Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Ruinous to the Nation (Part 1)
He hadn’t seen Miss Sun’s smile for a long time.
Qin Hu carefully and greedily watched Sun Zelan’s smile, then said quietly, "I understand everything. In the future, I won’t bother you anymore. Miss Sun, I wish you to become a renowned physician soon!"
Unexpectedly, Qin Hu’s trouble was resolved surprisingly well. Sun Zelan, in a good mood, smiled with brows curved, saying, "I also wish you to become a celebrated military general in Da Liang!"
Qin Hu gave Sun Zelan a deep look, said goodbye, and then turned away.
"Huh? That silly boy isn’t pestering you anymore?" Sun Guangbai appeared out of nowhere.
Sun Zelan, in high spirits, didn’t argue with her brother, "He hadn’t been pestering me before, alright? Guard Qin is the Commandery Princess’s personal guard, busy with duties every day, only occasionally coming to the military camp to pass on messages and talking to me along the way."
"I’m not planning to marry and have children, he already understands my intentions, and won’t waste time with me anymore. Perhaps, after some time, we might hear the good news of his marriage."
Sun Guangbai thoughtfully touched his chin, "Is he really giving up? Maybe he’s advancing by retreating!"
Sun Zelan was unbothered, shrugged and said, "What he thinks is his business. Anyway, I know what I want and what I’m aiming for."
"Don’t just talk about me. What about you, when do you plan to marry and have children? The Sun Family is counting on you to continue the family line!"
Sun Guangbai glanced at his sister, "My medical skills are shallow, I need to focus wholeheartedly on studying and improving my skills, where would I have the time for marriage? You don’t want to get married yourself, yet you have the nerve to urge me."
Sun Zelan looked innocent, "Don’t give me attitude. When Father urges you, I won’t back you up anymore."
Sun Guangbai’s backbone immediately softened, hastily apologized with cupped hands.
The sibling duo was joking around when suddenly a soldier strode over, looking anxious and urgent, "Both Sun military doctors! A soldier in the camp suddenly had abdominal pain, nearly fainting from the pain. It’s probably appendicitis!"
Appendicitis at this time was nearly considered untreatable, few were cured once it flared up. Sun Zelan had performed surgery for a soldier two years ago and cured his appendicitis, and her reputation spread quietly. Later, she also performed surgery for a family member of a personal soldier. Because of this, Sun Zelan’s fame rose sharply, overshadowing her brother.
Upon hearing a soldier had appendicitis, Sun Zelan immediately collected her smile, sternly said, "Bring the person over at once."
She then turned her head to call Lin Huiniang and Shanxing over, "You two, prepare immediately."
Lin Huiniang had studied for over two years, already a qualified attendant. As for Shanxing, through long-term conditioning and recovery, her mind had returned to normal. Now, she was Sun Zelan’s proud disciple.
The two responded and got busy immediately.
...
Meanwhile, Qin Hu quickly rode back to the Nanyang Prince Mansion.
Just as he entered the mansion, Qin Hu sensed something was amiss with the atmosphere.
The Commandery Princess rarely showed an icy expression, but now her face was cold, her eyes filled with chilling anger, clearly furious.
He had been serving by the Commandery Princess’s side for three years and had never seen her this angry.
With frequent glances, Meng Sanbao signaled to Qin Hu to be careful.
Qin Hu cautiously stepped forward to report, "Reporting to the Commandery Princess, I have returned from the Nanyang Army Camp. The injured soldiers in the camp have been properly treated, and Grandmaster Tang is grateful for the Commandery Princess’s dispatch of troops to avenge the Tang Family, he insists on coming to express gratitude. He’s waiting outside, would the Commandery Princess like to see him?"
Jiang Shaohua, still in a fit of anger, said, "Not now, let him rest and come back tomorrow."
Qin Hu obeyed and retreated.
A moment later, upon entering the main hall again, Chief Historian Chen and Chief Historian Feng had also arrived.
Jiang Shaohua, with a stern face, first gave the court’s documents to Chief Historian Chen. After reading them, Chen Zhuo also became furious, "Even at a time like this, they’re still engaging in factional power struggles, utterly disregarding the lives of the people in the North! It’s absolutely outrageous!"
Feng Wenming, shocked, took the documents from Chen Zhuo, and after reading them, was equally incensed, cursing, "Absurd! Simply absurd!"
"Our Nanyang County has cultivated a drought-resistant high-yield grain, voluntarily offering it to the court for promotion. This is due to the Commandery Princess’s broad-mindedness and compassion. Yet, the court’s treacherous ministers, instead of praising this, accused the Commandery Princess of exaggerating and using this as a tool for self-glorification!"
"Bah!"
"These despicable beings!"
There was a reason for the collective anger.
Over half a month ago, Jiang Shaohua personally wrote a memorial to the court, enumerating the benefits of corn and sweet potatoes, and voluntarily offered these two new grains to the court.
During this time, the County Magistrates of the Fourteen Counties busied themselves with having the people switch grains, storing the newly harvested corn and sweet potatoes into granaries, waiting for the court’s decree to requisition grains.
Cui Du was also frantically busy, having prepared dozens of copies of the corn and sweet potato cultivation methods. The Commandery Princess personally penned the documents, each with corresponding written explanations.
No one expected such sincere efforts to be met with a cold dousing of water.
Still exasperated, Jiang Shaohua coldly snorted, "The Emperor is gravely ill, the Crown Prince is young and lacks influence and means. The Empress Dowager’s faction still subdued due to the Vice Minister Qian’s suicide incident, making it precisely the time for Prime Minister Wang to flaunt his power!"
Jiang Shaohua had clearly supported the Empress Dowager from the start. And because of the Zuo Zhen incident, she completely fell out with Prime Minister Wang. These past two years, the Prime Minister Faction and Empress Dowager Faction had been fiercely at odds.
Now was when Prime Minister Wang controlled the court with the most swagger, naturally wanting to suppress Nanyang County’s fame.
"Flaunting power shouldn’t happen at a time like this." Chen Zhuo’s face turned blue with anger, clearly genuinely furious, "The North has been plagued by drought for two years, especially this year, being a severe drought year. Countless citizens starved to death. At such a time, efforts should be focused on disaster relief to stabilize the situation."
"Otherwise, if locusts break out next year, the Northern States will be completely chaotic."
Jiang Shaohua chuckled coldly, "I mentioned in my memorial that locusts will likely emerge next year, which enraged Prime Minister Wang. He said I, the Nanyang County Princess, am intentionally spreading rumors and causing panic among the people."
Feng Wenming, fuming, spat again.
Three accompanying housekeepers stood by, unable to interject and all with poor expressions.
"The court rejected the Commandery Princess’s memorial, what’s the plan next?" Chen Jinyu broke the silence by asking, "Should the grain swap continue?"
Jiang Shaohua exhaled a stuffy breath, "Of course it must continue. Prime Minister Wang isn’t capable of monopolizing power completely. Let’s wait a bit, Empress Dowager and Duke An should soon send news."
Chen Jinyu couldn’t help but stomp, "Just the thought makes me stifled. In these times, even wanting to do good for the people requires dealing with treacherous ministers."
In the court, the numerous officials’ private interests and actions were simply chilling.
Jiang Shaohua was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Let’s put these matters aside and focus on what we should and want to do."