Chapter 447: 447
Chapter 447: Person In Picture, Sound Outside Picture
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Reconsider what?"
The Qing Emperor raised his somewhat heavy eyelids . Recently, the signs of a snowstorm in the south were gradually appearing . The memorials from each road and province were more in number than the snowflakes floating down . If they weren't stretching out their hands to the court for silver, then they wanted soldiers or repeatedly cried out their hardship and wanted reduced taxes and levies for the coming year .
If they wanted reductions, then they could have it . That person was right, if one depended on the earth for silver, one could dig a meter into the ground and barely scrape up any silver shavings . For things like silver, it was better to depend on selling things . An Zhi had earned so much silver for the court in Jiangnan, naturally, the court was not anxious for the grain money from each region .
Even Xue Qing in Hangzhou had sent an urgent message . Was the snow so heavy this year even in Jiangnan?
The Emperor furrowed his brows . The flood in the autumn of the year before last had drowned countless of his people and destroyed innumerable fields . Using a year of time, the court had, with great difficulty, recovered a little and stored up some strength . They had not expected for a heavy snowfall to suddenly arrive .
This god was truly not giving him, this Emperor, any face .
However, he heard that the Hangzhou Conference in Jiangnan seemed to have expected the disaster in the winter ahead of time and prepared a great deal . After all, a people's organization would provide disaster relief much quicker than the government . Every time this matter was brought up, his mother in the Palace also had an expression of joy between her brows . The old woman was a benevolent person . She hated to see the wretched sights in the public . No matter how it was said, the Hangzhou Conference was started using the money of the noblewomen in the Palace . The women in the Palace all felt that they had done something honorable .
The Emperor couldn't resist smiling . That Chen girl had really taken this to heart . Clearly she had been stifled in the Palace . She had probably been led astray by her husband . She was a proper princess, yet she was taxing herself in such matters .
He suddenly snapped back into attention . Only then did he realize his mind had wandered . However, even though his mind had wandered, the things he was thought about there still…related to that young man . After being slightly startled, he smiled again and asked once more .
"Reconsider what?"
…
…
The person kneeling in the palace was Shu the Scholar from the Hall of Governmental Affairs . This scholar's age was very advanced and had always been respected by the Emperor . Furthermore, he had always been an official in court who spoke frankly before the Emperor . When discussing the investigation of the attempted assassination of the imperial envoy earlier, only this scholar dared stand out and refute the Emperor's suggestion .
Only, the officials all thought that the Emperor must be very angry at this time, so they were all scared . Even Shu the Scholar did not bow as he usually did, rather, he directly knelt down .
He had not expected that the Emperor sitting in the dragon chair had not heard what he said clearly . His mind had wandered .
Earlier, while the Emperor's mind had wandered, there was a glimmer of a smile at the corners of his lips . This was seen by the officials, so they hesitated in their hearts . They wondered what the Emperor was thinking to make him so happy? Perhaps he wasn't as angry in his heart as the officials all thought . Impossible . The officials shook their heads in their hearts . Everyone knew that the Emperor loved his illegitimate child, Fan Xian, the best . So in the hearts of these officials who thought they were so astute, this smudge of a smile had an additional layer of mysteriousness . Everyone's hearts trembled .
"Your Majesty, please reconsider . Although the numbers of those city-guarding crossbows belong to Dingzhou, however…is this clue not too…" Shu Wu thought for a moment, not sure of what word to use, "…too clear? I keep thinking that this is the real culprit purposely framing someone else . Please, reconsider, Your Majesty, and call back your earlier edict . "
The Emperor smiled . Only now did he understand what Shu Wu was fearful about . He waved his hand and said, "Rise and speak . At such an age, don't easily learn from others and kneel when remonstrating . "
These words appeared to be very warm, however, in the Emperor's warmth, there was self-confidence and stability as if he had not even taken this matter to heart . Earlier, all the officials had been worried about the Emperor's control over the court, but seeing this scene, they couldn't help but be speechless and blame themselves . How could they be so silly? Who was this person sitting in the dragon chair? This was the Qing Kingdom's most valiant ruler since the inception of the country .
