Chapter 90 Birthday Gift
After the convoys of the Southern Frontier King and the Western King left, the capital was completely restored to peace.
In early March, preparations for spring plowing began in various parts of Daning, earlier in the south and later in the north.
However, the crops planted in most places remained largely unchanged, except for the sweet potatoes to be planted in Hexi County and the cotton to be planted in the southern Xinjiang region, which attracted considerable attention from the court.
As the Minister of Revenue, Su Sheng was naturally the first to jump out and say that since these two places did not grow familiar crops, the people might not have enough food to eat.
The Southern Xinjiang region was under the jurisdiction of the Southern Xinjiang King, so he didn't interfere much and focused on the affairs of Hexi Prefecture.
However, the data from the sweet potato experimental field was sent to Beijing before the new year, though it was presented in a cryptic manner.
Chu Jiubian then stated directly, "Sweet potatoes are also a type of grain, and can yield 600 jin per mu."
At present, the highest yield of wheat and rice is only about 300 jin, and Chu Jiubian is even underestimating the yield of sweet potatoes, which is still twice as high as the other two crops.
These words caused an uproar throughout the court.
If these words had come from someone else, people might not have believed them, but since Chu Jiubian said them, no one would doubt them.
Su Sheng stared at him for a moment, then said nothing more.
Chu Jiubian then said to Baili Hong, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
"Please speak, Grand Tutor," Baili Hong replied.
Chu Jiubian: "The Northwest Army was incompetent before, which allowed the Sai Kingdom to invade. If it weren't for Prince Ning's efforts to turn the tide, it would have caused a great disaster."
Everyone was puzzled, wondering what Chu Jiubian was going to do.
“If the border is unstable, the people of Daning will not feel at ease,” Chu Jiu argued. “Therefore, I request that someone be sent to the northeastern border to discuss cooperation with the Jurchen tribes and establish trade channels to promote development.”
He had asked Tan Yuzhu this question before during the palace examination.
Although Tan Yuzhu's answer was not perfect, it was insightful. With just a few words, she made everyone imagine the prosperous scene after the opening of trade and the continuous benefits that Da Ning would receive.
This was excellent news for Da Ning, so no one objected after he finished speaking.
However, everyone began to consider that this was a good thing for Da Ning, and also a good thing for the officials who went to negotiate.
Civil officials already have a hard time getting promoted through meritorious service, so this is a good opportunity.
Wang Wenyao stood among the officials of the Ministry of Rites, his eyes slightly cold.
Such matters as discussing cooperation should fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, so the Ministry of Rites will definitely send someone to handle this matter, and he must seize this opportunity.
If he does this well, he'll definitely get a promotion.
He slightly lifted his eyelids to look at the front of the procession. Although his eyes were blocked, he knew that Wang Zhiyuan, the Minister of Rites, was standing there.
Wang Zhiyuan is indeed getting close to the young master Wang Qichen, but the fact that he agreed to recommend Wang Wenyao for officialdom shows that he still has his eyes on the family line.
Therefore, as long as he takes the initiative to ask for this job, Wang Zhiyuan will definitely help him. After all, no matter how much they fight among themselves, they are all members of the Wang family and are one family.
But to his surprise, Wang Zhiyuan had already suggested that he take charge of the matter without him even having to ask for it.
Upon hearing Baili Hong call his name, Wang Wenyao's heart skipped a beat. He immediately stepped forward, bowed to the superior, and said, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I am confident that I can do a good job."
Baili Hong then looked at Chu Jiu and asked, "What do you think, my dear minister?"
“Giving young officials opportunities to gain experience is perfectly reasonable.” Chu Jiubian could see the expressions of the other officials in the Ministry of Rites out of the corner of his eye.
Vice Minister Lu Qiaobo was from the Lu family, and Cai Peng, one of the Assistant Ministers, was from the Xiao family. In terms of seniority and official rank, they were both higher than Wang Wenyao. However, Wang Zhiyuan gave the opportunity to his own family member Wang Wenyao with just one sentence. These people must have been dissatisfied.
The high-ranking officials behind them might also have to try to persuade them to do so.
Sure enough, just as Chu Jiubian showed signs of almost agreeing, Lu Qiaobo, the Vice Minister of Rites, stepped forward on his own.
“Your Majesty, Wang Yuanwailang is still young and lacks negotiation experience. I believe we should find another experienced person to ensure the smooth progress of this negotiation with the Jurchen tribe.”
“Minister Lu is right,” Chu Jiu argued. “During the previous palace examination, Tan Yuzhu, a student from the Imperial Academy, already had a plan for how to negotiate. And yesterday she drafted a detailed list of negotiators and handed it to me. It seems quite well-organized.”
