Chapter 12 The System Has a Name; The System Has Been Confiscated by Shen Hegui
"Your Highness, my mathematical skills are excellent. If Your Highness wishes to thoroughly examine the national treasury accounts over the years and clarify the flow of every income and expenditure, I am willing to serve you faithfully and will be able to calculate everything clearly and accurately. However, if Your Highness asks how to generate wealth for the national treasury, I am truly ignorant and at a loss. From childhood to adulthood, my family has only run a small business to make ends meet, so I have very little to draw upon!"
Lu Wensheng first revealed his own usefulness, then secretly observed Shen Hegui's expression. Seeing that he was not angry, Lu Wensheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The officials from the Ministry of Revenue exchanged knowing glances, their eyes gleaming. They had long heard of this compiler, Lu, whose calculations were exceptional, but had always regretted that he was protected by Prince Su and they couldn't borrow him. Now, with the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, there was finally hope.
“But the ministers who are responsible for internal strife and defending against enemies have a plan.” Lu Wensheng changed the subject.
She said, "We can take a strategic approach to peace talks with the powerful northerners, strive for a ceasefire agreement of a certain number of years, open trade markets, and offer certain trade incentives. We can also use the trade markets to increase our troops and strengthen our defenses."
"I have also heard that the number of displaced people and bandits has increased in recent years. Regarding the displaced people and bandits within our borders, I believe we should combine suppression with appeasement. If they have gathered in large numbers and formed a rebellion, we must precisely annihilate them to prevent them from growing stronger. If they are only scattered groups, we can set up soup kitchens and resettlement points for them, and provide them with land and seeds so that they can settle down again. However..."
Lu Wensheng deliberately drew out her words to test Shen Hegui's attitude. If Shen Hegui didn't want to listen to her, he should shut up in time to avoid offending her.
“Speak!” Shen Hegui said sternly.
He looked at Lu Wensheng with extreme seriousness.
We certainly need time to recover and it's not advisable to start another war. Opening trade markets is indeed a good idea. And those displaced people and bandits really need to be dealt with urgently.
After saying so much, Lu Wensheng's throat was a little dry, so she couldn't help but clear her throat: "Whether to suppress or appease, Your Highness needs to send a few clear-headed officials to handle it, lest it backfire and cause public resentment to boil over, resulting in unnecessary civil unrest."
Lu Wensheng originally wanted to say "rebellion," but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he decided to say it more tactfully.
Shen Hegui's gaze was fixed on Lu Wensheng. He said, "Go back and write a detailed memorial, and present it to me personally tomorrow morning." It was an unexpected gain; pushing him a little was indeed useful.
Lu Wensheng: "?" Another early morning tomorrow?! She's just a seventh-rank editor! This is such a waste of her time!
But at least, Shen Hegui stopped pursuing her.
The second morning assembly after the New Year was filled with arguments that lasted until noon without reaching a conclusion.
Shen Hegui, feeling tired, decided to keep the officials for a banquet and planned to continue the feast in the afternoon.
Lu Wensheng had become numb from standing there. As soon as the court session ended, she immediately went to Jinshui Bridge to get some fresh air and clear her head, still carrying a faint scent of her classmate.
Shen Hegui's clothes were made of an extraordinary material; they were not only soft and warm, but also kept out even the cold wind.
Her gaze swept from the red walls and golden tiles in the distance all the way to the Imperial River under the bridge.
Seeing something, Lu Wensheng's beautiful peach blossom eyes slowly narrowed. The next moment, she planned to turn around and leave, pretending not to have seen anything.
[Host, don't go! There are only three and a half hours left in the mission. We're running out of time.] The system's voice was trembling with tears.
Seeing that Lu Wensheng was determined not to pay attention to it, it hurriedly tried to climb up with its four short legs, but the granite was too slippery and no matter how hard the little yellow turtle tried, it could not climb up.
At the critical moment, its sparsely-developed brain sprang to life, shouting at the top of its lungs: "[If the task is not completed within the specified time limit, the host will be stripped of control of their body and placed under the control of the plot.]"
"Grass!" A type of plant.
