Chapter 273: Others Apply Eye Drops, He Applies Eye Masks
There is a type of devil.
He writes his own exam papers.
He circles the key points himself.
He can circle several versions of key points.
He acts as if it is a serious matter.
Some versions of the key points have absolutely nothing to do with his exam paper.
Some versions of the key points are as vast as the ocean.
This devil’s surname is Jiang, and his given name is Changtian.
At this moment, Jiang, the Old Devil, Changtian, is teaching his son-in-law to recite.
“Ordinary people follow the rules, smart people exploit loopholes in the rules, and powerful people make the rules. Of course, to make the rules, you must first understand the rules. Take these books and read them carefully; there is no harm in it.”
Meng Shaoxia, having been instructed for a long time, finally left the Jiang Family clutching the books.
His forehead was covered in sweat, despite it being the middle of winter.
When a father-in-law gets enthusiastic, no one can handle it.
The next day.
Jiang Changtian went to the government office on time.
He was neither early nor late.
After checking in, he went to the palace to request an audience.
Prime Minister Lu, who had spent last night reading the detailed rules and regulations until the second half of the night, arrived at the office early in the morning.
Upon learning that Jiang Changtian had actually gone to the palace again.
He sneered and paid him no mind.
He really thinks that a new official has three fires to burn, running to the imperial palace every day.
He has served the Emperor for decades and understands his personality very clearly.
The Emperor is most impatient with these trivial court matters; your diligence is worthless to the Emperor and will only annoy him.
Don’t think that showing your face in front of the Emperor every day will make you progressive and pleasing.
If you show your face too much, it becomes annoying, and the result will be counterproductive.
He is waiting for the moment when Jiang the Second stumbles.
Jiang Changtian went to the palace today, but indeed did not see the Emperor early in the morning.
He is not anxious.
In the imperial palace, because he is on good terms with Eunuch Duan and Eunuch Yan, his office location is very good, and he even has a separate office room.
The environment is better than the government office outside the palace.
Inside, the tables and chairs are comfortable, the window view is beautiful, and there is a constant supply of melons, fruits, and snacks. Charcoal is also provided, so his feet are not cold in winter, and it is very comfortable to sit in the room reading or doing anything else.
Jiang Changtian really sat inside, drinking tea and reading, taking his time, not in a hurry at all.
He also had his meal in the imperial palace at noon.
It was very sumptuous. Eating alone, he had six dishes, two soups, and his choice of staple food, filling the whole table. The treatment was excellent.
The ingredients were fresh, and the taste was good. He doesn’t like meat, but the vegetables were also very well prepared in the palace. There was a melon dish that was very sweet, and he wanted to pack it up to take back for Xia Mei to taste. He is the type of person who asks if he thinks of something.
The eunuchs in the palace were very polite and packed a food box for him.
There is no wall in the world that doesn’t let the wind through.
Some of the words Vice Minister Jiang said in Jiangzhou leaked out.
“…It is all you dog thieves who ruin the reputation of the eunuch faction. They work hard in the imperial palace and cannot come out even once a year. What did they do wrong? They are just serving the Emperor wholeheartedly, yet they have to be smeared by you vermin. You still have the nerve to call yourself a court official, bah!”
Listen, how well said.
These eunuchs work hard in the imperial palace, doing their duties and just doing their own jobs.
They haven’t even stepped out of the palace gate, yet they are smeared by those people, saying they are treacherous eunuch factions; it is simply more unjust than Dou E.
Therefore, even Eunuch Liu, who is actually one of Prime Minister Lu’s men, did not have a bad impression of Vice Minister Jiang.
After all, that dog official who used the eunuchs’ reputation was damaging his, Eunuch Liu’s, reputation. Eunuch Liu even wanted to thank Vice Minister Jiang for eliminating the harm for him, as it almost implicated him.
Furthermore, Vice Minister Jiang is good-looking.
People have higher tolerance for good-looking people.
Before entering the palace, Vice Minister Jiang had already cleared the level with these eunuchs and gained their favor.
Eunuchs naturally have a sense of hostility towards court officials because of driven interests.
But they felt that Vice Minister Jiang was on their side.
So today, when Eunuch Yan was not accompanying the Emperor, after the Emperor’s afternoon nap, a eunuch subtly reminded the Emperor that the Attendant of the Yellow Gate was in the palace and asked if he should be called over — (to relieve boredom).
The Emperor nodded.
Vice Minister Jiang appeared.
The Emperor was a bit bored today; feelings of boredom do not need a reason.
Sometimes it comes suddenly, surging up like the tide.
At such times, he doesn’t even want to see Wen Xin; he is just at odds with himself.
When he saw Jiang the Second, the Emperor leaned lazily on the warm couch.
As if overnight, he had aged a bit more and lacked energy.
Commander Jiang said he was good at making tea, so he would make it.
The Emperor did not care.
Whether it was a subject, a eunuch, or a palace maid beside him, in his eyes, they were all the same—people who served him; it was just that those who served him distinguished themselves.
Jiang Changtian sat upright in front of the tea table.
He first lit a stick of incense.
Watching the smoke curl up.
Then he boiled water and made tea.
The charcoal fire coaxed the cold water until it was boiling hot, also emitting white smoke.
Some melons, fruits, and snacks were placed next to the stove.
The fragrance slowly drifted up.
The first round of boiling tea soup was poured out, flowing along the tea tray.
The second round of tea soup was golden with a reddish tint, rippling slightly.
