"Your Highness... Your Highness? It's time to get up and wash."
Qin Zhaoyue slowly woke up.
I was a bit frightened last night, and being in an unfamiliar environment, I tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.
She lost 10,000 taels of silver for slacking off at work last time, which she can't afford to lose, so she has to get up.
Who would have thought that even dressed as a princess, she could still feel the sorrow of a working-class person?
Opening her eyes to find herself surrounded by shattered ink again put her in a bad mood, and she couldn't help but purse her lips. "Your face this morning was really unpleasant."
Broken Ink: ...
In the Phoenix Palace, Qin Zhaoyue tucked her hands into her pockets and yawned.
Little Jiu's innocent face was full of worry. "Sixth Sister, you can't fall asleep again this time."
Qin Zhaoyue waved her hand: "Do you need to tell me? Spending ten thousand taels for a nap, who can afford that?"
The other three imperial sisters also looked very strange. In the end, they did not agree to let her hide by the pillar, but pulled her in front of Xiao Jiu, so that at least someone could keep an eye on her.
Before long, the Empress held court, and the focus of the day was still the flood.
"Which of my esteemed subjects is qualified to go and provide disaster relief?"
This matter was originally very difficult, and no one wanted to go, but now all the officials know that the funds for disaster relief have been raised to a great extent.
With confidence, you can also gain fame and political achievements. Why not?
Moreover, many people here have secretly spent a lot of money, so if they don't fight for it now, when will they?
As a result, the court was no longer as dull as it had been for the past few days, and many people began to recommend candidates.
Censor Huang Yanzhi stepped forward first, his snow-white beard and hair trembling like a silver spear:
"Your subject recommends Wu Mingyuan, the Director of the Imperial Works Department! Director Wu has supervised the repair of the Yongding River for three years and is well-versed in hydrology."
He had more to say, and there was another very important reason why he recommended Wu Mingyuan:
Their collateral branch is a major grain merchant in Canglong East Road. If they are ordered to provide disaster relief, they will surely take advantage of the situation to stabilize grain prices.
Before he could finish speaking, the Chief Justice of the Ministry of Civil Affairs interrupted him:
"Has Lord Huang forgotten that this flood has affected three prefectures and sixteen counties? How can disaster relief be compared to supervising bridge repair?"
The purple-gold fish-shaped pouch rustled as he turned around: "Your subject recommends Zhou Yunli, the second son of the Earl of Zhongqin."
Zhou Yunli's maternal family is related by marriage to the governor of Hanoi, who was affected by the disaster. If he is sent to provide disaster relief, the local authorities will do many favors for him.
Lin Han, a supervising secretary in the Ministry of Justice, sneered: "What do the sons of noble families know about the price of rice? I recommend the second-place scholar in the imperial examination, Gu Xuezhou!"
The Duke of Zhenguo scoffed, "He can't even manage the administration of a single prefecture or county, what right does he have to talk about disaster relief? It's laughable!"
...
The court was in an uproar, with the interests of the six ministries, nobles, civil and military officials, powerful families, and commoners all intertwined in a complex web of conflicting interests.
Few offer genuine advice; most are simply representing their status and the people behind them.
Qin Minghuang remained silent throughout, lightly tapping the dragon head of the throne with her fingertips.
[Stop arguing and wasting your energy, as if you can actually make the decisions.]
Look at that prime minister, so composed. Wait, is that old man asleep?
[Damn it, everyone says that drugging his son was a ruse, I wonder if the old man will hold a grudge.]
"I don't think so, I didn't really hurt his big son..."
The veins on the Empress's forehead were faintly visible.
After a few cups of tea, the argument gradually subsided.
Because they discovered that His Majesty did not express any opinion, as if he was dissatisfied with any of the officials he recommended.
After things quieted down, Qin Minghuang looked towards the front and asked, "Prime Minister, who do you think should be sent to provide disaster relief?"
Pei Xuanyun lowered his eyes and spoke without thinking:
"The Ministry of Civil Affairs is responsible for managing funds and grain; the Ministry of Military Affairs is responsible for preventing riots by disaster victims; and the Ministry of Civil Engineering is responsible for civil engineering and water conservancy."
This statement is essentially meaningless; it's just a suggestion to smooth things over.
As a veteran of two dynasties, the Grand Chancellor of the Fenggetai, and the only official of the first rank in the court, Pei Xuanyun's position was unshakeable, and he played a pivotal role in raising funds for disaster relief.
When Qin Zhaoyue proposed the strategy of "killing the chicken to scare the monkey," she had already hinted that this plan would require cooperation to succeed.
Pei Xuanyun outwardly said only the four words "spend money to avoid disaster," but in reality, he was using his position as prime minister to vouch for those officials.
Simply put: If you accept my disaster relief funds, you can't cause me any trouble.
It's essentially a veiled version of indulgences, targeting officials who have a guilty conscience.
The Empress and the Daughter-in-Law certainly couldn't reveal this matter. If Pei Xuanyun hadn't acted as a bridge in the middle, the fundraising would never have gone so smoothly.
Moreover, some officials who were concerned about the country and its people did good deeds and secretly donated a lot more disaster relief funds, which did not cause any impact on the law on the surface.
Without Pei Xuanyun's prestige, or if Pei Xuanyun hadn't cooperated, the effect of making an example of someone wouldn't have been so good.
The Empress was clearly dissatisfied with such perfunctory advice and pressed further, "Who is qualified to be the chief envoy?"
Pei Xuanyun: "Choose one imperial heir."
The court fell silent.
Everyone argued back and forth, but tacitly agreed that no one would recommend any prince or princess.
His Majesty is in his prime, yet he has yet to mention the succession, and factional strife in the court remains subdued beneath the calm surface.
Even if they have already been recruited or have a preference for someone, they cannot openly say it at this time.
But Pei Xuanyun's question at this moment raises the question: Does this mean His Majesty has already shown a preference? Or is it His Majesty's intention?
With their minds racing with schemes, the officials are now hesitant to speak up.
Qin Minghuang pondered for a moment, then suddenly said:
"The imperial decree appoints Gu Tingyun, the Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as the chief envoy for disaster relief, and the eldest princess and the fifth prince as deputy envoys."
Meng Jian will lead 5,000 Imperial Guards to accompany and protect him, along with the other officials from the three departments… Minister Pei, please draft a memorial.”
"Disaster relief is urgent and cannot be delayed. The list will be finalized today and we will set off tomorrow."
Pei Xuanyun readily accepted good advice.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
