The method given by Mu Jianming was somewhat beyond the understanding of the monarch and his ministers. Everyone was silent in thought, repeatedly considering the pros and cons.
In fact, economic warfare was not uncommon in ancient times. Guan Zhong was a little expert in economic warfare. The Hengshan plan he led, buying deer to conquer Chu, buying foxes to subjugate the throne, and surrendering silk to Luliang, was not the first time that Qi Guo won. profit.
Mu Jianming stood silently in the hall, looking at a few people. Suddenly he realized that Chang Chu, who had been accompanying Yang Ke, had long disappeared.
"This matter will be postponed for later discussion. Captain Shen, please continue."
After a long time, Yang Ke finally spoke.
Mu Jianming turned around and looked at the clock in the study.
"Your Majesty, I will be on night watch in a while."
The monarch and his ministers had already seen the sun set in the west.
Yang Ke waved his hand.
"You will be relieved of your duties today, and you will not have to patrol the imperial city. You can continue."
"Well……"
He has said enough today, and his time is almost up. If he doesn't leave, he will be offline. The owner can't say this, and it will be easy for others to find out that there is a problem.
"Your Majesty, there is plenty of time in the future, so there is no need to rush. Besides, Wei Chen's duty is in the army. I forgive Wei Chen for being rude. Wei Chen retires."
Regardless of whether the emperor agreed or not, he turned around and left the imperial study.
The monarch and his ministers stared at each other with big eyes.
Chu Rupeng looked at the door of the Imperial Study Room, a light suddenly appeared in his cloudy eyes.
"My dear friends, what do you think?"
Chu Rubeng twirled his beard with his hand and pondered for a moment.
"It's feasible, but it goes against the laws of nature."
Cheng Kangming nodded in agreement, but Qiu Huaixin was noncommittal.
"Then, where is Colonel Shen?"
The old prime minister took a breath with some toothache.
"Old minister, I don't understand. After Colonel Shen was a military officer, the etiquette and titles in the palace should not be wrong. But when she bid farewell to His Majesty at the end, the etiquette and titles were all wrong. What's more, when she first entered the palace, the etiquette and titles were all wrong. When played correctly, they are completely different."
Cheng Kangming also nodded in agreement.
"Xiang Chu didn't mention it, I haven't paid attention yet. In this regard, Colonel Shen's performance is indeed somewhat unreasonable."
"How can a person who has only read the Five Classics and the Book of War have such knowledge? Not to mention a woman who has not read many books, there are very few men in the younger generation who have such knowledge. Even... some officials in the court are not as good as she."
"It's just that Captain Shen didn't finish his words at the end. What a pity!"
Mu Jianming ran out of the imperial study without knowing that he had been seen through by some old foxes inside.
The door to the imperial study room was empty, and there was not even a doorkeeper. After walking for more than ten steps, I saw the brightly armored Yu Linwei, looking around as if facing a formidable enemy, not sparing everyone around him.
After walking for a while, Shen Xiyao suddenly stopped, raised her head and glanced around, determined the direction, turned around and walked in the other direction, passing through the palace and courtyard with her waist badge.
The soldiers who were checking their waist tags along the way looked at Shen Xiyao with a cold face in a strange way.
In the imperial study, the servants had already lit lamps and candles.
Chu Rupeng, Cheng Kangming, and Qiu Huaixin also said goodbye and left.
"Come often to convey orders."
Yang Ke, who was sitting behind the desk, suddenly spoke.
"His Majesty."
My wife bowed her back and answered.
"No one is allowed to tell anyone what happened in the palace today. Anyone who violates it will be punished by the three clans."
When he said the last part, Yang Ke's tone was so serious that it made people feel chilly.
"Yes. Your Majesty, while Captain Shen was playing the duel, the old servant had already ordered the rest to leave the imperial study. The Yulin Guards were on duty twenty steps away from the imperial study, and no one could hear them."
"Well, let's pass on the food."
Without waiting for the servant beside him to answer, Yang Ke gave another order.
"I also sent a portion of the imperial meal to Captain Shen."
"Here."
Shen Xiyao was the only one left in the Tianfeng Army's public hall, and the table was placed so that the food was not moved at all. She couldn't think of eating now and kept walking around the room. She wanted to know what happened to her Just like in the imperial study room, Shen Xiyao kept calling in her heart, but she didn't get any response.
The coachman let out a long "haha", and a carriage slowly stopped at the door of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Chu Rubeng slowly got out of the carriage and climbed up the stairs with his hands behind his back.
"grown ups."
At the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion, a Confucian scholar dressed in sapphire blue with dark patterns of crane feathers bowed to Chu Rupeng in a meticulous manner. The gesture of the salute and the angle of the bend would not be faulty even for the most demanding person.
Chu Rupeng glanced at this person.
This is Chu Rupeng’s youngest son, named Chu Xuan. He has always been by Chu Rupeng’s side to fulfill his filial piety. However, in Chu Rupeng’s own words, he was too stupid to study.
"Get up."
"yes."
Chu Xuan stood up slowly and followed Chu Rupeng into the Prime Minister's Mansion.
"Where's Qingying?"
"My lord, please have your meal first. I'll send someone to tell Qingying to see you."
As he spoke, Chu Xuan bowed again.
Chu Rupeng frowned a little.
"No need. I'm old and have no appetite. I'll go see Qingying first."
Chu Qingying has been with Chu Rupeng since she was a child. Even though Chu Qingying's father was an official in another place and took his wife and concubines with him, he could not bring Chu Qingying with him.
Among the three generations of Prime Minister Chu's family, all the children and grandchildren are boys, and there is only one girl. In addition, Chu Qingying has been very pleasant since she was a child, and she has a sweet mouth. Prime Minister Chu is always smiling. Chu Rupeng is the most precious granddaughter. She regards her as the apple of her eye, but cannot bear to see her granddaughter suffer.
