Chapter 202
202 Storyteller (1)
Wei Yuan’s actions were a little … It was too much to be a middleman … However, this also meant that as long as the chicken essence was mass-produced, it would definitely make a lot of money.
Could this be considered as me accidentally opening up the path of a simple and unpretentious rich man with a large number of wives and concubines?
it’s true that every profession has its own specialty. If. had known this earlier.. wouldn’t have tinkered around and guided the astrologers while I sat behind the scenes and enjoyed my Commission … Unfortunately. it’s too late …” Xu Qi ‘an sighed.
From the tax money case to the Sang Bo case, and now, he had offended too many big shots in the Imperial court. He was now firmly tied to Wei Yuan.
Under such circumstances, all he had to do was cultivate and assist Wei Yuan. The more stable Wei Yuan’s position was, the more power he had, and the more benefits Xu Qi ‘an would receive. He really didn’t have much energy to spend on alchemy.
…. Well, it wasn’t that he didn’t have time at all. He would think about it when he had free time in the future. For now, he had to step into the spirit-forging stage.
Huaiqing took a sip of tea, which moistened his lips. In a very calm tone, he said,”The recent conflicts between the various parties in the court have suddenly ceased. The reason is that Lord Wei and chief advisor Wang joined forces and tried to clean up all the parties in the court.”
“This is a good thing.” Xu Qi ‘an’s eyes lit up.
Huaiqing shook his head. father stopped him. The chaos in the court is beneficial to him. The fiercer the fight between the factions, the more he could cultivate in peace. If one or two families dominate the court, the court will be out of Imperial father’s control.”
To be able to tell me this, huaiqing must have treated me as one of his own … ‘Why do I feel like she’s overconfident in me …’ Although I’m good at licking, I’ve only licked you a few times … Xu Qi ‘an nodded and agreed, ”
“Factional disputes are a double-edged sword. It can protect your Majesty’s position and also disrupt the court. The more factions there are, the fiercer the battle. In the long run, no one would care about government affairs, and their minds would be filled with conspiracies and open schemes to defeat their opponents.”
As he spoke, Xu Qi ‘an kept observing Princess huaiqing’s expression. If she showed any displeasure or disgust, Xu Qi’ an would stop there.
On the other hand, Xu Qi ‘an would use his knowledge as a fake historian to have a good chat with the princess and improve their relationship so that she would pay more attention to him.
Princess huaiqing, who was well-read in history books, narrowed her eyes and deliberately set a trap.”Wouldn’t it be better to put an end to the factional disputes?”
Xu Qi ‘an shook his head. there are no allies in the court. There are all sorts of strange things.
There were no allies in the court, and there were all kinds of strange things … Princess huaiqing’s eyes brightened as she thought about this sentence over and over again. The corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up into a smile.
I have some humble opinions, ” Xu Qi ‘an said immediately. I wonder if the eldest Princess is interested in hearing them.
Hearing this, Princess huaiqing stealthily straightened her posture and nodded,”Just say it.”
“Actually, the emperor’s way of balancing the power of the court is not appropriate …” Xu Qi ‘an said after some deliberation.
He saw Princess huaiqing squint her eyes, but she didn’t stop him. She just stared straight at him. He continued, ”
“If you want to balance the Imperial court, you don’t need so many parties. Just three evenly matched parties will do. No matter what domain it was, a triangle was the most stable … Well, marriage is an exception.”
“A triangle?” Huaiqing heard an unfamiliar word.
Xu Qi ‘an made a triangle with her hands and said, “”This kind of structure often appears in the construction of palaces.”
The eldest Princess was indeed very intelligent … Xu Qi ‘an nodded and said, “”If it’s just two parties, they may form an alliance in private. On the surface, they can’t tolerate each other, but they’re in cahoots behind the scenes. But if it’s a tripartite, it’ll be difficult for them to reach a common interest, and the court will be relatively stable, making it easier to balance each other.”
