Yongning Palace.
“Haha, I won again.”
“Quick, pay up, pay up.”
The Empress Dowager triumphantly pushed her mahjong tiles aside.
Ning Que feigned a sigh and obediently paid up.
“Playing mahjong with Xiao Ning is still the most fun.”
“Not only can I win money, but I win comfortably.”
“Madam Gu came a few days ago, but she didn’t understand the rules.”
“Hehe.”
Ning Que smiled smugly.
Anyone who frequently plays ball with their boss knows this.
You have to let the boss win, but not too easily.
There needs to be a bit of resistance, and then you appear a bit flustered.
Hanging left won’t work, hanging right won’t work.
Then you can only adjust upwards!
Emperor Feng sat beside them, looking slightly awkward.
He had only just learned to play today.
He found mahjong quite boring.
He had always disliked gambling.
“Emperor, you should relax more often.”
“I heard that you’re not eating on time again.”
“It’s good to want to achieve political accomplishments.”
“But if you ruin your health, it’s not worth it.”
“The Empress came to complain two days ago.”
“She said you haven’t visited her in half a month.”
“Emperor, do you intend to have no heirs?”
“…”
Even Emperor Feng could only nod obediently.
Ning Que sat beside them, trying hard to suppress his laughter.
You have your day too!
He was still offering me advice earlier.
I didn’t expect him to be urged to have children too.
“And you, Xiao Ning.”
“You’ve inherited the princely title; it’s time to find a Ning Wangfei.”
“Without Lin Xianhong, are you not going to marry and have children?”
“How could that be…”
“Cough cough.” Emperor Feng spoke with a hint of guilt, whispering, “Mother, I have already found a suitable person for him. It is the West Liang Princess; this can also facilitate an alliance between our two nations.”
“Nonsense!”
The Empress Dowager immediately frowned and reprimanded, “The Western Liang people are uncivilized barbarians; how can she be a Ning Wangfei? Prince Ning’s Manor has already sacrificed so much for Great Feng, so how can Xiao Ning’s marriage be sacrificed? Even if you are the Emperor, you cannot be so reckless.”
“I…”
Emperor Feng was speechless.
Did they have a choice?
The imperial family is the most heartless!
They are not qualified to pursue what they like.
Including himself, he also acts for the benefit of the country.
His Empress is King Lu’s Princess.
King Lu is one of the Other surname Princes.
He and King Qi have always been at odds.
His marriage to King Lu’s Princess was a statement.
It was also to win over King Lu to deal with King Qi.
“Mother, that West Liang Princess is quite alright.” Emperor Feng forced a smile, raising his hand, “She has learned Great Feng etiquette since childhood, speaks refined language, and understands rules. As a Western Liang envoy, she is neither humble nor arrogant, and is valiant and heroic. She is perfectly suitable to be a Ning Wangfei.”
“Is that so?”
The Empress Dowager then became a little interested.
She looked at Ning Que.
“Xiao Ning, what do you think?”
“…” Ning Que looked helpless and said bitterly, “What we say doesn’t count in this matter; at least we have to wait for the Western Liang ruler’s approval. I heard that the Western Liang ruler dotes on this princess quite a lot.”
“No need to rush.”
The Empress Dowager picked up her teacup and took a sip of hot tea.
“Emperor, you can handle this.”
“Good.”
They reshuffled and dealt the cards again.
The Empress Dowager looked at her hand and continued, “Emperor, I heard you dismissed Lin Xianhong from her official position today?”
“Yes.”
Emperor Feng was about to explain when the Empress Dowager waved her hand. She looked at Emperor Feng and said softly, “You are the ruler of Great Feng; you should make your own decisions. You don’t need to tell me. That Lin Xianhong is foolish and blind; her ending is well-deserved.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“I’m also old.” The Empress Dowager smiled slightly, “Now all I want is to play with my grandchildren. You two must work hard and give me a few chubby grandsons as soon as possible.”
“Cough cough, then Imperial Brother must work hard.”
“You fellow…”
Emperor Feng rubbed his forehead helplessly.
