Chapter 96
The louder the officials quarreled, the happier the system was - all of this was proof of the host's popularity!
The Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of War all need Chu Huan, so how could the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel be far behind?
After the host has been in charge of all six ministries, all officials in the six ministries will owe Chu Huan a favor and will all know her abilities. It will not be long before she ascends the throne and becomes the empress.
Well, probably not.
It is possible to hold the position of Grand Tutor or Grand Preceptor, and ascend to the position of Empress in one step... I have to admit that it is still somewhat difficult.
The system decided to think of a solution for the host.
If the Empress System, the Imperial Teacher System, and the Enriching the Country and Strengthening the Army System can do it, there is no reason why this melon-eating system cannot do it.
Except for the second princess who was far away in the frontier, all the women on the list that Nangong Ling gave to Chu Huan began their own studies with the help of Chu Huan and the encouragement of the emperor. Those people would all be Chu Huan's helpers in the future in the court.
Chu Huan herself needs time to grow, and is willing to wait for them to grow up slowly, but the system can't wait any longer.
It wants people who can help the host now, such as ready-made talents like Li He and Li Chen. If they are given a chance, they can make merit and get promoted. Five years later, when the host enters the court as an official, they will be able to protect her!
To this end, the system practices questions and eats melons day and night to accumulate melon energy. When there is enough melon energy, it will look for talented people who are in trouble and urgently need to be rescued.
Three days passed, then seven days passed. A lot of cases had been solved and many injustices had been exposed, but there were few suitable candidates.
The system couldn't stand this injustice, so it found the perfect opportunity to start ranting at Chu Huan: [I just want to find you some right-hand men, why is it so hard?] Its voice was so aggrieved that it was almost disjointed.
Chu Huan was touched by the system's consideration for her and its silent support behind the scenes. She gently soothed him, "It's hard to find the right talent. That's normal. Take your time."
[Don't think that Nangong Ling gave me a list of names, as if there were a lot of people available for me to pick. That's because she's been traveling around and looking for people for many years. It's their savings.]
[Besides, even if they start learning now, whether they can complete their studies, whether they can be used by me after they have learned them, and whether they can benefit Dasheng and the people are all uncertain.]
People's hearts are fickle.
Over the past year, all the gossips the system had heard illustrated this truth, and she would never forget it.
The system was shocked: [You helped them in their time of crisis, why didn't they help you? ]
After saying this, before Chu Hua could respond, it realized: [That's right, we can't force everyone in this world to be grateful. There are so many ungrateful people, regardless of gender or age.]
It took it for granted.
In its eyes, Chu Huan is good in everything. She helps others, and when those people become capable, they will help Chu Huan in return, just like Li He and Li Chen, father and son.
The father and son never forgot the help of Chu Qin and Chu Huan, brother and sister. They worked diligently and conscientiously, not wanting them to think that they had saved a pair of ungrateful people. They also thought about repaying them one day.
But the system forgets: such people are a minority in reality.
Moreover, Chu Huan did those things not out of the purpose of "doing a favor in the hope of reward" or "upfront investment", but simply because she saw the difficulties faced by women in this world and wanted to help women and give them another way out.
Do good deeds, accumulate virtue, and do not ask for anything in return.
Shit! I always feel like I'm bound to a Saint Mother. What's going on?
System: Ahhh, what a loss!
Seeing that the system had figured it out, Chu Hua didn't bother to explain any more: [I've been busy lately and haven't chatted with you much. Are you bored?]
The system always feels that the host treats it as a child. It is just a string of data codes. Even its curiosity and desire to explore gossip are set programs. How can it feel bored like humans?
But, I don’t know why, but when it heard that the host cared about it so much, it felt a warm feeling.
Oh no! Is the CPU going to burn out?
The system was shocked and quickly checked itself.
Chu Huan waited a long time for an answer: [Tong'er?]
