I Rely on Beauty to Stabilize the Country - Chap 58
Chapter 58
After the Minister of Revenue finished speaking, he was punished, and was driven out of the palace by the emperor.
Having vented his anger at the Minister of Revenue, Gu Yuanbai felt refreshed. He looked at the carts filled with grain, money, and various donations, and couldn’t help but once again praise Chang Yuyan in his heart. This was truly a treasure.
The power of the pen was no less than that of a sharp weapon.
He gave the order, “Transfer Chang Yuyan to the Ministry of Government, and let the Deputy Minister of Government choose an experienced minister to guide him.”
Tian Fusheng said, “Yes.”
Gu Yuanbai pondered for a moment and said, “After they return, it’s time to reward them for their achievements.”
Tian Fusheng smiled and said, “Mr. Xue is also coming back. I have to say, I’ve been missing Mr. Xue for over a month.”
“You miss him?” Gu Yuanbai couldn’t help but curl his lips, “Tian Fusheng, I have a higher opinion of you.”
Tian Fusheng replied, “It’s just that I admire Mr. Xue’s boldness. Besides me and Mr. Zhang, only Mr. Xue dares to advise the emperor to eat and rest.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled faintly, “But Xue Yuan is such a talented person, staying by my side is somewhat stifling his abilities.”
He casually continued, “After they return, reward them according to their merits. Transfer him to the court or let him command the various guards in the Forbidden Army. It wouldn’t be considered a loss of his abilities.”
“Anyway,” the emperor concluded, “stop revolving around me.”
Desire arose momentarily, and that kiss, driven by testosterone, carried some element of testing. Gu Yuanbai could forget about it with ease, but he was worried that Xue Yuan couldn’t do the same. So it would be better to keep his distance sooner rather than later.
Knowing that Xue Yuan had no intention toward him, Gu Yuanbai felt quite pleased. He had to ensure that Xue Yuan would maintain this mindset.
While the emperor was smiling, the meaning behind his words seemed to express a disdain for Xue Yuan. Tian Fusheng couldn’t discern the deeper implications, and he respectfully said, “I have taken note of it.”
As Chang Yuyan received his reward, he was transferred to the Ministry of Government. On the day of his transfer, he truly wore a cheerful expression, smiling and appearing suave. The talented scholar had arrived at the Ministry of Government with such ostentation.
The Deputy Minister of Government assigned Chang Yuyan to an experienced official. The official took Chang Yuyan on a tour of the Ministry of Government, and after a brief introduction to the scope of the ministry’s affairs, he said, “The affairs of the Ministry of Government are extremely busy. You have talent, so you will start by working in the newly established National Reports Department. Spend ten days getting acquainted with it under my guidance, and after ten days, you can handle the work yourself.”
Chang Yuyan politely replied, “Yes.”
Indeed, the affairs of the Ministry of Government were incredibly busy. Since his transfer, Chang Yuyan realized how shallow he had been before. In the National Reports Department, it seemed like every official had the ability to decipher numerous hidden messages and balance interests just by glancing at the memorials. Often, what appeared to be headache-inducing and incomprehensible memorials to Chang Yuyan were swiftly reviewed by his experienced superior.
With his pride, Chang Yuyan immersed himself in learning and eventually managed to handle these affairs within the ten days.
Coincidentally, after these ten days, Gu Yuanbai personally came to the Ministry of Government to inspect.
As Chang Yuyan raised his head from the documents, he saw the emperor and the Deputy Minister of Government smiling as they walked past. Chang Yuyan’s heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his gaze. Although he was looking at the affairs, he couldn’t really focus on them.
The Deputy Minister of Government noticed him and remembered that Chang Yuyan had written an article that brought numerous donations to the court. He had high expectations for this young man and now smiled, saying, “How is the progress of the talented scholar’s affairs today?”
Chang Yuyan stood up and saluted, saying, “Half of it has been completed.”
