Chapter 77 Praise
Is it something?
Xiao Yu's eyes lit up, and she beamed with joy. Nothing could be better than finding a reliable teacher to guide her.
She has just ascended the throne and doesn't understand many things yet. It would be good if she had someone by her side to teach her. So, the question is, who should she choose?
The Grand Princess recommended Grand Tutor Li, and her father-in-law suggested choosing from prominent families.
Choosing either side will offend the other.
Moreover, she doesn't want to choose any of them right now. If she has to choose, she wants to choose one that she likes so that she can use him in the future, instead of forming factions in the court and becoming a political bargaining chip.
This left her momentarily unable to make a decision. After a moment's consideration, Xiao Yu thought that perhaps she could consult the eldest young lady. Song Luo Ning was insightful and had grown up in the Prime Minister's residence since childhood, so she knew far more about the intricacies of the place than she did. She decided to wait until she had asked her before making a decision, and said, "Today, both the Grand Princess and my father-in-law said that I should find a teacher, but I don't have a suitable candidate yet. I could have chosen one from among the common people, but now the scholars in the capital are making such a fuss, who would be willing to be my teacher?"
"Does Your Majesty also wish to find a teacher?" Song Luoning asked.
"I do think so. There are many things I don't understand, and it's good to have someone to teach me." Xiao Yu sighed helplessly.
This isn't something that can be achieved just by thinking about it. Now that she's in this position, she naturally wants to do her best. She doesn't seek to be remembered in history, but at least she wants to be worthy of the people of this world, ensuring that they don't go hungry or become homeless under her rule.
Seeing how eager she was to learn, Song Luoning smiled and asked, "Does my husband still remember the tool we made for husking rice before?"
"I remember!" Xiao Yu changed his position, resting his head on the young lady's lap. They were wearing thin summer clothes, and their warmth mingled through the thin brocade. Song Luo Ning blushed, her lips slightly upturned, revealing a gentle smile. Her eyes and brows held a faint smile, and her every move exuded the elegance of a well-bred young lady.
Xiao Yu's heart trembled slightly. He turned to the side, pressed his cheek against her leg, gently wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his face in hers. After a while, a muffled voice came out: "Why did you suddenly ask about this, my wife?"
Song Luoning picked up the round fan and gently waved it: "Your Majesty, why don't you promote this as soon as possible?"
"Hmm?" Xiao Yu asked in confusion, loosening her grip on his arm, raising her head, and blinking.
Song Luoning stopped what she was doing and looked at her: "This is a good thing for the people. Promoting it now will not only benefit the people and let them know that they have a good emperor who loves his people like his own children, but it will also shut up those scholars. No matter how beautiful their articles are, they can't beat the voice of the people. Then His Majesty can issue an imperial edict to recruit talents widely, regardless of their background, which will also give those scholars face. His Majesty can also win people's hearts and use them for his own purposes."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu's eyes lit up, and he sat up abruptly from the couch, blinking rapidly as he pulled the person into his arms.
"Song Luoning, I feel you're even smarter than before."
Song Luoning was taken aback, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Why did those words sound so strange?
After a long pause, he asked, "Does Your Majesty mean that I wasn't smart before?"
Realizing he had misspoke, Xiao Yu quickly explained, "No... my wife, please let me explain. You used to..." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "It wasn't that you weren't smart, it was just... it was just that you were too shrewd."
"......"
Is this a compliment?
Song Luoning gritted her teeth and stared at her. What a lecherous scoundrel!
Seeing that she was not speaking, Xiao Yu let go of her and cautiously glanced at her.
Trying to change the subject, he said, "My lady, isn't it time for lunch?"
"..." Song Luoning choked, glanced at her, and got up to call the palace servants.
...
After the imperial edict was issued, the Ministry of Works immediately began to work diligently to promote the policy starting in the capital. Thanks to the timely price control, rice in all grain stores was quickly sold out within a few days.
In the past, the white rice consumed by some high-ranking officials and nobles was washed by their own kitchens. Now that grain stores have ready-made rice at reasonable prices, they simply buy it directly.
Ordinary people don't pay much attention to the rice they eat; as long as it fills their stomachs, that's enough. They usually eat brown rice, which, although it's very filling, is bad for the stomach and intestines if consumed in the long run.
