Ci Jinzhi

 The emperor wants to go south?

 The words spoken by Emperor Xingyuan immediately set off huge waves in the hearts of the ministers.

You must know that this is not the time to fight in troubled times. The emperor's tour is not just a matter of time.

 Some ministers immediately objected: "Your Majesty, the southern tour will take a long time, and many state affairs will be affected..."

Emperor Xingyuan waited for him to finish and said calmly: "Each ministry will retain people, and ordinary matters will be handled as usual. Urgent matters can be submitted urgently."

“But His Majesty is not in the capital, and I am afraid that people will be uneasy—”

“I have decided to temporarily let Princess Zhaoyang supervise the country.”

 The eldest princess supervises the country?

My ministers, you look at me, and I look at you.

It feels weird for a woman to supervise the country, but Princess Zhaoyang is the emperor’s only biological sister, so it seems to make sense...

 In fact, all the ministers had a candidate in mind at this time: the eldest prince Xiu Wang.

 But no one dared to mention it.

 The emperor is away, and it is only natural that the prince oversees the country. But King Xiu is not the crown prince after all, so if he is proposed to supervise the country, his intentions would be too obvious.

 What is the most terrifying thing in officialdom? It's because my thoughts are too obvious in front of the emperor, but I don't know what the emperor is thinking!

What if the emperor doesn’t want King Xiu to be the crown prince?

The Minister of Household Affairs stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the emperor's trip is no different from others. It requires a large number of soldiers and horses to accompany him. Your Majesty, please think twice."

 Finally, taxes have increased, and the treasury is not so empty. How can the emperor spend money randomly?

Emperor Xingyuan nodded: "It is true that traveling far away requires careful consideration."

The corners of Shangshu Hubu's lips curled up slightly, feeling very pleased.

 The emperor still listened to the advice.

“I have already considered it. The emperor’s trip is expensive, but it is worth it. Don’t you want Yu Qing to follow me to see with your own eyes the treasures that can change the lives of thousands of people?”

 The words of the Minister of the Ministry of Finance's persuasion were suddenly stuck.

 The emperor said to take him there!

 Huchbu Shangshu remained silent. Others had their own thoughts and no one objected anymore.

“Since none of the ministers object, let’s discuss the details of going south.”

 Who to bring, which way to take, what measures to take, and how to operate the capital, all have to be discussed one by one.

This discussion lasted until the afternoon.

 Then, the news spread that the emperor was going south.

 After that, various preparations were carried out in an orderly manner. During this period, Emperor Xingyuan received another letter from Sun Yan, which focused on the assassination of Xin You.

 One day later, I received a second letter from Sun Yan. It was about Bai Ying going to Changping Guard to ask for help but was intercepted.

Emperor Xingyuan was furious and urged the travel time to be advanced a few days.

 Spring is a good time to go south, as traveling by water is convenient and comfortable. On the day of departure, the royal fleet was marching mightily in the river, leaving Princess Zhaoyang alone on the shore to see her off. She was in a bad mood.

She also missed Ayou. She also wanted to see with her own eyes what kind of treasure Ayou had grown. Why should she be kept in the capital to supervise the country?

From Princess Zhaoyang’s point of view, supervising the country is purely a thankless job.

 In Cining Palace, the Queen Mother was in a very bad mood.

"The king of a country, the most respected person in the world, can't live safely in the capital, so why go to the south? The Ai family has long seen that that girl is a troublemaker..."

After scolding Xin You, he scolded his daughter again: "If you ask her to supervise the country, she will supervise the country? Her royal brother dotes on her, but she doesn't know how to refuse? The Ai family has never seen a married daughter return to her parents' family to make the decision..."

Even if there is really no suitable person, she is still the mother-in-law, will it be her turn to get married?

The confidant nanny listened to the Queen Mother’s complaints and really couldn’t agree with her.

How can governing a country be the same as living as a family behind closed doors?

No matter how my mother and sister feel, Emperor Xingyuan is getting more and more excited as he gets closer to Wen County.

The news of the emperor's southern tour returned to Wen County early, and the repair of the docks and the smoothing of the roads were in full swing, which represented the importance of the emperor's visit. From time to time, Zhang Zhixian went to the station by the river and looked towards the capital countless times and secretly rejoiced: Fortunately, he listened to Miss Xin’s words, otherwise it would have been over!

 The time has entered March, the willows are lingering, and the flowers are blooming.

 Getting the news that the royal fleet was about to arrive, Zhang Zhixian led the county government officials and went out twenty miles to wait together with Xin You and others.

 This wait lasted from morning to afternoon.

This is not because the news sent back was wrong, but because it was sent so far in advance to show respect.

 The river stretches as far as the eye can see, and the waves sparkle like scattered gold in the sunlight. As the sky and water meet, huge ships slowly come into view.

"I'm coming!"

There was a commotion among the people waiting on the shore, and they could not suppress their excitement.

Although Wen County cannot be called a remote place, it is far from prosperous. It is not easy to meet a high-ranking official, let alone the emperor.

 Xinyou looked calm during this, looking at the fleet in the distance.

 Her heart was not at peace.

There is the joy of finally harvesting the sweet potatoes, but also the reluctance that the time spent with He Qingxiao is coming to an end.

After this, they will return to the prison in the capital, and the warmth and sweetness of walking hand in hand in the fields can only be in their dreams.

As the fleet gradually approached, and they were still some distance away, Zhang Zhixian took the lead in kneeling down and shouting long live the boat.

Others also knelt down, and soon the mountains shook with the sound of banzai, and the birds hovering on the river spread their wings and flew high.

Xinyou had no choice but to kneel down and let the tide from the river flow into her knees.

 The fleet finally docked, and Emperor Xingyuan boarded the dock with cheers from the front and back from the back.

This pier is newly renovated and has been heavily guarded. No one is allowed to approach it.

Emperor Xingyuan put his feet on the ground, looked at the people kneeling on the ground, and saw Xin You at a glance. This has little to do with the quality of eyesight. As the only woman among the people who came to greet her, she was undoubtedly the most conspicuous.

Moving his eyes a little further, he saw He Qingxiao as expected.

Emperor Xingyuan stared at the kneeling young man for a moment and shouted: "Ayou."

 The important ministers and nobles who came with him, as well as the king, couldn't help but cast their eyes on the young girl who was coming out.

 “I am here.”

 “Come to me.”

Xin You walked over calmly.

Behind her, Zhang Zhixian was secretly shocked. He thought that Miss Xin was more valued by the emperor than he thought, and he was thankful for his original decision again.

Emperor Xingyuan carefully looked at the girl who walked in front of him, with a smile on his lips: "I have lost weight and become darker. Thank you for your hard work during this period."

 “I don’t have to work hard, it’s my honor to be able to grow sweet potatoes with my own hands.”

Sweet potato?

 Everyone exchanged glances quietly after hearing this unfamiliar name, and only then did they know the name of Xin Youzhong's treasure.

But this sweet potato sounds like a crop, not a treasure. Could it be ginseng, lingzhi and other treasures?

 But even ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum are not worthy of the emperor’s grand southern tour, right?

Upon hearing the word "sweet potato", Emperor Xingyuan became more and more anxious. He glanced at him and asked, "Who is the magistrate of Wen County?"

 Zhixian Zhang immediately knelt down and came out: "Zhang Weimin, the magistrate of Chenwen County, has seen your Majesty."

Emperor Xingyuan nodded, and Wen County officials headed by Zhang Zhixian led the way to where he was staying.

 (End of this chapter)