Lanqin knew that although Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master were not born of the same mother, Fourth Master treated Fourteenth Master like a brother. Now that Thirteenth Master had encountered such a thing, Fourth Master must be feeling terrible.
"Your Majesty, please don't worry too much. With proper care, you will definitely recover!" Lanqin gently comforted him. The Fourth Prince, afraid that Lanqin would fret, agreed verbally, but his heart felt heavy, as if a stone was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
The Fourth Prince was lost in memories. Thirteen had been with him since childhood. Although Fourteen was his biological brother, Thirteen understood him better and had always stayed by his side. Even in his most difficult times, Thirteen had not left him. Now Thirteen was ill, and he was powerless to help him. This feeling of holding great power yet being unable to ensure the safety of the person he cared about was agonizing for the Fourth Prince.
"Thirteenth Prince has always served the palace diligently. Now that he is ill, I also bear some responsibility. If I had made things easier for him, perhaps he wouldn't have overworked himself and developed this chronic illness." Fourth Prince couldn't help but blame himself.
Lanqin felt very sorry for the Fourth Prince when she saw him like this. If she remembered correctly, the Thirteenth Prince died eight years after the Fourth Prince ascended the throne. Five years have passed now... If something really happened to the Thirteenth Prince, the Fourth Prince would not be able to bear the blow. At that time, the Fourth Prince would definitely have no heart to manage the affairs of the court.
"Your Majesty, why don't you let the Thirteenth Prince rest at home and recuperate? Let Hongli handle the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. He has been by the Thirteenth Prince's side for so long and has gained a lot of experience in the Ministry of Revenue. Now it is time for him to contribute." Lanqin thought that perhaps it was not necessary to prolong the Thirteenth Prince's life. The important thing now was to prepare for the future.
“That’s exactly what I was planning. Thirteen should take good care of his health now. For so many years, he hasn’t been able to go out and travel properly because of palace affairs. This time, let’s give him a break and let him go out and travel. His personality is destined to see the vast world outside, but unfortunately, the palace has restricted him.” Fourth Prince was full of regret.
Lanqin thought this was indeed a good idea, so she told the Fourth Master that Hongli would go tomorrow. Only then did the Fourth Master feel relieved.
The next day, Hongli went to the morning court as usual. When he came back from court, Su Peisheng summoned him to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Hongli arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation and greeted the Fourth Prince. "Father, why did you summon me here?" Hongli was puzzled. He usually came to the Hall of Mental Cultivation with other important ministers to discuss important matters of state. Now that he had been summoned alone, he must have some important private matter.
"What is your impression of the Ministry of Revenue?" The Fourth Prince wanted to hear Hongli's current opinion on the Ministry of Revenue to see if he was truly ready.
Hongli didn't know why the Fourth Prince suddenly asked him such a question, but he still spoke his mind. "Your Majesty, I studied at the Ministry of Revenue with my Thirteenth Uncle for a period of time, and I did learn a lot. However, I feel that the Ministry of Revenue still has many shortcomings." Hongli expressed his thoughts.
"What do you mean?" Fourth Prince was surprised that Hongli had discovered the problem in such a short time. "Although the Ministry of Revenue has a complete system, it is precisely because it is too systematic that superiors can only manage their own subordinates, and corruption is rampant." Hongli expressed his thoughts.
The Fourth Prince thought to himself that Hongli, who was usually gentle and refined, spoke with such sharp insight that he couldn't help but praise him. It seemed that his son's abilities were even greater than he had imagined! "Then do you have any solutions?" The Fourth Prince wanted to test Hongli further.
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