Chapter 72: Talking about Farming
To be honest, Zhu Yuhuan didn't know much about Yu Qian in history. Like most people, he only knew that he was a loyal minister. The most dazzling thing in his life was his experience of guarding Beijing and supporting the new emperor. In the end, Yu Qian was executed for supporting a vassal king and scheming to rebel.
As for what kind of person he was, Zhu Yuhuan was not really clear. Even after reading the article, the image Zhu Yuhuan had in his mind was still that of a farsighted and loyal minister.
However, after Yu Qian understood what he meant in his first sentence, Zhu Yuhuan immediately felt a little close to him.
Yu Qian pondered for a moment and said, "What the princess said does make sense, but this is not something the princess can accomplish alone. Although His Majesty has ordered the princess to lead the craftsmen in designing agricultural tools, the princess alone is not enough to make the Ministry of Revenue take this matter seriously. Moreover, the Ministry of Revenue has other matters to attend to. Even if it has the responsibility of encouraging agriculture, it is impossible to devote manpower to agricultural work. And even if the Ministry of Works has water conservancy and irrigation and military farming, the responsibility of encouraging agriculture is clearly under the Ministry of Revenue, so naturally it will not be involved in these matters."
Zhu Yuhuan said seriously, "In the previous dynasty, there was a Ministry of Agriculture specifically responsible for encouraging agriculture throughout the country, assigning agricultural officials, and developing water conservancy projects. This is what the people call treating the disease with the right medicine. With an official position that can take the lead, it would be more legitimate for the six ministries to be in charge."
While the Ministry of Revenue oversees agricultural affairs, its role is ultimately limited. What it lacks most is an official dedicated to agricultural management. A fully functioning department can maximize its effectiveness. As it currently does, agricultural work is fragmented here and there, and with the responsibilities divided among local authorities, large-scale research and promotion are difficult. The Ministry of Revenue also has its reasons. Besides encouraging agriculture, officials also need to handle household registration and taxation. How could they truly focus on agricultural matters every day? A department with full responsibility for agricultural affairs is clearly needed.
Zeng Heling was shocked when he heard Zhu Yuhuan's words and quickly said, "Princess, don't talk nonsense about government affairs..."
Of course, he would not go out and say that Zhu Yuhuan was interfering in politics as a woman, but he was worried that others would hear it, which would be a big trouble.
Zhu Yuhuan didn't care and waved his hand, saying, "With Huai'en guarding us, there are only three of us here, so no one else will hear us."
Zeng Heling finally breathed a sigh of relief, but when he saw Zhu Yuhuan's calm demeanor, he suddenly became a little nervous again.
Normally, he served as a tutor to the emperor, and he only thought that Princess Shunde was indeed born intelligent and had some wonderful ideas. However, Zhu Yuhuan's words and actions just now seemed to show that she was quite scheming, which was completely different from her usual lively and cheerful appearance.
Zhu Yuhuan noticed Zeng Zhang Heling's body stiffened, and said with a smile: "Don't be nervous, Zeng Shidu. It's not easy in the palace and outside the court. Ever since I was taught by the emperor, I dare not act recklessly anymore."
Zeng Heling laughed dryly and said, "My princess is right. It is a good thing for me to cherish myself."
The officials had heard about the recent standoff in the Qianqing Palace and His Majesty's furious outburst, which was closely related to the Shunde Princess. Although the officials did not agree with His Majesty's plan to seize power from Empress Zhang, they were still discussing the Shunde Princess.
After all, letting Princess Shunde listen to the daily lectures that only the prince is qualified to attend is already a violation of the rules. Now that a person who has violated the rules has done something beyond the rules, it is enough to show that Princess Shunde is not an easy person to deal with. In this case, the best choice is of course to "beat her back to her original form" and let her be a well-behaved princess, so that there will be peace in the world.
His Majesty was naturally well aware of this, but there was no explicit decree prohibiting Princess Shunde from continuing her daily lectures, so the lecturers continued to turn a blind eye and teach Zhu Yuhuan.
Although Zeng Heling knew that the princess did have talents that ordinary people did not have, he had never understood why. It was not until today when he saw these farm carts and Zhu Yuhuan's own views on farming that Zeng Heling vaguely understood why His Majesty did this.
Princess Shunde’s ideas today are already astonishing enough. If she has ten or a hundred such ideas, it would not be an exaggeration to call Princess Shunde a gold mine!
Zhu Yuhuan had no idea what Zeng Heling was thinking, so he simply said, "I know the Ministry of Revenue will definitely not agree to this openly dividing its power from me, so I'm just thinking about it... I can't control other things, but asking the Emperor to give me a few more acres of land shouldn't be a difficult task."
Zeng Heling quickly agreed and said, "This is indeed something that the princess can do. If Your Majesty knew what the princess thought, he would definitely be very pleased."
Yu Qian immediately understood Zhu Yuhuan's implication and asked, "Does the princess want to wait until she has some concrete results before convincing His Majesty?"
