly continuing to serve as the Prime Minister and attending tonight's palace banquet in all his splendor."
"Alas, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Even if Your Majesty wins now, Cao can't just be defeated. He'll have to hold out for at least ten years."
"It's really a disaster that will last for thousands of years!"
Little Guozi's eyelids twitched as he listened to the conversation of the people next to him.
After an unknown amount of time, the conversation gradually became quieter, replaced by thunderous snoring.
Little Guozi opened his eyes, stepped quietly down onto the kang, put on his tattered jacket in the dark, opened the door a crack, and squeezed out nimbly.
He came to a deserted palace, moved away the bricks and stones, and took out the dagger that he had hidden inside five months ago.
The night was dark and windy, with a cold wind howling.
Little Guozi lowered his head, his voice shrill and full of resentment: "You have hurt me to this point, you deserve to pay with your life!"
......
As the palace banquet was coming to an end, Emperor Qingyuan walked out of the Bixiao Palace with the princes and officials.
Accompanied by a loud "bang", a golden light shot up into the sky, as if a golden dragon soared into the sky.
"call out--"
The moment the fireworks burst, it was as if a golden sun was burning in the sky, and the entire night sky was dyed a brilliant golden color.
Everyone gasped, their eyes filled with amazement.
“So beautiful!”
“Like a flower.”
Golden flowers bloomed in the night sky, Emperor Qingyuan smiled and twirled his beard, his every move showing his imperial demeanor.
Cao Yuan was disdainful, his voice so low that it was inaudible: "It's just a strange and lewd technique."
That's when the accident happened.
While everyone was enjoying the fireworks, a hunched figure approached Cao Yuan.
Aim and thrust.
The moment the severe pain hit, fireworks exploded.
Cao Yuan turned around in disbelief, and the golden light illuminated the appearance of the murderer.
It turned out to be Guo Qian, whom he had been looking for for a long time.
“Go to hell!”
"If you hadn't used me, I wouldn't have offended her, and I wouldn't have become a eunuch, being bullied and spending all day on the toilet!"
"Die! Die! Die! Die!"
Guo Qian roared, and the white knife went in and the red knife came out.
Everyone was horrified and screams broke out one after another.
In a flash, Cao Yuan suddenly realized and looked in the direction of Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang didn't look at him, but looked at Emperor Qingyuan.
Under the cover of night, the king and his minister looked at each other.
Happy birthday, Your Majesty.
Du Qingtang said silently.
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