Chapter 438, Imperial Madam
In November of the 19th year of Yongxing, a major event occurred in Ningmen Prefecture that shocked the entire Daxia - the Jiang family discovered a gold mine at Ningmen Pass.
As soon as the news came out, officials throughout Daxia were in an uproar.
Yan Mansion, main courtyard.
"Father, what did you say? The Jiang family found a gold mine? Is that true?"
Daohua looked at Yan Zhigao with her eyes wide open, a look of disbelief on her face.
Wasn’t it she who found the gold mine?
Even if the emperor is stingy and reluctant to reward her, the credit should go to Xiao Yeyang. At the very least, it should go to that Mr. Wu. How come it has become the Jiang family now?
Yan Zhigao glanced at his excited eldest daughter, frowning and saying, "What's wrong with you? I've told you countless times to stay calm when things get tough. You're so impulsive, how can you be a lady from a noble family?"
Daohua sat back up straight, but her brows were furrowed and her face was stern.
Because of Master Wu, Master Wu and others, and also because of Xiao Yeyang, she thought that the credit for her finding the gold mine was set in stone and no one could take it away from her. But she didn't expect that everything would be gone. How could she not be excited?
"Father, is this news reliable? Who told you this?"
Yan Zhigao glanced at his eldest daughter, whose brows were gloomy. "The Emperor personally praised Prince Jiang in court. How could this be false? The gold mine is at Ningmen Pass, and it's now under military control."
"Actually, it's good that the Jiang family found the gold mine. After all, the profits involved in the gold mine are too great, and ordinary people really can't bear the credit."
Not to mention anything else, the fact that Prince Duan's men also appeared in the territory of Ningmen Prefecture was somewhat unusual.
Royal affairs have always been complicated, and it is best for local officials like them who have no foundation to stay out of it.
Mrs. Li was sitting nearby. Seeing that Yan Zhigao's teacup was almost empty, she poured him another cup and said with a hint of concern,
"Historically, areas with gold, silver, and copper mines have always been governed by the emperor's trusted aides. Now that a gold mine has appeared in the area governed by the master, will the master be transferred to another place?"
Yan Zhigao also fell silent. "That depends on the emperor's wishes. However, Ningmen Pass has always been a military stronghold. Even if the emperor wants to send someone here, it should only be to take over that area. It will not have any impact on other parts of Ningmen Mansion. I will most likely continue to serve here."
Mrs. Li's expression relaxed a little: "I hope so."
Their family had finally gained a foothold in Ningmen Mansion, and the master had finally sorted out the government affairs. If he was transferred, the master's hard work from dawn to dusk all year would be in vain.
Besides, moving is also a hassle.
Daohua did not listen to the conversation between Yan Zhigao and Madam Li. She sat aside with her head down, her mind full of the fact that her position as county lord had been ruined.
Capital city, imperial palace.
Eunuch An respectfully sent the empress dowager away and returned to the main hall, where he saw the emperor with an angry look on his face, wearing a memorial paper, and walking tremblingly to the side, not daring to make the slightest sound.
“Bang!”
The emperor threw the brush in his hand to the ground with a sullen face, and the coldness in his eyes grew stronger and stronger.
Eunuch An lowered his head even more. The Empress Dowager came to the Emperor in person to ask for a reward for the Jiang family finding the gold mine. How could the Emperor not be angry?
You know, the news of the gold mine was revealed to the Jiang family by the emperor, and at the beginning, the Jiang family wanted to monopolize the gold mine.
At this moment, Wei Qi walked in. Seeing the pen on the ground, his eyes moved, and he knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, the young prince sent a secret guard back, saying that he has a secret letter to hand over in person."
The emperor suppressed his anger and said, "Please pass it in."
Soon, the dusty secret guard walked in. It was obvious that he had not rested for several days. After kneeling down and kowtowed, he carefully took out the letter from his arms.
Eunuch An stepped forward to take the letter, checked it, and confirmed that there was nothing unusual before handing it over to the emperor.
The emperor took the letter with some surprise and said, "We just communicated not long ago. Why is Yang'er writing to you now?"
After opening the letter and reading it for a while, the emperor suddenly stood up. Although he was usually calm, he could not hide his excitement at this moment. He read the letter over and over again before laughing heartily.
