Chapter 237 A hopeless case
"Mother, why are you taking on these responsibilities?"
It's not easy to place people into the Ministry of Works now.
Apprentices are not acceptable either.
When the Duke of Qi was alive, the Ministry of Works was under his jurisdiction. After the Duke of Qi left, the Ministry of Works is now in a bit of a mess.
Because of the incident where weapons were almost intercepted, no one dares to send people to the Ministry of Works anymore.
My father is keeping a close eye on things.
Aren't you just making trouble for me?
The crown prince looked impatient.
After court, he had many things to deal with, but his mother summoned him here, leaving him with nowhere to vent his anger.
I originally thought that the Empress Dowager would just nag a few times and then mention the Crown Princess's pregnancy, and that would be the end of it!
And then...
Empress Xu remained silent, simply watching the Crown Prince ramble on.
Empress Xu waited until he finished rambling before asking her question.
"Has the Crown Prince finished speaking?"
Only then did the Crown Prince notice that Empress Xu's expression was too calm, and he suddenly felt a little scared.
"Mother... I was just too tired. I didn't mean to say those things."
"It's just that I've been a bit..." the Crown Prince tried to explain.
But Empress Xu waved her hand, saying, "How could I not know my son?"
Perhaps this is what he truly thinks!
"I'm not asking you to do this; I'm asking you to do it because I think it's beneficial to you."
First of all, your father knows about this.
It was your father who brought Xiaoqi to me to discuss this matter.
So even if you don't do it, your father will definitely take care of it.
But Xiaoqi told me that your father also tacitly approved, which means that your father also wants you to do this. Do you understand?
Upon hearing Empress Xu's words, the Crown Prince's expression changed.
Father Emperor knows? Then why doesn't Father Emperor tell me himself? Why go through all that trouble and have Mother Emperor tell me?
No one knows a son better than his mother, and Empress Xu could tell at a glance what the Crown Prince was thinking.
"Do you think your father's actions were unnecessary?"
I'm telling you, your father is doing this for your own good.
That charity was always taken care of by the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, and no one else had ever interfered.
Those children were the orphans of soldiers who died on the battlefield.
Do you know how much weight is involved here?
That is the soul of the Weiyuan Army, the softest spot in their hearts.
If you take good care of those children, your status in the hearts of the Weiyuan Army will be different, and you will become their support.
It's not terrible to die on the battlefield; what's terrible is that no one cares about what happens after you die.
The reason why the Duke of Dingguo was able to win the support of the soldiers of the Weiyuan Army was because those soldiers knew that their general would not abandon them.
You keep saying that you have no opportunity to get involved in military affairs.
I'm telling you now, this opportunity is far more important than those that involve transporting grain or weapons.
Let me give you another example!
With the Duke of Dingguo gone, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion now appears to be a place of orphans and widows. If something really happens to Madam Shen and the others, the entire Weiyuan Army will not let that person off the hook.
"If you can gain the approval of the Weiyuan Army, they will also recognize you," Empress Xu said solemnly.
The crown prince then realized what was happening.
Yes, those children are orphans of the Weiyuan Army; there's a lot to explore here...
"Mother, I know I was wrong. I was short-sighted and didn't think of so many things." Realizing his mistake, the Crown Prince immediately stepped forward to admit it.
Empress Xu waved her hand wearily, not wanting to look at the Crown Prince.
"My son, everything your mother does is for you."
Your father sent Xiao Qi to see me, which means he also wants me to talk to you.
Xiao Qi could easily arrange things for those people. He's a prince, and although he's still young, people still have to give him some face.
He didn't do that, but first informed your father, who understood what Xiao Qi meant.
It's impossible that Madam Shen didn't have her intentions in this.
This means that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, under Madam Shen's guidance, has given you the best opportunity to win people's hearts.
Your father also knew these things, which is why he had Xiao Qi find me.
This is a private matter, not official business, do you understand?
The crown prince finally understood what was going on.
"Mother, then... what should I do!" The Crown Prince dared not make any decisions in private.
Empress Xu sighed deeply.
Seeing the Crown Prince like this, she suddenly had a feeling.
Can someone like that govern Chongqing well?
How could this be...?
Is this what people mean by "too bad to be helped"?
But when she thought that the crown prince was her only son, and that she could only move forward and not back down, she felt a little reluctant.
"Your Highness, listen to what your mother has to say, and do exactly as she says. Don't make a single mistake."
First, you must travel incognito; do not go to the outskirts of the capital in the Crown Prince's carriage.
Take your personal guards, as well as the household attendants and some secret guards.
I secretly went to that charity hall on the outskirts of Beijing.
You need to first get in touch with them, let them know you, and let them know that you are the crown prince.
Always remember to be friendly and approachable, and don't put on airs.
The second step is for you to have your servants write down what each child is good at and what they are capable of doing.
Then make proper arrangements.
Madam Shen raised these children for many years, just waiting for this day.
This is tantamount to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion submitting to the government.
You must do this well; you cannot do it wrong, understand?
Raising those children isn't just about throwing money at them; it's about warming their hearts.
Your Highness, think about it. When these children go to the north in the future, the soldiers will ask them how they got here.
"When the children say that, which soldier doesn't admire you from the bottom of their heart?" Empress Xu said.
The crown prince nodded repeatedly.
The Empress Dowager is right; it's hard to win over people's hearts, and even harder to win over the army's morale...
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your wise counsel." The Crown Prince bowed respectfully to Empress Xu.
Empress Xu did not speak, but only looked at the Crown Prince.
The King of Qin went to the south, and the Crown Prince felt his position was more secure, so that's probably why he did this...
After a while, the Crown Prince looked a little embarrassed before Empress Xu continued to speak.
"You should be thanking me, not me."
You should thank Xiaoqi properly; she's the one who got these things for you.
Forget it, I've said too much. If you find it annoying, I'll say it again: be nicer to Xiao Qi.
When necessary, Xiaoqi can be as strong as a thousand troops.
"You may leave now, I am also tired." Empress Xu waved her hand at the Crown Prince, then picked up the teacup that had gone cold.
The crown prince said a few more words respectfully before leaving.
Empress Xu only sighed after the Crown Prince left.
The current situation seems to be in the Crown Prince's favor, but she felt a little uneasy.
The Duke of Qi suddenly left, and she felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why...
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