Chapter 176 National Policy
Mo Dan really did leave with Xiao Yuan and her son.
Unbeknownst to them, the Tang flowers drying in the yard had all disappeared.
Fortunately, there were still plenty of ingredients in the kitchen.
They stayed at Xiao Yuan and her son's farmhouse for two days. Every day, Fu Mingyi tried his best to change his dressings himself, then he would try to move around for a while while holding onto the bed, and then Xiao Qing would help him to go to the courtyard to bask in the sun.
In contrast, Xiao Qing became increasingly restless.
She thought of the men in black leaping down from the cliffs, of Mr. Wu, of Li Qinghe and Zhao Ziyuan, and still felt uneasy.
This anxiety made her unconsciously pace back and forth in the yard, which made Fu Mingyi laugh.
Xiao Qing turned around, feeling very strange about his seemingly unaffected state.
"You can still laugh?"
People living in the mountains often don't have the means to see a proper doctor when they fall ill. Even if they break their legs while hunting in the mountains, they usually treat it themselves or seek help from someone in the village who has some medical knowledge.
Fu Mingyi's leg injury was previously treated by Xiao Yuan and her son—although their methods weren't very sophisticated, they were still enough to manage for the time being.
We'll have to see the specifics after we go out.
Perhaps it was because of Mo Dan's medicine bag and the medicine he left behind, plus Xiao Qing's timely use of the herbs left by Xiao Yuan and her son to crush and change his dressing, that his leg injury recovered much faster than before.
However, if danger comes, none of them can escape.
Not to mention that they've been away for over half a month, and what's happening at Nanhua Palace.
Hehe, he's not in a hurry at all.
Fu Mingyi adjusted his posture, feeling comfortably warm from the sun, and casually squinted his eyes, asking, "What's wrong?"
Xiao Qing walked over and looked at his leg, finally saying, "We've been away from Nanhua for half a month."
Fu Mingyi glanced at her, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "In recent years, the Imperial Guards of Nanhua Palace and the garrison of Nanhua City have undergone several reorganizations and are now firmly in You Chen's hands. As long as he is here, there will be no major trouble."
Xiao Qing thought of how busy Zhao Youchen had been all these years, how strict and demanding he was when training troops on the South Training Ground, and how Ying Ziye had once said that Zhao Youchen was a formidable figure in the army...
Fu Mingyi seemed to chuckle.
"Why do you think Wang Xiang and his group targeted Zhao Ziyuan?"
Xiao Qing looked over. "They want to deal with Zhao Youchen?"
Not entirely.
"No, dealing with Zhao Youchen is also dealing with you."
Fu Mingyi picked up a simple cane next to the chair and gestured on the ground.
"Jiang Tianba is just the trigger; the real reason isn't Jiang Tianba. Even if he has many more accusations against the officials of the Southern Hua Dynasty for violating laws and regulations, as long as our Great Xiao still adheres to the old system, these things cannot shake their foundation. But now the situation is different."
He drew several circles on the ground, wrote the character "Jiang" in one circle, and the character "Wang" in another circle.
"When the Great Xiao Dynasty faced national crisis, it has attached great importance to the military system and made good use of military generals in recent years. In the past year alone, three military generals have been promoted to noble titles, which would have been impossible before."
He drew an X on the circle of the character "Jiang", and then wrote the character "Fu" and the character "Zhao" in two circles next to it.
“In the Great Xiao Dynasty, there was a long history of mutual disdain between civil and military officials. Military generals easily obtained honors, which naturally made civil officials resentful, as they felt that this violated the rules of their ancestors and was improper. Wang Xiang had great prestige in the south and was a representative figure of the southern literati. Naturally, he would consider the interests of the literati in the world, suppress military generals, and boost the morale of the literati. This is one reason.”
He drew an X on the circle around the character "Zhao".
Xiao Qing unconsciously sat down next to him.
Perhaps it was because her mindset had changed, but back in Nanhua Palace, she used to hate hearing these things the most.
Every time Fu Mingyi gave a lesson, she only learned the surface level and was too lazy to apply what she learned.
Fu Mingyi probably understood her mindset, so he gradually talked about these things less and less afterward.
"Although Wang Xiang is the prime minister of the dynasty and in charge of the six ministries, since His Majesty has not yet assumed personal rule, and I, as the Grand Tutor, am by his side and deeply trusted, in fact, he and I are equal in the decision-making power of the court."
Fu Mingyi smiled and said, "You could also say that it's hindering us at every turn."
He then drew an X on the circle around the character "傅".
“If he can bring me down, then he can hold his position in peace and be truly deserving of the title. That’s the second point.”
There was another circle, and he wrote the word "clan" inside it.
"Thirdly," Fu Mingyi paused, not continuing, but looked at Xiao Qing, "Your Majesty might want to consider this."
These days when they're out, Fu Mingyi usually calls her Qingran, but at this moment he formally addresses her as Your Majesty.
Xiao Qing looked at the circles on the ground, his gaze lingering on the words "clan" for a moment. He didn't answer his question, but instead asked, "What does the Grand Tutor think of Wang Xiang?"
Fu Mingyi tilted his head, crossed his arms in front of him, and leaned back comfortably. After a while, he said, "Two words."
Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow.
"Your Majesty, guess?"
Without hesitation, Xiao Qing blurted out, "A capable minister?"
Fu Mingyi smiled.
He shook his head. "What a pity."
"What a pity?" Xiao Qing's eyes widened. "Why?"
Fu Mingyi looked at her, "Do you still remember what Yu Zaiting said before he left?"
That was three years ago.
Although Yu Zaiting said he would definitely return to Nanhua within five years, he has not made any move in the past three years.
I heard that Wangbeipo was built in Jiangzhou, but it remained silent and unknown for three years.
She recalled Yu Zaiting's assessment of Wang Xiang at the time.
Fu Mingyi smiled. "It seems His Majesty still remembers."
"My judgment is basically the same as Lord Yu's."
As Fu Mingyi spoke, Xiao Qing gradually calmed down, and her initial anxiety and unease seemed to dissipate with his unhurried tone.
Fu Mingyi has this ability; he seems to have an innate ability to calm people down and soothe them.
"It may not be obvious now. If it's just a matter of personal reasons, it won't really be a big problem. But what about two years, or five years? The Great Xiao and the Northern Barbarians will go to war sooner or later. The Great Xiao's foundation is north of the Xiao River. The entire north has been handed over to the Northern Barbarians. This is the Great Xiao's pain and shame. When the time is right, even if I don't advocate for war, the generals of the Great Xiao will ask to fight."
He looked up at the sky. "In recent years, the southern prefectures have followed Dingzhou's example, conscripting soldiers, paying taxes, and stockpiling grain, some openly, some covertly. Wang Xiang and his cronies have seized this opportunity to simultaneously petition His Majesty, claiming that conscripting soldiers everywhere is a disturbance to the people, causing them immense suffering and making them unwilling to serve; while at the same time, they have tacitly approved the prefectures to increase poll taxes, commercial taxes, and various miscellaneous fees and taxes. As a result, some of the silver goes to the national treasury, and the rest..."
He turned to look at Xiao Qing, his expression growing increasingly solemn.
Xiao Qing understood instantly.
"So, your trip to Yingzhou this time wasn't just about Zhao Ziyuan, but also about this matter?"
Fu Mingyi's expression was unusually firm, even cold, at this moment.
"With a major war imminent, military service is a national policy."
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