Chapter 137 Chips
Xiao Qing thought, Fu Mingyi definitely didn't mean for her to sell official positions in the name of the imperial court, did he?
But Fu Mingyi didn't talk about that; instead, he went back to talking about the word "tax."
That concludes today's lesson.
Fu Mingyi told Xiao Yan to leave first, while he and Xiao Qing continued to sit in the South Study.
"Does Your Majesty still have any doubts?"
Xiao Qing nodded, "Regarding what we were talking about just now, it seems the Grand Tutor omitted something halfway through?"
Fu Mingyi smiled and asked, "What does Your Majesty think is missing?"
Xiao Qing disliked him the most for stopping halfway through a sentence and leaving people in suspense.
"Does the Grand Tutor think that if something like what happened a few years ago were to happen again, we should intervene?"
"Then it depends on what Your Majesty desires."
Xiao found these words strange.
He was the one who made the ten-year promise with her, and in recent years, most of Nanxiao's development plans have followed his design. Now, however, he is asking himself what he wants.
"Is the Grand Tutor planning to wash his hands of this?"
“It’s not that we’re ignoring it.” Fu Mingyi’s expression finally turned serious. “Currently, Dingzhou and the surrounding counties don’t generate much tax revenue.”
Looking at Xiao Qing's expression, Fu Mingyi knew she understood.
To date, South Shaw's tax reserves have not reached a level sufficient to support a protracted war.
Fu Mingyi then asked, "Does Your Majesty remember Zhao Ziyuan?"
Xiao Qing thought about it for a long time and felt that the two things were unrelated.
"Zhao Youchen's original surname was Zhao. When Zhao Youchen joined the army, he had the help of Zhao Ziyuan. However, at that time, Zhao Ziyuan was not yet a regional governor and did not have the authority to command the army of a prefecture."
Xiao Qing finally figured out what was flashing through her mind before class.
Zhao Youchen's surname is Zhao. He is an orphan adopted by the Zhao family.
“That Feng Zhengmin…”
Fu Mingyi shook his head, "I haven't heard of him being too close to anyone. He's a very principled person."
"So, what does the Grand Tutor think is true or false..."
Fu Mingyi glanced out the window and said slowly, "Most of what he said is true. However, the matter concerning Zhao Ziyuan did not happen now, but two months ago."
Xiao Qing felt that her brain wasn't working properly.
"Two months ago?"
Fu Mingyi nodded. "Two months ago, it was the time when various prefectures and counties were paying their taxes. It was at that time that Feng Zhengmin reported Zhao Ziyuan's matter to the Ministry of Revenue. However, the Ministry of Revenue was busy at that time, and the Prime Minister did not pay much attention to it."
That means that the report presented in court today regarding Zhao Ziyuan's embezzlement of state taxes is still related to Wang Xiang.
Fu Mingyi, who seemed to understand her perfectly, saw her looking at him and asked, "Just now, I saw Your Majesty and the Prime Minister traveling together. Did the Prime Minister mention Zhao Ziyuan?"
Xiao Qing nodded, "They mentioned it briefly."
She paused for a moment, then said, "The Prime Minister is considerate of my heavy workload, which caused me to miss my rest yesterday."
Fu Mingyi nodded, "This is the Prime Minister conveying a message to me."
Should we pass the message through her?
Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow.
Fu Mingyi smiled.
"Yesterday, His Majesty had a perilous experience, and the Prime Minister and the others must have had it no easier either."
Where does this come from?
"Jiang Tianba is in our hands."
How did this get involved with Jiang Tianba again?
Fu Mingyi meticulously explained to Xiao Qing the subtle connections between these seemingly unrelated events.
"Jiang Tianba has been operating in Nanhua City for many years and has some influence throughout Dingzhou. He does not oppose the government; on the contrary, he has a very close relationship with the government. Often, when it is inconvenient for the government to intervene, Jiang Tianba can step in."
Xiao Qing remembered hearing Zhao Youchen mention such a thing.
Although it was said three years ago, she remembered that Jiang Tianba was a prominent figure in Nanhua City.
“We captured Jiang Tianba alive, and they couldn’t sit still anymore.”
"Does Jiang Tianba have something on them?" Xiao Qing quickly realized this.
Fu Mingyi appeared very relaxed.
"While that is one reason, I suspect that the Prime Minister is considering more than just this issue."
"Any other questions?"
“Enke, job titles, etc.”
Fu Mingyi has always had a very good overall perspective.
"Therefore, Your Majesty should be prepared."
Xiao Qing felt that her mental preparation seemed too weak.
She thought, no wonder Wang Xiang mentioned yesterday, no wonder those court officials mentioned the security issues of Nanhua City during the morning court session.
"What does the Grand Tutor think we should do?"
Fu Mingyi stood by the window, looking out into the distance.
“Jiang Tianba cannot be given to them. As for other matters, some compromise is not out of the question. It depends on…”
He remained silent for a moment, then turned to look at Xiao Qing.
"What other bargaining chips can they offer?"
Xiao Qing smiled, "The Grand Tutor has already thought it through, so I won't bother with that."
Sure enough, on the second day, during a small-scale court meeting, Fu Mingyi and Wang Xiang engaged in a seemingly friendly but actually veiled discussion about Zhao Ziyuan's matter.
As Xiao Qing once again witnessed the back-and-forth exchange between the two powerful figures in the court, a surge of passion gradually rose within him.
Fu Mingyi is undoubtedly a very dedicated and professional person.
The Great Xiao Dynasty moved south three years ago.
Over the course of three years, Fu Mingyi has matured and become more adept at navigating Nanhua City.
He dedicated almost all of his time to the cause of the Great Depression's revival, never tiring of it and never afraid of hardship.
At that moment, she clearly sensed the difference between Fu Mingyi and Wang Xiang.
Even if they are equally capable and have the same prestige, their beliefs and what comes from their hearts are different.
Finally, the court decided on three things.
First, they sent someone to Yingzhou to investigate Zhao Ziyuan's matter. The choice of this person was very important, and the two sides went back and forth before finally deciding to send an imperial censor, who seemed to be on Wang Xiang's side.
Secondly, the plan for this special imperial examination was finalized. One of the provisions was to recruit candidates widely without being bound by any particular criteria, and to tacitly allow the purchase of official positions for some sinecure roles. The official positions obtained through purchase were not comparable to those obtained through the regular imperial examinations; in reality, they were equivalent to being given a status and correspondingly meager benefits.
Thirdly, there's the matter of Jiang Tianba. Although Jiang Tianba committed many evil deeds, he was the local tyrant of Nanhua City. With him in Nanhua City, he could suppress other forces. But now that he's gone, those leaderless forces are acting independently, making some things in Nanhua City difficult to manage.
Wang Xiang did not explicitly say anything about Jiang Tianba, but Xiao Ting understood his meaning: such a person should not be allowed to leave the city; he must be kept under close watch for safety.
After the three matters were discussed, the court meeting adjourned, but Fu Mingyi and Wang Xiang spoke privately for a while longer.
This time, Xiao Qing patted his behind and left, not intending to listen any further.
Anyway, with the Grand Tutor around, there's nothing we can't handle.
She still needs to find a place to practice what Mr. Wu taught her.
These are basic survival skills. Next time she leaves the palace, she can't be as unprepared as she has been the previous times.
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