Chapter 461: Still a familiar taste...
With the pass prepared by Xuanji Guard, there was naturally no flaw and the carriage drove smoothly into the majestic Fengjing city gate.
It had been just over a month since he left, and when he looked at the familiar streets with their bustling traffic and people, Qin Zhaoyue suddenly felt a sense of vicissitudes of life in his heart.
When we arrived at the prosperous area of the city, there were already vehicles waiting for us arranged by Xuanji Guards.
Qin Minghuang didn't say much, just looked at Xiaoliu deeply, then quietly changed trains under strict guard and headed straight towards the palace.
The remaining three, Qin Zhaoyue, Jiang Wuya and Chu Xinglan, took the original carriage and headed straight for the Sixth Princess's residence.
Yes, in addition to Senior Brother Jiang Wuya who will definitely follow, even Ziweitai Commander Chu Xinglan will be accompanying.
She was born and settled in the palace for the purpose of practicing.
Now that the holder of the Heavenly Plate has been identified, it is natural to follow him.
Qin Minghuang did not try to persuade him to stay. She knew very well that Xiaoliu could not leave Fengjing for a while.
For a master of the second rank, there is actually not much difference between living in the Sixth Princess's residence and living in the deep garden of the imperial palace. It is just that the distance between them is only a matter of moments.
Under the careful arrangement of Xuanji Guard, Qin Minghuang returned to the Forbidden Palace without anyone noticing.
The imperial study still seemed a bit crowded.
The three younger children had just finished their breakfast and were preparing to go to the makeshift school on the right wing to attend classes, so as not to disturb their elder sisters from handling government affairs.
The three older heirs of the throne, who had just finished their morning court session, were gathered around the imperial desk, buried in a mountain of official documents. This had become their unshakable habit recently.
Pei Xuanyun will now select some important memorials and send them directly to the imperial study.
After the third princess had read it initially and given her comments, he took it back and took a closer look.
If there are differences of opinion, they will be sent to the Imperial Study again for joint discussion.
This kind of practical experience, which is almost like that of a master and apprentice, has enabled the third princess, the fourth princess and even the fifth prince to quickly shed their immaturity and become more mature in handling government affairs.
At this moment, they were discussing heatedly the disposal of the vast land occupied by the four former great families.
"Returning land to the people" is by no means an empty promise. The first challenge is to establish fair and reasonable distribution standards.
Knowing that inequality is more of a problem than scarcity, and also understanding that absolute equality is impossible to achieve, they initially formulated two principles:
First, it is based on demand, such as giving priority to farmers who have no land or have very little land per capita;
The second is based on incentives. For example, those who have paid taxes on time over the years, have performed well in labor service, and have no record of committing crimes will be given more points as appropriate.
But this brings up a deeper problem, which is the accurate verification of population and land at the local level.
Even though they lack practical experience at the grassroots level, they can anticipate the long-standing problem of "there are policies from the top and countermeasures from the bottom."
When it comes to major matters such as land distribution, which concern the lives and property of the common people, local officials and village heads are entirely likely to forge records to allow the benefits to flow to themselves or their families.
In the end, it was nothing more than a transfer from the hands of aristocratic families to countless local powerful landlords, but the substance remained the same in a new bottle.
Therefore, the first step in dividing the land must be comprehensive consideration.
How to divide, based on what standards, and who will supervise and implement it all require careful planning.
This is the core issue they have been pondering after gaining a preliminary understanding of state affairs.
Just as the discussion was getting better, the door of the imperial study was silently pushed open and a figure walked in slowly.
Almost at the same moment, the six people in the room all became aware of what was happening and looked over in unison.
Qin Zhaowan was the first to be stunned, his eyes a little dazed.
Is it the Queen Mother? They look very similar, but... they seem a little too young?
"Queen Mother...?" She called softly with uncertainty and hesitation.
Seeing this, Qin Minghuang raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a gentle smile:
"Why, it's been so long since we last met, and even the Queen Mother can't recognize you?"
Really the Queen Mother!
In an instant, the imperial study was silent, and you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was so shocked by the scene that they were speechless.
It was Xiaojiu who reacted the fastest, jumping up from his seat like a young swallow flying into the forest.
The small figure flew over and hugged Qin Minghuang's waist tightly.
He buried his face in front of her and choked with tears, "Mother!" His voice was full of grievance and fear.
Qin Minghuang hugged his little daughter back and gently stroked the top of her head, his movements gentle and full of love.
The other royal heirs also reacted at this moment and immediately gathered forward.
My heart is filled with mixed feelings, and thousands of words are stuck in my throat.
Qin Minghuang looked at them with a kind gaze, scanning their faces one by one and touching their heads one by one.
"Okay, okay, the Queen Mother is back, everything is fine."
In fact, after so much time had passed, they already had some guesses in their minds.
If something really happened to the Queen Mother, Zhao Yue's side would definitely not remain calm. Only the Xuanji Guards would send back some vague news.
But it was not until this moment, when he saw with his own eyes that the Queen Mother was not only safe and sound, but even radiant, that his heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally settled down completely.
