Chapter 90 Just What I Wanted
Tao Jinfa's broad eyebrows creased together: "Demolition and reconstruction would be the best course of action. But His Majesty knows that the Ministry of Works has poured all its manpower and resources into the royal tombs of the late King and the current King, leaving no spare capacity. Now that the royal tombs have been damaged again, even more resources will be needed to repair them. The Ministry of Works is truly stretched thin."
Mu Ji feigned anger: "Hasn't Tao Qing heard what these traitors are saying? Even they are spreading rumors that my royal tomb was built using old timber from the Zhilan Terrace of their former dynasty. If it isn't demolished and rebuilt, so that the remnants of the former dynasty who are still wandering around can see how this last pavilion left behind by the former Crown Prince Yan, whom they have always supported, was destroyed, when will we ever get the chance?"
When Mu Ji lost his temper, everyone was filled with fear.
Only Lu Cao, facing imminent death, still insisted on defending himself: "If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. The collapse of Zhilan Terrace was purely due to the Sikong Mansion lining its own pockets. The rumors were not spread by us sinful slaves; everyone saw it for themselves."
Mu Ji seemed to understand or not, but a murderous glint appeared in his deep eyes: "Even now, you're still trying to argue. Since you wanted to escape, you should have known that if you were caught, you would still die."
That was the intimidation emanating from the city's overlord. Just now, when King Yu deliberately restrained himself and acted friendly, it was not noticeable, but the slightest release of that power sent chills down one's spine.
The dozens of slaves below trembled with fear, crying out to the heavens, "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life..."
Only Cao Pan'er kept staring intently at Mu Xi.
Mu Xi's heart sank even further.
At this moment, Lu Cao banged his head heavily on the ground again, his voice drowning out all the others who were begging for mercy and crying out for justice: "Your Majesty is determined to kill us, and we sinners have no way to avoid it. However, Cao Pan'er was indeed caught in the crossfire by mistake. I beg Your Majesty to investigate and not to kill the innocent."
"Heh, you're so protective of Cao Pan'er, and you still say it has nothing to do with her?" Mu Ji laughed angrily, then looked at Mu Xi, "What does the young master say?"
Mu Xi is embroiled in a huge scandal, and the truth is completely destroyed; no one can save her now.
But what came out of his mouth was: "Look at this sinner's righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, perhaps there is indeed a grievance among them."
"Is that so?" Mu Ji glanced at Tao Jin, but then turned to Mu Xi and said, "Things have come to this point, and no matter how much you insist that your maids have no connection with the remnants of the previous dynasty, it will be difficult to clear your name. But to prove your innocence, shouldn't the young master do something?"
"What are you doing?" Mu Xi asked, completely bewildered.
He admired her so much that he remained silent.
Tao Jin, his eyebrows wide and eyes sparkling with excitement, said to Mu Xi, “Oh, Your Highness, that Zhilan Terrace is a relic of the previous dynasty. It should have been demolished and rebuilt long ago. A high platform should be erected on the original site to truly showcase the power of our Great Yu Kingdom. His Majesty has long held this intention, and I have been wholeheartedly devoted to it. However, the financial resources and manpower…”
oh……
Mu Xi finally understood a bit by now, which was somewhat to her liking, but she couldn't be too direct yet. She had to make a deal first: "Since Your Majesty wants to demolish and rebuild Zhilan Terrace, you must need a lot of skilled craftsmen. These criminal slaves have been skilled for more than ten years, and there is no substantial evidence to prove that they are related to the remnants of the previous dynasty. Why not spare their lives and let them continue to serve Your Majesty?"
Mu Ji understood the meaning behind Mu Xi's words, but as the king, how could he speak so easily? "This... it is not impossible to spare their lives, but they are already escaped slaves from Xishan. How can they be exiled back to Xishan? If they are not punished, how can we convince the people?"
Upon hearing that there was a possibility, Mu Xi had no choice but to continue the conversation: "Since Your Majesty is unwilling to send these criminal slaves back to Xishan, why not exile them to rebuild the Zhilan Terrace? In recent years, our Great Yu has suffered from frequent floods, and everyone knows the reason, but there are indeed rumors among the people that it is because that corner of the altar is missing. If Your Majesty is willing to rebuild the Zhilan Terrace, it will be perfect to shut up the gossip, and since these criminal slaves have become the builders, they will no longer spread rumors about stealing beams and pillars or misappropriating old wood from the previous dynasty."
"Why would I care about the nonsense spouted by these ants? As long as they aren't afraid of my Crimson Carp Guards, they can say whatever they want." Mu Ji didn't care about "public opinion" at all, but he still put on airs by narrowing his eyes. "However... the Crown Prince's suggestion is not without merit..."
Tao Jin seized every opportunity to plead poverty: "His Majesty is merciful and willing to rebuild Zhilan Terrace for the benefit of the people, but even if we send these runaway slaves to build Zhilan Terrace, there will still be a shortage of manpower, not to mention the deficit from the Western Mountain Royal Mausoleum..."
With things said to this point, how could Mu Xi not understand?
No wonder the King of Yu specifically requested to summon her today.
The original intention was to take advantage of her youth, ignorance, and vulnerability, and to first accuse her of colluding with the remnants of the previous dynasty. Of course, this accusation would not hold true, but it would certainly smear her reputation.
Then, through a combination of coaxing and intimidation, they tricked her into accepting the task of building Zhilan Terrace.
Of course, the reason why she was able to come up with such an idea and was certain that she would protect Cao Pan'er was definitely due to the advice of Grand Marshal Gao Quan and Grand Minister of Works Tao Jin.
This group is in cahoots.
Mu Xi suffered a loss in silence, but it was exactly what he wanted, and could even be said to have killed two birds with one stone. Therefore, he did not force the issue and righteously bowed to the king: "If Your Majesty agrees, I am willing to share Your Majesty's burdens. As long as Your Majesty assigns the batch of criminal slaves in the palace today to me, I am willing to take on the task of rebuilding Zhilan Terrace, without troubling the Sikong Mansion."
She spared no effort in saving these people.
"Xi'er, what are you saying? How could you possibly rebuild Zhilan Terrace?" Mu Zhen stood up from his seat in a panic.
In this situation, Mu Xi had no way to explain.
Mu Ji's expression suddenly brightened: "Hahaha, why are you so nervous, brother? As the saying goes, 'like father, like son.' Even if he's not up to par, there's still you, brother. You've been recuperating in Moyang City and haven't been able to make a difference in the Western Territory since you haven't been back. You can take advantage of this opportunity to teach the heir how to do things so that he can take over and manage the Western Territory in the future."
What is all this about?
Building an altar and guarding the border are two completely different things.
Mu Zhen, whether in a state of anxiety or anger, spoke haltingly: "This...this...your humble brother knows nothing of construction...and my son is even more ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth..."
Mu Xun could only anxiously help Mu Zhen up; he had no right to speak in this situation.
After speaking, Mu Ji stared at Mu Zhen with a playful expression: "Hey, Your Highness, there's no need for such modesty. Back in the day, you were invincible among ten thousand troops, and your command of soldiers was effortless. This is merely the construction of a small altar; how could it possibly be difficult for you? If you continue to be so modest, it will make me suspect that you have some other hidden agenda, perhaps you still cherish the past relationship with the former Crown Prince Yan..."
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