【Tong'er, are you there? 】
[Tong'er, did you go eat melons? ]
Chu Huan felt a little uneasy. Since the binding, the system has always responded within seconds. There has never been a situation where she called but received no response.
188 once said that he would be bound to her until the moment of her death before leaving, but no one is sure whether there will be any accidents in the middle. What if this little fool doesn’t notice that the melon is not enough and gets into trouble?
She couldn't see the system panel, so she had no idea how to help.
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, the system came back: [Sister Huan, I'm back!]
Chu Huan: [What happened just now? You didn't respond when I called you.]
System: [I'm checking myself and will get back to you if I find no problems.]
Chu Hua: [I thought you were out of energy and had automatically gone into hibernation.]
System: [No, when you're not looking for me to eat melon, I'm always doing exercises, eating melon, and accumulating melon energy. I only want you to eat melon to your heart's content when you want to, instead of having no melon to buy when you want to.]
Chu Huan: “…”
She actually felt pampered from the words of the little silly Tong. Is there something wrong with her or with Tong?
Putting aside the strange illusion, I focused on the possible loopholes I hadn't noticed earlier: "If your melon can't automatically hibernate, what can I do for you? According to the previous rhythm, I will call you to eat melon as usual, and can I let you restart it?"
[That’s fine—] The system cried out in gratitude.
It only heard that the hosts were cheating and deceiving, and would do anything to ask for things from the system. Some even cheated the system of assets accumulated by several hosts. It didn't know that there were hosts who cared so much about the system.
Did it do something good to save the world when it was writing code in its previous life, so that it could meet such a good host when it was writing the system?
Chu Huan slowly typed a question mark. Was she asking a secret question?
The system's baby voice was filled with weak sobs: [Sister Huan, why are you so nice to me? ]
Chu Hua: ???
Is it enough to just ask this question? Was the Little Silly System pua-ed before it left the factory?
The relationship between the host and the system should be a two-way street. You've been cooperating with my actions. I asked you to eat the melon repeatedly, and you did. I asked you to say the words I prepared, and you did. These were not your job scope, but you followed my instructions one by one, and did it very well.
"You've been so kind to me, helping me everywhere and thinking about me. I don't have anything else to do for you, so this little thing really doesn't mean anything. When I die and change my host, please don't be moved by such a small thing, or you'll be bullied to death."
The system thought: I’m not stupid!
It cannot find out the inner thoughts of others, but after binding to the host, it will be by the host's side day and night, and can see every word and action of the host. If the host's words and deeds are inconsistent, it can see it immediately.
In any case, these are Chu Huan's expressions of concern, and the system accepts them all.
[Don't worry, Sister Huan! I've been bound to you and followed you for decades, watching you fight those old and young foxes every day. I definitely won't be tricked by the next host.]
Chu Huan was convinced.
That's true.
There is no one more heartless than those who hold high positions in the court.
After staying in an environment full of foxes for a long time, the Little Silly System may be upgraded to the Little Fox System, and then it will be the only one to harm its host.
You know what, I'm really looking forward to it! Chu Huan smiled secretly.
System: [Sister Huan, would you like some melons? I found some interesting ones.]
Chu Huan was about to nod when she thought: "It's been a week since I last brought up the compound bow. Haven't they come to a conclusion yet?"
Surprisingly, no one has come to her to express or hint at the need for a compound bow.
When did the old foxes become so inefficient? Or were they stuck on something?
Is it something about the Western Rong and Northern Di, or is there something fishy going on with King An again?
System: [When the news about the compound bow was first delivered, everyone was surprised and eager. They all agreed that the compound bow was necessary, but they had no consensus on how to propose it to you or how to proceed.]
The discussion about which department they wanted you to go to came up again. The Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Justice all wanted you. The four Shangshu refused to give in. The Shuntian Prefecture and the Dali Temple also joined in. As the argument continued, they got heated and the topic deviated.