Zeng Heling was slightly stunned, and then he understood what Zhu Yuhuan meant.
Zhu Yuhuan just smiled and said nothing. He changed the subject and asked, "I remember Zeng Shidu said that Yu Siwu is now in the Ministry of Personnel?"
Yu Qian nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I will fill the vacant position in the Ministry of Personnel and now serve as the Secretary."
Zhu Yuhuan hummed softly and said, "I understand."
Zeng Heling was stunned for a moment, but when he saw Zhu Yuhuan's calm look, he immediately understood and unconsciously revealed a hint of surprise.
This princess really wanted to recommend Yu Qian to the prince... It's a pity that the prince has already gone south, otherwise for Yu Qian, this would be a good opportunity to directly attach himself to the prince.
Zhu Yuhuan naturally understood why Zeng Heling was surprised, but he just laughed in his heart.
What's the big deal about being attached to the crown prince? Being directly a member of the imperial party is the most comfortable thing.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuhuan looked at Zeng Heling who was a little envious and said, "Mr. Zeng, don't forget your daily lectures. Before my father left, he told me to hand in my homework on time."
Zeng Heling is well-educated and has unique insights into classics, history, and literature. It would not be a big deal for him to become the Zuo Chunfang Zuo Yude in the future.
She doesn't hate her brother, but she hates her stupid brother.
Zeng Heling was slightly stunned, but soon understood Zhu Yuhuan's implication and quickly responded, "I understand."
He vaguely guessed what Zhu Yuhuan meant and couldn't help but feel excited. The prince now had no son, and Princess Shunde was quite favored by the emperor and the prince. It would be great if Princess Shunde could say a few good words in front of the prince.
Yu Qian, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up: "I will write an article to present to you later, expounding on the princess's views. Please review it, Scholar Yang."
Zhu Yuhuan blinked, then realized that Yu Qian's silence was because he was thinking about the possibility of Zhu Yuhuan's suggestion. She was stunned at first, then laughed and said, "Spring plowing is over, there is no need to rush this matter."
Although it was not a good idea to think this way, it was estimated that Zhu Gaochi would not be able to sit on the throne for many days. Everyone's attention was not here, and it might even cause trouble. Why should Yu Qian submit a memorial at this time? It would be better to wait until Zhu Zhanji ascended the throne.
Yu Qian then asked, "I also have something to ask. Does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince often discuss state affairs with the Princess?"
Zeng Heling was startled by his question and was about to make amends when Zhu Yuhuan said frankly, "That's not the case. I heard it myself. My father would never tell me such things." As she spoke, her eyes curved into crescents, revealing a sly smile. "But patriotism is everyone's duty, regardless of status, gender, age, isn't it, Secretary Yu?"
Yu Qian stared at her for a long time, and finally said, "My princess, what you said is absolutely right."
On the other side, Zhu Zhanji walked around but didn't see Zhu Yuhuan. Finally, he found Huai'en, who was always by her side, standing nearby. Zhu Zhanji walked over curiously and asked, "What is Huanhuan doing? Who is she talking to so seriously?"
Seeing this, Huai En quickly replied, "It was Yu Siwu from the Ministry of Personnel. The princess was talking to Yu Siwu about agricultural affairs."
Zhu Zhanji raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Secretary? Such a low-ranking official is here?"
He was a prince, and a ninth-rank official was naturally nothing in his eyes. Knowing the rank of the steward was already considered good enough for him.
Huai En looked embarrassed. Even though he was very well-mannered in the palace, he didn't know how to respond for a moment.
It would be better to say that Zhu Zhanji's words were decisive as soon as he opened his mouth.
Zhu Zhanji shook his head helplessly and said, "This little girl, she complained that the official position I found was too low, but now she is chatting so happily... What's so special about this little steward..."
Huai En replied, "The princess has always appreciated talented people. No matter whether they are in high positions or hidden talents, as long as they have talent, the princess will not be proud of their status."
Zhu Zhanji chuckled, turned to look at Huai En, and said, "I didn't realize you were quite good at talking."
"I dare not, I am just telling the truth."
Zhu Yuhuan noticed what was happening over there, so he said to the two of them, "That's enough for today. I think the craftsmen have finished their talk."
"yes."
Zhu Yuhuan put his hands behind his back and walked quickly towards Zhu Zhanji, saying, "Fifth Uncle!"
Seeing her coming, Zhu Zhanji said, "Hey, I just saw that half-finished car of yours..."
Zhu Yuhuan added considerately: "Bicycle."
Zhu Zhanji rubbed his hands eagerly, obviously looking forward to it. He asked, "When will it be ready? I'm still looking forward to playing."
He also accidentally saw the design drawings placed on the table by the craftsmen and thought that the car was quite interesting. He had also read a few books, but had never seen such a car. It was really hard to figure out how to use this car, so he was quite looking forward to it.
