Chapter 1484: Calculate the Heavens and Earth, Not the People

In the palace, Zhulan wrapped herself tightly in her cloak. What she held in her arms was not a heater, but her plan. She held it in her arms all the time, her feet on the blue bricks, and every step she took was very firm. The thing in her arms could save many children, and in the future not only change the fate of the children, but also sow the seeds of prosperity for the country's future.

Walking all the way to the Empress Dowager's bedroom, Zhulan was surprised to find that the Emperor Retired was also there.

Zhulan quickly calmed down. No matter who it was today, she would succeed. "I have met the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."

The emperor decided to stay because he wanted to see why Zhou Shuren's wife came to the palace. He glanced at Yang and saw that she looked fatter than the last time he saw her. The old lady had a round face. "Get up."

Zhulan stood up. When she came in just now, she handed the things in her hand to the palace maid. Now she took them and handed them over with both hands, "I came here today for the sake of my poor child. Please take a closer look, Emperor and Empress Dowager."

The retired emperor and his wife looked at each other and realized that it was not easy for Yang to come to the palace on her own initiative. After taking the letter and booklet from the female official, the retired emperor began to read the booklet.

The Queen Mother motioned Zhulan to sit down, then picked up the letter. When she unfolded it, her fingertips paused, a little stunned. "A letter from your eldest son?"

Zhulan replied, "Yes, my eldest son's letter touched me deeply."

The Queen Mother had already looked inside, after reading each picture one by one, her casual expression slowly turned solemn. She and the Emperor had traveled to various states and had seen some children suffering, but that was still a minority. Prince Zhou's job was to investigate the children, and he had seen and heard more.

The emperor looked at Yang with his peripheral vision. He took out a book suitable for education from Yang, and he knew that this woman was a person with great wisdom and a deep mind. He was sure that this plan was what Yang had thought of and written.

Zhulan naturally felt the scrutinizing gaze. She had thought of everything before she dared to enter the palace today, and she sat calmly and composedly.

When the emperor saw the end, he narrowed his eyes and had a big vision. He said that the investment in training craftsmen, letting the children have the skills to survive, and returning the work to their upbringing in the future would have far-reaching impact once it was accomplished.

Craftsmen all value inheritance, passing it down from one generation to the next. It can be said that if the father is a craftsman, basically all his descendants will know the craft.

The court has already seen the capabilities of some craftsmen in the Ministry of Works, and many of the current technologies are the result of their continuous research and improvement. The court is in great need of skilled craftsmen, and Yang sees this very clearly.

The emperor's eyes were deep, "Yang."

Zhulan stood up nervously, "Your Highness is here."

The retired emperor looked at Yang deeply. The palace was very quiet. The female officials and palace maids did not move at all, as if they were standing mannequins.

Zhulan felt the pressure coming towards her, but she did not go to see the Queen Mother. This was obviously a test. If she could not even bear the pressure, what else could she do? There was no point in her seizing the opportunity to do anything.

The emperor was not surprised by Yang's stability. Yang had shown her talents to the royal family over the years. "Your plan is very complete. So I want to ask you, what do you think these children should learn first?"

Zhulan heaved a sigh of relief. She had passed the first level and was more confident. If she wanted to succeed, she had to hit the mark of what the royal family needed. "Our dynasty has a shipyard. As it develops, the shipyard has been in need of a large number of workers and masters. I think you can learn from it."

Building ships and improving technology both require learning basic arithmetic. Her book can be promoted on a large scale, but now that it is in the hands of the royal family, it would be bad if she didn't make it available.

Knowledge needs to be spread, not held in one's hands.

The emperor straightened up his lazy posture. There have never been enough masters in the shipyard. The old masters only took their own apprentices. Now the masters in the shipyard were divided into several factions. Not only were they not united, they also pulled each other down.

The shipyard has developed rapidly in recent years, and some people's minds have changed. The emperor also wants to recruit people on a large scale. However, those who are recruited cannot learn the essence of the work and have no foundation, so they can only do physical work.

