The First Auxiliary Road from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 1296 The Emperor's Small Group

Sheng Yuan didn't expect that the little emperor had such a good understanding. In just one day, he was able to see the essence through the phenomenon and analyze the problem in a decent manner. It was really amazing.

"In this case, Your Majesty only needs to analyze one case every day."

The little emperor didn't expect such a good thing to happen. He was immediately surprised and his eyes were shining with joy.

Of course, although she was happy, she did not forget to test it: "Aunt, is it too little to analyze only one case a day?"

"Little?! The homework I left for Your Majesty is not little! No matter how simple the things in this world are, if you can persevere, the results will be extraordinary. If Your Majesty can analyze the old examples thoroughly every day and persist in taking them seriously, you will naturally know the benefits over time."

After arranging the homework, Sheng Yuan began to prepare for the next lesson: "Although we should learn from history, the current problems can only be solved according to the specific conditions of reality... Therefore, I have prepared classic cases of local governance since the founding of the Chu Dynasty. From today on, Your Majesty will follow me and start from one village and one town to play a long-term simulation game of local governance."

Hearing the word "play", the little emperor couldn't help but applaud: "Auntie, this is a great way to teach and entertain!"

Sheng Yuan smiled back and said slowly, "Since we are reviewing the situation, we should discuss it from the aspects of politics, economy, society, geography, humanities, and administration.

Today's task is to simulate the famous case during the Chengyuan period, when the magistrate Chen Qi transformed Pingtai County from poverty to prosperity in just one term.

So, Your Majesty, you are now the newly appointed magistrate of Pingtai County... When you first arrived, you have insufficient staff, the county government has no finances, and even the office is old and dilapidated... Under such circumstances, how can Your Majesty reverse the current situation of Pingtai County? ! "

……

"Has the Emperor been working hard lately?" Empress Dowager Sheng Ran finished her morning court session and flipped through a few memorials. Suddenly, she realized that her ears had become much quieter recently. It seemed that... those teachers who taught the Emperor had stopped complaining to her?! This discovery made Sheng Ran a little alert.

"Empress Dowager, the Emperor has been busy reading the governance records and old files of political achievements of various prefectures and counties lately, and he is enjoying reviewing and studying them!" Zhiyu came over with a tea tray, smiling, and whispered about the little emperor's recent movements.

"Oh?!" Sheng Ran thought for a moment and chuckled as she said, "I'm afraid this is Sister Yuan's idea again... Let's take a day off today and go join her for some fun."

Having said this, she didn't wait for Zhiyu to prepare, and walked straight towards Zhihui Palace where the little emperor was studying.

As soon as Sheng Ran and his servants entered the gate of Zhihui Palace, they saw many palace servants hurrying back and forth with piles of books in their arms.

When everyone saw the Queen Mother, they immediately hurried to pay their respects. Fortunately, Sheng Ran had already arranged for the eunuchs to remind them not to make any noise, so no big commotion was made.

"What are these things you are carrying?" Sheng Ran randomly pulled out a booklet from a tray held by a palace servant and flipped through it.

"Replying to the Queen Mother, this is the decree of the Emperor and the 'young masters' in the side halls."

"Little adults?!" Sheng Ran repeated with narrowed eyes.

Zhiyu beside her hurriedly whispered, "Empress Dowager, two months ago, the Deputy Minister sent you a petition asking for your permission to select some useful talents for the Emperor."

"So it was them." Sheng Ran recalled the matter that was given to her with full authority, and laughed. "I remember that Sister Yuan said at the time that she wanted to select useful children from the official school in Kyoto... It seems that half a month ago, she even took the emperor out of the palace to look for them. What's going on? Can she discuss government affairs with the emperor now?"

Nodding slightly, Sheng Ran looked at the group of nervous palace servants in front of him, and just reminded them "Don't disturb the emperor", then waved them away.

"Let's go and take a look at the small team that Sister Yuan has put together for the emperor and see if they are qualified to be the emperor's team."

……

When Sheng Ran found the emperor, the little emperor happened to be standing in front of a huge Kunyu map. He was looking for the specific location on the map in a booklet and smacking his lips with longing on his face.

"Caining, do you think the land here is really fertile and the food here is abundant as my aunt said? Then this place is really suitable to be the granary of Da Chu!

