Chapter 92092 Transferred to the Ministry of Industry
Du Qingtang walked out of the imperial study.
The eunuch bowed and said, "Goodbye, Master Du."
Du Qingtang regained his senses, a cool breeze blew on his face, and he was shocked to find that he was sweating.
She blinked and was about to nod when a chirping sound came from the side.
"Chiu~"
Du Qingtang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a palm-sized magpie. Its feathers shone with a metallic luster of blue, green and purple in the sunlight, which was dazzling.
The magpie tilted its head and stared at the handsome young man in purple official robes with its black eyes.
The bird remembered the two-legged beast.
It just changed from a blue two-legged beast to a purple two-legged beast.
The magpie flapped its wings and flew low, landing lightly on Du Qingtang's shoulder.
He combed his feathers with his beak, then raised his noble head and rubbed the purple biped's jaw.
After not seeing it for a long time, the bipeds are still so popular with birds.
Rub~
The soft touch of the chin soothed Du Qingtang's turbulent emotions. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and she raised her hand to gently stroke the feathers on the magpie's back: "Little one, I remember you."
"I remember you too, Master Du."
A male voice suddenly rang out. Du Qingtang looked in the direction of the voice and saw the Fifth Prince, dressed in court robes, standing on the jade steps with his hands behind his back, looking at her with a smile on his face.
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "Your humble servant greets His Highness."
The fifth prince stepped forward. He was slightly taller than Du Qingtang, and his eyes were filled with smiles as he looked down at people.
"Master Du, there's no need to be so polite. I came here to discuss government affairs with my father, and I didn't expect to see you in the imperial study. It's truly fate."
Du Qingtang said calmly, "Your Highness, you are too kind."
The Fifth Prince's gaze drifted over Du Qingtang's face, as if the magpie and the eunuch at the door didn't exist. "I forgot to congratulate Lord Du on your own promotion, and your sister was also named village head."
"Earlier, Your Highness asked Lord Du if there were any unmarried sisters in your family..."
Du Qingtang raised his eyes and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. My sister is devoted to studying medicine and has no intention of getting married."
The Fifth Prince looked into Du Qingtang's eyes, which were as dark as stars, reflecting a brilliant light: "What crime has Lord Du committed?"
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes and remained silent.
The Fifth Prince snapped his tongue, his eyes revealing a hint of aggression. In a voice that only he and Du Qingtang could hear, he said meaningfully, "But Lord Du should understand that there is nothing that His Highness has ever wanted that he has not been able to obtain."
After saying that, he took a half step back and turned to look at the eunuch.
The eunuch lowered his head and held his breath, as if he heard nothing.
"Eunuch Liangshan, please inform the Emperor that I have something important to discuss with him."
The eunuch responded and turned to go in to report.
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "I'll take my leave."
The fifth prince was still smiling: "Well, go ahead, official business is more important."
Du Qingtang gently touched the magpie's feathers, and the magpie understood her intention and flapped its wings to fly towards the bird stand.
"Your Highness, His Majesty invites you in."
The fifth prince glanced at Xi Que meaningfully and strode into the imperial study.
Du Qingtang turned around and walked down the stairs.
His eyes were calm, but there was an undercurrent surging deep inside.
......
After returning to the Ministry of Revenue, Du Qingtang conveyed Emperor Qingyuan's intentions to Minister Qi.
"His Majesty said that we can start preparing for the women's club."
Minister Qi was not surprised by this result and nodded to indicate that he understood. "The women's club was originally proposed by Lord Du. No one knows how to set it up better than you. I'll leave the follow-up to Lord Du. Is that okay?"
Du Qingtang responded: "No problem."
That afternoon, Du Qingtang called in craftsmen and asked them to decorate Ningxiang Tower according to the drawings.
The furnishings on the first floor remain unchanged, and the main focus is on the second and third floors.
After arranging everything, it was already past the end of my shift, so I just went straight home.
Passing through the south of the city, Du Qingtang glanced inadvertently and found a figure swaying in an unknown narrow alley.
One of them keenly noticed Du Qingtang's gaze and looked at him with cold eyes.
Although the man was wearing casual clothes and had an unshaven beard, Du Qingtang recognized him at a glance.
Deputy Commander of the Huben Camp, Liu Gui.
Du Qingtang looked away as if nothing had happened, as if it was just a casual glance, and rode his horse forward.