Gu Yuanbai casually picked up a memorial he had already reviewed, read the annotated corrections and integrations at the top, and nodded slightly, saying, “Well done.”
Chang Yuyan humbly replied, “I am humbled and far from matching the greatness of the esteemed officials.”
The emperor laughed, and the Deputy Minister of Government also chuckled a couple of times. Gu Yuanbai put down the memorial and continued walking inside with the high-ranking officials.
Chang Yuyan let out a breath and felt calm as he sat back down. He realized he had been quite nervous earlier. Reflecting on the first time he saw the emperor, he had been amazed by his appearance, but subsequent encounters revealed that the emperor’s beauty was not just in his looks.
The majesty of the emperor grew stronger, making it impossible for anyone to entertain irreverent thoughts. The renowned Chu family and their son’s fame in the capital might have been overshadowed if the emperor were not the emperor.
For a moment, Chang Yuyan’s thoughts drifted, but he quickly snapped back to reality. He continued to lower his head and review the official documents on his desk, although his mind was somewhat absent.
The Deputy Minister of Government and Gu Yuanbai walked together, discussing the results of their recent busy period. “Your Majesty, this is the amount brought in from the confiscation of assets in South Jing and Jiangnan,” said the Deputy Minister of Government.
Gu Yuanbai looked at the confiscated wealth of the powerful families in these two regions and exclaimed, “The treasury can’t hold it all.”
“I never expected the assets of the powerful families to be so abundant,” the Deputy Minister of Government said with a serious expression. “Based on the quantity of good farmland, average farmland, and poor farmland that was seized, the tax revenues previously submitted by South Jing (South Jiang) and Jiangnan accounted for only thirty percent of their total wealth.”
Gu Yuanbai nodded, not particularly surprised, and said, “In the past, they always said that Jiangnan was the land of abundance, the granary and money bag of the court. Look at it now, they only paid thirty percent of the taxes from their money bag.”
“Not to mention other regions, if it’s just Jiangnan and South Jing, it’s already like this,” sighed Gu Yuanbai. “Countless fertile fields have been seized by a single family, and that family only pays taxes on hundreds of acres. Concealment of land is a severe issue in our dynasty.”
The Deputy Minister of Government expressed his concern, saying, “But if the rebels in South Jing and Jiangnan rise again, it may cause public anxiety.”
Gu Yuanbai smiled and replied, “Where would there be so many rebels?”
After saying that, he changed the topic, and the Deputy Minister of Government obediently stopped asking further questions. After leaving the Ministry of Government, Gu Yuanbai got into a carriage and, in that drowsy state between sleep and wakefulness, heard Tian Fusheng outside saying, “Your Majesty, the two officials who went to suppress the rebels have returned.”
After the great victory, Xue Yuan and General Ding Yuan were supposed to immediately rush to the capital. However, the garrison troops couldn’t stay for long, and the officials from both regions hadn’t returned from their assignments, leaving a mess that needed to be cleaned up by the court. So, they had to let the two generals stay with ten thousand troops and wait for the court to come and handle the aftermath.
By the time Chang Yuyan’s article reached Jiangnan, Xue Yuan had been trapped there for almost a month.
When a soldier delivered the article to him, Xue Yuan had just finished sparring with General Ding Yuan. The heat radiating from his body distorted the air, and he threw his weapon aside before washing his face. Only then did he pick up the article and read it.
General Ding Yuan asked, “What does it say?”
Xue Yuan softly recited, “Upon hearing every complaint, one can feel the emperor’s painstaking efforts. Pity the people who suffer in this hardship, and sigh at one’s own inability to govern.”
His gaze remained fixed on the word “emperor.” With just this simple sentence, he could imagine Gu Yuanbai’s expression. Would he furrow his brow out of sympathy for the people? In these thirty-plus days of not seeing each other, had Gu Yuanbai gained weight or lost weight? Was he ill?