And here, there are so many silver mines! Tsk tsk tsk, and here, here... As long as we connect these islands, we can reach the continent. If we take root there, we can control the two local straits!

If this can be done, Da Chu will be able to collect large amounts of taxes from merchant ships in the future! With this guarantee, the people of Da Chu will be able to pay less taxes! More importantly, this will also ensure the safety of the sea trade routes between Da Chu and other countries overseas."

The little emperor clapped his hands in excitement as he spoke, and turned to look at the group of helpers who were discussing among themselves: "What do you think, classmates?!"

"Your Majesty, when the students have completed their studies and passed the imperial examinations, I am willing to follow the example of the Han envoys and go to various countries here to persuade them with the virtue of the Great Chu."

Sheng Ran was standing outside the window. When she heard this, she couldn't help but look at the other person.

Zhiyu looked over and saw a girl with heroic spirit. After a moment's thought, she remembered the portrait on the roster given by Sheng Yuan. She immediately leaned close to Sheng Ran's ear and whispered, "This is the top student of Class A of Jiujiang Academy Junior College. Her surname is He Zhen."

"Yeah." Sheng Ran nodded. Just as she was about to speak, she heard a boy's voice speaking unwillingly.

"Your Majesty, if I were an official, I would work with the Ministry of Industry to develop a giant treasure ship, carrying a garrison along the coast, and use the virtue of the Great Chu to quell the injustices in all directions, thereby making the majesty and wisdom of the Great Chu emperor known, so that all the four seas and five continents would respect and submit to the Great Chu!"

"This is the grandson of the current Duke Zheng, named Zheng Duo. He is a student at the Yunqi Academy's School of Engineering. Not only does he have excellent grades, but he is also good at both literature and martial arts. At the young age of twelve, he has already passed the military examination."

"He's a good seedling, and he lives up to his ancestors."

Sheng Ran nodded and turned her gaze to the girl who was talking to the emperor.

"This is... Zheng Sanniang's child?!" Looking at this child whose profile looks exactly like her best friend, memories flashed before Sheng Ran's eyes.

"The Queen Mother has a good memory. This is Madam Zheng San's second daughter, named Wen Qixi. She is a student in the junior class of the Imperial Academy. She is proficient in five languages ​​and is a very talented person!"

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, when we go to vassal states, we should also promote our culture and enhance our national prestige. We should make them speak our language and learn our culture, so that they can respect us."

"Student Wen, are you trying to educate those barbarians? I'm afraid it won't be easy. Although they don't have enough cultural background, they do have their own customs and culture. I'm afraid the conservatives will hinder them!"

Zheng Duo had just sighed when he heard Wen Qixi say calmly, "How to make the conservatives not conservative? That's what the envoys have to consider."

"..." Sheng Ran didn't expect that this little girl looked well-behaved, but spoke in such a loud voice, which was completely different from her good friend.

"Sister Yuan is really good at selecting people!" After listening to the speeches of five or six students in a row, Sheng Ran couldn't help but sigh, "Did this girl select students from the copper pea jar?!"

Zhiyu couldn't help but chuckle: "Empress Dowager, in my opinion, I'm afraid that Ci Fu is looking in the mirror at the students she chose herself!" "Huh! Indeed! They are both equally fearless!" Sheng Ran shook her head lightly and moved away.

"Isn't the Queen Mother going to go in and take a look?" Zhiyu was a little surprised when he saw her turn around and leave.

Sheng Ran looked at her speechlessly: "The emperor is chatting with them enthusiastically. If I go in, won't it ruin their interest?! Since I know their communication pattern, I will just keep an eye on them in the future. There is no need to go over and disturb those students."

"Didn't the Queen Mother plan to meet these students in person before?"

"After hearing their speeches, I don't want to meet them anymore." Sheng Ran shook her hand, smiling as she looked at Zhiyu and said, "The personalities of these students...the emperor should control them with both kindness and power. If I approach them rashly, it will only backfire."

At this point, seeing Zhiyu looking at him with a confused look, Sheng Ran smiled and patted her shoulder, saying lightly: "Okay! I still have a lot of memorials on my desk to read! If you dawdle any longer, I'm afraid you'll have to stay up late again today!"

Hearing the word "staying up late", Zhiyu sobered up immediately. She quickly followed Sheng Ran and whispered, "Your Majesty, you can't always be like this. The imperial physician and the imperial physician have already told you to get more rest!"

