In the imperial study, Qin Minghuang put down the memorial.
In these turbulent times, she cannot afford to slack off in the slightest.
The border area received daily reports, as did the movements of the two imperial heirs traveling north and south.
The three states affected by the floods have begun subsequent reconstruction efforts.
Using this as a pretext, the troops stationed in Hanoi and Thanh Duy provinces were forced into labor service.
With the autumn harvest approaching, it was perfectly reasonable for the imperial court to order the reconstruction to be completed before then.
Taking advantage of this, they replaced the garrison troops.
The Prince Rui was granted the fief of Bailu County, and the wife of the Prefect Yan Wenyuan was also granted an imperial decree.
Basically, it was based on Xiao Liu's suggestion, but a special envoy was secretly dispatched.
While monitoring Yan Wenyuan, they provided assistance, cutting off the profits from the inferior currency, and at least stabilizing the situation within Bailu Prefecture.
New Xuanji Guards were dispatched to Mingyan County, which was known for casting ironware, and Chiyan County, which was known for illegal iron mining.
Due to limited manpower, only a portion of the Azure Phoenix Guards could be transferred to fill the gaps.
Both areas suffered severe disasters, resulting in numerous villagers being relocated and displaced, necessitating a re-examination of household registration records.
At this point, it becomes much easier to plant new spies.
Meanwhile, the Xuanji Guards, who were originally stationed in both locations, have been secretly withdrawn under the pretext of tensions in the Northern Territory.
As long as the autumn harvest is successful and the national treasury is full, we will have the confidence to take the initiative to start a war.
However, we can't put all our eggs in one basket with the autumn harvest taxes. We need to be prepared for two possibilities. Where will the money come from?
Seeing that His Majesty had put down the memorial, Su Quan seized the brief moment and immediately served him hot tea.
I don't know why, but I started drinking beauty tea about three months ago.
He has served His Majesty for many years, and His Majesty never cared about these things before.
Qin Minghuang picked up her cup, took small sips, and tried to clear her mind.
Ever since I was able to hear Xiao Liu's inner thoughts, I've started to pay more attention to skincare.
She no longer wanted to hear words like "old mother" or "crow's feet".
"Any updates on the registration process?"
Su Quan was prepared and handed over the prepared memorials along with the memorials.
The Wenhui meeting and the subsequent reactions of each party were all recorded, which was the intelligence that Xuanji Wei had spied on.
How the 41 companies react is not really important; it's just something to browse casually during breaks.
When the page turned to the first part of the poem about hidden hibernation, the action suddenly stopped.
Reforming the imperial examination system, forcing powerful officials to participate, and further squeezing the living space of aristocratic families...
He also understood the role of the noblewoman from the border region, guessed the subsequent methods, and realized that he could not actually play any substantial role.
If this task was a test given to Xiao Liu by Qin Minghuang, the answer submitted in one day was already a passing grade.
She repeatedly studied the disaster relief memorials submitted by the eldest brother and the Qingluan Guard, and found that the sixth brother had a unique way of thinking and was quite decisive.
However, they lack a systematic approach to handling official business and political affairs.
Perhaps it is precisely because of this that they are always able to turn the tide unexpectedly at crucial moments.
However, to be able to come up with ideas for forging auspicious omens without any scruples goes beyond mere boldness.
In other words, only Zhaoqiong and Yinzhe knew about this matter; others had no concrete evidence even if they had some speculation.
Otherwise, this one thing alone, if exploited by someone with ulterior motives, would be enough to ruin Xiao Liu forever.
Forget about the position of heir apparent; impeachment memorials could overwhelm her. At best, she would probably be demoted and banished from Fengjing.
Qin Minghuang naturally realized that Xiao Liu probably really had no desire for the throne.
He contributed significantly to disaster relief efforts but did not claim credit, because he wanted to curry favor with the boss.
After all, the eldest son is the most likely to inherit the throne, and he hopes that he can become a leisurely and wealthy prince when the time comes.
But she didn't consider that if she were banished from Fengjing, she might not see it for many years.
Even the deepest sisterly bond will eventually become pale and fragile.
The same goes for the Gresham's Law case; it's as if she instantly accepted the fact that her mother, the Empress, was the mastermind behind it all.
One was a king of a different surname, and the other was a governor whose political abilities were comparable to those of the six provincial governors. The arrangement was made very clear.
Living such a carefree life on someone else's turf, where does that confidence come from?
However, Qin Minghuang knew in her heart that this was not Zhao Yue's fault.
Over the years, she has been neglected and has not been seriously involved in any political affairs.
It grew wildly and unchecked, and its current quality is already an unexpected surprise.
If the succession takes place during a turbulent time, the eldest son should be the first in line, followed by the sixth son;
In times of peace and prosperity, the fourth prince would take the lead, followed by the third prince, with the eldest prince holding a portion of the military power, and the sixth prince... perhaps taking over the Xuanji Guard.
Although the eldest brother has accumulated some political experience, he is still too inexperienced.
Compared to those old foxes in the imperial court, they lack experience in political maneuvering.
Fortunately, there are signs of growth, and any progress is a good thing.
"Why……"
A long sigh echoed in the imperial study. Qin Minghuang, his face grim, rubbed his temples.
"You shameless bastard, you want to charge money for taking your younger siblings to play for half a day?"
Su Quan lowered his head, looking embarrassed.
He was stunned for a long time when he heard the news, but thinking back, it was something that the Sixth Prince would do.
Only she would do something like that...
As for swindling money from Miss Zheng, it was a matter of mutual consent, and besides, there was still the grudge from the previous drugging incident, so it was nothing.
This message came earlier, and His Majesty must have seen it, but he did not express any opinion.
"Is she that short of money?"
"His Majesty has just bestowed upon the Sixth Prince's guards, and the elixirs for his training must be quite an expense."
"You old codger, you've managed to pry a century-old ginseng out of Xiao Liu's hands, that's quite an achievement."
Su Quan was not surprised at all that His Majesty had grasped such trivial information, and his expression remained completely normal.
"Where? If it weren't for that Miss Suimo insisting on giving it to me, it would never have reached this old servant's hands."
You don't know, the day I returned, I went to deliver the imperial decree and collected ten taels for tea.
He turned around and said he was going to sue the old servant, demanding ten thousand taels of silver.
"He can lie so easily; I don't know where he learned that skill."
Qin Minghuang snorted coldly, but Su Quan couldn't detect any anger in her voice.
After patiently going through all the intelligence, the essence of "hidden dormancy" is to convey one meaning:
They've gone too far, and Xiao Liu is going to quit.
He tapped his knuckles lightly on the desk, hesitated for a long time, and then spoke again.
"Xiao Liu wants to slack off. Tell me, what's the best way to get her to do her work?"
There's no need to worry about the others; even the fourth one will deliver a decent performance.
Only this sixth child, once he said he wouldn't move, really wouldn't move.
It's clear from her heartfelt words that the bond between mother and daughter is already in grave danger.
If we were to impose even more tasks on her at this point, it might only push her further away.
Su Quan didn't reply immediately; his answer to the question was somewhat inappropriate.
"You old codger, what else are you hiding? Speak up."
Su Quan dared not hesitate any longer. "Your Majesty," he said, "this old servant believes there is only one way right now: to lure them with benefits..."
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