After returning to Du's house, he called Du Ba and Du Jiu.
"Keep an eye on the deputy commander of the Tiger Guard Battalion. Record everything from where he goes after leaving duty to who he meets."
"This man is a military commander. You two must be careful not to be discovered by him."
Du Ba and Du Jiu responded and left.
Du Qingtang sat quietly in the study for a while, then got up and went to the courtyard.
It’s almost time for Fu Ci to come back.
As expected, just as they reached the Chuihua Gate, Fu Ci walked in briskly in a dark green official robe.
"Offer jade!"
As soon as he saw Du Qingtang, Fu Ci narrowed his eyes, smiled and waved to her.
Du Qingtang hummed and asked casually, "Are you busy today?"
"No rush. His Majesty summoned me to an audience to lecture him on classics and history. I'll be back at the Hanlin Academy soon after I finish my shift." Fu Ci dusted off his wide sleeves. "I rubbed against him when I got off the carriage. I'll go change my clothes first. Xianyu, you go to the dining room first. I'll be right back."
In the dining room, Du Qingtang and Fu Ci sat opposite each other, chatting and laughing while eating.
After eating and drinking, the two went to the study to play chess.
Du Qingtang won two out of three games, and the one he lost was because he deliberately gave Fu Ci a break.
Fu Ci knew it himself, and he couldn't stop smiling, his face in his hands. The candlelight reflected in his eyes, sparkling and bright: "Xianyu is the best."
Du Qingtang gave her a displeased look, and ran his fingertips over Heizi: "Ningxianglou will release new products soon, and I'll save a set for you then."
Fu Ci was stunned for a moment, shaking his head like a rattle: "I don't need those rouge and powder, it would be a waste to give them to me, I might as well keep them and sell them for money."
Du Qingtang said, "It's a skin care product, it can be used daily."
Fu Ci stopped refusing and picked up the chess pieces and threw them into the chess basket.
The two read a few pages of a book under the lamp, then went back to their rooms to wash up and rest.
-
Decoration takes time, and decoration according to the drawings provided by Du Qingtang will take even longer.
Ten days passed in a flash, and the second and third floors of Ningxiang Tower were decorated.
Du Qingtang discussed with Minister Qi and decided to set the opening date on November 20th, which was a good day for everything to go well and would surely bring in a lot of money and guests.
During the decoration period, Du Qingtang sent people to promote the event.
The women in Beijing are obsessed with Ningxianglou's cosmetics. When they learned that Ningxianglou would add new services, including but not limited to facial care, body care, fumigation, free makeup design, tea art and nearly twenty other services, they were all looking forward to it.
But before the new Ningxiang Tower project could be opened to the public, the annual Wanshou Festival came first.
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.
The day before the Wanshou Festival, envoys from the Great Qi came with gifts to celebrate Emperor Qingyuan's birthday.
When the envoys entered the capital, all officials were on duty.
The Du family's carriage stopped on the side of the street. Du Qingtang lifted the curtain and looked at the large group of envoys.
To be more precise, it was a middle-aged young man riding a horse to lead the way.
Wu Yi, the future famous general of Da Qi.
He was also the culprit who caused Du Qingtang to drift to a foreign country and suffer humiliation.
Du Qingtang lowered the curtain and held his breath.
With her mortal enemy so close, she actually wanted to kill Wu Yi and take revenge.
But she couldn't do that.
At least not now.
Wu Yi cannot die in Daxia.
Du Qingtang closed his eyes, suppressed the emotions surging in his heart, and said in a tone that was icy cold: "Go back."
"yes."
The carriage passed by the envoy from Da Qi and drove away in the opposite direction.
The young general next to Wu Yi turned his head away.
The wooden sign hanging next to the carriage swayed in the wind. Looking closely, the words "Du Mansion" painted with silver hooks and iron were faintly visible.
The young general fixed his gaze for a moment, then looked away without a trace, and rode his horse to Huaiyuan Pavilion, which was specially set up in Daxia to receive envoys.
......
Back at the Du residence, Du Qingtang had dinner with Fu Ci as usual.
Just as I put down my bowl and chopsticks, Du Yi appeared.
Fu Ci wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said considerately, "Go ahead, business is more important."
Du Qingtang put down the towel and stood up. Before leaving, he said, "The skin care products are in your room. Try them behind your ears first. If there is no discomfort, then apply them on your face."
