Chapter 37 Each with their own plans
Over here, Yu Zaiting bid farewell to the two officials, but chuckled softly inside his own sedan chair.
The person slowly driving the carriage outside was Chang Yun, the servant who accompanied him. Hearing laughter from inside, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Master, what are you laughing at?"
The master of their household does everything slowly, speaks little, walks little, has a light palate, and doesn't even pay much attention to his wives and concubines. The servants sometimes say in private that their master is the kind of person who wouldn't panic even if a flood were to reach the gates of the mansion.
He was too slow, too steady, and even he was affected. Gradually, the others in the household began to jokingly call him: "Chang Yun" (meaning "Always Dizzy").
He really wanted to faint.
Yu Zaiting slowly stroked his chin with one hand, "Today is a day of good fortune."
Chang Yun became even more curious.
If the master says it's a joyous occasion, then it must be an extremely joyous occasion.
"What good news?"
The carriage traveled along the wide streets of Nanhua City, and as it entered the market, the sounds outside gradually became more and more noisy.
Yu Zaiting lifted the curtain beside him and glanced outside. The daylight was perfect, and the sun was high in the sky.
He lowered the curtain, a faint smile still on his face.
"Let's catch the train."
Chang Yun already knew; there was no need to ask.
Wang Xiang and Sun Jinyi remained seated facing each other in the government office.
Sun Jinyi couldn't help but ask, "Prime Minister, what do you think His Majesty means?"
Wang Xiang held the teacup, the lid sliding gently along the rim, as if deep in thought.
“Yu Zaiting is too dull. Although he is your student, he didn’t say a single useful word when he met the Emperor just now.”
Wang Xiang glanced at him and said with a faint smile, "Is there anything better in the world than 'obeying the Emperor's will'?"
Sun Jinyi's expression changed, and his gaze towards Wang Xiang immediately became somewhat doubtful and uncertain.
Wang Xiang smiled again, "Lord Sun, don't be so nervous. This list was drafted in a bit of a rush. It's presented to His Majesty today and will be announced at the morning court tomorrow. It's only natural that His Majesty wants to take a closer look."
Sun Jinyi's expression softened slightly.
"The whole world belongs to the king, and all people within the realm are his subjects. If Your Majesty wishes to see, is there any reason to prevent you from doing so?"
"So, what are the Prime Minister's plans now?"
“What plans can I possibly have? His Majesty has not yet assumed personal rule, and of the three regents appointed by the late Emperor, only Fu Mingyi, whose fate is now unknown, remains. With a member of the imperial family as a hostage, and according to the rules of the previous dynasty, if the Grand Tutor is also absent, you and I must do our utmost to assist His Majesty. Although this list requires His Majesty's approval, let's see what His Majesty's arrangements are first.” Wang Xiang smiled, appearing relaxed.
Sun Jinyi then began to think about it more deeply.
The young emperor was only ten years old and had been on the throne for less than two years when he encountered the invasion of the northern barbarians. He fled all the way here, and if it weren't for Fu Mingyi's arrangements, he probably wouldn't have survived to enter Nanhua Palace.
A child unfamiliar with the situation probably wouldn't recognize all the dozens of court officials standing in the court. Even if he looked at the list carefully, what could he possibly understand?
Even if His Majesty proposes a different plan, with so many people present, as long as they hold a court discussion, they can surely reach a suitable result. Why should he be in such a hurry at this time?
With Fu Mingyi absent, who has more say than them in the issue of filling vacant military positions?
In fact, they probably have more to say than just this.
Look at Wang Xiang, doesn't he look so calm and collected, without any worries or anxieties? He's a cunning and shrewd fellow after all.
Having thought things through, Sun Jinyi calmed himself down, chatted with Wang Xiang about some trivial matters, and finally left satisfied.
Wang Xiang watched him stride away, his eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of melancholy in them.
Accompanied by Zhao Youchen, Xiao Qing spent the entire night carefully reading both memorials twice, and even copied down the memorials presented by Wang Xiang and the others before finally returning to Chengde Palace to sleep with peace of mind.
When she returned, she saw Yingying and the three kittens again, so she asked them a few questions about their daily lives and played with them for a while.
Seeing that they had all grown much plumper, with thicker and more lustrous fur, she was pleased and couldn't help but praise, "Young Master Ying is very good at raising cats."
Over the past few days, she's come to understand. While cats are cute, and holding and playing with them can certainly improve one's mood, playing with a cat and owning a cat are two different things.
What she did was play with the cat. What Yingying did was raise the cat.
She admitted that if she were to raise these cats herself, she would definitely not be as thoughtful and meticulous as Ying Ying.
Because of these cats, she began to think Yingying was quite nice.
Yingying replied, "I am not an expert in raising cats. I just follow their wishes, make sure they are well-fed and well-rested, and can live freely and happily every day."
As Xiao Qing thought about each day she lived, for a moment she felt that she was even worse than a cat.
Before she knew it, it was the morning of the second day. Xiao Qing got up early, dressed herself in her inner clothes, leaving only the elaborate court robes for Mei Shu to help her put on. She then put on her crown and, once everything was in place, rode in a palanquin to court under the protection of Zhao Youchen.
She couldn't help but think with a wicked sense of humor what these people would think if they found out one day that she was a woman disguised as a man.
The dragon throne was placed on a high step, but when she sat down and looked down, she still couldn't see the Grand Tutor's figure.
The only person she knew was Zhao Youchen, who was standing next to her.
The courtiers, as always, were as tactful and discreet, so they began by presenting only trivial matters. She didn't need to display any imperial wisdom.
However, she kept her eyes on Wang Xiang and Sun Jinyi out of the corner of her eye, waiting patiently.
Sure enough, not long after, someone stepped forward and mentioned the vacancy for a military officer.
This person was neither Wang Xiang nor Sun Jinyi, but Yu Zaiting.
Yu Zaiting, who hadn't made any public appearances yesterday.
Xiao Qing recalled that last night when she was organizing the list, Zhao Youchen mentioned some people he had met or heard of, and tried to introduce them to her in an objective way. Then, when she asked him, he mentioned Yu Zaiting.
Yu Zaiting was a student of Wang Xiang, and he didn't seem to have any particularly outstanding political achievements before. However, his personal characteristics seemed quite distinct.
According to Zhao Youchen's summary, it can be summed up in three words: "a step behind".
For some reason, he gained the favor of the prime minister, and when the reign title was changed and the system was established, he was placed in the position of Minister of War.
Yu Zaiting slowly stated his views, and Xiao listened and felt that he was just expressing one thing: Your Majesty, you should have finished looking at the list I gave you yesterday, right? If you have any opinions or suggestions, please speak them now, and let's discuss them together, shall we?
After he finished speaking, Yu Zaiting stood there without saying another word.
Xiao Qing's gaze swept over Wang Xiang and Sun Jinyi.
Seeing that the young emperor remained silent, several ministers stepped forward and spoke at length about how vacant military positions should not be left for too long and how important it was to fill them now.
In short, the matter is urgent, Your Majesty, please make a decision quickly.
Xiao Qing sneered inwardly.
They really can't wait.
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