Eunuch An and Wei Qi looked at each other, both a little surprised. The emperor had not been so happy for a long time.
The emperor looked at the gold mine map again, walked back and forth in the hall for a while, and after calming down, he waved his hand, signaling everyone in the hall to leave, leaving only Eunuch An and Wei Qi.
After everyone left, the emperor sat back on the dragon throne and said, "Yang'er wrote to say that they found another gold mine."
When these words were spoken, Eunuch An and Wei Qi both widened their eyes, were stunned for a long while, and then congratulated in unison.
The emperor drummed his fingers on the table. "Currently, only Yang'er and the three Yan siblings know about this gold mine. Wei Qi, pack up and leave for Zhongzhou today. You will be responsible for mining the gold mine yourself." As he spoke, his eyes narrowed. "Remember, do not let this news leak out."
The gold mine that was discovered earlier was publicized by the Jiang family, and now everyone knows everything about it, including what should and shouldn't be known. Now all the officials in the court are keeping an eye on it, and not much can be embezzled.
Now he has to put this place in the dark and do a lot of things in private.
Wei Qi said solemnly, "I obey your orders."
The emperor looked at the letter again and fell silent.
Both gold mines were found by the girl from the Yan family. Considering her relationship with her mother and uncle, it would be hard not to reward her. However, the timing for rewarding her is not right now.
After a moment's thought, the Emperor looked at Eunuch An and asked, "Didn't Dong Jiancheng, the Governor of Zhongzhou, submit a memorial recently, describing the tax revenue and government achievements of the various prefectures in Zhongzhou?"
Eunuch An immediately understood what the Emperor was going to ask, and nodded with a smile, "Yes, it specifically mentioned the achievements of Lord Yan, the Ningmen Prefecture Governor, and said that he had made remarkable contributions to the governance of Ningmen Prefecture."
The emperor smiled and said, "Yan Zhigao is a good minister. He has promoted high-yield wheat varieties to other provinces, and tax revenues have increased significantly in all regions. He is a capable minister."
If you can’t reward the small one, then reward the big one.
At the morning court the next day, some officials praised the Jiang family's achievements in finding gold mines and requested the emperor to reward the Jiang family. The emperor glanced at those officials, smiled, pulled Yan Zhigao out, and praised him profusely.
Seeing this, the officials who had been thinking of transferring to Ningmen Prefecture gave up the idea.
The emperor praised Yan Zhigao at this time, making it clear that he wanted Yan Zhigao to continue serving as the prefect of Ningmen Prefecture.
That afternoon, two imperial edicts left the capital at the same time and headed straight for Ningmen Mansion.
A few days later, Ningmen Mansion, Yan family.
Everyone in the Yan family knelt in the hall and listened respectfully to the eunuch reading the imperial edict.
"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven and in the Mandate of Heaven, writes: During his time in office, Yan Zhigao, the prefect of Ningmen Prefecture, was dignified and respectful, instilling loyalty and encouraging learning, and was deeply respected. His mother, Zhang, preached instructions to him day and night, diligently nurturing her son and bringing great honor to the family. His wife, Li, was virtuous and prudent, gentle and virtuous. I hereby grant you the rank of 'Gongren', a fourth-rank official, by special grace."
Daohua was kneeling on the ground. She didn't hear the complicated words in the middle part, but she understood the last two sentences.
My grandmother and mother were granted the title of Lady.
Daohua raised her head and quickly glanced at her cheap father. Seeing the obvious surprise on his face, she immediately started thinking.
Could it be that the emperor is rewarding my grandmother and mother at this time because of the gold mine?
After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, he looked at Yan Zhigao with a smile and said, "Master Yan, please accept the edict and express your gratitude."
Yan Zhigao raised his hands high, his face full of respect: "I bow to thank the Lord for His great grace. Long live the Emperor."
Seeing that it ended like this, Daohua felt extremely disappointed.
Her county lady is really gone!
Daohua stood up with everyone else. Seeing her grandmother and mother accepting the imperial edict with joy, her disappointment eased a little. Well, the emperor didn't take away all her merits. After all, he still gave their family some reward.
(End of this chapter)
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