Why didn't you say that when we first met?
What did that little bastard say before?
The system's voice drifted from behind her, concise and to the point: [The host's character in the book is a vicious female supporting character, often having eight men in one night, with the ultimate goal of climbing into the male lead's bed and becoming empress! Officials and wealthy young men of all ranks in Yanjing are merely tools for your upward climb.]
The first face that came to Lu Wensheng's mind was Zhang Mianzhi, whose face was covered with age spots.
Lu Wensheng: "..." I feel a little nauseous.
The system choked on a mouthful of water.
Lu Wensheng gritted his teeth: "Climb forward, I'll pull you up."
The little yellow turtle, its shell propelling it forward with all its might, carefully explained: "Time is short, and I was worried about missing you, so I had to stay here and wait for you. I've been bathing for many hours, so I'm very clean. Please don't mind me, host." Its last sentence sounded extremely aggrieved.
As Lu Wensheng got closer, he noticed that not only was its color different from other turtles, but its eyes were also unusually large, making it look very cute and a little silly.
Lu Wensheng scooped it up and then took out a handkerchief from his pocket to dry the turtle.
The turtle is so cold.
Lu Wensheng carefully put away the handkerchief, picked up the tortoise and shook it to make sure there was no filth inside the shell before asking, "What was the mission again?"
The system has learned its lesson: [Sit down next to the Crown Prince, flirt with him, and express your physical attraction. Task One is composed of three smaller tasks.]
The first one is easy; all you need to do is be thick-skinned.
The second and third tasks can be done simultaneously. If she were wearing a skirt, it wouldn't be difficult, but now she's wearing official robes... no, it's Shen Hegui's men's clothing, so she's outwardly a man. Forget it, I won't think about it anymore; I can't escape this damned mission anyway.
Three and a half hours is seven hours, which means this task can only be completed during the lunch banquet, and there is definitely no chance to attend the court in the afternoon.
"Little..." Lu Wensheng originally wanted to call him Little Yellow Turtle, but then remembered that this was a restricted world and it wouldn't be polite, so he changed his question to, "What's your name?"
[Is the name on my belly so I can see it when I turn over?]
Lu Wensheng's hands were not big, and if he flipped the turtle directly on his palm, the system would definitely fall off, so Lu Wensheng grabbed its short tail and lifted the turtle up.
The world as perceived by the system was turned upside down, and it behaved very well, without struggling.
Its abdominal shell was a brighter yellow, without any other colors, like a piece of warm yellow jade. Lu Wensheng could only see two letters and four numbers when he got very close.
Lu Wensheng became wary, trying not to let the system know what she was thinking.
zz1314? A mentally challenged person for life? This system's number... sounds like it's cursing someone.
"Host, what's my name?" It tried to curl its head towards its belly while hanging upside down, wanting to see its name.
Seeing its excited and impatient look, Lu Wensheng put the turtle back in his palm and said, "There's a number on it, which is a bit long and inconvenient to call out every day. Your number contains the number one, so from now on your name will be Xiao Yuan!"
【Yes, yes!】 It really likes this name.
"By the way, didn't you say I transmigrated into a book? Show me the book." She needed to see who the female lead was immediately, and then appreciate the writing style and content. She was almost sick of reading innocent novels over the years.
The bookstores in Yanjing were filled with young ladies and scholars, knights-errant and county magistrates, officials and down-on-their-luck young ladies, and the honest officials and knights-errant that she least wanted to see.
[Host, please wait a moment. Xiao Yuan will immediately transmit the main text to you.]
The moment the words were spoken, Lu Wensheng received the content. She browsed very quickly, reading ten lines at a glance.
After reading through the first ten chapters, Lu Wensheng realized that her character didn't even appear. She hurriedly scrolled down, wanting to see the ending in advance, but what awaited her were three huge letters—VIP.
Lu Wensheng: "..." What, you actually want her to recharge?
"Xiao Yuan, do I have to spend money to do tasks?" Lu Wensheng asked incredulously, glancing sideways at the innocent-looking system.
