If Hui'an Jun wants to run Xiami, he shouldn't worry about managing the ocean...
Taibu Yang had been mentally preparing for a long time, not only to tell Shen Zhiwei about Hui'an Jun, but also about one more thing.
This matter has something to do with his bad reputation.
His surname is Gui, which is one of the eight major surnames with a long history. In addition, he was able to sit in the position of Taibu at a young age, so his family background must be excellent.
But he is not the eldest son.
In order to ensure the prosperity of the family these days, the eldest son has always been the inheritor. Other sons except the eldest son are not important at all.
The eldest son inherits at least 70% of the family's wealth, and the more ruthless ones can inherit 90%. The rest is divided among his brothers. Daughters in the family are married off early, and if they are not married yet, a share is left for them as a dowry.
In aristocratic families with many children, except for the eldest son, the rest of the children do not live well.
There are seven brothers in Guiyang's family. All of them are good-looking and smart. Now they each hold official positions in the vassal states. The eldest brother in the family directly inherited the throne of the present-day Northern Kingdom.
Only Gui Yang did not go to any of the vassal states, but returned to Jingchang where the Zhou emperor was.
He certainly did not come to Jingchang out of loyalty to the emperor or patriotism. The royal family was clearly in decline, and Gui Yang did not think he was the great sage who could keep the Zhou Dynasty alive.
He came to Jingchang to find his biological mother.
This idea was difficult for the world to understand, and his brothers were even more confused. Even his old friends thought he was crazy. How could he be worthy of the Gui family who raised him by giving up his future for a woman he had never met?
What's more, his mother was of such low status, just a slave in a noble family.
He had no name or surname, and was sent to Jingchang as a slave after he was born. He was taken away by the head of the Gui family, registered under his name, and became the young master of the Gui family.
"Your Majesty, I have another request. I dare to ask for your approval."
Shen Zhiwei nodded slightly, signaling the other party to speak directly.
Taibu Yang hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "There is a slave girl in the palace who washes clothes. I have a history with you. I hope Your Majesty will give her up and give her to me."
When Shen Zhiwei heard this, his eyes lit up, as if there was some gossip!
What else can one do if not gossip?
This must be made clear.
"You are a nobleman, how come you are acquainted with a maidservant in the palace?"
Taibu Yang's palms broke out in sweat when he heard the king's question. He took a deep breath and continued, "We have a past relationship, and this is how we met. I beg the king to grant me this favor. If you are willing to part with me, I will gather the common people and slaves you need tomorrow."
He did not say that the slave girl was his mother, because if he did, it might make the king disdain him and then disgust him, making him recognize his own identity.
Over the years, too many people have said such things. In the eyes of those people, he was extremely lucky that the Gui family did not treat him harshly because of his mother's low status. Instead, they raised him well and taught him to read and write.
He even wanted to find his biological mother and ignored the upbringing of the Gui family for this purpose. He was completely disloyal.
But for Gui Yang, he wanted to let his biological mother live out her life in peace out of filial piety. His father was dead, and no one could stop him.
"Okay, but if I only give you one slave, it will attract attention. Find a few more and I'll give you a few more."
Shen Zhiwei felt bored when she saw Tai Buyang was keeping silent. She didn't want to take advantage of him and just wanted an equal exchange.
Anyway, there are not so many people who need to be served in the palace now, so it is a waste to keep those palace slaves. Moreover, the original palace slaves know the original body's temper. Shen Zhiwei is afraid that someone will come out and say that her temperament has changed drastically because of ghost possession. In this dynasty where witchcraft is rampant and superstitious people are everywhere, even if she is the emperor, she is likely to be dragged away to exorcise evil spirits.
It is better to clear out all the original slaves and purchase new ones when needed.
Shen Zhiwei actually felt a little uncomfortable. People were turned into objects and traded here at will, which made her, a modern person, very uncomfortable.
Forget it, there's no point in thinking so much. How could a tyrant like her change the cannibalistic nature of feudal society? Even she herself was the last shrimp to be eaten, at most only two sizes larger than the others.
Don’t even think about how to manage the ocean.
Taibu Yang was overjoyed and immediately agreed to Shen Zhiwei's "deal", thinking that he would pick some useful slaves when the time comes, such as the people from several small countries that were destroyed some time ago, among which there were many high-quality slaves with experience in farming.
Only in this way can he live up to the king's kindness to him.
The altar had been set up. After dinner, Shen Zhiwei led the officials in offering sacrifices. A group of people stood in rows, and the great witch danced. The flames and ashes rushed into the sky, as if they could really bring the voices of the world to the ears of the gods in heaven.
A huge tripod was placed on the altar. Shen Zhiwei took a torch and threw it in. He performed the sacrificial dance in accordance with the etiquette according to the steps in his original body's memory.
If she had no memory of her original body, she would have been tied to a rack and burned together with the god of agriculture during today's sacrifice.
After the sacrifice was completed, Shen Zhiwei was so hungry that he had a meal of boiled vegetables and barbecued meat around ten o'clock in the morning.
There were also some side dishes, which actually tasted good, but there was no stir-fried dish that Shen Zhiwei wanted to eat.