The emperor picked up the booklet again and flipped through the last few pages. If unified teaching was used to lay the foundation, and then a master was found to teach them, they would be able to become independent sooner or later and even make the old masters in the shipyard feel a sense of crisis.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes and said, "The shipyard's technology has been stagnant in the past few years. Marquis Zhou said that if we don't make progress, we will regress. I agree with him."

Zhulan is aware of the situation in the shipyard. Some of the masters in the shipyard have become arrogant. They have received too much honor and money and have started to have other ideas. It would be strange if they could make any progress, so they want to break the situation of passing down the skills from father to son.

Zhulan lowered her head, "Only through competition can we make progress. This is what my husband said."

The emperor looked at Yang. The books Yang compiled were elementary books that were very suitable for laying a foundation. The emperor wanted to promote these books after the crown prince succeeded to the throne. This would help the crown prince gain popularity. Now it seems, "I know what you are thinking."

Zhulan raised her head and bowed, saying, "I will take my leave."

I thought I would discuss it with the Empress Dowager, but I never expected that the Emperor Retired was there and the Empress Dowager ignored it. This is really about calculating the heavens and the earth, not the people.

Zhulan left the hall, surrounded by palace maids and female officials seeing her off. She didn't even dare to look back and could only hide her emotions. She was happy that the emperor valued her, but also angry that he didn't talk to her more. Ah, damn ancient times. All the words she had thought over again last night were kept in her stomach.

She must be so depressed. Where is her long speech?

Inside the palace, the Queen Mother saw her husband pick up the book and open it again. This time he read it more carefully. She knew what was going on. "Do you agree with Yang's idea?"

The emperor handed the book to his wife, "Take a look at it too."

The Queen Mother took it and looked at it carefully. She read it very quickly and said, "Mrs. Yang has a kind heart, and Marquis Zhou and his wife care about the people."

The emperor stood up with his hands behind his back. "They want to change."

The Queen Mother accompanied the Emperor in conquering the world, so she has her own experience. "What's wrong with that? Some things should be changed."

The Emperor thought Zhou Shuren wanted to change the current situation, so he said, "The aristocratic families have taken up too many resources. If they want to prosper for a long time, they really need to change."

Queen Mother, "So you agree."

The emperor did not answer directly, but said: "If Yang was a man, he would also be a talented person."

"Is it rated so highly?"

The emperor raised his lips, "You have read the book she edited, haven't you? It's something that anyone can edit? And Zhou Shuren doesn't tell his wife everything. Hear that competition leads to progress, doesn't that explain everything?"

How could Zhou Shuren not know that Yang entered the palace? Don't be ridiculous, these two are like one body. Zhou Shuren not only knew that Yang entered the palace, but also fully supported it.

Zhou Shuren is also a weirdo. He supports his wife in studying. Not only does he support her, he also teaches her personally. This kind of tolerance is not something that everyone can have. At least in all these years, he has only seen one Zhou Shuren.

The Queen Mother envied Yang in her heart. "Marquis Zhou loves his wife dearly. I have no doubt that if something happens to Yang, Marquis Zhou will live alone."

The retired emperor's face froze. He and his wife had missed too much. Even though everything was in the past, his wife still couldn't completely let go in her heart.

Zhulan left the palace and sat in her own carriage, feeling very irritated. Qingxue opened her mouth but dared not say a word.

Suddenly, Zhulan said to the driver, "Go to the Ministry of Revenue."

Qingxue was stunned for a moment, "Household Department?"

Zhulan nodded, "Yes."

Her chance to pursue her career was probably gone because of the emperor's presence, and she felt very suffocated.

On the way to the Ministry of Revenue, Zhulan sat by the window and looked outside. Her mood calmed down. She told herself in her heart that if this opportunity was lost, there would be another chance. Ah, this opportunity was so rare. She felt unwilling. Why was the emperor here too? There were too many variables with the emperor here!

Zhulan looked out the window and shouted, "Stop."