For so many years, only Ning Que dared to joke with him.
They accompanied the Empress Dowager in playing mahjong.
Afterwards, they had lunch.
The two then walked out of Yongning Palace.
The Empress Dowager now dislikes state affairs.
You absolutely must not mention them in front of her.
The old lady just wants to see the imperial clan flourish.
It’s either urging marriage or urging childbirth.
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was about to take a nap, Emperor Feng quickly left.
“Come, sit here.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Eh? Just call me Imperial Brother in private.”
“Then thank you, Imperial Brother.”
Ning Que sat in the waterside pavilion, looking at the Cang Pond.
“King Qi has suffered a great loss this time.”
“That old fox definitely won’t give up easily.”
“As I see it, he’s probably going to leave a mess.”
“Mhm.” Ning Que nodded in agreement, raising his hand and saying, “Therefore, the county magistrates dispatched must be capable and efficient officials. Imperial Censor Ouyang Zheng is quite good, and he can also bring some disciples from Six Arts Academy to form a basic team. Most of these students haven’t been corrupted by officialdom and are full of passion. Their abilities might not be enough, but their character is without problem.”
Ouyang Zheng also came from Six Arts.
In his five years as an official, he impeached hundreds of officials.
Therefore, he was not well-regarded in the imperial court.
Once, Emperor Feng wanted to renovate the imperial palace, estimated to cost three hundred thousand taels of silver. As a result, Ouyang Zheng criticized him, and what he said was quite harsh, leaving Emperor Feng unable to step down.
Emperor Feng was furious and was about to banish him from the court. Unexpectedly, Ouyang Zheng was even more resolute than him; he immediately took off all his official robes and angrily denounced Emperor Feng as a monarch who would doom the country. He had just ascended to the throne and was already squandering wealth and indulging in pleasure.
Yes, he was that strong-willed…
Under the persuasion of several old officials, Emperor Feng finally had no choice but to retract his order, reinstating Ouyang Zheng to his original position. He actively admitted his oversight and decided not to renovate the imperial palace, continuing to make do with what they had.
Ouyang Zheng also practiced what he preached; he held the third-rank position of Imperial Censor, but his home only had an old servant, and it was hard to say who took care of whom. His life was extremely frugal, and he often used his salary to aid impoverished common people.
He ate two meals a day, mostly thin porridge and cabbage. Moreover, Ouyang Zheng never ate meat or drank alcohol, because he had made a vow after entering Six Arts. As long as there was still one person in the world who couldn’t afford food, he would never eat meat. Such noble character made even Ning Que feel ashamed of himself.
“That works too.”
Emperor Feng nodded thoughtfully.
It would be fine to leave this matter to Yu Ji.
He also wanted to know Ning Que’s thoughts.
“I remember there are some Linzi people in Six Arts Academy.”
“Several of them are scholars from humble families.”
“They know Linzi better.”
“It would be more suitable for them to serve as grassroots village officials.”
“Good.”
Emperor Feng was deep in thought.
The Great Feng laws stipulate that officials serve in different regions.
Of course, this law is limited to county magistrates. For example, Ouyang Zheng is from Jingyang County, so he cannot be the Jingyang County magistrate. This is to prevent these powerful regional officials from forming factions and engaging in corruption, becoming mentally corrupted.
“In short, we must prepare for the reconstruction of Linzi.”
“Linzi’s resources cannot be taken away!”
“Well said.”
Ning Que smiled awkwardly, “Speaking of which, I have now inherited the princely title, and according to custom, I should host a banquet to entertain guests. I wonder if Imperial Brother would grace Prince Ning’s Manor with his presence? Hehe, there will be many new dishes this time.”
“Haha, of course.”
Emperor Feng laughed heartily.
Ning Que then stood up and bowed.
As a Prince, he must avoid private interactions with ministers. This is not a matter of suspicion or trust, but rather a need to avoid impropriety.
“Then your younger brother will return first.”
“Imperial Brother, you must come to the banquet tomorrow night!”