He took out the memorial submitted by Tan Yuzhu from his sleeve.
Qin Xiao rose from his seat and stepped down from the platform. He took the memorial, read it through, and then turned to Baili Hong and bowed: "Your Majesty, I think these detailed rules are indeed good. Perhaps this scholar could go to the Northeast with the officials of the Ministry of Rites."
They had already reviewed the memorial yesterday, and even helped revise a few places and added some points that needed attention.
Tan Yuzhu agreed to everything, humbly acknowledging her shortcomings, and her gaze towards Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao was filled with more admiration and respect.
The detailed rules they currently possess are so meticulous that even the six ministers would find no fault with them.
Sure enough, after Wang Zhiyuan took the memorial and read it, he nodded repeatedly and said, "It is indeed excellent. Even I could not have done it with such meticulousness."
Wang Wenyao was unconvinced, feeling that if he had known about this earlier, he could have done a better job.
And this is just a preliminary list of details. When it comes to the actual negotiations, what skills can Tan Yuzhu, a mere woman, possibly have? She'll probably be looked down upon.
He had a high opinion of himself, but he wasn't foolish enough to say what he really thought in public. He simply lowered his head quietly and waited for the verdict.
Vice Minister Lu Qiaobo took the memorial and looked at it. The more he read, the more serious his expression became.
Indeed, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.
However, he still bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Tan Xuezi is indeed well prepared, but negotiations are not something that can be done on paper. In the end, it is more prudent to have experienced officials from my Ministry of Rites handle the matter."
Cai Peng, an assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, was a disciple of Xiao Huaiguan, the Minister of Personnel, and should have had a bright future. However, Xiao Huaiguan was often confused, so he could only rely on himself to seize opportunities.
Now that the opportunity is right in front of him, he is naturally prepared to seize it.
He stepped forward and said, "I second that proposal. I have served in the Ministry of Rites for three years and am quite experienced. I volunteer to go to the Northeast to assist the students in negotiating cooperation and to secure the greatest possible benefit for our Great Ning."
Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao exchanged a glance.
This Cai Peng was the one they had asked to deliver the second batch of grain to the Northwest, and it could be considered that they had intentionally promoted him.
This person is Xiao Huaiguan's student, but his background is clean. Although he is a bit opportunistic, petty, and greedy, he is still capable.
It was impossible to send only Tan Yuzhu and Wang Wenyao on this trip to the Jurchens to discuss cooperation.
Tan Yuzhu went to reach a cooperation agreement, while Wang Wenyao was sent to set a trap for him. However, Tan Yuzhu is young and the intricacies of officialdom are not easy to navigate. She may not be able to handle both the negotiation and the trap setting at the same time.
Therefore, it is still necessary for a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Rites to accompany them.
Wang Zhiyuan, as a high-ranking official, could not possibly leave the capital, so we needed to look downwards for him.
Vice Minister Lu Qiaobo holds a very high position in the Lu family, second only to Minister of War Lu Youwei. If such a person goes to the Northeast, it will definitely make things even more difficult for Tan Yuzhu.
So Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao talked for a long time yesterday, and in the end they also planned to add Cai Peng as a guest.
The position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites is vacant, and Cai Peng can be promoted after his return.
With such a big fish dangling in front of him, Cai Peng, a pragmatic man willing to plan for his own future, would certainly accept the imperial court's offer without hesitation and sever ties with the Xiao family.
Moreover, he had previously worked for the Xiao family, so he did not receive any benefit from escorting the grain.
This time, he was promoted directly for working for the court, and he will only become more loyal to the court thereafter.
With him cooperating with Tan Yuzhu, Wang Wenyao is bound to "cause big trouble" in the Northeast. When he returns, Wang Wenyao's official position, which he hasn't even settled into yet, will be lost.
This could even implicate other officials in the Wang family.
At that time, the Wang family lineage will decline further. If Wang Zhiyuan holds another meeting with the elders, Wang Huanzhi's position as head of the family will become unstable, and Wang Qichen will be able to take over.
The Wang family would then become completely subservient to the court, and no amount of public opinion would be able to harm the court.
This was Wang Zhiyuan's move; Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were merely helping to set up the chessboard and wait for the outcome.
Lu Qiaobo originally intended to make a contribution himself, but now that Cai Peng, who was indeed experienced, stepped forward to recommend himself, he couldn't say anything.
Finally, the people who were going to Northeast China were Tan Yuzhu, Wang Wenyao, and Cai Peng.
With detailed rules and regulations in hand and Chu Jiubian's endorsement, Tan Yuzhu became the "chief officer" for this trip to the Northeast as a "student".
She has the most say, but Cai Peng will assist her, and his status is about the same as hers.
