A few days later, the emperor stared at the memorials with a worried expression, his brows furrowed, and let out what seemed to be the umpteenth sigh.
After the morning court session ended, Xie Qianzhong was summoned to the Imperial Study: "Why does Your Majesty look so worried?"
The Emperor threw a memorial in front of him: "Left Prime Minister, take a look. What should we do now?"
The message stated that the country was facing a food crisis that even emptying the national treasury wouldn't be enough to overcome, especially since unscrupulous merchants had driven up prices significantly, leaving ordinary people struggling to afford food.
Xie Qianzhong suddenly understood why Song Tangxue had bought all the grain. Could it be that she had foreseen this day?
"Instead of focusing on what we see below, we should address the root cause. The land is parched precisely because the waterways are not flowing properly. We should speed up the construction of irrigation canals."
The Emperor was naturally aware of this, but repairing the waterway would require a considerable amount of money: "I entrust this matter to you. I want to see a satisfactory result."
The Left Prime Minister has never been favored by the Emperor. Whenever there is a problem, it is thrown to him. If he handles it poorly, it is considered a disrespect to the Emperor's authority. If he handles it well, it is naturally a testament to the Emperor's skill in governing the country.
Xie Qianzhong's eyes gradually turned cold. He knew that his dynasty would eventually fall, and that no one dared to look down on him!
...
night.
Song Tangxue arrived at the pancake shop dressed in night clothes. There weren't many customers today, since even getting a meal was a problem, so naturally she bought the cheaper ones.
Xie Qianzhong asked her to meet him here, saying he had important matters to discuss.
"Guess who I am?" Song Tangxue quietly came up behind Xie Qianzhong, covered his eyes, and said playfully.
Xie Qianzhong held her hand in his palm and gently squeezed it a few times: "Stop making a fuss. I know it's you. No one else would dare to treat me like this. By the way, why did you buy so much grain earlier? Did you know the waterway would be blocked?"
Song Tangxue is too mysterious. It's as if she knows what will happen in the future. She can always make predictions one step ahead. I have never seen such intelligence in any other woman.
Song Tangxue gently kissed his lips: "Naturally, I observed the recent celestial phenomena and learned that the water flow was problematic. At that time, those merchants would definitely raise prices wildly, and the common people would live a precarious life. So I bought all these grains in advance and sold them at normal prices."
Song Tangxue was lying through her teeth, but the problem was that Xie Qianzhong believed her.
She wondered how she had chosen Li Zhaoxian so resolutely in her past life, given the comparison with this person. She vowed that she would never let Xie Qianzhong down in this life.
"You are truly my lucky star, Your Majesty. Today you have given me a task: to resolve this price increase at all costs. I've been having a headache about it."
Even if Song Tangxue hadn't bought all the grain in advance, Xie Qianzhong would have had his own way. Since it was him, he used his connections and cleared the irrigation canals in three days. So the crisis wasn't over yet, but as long as the grain grew again, it wouldn't be a problem.
"I think the Emperor intends to send the Crown Prince to the border."
Why?
In his previous life, the emperor doted on this crown prince, while the other princes looked down on him. Li Zhaoxian sat in the position of crown prince for many years until Song Tangli used another method to push the crown prince to the throne, and only then did the world change.
"Li Zhaoyun is deeply favored by the Emperor, and many people are discussing whether the Emperor should establish a new Crown Prince?"
This is the difference from her previous life. With the Empress backing her up, it won't be a problem for Li Zhaoyun to gain the Emperor's favor. It seems that the world is about to change again. I wonder what kind of interesting expression Li Zhaoxian will have when she learns about this.
"In short, this Li Zhaoyun is a ruthless character. He was able to gain the emperor's attention so soon after returning to the capital. He is definitely not a simple person."
Now that I think about it, it's been a while since I last visited Professor Li Zhaoyun. It seems like it's time for me to make a trip there.
The next day.
Song Tangxue sold all the grain in her own name at the previous price, giving those who were starving a place to live. In no time, Song Tangxue's reputation soared, and she became a hero in the hearts of many.
When Song Tangxue entered the Empress's palace, Li Zhaoyun looked much more haggard, and the dark circles under her eyes proved that she hadn't rested well in the past few days.
"Now that you've arrived, I thought you'd become a great hero among the people and wouldn't come again."
In the royal court, the most taboo thing is to overshadow the emperor. By using her reputation to help the common people, she was challenging the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I always remember my place and would never dare to act presumptuously. I have only come here to instruct the prince." The Empress's expression softened considerably as she pushed Li Zhaoyun in front of Song Tangxue. "Yun'er's studies have been poor these past few days. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."
The two of them went to the private school.
An elderly man with a white beard was busy inside; he was the teacher who had been in charge of teaching Li Zhaoyun for the past few days.
“Sir, I will take care of His Highness’s affairs. You should go back and rest.” The old man sighed and shook his head helplessly, giving Song Tangxue a bad feeling. When she checked Li Zhaoyun’s homework, she finally understood why the old man reacted this way.
Not only did he claim to know nothing when asked, but his attitude also made Song Tangxue doubt whether he was truly a prince.
He wasn't like this when we first met. Now he's like a three-year-old child. How did he manage to win the Emperor's favor?
Song Tangxue posed another question to him, but he couldn't answer it. So she simply put the booklet on the table, intending to have a proper chat with this prince.
"The Emperor values you highly right now and is very likely to make you the Crown Prince. These strategies will be useful in the future."
Li Zhaoyun still looked bewildered. Only after Song Tangxue took his pulse did she realize that he had been poisoned, which had suppressed his mind and made him act like a three-year-old child.
This poison takes effect once ingested, and only those close to him have the opportunity to administer it. No wonder he seemed different from the last time I saw him.
Song Tangxue took out a pill and fed it to him. Li Zhaoyun's eyes gradually cleared: "What is this?"
Song Tangxue stood not far away with her arms crossed, probably unaware that even the prince had been poisoned.
"Has Your Highness offended anyone before?"
Li Zhaoyun recognized this person as the one the Empress had sent to teach her, but why were they here? The hazy memories in her mind told her that she had been delirious before.
"I have just returned to the capital and have not offended anyone. Why does the Crown Princess ask such a question?" Since even he himself does not know, there is no need to tell him, as it would only alert the enemy.
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