The Emperor already knew it would take at least five years for you to enter the imperial court, so he and the old Grand Tutor and Grand Preceptor were just watching the show—you can argue as much as you want, but if I make a move, I lose.
Chu Huan: “…”
How could a group of people her father and grandfather's age quarrel so childishly? Was the average age of the Dasheng court three and a half?
Hey, don’t tell me!
A group of three-and-a-half-year-old pups were quarreling in the court in baby voices and fighting fiercely. It was a very cute scene.
It's a pity that she was too busy being the queen of volumes to have time, otherwise she would have written a storybook called "Three and a Half Years Old in the Great Sheng Court", which would have been a bestseller.
Maybe it was banned before it became a bestseller. Those old foxes would not allow something so damaging to its image to appear.
First, he banned the books that were only three and a half years old, and then he secretly hid in the study to see what kind of images his mortal enemies and colleagues were portrayed in the banned books. Maybe the emperor would also read them, hiding in the imperial study or bedroom to read them secretly.
Chu Huan was amused by her own association.
The system assumed she was amused by the officials' childish behavior and, without raising any suspicion, continued, "Later, everyone calmed down and thought about how to ask you for the compound bow. Someone from the Ministry of War suggested that, just like the Shuntian prefect asking you to investigate a case, they'd come to you for help revising the blueprints for a new weapon."
Chu Huan: “…”
She was about to complain when the system continued: [Someone quickly refuted, saying that the Shuntian Prefecture Governor could have said he was looking for you because you had found a clue in the Ministry of Revenue and investigated corruption, and he was just trying to save the situation.]
"You've never demonstrated any talent for weapon design before. How could the Ministry of War suddenly know you could modify weapon blueprints? If they did, they'd be exposing their secret of being able to overhear our conversation."
Someone else suggested asking General Xuanwei to teach you weapon design. Once you demonstrate your talent in this area, they could then ask you to modify the bow and arrow blueprints. You could then take advantage of the situation and bring out the compound bow.
The downside to this method is that it takes a bit longer, but it's safe in all other aspects. Almost everyone agrees, except General Xuanwei.
Chu Huan also felt that from the court's perspective, this idea was the best.
[Why did General Xuanwei disagree?]
The system turned into a laughing little ball to respond to the situation: [Because he can't design weapons.]
Chu Huan was stunned for a moment and laughed silently.
Anyone can use ready-made weapons, and those with advanced skills can even make them more creative, but designing weapons requires talent and inspiration, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Obviously, General Xuanwei is the kind of person who can't be played around with.
Chu Hua: [Is this the reason they've been stuck in this stalemate and haven't come looking for me yet?]
System: [Half and half. The compound bow is definitely needed, so they came up with two solutions. The first is to have General Xuanwei immediately start learning weapon design. Once he's mastered it, they'll teach you how to design it.]
General Xuanwei would be willing to learn a few more weapons, but asking him to design is like asking a model to design clothes. She would rather wear a few more outfits and walk in a few more fashion shows than design clothes.
Chu Huan: “…”
She put herself in the shoes of others and thought that if she were asked to do chemistry, teach students, and lead projects, she could do it. But if she were asked to design experimental instruments, that would be a cross-disciplinary move, and a rather unfamiliar one at that.
[The difficulty is not much different from asking people who like playing with mobile phones to design a new mobile phone, or people who like playing games to design a new game.]
[Does the person who proposed this have a grudge against General Xuanwei?]
[Hahahaha…] The system almost laughed so hard it couldn't breathe. [Do you know who made this suggestion? The Emperor! He was the first one to bring it up.]
Chu Huan fell back in shock: [Is the Emperor still angry about General Xuanwei's stint as a triple spy as a child?]
This temper is too long!
In order to laugh at General Xuanwei's joke, the emperor even gave up his original plan of watching the show quietly from the sidelines, and jumped out before other officials could make suggestions.
