Chapter 129
Life after marriage is very different from before.
Chu Huan used to sleep alone, but now there is someone beside her. The bed and quilt have to be shared by him in half. Half of her body is empty and cold, which makes her very uncomfortable. She often goes to Shang Lu while sleeping.
Shang Lu has a good sleeping posture. He looks the same when he wakes up as when he falls asleep. However, this sleeping posture changed after a few days because his wife unconsciously moved closer to him after she fell asleep.
The two of them had clearly done the most intimate things, but when they woke up the next day and saw such an intimate posture, they were still shy and blushed for a while before getting out of bed.
System: [Sister Huan, I testify that Lady Shanglu didn't pull you over while you were asleep and then slander you. It was you who unconsciously approached her after you fell asleep.]
If this were winter, you could say it's because the man's body is warm, and the two of you would sleep cuddled together to keep warm. But now it's May, the perfect time for a comfortable sleep, neither too hot nor too cold. So how much do you like him that you'd cuddle up with him even when you're asleep?
Chu Huan: “…”
If the system hadn't had a bit of sense and didn't choose group chat mode to say this, letting everyone in the princess's mansion know their sleeping positions, Chu Huan would have made the system deeply aware of the wickedness of human nature.
Seeing the host's face turning blue and red, the system was worried that it had angered the host and would result in the threat of negative reviews.
Although the cooperation between the host and Tong has been going smoothly so far, and the host is a person who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside and will not really give it a bad review to affect its performance and evaluation, but hearing about bad reviews makes Tong nervous, so he decided not to do it.
The system quickly changed the subject: [Sister Huan, your wedding leave is about to end. You must attend court tomorrow.]
[The Emperor previously assigned you to the Imperial Academy as per custom. This was partly to silence the gossip, and partly to give you a temporary position so you can finalize your long-delayed marriage. Nangong Ling was also treated the same way. I guess we'll have to wait until she gets married next month before we can discuss anything.]
"Your situation will be faster. You should be promoted when you return this time. I see many department heads are striving for it. The emperor is worried about where you will go. Have you thought about where you want to go?"
Chu Hua: [Ministry of Revenue.]
System: [Is it because you have the best relationship with the Minister of Revenue?]
This was also the question raised by the emperor and several ministers.
Chu Huan's honeymoon had not yet ended, and she should have continued to rest at home, but in the afternoon she received an oral order from the emperor and was respectfully received into the palace by the eunuch.
In the imperial study, there were the old Grand Tutor, the old Grand Preceptor, Prince Furui, General Xuanwei, the six ministers... At a glance, all officials above the third rank were here.
"Your Highness."
Chu Huan had just finished her greeting when the Emperor called her back. The Emperor smiled and asked with concern, "Zhao Ming, are you getting used to living in the Princess's Mansion?"
"I'm used to it. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Chu Huan replied with a smile.
The emperor didn't say much, just went through the motions and said, "Your marriage leave hasn't ended yet, I don't want to disturb you..."
The emperor glanced at the officials sitting below the dragon table, feeling a headache coming on. "Alright, everyone's here, go ahead and ask yourselves."
Chu Huan revealed a puzzled expression at the right moment.
The Minister of Revenue spoke first, "It's like this. The princess has recently been paving cement roads and making tire scooters. The work has been done, but you hold an official position in the Hanlin Academy, which may give people a chance to criticize you. I am wondering which department we should assign you to..."
He was about to continue when the Minister of Works interrupted him at the crucial point: "Whether it's cement roads, tires, skateboards, roller skates, or concrete, these are all matters within the Ministry of Works' responsibilities. Princess, it would be more convenient for you to come to our Ministry of Works."
"That's not what I meant." The Ministry of Works has been in the spotlight recently, and the Minister of Justice is so jealous that his eyes are almost red. He can't let those rough guys in the Ministry of Works take Princess Zhaoming back to the Ministry of Works. If that happens, how will the Ministry of Justice have room to shine?
"It would take over ten years just to pave a cement road in your Ministry of Works. How can you let the princess stay there forever? Of course, she should come to our Ministry of Justice! To solve cases..."
"Solving cases is what the princess is good at. Please consider our Dali Temple." The Dali Temple Minister interrupted the Minister of Justice with a smile on his face, making the Minister of Justice so angry that his face turned black.
