allendalepharm Chapter 315 Complaint
Chapter 315 Complaint
After the morning meeting, on the way back to the palace, Shen Shixi was all smiles.
Upon hearing the title of the Victorious Fighting Buddha, the Fifth Prince felt it was incredibly prestigious and aligned perfectly with his values. Without a word, he snatched it away. Then, the Fourth Prince said indifferently, "Then I'll take Sun Wukong!"
Luckily, Consort De wasn't angered to death.
Consort De may seem unambitious, but she is actually more competitive than anyone else. She is the kind of egoist who is extremely clear-headed and sophisticated, like the workplace elites of later generations.
After the death of the eldest prince, she pinned all her hopes for a comeback on the fourth prince, but the fourth prince was clearly only interested in eating.
Bai Ping also laughed and said, "The little princes are quite fun. When the young masters come out in the future, they will definitely be even more fun."
Shen Shixi sighed, "They're still young and don't understand things yet. Who knows what they'll be like when they grow up, have ambitions, and aspirations? But who cares? We'll talk about the future later. They're still young now, let's give them a little rub first!"
After spending a lot of time with her, Bai Ping knew what RUA meant.
In the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager received Lady Zhang, the wife of the Grand Chancellor.
Zhang had a past relationship with the Empress Dowager, being a member of the Empress Dowager's maternal clan. Although they were from a collateral branch, they had interacted when they were young. Now that they met again, they felt a strong sense of kinship when they talked about the past.
But Madam Zhang wasn't there to reminisce. After a moment, Madam Zhang said, "Your Majesty, you are supported by the whole country, and I shouldn't bother you with trivial matters. But there are some things that only you can decide. I came here at the request of the Prime Minister. Please take a look at the affairs of the court."
The Empress Dowager was immediately flattered and asked, "I have never cared about state affairs. It is a rule I have known since I was a child. What woman cares about the affairs of the country?"
However, I am, after all, the Emperor's own mother, and I cannot neglect the Emperor's empire.
"You're right! No matter how much a mother follows the rules, she can't just stand by and watch her son go astray, let alone the emperor. The emperor is a wise ruler, but he can't resist the temptations of evil spirits, which inevitably corrupt his mind."
The Empress Dowager immediately recognized that Zhang was referring to the Empress, and, understandably anxious, asked, "What exactly happened in the court?"
"Before the Pei family was destroyed, when the old scoundrel Pei was still the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, the Empress dismissed the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat for the crime of deposing Consort Min, Chen's sister, and the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat remained vacant."
The Pei family rebelled not only because they had brought this upon themselves, but also because the old scoundrel Pei had realized that the Emperor intended to abolish the Three Departments…”
The Empress Dowager gasped, and angrily said, "How can he abolish ancestral rules? This system from the previous dynasty was used during the reign of Emperor Taizu. What's wrong with it?"
The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was indeed an effective central government system established by the previous dynasty.
Upon seeing this, Zhang knew that her husband, the Prime Minister, had made the right bet. The Empress Dowager was a princess from the previous dynasty; how could she not care about the things left behind by the previous dynasty?
"That's true!" Zhang pressed on, "This is a system created by Emperor Gaozu Wen of the previous dynasty. This dynasty adopted this system when it was established, and it has always been good. I just don't know why it doesn't meet the standards of some people."
"I heard from the Prime Minister that the main problem is that Her Majesty the Empress wants to make changes. Now she's set up a Grand Council, filled with a bunch of inexperienced young people, and they actually want to use this as a tool to abolish the three ministries!"
Emperor Gaozu Wen was the Empress Dowager's grandfather. Upon hearing this, she was almost driven to her death with anger. Fortunately, she still had some sense and did not curse the Empress in front of Zhang.
"I will look into this matter. I am not knowledgeable about matters of the court, but fortunately, with a loyal minister like Prime Minister Cui watching over things, I can rest assured!"
Zhang then took the opportunity to bring up another matter: "The Empress is currently pregnant, but I heard that she has been living in the Emperor's palace. How can the concubines in the palace conceive imperial offspring in this way?"
When Her Majesty the Empress was still a concubine, she received the most favor. Now that she is Empress, she should show some demeanor befitting an empress. Having already borne the Emperor's child, she really shouldn't be competing for favor with the other concubines.
The Empress Dowager said helplessly, "Isn't that true?"
These are two major problems. If she speaks, will the Emperor and Empress listen to her?