Fu Ci nodded, holding his chin and smiling: "I know, you have said it many times, I am not a child anymore."
To me, you are just a little kid who has just come of age.
The "old man" who had lived for who knows how many years thought to himself and strode out of the dining room.
Du Yi bowed to Fu Ci and quickly followed.
The thin figure disappeared from sight, Fu Ci's smile faded, and he pursed his lips.
I don’t know if it was her illusion, but she always felt that her friend had something heavy on his mind after this reunion.
Although he was smiling, there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes.
This feeling is even more obvious tonight.
This made her feel like a cat scratching her heart, curious and worried.
Fu Ci poked his chopsticks and muttered softly, "Xianyu never hides anything from me. Perhaps the time is not right yet?"
After saying that, he nodded in agreement.
Yes, that must be it!
Fu Ci comforted himself and went back to the room to see the brocade box on the desk.
After washing up, Fu Ci opened it for a try. He smelled the faint fragrance of the facial cream and smiled silently, and the melancholy in his heart was swept away.
On the other side, Du Qingtang returned to the study.
Du Yi presented a rolled-up note: "This was sent by Mr. Ruan."
Du Qingtang opened the note, but there was not a single word on it.
She placed the note above the candle flame to bake, and after a moment, three words came into view -
Eighteen, one.
Du Qingtang crumpled the note into a ball, threw it into the incense burner, and watched it turn into ashes quietly.
-
The next day was the Wanshou Festival.
Emperor Qingyuan was wise and benevolent, and allowed all civil and military officials in the court to take a day off.
In the evening, Du Qingtang, wearing the robes of a third-rank official, went to the Bixiao Palace with Fu Ci and Yao Jingzhou to attend the emperor's birthday banquet.
The Bixiao Palace is magnificent and beautiful.
The princes and officials drank and chatted happily.
As the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Du Qingtang naturally sat with his colleagues in the Ministry of Revenue, and his position was second only to Minister Qi.
Du Qingtang was chatting with the Minister of Qi and Minister Zhao when the eunuch outside the palace sang loudly: "The envoys from the Great Qi have arrived—"
The hall suddenly became quiet, and all the officials looked towards the door at the same time.
Dozens of envoys appeared, all civil and military officials with an arrogant attitude, and sat down at the left seat under the guidance of palace servants.
Du Qingtang clearly heard Minister Qi's dissatisfied click of the tongue.
It was also a coincidence that Wu Yi happened to be sitting opposite Du Qingtang and could see him just by looking up.
Du Qingtang's eyes moved slightly, and he lowered his head to drink.
About an incense stick of time later, the eunuchs' high-pitched singing was heard outside the hall.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
"The Queen has arrived!"
The princes and officials stood up and bowed.
The envoy from the Great Qi also stood up, placed his right hand on his left shoulder, and bowed in salute.
"Everyone, please stand up."
After everyone was seated, the envoys from the Great Qi presented gifts.
The leader was the Left Prime Minister of Great Qi. After reading out a long list of congratulations, he bowed to Emperor Qingyuan and said, "In compliance with the order of His Majesty of our dynasty, we respectfully wish His Majesty of Great Xia a long life. May the friendship between Great Qi and Great Xia last forever!"
Minister Zhao sneered. He had never seen anyone more shameless than the Emperor of Da Qi.
It was he who instructed the Qi army to attack Loushan Pass, and it was also he who sent people to congratulate His Majesty on his birthday and shamelessly said that the relationship would be reconciled forever.
Minister Qi was whispering with the Minister of Personnel next door when Vice Minister Zhao muttered to Du Qingtang, "In my opinion, within two years, there will be a war between Great Qi and Great Xia."
Du Qingtang paused in pouring the wine.
Minister Zhao was completely unaware, muttering drunkenly, "When two armies clash, the common people suffer the most. I know war is unavoidable, and I only hope that the soldiers of Great Xia can rise to the occasion and repel the Qi army as soon as possible..."
Du Qingtang took a sip of the imperial wine and listened to Minister Zhao's ramblings before he said slowly, "I also hope that the war can be resolved quickly."
As the saying goes, a weasel pays a New Year's visit to a chicken with no good intentions.
The Great Qi sent envoys to congratulate Emperor Qingyuan on his birthday. One can easily guess that there is a deeper meaning behind this.