"Well, it seems that I still have to go to the East Pavilion. Zhiyu, you should go back to Lanzheng Hall first! Ah!" Sheng Ran rubbed his ears, signaled to the attendants, and hurriedly changed direction and left with a few palace servants.

"Empress Dowager!" Seeing Sheng Ran almost trotting away, Zhiyu rolled her eyes helplessly, "You always say that you don't know whose temper the emperor takes after. If I were to ask you, the emperor takes after you!"

……

In the spring of the sixth year of Shunning, the Ancheng Marquis Mansion, which had always been orderly and lively, suddenly fell into chaos.

It is true that the two people in charge of the mansion are both staying in the mansion, but neither of them can be relied upon.

Who made it so that the source of the chaos in Ancheng Marquis’ Mansion was Marquis An Yu!

What? Let the Marquis' wife, the Prime Minister Sheng Yuan, take care of him? !

Well, that’s a really good idea!

It’s a pity that Sheng Yuan can’t take care of him at the moment!

Huh?! You ask why!

Because Sheng Yuan is currently in the delivery room, holding her belly and eating noodles!

"My Lord! My Lord! Don't worry, I have asked someone to inform the old Duke Xingguo and the old lady!" The butler ran over in a hurry, wiping his sweat while reporting, but what he saw was his own Marquis trying to rush in through the crack of the door. Suddenly, the corner of his eye twitched again.

"Don't be anxious! Don't be anxious! Don't tell me! Tell the child! This doesn't match the approximate delivery time given by the imperial physician! Why is it coming out in such a hurry?" An Yu wiped his face, and then shouted to Sheng Yuan through the crack in the door again to encourage him.

The butler was behind him, and could faintly hear his wife's sonorous roar coming from inside: "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

But the Marquis didn't care and kept talking: "Yuan Jie'er, how about I serve you another bowl of noodles? With three eggs?"

The housekeeper rolled his eyes quietly, and as expected, he heard his wife yelling again: "Use yourself as a ball, get out of here!"

"Sister Yuan..."

"Wow~~"

Just as An Yu was about to say something to comfort Sheng Yuan, he heard the cry of a baby that was about to blow the roof off. He was so surprised that he froze in place.

Although the housekeeper suspected that the child was born out of anger, he saw the Marquis standing there in a daze, so he ignored his complaints and hurried forward to remind him: "Marquis, Marquis, it's born! It's born! The little master has been born!"

These words were extremely exciting, but they failed to wake An Yu up immediately.

Upon seeing this, the butler hurriedly raised his hand, intending to wake the marquis up himself.

Just at this moment, another "waaa" baby cry was heard.

Then, An Yu seemed to come alive, jumping up and down, howling, "It's born! It's born! It's really born!"

"Congratulations, my Lord. Your Madam has given birth to a pair of daughters!"

The midwife came out trotting with a happy face to report.

"How is Madam?!"

"Brother Yu, how is Sister Yuan?!"

As soon as An Yu asked, he heard his father-in-law and his wife asking hurried questions from outside.

"You two elders are finally here! Sister Yuan just gave birth to two girls!" An Yu bowed with a happy face, and then as if he had thought of something, he immediately pulled the midwife to the two elders and ran towards the delivery room without looking back. While running, he dodged the servants and shouted loudly, "You two elders, ask the midwife! I'm going to see Sister Yuan!"

Sheng Xiangxun and Zheng, who had just been anxious, felt relieved upon seeing this.

Well, as long as it's still unreliable, it's not a big problem.

……

"What did Sister Yuan just say?" An Yu looked at the sleeping Sheng Yuan, touched her cheek with heartache, and turned to ask Xiao Yao.

Xiaoyao looked around and whispered, "Miss said, there are indeed two. That's great. Both of our titles have been inherited."

An Yu was stunned for a moment, then nodded in realization and raised his thumb with a smile on his face: "It's true! It's not wasted! That's great!"

……

Children grow quickly when they are exposed to the wind. One day they were crying for food, and in the blink of an eye they can already crawl.

Sheng Yuan, who had a rare long vacation, was happily enjoying the end of the vacation and trying to recuperate and adjust herself during this good time. However, she didn't expect Zhiyu to come to see her in person from the palace.

Just after they met, Sheng Yuan was startled to sit up from her recliner at the other party's words: "Miss Third, the Emperor and the Queen Mother are quarreling!"