Chapter 345: Everyone in the Court Shares the Piece
"Your Majesty, I have warned you all before that Princess Yixin's life is very likely to be in danger." Feng Yan said in a low voice with a serious expression.
"Princess Yixin's condition is now much better than I expected. She just needs to do more good deeds and she will be able to return to normal." Feng Yan seemed to have been prepared for this and answered calmly with a bow.
The emperor frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then said, "As long as it's a good deed, it will be fine. This is easy to do. The Crown Prince will immediately donate to the Huguo Temple in the name of Princess Yixin."
The emperor turned his gaze to the prince with unquestionable majesty, his tone serious and decisive.
The prince quickly responded, "I obey your order and will do it right away." The prince bowed respectfully, turned around and was about to leave.
But Feng Yan stopped him. "Prince, wait a moment."
Feng Yan's voice was urgent and loud.
Feng Yan then stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Crown Prince, Princess Yixin lacks merit. A simple donation will not have a significant effect."
"This..." The emperor was really embarrassed now. A conflicted look appeared on his face, his brows were tightly furrowed, and he fell into deep thought.
Chu Ci's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said excitedly: "Master Feng, a simple donation of money and property will not do."
"How about planting corn all over the land of the Great Zhou, so that there will be no more starving people in the Great Zhou?"
Let there be no more starving people in the Great Zhou!
Once these words were spoken, even some ministers who usually disliked Chu Ci couldn't help but show a look of longing on their faces.
Of course, as veterans who had been immersed in officialdom for many years, everyone almost instantly understood the intention of Mr. Fan to let Chu Ci perform this scene.
As a result, the way he looked at Mr. Fan changed again and again.
The eyes that were originally filled with contempt, indifference, or suspicion were now filled with complex emotions, including admiration, jealousy, vigilance, and deep fear.
In the end, it just boiled down to one sentence: "What a cunning old fox!"
However, whether it is envy or fear, it does not prevent them from gaining benefits from this matter.
After all, the Fan family can’t handle such a big thing.
So, these officials all performed a "face-changing" show in front of Chu Ci.
They were indifferent the moment before, but the next second, they seemed to be deeply moved by the beautiful vision described in Chu Ci.
Everyone was excited and shouted to the emperor: "If this can really happen, it will be a blessing for the Great Zhou and the people."
Then, someone else took the lead and shouted, "Your Majesty, we are willing to help Princess Yixin fulfill this great wish!"
Others echoed in unison, their voices rising one after another: "We are willing to serve you like dogs and horses!"
"I am willing to share the worries of the Emperor and the Princess!"
For a moment, the atmosphere in the imperial study was very excited, and everyone seemed loyal and righteous.
At this moment, the emperor, who was sitting at the top of the table, seemed moved by the enthusiasm of his ministers. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face. He looked at Chu Ci gently and said, "Yixin, how far has the corn cultivation progressed?"
When Chu Ci saw this, he immediately understood that everyone was working together to get a piece of the pie.
Coincidentally, this is exactly what Chu Ci wanted.
So, with the support of Fan Jingrui, Chu Ci first bowed to the emperor and all the ministers.
Then, he replied in a clear voice, "Lianzhou is located in the south, with a mild and pleasant climate. Therefore, the amount of corn seeds here is several times greater than in the capital, approximately 100,000. The capital is slightly less, with only one-fifth of Lianzhou's."
"Therefore, I hope that all of you will carefully plan and rationally formulate plans. Otherwise, this action will not only not be a merit, but will instead be a sin and disaster."
Chu Ci's voice was clear and melodious, and his eyes were firm and calm, which made people more convinced of what he said.
It also made those who were immersed in the joy of getting a piece of the pie sober up and said, "She is indeed a woman who dares to gamble her life for wealth!"
“It’s not easy!”
…
Thinking of this, everyone's fear of Chu Ci increased to another level.
As a result, his attitude towards Mr. Fan and Fan Jingrui improved by more than a degree.
Fan Jingrui was quite calm, but Mr. Fan was filled with helplessness and grievance. He really wanted to shout, "He is innocent!"
But he could only think about it in his mind. Otherwise, if he really shouted it out, he would definitely be pointed at and scolded for taking advantage of others.
Therefore, even though Mr. Fan felt extremely aggrieved, he could only swallow it down and continue to pretend to be calm.
This made the people present even more fearful.
Even the emperor at the top was a little confused. Could it be that a journey of exile could really change a person so much?
Thinking of this, the emperor simply asked tentatively: "Teacher, Yixin's proposal is quite interesting, but it involves many things. How to implement it specifically, do you have any ideas in mind?"
After saying this, the emperor stared at Mr. Fan with a look of inquiry and expectation in his eyes.
At the same time, everyone's attention was once again focused on Mr. Fan.
In the past, no matter what the emperor's purpose was, he would always speak the truth, tell everything he knew, and say it without reservation.
But now, the old man has learned to laugh it off. "Your Majesty, I am old now, and my energy is not as good as before. I have become confused a long time ago. The affairs of the court are more suitable for you young and energetic adults."
As Mr. Fan spoke, he bowed slightly, with a faint wry smile on his face, but a barely perceptible shrewdness flashed in his cloudy eyes.
Upon hearing this, the emperor's face darkened and his brows furrowed. After a moment's silence, he said, "Teacher, what do you mean? Are you trying to shirk responsibility?"
The ministers looked at each other, not knowing how to respond for a moment, and the atmosphere suddenly became a little subtle.
There are two extreme attitudes towards Mr. Fan. Some people think that Mr. Fan has become more sensible after being exiled.
Many people were very dissatisfied with Mr. Fan's attitude. They felt that he had lost his integrity even after getting so old.
Therefore, the emperor had just finished speaking.
One minister immediately stepped forward, righteously accusing him: "Fan Mengshi, you may be a commoner now, but you were once the former Grand Tutor of the Great Zhou, and you were once highly respected. How can you be so perfunctory in the face of such an important matter? This cowardly attitude is truly inappropriate."
Mr. Fan was not annoyed by being accused in this way.
But the master was not angry. Could Fan Jingrui and Chu Ci just watch their elders being humiliated?
Fan Jingrui stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said solemnly and firmly, "Your Excellency, this is wrong!"
"It is common sense to do one's job well in one's position."
"Besides, Grandfather, Yazhou is isolated from the outside world, and many matters are difficult to know. Faced with the complex and ever-changing affairs of the court, it is difficult to come up with a comprehensive and appropriate strategy at the moment. Your Excellency should understand."
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