Seeing his interest, Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but smile and said, "I was originally going to give this to my fifth uncle, but many of the parts of this car are tiny and need to be carefully smelted. It will probably take some time, not to mention..."
"not to mention?"
Zhu Yuhuan chuckled and said, "Uncle Wu has definitely never seen a bike like this before. The craftsmen will have to learn how to ride it first, and then they can teach Uncle Wu how to use it."
Otherwise, if Zhu Zhanji accidentally falls down, it will be all her fault. After all, there is no modern rubber on this car, and who knows if there will be any "accident" at that time.
Zhu Zhanji understood what she hadn't said, and waved his hand, "Your fifth uncle has been a mischievous child. He's been in all sorts of trouble, hasn't he? What are you afraid of?"
Zhu Yuhuan stretched out his voice and said, "Be careful—"
As the two were talking, an eunuch came over quickly, and said in a rather surprised tone, "General Liu is here."
Hearing this somewhat unfamiliar name, both uncle and nephew were stunned. After a long while, Zhu Yuhuan finally reacted and said, "General Liu Yongcheng?"
"yes."
Zhu Yuhuan and Zhu Zhanji looked at each other, saw the surprise in each other's eyes, and hurried over.
Although Liu Yongcheng was an eunuch, he had followed Zhu Di in military campaigns for many years and had a very high reputation. How could they not be surprised that he even came to Zhu Yuhuan's small piece of land?
It had been almost two years since they last met. Liu Yongcheng looked a little more haggard than when he was still under Zhu Di's command, but fortunately he was in good spirits. When he saw Zhu Yuhuan, he first looked him over before smiling and saying, "Your Highness the Fifth Prince, and...Your Highness the Princess."
Zhu Zhanji and Liu Yongcheng were not familiar with each other, and Liu Yongcheng was considered a half-military general, so he just nodded slightly and deliberately kept a distance from the other party.
After all, he was just a vassal king and didn't want to have too close contact with these people and cause misunderstanding.
Zhu Yuhuan bowed and said, "Master Liu."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone remembered that the Princess of Shunde had become Liu Yongcheng's disciple under the auspices of Emperor Taizong. However, Liu Yongcheng had been sent to the western border and had not been able to return to Beijing for a long time, so people gradually forgot about this relationship.
Liu Yongcheng hurriedly reached out to support Zhu Yuhuan as he was about to salute. He sighed, "The princess is the sovereign, and Yongcheng is the subject. How can a sovereign salute his subject?"
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and replied, "You are the teacher and I am the student. How can a student not greet the teacher?"
Although Liu Yongcheng wasn't in the palace, he was well aware of the consequences of his earlier tip-off. He had initially worried that Zhu Yuhuan would be devastated by the setback, but now, seeing her still so articulate, he was deeply relieved. He said, "It's been a while since we last met. The princess looks stronger than ever, proving she's dedicated to her martial arts training. Commander Saihazhi is truly devoted. I was away from the capital, but recently returned to pay my respects to Your Majesty. I heard that the princess has created agricultural tools that benefit the people, so I specifically requested Your Majesty's presence."
Zhu Yuhuan quickly said, "It's not a boon, but I think that the officials of our Ming Dynasty all care about the people and are loyal to the emperor and the country. If they saw this item, they would definitely try their best to understand it and benefit the people. How could they be perfunctory?"
After she finished speaking, she secretly glanced at the expressions of the people around her, and sure enough, she saw that they all froze.
Liu Yongcheng sighed, smoothed his beard, and said, "Why not? Meritorious deeds must be acknowledged! We can't refuse!" He glanced at the people around him and said, "Look, if they didn't know that these new agricultural tools were useful, why would the six ministries send officials here? You must have done your best and studied them carefully, so as not to let down the emperor's grace!"
After hearing what he said, the officials who were observing secretly all responded.
Although Liu Yongcheng was an eunuch, he was highly valued by both the previous and current emperors, receiving numerous important assignments. Civil officials and military commanders alike looked down upon eunuchs, but no one dared to cross Zheng He and Liu Yongcheng. Furthermore, Liu Yongcheng had deliberately mentioned Zhu Gaochi to warn them that this was Zhu Gaochi's decision. If Zhu Gaochi had questioned them later, those who hadn't properly understood would have been reprimanded by the emperor.
Zhu Zhanji was astonished to see that the master and disciple were working in unison and had actually made these officials obey him.
This group of bastards who bully the weak and fear the strong, even easily give him a royal highness a pass, but dare not even say a word when they meet the eunuchs who hold military power. What kind of people are they?
Zhu Yuhuan naturally understood that Liu Yongcheng was backing her up. Thinking of the no longer-lived Zhu Di, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in her nose. She smiled and said, "Master, you've worked so hard. Huanhuan will tell you this in person."
Seeing her again today, Liu Yongcheng was filled with emotion and said with a smile, "I dare to trouble you, Princess."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