Du Qingtang understood this, and the person above must have understood it as well.
The envoys from the Great Qi presented their gifts, and now it was the turn of the princes.
They were all rare and priceless items. Du Qingtang just took a look and looked away without interest.
The tribute ended and the sound of stringed instruments began to sound.
The dancers entered and began to dance gracefully.
Du Qingtang glanced at Wu Yi. He stared at one of the dancers without moving his eyes.
After the song is over, the dancer leaves the stage.
Du Qingtang whispered to Minister Qi: "It's a bit stuffy in the palace, I'm going out to get some fresh air."
There was a charcoal fire burning in the hall. Minister Qi saw Du Qingtang's cheeks flushed and his temples wet with sweat. He waved his hand and said, "Go, but don't go too far, so as not to offend the noble."
Du Qingtang agreed and left Bixiao Palace quietly.
On the other side, Wu Yi followed the dancer with his gaze, swallowed his saliva, and left from behind with his back bent.
The young general sitting below Wu Yi pursed his lips and continued to play with his wine glass.
After the dancer leaves, she needs to go around to the side door of Bixiao Palace, go to the side hall to change clothes and make up, and wait for her next appearance.
The dancer Cuiwei returned to the side hall. She rubbed her arms, not knowing what she was thinking about, and showed a disgusted expression.
Just as she was about to change, Cuiwei put her dress back on and whispered to her companion: "I drank too much water this afternoon..."
The companion said angrily: "Go ahead, go ahead, it's not our turn yet."
Cuiwei thanked him and trotted out of the side hall holding her hair bun.
Halfway through the journey, a dark shadow suddenly appeared from the side.
Cuiwei was startled and looked carefully. It was the envoy from Da Qi who had stared at her with lustful eyes while dancing.
"Sir, are you lost?" Cuiwei's heart was in her throat. She pointed forward with a trembling hand. "Follow this road and you will return to the main hall."
In the hazy night, Wu Yi's dark red face looked like a ghost, his eyes were sticky, and his behavior was obscene.
Wu Yi took a step forward and tried to grab Cui Wei's hand: "My little beauty, I like you. How about you come back to Da Qi with me?"
Cuiwei's pupils suddenly shrank, and her legs became as soft as noodles. She forced herself to retreat, avoiding Wu Yi's hand: "My lord, you are joking. I am just a dancer..."
Before he could finish his words, Wu Yi interrupted him: "As long as you agree, I will go and tell your emperor to bring you here."
The Great Xia Kingdom was weak and its people were frail. If the time had not come, the Qi army would have already captured the capital of Xia and changed Xia into Qi.
In Wu Yi's opinion, Emperor Qingyuan of Great Xia was a spineless coward who allowed the Prime Minister to control the government. It would not be long before he became a prisoner of Great Qi, so how could he dare to refuse his request?
"If you follow me to Da Qi, you can enjoy countless wealth and glory." Wu Yi said, and burped. The stench almost made Cuiwei faint.
Cuiwei was afraid of angering Wu Yi, so she suppressed her nausea and stepped back, politely declining, "My relatives are all in Daxia, and I don't want to be far away from my homeland."
Wu Yi was not a good-tempered person to begin with. After being rejected repeatedly, he flew into a rage and reached out to grab Cui Wei: "Don't refuse my toast and then drink the penalty!"
Bixiao Palace is located on an island in the middle of a lake, surrounded by water.
The two of them moved forward and backward, and unknowingly arrived at the lake.
Wu Yi smiled triumphantly: "See where you run to."
Cuiwei had nowhere to retreat and despair surged in her heart.
Wu Yi stepped forward again, wanting to pull Cuiwei into his arms, but his feet suddenly slipped, and he didn't even touch the corner of Cuiwei's clothes, and fell into the lake.
“Ahhhhh!!!”
Wu Yi was drunk and his limbs were out of control. He forgot how to swim and started to scream and flap his arms and legs.
Cuiwei was frightened by the sudden change, but after she came to her senses, she was filled with gratitude for surviving the disaster.
She glanced at the imperial guards who came rushing over after hearing the noise, gritted her teeth, lifted her skirt and turned to run.
......
Du Qingtang returned to the main hall and sat down leisurely.
On her left and right, Minister Qi and Minister Zhao were toasting with others. She was happy to relax and leisurely savor the imperial wine.
