Song Hongshen sneered in his heart when he heard this. With the prince's character and mind, it would be difficult for him to be a ruler who maintains the status quo.
He said righteously, "Interfere? You have to have the ability to interfere."
"Your Highness, do you think that such a genius is as common as cabbage in the field?"
Song Hongshen looked at Emperor Xuande solemnly and asked, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask, if there is a woman who is proficient in river management and can prevent the Yellow River from flooding again, would Your Majesty use her?"
"If there is a woman who is well versed in military tactics and can repel the enemy when the Tartars are at the gates of the city, would Your Majesty use her?"
"If there is a woman who is good at agriculture and can raise money to support the court when the treasury is empty, would Your Majesty use her?"
Song Hongshen's three consecutive questions made Emperor Xuande's face pause slightly.
If there really is such a genius, he would certainly use him.
Not to mention anything else, if someone can prevent the Yellow River from flooding again, he will enshrine that person in the Taimiao.
The prince scoffed, "The loyal and brave king is a real man. Is he going to speak up for the women of the world?"
"But I think the King of Chungyong is just daydreaming. Women are good at taking care of their husbands and children. What you said has nothing to do with women."
Song Hongshen looked at the Crown Prince meaningfully, "Your Highness, I beg to differ with what you have said. Since Your Highness says so, why don't you draw the blueprints for the shipbuilding project for the Ministry of Works and see if they are any better than the Fifth Miss Su's."
"If you can't draw it, then Your Highness is no better than a woman, and I'm afraid you are not qualified to be the crown prince."
Emperor Xuande angrily rebuked him again, "Song Hongshen, is this something you can say? Don't think that just because I pamper you, you can do whatever you want."
He didn't understand what was wrong with Song Hongshen today and why he was targeting the prince so much.
Just as he finished scolding, the eunuch from Ganyang Palace came in to report, "Your Majesty, Prince Ning has arrived."
"Let him in."
After entering the room, Su Yuanzhou bowed to the emperor and the prince.
Then he said, "Your Majesty, I heard what King Chungyong said just now. I think there is some deep meaning in what King Chungyong said. Why don't you let him finish?"
Su Yuanzhou had a smile on his face when he spoke, and the last sentence had a somewhat coaxing tone.
Emperor Xuande's anger instantly subsided, and he said to Song Hongshen unhappily, "If you have anything else to say, say it all at once."
Song Hongshen continued, "I proposed that Your Majesty reward the fifth daughter of the Su family, but it's not entirely out of selfish motives."
"Your Majesty, think that the fifth young lady of the Su family has made great contributions to the country this time. Your Majesty's generous reward just reflects your majesty's magnanimity."
"It can also inspire women all over the world to put the rise and fall of the court first, just like the fifth lady of the Su family."
"If they want to be rewarded, they must have achieved meritorious service to the nation and its people. If such a person truly exists, Your Majesty would be well served by lavishly rewarding him, wouldn't he?"
Song Hongshen originally planned to wait until April of next year, when the Southeast Navy won a great victory with the new warships, and then take advantage of the emperor's happiness to celebrate with Su Zhilan.
But today, the little girl had suffered a lot of injustice, so he made a quick decision and asked for some benefits for her. This was also what the court owed her, and she should be compensated.
Of course, these words are also what he really thinks.
Emperor Xuande thought, if there really is such a person, even if she is a woman, so what? He would still dare to use her and reward her.
What's more, Song Hongshen did not ask for anything else, just a reward, which was reasonable.
After thinking about it, Emperor Xuande made a decision in his heart.
He raised his voice and said, "Hu Lu, draft the decree."
"Su Zhilan, the fifth daughter of the Su family, is knowledgeable, intelligent, and quick-witted. She assisted the Ministry of Works in building warships and has made great contributions to the country."
"Appoint Su Zhilan as the Princess of Anping County, grant her one hundred taels of gold, and let her enjoy the salary of a Princess."
Song Hongshen was very satisfied with the reward and winked at Su Zhilan, indicating that she should thank him.
Su Zhilan was a little surprised. She thought Song Hongshen just wanted some gold, silver and jade jewelry for her, but she didn't expect that the emperor would confer the title of County Lady on her as soon as he opened his mouth.
Most of the titles granted to women in the Great Zhou Dynasty were conferred upon members of the royal family. There were almost no examples of a daughter of a marquis being granted the title of county lady, as she did.
Su Zhilan was naturally happy, as this was also a great honor.
She followed Song Hongshen and knelt down to express her gratitude.
Afterwards, Emperor Xuande signaled the two to stand up, and Su Zhilan also stood behind her father Su Chengxun.
Song Zan, Su Yuanzhou, Shen Zhixiu and others were all very happy about this reward.
With a title, one can enjoy a salary from the court.
When Su Zhilan gets married, she will also marry according to the regulations for a county lady, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will also prepare a dowry for her.
Su Chengxun used to be afraid that Su Zhilan would feel wronged if she married into a wealthy family. Among the Song brothers, Su Zhilan's family background was not as good as that of the other sisters-in-law.
But this reward, for her, is the confidence to gain a foothold in the Song family in the future. Even if the sisters-in-law compete with each other, she does not have to be inferior to them.
Thinking of the last time Song Hongshen mentioned wanting to recommend credit for Su Zhilan and being rejected by him, Su Chengxun felt a little guilty.
Now it seems that Song Hongshen is more thoughtful than he thought in this matter, and he is really thinking about Zhilan.
Of all the people in the palace, the most frustrated was the Crown Prince. He lost his wife and his army, while his opponents returned with great success.
But no matter how aggrieved he was, he couldn't show it.
It's not that my father didn't guess that he was plotting against Song Hongshen, and he didn't attack him just to save his face.
The most important thing right now is how to get this matter over with my father.
The matter was settled at this point, and Emperor Xuande did not reprimand the Ministry of Works. He simply ordered Rong Hai to quickly redraw the burned drawings.
Fortunately, they were all painted by several assistant ministers of the Ministry of Works, so it is not difficult to repaint them, it just takes some time.
After that, everyone left the palace together. When Su Chengxun took Su Zhilan out of the palace and returned home, the eunuch from the Imperial Household Department who delivered the imperial edict also went to the Su family.
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