allonlinenovel Chapter 100 Offering suggestions
Chapter 100 Offering suggestions
After finishing his meal, Gu Ziming patted his belly contentedly: "Mother, eldest brother, second brother, little sister, I'm going to school now."
Su Xiuran watched Gu Ziming leave with a look of astonishment.
What's going on here?
The sun didn't rise in the west, did it?
She blinked: "Yu'an, what did your third brother just say?"
Yu'an smiled and said, "Mother, you heard me right. Third Brother said he wanted to go to school, but today at the charity hall, a child younger than him looked down on him. I guess his pride was hurt."
Su Xiuran nodded: "No wonder. Next time Liyao goes to the free clinic, bring a few books for that child as a thank you. Your brother is finally willing to study hard."
Gu Liyao nodded and agreed. Gu Ziming was at the bottom of the class in the academy, so he didn't have much self-esteem left. Actually, most of the reason was because his younger sister had scolded him.
The group leisurely enjoyed their meal, unaware that the local people had already erupted in uproar.
"What? Food prices are going to rise again? How are we ordinary people supposed to survive?"
"What can we do? My crops haven't even sprouted yet."
"So what if they've sprouted ears? Some of the ears on my plants have sprouted, but they're small and thin; it's obvious the harvest won't be good."
"What can we do? Why don't we go and stockpile grain?"
"No rush, no rush. The imperial court will provide emergency relief supplies; we won't starve."
"Why don't we all go searching for strange beasts? I heard there's money for joining a beast-hunting team."
"Yes, that's a good method."
"I don't know what makes this strange beast 'strange.' Shouldn't we treat it like a sacred object if we encounter it?"
"Who knows?"
"It's weird..."
……
The next day, the weather became even hotter.
Under the eaves outside the Prime Minister's study, He Zhou stood with his hands behind his back, frowning slightly as he looked at the sky outside. It had been a long time since it had rained, and the Emperor was unwell, which was compounded by the prolonged drought.
Is it an opportunity or a crisis?
The servant bowed and said, "Prime Minister, Lord Gu has arrived."
He Zhou nodded, turned around, and went into his study. There was no reason for a first-rank minister like him to wait for someone at the door.
"Greetings, Your Excellency the Prime Minister"
"Minghai's here? Please have a seat."
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
"Someone, bring tea."
The prime minister scraped the tea leaves from his teacup: "How confident are you about the matter in the letter?"
Gu Minghai's lips curled slightly, but he quickly concealed it. His opportunity had arrived: "Sir, have you heard the rumors circulating? Even many elderly people who farm in the fields believe that a severe drought is inevitable this time."
"Those farmers must have some experience after working in the fields for so many years."
"The severe drought has led to reduced grain production, or even complete crop failure, naturally causing grain prices to rise. Grain prices have already increased somewhat. To be honest, sir, I have already stockpiled a batch of grain and sold some, earning six hundred taels of silver. And that's just for a small warehouse of grain."
"If we don't stockpile grain now, when will we? I'm doing this entirely for the Second Prince and for the sake of the Lord!"
The prime minister clasped his hands together, his thumbs intertwining repeatedly. What this fellow said made some sense.
If the emperor cannot hold on, the court will surely be in chaos. It is a pity that the second son is not the legitimate son. Many old men are afraid that the maternal relatives will cause trouble, and there will probably be a tough battle to fight.
Then money becomes extremely important.
Prime Minister: "How much have you hoarded?"
Gu Minghai replied, "My lord has over twenty warehouses, containing tens of thousands of jin (a unit of weight)."
"so much?"
Who would complain about having too much money?
The Prime Minister smiled and said, "Tell me, what do you want after this is done?"
Gu Minghai felt a little uneasy, but still said, "Sir, I want Gu Mingtang's position."
He Zhou put down his teacup and looked at Gu Minghai scrutinizingly: "You dare to say that, skipping several grades in a row? Even I don't have that kind of ability."
Gu Minghai felt uneasy under Hezhou's gaze: "My lord, offering suggestions is naturally unacceptable, but if there is a severe drought, there will inevitably be displaced people. At that time, I can take action to quell the situation and naturally have a chance for promotion."
"Sir, you only need to assign this task to me."
He Zhou pondered deeply. This person was indeed quite clever, preventing him from engaging in excessive underhanded dealings.
Even so, the chances of you taking Gu Mingtang's position are slim, but I can assure you that the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat will remain vacant until you do.
"but……"
He Zhou looked at Gu Minghai with a sharp gaze: "Only if you let me make money."
Gu Minghai was overjoyed: "Thank you, sir!"
This is definitely going to make money; so many things Lin Xiaoxiao predicted for him have come true.
This time will be no exception.
Gu Minghai patted his chest and assured him confidently, "My lord, rest assured, if you're worried about being exposed in the capital..."
"The capital is not far from Yangzhou. The area is rich and grain is scarce. You can send people there to collect grain. When the harvest is almost gone, you can sell the grain to the local Yangzhou people. There are many wealthy merchants there, so you won't have to worry about not being able to sell it."
Hezhou nodded: "I understand."
"Then I will not disturb you any longer, sir. I will take my leave."
"Your Highness, you can't go in! You can't go in! The Prime Minister is receiving guests inside!"
A servant boy was blocking the Second Prince from outside the door.
The second prince shoved the man aside, saying, "You insolent brat, get out of my way! Is the person inside more important than me?"
The servant immediately fell silent; there really wasn't.
The servant trembled, but continued to block the way: "No, no, the Prime Minister has ordered that no one is allowed to enter."
The second prince gave the guards a look, and the two guards immediately pulled the person away.
"boom"
The second prince pushed open the study door.
The people inside looked at him with some astonishment.
Gu Minghai was the first to react: "Greetings, Second Prince!"
"roll"
Gu Minghai's face turned pale and then red in an instant. He was embarrassed. Even though he was not a high-ranking official, he had never been humiliated like this before.
He looked up and saw that the Second Prince's expression was not good, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Hezhou: "Minghai, you go back first. His Highness and I still have some things to discuss."
"Yes"
Gu Minghai left, glancing at the closed study door with a sinister look.
As expected, he can't compare to His Highness!
"Your subject pays respects to the Second Prince."
The second prince sat directly in Hezhou's seat, unlike before when he immediately helped him up and affectionately called him "Grandfather" without needing to be so polite.
This made Hezhou feel a moment of panic.
"Prime Minister, please rise."
He Zhou's eyelids twitched: "Thank you, Your Highness."
The second prince leaned back slightly, sitting lazily, looking at Hezhou with a complicated expression.
"Prime Minister, you have quite the methods. I hid so well, yet you still managed to find me. I had no idea that there were any of Your Majesty's people around me."
"Bring it in"
A guard pushed a burly man in.
The burly man knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness, Prime Minister, spare my life!"
The second prince stepped forward, one hand resting on the table. Gone was his usual languid demeanor; a wicked smile played on his lips. "Spare you? Surely? Tell me, who sent you?"
The burly man glanced at the prime minister and lowered his head even further.
"You won't talk, huh? Then drag her away and beat her to death."
"Spare me, Second Prince!"
The guard dragged the burly man by the legs, and the man gripped the ground tightly with both hands, leaving two bright red streaks of blood on the ground.
"Wait a minute"