Chapter 252 The back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves
General Li Zheng threw the memorial in his hand on the dragon case and frowned: "It has only been a few months in the palace, but things have changed drastically. This bold guy has finally entered the capital."
Prince Qing Li Baihong knelt on the ground and said respectfully: "Father, could it be that the Golden Dragon Emperor's Order in Liu Jieyuan's hand was really a reward from my father?"
Li Baihong's eyes tightened with incredible doubts and unwillingness to die. Even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was salivating over that piece of golden dragon order. He had longed for it. The holder of the order was like an emperor coming in person, and seeing the order was like seeing the king. He once mentioned it in a vague way.
How many times had he wanted his father to reward him with this Golden Dragon Token, but the emperor never relented. But now he had given the Golden Dragon Token to a little-known person. Of course he was dissatisfied, but he did not dare to lie.
Accusing his father of neglecting relatives? Unless he wants to leave the capital and become the vassal king like his third and sixth brothers, he will never have the chance to seek that position.
Prince Qing lowered his head with a hint of gloom on his face, but he was helpless because the person sitting on it was his father and the master of the world.
It's just that Prince Qing became even more enthusiastic when he looked at the chair. Only when he sat on that chair could he give orders. No one dared to accuse him anymore.
Li Zhengduan sat on the dragon chair and looked at Prince Qing who was kneeling on the ground with a playful look on his face: "You mean this guy is currently staying in Song Aiqing's house temporarily?"
"Going back to my father, it is true that Liu Jieyuan is currently staying in Mr. Song's residence temporarily. I saw with my own eyes that Liu Jieyuan and Colonel Song came in and out together."
Prince Qing reported everything he saw today to the emperor without any concealment. He only concealed the questions he asked Song Yu.
"Well, you went to Song Aiqing's house to ask questions again?"
Li Zheng's words made King Qing's heart tremble. He didn't know whether his father opposed or agreed in his heart, but he couldn't hide the matter at this point, so he could only nod lightly: "Back to my father, yes."
"Oh? My son is so eager to learn. It seems that the doctorate from the Imperial College can no longer satisfy your thirst. I wonder what questions my son asked Song Aiqing? I also want to hear it."
"Father, forgive me. I was worried that my father's gold medal was accidentally lost and was picked up by criminals. I carried the gold medal everywhere to make trouble. In my anxiety, I forgot the question I asked for advice. Please punish me."
"Well, since you are concerned about national affairs and share my worries, I won't punish you. Go back and copy the Analects of Confucius for politics twenty times."
"Yes, I will definitely abide by my father's holy orders. I will retire."
"Back off."
Prince Qing left the Imperial Study Room with unconcealed joy. He only had one thought in his mind, whether my father's punishment for copying the "Wei Zheng Chapter" would teach me how to handle political affairs. I must not let my father down.
"Zhou Fei, everyone in the world wants their children to be smart and smart, but if they are too smart, does that mean they are smart?"
"Your Majesty clearly knows that the old slave is a eunuch and only knows how to serve your majesty. If you understand these things, your majesty should not embarrass the old slave."
Li Zheng looked up at the palace and was in a daze. His fingers kept tapping on the table: "Inform Jiang Yuanming, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Miao Ji, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, to come to the palace to pay an audience."
"According to the decree."
About half an hour later, Li Zhengzheng bent over and looked at a map of the capital carefully. He pointed to a place and stopped to think deeply for a moment, then shook his head from time to time, with a trace of hesitation on his face.
"Jiang Yuanming, the Minister of the Ministry of Hubu, and Miao Ji, the Minister of the Ministry of Hubu, please see me."
Li Zheng didn't even raise his head: "Xuan."
Zhou Fei waved the fly whisk in his hand: "Jiang Yuanming, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Miao Ji, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, have an audience."
A middle-aged man about forty years old wearing a purple official robe and a middle-aged man about fifty years old wearing a crimson official robe walked into the royal study one after another.
"Your Majesty, Jiang Yuanming, Miao gathered to see you."
"Get flat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The two stood up and quietly looked at the confused emperor who was gesturing on the map. Shouldn't the emperor summon the two important ministers to discuss national affairs? Why are they staring at a map?
Li Zheng looked at all the positions on the map but still couldn't make up his mind, so he had to sit on the dragon chair again: "Jiang Aiqing, Miao Aiqing."
"I'm here."
"I ask you, which state or county near the capital is the poorest?"
The two ministers were stunned. They didn't know what the emperor meant by asking. They summoned the two important ministers just to ask which place was the most barren?
The two of them looked at each other lightly, both with a trace of hesitation. Could it be that His Majesty had some deep meaning, otherwise it would be impossible to summon two important ministers at once and only ask such a puzzling question.
Jiang Yuanming, the Minister of Household Affairs, hesitated for a moment: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the capital is the most important place in the world. The people live and work in peace and contentment. There seems to be no barren place around the capital!"
"really?"
Jiang Yuanming was stunned for a moment, and felt a sudden change in his heart. He secretly tried to figure out the emperor's tone, and he breathed a sigh of relief after it seemed that there was no difference in the emperor's tone: "Reporting to your majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has measured the land in the capital, prefectures and counties, and there is no barren land."
Li Zheng frowned slightly: "Miao Aiqing, in your opinion, which prefecture and county around the capital is the most barren?"
Jiang Yuanming felt nervous. Could it be that the emperor was not satisfied with his answer?
Miao Ji first glanced at Jiang Yuanming, who was also panicking. What was the mystery behind the emperor's question?
"Reporting to your Majesty, I agree with Mr. Jiang's words, but"
"But what? Tell me."
"Your Majesty, I dare to say that the capital city is one of the richest places in the world at any time, but officials have different sizes, nobility has high and low, and there are natural differences between rich and poor. In comparison, Tongyuan County in the north of the city is the poorest compared to the surrounding counties."
"Tongyuan County?" Li Zheng muttered, then walked back to the map and looked at it, and finally his eyes fell on a place with the word Tongyuan written on it.
"I understand, please step back."
"I'll take my leave."
After leaving the imperial study, the two important ministers still looked confused. When the emperor summoned them, he asked where the land was the most barren. This had never happened before.
Miao Ji, the Minister of Household Affairs, clicked his tongue twice: "Mr. Jiang, what kind of medicine is your Majesty selling in this gourd? He summoned the two of us and asked such an incomprehensible question. Where is the poorest place in the capital? Does your Majesty have any plans for this year's tax revenue?
What are you not satisfied with?”
Although Jiang Yuanming was not as senior as Miao Ji, his official position was higher than that of Miao Ji. Naturally, there was something extraordinary about him. He stroked the beard under his chin and pondered for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up: "I seem to understand."
"I also ask Master Jiang to give me some advice. I really don't know what your Majesty means."
Jiang Yuanming stared into the distance and softly said four words: "The general drinks his horse."
Miao Ji thought for a while and then suddenly realized: "What your Majesty means is that your Majesty made a golden promise in the court that anyone who can solve the problem of the general's drinking of horses will be promoted to a noble rank. Is your Majesty planning to prepare a fiefdom for Liu Dadan?"
"
Jiang Yuanming sighed: "The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead. My colleagues and I have been officials for decades and have not received a title. This white-skinned Liu Bingdao is a good blessing. The baron has not escaped from the Tongyuan County fiefdom."
Miao Ji also sighed: "The new generation is better than the old ones, but there is no comparison."