mtl008 Chapter 326 The Crown Prince's "Sincere Heart"
Chapter 326 The Crown Prince's "Sincere Heart"
Chapter 326 The Crown Prince's "Sincere Heart"
Sunlight from the capital city pierced through dappled clouds, casting its glow on the green tiles and red walls of the Ministry of Revenue.
Shi Wanxia, dressed in official robes, was discussing fund allocation with the Minister of Revenue, their expressions solemn, as they looked at the pile of account books on the table.
In the courtyard of the Ministry of Revenue, officials bustled about, the clattering of abacus beads creating a cacophony of sounds.
"Lord Shi, the funding shortfall for this river works repair is too great, and taxes from various regions are not being collected in full. What should we do?"
The Minister of Revenue frowned and said with deep concern.
Shi Wanxia frowned slightly, tapping her fingers lightly on the table. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "My lord, in my opinion, perhaps we can temporarily divert funds from other non-urgent funds to alleviate the immediate crisis, while at the same time urging all localities to collect taxes."
The two were deep in discussion when suddenly, a steady footstep sounded.
Everyone looked up and saw Shen Yanzhou, dressed in a magnificent python robe and wearing a purple-gold crown to tie his hair, walking into the courtyard with an upright posture.
All the officials in the Ministry of Revenue courtyard immediately stood up and bowed in unison.
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects!" A loud voice echoed in the courtyard.
Shen Yanzhou smiled slightly, revealing a gentle and refined smile, and said, "My lords, no need for formalities. I am here to escort Lord Shi to meet the Emperor."
Shi Wanxia was startled and quickly put down her pen, stepping forward to bow respectfully.
His Highness the Crown Prince usually pays close attention to her work and often provides support. Now, he suddenly wants to bring her to meet the Emperor. I wonder what His Majesty's purpose is.
She dared not think too much, and could only straighten her official robes before following His Highness the Crown Prince to leave.
Shi Wanxia was filled with worry and walked hurriedly, not even noticing that she had unknowingly walked side by side with His Highness the Crown Prince.
In the rigidly hierarchical court, it was an act of usurpation for a subject to stand shoulder to shoulder with the crown prince.
"Your Highness, is there something you need to discuss with His Majesty?"
Shi Wanxia finally couldn't suppress her doubts and asked in a low voice.
Shen Yanzhou glanced sideways and noticed Shi Wanxia's impolite behavior.
As a man, in an era where men and women were strictly separated, it was really inconvenient for him to step in and correct them.
Looking at Shi Wanxia's face full of worry and innocence, he sighed inwardly. Well, this girl has always been different from others, and her way of doing things is not as bound by etiquette as that of ordinary women. Let her be.
"I don't know either, but Lord Shi, you don't need to worry, I'm here."
Shen Yanzhou comforted him softly, his voice carrying a reassuring strength.
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia nodded happily. Perhaps because she was nervous, or perhaps because she hadn't learned proper etiquette, she quickly performed an awkward curtsy and said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"
Shen Yanzhou couldn't help but smile as he watched Shi Wanxia's somewhat comical yet adorable actions.
But then he fell into deep thought, wondering if he should ask his mother to send a tutor to properly teach the young lady some etiquette.
But then I thought, given Miss Shi's stubborn and free-spirited nature, she probably wouldn't obediently follow the nanny to learn those tedious etiquette rules.
He shook his head slightly and muttered to himself, "So what if her behavior isn't dignified? As long as I'm here, who would dare to make fun of her?"
The two walked out of the Ministry of Revenue's courtyard in this manner. Along the way, the servants followed at a distance, and no one dared to approach or disturb them.
A gentle summer breeze blew by, fluttering their clothes.
Shi Wanxia's heart was pounding with anxiety, like a deer caught in its lap. She kept guessing the reason for her audience with the emperor, but she had no clue what it was.
Meanwhile, Shen Yanzhou was silently pondering how to protect Shi Wanxia amidst the turbulent political landscape of the court, while also finding a solution to the court's problems.
Soon, they arrived at the long corridor leading to the main hall of the palace. Palace lanterns hung high on both sides of the corridor, their red lanterns swaying gently in the breeze.
As Shi Wanxia and Shen Yanzhou arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Study, His Majesty Shen Yuxi's cheerful voice rang out from inside: "Come in quickly! What are you doing outside?"
Shen Yanzhou quickly led Shi Wanxia into the imperial study, where the two respectfully bowed and paid their respects.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!" Shen Yanzhou's voice was loud and clear.
"Your Majesty, this humble subject pays respects!" Shi Wanxia followed suit, her voice clear and crisp.
Shen Yuxi quickly waved his hand, a smile on his face: "Alright, get up! Minister Shi, your bowing is really awkward. You don't need to bow anymore in the future."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia was secretly delighted. She was not used to the rule of kneeling all the time, and she had never knelt before anyone before in her life.
Shen Yuxi beckoned them to come closer: "Crown Prince, Minister Shi, come here. The Prime Minister and I are discussing the imperial examinations."
"Nowadays, the court is full of scions of noble families, while students from poor families don't even have the means to buy books. I am very worried about this."
Shi Wanxia frowned slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, I believe the court can publish a book on this matter itself!"
"The content can be written by themselves. As long as it is beneficial to the people and the country, they can learn from it."
Shen Yuxi and Shen Yanzhou both looked at her, hesitant to speak.
Shi Wanxia keenly sensed something was amiss and quickly looked at Shen Yanzhou, asking, "Your Highness, what's wrong...?"
Shen Yanzhou looked distressed and explained helplessly, "Lord Shi, you don't understand! Compiling books requires a lot of paper, manpower, and money. Even if we could make them, the common people wouldn't be able to afford them!"
He paused, then continued, "Although there haven't been any major wars in recent years, the national treasury is strained. Some areas have suffered disasters, and the imperial court has allocated a considerable amount of silver. The military pay and provisions for the border soldiers are also a large expenditure. Where will I get the money to buy writing materials for publishing this book?"
Shi Wanxia, however, seemed confident: "Your Majesty, if you trust me, I can find a way to resolve this. However, I would appreciate Your Majesty's permission to handle the manpower and financial aspects myself. Furthermore, I would appreciate Your Majesty's permission to provide positions for all those involved, regardless of gender."
Shen Yuxi was taken aback by what she said, and his heart was full of doubt. What exactly was this girl up to?
But seeing Shi Wanxia's determined eyes, he nodded: "Alright, I'll trust you this time. If you can really solve the problem of poor families having no books to read for the imperial examinations, I will reward you handsomely."
Emerging from the Imperial Study, Shen Yanzhou looked at Shi Wanxia with a worried expression: "Lord Shi, this matter is not easy. Are you really confident?"
Shi Wanxia smiled slightly: "Your Highness, rest assured, I have my own way."
Still not entirely at ease, Shen Yanzhou took out his token from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Miss Shi, this is my token. Whoever sees this token is as if they see me. I trust you, and I will also give you a few advisors to the Crown Prince, so that they can obey your orders!"
Shi Wanxia was a little stunned. The Crown Prince was so kind that she was flattered!
She quickly refused, but Shen Yanzhou simply grabbed her wrist and placed the token in her palm.
“Miss Shi, I truly consider you my sister. Rest assured, whatever you do, as long as it benefits the people and the nation of Cangling, I will unconditionally support you and trust you. No one can stop you.”