"There is a system to solve cases. Letting the princess investigate the case is not a waste of talent." The Minister of Agriculture was not afraid of offending the system at all. He had nothing to fear from his shadow when he was upright. In order to get the princess into his bowl, he risked everything!
"Princess Zhaoming, you mentioned pesticides in your palace examination paper. I wonder when they can be used?"
"You, the Sinong Temple, haven't even figured out fertilizers yet, so what's the point of focusing on pesticides?" The Minister of Personnel is now most afraid that Chu Huan will come up with a dozen more fertilizers. Behind each fertilizer are the appointments, transfers, and promotions of dozens or hundreds of officials. If this happens a few more times, he will really have to retire and return home.
"The princess possesses a divine tool like the system, and is able to manage the staff of the princess's mansion in perfect order. Such abilities should naturally come to our Ministry of Personnel, a place that is best equipped to identify and appoint people to appropriate positions and utilize them."
The Minister of War was not very good at speaking, and could only utter a dry sentence: "Our Ministry of War is actually very suitable for the princess."
…
You and I chatted with each other, and the majestic and solemn imperial study was like a vegetable market early in the morning.
Everyone wants to buy Chu Huan, the little cabbage, home, but the right to buy and sell is not in their hands. They can only hope that the little cabbage will take the initiative to follow them back if she likes one of their families.
Before they could start arguing, Chu Huan said, "Thank you all for your kindness. I have already decided to go to the Ministry of Revenue."
The Minister of Revenue felt like a big pie had fallen from the sky, making him dizzy and dazed.
The others looked at each other in disbelief. Why was it the Ministry of Revenue again?!
The old Grand Tutor and the old Grand Preceptor once privately discussed where Chu Huan would go after leaving the Hanlin Academy. They always felt that anywhere would be fine, but each place would be a little worse and not enough for her to display her talents. In the end, they felt that she could actually work in the court as Princess Zhaoming.
This is also the reason why the two of them never expressed their opinions despite the other people arguing about it.
The emperor was also curious: "Ministry of Revenue? Zhaoming, what do you think?"
"Your Majesty," Chu Huan said, "If you want to get rich, you must first build roads. I want to pave all the main roads in Dasheng with cement within five years. No matter how much money the national treasury has, it won't be enough to build such a road, so the most urgent thing is to make money."
"Hiss--" Everyone present gasped. Some people choked and felt sore in their throats from inhaling too much, while others accidentally bit their tongues and felt so much pain that tears came out of their eyes.
"What did you say?" The old Grand Tutor and the old Grand Preceptor were completely shocked.
The Minister of Revenue was about to faint.
If Chu Huan continued to do what she was doing, would there be a penny left in the treasury? How many years had the treasury been full? Was Dasheng's treasury destined to be empty and ridiculed?
Chu Hua: "Teacher, I want to build a road."
The emperor and his ministers: "..."
"Building roads is a good thing, but you want to build all the main roads in Dasheng at once. Isn't that too much?" The old master never thought that the student he taught personally would be so aggressive.
"Not much." Chu Huan shook her head. "Once the main roads are repaired, Dasheng will be well connected. Grain from the south can be transported to the border as quickly as possible, and government orders from the capital can be transmitted to all regions at the fastest speed. This will be very beneficial from the economic, political, and military perspectives."
The emperor and his ministers were speechless. They knew the benefits of building roads, but didn’t they have the money?
The emperor had only enjoyed a few years of having a sizable treasury, and didn't have to be stingy with everything. Hearing Chu Huan's plan gave him a headache, and he couldn't say, "Zhao Ming, I agree with your plan, but the treasury is broke, so we can't do it."
As an emperor, doesn't he have any dignity?!
So, with just one look, the Minister of Revenue had to take the blame.
The Minister of Revenue took the blame willingly: "Princess, as you said, if we follow your plan, even several national treasuries wouldn't be enough to cover such a pretense."
"So I've already prepared a way to make money." Chu Huan pulled a thick stack of papers from her sleeve pocket. "Start making money from every aspect of life, from food, clothing, housing, and transportation. I want to earn money not only from the people of Dasheng, but also from other countries. Only by getting money flowing can we generate more money and revitalize the market and the economy."
She handed the top few drawings to the Minister of Industry: "These are drawings of improved spinning machines and shuttles. They can increase the current spinning speed by twenty times."
"Hiss—" Everyone's eyes popped out of their heads in shock. Is this true? Twenty times?
