Chapter 579 Recommending Oneself
However, Minister Sun did not even glance at him, but simply knelt on the ground silently without uttering a sound.
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince requests an audience."
A young eunuch hurried in from outside the door and reported to the emperor on his high throne.
Upon hearing this, the emperor waved his hand, and the young eunuch immediately went out and led Lu Changqing in.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."
Lu Changqing was not wearing court robes, but only an ordinary brocade robe.
"Get up!" the emperor said, his gaze subtly sweeping over Lu Changqing.
A few days ago, he heard that Minister Liu had found a miracle doctor for Lu Changqing, and that Lu Changqing's health had greatly improved. The emperor thought that even if he was better, it would only be a little better than usual, but he did not expect that he had really recovered so much.
Upon seeing Lu Changqing appear, the Fifth Prince's eyes narrowed involuntarily. The reason was simple: he hadn't expected Lu Changqing to have recovered so much.
"Why is the fourth brother here at this time?"
The emperor had always been curt with Lu Changqing, but seeing that he had recovered, his tone softened considerably.
"Father, when I put this in the palace, I felt dizzy. I know that you and all the other officials are worried about these things, but the more I do, the more anxious I become. So I thought I would come and see if there is anything I can do to help."
Lu Changqing remained the same humble Lu Changqing, especially with that worry on his face that no one could see through, which gave him a radiant aura.
When humanity is in trouble, even the gods are moved!
Everyone who looked at Lu Changqing at this moment had the same feeling, and coupled with his innate affability, even the emperor felt comforted.
“Your Majesty is very kind, but we are discussing this matter now. Why don’t you listen to what we have to say?”
Lu Changqing's title was suddenly elevated from fourth prince to imperial son, which instantly drove the fifth prince mad with jealousy.
There was a time when the emperor had addressed him in the same way, but now the emperor treated him like a thief.
Lu Changqing stood to the side as instructed, but instead of standing next to Lu Yuanbin, he stood slightly back.
Others may not have noticed his action, but the emperor saw it clearly, which further increased his favor towards him.
After that, Lu Yuanbin did not mention his role in overseeing the disaster relief efforts again, and the officials also strongly recommended the respected senior ministers.
However, looking at these old fellows who were almost in their graves, the emperor secretly shook his head.
Putting aside how complicated the disaster relief situation is, these old guys have been living a life of luxury for so many years, it's already a miracle that they could even get to the disaster area, let alone travel around it.
The emperor hesitated to approve the person recommended by everyone, and for a moment everyone was at a loss.
At this moment, Yun Yichen finally moved. He stepped forward and bowed slightly to the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I have a few candidates in mind. What do you think?"
When Yun Yichen spoke, not only did the ministers perk up, but even the emperor's eyes widened, and he looked over with anticipation.
"Your Majesty recommends myself as the person in charge of this disaster relief effort, with the assistance of Vice Minister of War Ji Wenjin, Vice Minister of Revenue Ouyang Biao, and Vice Minister of Works Geng Lei. As for the matters at my disposal, they can be temporarily handled by Grand Secretary Gu Renjie."
Everyone was clearly surprised that Yun Yichen would recommend them. After all, in everyone's eyes, the position of Grand Secretary was so important that Yun Yichen couldn't just leave whenever he wanted.
But Yun Yichen not only arranged for his replacement, but also made predictions about what might happen in the disaster area.
Just as the Ministry of War was responsible for suppressing and overseeing transportation and preventing riots caused by uncertainties in the disaster area; the Ministry of Revenue was responsible for raising funds and supplies to transport to the disaster area and distributing food to the disaster victims; and the Ministry of Works was responsible for inspecting road sections, repairing and building resettlement sites for disaster victims.
These predictions, one by one, are far more useful than the endless arguments and recommendations everyone had just made.
The emperor knew that Yun Yichen would not disappoint him. Although Yun Yichen's personal involvement in disaster relief would cause a backlog of affairs in the court, the emperor believed that if Gu Renjie took over, these two young men would not let him down.
Thus, the emperor hardly needed to consult anyone's opinion and directly appointed Yun Yichen as the imperial envoy for disaster relief.
The emperor was pleased, but his son was immediately depressed.
Both Lu Yuanbin and Lu Changqing wanted to get involved in this disaster relief effort, but Yun Yichen's decision to appoint three people as royalists left them feeling powerless to do anything about it.
Lu Yuanbin's expression was incredibly varied as he listened to the emperor's decision. In contrast to Lu Yuanbin's impatience, Lu Changqing remained calm and composed.
He looked as if he agreed with Yun Yichen's suggestion, his face full of gratification and admiration.
Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Yun Yichen spoke up again.
"Your Majesty, I have another suggestion regarding this disaster relief effort!"
The emperor always took Yun Yichen's words very seriously. When he said that he had more suggestions, the emperor immediately said, "Please speak freely, my dear minister."
"It is so. Your Highness the Fourth and Fifth Princes are very concerned about the disaster. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I thought it would be better to let the two princes join me and do their part, as Your Highness the Fourth has suggested."
For Lu Yuanbin and Lu Changqing, Yun Yichen's words were not a ray of hope, but rather a major disaster.
If they go to the disaster area as imperial envoys or in some other capacity, they will have some room to maneuver. They can then work behind the scenes to not only gain benefits but also win the support of the people.
Asking them to do their meager efforts is no different from asking them to do hard labor. Even if they are princes, if Yun Yichen prevents them from doing anything due to their status, they are still just wasting their time.
It was precisely at this moment that they demonstrated their willingness to actively work for the well-being of the people, making it impossible for them to refuse Yun Yichen's proposal.
“Father, I am willing to go with you.”
Lu Changqing suppressed his anger and pleaded with the emperor.
Lu Yuanbin turned around and looked at Lu Changqing in disbelief, then said the same thing to the emperor.
The emperor hadn't expected Yun Yichen to say that, but considering that it would be beneficial for him to send Lu Yuanbin away for a while, he immediately nodded in agreement.
"Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Works, you will cooperate with the Grand Secretary. Once news from the local areas arrives, you will pack your supplies and head to the disaster area."
After saying this, the emperor gave Yun Yichen a satisfied look, then got up and left the hall.
Lu Changqing and Lu Yuanbin naturally couldn't help but resent Yun Yichen, but with Yun Yichen's "bad reputation" over the years, how could he care about their thoughts?
"Your Highnesses, please go back and prepare what you need to take. We should set off once we receive news from the disaster area."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