The imperial wine at the Qionglin Banquet was adulterated, so the taste was greatly reduced. I must drink it to my heart's content today.
Just at this moment, there was a commotion outside the hall, attracting everyone's attention.
After a few breaths, the noise not only did not disappear, but became even louder.
Emperor Qingyuan glanced at Fu Rui, who went to investigate and soon returned: "Your Majesty, it was General Xuanwei of the Great Qi who fell into the water."
Restrained yet amusing gazes came from all directions. The left prime minister of the Great Qi Dynasty stood up with a face as black as the bottom of a pot, his expression cold.
"His Majesty of our dynasty specially sent General Xuanwei to escort us to visit Xia. General Xuanwei fell into the water in your country for unknown reasons. I beg His Majesty to give me an explanation."
The tough words echoed in the hall, and the faces of the princes and officials were all ashen.
Regardless of how they act independently and fight for power and profit, this is their own internal affairs.
This is a matter of national pride, and no one can sit still.
"He is just a minister. What qualifications does he have to question His Majesty?"
On the other hand, Emperor Qingyuan's smile remained unchanged: "Furui, what exactly is going on?"
Fu Rui cursed the Left Prime Minister of Great Qi in his heart: "Your Majesty, General Xuanwei of Great Qi got drunk and behaved badly. He tried to flirt with a dancer but failed and accidentally fell into the lake."
"The Imperial Guards have already escorted General Xuanwei to the guest room. I have also sent the Imperial Physician to take his pulse."
The huge hall was filled with dead silence, not a sound could be heard.
The face of the left prime minister of the Great Qi Dynasty turned pale and blue, which was more interesting than opening a dyeing factory.
He knew that Wu Yi was lustful by nature, and the dancer was beautiful and graceful, so it was not impossible that Wu Yi was attracted by her beauty.
Unexpectedly, Wu Yi not only failed to succeed, but was also caught by Fu Rui, who made his actions public.
Emperor Qingyuan raised his eyebrows, his tone not lacking in concern: "Falling into the water in the cold winter, we must ask the imperial physician to take a look. If anything happens, it will be my fault."
The Left Prime Minister of Great Qi: "......"
The Left Prime Minister of Great Qi was so angry that he was speechless. It took him a long while to find his voice: "I was so anxious that I lost my mind. I hope Your Majesty of Great Xia will not be offended."
Emperor Qingyuan smiled and said nothing.
The Left Prime Minister of the Great Qi felt a little embarrassed. He raised his hand to his chest and bowed, then sat back as if nothing had happened.
Minister Zhao chuckled, "How wonderful! How wonderful!"
Minister Qi also laughed and drank two cups of wine.
Du Qingtang: “…”
In his previous life, Wu Yi also behaved inappropriately after drinking and flirted with the dancer.
At that time, Du Qingtang was inflexible and stepped forward to stop him, and even had an argument with Wu Yi.
Finally, the matter was brought before Emperor Qingyuan, Wu Yi was humiliated, and Du Qingtang was fined his salary.
This marked the beginning of the feud between Du Qingtang and Wu Yi, and also laid the seeds for the Fifth Prince to send her to Da Qi, where she eventually died in humiliation.
As for the dancer named Cuiwei, she was too ashamed to live in this world after being molested by Wu Yi, so she hanged herself that night.
"This Bixiao Palace is truly a treasured place. That idiotic General Xuanwei is doing nothing, so Heaven must have severely punished him!"
"God" smiled, hiding his merits and fame.
......
Overnight, the story of General Xuanwei of the Great Qi getting drunk and falling into the water at his birthday banquet spread throughout Xiajing.
The people applauded and said that God has eyes and will severely punish the evildoers.
When the rumors reached Huaiyuan Pavilion, the left prime minister of the Great Qi State erupted in anger. He rushed into Wu Yi's room and slapped him several times.
Wu Yi was stunned by the beating, and his face was burning with pain.
Originally, the envoys from the Great Qi could stay in Xiajing for a while on the pretext of sightseeing, but now that such a scandal has happened, how could they have the face to stay in Xiajing?
The left prime minister of the Great Qi was so angry that he picked up the medicine bowl and smashed it on his head.
"You've ruined His Majesty's plan. I wonder how you'll explain this to His Majesty when you return!"