Wang Wenyao, on the other hand, seemed dispensable.
This made him even more resentful. Why should Tan Yuzhu, a mere woman and a commoner, be able to make decisions for him?
This kind of defiance is exactly what Chu Jiubian and his group want.
When people feel resentful, they will take initiative to do things, which makes them more prone to making mistakes.
Cai Peng was a very shrewd man. After the three-person list was finalized, Qin Xiao told him to "do his job well".
From just this one sentence, he knew that his mission was not only to negotiate cooperation with the Jurchens, but also to cooperate with Tan Yuzhu in doing something. As for what exactly to do, he would only know after meeting Tan Yuzhu.
If he does this well, Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian will reward him handsomely when he returns.
Now that the Xiao family is no longer a reliable source of support, Cai Peng, wanting to secure greater power and benefits for his own family, must start making new plans for himself.
Now that the imperial court has extended an olive branch, he naturally embraced it firmly.
And so the matter was settled.
Two days later, the team heading to Northeast China set off quietly.
Meanwhile, in Wanglai Town.
The seven vassal kings should now head to their respective territories, and will no longer be able to travel together.
On the day they arrived at Wanglai Town, the King of Huguang invited the other six vassal kings to have a meal together.
During the banquet, he tested everyone's attitude towards the imperial court.
Needless to say, the King of Southern Xinjiang and the King of Drunken Liang cooperated in catching Gu worms at the palace banquet. Later, Chu Jiubian even went to the King of Southern Xinjiang's mansion and invited the King of Southern Xinjiang's twins to dinner. It's obvious that they are very familiar with each other.
The Drunken King Liang was no less impressive; the imperial edict of grace that he himself had to read aloud was a privilege reserved solely for him.
Therefore, these two men were determined to serve the imperial court, and the King of Huguang naturally wouldn't confront them directly.
There's only one question: if these two princes clash with the imperial court in the future, will they intervene?
King Zui Liang remained all smiles, saying only that he lived far away and was used to a life of ease, and that he wouldn't care as long as they didn't attack him.
The King of Southern Xinjiang gave a similar explanation. He also lived in a remote area and was not as powerful as the vassal kings in the Central Plains, so protecting his own territory was naturally the most important thing for him.
This also reassured the other vassal kings that the two of them would not participate in the conflict and would remain neutral.
After saying this, they did not linger and left one after another.
They didn't listen to what these people would talk about at the banquet afterwards, nor did they participate.
The King of Huguang and others were naturally satisfied with their attitude.
Prince Baili Zheng of Pingxi, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up: "As long as the people in my fief are safe, nothing else matters to me."
He is a very rigid person, and once he has made up his mind, it is very difficult to change it.
The King of Huguang tried to persuade him, but the other party didn't listen at all. After finishing his last cup of wine, he got up to take his leave.
"This idiot." Dongjiang King Bailihe scoffed, his gloomy eyes sweeping over the remaining people.
King Baili Yue of Huguang, King Baili Yu of Dingbei, and King Baili Ming of Anhuai.
Baili Ming was just a little kid and didn't amount to anything, but his strategist Jiang Yongshou was sitting next to him. This man was cunning and shrewd, and his willingness to stay meant he was probably planning to oppose the court.
The King of Huguang then looked at Baili Yu, the King of Dingbei, who had been sitting quietly to his side.
Their youngest brother, who kept a low profile, had previously pulled off a major operation, nearly eliminating Qin Xiao.
Furthermore, during this trip to the capital, the other party acted ruthlessly on several occasions, whether it was releasing Gu worms at the palace banquet or plotting to kill the Prince of Jiannan. He had to admit that he was inferior to them in terms of ruthlessness.
Previously, the Prince of Huguang only had the Prince of Dongjiang as his opponent, but now he felt that the Prince of Dingbei was even more unpredictable.
Working with such a person is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin, but things have come to this point. The Edict of Grace is enough to show the court's determination to get rid of the vassal kings, and they must strike first.
Therefore, they cannot abandon the Prince of Dingbei.
Naturally, they gave up. The other party might have other ways to cause trouble, so it was better to bring them into their camp and ensure temporary peace.
The King of Dongjiang naturally shared the same thought, so the two exchanged a glance and silently reached a tacit understanding.
Before long, the heads of the four great families arrived as invited.
The Wang family sent Wang Huanzhi and his strategist Wang Zhang; the Xiao family sent their patriarch Xiao Yao; the Lu family sent not their patriarch Lu Jinfeng, but Lu Tong, the strategist of Lu Youwei, the Minister of War; and the Qiu family sent their patriarch Qiu Xuanzheng, but not only him, but also his uncle Qiu Hongkuo.
