Although the prince was asking Shen Zhixiu, it was no different from an order.
In the eyes of the Crown Prince, he was just a grain official from the Ministry of Revenue, not a high-ranking official from one of the six ministries. He was not so concerned about not giving Shen Zhixiu this little bit of face.
Shen Zhixiu, however, was deeply reluctant. War was imminent in Liaodong this autumn. This was only the beginning. He would spend the next few years making the entire northern border of the Great Zhou impenetrable. Whether it was the Liao or the Tartars, they would never again dare invade.
In the coming years, the Ministry of Revenue's grain collection and transportation would be a top priority. He knew Su Chengyan, a man who had previously engaged in corruption while serving in the infantry. Putting such a man in the position of grain officer would be like releasing a rat into the granary.
"Your Highness, I am not disobeying you, but there is no shortage of grain officials in the Ministry of Revenue. In my opinion, we should ask the Duke of Weiguo or the Marquis of Zhongyi to assign a military commander to me."
"The second master of the Su family is originally a military officer, so it's not appropriate for him to go to the Ministry of Revenue."
Shen Zhixiu spoke sincerely and with good reasons, but to the Crown Prince, it sounded like Shen Zhixiu was insulting him.
But Shen Zhixiu didn't want to say much more. If the emperor heard about it and accused him of interfering in the appointment and dismissal of officials, it would be troublesome.
"In that case, I won't embarrass Lord Shen."
The prince said it casually, but only he knew what he was thinking.
Shen Zhixiu thought the matter was over, but the prince hinted at two official changes.
One wanted Huang Xuanzhong, the Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household, to be transferred to the Ministry of Personnel. Another was Sun Zhiyao, the nephew of Consort Xian, who had inherited a vacant title. The Crown Prince wanted this cousin to be exiled to Hangzhou Prefecture.
Both proposals were rejected by Shen Zhixiu.
Not only Shen Zhixiu, but even Chen Zheng glanced at the Crown Prince in confusion. Even if he were in power, he wouldn't agree to these two proposals. While the Crown Prince wasn't considered a genius, he certainly wasn't this foolish.
The prince was embarrassed by the repeated rejections. He gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Shen is upright. I admire him."
After saying that, he flicked his brocade robe and left.
"Farewell, His Royal Highness."
After sending the prince away, Chen Zheng wanted to talk to Shen Zhixiu about how sometimes one should be more tactful when dealing with the monarch.
But when the words came to his lips, they turned into, "Your Highness is young, and many things are not so clear to him. You don't have to worry about it. There is a long time to come, and His Highness will eventually understand your loyalty."
Shen Zhixiu could see that the teacher's words were insincere, so he could only smile bitterly in his heart, "Teacher is right."
Chen Zheng added, "Aren't you staying in the suburbs of Beijing these past two days? There's nothing going on here, so you should go back first."
"Students, please leave."
Watching Shen Zhixiu's departing figure, Chen Zheng felt a wave of emotion. Shen Zhixiu was a man of integrity, earning him both the emperor's trust and the admiration of his colleagues. However, he seemed unable to find a solution regarding the Crown Prince.
What Chen Zheng didn't know was that the Emperor was aware of Shen Zhixiu's numerous conflicts with the Crown Prince. It was because he was certain that Shen Zhixiu wasn't part of the Crown Prince's faction that the Emperor was placing special importance on him.
On the way back to his villa outside Beijing after leaving the cabinet, Shen Zhixiu leaned against a soft pillow, closed his eyes and rested, thinking about what had just happened, and shook his head slightly.
The teacher and the prince are too close.
The chief minister of the cabinet can only be a loyal minister to the imperial power.
If the Emperor was old at this time and needed to pave the way for the Crown Prince and clear away obstacles, then that would be fine. But now that the Emperor is in his prime, the Crown Prince's power is too great, and the Emperor will inevitably be wary.
The teacher understood this principle, but he was blinded by power and status and forgot the taboos of a monarch.
The carriage left the capital and soon arrived at the Shen family's villa in the suburbs of Beijing.
"Where's the lady?"
After entering the villa, Shen Zhixiu asked the manager a question.
The steward smiled and replied, "In reply to Third Master, Madam, the Fourth Miss of the Su Family, and the Young Master of the Lin Family are grilling fish in the back garden."
"Grilled fish?"
"Yes, the fourth young lady of the Su family caught a lot of fish and clamored to grill them. I just passed by there and could smell the delicious aroma."
When the old housekeeper said this, he remembered the smell of the grilled fish and couldn't help swallowing.
These nobles didn't look like capable people, but unexpectedly, the grilled fish they made was delicious.
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhixiu walked towards the garden behind.
Before I even got close, I heard the noise and laughter of several people. Then, a faint fragrance filled my nose.
After walking around the fence surrounded by flowers, they saw three people and several maids gathered under the big tree on the north side of the garden.
Then I heard someone shouting.
"It's blurry, turn it over quickly."
"Salt, salt. Don't put chili on these two fish. Madam can't stand spicy food."
"Third cousin, when will you apply the honey? I want something sweet."
Shen Zhixiu unconsciously quickened his pace and quickly found Su Qingyu.
When he was almost approaching the crowd, the maid next to him realized that it was him who had returned.
"Greetings, Third Master."
The maids and servants all saluted, and Su Shunci also stood up and saluted.
Only Su Qingyu and Lin Wuchen were left concentrating on grilling the fish.
Su Qingyu turned around and said, "The Third Master is back, so we can eat right away."
Only then did Shen Zhixiu see that there were not only fish, but also two roast chickens. Various condiments were placed on the side, and Lin Wuchen was twirling the iron tongs in his hands.
"You came back just in time. You came back following the smell, right?"
A servant brought a small wooden chair over, and Shen Zhixiu sat down next to Su Qingyu.
"I want to try Third Young Master Lin's cooking, too."
Then he turned around and asked Su Qingyu, "Did you have fun today?"
Su Qingyu nodded and whispered, "I'll tell you when I get back, these two funny guys made me laugh so hard that my stomach hurts."
After saying that, he looked at Shen Zhixiu again, "Third Master, are you worried? The prince is looking for you, but what trouble is there?"
Shen Zhixiu always felt that he could never hide his inner thoughts in front of Su Qingyu. Even though he didn't show any unusual behavior, Su Qingyu could tell at a glance that he had something on his mind.
He didn't take to heart what the prince said today about Su Chengyan. It was normal for the prince to favor a woman.
But the subsequent mention of the transfer of those two people made him suspicious. The prince certainly didn't mention it casually, so what was his intention?
Shen Zhixiu didn't want to disturb Su Qingyu's interest, so he suppressed his emotions and said softly: "It's just some trivial matters in the court. It's not a big deal."
Afterwards, everyone grilled and divided the fish while chatting and laughing. By the time everyone went back to rest, it was already evening.
After returning to Shuiyun Pavilion, Su Qingyu helped Shen Zhixiu change his clothes and wash up.
Then I heard Shen Zhixiu say.
"Your second uncle is guarding the city gate, but I'm afraid he won't be able to hold it for a few more days."
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