"I had Ye Zhong return to the capital . Of course, it is not as simple as reporting on his post . " The Emperor smiled and gently stroked the short beard on his chin . "Since the incident of the attempted assassination on the imperial envoy implicates him, of course, he has to explain . The Ye family has guarded the boundaries of the country for generations, and their meritorious deeds are seen all under heaven . I don't have any suspicions, however, this matter will eventually need a resolution and a clear explanation . "
Shu Wu wiped at the sweat on his forehead and climbed up from the ground with some difficulty . Assisted by Hu the Scholar, he returned to stand in the ranks . When he first heard the Emperor give out the edict to summon Ye Zhong back to the capital, he had thought that the Emperor, in his rage, was going to directly have Ye Zhong thrown in prison to obtain justice for his illegitimate child . Thus, in his fear, he had stepped out and remonstrated . Now, hearing that this was not the case, he finally felt at ease .
Although he was a civil official, he had been in court for a long time . He understood what an army meant to a country that had been established for less than 100 years, so he was very afraid that the Emperor would wantonly humiliate the military because of the attack in the valley, and thus rock the very foundations of the court .
Shu the Scholar was wholeheartedly thinking for the Qing Kingdom, so he relaxed . In the ears of the other officials, these words of the Emperor had a different meaning . It was enough for them to ponder upon them .
"Why was the Emperor suddenly so gentle toward the Ye family?"
In the past two years, the Emperor had not been kind to the Ye family . So now, at this moment, when the Emperor was suddenly kind, for a moment, a number of officials couldn't quite make that turn in their heads .
However, for the so-called might of the Emperor, in terms of thinking, the officials had to make that turn no matter what . They all laid on the ground and greatly praised the Emperor's wisdom and generosity .
…
…
In reality, the Emperor did not think about that much . He was also not as angry as his officials imagined . As the ruler, he had to maintain a sense of mystery and unshakeable calm to show that he was as steady as a mountain and that all the world was in his hands…besides, Fan Xian did not die .
If Fan Xian had been killed in the valley, for the Qing Emperor, this would be a criminal case . Since Fan Xian was not killed, the criminal case became a political matter .
Whether it was great or muddle-headed politicians, in the handling of political matters, they had a shared specialty: do not rush .
The former was not anxious because they planned in advance, while the latter was not anxious because they had no idea how to approach a thorny matter .
The Emperor was the former . However, he also had an extra identity, so he still couldn't help but feel anger at Fan Xian being attacked by an assassin . As a father, what he most wanted to do was bring Fan Xian into the Palace to see how his injuries were . This time it was not the assassination in the Hanging Temple, so he couldn't find any reason to bring Fan Xian into the Palace .
He later heard reports that Fan Xian only recovered for a while at home before he left the city to visit Chen Garden . Thus, the Emperor knew that Fan Xian's injuries were not overly serious, so he was able to relax .
Even the Emperor of Qing Kingdom, the coldest and most emotionless person under heaven, no matter how much of a bastard [JW1] he was, he was the bastard's father .
…
…
Just as Chen Pingping and Fan Xian had tried to guess and probe with all their might, the Emperor still had a self-confidence that was difficult for people to strive for as well as a great ambition hidden for the past decade beneath his calm appearance .
As for the military's attack this time, the Emperor was very shocked . Furthermore, up until now, he was still unable to fully investigate as to which family had made the move . He only had a faint guess, but he was not very worried .
On the contrary, he very much welcomed someone directly challenging his authority as well as cleverly drawing this situation toward the direction he needed .
Everything in his country had long failed to attract his interest . No matter how stable he made the land of Qing Kingdom through his governance, for the Emperor who wished to leave his name in the history books and whose name was already dripping wet with ink, there was not a trace of meaning .
He was waiting for that day . He waited for the arrival of that day with matchless longing and strongly suppressed excitement .
"Reporting to Your Majesty," eunuch knelt outside the threshold to the royal study and respectfully spoke to the son of heaven wrapped in a big jacket sitting on the low couch . "We've confirmed with the department, the days before Sir Fan junior returned to the capital, it was quiet in the various manors . "
"Hmm . " The Emperor nodded to indicate he knew now . "Has there been a reply from Cangzhou?"
The eunuch's bottom stuck up higher . He said, in a soft voice, "Governor Yan left camp to return to the capital . There were no strange situations on the way back . "
The Emperor waved his hand and had the head eunuch leave . The head eunuch did not say anything more . However, his hands on the ground shook slightly . He thought to himself, There was still news from Dingzhou he had not reported . Why did the Emperor not ask? Was he already sure that it was…or perhaps he was going to blame it on the Ye family?
"What do you think?" The Emperor casually picked up a book from beside his couch and flipped through it .
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