Princess huaiqing pondered for a long time and seemed to have figured something out. She chuckled and quickly retracted her smile, returning to her cold and aloof attitude.
“The great Confucians of Yun Lu Academy said that you were a scholar, and this Empress thought that you were only good at writing poems. Who would have thought that you would have such a brilliant opinion? there are only a handful of students in the world who are like you. The eyes of Yun Lu Academy’s great Confucians are like torches. This Empress has underestimated you.”
‘No, they only think that my poems are good. You didn’t underestimate me …’ I’m a keyboard warrior, pointing out the rivers and mountains and stirring up the text, with one key, I’m invincible.
Xu Qi ‘an replied with a smile.
“In fact, other than the various factions, the Imperial court has another very fatal problem … Your Highness, please forgive me for using the wrong words.”
“We’re family, so there’s no need to worry too much,” said Princess huaiqing with a faint smile.
Her clear and bright eyes gazed at him, expressing an urgent desire to listen, but she did not say it out loud.
Xu Qi ‘an was relieved. His Majesty can easily control the promotion and dismissal of the officials in the court, but he can’t control the lower-level officials and minor officials, especially the latter, who are the main culprits of the poor people’s livelihood.
This question seemed to have hit Princess huaiqing’s soft spot, causing her to suddenly become serious. She interrupted,”This Prince is also vexed by this problem.”
“In fact, there are two reasons for the accumulation of the shortcomings of minor officials in Da Feng.First, the political disputes in the Imperial court were intense and management was neglected. To put it bluntly, they only fought and did not do anything. Secondly, His Majesty has been cultivating for twenty-one years, and the Imperial court’s control over the lower ranks has greatly declined, which has led to the unruly officials.”
Princess huaiqing nodded. you share the same view as me. I’ve thought about this question more than once. I can’t find a solution.
‘You’re a Princess, why are you thinking about this …’ “Regarding the affairs of the minor officials, I suggest that we should centralize the power,” Xu Qi ‘an said.
“Centralized power” Princess huaiqing unconsciously asked for advice, because this was another unfamiliar term.
although His Majesty has a firm grasp of the court, he has to give the corresponding power to maintain the chaotic situation of the various parties. His Majesty’s power is too scattered … Xu Qi ‘an did not continue. He believed that with the eldest princess’s wisdom, she would understand what he meant.
By the same logic, how could he change the current situation? The one who tied the bell had to untie the bell, or Emperor Yuan jing turned over a new leaf and was diligent in government affairs. Either he abdicated.
This was the reason why Xu Qi ‘an stopped the conversation. If he continued, he would inevitably talk about this taboo topic.
The two of them chatted for a long time. Princess huaiqing had a whole new level of respect for Tong Gong, and so did Xu Qi ‘an. The princess was not only smart, but also knowledgeable. She could recite classic sentences, and it was both pleasant and difficult to talk to her.
Seeing that it was about time, Xu Qi ‘an said goodbye. I can’t talk anymore, there’s really not a drop left. If I continue, I’ll have to talk about socialism with you.
Princess huaiqing nodded, but there was a look of longing in her eyes.
…..
After leaving Princess huaiqing’s Palace, Xu Qi ‘an turned around and went to Lin’ an. He was quickly informed and was led into the residence by the guard.
It was now a quarter past nine (9:30 in the morning). Lin ‘an, who was wearing a fiery red dress, was playing shuttlecock with the palace maids.
If Xu lingying was talented in the field of food, then mounting was talented in the field of playing. She was kicking the shuttlecock better than Xu Qi ‘an, who practiced martial arts.
Her fiery red dress fluttered, her small waist twisted and turned, and her long legs seemed to have GPS installed, always able to catch the shuttlecock and kick it back into the air.
If this girl was born in his era, she would be a little queen of nightclubs who traveled every day and went to bars.