Chu Huan handed an even thicker stack of drawings to the Minister of Revenue. "Here are recipes for milk tea, cakes, candies, dried meat, fish, shrimp, and other foods. There are also plans for food streets, food festivals, and other activities."
He handed a stack of blueprints to the Imperial Household Officer in charge of animal husbandry: "These are methods for batch hatching chicken, duck, and goose eggs, large-scale breeding of fish and shrimp, and some methods for making feed."
He handed a stack of blueprints to the Minister of War and said, "These are the blueprints for bicycles and tricycles. They should have been given to the Ministry of Industry, but they have so much work to do. I think the Ministry of War should be able to do it too."
The Minister of War wasn't particularly keen on taking on this task, and just as he was beginning to look troubled, Chu Hua said, "With a bicycle, you can cover at least twenty miles in half an hour. It's truly the perfect tool for getting around."
The pupils of the Minister of War and the generals trembled.
The army's daily marching speed is generally thirty to forty miles a day. Using a bicycle, this distance can be completed in one hour. The speed is so fast that it is simply a forced march!
"I'll do it!" The Minister of War held the blueprint tightly in his hand, and he looked like he would be very angry if anyone dared to snatch it from him!
Chu Huan stood in front of the Minister of Rites again, and the Minister of Rites was surprised: "I have it too?"
Chu Hua didn't give anything, but just said: "Sir, I believe you have heard of Chu's glass factory. In the past, the glass factory was just a small business."
The emperor and his ministers: "..."
So the profitable glass factory is just a small business in your words?
Looking at the more profitable things in the hands of the ministers, it suddenly seemed that they were indeed making some small moves. If Chu Huan really worked hard, she could poke a hole in the entire Dasheng sky.
Chu Hua: "I want to make the glass particularly exquisite, control the quantity, and make it a high-end product. I hope the Ministry of Rites can draw some special patterns and write some legends to make them full of mystery, so that many people will be willing to buy them..."
The Minister of Rites suddenly realized that this was the same trick he had used to sell The Legend of Chu Hua. He understood!
Chu Huan added, "I also have recipes for rouge, nail polish, and stone ink, with some new colors. I hope the Ministry of Rites can draw a series of patterns for them..."
She said a lot more afterwards, and the Minister of Rites summarized it: it is just writing and designing.
The Ministry of Rites is familiar with this job! They are the gathering place of the most educated officials in Dasheng. The princess has chosen them for this job!
…
Half an hour later, all the officials present, including the military generals, received their tasks. Only the old Grand Tutor, the old Grand Preceptor, and Prince Furui were free, which made the three of them very unhappy.
Are they old and lacking energy?
Why did Chu Huan assign tasks to everyone else but not to these three? Or was it because their status was too high that Chu Huan didn't dare assign them any work?
The one who felt even worse than them was the emperor.
He sat on the dragon throne and watched for half an hour, feeling that his job of assigning tasks to officials seemed to have been taken away? Not sure, let's wait and see.
After Chu Huan finished assigning the tasks, she felt thirsty, and Chen Jiu brought her a cup of tea at just the right temperature.
"Thank you very much."
emperor:"……"
It seems his personal eunuch was also robbed? Not sure, let's wait and see.
After Chu Huan finished a cup of tea, she still felt thirsty, so Chen Jiu brought her a cup of warm water that was just right for her to drink and quench her thirst.
"Thank you very much."
emperor:"……"
The old Grand Tutor, the old Grand Preceptor, and Prince Furui looked at the bewildered emperor, then at Chu Huan who was clueless, and almost couldn't hold back their laughter.
Chu Huan quenched her thirst, and then noticed the hints in the old Grand Tutor's and Grand Preceptor's eyes, and finally realized what she had forgotten.
She smiled apologetically at the emperor and said, "I apologize for your inconsiderateness."
The emperor issued an imperial decree to adopt Chu Huan as his adopted daughter, but she always abided by her duties, calling the emperor "Your Majesty" and referring to herself as "Chu" instead of "this palace" to others, which always made the emperor feel that "Chu Huan doesn't want to be my daughter."
The Emperor felt relieved by the call of "Father." "That's all right, Huan'er is devoted to the country and is new to politics, so it's inevitable that you might be imperfect. Come to the palace more often when you have free time, and I will teach you."
Chu Huan smiled brightly: "Thank you, Father!"
"Hey!" The emperor was even happier and laughed so hard that his eyes were almost blind.
Officials: "..." Your Majesty, are you a little too easy to please?
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