Chapter 113
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Senior Minister Li’s eyes fixed firmly on the Crown Prince. “I have never believed that Prince Yan had any shortcomings, but I simply disagree with some of his policy proposals.”
Xie Duo sat up straight. “Which specific proposal troubles the Elder so much?”
Senior Minister Li squinted slightly and inquired, “Do you support Prince Yan’s policies?”
Xie Duo looked directly at him and replied, “Yes.”
Senior Minister Li nodded. “I greatly admire Prince Yan’s concern for the people. His proposals do indeed sound like benevolent governance for the benefit of the nation and its people. However, have you considered whose interests will be affected by these policies? Throughout history, any attempt to challenge the interests of the landowners and the wealthy has caused significant turmoil. Not to mention, Prince Yan’s intentions to upset the bureaucrats, the powerful, and even the wealthy merchants will leave no stone unturned. If ideals could be so easily realized, the lessons from history wouldn’t have been so painful.”
“Sixth Brother doesn’t expect immediate results. This is simply the direction he wants to work towards. When implementing it, we need to gradually adjust regulations, improve oversight, and incrementally carry out these reforms.”
Senior Minister Li gazed at Xie Duo with a puzzled expression for a moment and then calmly asked, “I’ve seen the memoranda you’ve written for His Majesty. Based on your previous responses, it seems you haven’t shown a bias towards Prince Yan’s policies.”
“Is that the reason you sought my support? If that’s the case, you might be disappointed. When I draft memoranda for Father Emperor, I naturally have to follow his intentions.”
Senior Minister Li’s expression turned serious. “Your Father Emperor is a great ruler, and the current strength of Great Chu is the best proof of his accomplishments. People from all walks of life praise His Majesty’s virtues.”
Xie Duo raised an eyebrow and chuckled at him. “And we can’t forget the invaluable contribution of an extraordinary minister like you.”
Senior Minister Li nodded. “Your Highness is too kind.”
“I haven’t been polite with you.” Xie Duo stood up, walked over to Senior Minister Li, and turned to look at him. “You’ve earned Father Emperor’s unwavering trust. Looking back hundreds of years, no minister could handle such heavy responsibility.”
“Is that the reason Your Highness has always been cautious and distant from me?”
“No.” Xie Duo turned to face him, lowered his head, and gazed at him with narrowed eyes. “Father Emperor once told me that those who wield public authority should be greatly benevolent. Your actions indeed have the air of someone who thinks of the whole world, and your concern for the people shines like the sun and the moon. But everything you’ve done is really about taking our ancestors’ governance to its zenith. However, Senior Minister Li, the sages also said, ‘When poverty strikes, one must think of change.’ Great Chu’s power has almost reached its peak within these rules. If we don’t find a way to break free from this confinement and establish new rules, the wealthy, the powerful, the bureaucrats, and the rich merchants you want to stabilize will gather even more land and wealth. The influence seeping into their ranks through various connections will grow. Yet, the resilience of the oppressed common people won’t change. Unless we involve laws to make this game’s rules fairer, those lessons from history you mentioned can still become Great Chu’s future.”
For a moment, Senior Minister Li contemplated the Crown Prince’s words. “Your Highness’s vision is even more far-reaching than I imagined.”
“Perhaps not all that far-reaching.” Xie Duo squinted at him. “That day might come sooner than you think. Without any limits on power, if the one in charge is a fool, all the foundations built by Father Emperor and our ancestors will collapse in an instant. That’s why every authority needs restrictions. Because I can’t guarantee that my son or grandson won’t be fools, just as you can’t ensure that the next Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister will have your abilities and temperament. Fairer and more just rules can protect not only the people but also you and me.”
Senior Minister Li remained speechless.
Xie Duo stepped closer, raised an eyebrow, and whispered, “I support Sixth Brother’s policies because our general direction aligns, though my goals aren’t as selfless as his. It’s a strange world. If your goal happens to benefit the majority and your methods are right, you’re bound to succeed. Senior Minister Li, I’ve never told anyone these words. The reason I’m telling you now is that you and I are on the same boat. You need to understand my intentions and not suspect that I’m doing this to seek someone’s pity.”
Senior Minister Li respectfully nodded and said, “I’ve heard a single sentence from you, worth more than ten years of study. But I still hope Your Highness won’t entrust state affairs to Prince Yan for guidance. Even if the goals align, Prince Yan’s methods and your strategies are vastly different.”
The two men exchanged a silent gaze, and eventually, Xie Duo chose to compromise. “I’ll accompany Sixth Brother in drafting memorials.”
This time, the Emperor’s illness lasted longer than any previous instance, causing some idle chatter within the court.
Han Jiao, on the other hand, refrained from participating in the discussions.
He was quite busy, juggling two roles that were not as simple as receiving an additional salary. The affairs of the Ministry of Rites were also quite intricate.
In his role at the Bureau of Ceremonies, besides managing various ceremonial arrangements, he was responsible for various educational and academic matters, including the establishment of schools and the spread of scholarly ideas.
In this matter, he had a slight personal bias. He wished for Great Chu’s academic atmosphere to always maintain an open environment, fostering a clash of diverse thoughts and giving special attention to the cultivation of talents in mathematics, science, and other disciplines.