Now that white rice has been introduced, its price is only slightly more expensive than brown rice. Eating only white rice feels too expensive and not worthwhile, so people simply mix the two types of rice together.
The promotion in the capital was very well received, and then it was promoted to various counties and prefectures, and soon it spread throughout Baisheng. The emperor's good reputation for caring for the people and loving them like his own children also spread among the people. The literati in the capital felt embarrassed and wisely kept quiet.
At the same time, imperial edicts were posted throughout the country, announcing the new emperor's ascension to the throne and his unprecedented recruitment of talented individuals. All learned people, regardless of gender, could participate in the examinations and enter the court as officials.
The imperial edict shocked the entire Baisheng. This world was already unfriendly to women, and for a woman to take the exam and become an official in the future was unprecedented.
The scholars stepped forward to offer their opinions, but it didn't cause much of a stir. After all, this was a rare opportunity for the emperor to personally select talent. They studied to bring honor to their ancestors, so how could they possibly offend the emperor at this time? Even if women took the exam with them, so what? There had to be some, right?
Xiao Yu didn't think much of it; allowing women to take the exam this time was just preparation for establishing a girls' school.
She wanted the whole world to know how much she valued women.
......
"Wife, why are you sitting here? I've been looking for you everywhere."
The fish in the lotus pond scattered in all directions. Song Luoning looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man walking towards her with a smile. He put down the fish food in his hand and asked, "Your Majesty, what happy thing has happened?"
After saying that, he stood up, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and wiped the fine sweat from her cheeks.
Xiao Yu took her hand, his face beaming with joy: "The list of talents from all over the country has been submitted to the palace. Guess what?"
"Oh?" Song Luoning raised an eyebrow. The only thing that could make this lecherous man so happy was that a woman had applied for the talent selection.
She smiled and said, "I really can't figure it out. Why don't you tell me, Your Majesty?"
"I bet you wouldn't guess that five women have applied for this talent selection. This is a good start. I was worried that there wouldn't be any, but now I can relax. No matter how the exam goes, it will be beneficial for opening a girls' school." She said excitedly, her eyes sparkling, and repeated, "I really didn't expect that."
Song Luoning chuckled: "Congratulations, Your Majesty."
"It's nothing, just an unexpected surprise. Also, although the previous case didn't make any progress, it was suppressed because of this incident. People are saying that I did a good job killing him. Rebels like Xiao Chengze deserve to be killed. This is eliminating a scourge for the people. As for Chen Ziyi's case, everyone believes that I am innocent. They even praised me as a good emperor." His tone was quite proud.
Seeing her like this, Song Luoning reached out and smoothed a strand of hair at her temple, saying, "It is indeed good news. What are Your Majesty's plans next?"
Xiao Yu thought for a moment, his expression turned serious, and his tone became solemn: "We must catch the mastermind behind this, otherwise who knows what he might do behind the scenes? I don't think the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review can find anything out about this matter, so we might as well hand it over to Constable Liang to investigate in secret."
As she finished speaking, Song Luo's eyes trembled slightly. Her outstretched hand paused, then slowly withdrew, clasping together beneath her wide sleeves. She lowered her gaze, concealing the emotions within, her mind filled with countless thoughts.
If she continues to investigate, she will eventually find out about her father. Does she really want to become his enemy?
Seeing that she was a little lost in thought, Xiao Yu lowered his head and kissed her forehead: "What are you thinking about that makes you so absent-minded?"
"Your Majesty..." Song Luoning snapped back to reality, took a step back, subconsciously glanced around, widened the distance between them, and avoided eye contact: "How can we... while still outside..."
"What's wrong with outside? In my hometown, it's okay for two people who like each other to kiss. Besides, we're already married, so what's wrong with a kiss?" Xiao Yu said confidently.
"......"
Are the villagers in Chenjia Village really that open-minded? How come she never noticed before?
Was it really as she suspected? Song Luoning was startled. Why had she thought of possessing a body again? Such a bizarre thing...
She suppressed her surprise and doubt, and nudged Xiao Yu to sit down in the chair: "No matter what, you have to be careful about this kind of thing. You are now the emperor, and you should pay more attention to your image. You must not act recklessly."
How could she do something so reckless?
Xiao Yu pouted, dissatisfied, but still obediently sat down. She felt really wronged, her delicate face showing a pitiful expression as she held Song Luo Ning's hand.