It was very clean, a very small cup.
Jiang Changtian poured a cup for the Emperor and one for himself.
Seeing his movements like flowing clouds and water, and his sitting posture looking familiar, the Emperor always had a sense of familiarity in his mind, but he really couldn’t recall it.
He just felt a sense of closeness.
When watching someone make tea, his heart calmed down.
All worries were temporarily cast to the back of his mind.
He returned to his usual state.
The tea made by Jiang the Second was mellow and smooth, feeling a bit sweeter than what he had drunk before.
The aroma was very strong.
Perhaps it was because it was made by a beauty.
The Emperor drank the tea and returned to his daily state.
He suddenly asked: “I heard that you and Old Madam Jiang have always had a bad relationship?”
Jiang Changtian nodded.
“After my father passed away, my mother suddenly changed her temper and tormented me in every possible way. When I was studying to take the imperial examinations, she accused me of being unfilial and disrespectful, cutting off my path to advancement. I was young then and couldn’t think straight, so I jumped into the river to commit suicide but was saved by my current wife. Later, she expelled me from the family. My mother is probably a bit confused, always saying I am not her child. She carried me for ten months; if I am not her child, then who am I?”
The Emperor’s expression was solemn, recalling his Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager had been gone for many years. In the Emperor’s memory, he only remembered her partiality. He once had a younger brother who was very favored by the Empress Dowager but later died in an accident. The Empress Dowager once said a sentence: “Why wasn’t it you who died?”
His heart turned cold.
He didn’t care about the Empress Dowager’s partiality in daily life.
But the Empress Dowager actually hoped that it was him who died.
Sometimes he also doubted whether he was born to the Empress Dowager.
However, this was impossible; the Empress Dowager was just partial.
The Emperor tapped the tabletop with his finger and said: “Human hearts are unfathomable; don’t waste your energy.”
“I don’t expect my mother to love me; I just hope she can be a little fairer and share a little bit of the love she gives others with me. But feelings cannot be forced. My mother feels disgust the moment she sees me. Fortunately, I still have my wife and children. Losing is my fate; gaining is my fortune.” Jiang Changtian continued to make tea, his movements flowing like water. A cup of tea is like life.
Boiling hot, fragrant, and then slowly fading.
At this moment, the Emperor truly regarded Jiang the Second in his eyes, feeling that he was very similar to himself, like one of his own.
He understands him.
“What is there to report by coming to the palace today?”
Jiang Changtian showed a somewhat shy smile, and then told the story of his in-law coming to him last night, trying to buy the answers with a thousand taels of silver.
“My annual salary is only over two hundred taels. I never expected that just by circling some content, it could be bid up to a thousand taels of silver. It can be seen that these people in the capital have abundant family wealth.”
The Emperor agreed very much. Indeed, every time he wanted to build a building or an opera house, those officials would submit memorials to impeach him, saying it was absolutely forbidden as it would shake the foundation of the country, yet they themselves lived very luxuriously at home.
“Instead of letting them earn this money, I might as well earn it myself. I have agreed with my in-law that for every copy sold, it will be two hundred taels of silver, and we will split it half and half. It is just that my in-law is righteous and embarrassed to take the money. I thought, since it is money they are giving for nothing anyway, if it is sold later, I will keep fifty taels per copy, my in-law will keep fifty taels to treat guests to meals, and the remaining one hundred taels will be handed over to the Imperial Household Department. This is killing two birds with one stone. They were originally going to have to recite the detailed rules and regulations anyway; paying to recite will probably make them more serious, and at the same time, it can generate revenue.”
Jiang Changtian, just like making tea, slowly explained his plan.
The eunuch on the side listened with his neck constantly raised, looking up at the sky.
The Emperor’s expression was a bit displeased at first, but as he listened, he wanted to laugh.
This Jiang the Second is truly a freak.
Sure enough, receiving the memorial impeaching him for loving to amass wealth was not wrong.
He could even come up with a business opportunity to make money from such a trivial matter.
Although others did this first, the thousand taels of silver were obviously others teasing that Meng Shaoxia, as everyone knew he was easy to deceive.
And this Jiang the Second really wants to fleece everyone.
He actually wants to pull him, the Emperor, into the partnership, promising to split half with him.
Good, good, good.
Hahahaha.
He is already looking forward to seeing the colorful expressions of those subjects during the next court session.
Meanwhile, outside the palace in the Prime Minister’s office, someone came to the Prime Minister to complain that someone was selling answers.
There were actually internal answers suspected to have been circled by Vice Minister Jiang; one only needed to memorize the parts circled by Vice Minister Jiang to pass, with each copy selling for two hundred taels of silver.
The Prime Minister, who had read the detailed rules and regulations all night:… Why didn’t you say so earlier.
Then he couldn’t help but laugh.
Good, good, good.
Amassing wealth in the capital.
Do you really think these officials are vegetarians?
Now they give you two hundred taels, later you won’t be able to pay back two thousand taels.
He closed his eyes and ignored it, letting Jiang the Second continue selling.
A clown.
Playing to the gallery.
He originally thought he was some formidable figure, but now it seems he is truly short-sighted, sacrificing his lifelong future for a mere two hundred taels.
Prime Minister Lu yawned and waved for the complaining official to leave.
Here, Prime Minister Lu’s assistant asked in a low voice: “My lord, shall we go buy a copy?”
“Get out.”
“Come back.”
“Buy it.”
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