"Thank you for your hard work during this period." Qin Minghuang looked at the older children and said softly.
Just with this sentence, Qin Zhaowan felt a pang of pain in his nose and his eyes instantly turned red.
Even Qin Zhaoshu, who was always cold and aloof, couldn't help but have a moist mist in his eyes.
And a certain adult prince with a simple character and open emotions could no longer hold back.
Tears fell down, wetting the collar of his clothes.
"The Queen Mother is back, and...she's better than ever."
Qin Minghuang's tone was relieved. He looked at his three older children and asked with a protective tone,
"Have any court officials bullied you recently?"
The question sounded like an elder who had not been home for a long time, and upon returning, the first thing he wanted to do was to support and make decisions for his own children.
The Third Princess and the Fourth Princess shook their heads simultaneously, indicating that everything was fine. However...
Once again, a certain adult prince answered without thinking, with a hint of grievance: "Yes!"
Qin Zhaowan: "..."
Qin Zhaoshu: “…”
Qin Minghuang smiled when he heard this, and rubbed Lao Wu's head with his hand.
"Okay, okay, the Queen Mother knows about this. She will definitely help you vent your anger and punish those ignorant people."
She looked at Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba, who were standing half a step away and seemed a little reserved, and took the initiative to embrace them in her arms.
"Have you studied hard during the days when the Queen Mother was away?"
The three children answered in unison and loudly: "Yes!"
The eunuch chief steward Su Quan, who was not far away, had already turned his back, his shoulders slightly shrugged, and he quietly wiped the excited tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeves.
Qin Minghuang comforted the children, walked slowly to Su Quan, raised his hand and patted his shoulder.
"Old man, I'm back.
You must live well for me, and live longer."
Su Quan was about to kneel down to express his gratitude as usual, but Qin Minghuang held him firmly and he was unable to kneel down.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I am blessed with great fortune. This old servant... this old servant will do his best to serve Your Majesty for a few more years."
Qin Minghuang smiled again, his eyes sweeping across the room full of children and loyal servants, and he said softly, "That's very good."
At the same time, Qin Zhaoyue's carriage also arrived at the gate of the Sixth Princess's mansion.
The old doorman was taking a nap in the door room.
For more than a month, without a master in the mansion, he seemed to have returned to his early days of leisurely life that was almost a mess.
As the weather grew colder, he stayed in the warm gatehouse all day long and rarely took a step out.
Just as he was dozing off, he caught a glimpse of a carriage parked at the door and a figure jumping out of it.
He shuddered suddenly, rubbed his eyes, and rushed out of the door in disbelief, his voice changing tone:
"Your Highness...Your Highness?!"
Qin Zhaoyue put his hands in his pockets, looked at him leisurely, and said jokingly:
"How did you become a concierge in the first place, with your stuttering problem? Did you use someone's backdoor?"
"No, no... no!" The old doorman waved his hands anxiously, his face flushed red.
"This old slave is just too... too excited. Your Highness, you are finally back!"
"Alright," Qin Zhaoyue chuckled and strode into the mansion. When passing by him, she said casually,
"My purse is empty after this trip, how about you contribute two months' worth of monthly allowance?"
The old doorman was speechless, his face wrinkled: "Hmm..."
Seeing this, Qin Zhaoyue stopped teasing him, laughed out loud, and walked into her own mansion.
As soon as I stepped over the threshold, I heard several slight "swish" sounds breaking through the air from the courtyard. It was the figures of the Mo Group gathering rapidly from all directions.
Sui Mo, relying on his highest cultivation level, rushed to Qin Zhaoyue first and knelt on one knee, "Your Highness!"
Qin Zhaoyue raised his chin and looked at her with a playful smile in his eyes: "Hey, Huqin, long time no see."
Sui Mo: “…”
Most of the joy and excitement in my heart were instantly dissipated.
But the next moment, Qin Zhaoyue took a step forward, opened his arms, and gave her a firm hug.
"I'm back."
Sui Mo's eyes were sore, and the tears she had been holding back almost burst out. She hugged Qin Zhaoyue back tightly and whispered:
"Yes! Welcome home, Your Highness!"
Soon, the rest of the Mo Group members arrived and lined up in an orderly manner.
Qin Zhaoyue did not show favoritism. He walked over one by one and gave everyone a brief hug.
At this moment, a series of heavy and rapid footsteps were heard coming from afar, and it was Ping An who was running towards them with big strides.
His face was filled with pure joy, and he shouted loudly as he ran: "Beautiful sister!"
Qin Zhaoyue stood on tiptoe and patted Ping An's shoulders, which were as strong as a mountain. However, he glanced at the people in the Mo Group beside him with a meaningful look and said in a long tone:
"Look, our Ping An is so good at talking.
Unlike some people, thirteen mouths combined are not as pleasing to the ear as a single word from us Ping An.
Tsk... waste..."
Everyone in the Mo Group: "..."
Yes, the familiar taste has not changed at all.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