So, about half a month ago, he penned a memorial in an attempt to persuade the higher-ranking officials to propose a new version of official textbooks.
However, a few days ago, his memorial was returned without any comments.
This left Han Jiao a bit bewildered. Under normal procedures, such memorials should be endorsed by the Minister of Rites and then presented to the imperial court for the Emperor’s approval. Yet, in Han Jiao’s memorial, there was no endorsement from any department. Did this mean that the administrator overlooked it and returned it directly to him?
After pondering it several times, Han Jiao made a few alterations to the content and submitted it again. Then, at this moment, he was called outside the Hanlin Academy by a colleague and met the Minister of Rites who had just come out of the court.
The Minister wore a benevolent expression and quietly slipped Han Jiao’s memorial back into his hands. “If there’s a next time, I’ll submit this memorial to the court for review.”
This time, Han Jiao was certain that there was something wrong with his memorial, leading the Minister to pretend not to have seen it, resulting in no comments and its direct return.
But where was the problem?
Since the Minister had already reviewed it, Han Jiao decided to ask directly what was wrong with his memorial.
This question nearly amused the Minister. He took Han Jiao to a quiet corner and began a scholarly debate.
In essence, Han Jiao’s suggestion of incorporating certain teachings into the textbooks was considered unorthodox and inappropriate, such as techniques related to artisans, which couldn’t be included in the same book as the teachings of sages.
In any case, he believed that Han Jiao’s ideas were an insult to the teachings of the sages, and if submitted to the court, he was sure it would lead to punishment.
Han Jiao silently hung his head and listened to the reprimand. He wanted to say a few words of apology to show that he had not considered things thoroughly, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. The Minister had been subtly mocking all professions outside “orthodox academia,” making it difficult for Han Jiao to maintain his silence.
Just as he was about to be overwhelmed by the Minister’s words, a slender hand reached out from beside him and retrieved the memorial from Han Jiao’s arms.
Han Jiao was slightly surprised and was about to reach out to reclaim it and tear it up when he realized that the person taking it was Xie Duo.
The Minister quickly bowed to pay his respects to the Crown Prince, but there was no response from Xie Duo. He glanced stealthily and discovered that the Crown Prince was reading Han Jiao’s memorial.
The Minister shot Han Jiao a nervous, sidelong glare, as if to convey, “You’re in trouble now. Let’s see how the Crown Prince scolds you.”
Xie Duo soon finished reading and turned his gaze toward the Minister of Rites. “Master, have you glanced through this memorial?”
The Minister of Rites nodded in affirmation.
Xie Duo looked at Han Jiao with a sidelong glance and asked, “Why did you show this kind of memorial to the Minister?”
Han Jiao was momentarily baffled. He was about to admit his mistake when Xie Duo continued, “Are you trying to frighten the Minister?”
The Minister of Rites had not caught the irony in the Crown Prince’s words and smiled, thanking the Crown Prince for his understanding.
Xie Duo suppressed a smile and continued to speak to Han Jiao, “Academics that the Ministers hasn’t delved into are often thought of as dubious. From now on, just give me the memorials you write.”
The Minister of Rites finally caught the sarcasm in his words and his face darkened.
Han Jiao couldn’t help but lift the corners of his mouth, exchanging a secret glance with the big boss.
Once the Minister of Rites left, Han Jiao quickly retrieved the memorial from Xie Duo’s hands.
“What’s wrong? This proposal is excellent. No one dared to bring it up before.”
Han Jiao shook his head. “It’s just that I didn’t think it through. It might stir controversy.”
“People with no vision stick to the old ways and refuse to adapt,” Xie Duo said seriously, looking at him, “This proposal is excellent, and it can be gradually implemented by the court.”
Han Jiao, trying to contain his delight, looked toward the big boss and said, “Your Highness has been in a good mood lately, even coaxing people.”
“Indeed,” Xie Duo said solemnly, “Han Xiaobai, you’re more talented than I thought. In many matters, I can only judge the general trend, but you’re ahead of me, meticulously planning the steps for implementation.”
Once filled with thoughts of trivial matters like skipping classes for cuju games, he now had to focus on state affairs and unexpectedly realized that Han Jiao’s practical abilities were nearly on par with Senior Minister Li.
Xie Duo didn’t feel proud of Han Jiao for it. Instead, he felt an indescribable sense of loss.
Would such a talented young man willingly humble himself in anonymity before him?
Xie Duo desired to possess Han Jiao completely.
This desire had arisen when he drank that bowl of soup.
In an instant, he recalled the beautiful moments he had experienced, including the moment when he severed the head of the Tatar Deputy General, as well as various victorious gaming moments.
However, what lingered in his mind the longest was the bright smile he saw on the day in Prince Duan’s residence when he pushed aside Han Jiao’s sleeve.
The threat of death intensified the desire buried deep inside Xie Duo and made him fully understand why he had been irresistibly drawn to Han Jiao all along.
From the moment he walked out of the Chuxiu Palace alive, Xie Duo couldn’t help but want to possess him immediately.
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FINALLY XIE DUO IS ENLIGHTENED… and now we wait 😌