Everyone couldn't help but look at him.
Most people knew a little about the Lu family. The patriarch, Lu Jinfeng, was a rigid and self-righteous man who didn't get along with many people in the family.
However, the succession of the Lu family head is based on bloodline, unlike the Wang family where the most capable person takes the position. Therefore, everyone had no choice but to accept Lu Jinfeng as the family head.
Therefore, it is quite reasonable that the person who came to discuss matters today is an elder of the Lu family and an advisor to Minister Lu.
As for the Qiu family, it is common knowledge that Qiu Hongkuo is actually in charge of their household. The fact that he came in person today shows how much importance they attach to it.
The group sat down, and what they talked about remains unknown.
The specific content of the conversation is unknown, but after the news from the spies was sent back to the capital, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao roughly understood the situation.
It seems that these people have already reached an agreement.
Needless to say, Wang Huanzhi had a blood feud with Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, who killed his son. He certainly wouldn't do that if Wang Qichen joined the court.
The Xiao family is currently weak, and the imperial court has not given them any hope. At this time, if other vassal kings offer them benefits, they will naturally accept them.
The Lu family had previously conspired with the Prince of Dingbei, nearly costing Qin Xiao his life.
In addition, they also knew that they had plotted to harm the Qin family, and that they might soon be unable to keep it a secret. Their future could not be in Qin Xiao's hands, so they naturally sided with the vassal king.
Perhaps only the Qiu family is currently maintaining an ambiguous attitude and has not made any promises.
The Qiu family values profit, and since they can still receive a share of the profits from the imperial court, they can continue to live a peaceful life.
But if the imperial court were to take away all the benefits they held, they would certainly not be able to sit still.
Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao naturally wouldn't continue to share profits with the Qiu family, but they weren't in a hurry. Once the Drunken King of Liang returned to his fiefdom, the Qiu family's "profits" would naturally be gradually eroded away.
Qin Xiao burned the letter in his hand.
Baili Hong ran in from outside the hall with great joy, saying, "Uncle, Master, it really snows!"
It's already March, but Chu Jiubian checked the system forecast and it said there would be one last snowfall.
Baili Hong was incredibly excited when he saw that it had really snowed.
"Can we go admire the plum blossoms tonight?" the child asked the two adults expectantly.
Previously, when the Prince of Anhuai entered the capital, Baili Hong and Chu Jiubian received him together. At that time, he said that when Qin Xiao returned from the war, he would go with his uncle to appreciate the snow and plum blossoms.
I just never had the chance.
Winter has passed, and it's time for the children's wishes to come true.
Qin Xiao said, "I've already sent people to pack it up. We'll head over later."
Baili Hong jumped up and down happily, then tugged at Chu Jiubian's sleeve and said, "Sir, let's have hot pot tonight too. I didn't eat well at noon."
Today, March 15th, is Baili Hong's birthday, also known as the Longevity Festival.
However, there is a tradition in Da Ning that children under the age of sixteen cannot have their birthdays celebrated in a big way, for fear that the King of Hell will take the child away.
Therefore, Baili Hong did not hold a grand celebration for his first birthday after ascending the throne. He simply invited the officials to the palace for a meal at noon, received some gifts, and gave them some dishes as a reward. That was all.
Since it was his birthday, none of Chu Jiubian, Qin Xiao, Hong Fu, or the others asked Baili Hong to work. They simply told him to relax and have fun all day.
"We'll eat whatever Your Majesty wants to eat," Chu Jiubian said, pinching his cheek.
Baili Hong smiled, his eyes crinkling, and leaned on his knees, saying, "Then, sir, may I ride the cart there?"
In the morning, Chu Jiubian bought a small bicycle that a child could ride from the system, replaced some of the overly modern parts, such as the sponge seat, with softer cushions, and then gave it to Baili Hong.
Baili Hong was so enamored with it that he had ridden the little car around the main hall countless times.
Luckily, the place is big enough for him to have fun.
“Ask your uncle,” Chu Jiu argued.
The child immediately turned his head and looked at Qin Xiao expectantly.
Qin Xiao chuckled lightly: "Ride."
A four-year-old child only gets one day off a year, so naturally he can do whatever makes him happy.
Moreover, since they now hold absolute power in the palace, there's no need to wrong Baili Hong too much.
Baili Hong cheered and ran off again, with Xiaoyuzi quickly following, afraid that he might fall.
Chu Jiubian watched the child run away and couldn't help but smile.
This is how children should behave; their little emperor dares to play like this today.
With a sudden tightening around his waist, Qin Xiao pressed himself against Chu Jiubian's back, his hot breath brushing against his ear, instantly turning the young man's fair earlobe bright red.
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