After saying that, he ignored Chu Xuan and walked directly to the back house.
Chu Xuan stood there, frowning and looking at his father who was walking away. He sighed, unable to say anything.
At this moment, Chu Qingying was holding a handbag, holding an embroidery needle in the other hand and looking at her work. From time to time, she would turn her head and open her mouth to catch the maid and feed her to peel the grapes.
I remember the creaking sound of the wooden stairs.
A flash of excitement flashed across Chu Qingying's innocent face, she dropped what she was holding and ran towards the door.
The maid behind him shouted anxiously.
"Miss, needle! Needle!"
Chu Qingying didn't care, she opened the door, stood at the door, and shouted: "Grandpa, you are back!"
Chu Rupeng looked at his granddaughter with a smile on his face.
"You're back, grandpa came to see you."
Chu Qingying held Chu Rubeng's arm and dragged him into the room.
"Slow down, slow down. Be careful of falling."
Chu Rupeng smiled and let Chu Qingying do what she did.
After entering the house, Chu Qingying let go of her grandfather's arm, ran two steps, raised her hand, and showed off to Chu Rubeng.
"How is it? Grandpa, can I embroider well?"
"Good! The idea is exquisite and the embroidery work is exquisite. Not bad."
The maid on the side glanced at the admiration of her grandfather and grandson.
After having enough fun with his granddaughter, Chu Rupeng sat aside, drank tea, and said to Chu Qingying: "I mentioned to you a few days ago the granddaughter of the Hou family in northern Hebei, and today your majesty specially invited him to question her. This girl is really extraordinary. ! He has broad knowledge and novel ideas. Some of his ideas have never occurred to me."
"Is it Sister Shen Xiyao?"
"Well, she is older than you."
"Then what did she say?"
"I can't tell you this yet. But you can have more contact with her."
"That's it!"
Chu Qingying's eyes rolled, with a strange light flashing in her eyes. She chatted with her grandfather for a while.
After Chu Rubeng left the room, Chu Qingying scribbled a note and handed it to the maid.
"Send this to the princess."
"Miss, it's getting dark now. It's so late, could it be..."
"It's okay, the princess won't blame you. It will be a bit late tomorrow."
The maid said nothing more, took the note, turned around and left the boudoir.
Early the next morning, Shen Xiyao, who had just finished her shift, returned to the Hou Mansion, had a simple meal and was about to rest.
Yunxiang ran in out of breath, her little breasts rising and falling non-stop. She kept gesticulating with joy on her face, but she couldn't say a word.
Shen Xiyao looked at Yun Xiang who was panting like a bellows in confusion.
At this time, Yunxiang didn't care about her superiority or inferiority. She threw herself on the table, picked up the kettle and poured herself a glass of water. She drank it in one gulp, but it still wasn't satisfying. She got another glass, and drank it in one gulp, and then she felt relieved. come over.
"Miss, hurry up and take a bath and change clothes. The angel sent by His Majesty is waiting for you in the front yard to receive the order."
"What? Accept the order? Accept what order?"
Yunxiang pulled Shen Xiyao up and walked toward the bathroom.
"How can I know this? Miss, please hurry up."
Half an hour later, Shen Xiyao, who had hurriedly changed into blue court clothes, walked into the middle hall.
The incense table had been set up in the hall. Shen Aozheng was talking to the chamberlain who was delivering the order. When they saw Shen Xiyao coming out, they stopped.
Shen Xiyao was a little dumbfounded.
The chamberlain who delivered the order turned out to be Chang Chu, Yang Ke's companion.
He often walked to the incense table and held the imperial edict in his hand.
"Tianfeng Military Academy Lieutenant Shen Xiyao accepts the order!"
Shen Ao and Shen Xiyao bowed in salute, and all the other maids and servants knelt behind them.
"The general will finally take over the order."
The eunuch who delivered the edict opened the edict and read it loudly.
"Following the trend of heaven, the emperor issued an edict: There is a daughter of the Shen family named Xi Yao. She is the queen of meritorious service. She will be promoted to a regular attendant, and she will accompany her to the left and right to prepare her advisors to deal with her. I appreciate this!"
"The humble minister accepts the order."
Shen Xiyao was only a captain of the sixth rank before, but now he has been promoted to a regular attendant of the fifth rank. He has been promoted two ranks in a row. Moreover, he has been transferred from the military position to the civil service. He no longer needs to call himself a junior general, but can call himself a minor minister.
After announcing the edict, Chang Chu handed the imperial edict to Shen Xiyao and took a tray from the accompanying Yulin Guardsman. In the tray was a crimson official robe and the corresponding seal. In addition, there was a waist badge. .
Chang Chu first picked up the waist badge and handed it to Shen Xiyao.
"Changshi Shen, this is a gift from His Majesty. With this, you can enter and exit the palace. Please keep it."
Shen Xiyao took the badge with both hands.
"Thank you."
Then he received the official robe seal.
"His Majesty also ordered: Chang Shi Shen will come to the palace to pay homage to Shen Shi today. Shi Shi, please don't forget it."
"Thank you for letting me know."
After announcing the decree, Shen Ao sent Chang Chu out of the middle hall. When he walked to the door, he winked at Shen An.
The old butler understood and stepped forward to take over from Shen Ao and continue delivering food.
The moment the two came into contact, a small purse was in Chang Chu's hand. Shen An's expression did not change at all, and he kept saying politely: "Angel, slow down, be careful where you step."
Chang Chu secretly squeezed his purse, said a polite word, and followed Shen An's guidance to leave the Jibei Hou Mansion with a smile.