Song Luoning couldn't help but soften her heart and wondered if she had been too demanding of her. After all, which emperor in history wasn't absurd? A kiss didn't seem like such a big deal.
But... given her lecherous nature, if I indulge her this time, who knows what shocking things she might do next time.
After sorting things out, Song Luoning regained her usual composure. She wasn't stupid; for the sake of the future, she had no choice but to put up with the scoundrel: "Sit down. What are your plans now?" Her expression turned serious as she said this.
Seeing her like this, Xiao Yu obediently sat up straight, blinked, and a smug look appeared on his face. He pulled up a chair and sat facing Song Luoning, as if he was about to tell her everything in detail.
“In the past few days, scholars from all over the country should have arrived in the capital one after another. I plan to set the exam questions myself.”
Since she was going to choose people to use, she naturally had to do it herself; she wouldn't trust anyone else to do it for her.
Song Luoning nodded: "What did the ministers say?"
"Some are watching and some are supporting it, it's all different. Because of the previous promotion of rice hulling tools, I won the hearts of the people, so they can't say anything. But even if they have opinions, I can't indulge them this time. If I have to listen to them in everything, then I, as the emperor, would be too pathetic."
Song Luoning tightened her grip. She naturally knew what the person in front of her was thinking. She seemed not very smart, but in fact she was wise beyond her years. In addition, she was ambitious and could not be controlled by others.
What's remarkable is that she lacked the stubbornness and arrogance of those self-important monarchs. She was willing to listen to the opinions of others, and regardless of her future achievements, this alone made her superior to countless other monarchs.
After Xiao Yu finished speaking, his eyes remained fixed on Song Luoning: "What do you think, my wife?"
Song Luoning nodded, her face showing appreciation, and affirmed: "That's right. This way, His Majesty can solve the current situation of having no one to use as soon as possible, and we can also select a truly virtuous and talented imperial tutor. The people Father sent to raid the Changwang Mansion a few days ago have also returned. It's time to send someone to take over Qingzhou."
Xiao Yu smiled: "My wife and I are thinking the same thing. The Ministry of Revenue hasn't had time to count and put the confiscated items into inventory yet, but I think there are quite a lot. We should know how much we've confiscated in the next couple of days. Father-in-law, you've done a great job this time. What do you think we should reward you with?"
Xiao Cheng'an had squandered a lot of money from the national treasury, but it was replenished from the Changwang Mansion, so he wouldn't be completely unable to come up with any money when he needed it.
In the past few days, she had also looked at Baisheng's past records and found that floods would occur every summer in the Jiangnan region. Now that it was the rainy season, it was always good to be prepared. She had also thought of the exam questions for the next two days, and decided to write an essay on how to deal with the rainy season.
The kind of talent she seeks is not someone who can only compose poems and couplets; she wants someone who is truly capable, someone who can put themselves in the shoes of the people, and whose strategic thinking reveals their problem-solving abilities.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow, revealing the smugness of a young man: "My father-in-law is already a first-rank official, so I think we should skip the official position. How about we give this reward to my third brother? He has always followed my eldest brother and does not have a real official position. It just so happens that this talent selection needs an examiner, so why not let him go? I can feel more at ease with him keeping an eye on things."
Song Luoning raised her eyebrows, pondered for a moment, then lowered her eyes, seemingly lost in thought. After a long while, she slowly said, "Very well, it is indeed somewhat inappropriate for my eldest brother and third brother to be in the Jinwu Guard together. His Majesty's consideration is indeed thoughtful."
Why did she suddenly transfer her third brother away from the Imperial Guard? The Imperial Guard was the department that protected the safety of the imperial city, and it had long been in the hands of the emperor's most trusted people, yet she transferred her third brother away.
Song Luoning wasn't sure for a moment whether she had guessed something as well.
She looked at Xiao Yu, whose smile made her features even more delicate, and whose lips were perfectly proportioned, leaving no doubt about her sincerity.
Song Luoning pursed her lips, her heart conflicted. After a moment, just as she was about to speak again, she heard Xiao Yu say, "In that case, I will go and draft the decree in a moment."
Is it in such a hurry?
Seeing that the person had already stood up, Song Luoning bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, and then took her hand: "I will go with Your Majesty."
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