The Mid-Autumn Festival was just around the corner, and Shen Shixi had already prepared gifts in advance. Some high-ranking officials, as well as her own family and relatives, were to be given gifts.
Shen Shixi specially arranged for a reward to be prepared for the Xie family of Jiangnan.
Jinling Academy's reputation in Jiangnan is growing day by day. The Xie family has changed its old-fashioned class distinctions and now only associates with students from poor families. Among the students it cultivates, only a small number are from aristocratic families who are very close to the Xie family, while the rest are basically from poor families.
Shen Shixi naturally instructed his third brother to donate a sum of money to Jinling Academy every year to ensure the academy's basic operation.
The Xie family did not take credit for the achievements, but informed the students of the Empress's reward to the academy. The Empress's reputation in the Jiangnan region was no less than that in the north.
After Xie Tingwan's incident, Xie Wensheng was transferred to a shipyard in Jinling for a period of time. After the New Year, Li Yuanke went to court and he liked Xie Wensheng, so he transferred him back. Now he is still working in the Grand Council.
Upon receiving the Empress's gift, Xie Wensheng requested permission to express his gratitude to the Empress on behalf of his father.
Shen Shixi met him at Qianyuan Palace. After he performed the grand ceremony, Shen Shixi asked about his father Xie Zhiwen's health and the condition of his elders. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he inquired about the Jinling Shipyard.
"As instructed by the Empress, we visited many veteran craftsmen. Their experience, knowledge and skills are all very good. Now the shipyard is up and running. We will build a large ship with a capacity of 1,000 liters first."
Following the Empress's decree, many skilled craftsmen were recruited from Jiangxi, Huguang, and Fuzhou. This large ship, with a capacity of one thousand liao, was built according to the structure of a Fujian ship, and its ability to withstand wind and waves should be very strong.
Shen Shixi said, "That's great. If we really build it, we can build massive ships of 2,000 tons each. Once we have a maritime behemoth, let's see who dares to approach us arrogantly!"
Xie Wensheng really enjoyed talking to the Empress. She didn't put on airs; she spoke frankly and directly, without beating around the bush or making veiled accusations that left people guessing. She only talked about the facts.
"Your Majesty is right. If we had a ship of two thousand liang, ordinary ships wouldn't dare to come near."
"What do you think about opening a port over there?"
"I believe it is feasible, and very feasible. Huating is a good place. I think the location Your Majesty chose is excellent, and there is no need to change it."
"That's good. His Majesty has asked you to return to the Grand Council, and I'll entrust this matter to you as well. In the future, with the ports developed and the national treasury revenue increasing, we won't be afraid of any major or minor disasters."
In any case, money makes things easier, but the government cannot simply plunder the people for its needs.
"On behalf of all the people, I thank Your Majesty the Empress!" Xie Wensheng said with tears in his eyes. If they could truly do things for the people, they would be willing to go through fire and water.
Most people are full of passion when they are young, but the daily court struggles and deceit gradually wear down their will and cool their passion, forcing them to compromise their principles and become corrupt.
"Then you should keep a close eye on these matters!" Shen Shixi said. "Work diligently and conscientiously, and the Emperor and I will see it, as will the common people!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xie Wensheng replied.
He once thought that the Xie family was finished after Xie Tingwan's incident. At that moment, he really wanted to tear Xie Tingwan to pieces. He even hated his mother.
Because her mother always listened to Xie Tingwan's every word, if she wanted the stars in the sky, her mother would eagerly bring her a ladder and then ask her to help her pick them.
He was well aware of his mother and Xie Tingwan's short-sighted plans and also felt they were dangerous.
After becoming a close advisor to the emperor, he genuinely felt that his mother and Xie Tingwan weren't quite up to the task. Sure enough, before he could even make a move, trouble struck.
He never dreamed that the Empress would be willing to give the Xie family a way out and not implicate him. He was willing to go through fire and water for the Empress.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, a banquet was held in the palace. Shen Shixi was heavily pregnant with twins, and her belly was unusually large. Although the Guanglu Temple was in charge of organizing the banquet, the palace could not shirk its responsibilities. Whenever there was a discussion, Shen Shixi would call Consort Xian and Consort Shu to Zhaoyang Palace to discuss the arrangements.
Earlier that day, the Princess Consort of Huainan entered the palace ahead of time to request an audience with the Empress.