"This..." The system hesitated for a moment before explaining, "The host was probably reading pirated novels before, so you can only read the free parts for now. But don't worry, as long as you turn the male lead's -200 points of favorability towards him into a positive number, you'll be able to get VIP chapters for free!"
Lu Wensheng sneered and picked up the turtle, shaking it violently as retaliation: "I don't remember ever reading this book before. Your little system is dishonest. If you want me to increase Shen Hegui's favorability, just say so. Don't try to pin this on me."
She pronounced the name Shen Hegui very loudly and clearly, causing Shen Hegui, who was not far behind Lu Wensheng, to subconsciously stop walking towards her.
Is Lu Wensheng going to spend this short lunch break thinking about him? Shen Hegui was speechless and helpless.
He was enjoying the breeze in the corridor when he noticed Feng Gou was distracted and not doing his duty properly. Following his gaze, he saw Lu Wensheng. He had originally planned to have a detailed chat with her about the trade market, but now he thought better of it and decided to wait until there were more people around before talking to her.
That turtle really suffered a terrible fate in Lu Wensheng's hands!
Before Shen Hegui could finish his sigh, Xiao Yuan accidentally slipped from Lu Wensheng's fingertips and hit him directly on the forehead with a dull thud.
"Oh dear, Your Highness, are you alright!" Feng Gou exclaimed, rushing to check Shen Hegui's forehead. Oh no, Editor Lu has caused trouble again!
Shen Hegui gripped the tortoise, his fingers tightening and loosening repeatedly. He took several deep breaths, telling himself: This is a time when we need people! I can't be petty, and I shouldn't be petty!
"Your Highness..." Realizing she had caused trouble, Lu Wensheng prepared to apologize, but found that Shen Hegui didn't give her a chance at all. After speaking, he turned around and left decisively, as if he couldn't bear to look at her even once more.
"It's alright."
Shen Hegui said expressionlessly, "I've confiscated this tortoise. Editor Lu, you'd better focus on your duties and not let playthings distract you from your work."
Xiao Yuan remained motionless, feigning death in Shen Hegui's hands.
As if things weren't bad enough, not only was time tight, but her system was also confiscated by the male lead.
Shen Hegui must be her nemesis!
The luncheon was held in the west wing of the Fengtian Hall. The imperial kitchen prepared a simple yet plentiful meal, and each person was also given a bowl of tea to refresh themselves after the meal.
Shen Hegui also dined with the officials in the west corridor. When the officials saw the red swelling on Shen Hegui's forehead, they lowered their heads even further and ate even faster.
The only one in the palace who would dare harm this scoundrel is probably His Majesty, and His Majesty has always disliked the Crown Prince. It seems His Highness is in a very bad mood right now. We need to eat quickly and squeeze in some time to discuss with our colleagues how to handle the situation this afternoon.
Lu Wensheng was pondering how to shamelessly complete her task in public when she saw the officials around her finishing their lunch and leaving one by one.
Soon, only Shen Hegui, Lu Wensheng, and a few officials who were usually close to Shen Hegui remained in the west corridor.
As fewer and fewer people appeared, Shen Hegui's forehead grew increasingly red. Lu Wensheng mustered his courage, then, carrying his rice bowl, brazenly disregarded the proper etiquette between ruler and subject and quickly walked over to sit down next to Shen Hegui.
The task can be simply summarized as: sit down, and then use body language to express your liking. She can do it!
Lu Wensheng placed the rice bowl on Shen Hegui's table and said in a low voice with concern, "Your Highness's forehead injury looks rather serious. I feel both guilty and distressed. May I apply some medicine for you?"
Shen Hegui held the jade chopsticks and moved his upper body slightly back, trying to avoid Lu Wensheng who was approaching him unexpectedly.
With the system offline, she had no idea whether the task was completed or not, so she could only convince herself that she had to be bolder and do something outrageous.
She didn't actually know how to express physical attraction, so she could only imitate the seductive mannerisms she had seen in brothels.
A note from the author:
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I want to become an octopus spirit, that way I'll be able to write much faster [doge emoji]. If I get over 10 favorites, I'll add a second chapter, hehe.
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