The skirts in this era were too conservative, and they all wore pants below … Xu Qian, who did not see anything, cursed in his heart. He cupped his fists and said,”Your Highness,”
Seeing that Xu Qi ‘an had come to visit, she kicked the shuttlecock to the palace maid and put her hands on her waist. “Didn’t you say that you’ll come to pay your respects every day after the case is over?”
“This Imperial Palace is not. place that this humble servant can enter as he wishes …” Xu Qi ‘an walked towards the direction of the pavilion, the princess of Lin’ an also followed.
She took the towel from the servant girl and wiped her face, messing up her delicate eyebrows.
“Bengong wants to go out of the palace to play, you accompany me.” Lin an returned the towel to the servant girl and washed his hands.
“No.” Xu Qi ‘an gave her a sideways glance.
“Dog slave.” Lin an’s eyes suddenly widened.
The two of them began to play the game of torturing Eagles again. Ming Luo tried to use her charming peach eyes to suppress Xu Qi ‘an, and Xu Qi’ an used her dead fish eyes to resist.
Sure enough, she was the first to admit defeat. Her round goose face was slightly shy as she looked away and said angrily, “”If it was huaiqing, would you follow his orders?”
Huaiqing wouldn’t let me do such a death-seeking thing, okay? if I abduct the princess out of the palace, I’ll have to be beheaded … Xu Qi ‘an took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket.
“I recently got a little gadget that can enhance the umami taste when I cook. It’s called a chicken spirit.”
In front of the frame, he was more casual and never called himself ” subordinate “. The second Princess never cared about this.
“Chicken spirit … What a strange name.” Lin an laughed, ” you don’t have money to spend again right? bengong will reward you with another painting. En, the warehouse sent an ivory brush. It is said to be quite valuable. I also don’t like to write, so I will give it to you.
Xu Qi ‘an immediately said, ” Your Highness, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not here for the reward. I’m willing to work for the princess.
Lin ‘an was someone who liked to listen to sweet words, so he was very happy.”Then what do you want?”
“Your Highness, please convert it to silver.”
“If you want silver, that’s fine …” The mounted man held his cheek with his hand and stared at him with a smile. That pair of misty peach blossom eyes seemed to be looking at his lover.
“Bengong is bored and tired of playing with the shuttlecock. Tell me a story, like that Journey to the West from last time.”
alright, Your Highness. This time, I’ll tell you about the ‘three times I borrow the banana fan’. Xu Qi ‘an drank the tea served by the palace maid to soothe his throat.
“One day, Tang Sanzang and his disciples came to the flaming Mountain. The fire was so strong that they couldn’t fly over it. The local God told the great sage sun that if he wanted to put out the fire on the fiery mountain, he had to ask Princess Iron Fan for a banana fan. Speaking of Princess Iron Fan, she is the wife of the Bull Demon King.”
“Bull Demon King? He’s the sworn brother of the great sage sun.” The mounted girl had a good memory and called out in a sweet voice.
“Yes, so the great sage sun and Madam Niu have a secret relationship.”
“What relationship?”
“Princess, please listen to me …” Xu Qi ‘an glanced at the palace maid. you wait outside the pavilion.
The palace maid left obediently.
Xu Qi ‘an was relieved and continued, “”When the great sage sun came to the banana cave, Princess Iron Fan welcomed him warmly, but she was unwilling to lend him the banana fan. Thus, the two of them began an intense melee fight.
“The great sage sun turned into a worm and entered Princess Iron Fan’s stomach, saying:Sister-in-law, I’m already inside you.
“The iron Fan Princess rolled on the ground in pain and gave in. As long as the great sage sun came out, she would give him the banana fan.
“The great sage sun said,” sister-in-law, open your mouth. I’m coming out.
at this time, the Bull Demon King was outside the door and witnessed everything.
“Then who is he helping?” Lin an said in distress,”one is a sworn brother, the other is a sworn wife.” It’s a difficult choice.”
“No, the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan have separated.”