This suggestion is not difficult, and surely others would have thought of it, but the emperor took the initiative to bring it up just to let General Xuanwei know: Hey, I am messing with you on purpose!
When the emperor said this, it sounded good, and all the officials had to give him face.
In order to obtain the compound bow, General Xuanwei was in a difficult situation.
System: [Wasn't it because the Second Prince sent someone to deliver the letter that General Xuanwei escaped first? He hid out for quite a while, waiting until the Emperor's anger subsided before returning.]
[He was most angry when he first learned the truth. Once his anger subsided and he calmed down, the emperor didn't bother General Xuanwei again. It was just that every time he saw his eyes weren't eyes and his nose wasn't a nose.]
Chu Huan: "..." Isn't this asking for trouble?
[Did General Xuanwei learn this?]
System: [Hehe, he didn't want to learn, but then they made a second suggestion: find you a teacher who can design weapons.]
Chu Hua: ???
Chu Huan:!!!
[I, a poor little fish in the pond, have also been affected miserably.]
There are twelve hours in a day, are they trying to fill them all up?!
The system felt for Chu Huan and consoled her, "Don't worry, your three teachers are all here. The others are also well aware of your full-day schedule and know there's no room for a fourth."
General Xuanwei had no choice but to go to school, and these past few days he'd been like a high school senior cramming for the college entrance exams. He'd almost pulled his jet-black, shiny hair out.
It's so miserable.
No wonder General Xuanwei looked a little listless when he was teaching martial arts and military tactics these days.
Chu Huan felt very sympathetic and tried to think of a solution for the teacher: [Can't we change martial arts and military tactics teachers? Why are there only two solutions?]
System: [The only way to change teachers is to find a better one. Currently, the only one in the court who is better than General Xuanwei and who knows a little about weapon design is Prince Fu Rui. Let the Zong Ling from the Zongrenfu come and teach you...]
The emperor's sons and daughters don't have this treatment.
If Chu Huan's teachers were the old Grand Tutor, the old Grand Preceptor, General Xuanwei, and Prince Furui, then her teacher status would be more important than that of the future crown prince. This is absolutely unacceptable!
Chu Huan: “…”
It was enough for her to attend the lessons of the old tutor and the old mentor as a companion, and to worship Prince Fu Rui as her teacher... Haha, it wasn't like she thought her life was too long.
"Actually, you could give General Xuanwei a mission and use that as an excuse to change my teacher. It doesn't have to be a great one, as long as it's a good transition. Didn't anyone raise any objections at the time?"
System: [Yes, but those who are good at martial arts don't understand design, and those who are good at design don't understand martial arts. Apart from Prince Furui, no one else can do both.]
This is why it says there are only two solutions. The third one doesn't work at all and is directly ruled out.
This matter touched upon Chu Huan's blind spot in knowledge.
Her four teachers didn't understand weapon design, so naturally they wouldn't talk to her about it. As a result, she had no idea that there were so few people at the Grand Gathering who could design weapons and fight.
If she had known this, she wouldn't have mentioned the compound bow yesterday, nor would she have said that she could use it.
Chu Hua: [Is there anyone in Dasheng who is good at designing weapons? Anyone who isn't in the Ministry of War or the Imperial Court, male or female, young or old, is welcome.]
System: [Yes, quite a few. One of them is a girl. You even ate her melon.]
Huh? What a coincidence? Chu Huan quickly recalled.
If they have only eaten melons together, but do not know each other or have any connection, then it means that there is some distance between the other person and her.
There aren't many suitable candidates, so it's easy to guess.
Chu Huan: [Is it the Second Princess?]
System: [No, it's the little sister next to the Second Princess, the daughter of the escort who taught the Second Princess martial arts.]
[Your beautiful teacher Shang Lu also knows this. He does not hold an official position in the court, so he is not considered to be in the court.]
Chu Huan was slightly startled. Wasn't Shang Lu an astronomy enthusiast? How could he also design weapons?
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