Chapter 430: Already Knowing the Greatness of the Universe
Look, look, they are a couple who eat from the same pot, how come there is such a big difference between them?
The Empress's wisdom and compassion for her ministers made the Emperor look so much worse than the Emperor, making the ministers upset. If there was no other choice, who would want to accept two emperors?
Alas, I only hope that the eldest prince will resemble his mother in wisdom and incomparable intelligence, and I hope he won’t take after his eccentric father!
Lord Xiao was complaining the most fiercely and intensively in his heart, but speaking the most humble and polite words.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have always been in good health. It shouldn't be a problem for me to look after the Honglu Temple for another ten or eight years.
I have no great talent. My literary skills are not as good as those of my colleagues, and my military skills are even worse.
However, I still have some ambition. I want to see how my increasingly prosperous Dayu will stand out among other countries in the future.
If that day comes, I will die without regrets..."
He is an old official of the previous dynasty. He has been working in the Honglu Temple since the imperial palace was still named Gu. Even now that the imperial palace has changed its name and owner, he is still working in the Honglu Temple.
The late emperor was not a man who cared about appearances. How could a man who came from the mud be willing to spend money wisely?
So even though the roof of the main hall of the Honglu Temple was full of holes, the Ministry of Revenue was reluctant to allocate a single cent to replace the tiles.
In the entire imperial court, with its three departments, six ministries, four temples, and five offices, only the Honglu Temple, the most useless and insignificant of all, was not even worthy of being on the stage. Those new to the officialdom knew that even a small official position outside was better than sitting on the bench in the Honglu Temple...
Thinking of the difficulties on his side, Lord Xiao showed a wry smile on his face.
"I know why you summoned me here, Your Majesty.
Yesterday, Zhang Mu yelled at me in the Sifang Pavilion, saying that I was using chicken feathers as a token of authority to find fault everywhere, just to show off my power and make things difficult for the Ministry of Works.
He said he would file a complaint before the Emperor, so I think he has already submitted it. Is my guess correct?"
The Queen blinked awkwardly. What could I say? Executives from two departments were arguing, and as the general manager, I couldn't possibly get involved, could I?
"My dear Xiao, please don't get angry. The Ministry of Works didn't intend to file a complaint. Minister Zhang was just defending himself.
They were indeed quite tight on schedule, not daring to stop work during the entire Lunar New Year holiday. I've been there to take a look, and honestly, the Sifang Pavilion is already quite well built.
"Xiao Aiqing, if you are dissatisfied with anything, please tell me directly. I will discuss it with you."
The queen was not like the emperor, who would bang the table and curse when he was angry and anxious. She would always quickly sort out the logic of the situation and then start to solve it.
Lord Xiao raised his hand in greeting with gratitude in his eyes, his voice slightly unstable.
"I have no personal grudge against Minister Zhang, so I didn't intend to embarrass him. I was simply doing my job.
Queen, you probably also know that when our Dayu Emperor and the current Emperor ascended the throne, we did not prepare a state banquet to invite all countries to congratulate.
This time, it is the first time that our Dayu Dynasty has shown its face to foreign countries. My Honglu Temple represents the first layer of face of Dayu. This is the national prestige. How can we neglect it?
We must do everything to the best of our ability, not only in terms of reception etiquette, but also in terms of the comfort and safety of the envoys from various countries. This is also an important matter."
"Yes, what you said, Lord Xiao, makes sense. I agree with your idea.
A country's diplomatic culture is the best way to connect with the whole world, and it is always extremely important at all times.
If we, Dayu, are not prepared to develop wildly on our own, but to coexist with the rest of the world, then fostering good neighborliness is an essential part of this.”
Don't start a war lightly unless it is absolutely necessary.
These are the exact words that almost all the important ministers have used to give earnest advice to the monarch.
Just as the adults once warned us, to be a truly wise ruler, one does not necessarily have to be wise and powerful and be recorded in history, but one must have a heart that sympathizes with the people.
Her father once said to her and Li Chengxiu with great emotion that sometimes the ones who want to go to war may be kings, noble families, or generals, but never the common people!
Don't start a war lightly unless it is absolutely necessary.
Jiang Wan kept this point firmly in mind.
I have realized the vastness of the universe, but I still feel pity for the green grass and trees.
Only when she really reached this level could she understand why the late emperor had risked his life to marry people time and time again in order to capture the city at the lowest cost.
Even though it caused them so much regret, for the people who were less affected by the war, the late emperor was a wise ruler! She sighed softly and then changed her tone and made a decision.
"Tell me, what's not being done well enough at the Sifang Pavilion? I'll order the Ministry of Works to rectify it immediately. If Minister Zhang isn't up to the task, I'll have Minister Liu personally oversee it!"
"Thank you, my Emperor... Empress... Empress, for your wisdom!"
When Xiao Jiye, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, heard that the Empress did not rebuke him for being picky like the late Emperor, he immediately felt as if he had found a soulmate. His eyes lit up and his mouth opened with excitement.
Seeing that the queen had no intention of blaming him for his impoliteness, the man bowed awkwardly and then hurriedly spoke.
“Although the Sifang Pavilion has been restored, the interior decoration is too simple.
When I was young, I once followed my predecessors on a diplomatic mission to Dali.
The layout of the Sifang Pavilion over there is very reasonable. The key is that it takes into account the different cultural customs of various countries. It does not prepare a kitchen like we do now.
This is actually not appropriate. After all, the people of Linyue like to eat meat, while the people of Dali prefer lighter tastes.
There are also many foreign nations like Ye Country, Beiliang Country, Yu Country, etc. Their food cultures are definitely different, and they may not all be able to eat our Dayu cuisine."
"It's very comprehensive, and this is something we really need to pay attention to."
"Not only that, Your Majesty, but the defenses within the pavilion are also far too weak. I was planning to report this to the Emperor and request that he provide additional guards to the Sifang Pavilion during this period."
But the first step was stuck with Minister Zhang. He was not even willing to help me build an extra pavilion for the guards to rest and drink water, let alone a side courtyard.
Do you think he is too stingy and bullying?
"I'm just a petty person with a broken mind, always thinking about trivial things. Who would dare to commit a crime in the Sifang Pavilion under the feet of the emperor?"
Speaking of Zhang Mu's flattery without even looking at him, Lord Xiao was still so angry that his beard was shaking.
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