In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed since the edict on merging the poll tax into the land tax was issued. Lanqin's method was very effective, and the people were very interested in the land reform policy proposed by the Fourth Prince. In the past, the imperial court issued decrees, which were then directly implemented by the officials below. But now, the opinions of ordinary people were also taken into account, which made everyone even more enthusiastic about this land reform.
Soon, the suggestion collection boxes distributed by the Fourth Prince were filled to the brim. All the suggestions from various counties and prefectures were compiled, summarized, and sent to the capital.
The Thirteenth Prince arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation in high spirits, while the Fourth Prince was reviewing memorials.
"Fourth Brother, there's news..." The Thirteenth Prince was so excited that he forgot to bow, thinking that he would be as informal as he was with the Fourth Prince in the Prince's Mansion, and said with a smile. Before he even entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his voice had already reached inside.
But when he entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he found the Empress standing inside, presumably talking to the Fourth Prince.
The Thirteenth Prince paused for a moment, then raised his hand to bow to the Fourth Prince and the Empress, saying respectfully, "Your subject greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty's sister-in-law."
The Fourth Prince showed no reaction, quite used to the Thirteenth Prince's free comings and goings. He raised an eyelid, nodded, and smiled, "You've arrived! I was just about to summon you to the palace. You've come at the perfect time..."
Knowing that the Fourth Prince valued the Thirteenth Prince, the Empress nodded politely and said, "The Thirteenth Prince hasn't changed at all; he's still so full of energy. With you by His Majesty's side to assist him, things will be twice as effective..."
The Thirteenth Prince smiled politely, "I was just running errands for my elder brother, it's hardly a merit. If you're talking about hard work, I'm not being modest..."
Thirteen wondered why the Empress, who always kept to herself, would come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation; in any case, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. The Empress had no choice but to say to the Fourth Prince, "Your Majesty, please take good care of your health. I will take my leave now."
The Fourth Prince nodded, and the Empress, supported by her maid, withdrew.
Fourth Master asked Thirteenth Master, "You just said you had news? Is it about the suggestion box?"
Reminded, the Thirteenth Prince said with an "Oh," and then said, "Your Majesty, I have received news that His Majesty's collection box will arrive in the capital soon. I heard that with the recent land reform, all the counties are taking it very seriously. The county government offices are crowded with people every day, discussing the proposals put forward by the Fourth Prince. Even the common people in the countryside know about the Fourth Prince's actions this time..."
The Fourth Prince nodded in satisfaction, feeling extremely grateful to Lanqin. However, when facing the Empress, he was thinking of finding an opportunity to personally thank Lanqin.
The Thirteenth Prince stepped forward and asked, "Why has Your Majesty come so suddenly? My brother just said he wanted to see me, but what is the matter?"
The Fourth Prince then slowly said, "She came about some matters concerning the inner palace; you don't need to know. Since the Fourteenth Prince was rescued from Changping that day, there has been no news of him. I ordered the Seventeenth Prince to investigate this matter rigorously, but it seems there's been no progress..."
The Thirteenth Prince sighed softly, knowing that the Fourteenth Prince's situation had always been a source of worry for the Fourth Prince. For the sake of the Empress Dowager, the Fourth Prince hadn't completely eliminated the Fourteenth Prince, but had only imprisoned him. If the Fourteenth Prince had behaved himself, his life would have been safe, but he had been disobedient and had ended up in this predicament.
After pondering for a moment, the Thirteenth Prince advised, "In my opinion, Your Majesty need not be anxious. The Fourteenth Prince has no military power now, so no matter how much trouble he causes, it will be to no avail."
Fourth Master nodded, and the brother quickly began to talk about the matter of merging the poll tax into the land tax.
Meanwhile, the Empress, supported by a palace maid, walked step by step toward Jingren Palace, but her face was as cold as ice in the twelfth lunar month, frighteningly so.
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