So after returning to the palace, Shen Zhiwei hurriedly asked Hu Youan to urge Queen Mother An to get the craftsmen from Anguo as soon as possible.
Empress Dowager An was frightened by Shen Zhiwei, and since she would have to rely on Shen Zhiwei to become the empress dowager in the future, she did not dare to delay and immediately urged her ministers to go to Anguo as soon as possible.
It was at this time that Hui'an Jun visited Queen Mother An.
When Queen Mother An saw Hui'an Jun with his head down and dressed in palace maid's clothes, she was shocked. She quickly dismissed her attendants and pulled Hui'an Jun to her front.
"Ziman, why are you dressed like this? And why did you come to the palace to look for your mother today?"
"Mother, save Ziman!"
Ziman looked up and hugged Empress Dowager An and cried bitterly. He looked panic-stricken and if you looked closely, you could see a dark circle under his eyes. It seemed that he had not had a good rest for several days.
Queen Mother An was crying all over the quilt, and she was restless. Thinking of the embarrassment she felt when the king warned her yesterday, her nose was sore and her eyes were hot and tears fell.
"Ziman, ah Ziman, the late king is gone. What are we going to do now? The world is so big, there is no place for us to stay. From now on, you and I will have to depend on your sister who has a different father and mother!"
Empress Dowager An cried more sincerely than Ziman did, and frightened Ziman so much that he didn't know whether he should cry or not.
He in turn comforted Queen Dowager An, saying, "Don't worry, mother. From today on, you no longer need to be controlled by the king. Come with me and flee back to Anguo."
"An Guo?"
Empress Dowager An stopped crying immediately, and with tears still in her eyes, she looked at her twenty-year-old son in her arms.
Ziman, who had just reached the age of twenty, was no longer the child who was hungry, cold, thin, and called a bastard. He had grown into a man with a tall and strong figure and a strong body.
"Yes, I heard that my mother was sending envoys to Anguo, and I want to go with her. The royal family is empty, and now even the princess has been allowed to succeed to the throne. The world is in chaos, and we need to find a good master to serve."
"Your uncle is not a good master."
Queen Mother An also wanted to run away, but she was not in danger in the palace for the time being. Even if the king regarded her as a monkey to be tamed, her life was still safe.
But if I return to Anguo, it may not be the case.
"Since my uncle took control of Anguo, it has grown immensely, annexing several smaller states. How can my uncle not be considered a good ruler?" Ziman didn't understand what Queen Mother An meant. "Besides, didn't my mother once say that my uncle is a benevolent and kind ruler? I can return home at any time to serve Anguo. With my talent and knowledge, I'm sure I'll be put to good use."
Empress Dowager An's face turned ugly after being asked by her son. She let go of her hand and let her son kneel on the ground. She stood up and walked around the room anxiously twice.
After calming herself down, she said, "No, that's right. You are not allowed to return to Anguo! Ziman, do you understand? You and I are in Zhou, and only then can we speak to your uncle. Once you and I return to Anguo, who will know who we are? Who will listen to us? You are indeed young and talented, but what are your chances of success against the young talents of Anguo?"
Empress Dowager An felt very regretful when she said this. If she had known earlier, she would not have said things like her son was extremely talented when she was coaxing him. Who would have thought that the child would actually remember the words she said to coax him?
Ziman was not convinced. He stopped his back, clenched his fists, and lowered his head and said, "Mother looks down on me."
"How could mother possibly look down on her own children? You're just too young. You don't understand. A king is bound to be ruthless. In their eyes, blood ties are nothing more than a piece of paper. When mother married the late king, she swore an oath that she would only wear brocade clothes and be personally supported by Lord An before entering the Nine Bends. You let mother flee in such a state of humiliation, which is a violation of the oath she made."
Jiuqu City was the capital of An State.
Built by the water, it is extremely prosperous and more lively than Jingchang.
Empress Dowager An also wanted to go back, but she didn't want to go back in a mess.
At that time, she was unwilling to marry into the declining Zhou royal family, but King Anguo had just ascended the throne and urgently needed the recognition of the Zhou emperor in order to gain a foothold among the princes, so she was forced to marry into Jingchang.
An Guo is the Empress Dowager An's backer, but this backer is not reliable.
If Queen Mother An and Lord An had a good relationship, she would not agree to help Shen Zhiwei and poach An Guo's girlfriend out of fear.
Ziman heard the determination of Queen Mother An and felt confused.
"But mother, if I stay, I will surely die at the hands of the king."
"What nonsense are you talking about? You have no relationship with the king. Just because she calls you brother, do you think you can really ascend the throne?" Queen Dowager An calmed down now, her words were very venomous, and she directly aimed at Ziman's ambitions. "Don't be delusional. The royal family would rather choose a princess to succeed the throne than you. You should understand that only those with the emperor's bloodline can become the emperor."
"No, the princess used to be jealous of me because I had my mother's protection. Now that she holds the power, she will definitely take revenge on me!"
There was a hint of embarrassment on Zi's face after his thoughts were exposed, but his mouth was still as tough as ever.
Anyway, if he stayed, he would die. If his mother wanted him to live, she had to send him out of Jingchang.
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