Xue Yuan sighed after a long pause, rolled up the article, and tucked it into his sleeve.
The longing intensified when they hadn’t seen each other for a day, but after more than a month, that longing settled, clinging to Xue Yuan’s every nerve like wild grass, shrouding his thoughts whenever Gu Yuanbai came to mind.
The weight of it all pressed heavily on Xue Yuan, and the outward appearance grew steadier. Yet, his thoughts were gradually consumed, drop by drop, drowning him entirely.
General Ding Yuan chuckled and said, “The articles from the capital have all arrived. I suppose the people from the capital aren’t far behind.”
Xue Yuan raised his lips and replied, “Hurry up.”
Accompanying the two officials on their return to the capital were important figures from the rebel forces, totaling ten thousand soldiers.
These individuals were dressed in prisoner’s garments, shackled and wearing wooden collars, secured atop prisoner carts.
The Imperial Guards were divided into two parts, Southeast and Northwest, with the latter being responsible for guarding the inner palace. The prisoners were held in designated areas outside the palace. The combined forces of the Imperial Guards numbered over two hundred thousand, but the common people rarely caught a glimpse of them. This time, as the troops clearing the rebel forces entered the capital in batches, it startled the people.
The onlookers’ gazes were filled with anticipation and awe. However, as the rebel prisoners passed by in the carts, their expressions turned fierce and disgusted.
Zhao Zhou kept his head low in a miserable state, avoiding eye contact with the surroundings. Standing beside him, equally disheveled, was Xu Xiong-Yuan. And next to them, riding a horse alongside, was Liu Yan.
Xu Xiong-Yuan had been cursing Liu Yan throughout the journey. At first, his curses had left him parched and unable to muster any more strength, but now, seeing the disdainful eyes of the people around him, his sensitive nerves were provoked once again. “Liu Yan, you’re truly worse than pigs and dogs, a beast, a beast!”
Ding Yuan smiled faintly, and a cavalryman angrily scolded Xu Xiong Yuan, then turned to Ding Yuan. “Should we shut his mouth to spare you from hearing any more foul language, my lord?”
“No need for that,” said Liu Yan, his expression unchanged. “It is said that a dying man speaks well. We should allow the dying man to speak some wise words to us as well.”
The cavalryman burst into laughter and said, “My lord, you’re absolutely right.”
Xu Xiong-Yuan was so infuriated that his face turned red. Suddenly, he spat at Liu Yan, who quickly dodged and brushed off his clothes. “Which family’s beast would spit at people?”
Zhao Zhou interjected with a mix of resentment and endless regret, “The rise in grain prices in Jiangnan, and even the mining activities by the entire province of South Jing, were all orchestrated by you behind the scenes, weren’t they?”
Liu Yan replied, “Mr. Zhao’s words are incomprehensible to me, I’m afraid.”
Zhao Zhou was almost driven to spurt out another retort in anger.
The officials from the Supervisory Office enjoyed themselves, while Xue Yuan and Ding Yuan, in the gaze of the public, gradually made their way inside the imperial city.
Both generals were still wearing their armor. A eunuch stood at the palace gate, smiling as he awaited their arrival. As the two dismounted from their horses, the eunuch approached and had people help the generals remove their armor and swords.
Xue Yuan found the eunuch familiar; he must be someone from the Emperor’s side. Speaking of the Emperor, Xue Yuan asked, “Is the Emperor ready to receive us now?”
He didn’t seem eager to see Gu Yuanbai. His gaze occasionally wandered towards the palace, as if shrouded in mist, revealing a profound depth.
The eunuch smiled and replied, “The two generals have had a long journey. After meeting with the Emperor, you can return home and rest.”
General Ding Yuan burst into laughter. “It’s our duty. What are we waiting for? Kindly lead us into the palace to meet the Emperor, Lord Eunuch.”
Xue Yuan also chuckled and said in a calm tone, “As General Ding Yuan said.”