Wu Yi's anger, drawn out by Zuo Xiang, was completely extinguished, and his dark face gradually turned pale.
-
On the second day of the Wanshou Festival, the envoys from the Great Qi left Xiajing.
Upon hearing the news, Emperor Qingyuan continued to review memorials and said, "Send someone to keep an eye on them."
Fu Rui responded respectfully.
Emperor Qingyuan reviewed the memorial with a red brush in hand and asked, "Have you found out who it is?"
There are special people cleaning the island in the middle of the lake, so the possibility of falling into the water by accident is almost zero.
Fu Rui read out a few names: "These gentlemen left the table during the meal. Among them, Lord Du was enjoying the scenery by the lake."
Mr. Du?
When mentioning Du Qingtang, Emperor Qingyuan thought of the blueprint placed in the secret compartment of his dragon bed, and his eyes flashed slightly.
After a long time, Emperor Qingyuan finished reviewing the memorial, pondered for a moment, took out a blank imperial edict, and began to write.
......
On November 20th, the women's club named Ningxianglou officially opened.
In addition to adding more than ten items on top of the original sale of cosmetics and free makeup design, Ningxianglou has also established a membership and recharge system.
By spending or recharging 100 taels, you can become a regular member, enjoy a 5% discount, and receive free samples of new products.
Spend or top up 1,000 taels to become a Silver Card member, enjoy 20% off, receive free samples of new products, and enjoy full body care once a month.
Spend or top up 5,000 taels to become a gold card member, enjoy a 36% discount, receive free samples of new products, and enjoy five full body treatments per month.
What Xia Jing City lacks the least is wealthy people.
Membership is a symbol of status, and no one wants to fall behind others.
On the first day of opening, many ladies came to recharge one thousand or five thousand taels, and then immersed themselves in the unique and thoughtful service of Ningxianglou, leaving reluctantly until closing time.
"The facial treatment was excellent. My skin has become fair and translucent. The new makeup looks great too. I will definitely ask my sisters to come and experience it again."
"Poker is really fun. I'll invite some people over to play tomorrow."
Ningxiang Tower gave the women in Beijing an ultimate experience they had never had before, and making a fortune every day was expected.
Ten days passed in a flash. When Minister Qi received the account book and saw the long string of numbers on it, his mouth widened to his ears.
Minister Qi sighed to Minister Zhao, who had come to give him his account: "Lord Du is truly the savior of the Ministry of Revenue."
Although this amount of money was just a drop in the bucket, at least the salaries of the officials in Beijing were settled.
Minister Zhao remained silent and suggested, "Master Du has so many brilliant ideas. You could ask him if there are other ways to make money."
Minister Qi was tempted: "It's almost the end of the year, and the Ministry of Revenue will be busy soon. Let's talk about it after the New Year."
Minister Zhao expressed his deep agreement.
Every December, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel are the busiest among the six ministries. The former has to pay salaries and coordinate tax revenue in Beijing and local areas, while the latter has to conduct year-end performance appraisals. The performance appraisal of thousands of Beijing and local officials is a huge project.
Lady Du is a capable person who handles official business quickly and accurately. Especially at this time, the Ministry of Revenue cannot do without her more.
The two of them were making plans, but before the twelfth month, on November 30th, the Left Vice Minister of Works retired in the morning, and in the afternoon an imperial decree came to transfer Du Qingtang, the Left Vice Minister of Revenue, to the Ministry of Works to serve as the Left Vice Minister.
Minister Qi: “???”
Minister Zhao: “!!!”
Not only these two, but all the civil and military officials in the court were caught off guard by this transfer order.
If you ask which one is the head of the Six Ministries, it must be the Ministry of Personnel, which is responsible for the selection, assessment and appointment of officials.
The second is the court’s purse, the Ministry of Revenue.
The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue are in charge of officials and money respectively, and every year officials try their best to get in and spend millions of gold for this purpose.
If you ask which one ranks last among the six ministries, it must be the Ministry of Works.
The Ministry of Works was mainly responsible for construction projects, and in the backward ancient times, construction projects were nothing more than rivers, water conservancy projects, post roads, palaces, temples and the like.
The Ministry of Works is a notoriously poor government office. Officials there do expensive work and suffer the greatest fatigue.
Let’s talk about the Minister of Works Han Zhijie.
