"I only hope that in my lifetime, my country can become rich and powerful, and be praised by all people. That would be enough."
Seeing that the emperor had changed the subject, Sun Jian breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is wise and mighty, a man of innate wisdom, a peerless emperor throughout the ages, excelling in both civil and military affairs! Under Your Majesty's rule, my Great Gan will surely unify the world and win the hearts of all people!"
Flattery will never fail you, and Sun Jian understood this principle well.
If I don't seize the opportunity to boast a bit, this old emperor will probably keep bringing up what I said earlier.
"Cough cough."
After hearing Sun Jian's words, even the Crown Prince Li Gancheng, who was by the emperor's side, could no longer bear to listen.
The Brother Sun he knew was more than just a sycophant.
"Heh, what a quick-witted young man."
The emperor smiled and did not blame Sun Jian.
In contrast, he appreciated Sun Jian's previous outspokenness more.
Moreover, upon closer examination, many of Sun Jian's previous statements were indeed thought-provoking and not all of them were mere fabrications.
Emperor Ganwu knew that such insights could only be uttered by someone with true talent. If he were to frighten Sun Jian today, causing him to fail to offer proper advice and assistance to his son in the future, it would be a great loss.
“Minister Sun, your previous remarks were not entirely unfounded. Several of my trusted ministers share the same views as you.”
"On the contrary, you see things more clearly than they do. I will say it again: I will not pursue your previous offenses. Ignorance is no excuse, so you have no need to be afraid."
"Thank you... Your Majesty."
Sun Jian breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, the old emperor is not bad. As expected of the founding emperor, at least he can distinguish right from wrong. This chapter has finally been turned over.
Xiong Juzheng glanced at Emperor Ganwu with a complex look, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips.
"Yes, I hope that you will assist the Crown Prince well in the future and fulfill your duties as his tutor."
"Your humble servant obeys the decree."
Before entering the capital, Sun Jian was worried that the crown prince was a spoiled brat who would make him take the blame for various things. Now it seems that his worries were completely unnecessary.
He and Long Cheng, oh no, now he should be called Li Gancheng.
Although he and Li Gancheng did not know each other for long, they hit it off immediately and had a very pleasant conversation.
If one could find such a mentor and friend to assist, then serving as the Crown Prince's tutor would not be a chore, but rather a fortunate one.
"Sun Jian, I have heard about what happened today and have ordered Minister Xiong to investigate thoroughly. What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Emperor Ganwu changed the subject, his gaze sharp as he questioned Sun Jian.
After frowning and pondering for a moment, Sun Jian replied, "Your Majesty, I have just arrived in the capital and do not know who I have offended. If it were not for Lord Xiong carrying Your Majesty's golden seal and imperial edict today, I fear I would have caused trouble. I have no other opinion on this matter, but I hope that the mastermind behind this can be found as soon as possible and justice can be served for all the dead."
Upon hearing this, everyone present fell into deep thought, especially Li Gancheng, whose face darkened considerably.
The edict appointing Sun Jian as the Crown Prince's tutor was issued a week ago. The real culprit behind this plot to frame Sun Jian is tantamount to bringing down the Crown Prince and cutting off his right-hand man. Li Gancheng knows perfectly well who the mastermind is, but he has no evidence. As the Crown Prince, there are some things he cannot say openly in front of his father.
Emperor Ganwu's expression was complex, his eyes deep, and no one could see what he was thinking.
A moment later, he slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Slaughtering the imperial envoy, indiscriminately killing officials and soldiers, fabricating charges, and framing and slandering—no matter who is behind it, they are simply disregarding the laws of our Great Gansu! Their crimes are heinous!"
"Investigate! Investigate until the truth comes out! Investigate until the truth is revealed!"
"Your humble servant obeys the decree."
Xiong Juzheng looked somewhat embarrassed and pressed on, "May I ask Your Majesty, regardless of who the mastermind is, will you investigate thoroughly without exception...?"
Emperor Ganwu sneered and pointed at Xiong Juzheng's nose: "If you speak like that, I can punish you for the crime of disrespect!"
"Your humble servant is ready to die!"
Xiong Juzheng immediately knelt down and kowtowed to the emperor.
"Alright, alright, if you want to die, go die somewhere else. Before you die, make sure you figure out the truth about this case."
"Alright, you may leave."
"As you command."
Before leaving, Xiong Juzheng gave Sun Jian a meaningful look, which left Sun Jian completely bewildered.
"Minister Sun, are you at ease entrusting this matter to Xiong Juzheng for investigation?" Emperor Ganwu asked.
Sun Jian rolled his eyes at the emperor in his heart.
You've already issued the imperial decree, and now you turn around and ask me if I'm at ease? How can I say I'm not at ease?
"Your Majesty, I am at ease."
"Alright, since you're at ease, then you don't need to investigate this matter secretly. Just leave it entirely to Xiong Juzheng."
Sun Jian knew in his heart that the old emperor was trying to make things difficult for him.
The emperor may have already vaguely guessed the mastermind behind the case. He was just afraid that Sun Jian would investigate recklessly because of the villagers' deaths, which would alert the mastermind and force him to give an explanation, making it difficult to manage the situation at that point.
"Your humble servant obeys the decree."
Emperor Ganwu changed the subject, "Minister Sun, I would like to ask you, has your first batch of potatoes been successfully cultivated?"
"Your Majesty, the cultivation has been completed..."
"Good! Now that the cultivation is complete, do you know why I placed your residence near the imperial estate?"
"Your humble servant... knows... does not know... knows not!"
Sun Jian was helpless.
If I say I know, you'll definitely make me work for you.
If I say I don't know, does that mean I have no ability to read between the lines?
"Don't you know?"
Emperor Ganwu laughed heartily, “Whether you know it or not, that means you know it. Tell me about it.”
Sun Jian was helpless.
That old emperor is such a troublemaker.
An obvious problem? You have to ask me this?
Why did he make me live near Huangzhuang? Wasn't it just so he could make me work for him?
He had already learned in advance at Judelou that he had developed a super potato that could solve the current national food crisis.
Now I want to plant super potatoes and other new seeds on the land of Huangzhuang to help cultivate new farm crops.
Is there anything else besides these?
"Your Majesty wants me to try planting potatoes on the imperial estate to solve the grain production crisis in our region."
Sun Jian desperately wished that the old emperor would say something like, "Minister Sun, please step down. I am a little tired today. Let's discuss this again tomorrow," or something similar.
He was already somewhat tired of this mode of conversation with the old emperor.
It's really tiring.
Emperor Ganwu first sneered, then said, "Very well, I will entrust you with a hundred acres of imperial estate. I order you to put all the super potatoes you have developed into production within a month. During this period, I will also allocate a team of men to you for your command."
"Huh? They're sending people too?"
Sun Jian was dumbfounded.
This is practically making him work for free!
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