He sat in this position for twenty years. He neither made friends with Cao's party nor surrendered to Emperor Qingyuan. He also publicly stated that he would not accept bribes and was extremely harsh to his subordinates. He was a notoriously stubborn person.
Due to various factors, no one was willing to work in the Ministry of Industry unless they had no connections or backing.
Someone once joked, "Even dogs don't go to the Ministry of Works."
Du Qingtang had made many outstanding achievements in the past. He was appointed to the Ministry of Revenue before he was twenty and was promoted to the third rank. His future was promising and many people envied him.
Who would have thought that Du Qingtang only stayed in the Ministry of Revenue for two months before being sent to the Ministry of Works by His Majesty.
"Could it be that Du Qingtang has lost the emperor's favor?"
"But didn't she make a great contribution a while ago, reviving the government-run store and making a fortune?"
"The king's heart is hard to predict, who can tell for sure?"
"So, people should not fly too high. The higher you fly, the harder you fall."
"Watch him build a tall building, watch him entertain guests, and watch his building collapse..."
An official hummed and left with his colleagues, their laughter full of gloating.
......
Du's house, in the dining room.
"well--"
The sigh sounded again.
If Du Qingtang counted correctly, it should be the twenty-eighth tone.
"well--"
Du Qingtang rubbed his eyebrows, raised his head from the bowl and looked at the two people opposite him.
Yao Jingzhou hesitated to speak, and Fu Ci sighed again.
Du Qingtang: “…”
After a brief pause, Du Qingtang put down his chopsticks and said, "Just say what you want to say. No need to be hesitant."
As soon as the words fell, the two of them rushed to speak.
"Uncle Master, why did His Majesty transfer you to the Ministry of Works?"
"Is it true, as the rumors say, that by presenting the jade, you angered His Majesty?"
Du Qingtang replied to Fu Ci: "No, I did not anger His Majesty. As for the reason for being transferred to the Ministry of Works...you will know soon."
Yao Jingzhou frowned: "Can't I tell you now?"
Du Qingtang nodded: "It's a confidential matter."
"Okay." Yao Jingzhou sighed, "Zizhan and I are just worried about you."
Du Qingtang chuckled: "I'm fine, I'm fine, don't worry."
Little did they know that the more she said this, the more worried they became.
Fu Ci and Yao Jingzhou looked at each other, tacitly chose to put the matter aside and talk about other things.
-
Many people were waiting to see Du Qingtang's good show and see her miserable and embarrassed appearance.
However, the next day, Du Qingtang did not appear in the Golden Palace.
No matter how hard they tried to search among the ranks of civil servants, they could not find any sign of Du Qingtang.
"Where is she?"
"Perhaps he was too embarrassed to see anyone and called in sick?"
"I'll definitely come tomorrow."
However, the next day, Du Qingtang still did not attend the morning court.
Day after day, for eight consecutive days, Du Qingtang was nowhere to be seen in the Golden Palace.
It was as if Du Qingtang had disappeared from the face of the earth, and as if there was no such person as Du Qingtang in the court at all. It was all their imagination.
But obviously, this is impossible.
"I asked the clerk in charge of roll call at the Ministry of Works, and he said Du Qingtang hadn't asked for leave, but he hadn't come to report either."
"Could it be that he was so devastated that he just gave up?"
One of the officials hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Hasn't it occurred to you that His Majesty might have entrusted her with an important task?"
The officials who were originally discussing Du Qingtang's whereabouts were like chickens with their necks strangled, and they fell silent in an instant.
Everyone looked at each other, and an unbelievable guess came to their mind.
From this day on, various forces took action and launched a secret investigation into Du Qingtang.
Whether he was disliked by Emperor Qingyuan or entrusted with an important task, all depends on evidence.
The second prince also sent people to investigate Du Qingtang.
Two nights later, the Second Prince's staff gathered in the Second Prince's Mansion.
The Second Prince sat at the head of the table, his face solemn. "Your Highness has discovered that at the beginning of the month, the Emperor sent Zhang Rencheng, a doctor from the Ministry of Works, to Hangzhou Prefecture. We won't know the specifics of his mission until the end of the month."
As everyone knows, Zhang Rencheng is only loyal to Emperor Qingyuan.
Zhang Rencheng was secretly sent to Hangzhou Prefecture, and there must be a very important mission.
"Your Highness also sent people to follow Du Qingtang and discovered that she left home at 3:00 AM every day and always went to the Tiger Guard Camp."
The staff was shocked: "Hu Ben Camp?"
A hundred years ago, the founding emperor of Daxia established three major camps:
The Huben Battalion was composed of infantry, the Three Thousand Battalion was composed of cavalry, and the Five Army Battalion was composed of a mixture of infantry and cavalry.
The three camps are the elite troops of Daxia, and they only obey the commands and dispatches of successive emperors.
When the previous emperor was in power, he favored Cao Yuan and handed over the Three Thousand Camps and the Five Army Camps to him. Later, when Emperor Qingyuan ascended the throne, Cao Yuan never returned them.
With the Three Thousand Battalions and the Five Army Battalions in hand, even if he was the emperor, he would have to retreat a few steps when facing Cao Yuan.
As everyone knows, the Huben Camp is full of Emperor Qingyuan's confidants.
The fact that Du Qingtang could move freely in and out of the Huben Camp was very telling.
The staff looked at each other in confusion.
"Du Qingtang is a civil servant. Why did His Majesty send her to the Tiger Guard Camp, which is full of military commanders?"
"Could it be to teach them to read and write?"
The aide who said this originally wanted to liven up the atmosphere, but when he found that no one responded, he smacked his lips awkwardly.
The Second Prince glanced at him casually and continued, "Your Highness has sent people to guard outside the Tiger Guard Camp for three days. From time to time, earth-shattering noises can be heard from inside the Camp, accompanied by thick smoke."
A loud bang accompanied by thick smoke?
Everyone present looked bewildered.
An aide offered the Second Prince an idea: "Your Highness, why not take this opportunity to win over Du Qingtang? This way, you can not only learn what His Majesty is planning, but also successfully draw Du Qingtang into your camp and use him for your own purposes."
The second prince slowly turned the jade ring, pondered for a moment, and then looked at the first person on his right.
"This prince has many talented people under his tutelage, but you, He Zhang, are the only one of similar age to Du Qingtang. I will leave this matter to you. Be sure to win over Du Qingtang before the fourth elder does."
Qi Hezhang, or rather Qi Heming, stood up amidst the envious gazes of his staff and said with a cupped hand, "I will do my utmost to help Your Highness accomplish his mission."
......
The next day, Qi Heming rode a carriage out of the city and waited on the road that Du Qingtang had to take to return to the city.
In the evening, Du Qingtang rode his horse along the official road.
The rosy clouds in the sky covered her with a golden veil, making her look like a cold and aloof god who had descended into the mortal world, stained with the dust of the world.
Qi Heming's eyes were dazed for a moment.
He seemed to have returned to many years ago. It was a sunny day and he was returning to the government office after working on a business trip.
Du Qingtang, who had traveled far to Yan'an Prefecture to take up her post, rode her horse over, the sunlight casting a golden glow on her.
At that moment, Qi Heming clearly felt something suddenly hit his heart.
It made him dizzy.
It made his heart pound like a drum.
If he could go back to the past, he would definitely clip Du Qingtang's wings when she first entered Yan'an Prefecture and keep her by his side forever.
He would never give anyone the opportunity to take advantage of him, causing them to separate and become enemies.
It’s a pity that there’s no going back.
The crisp sound of horse hooves came from far away.
Carriages and horses were crossing each other, and Du Qingtang rode away, just like countless times in the past, as cold as frost, and never looking back.
Qi Heming lowered the car curtain, holding a cup of warm tea in his hand, and suddenly chuckled.
"Atang, ah Atang, no matter how clever your strategy was, you still lost to me by one wrong move."
Qi Heming knew Du Qingtang too well.
Given her caution, she would definitely send someone to guard Yuanshi.
So Qi Heming paid a large sum of money to bribe the two brothers of the Hu family and took Yuan away.
Sure enough, Du Qingtang's men quickly caught up.
After a fight, Qi Heming's men were defeated and Yuan returned to Hujia Village.
After many days, Du Qingtang must have already received the news that Yuanshi was almost taken away.
Du Qingtang must be very grateful that her secret was never exposed.
Little did they know that Qi Heming's people had already replaced the real Yuan family, and the real Yuan family had already arrived in Xiajing.
"Stay with the plan."
He wanted to prepare a grand surprise for Du Qingtang on New Year's Eve.
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