Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 622 If you're going to show off, go all the way!
"Have you heard? His Majesty is coming, and he said he's going to host a banquet for the philanthropists who donated to disaster relief."

"Is that so? His Majesty is really coming? I think it's just rumors. The emperor is so far away, how could he possibly come to this place?"

The idle men at the city gate were chatting. They were originally locals who made a living by guiding people. Now that the flood had just passed and the surrounding area was in ruins, and the imperial court had distributed relief to ordinary people, they were actually eating better than they usually did, so these people were naturally too lazy to work. They gathered in groups of three or five at the city gate, picking lice and chatting idly.

"I did hear that it's coming. They've been making a lot of noise and playing music since yesterday."

"That's terrible! The emperor himself is coming. Do you think he'll arrest us all and kill us?"

The conversation among the group was amusing, but not impossible. After all, if any important figures came, they would not be allowed to stand at the city gate and would be driven away. If the emperor came, wouldn't he kill them all?
Just then, several officials hurried over and began posting notices on the city wall. At this moment, one of the idlers, who was quite familiar with the officials, stepped forward and said with a fawning smile, "Second Grandfather, I heard that the Emperor is coming here?"

The officer glanced at him impatiently and pointed to the notice on the wall: "See for yourself."

"Second Grandfather, I can't read. Can you explain it to me?"

"You'll find out when the time comes," the officer said irritably. "Get out of my way, don't delay my work."

As the notice was posted, many people gathered around. Those who could read began to read it aloud to those around them. Since it was a notice, it was written in vernacular Chinese and was not difficult to understand. The general meaning was that His Majesty was grateful for the local people's self-reliance and resilience in the face of disaster, which should be a model for the world. Furthermore, a large number of people emerged who gave away their wealth to do good deeds. It was truly rare to see such magnanimity in such a year of great disaster.

Therefore, His Majesty will soon visit this place to reward the soldiers and civilians who have made outstanding contributions to disaster prevention and relief, and will also meet with the kind-hearted people who have donated money to ensure the safety of the region.

This news was almost explosive, because in the hearts of the people, they felt that the emperor was like a god in the sky, very far away. But suddenly one day the emperor said that he would come down to see them in person. That feeling was really exciting, especially for those whose names were on the Stele of Good People.

However, there was only one exception: the second-ranked leader in this disaster relief effort. Upon hearing the news, he felt as if a mountain had collapsed in his heart. He had contributed a considerable amount of money, but he was just one step away from taking the top spot. It is important to know that although there is only one person between the top and second-ranked leaders, their treatment is vastly different. The top-ranked leader has a plaque personally inscribed by the emperor, and he will inevitably have to show off in front of the emperor.

And what about him? All he had was a silver-inlaid plaque for a virtuous family, without the imperial seal or the emperor's signature. This already filled him with remorse and made him wish he could die on the spot. But the news that the emperor had come in person struck him like a thunderbolt. He beat his chest in despair at home, wishing he could die on the spot.

As for the person who received the title of "Top Philanthropist," he was naturally overjoyed, as this was like a gift from heaven. In his excitement, he went to Wei Changsheng and donated 100,000 dan of rice and flour.

"It's just grain, no problem! I feel great being able to do something for my fellow villagers. To tell you the truth, Lord Wei, ever since I donated the goods, my anger has subsided, my bloating has gone down, and even my son has become much smarter. In my opinion, good deeds are good, and good deeds should be done."

When Wei Changsheng heard this, he was both amused and exasperated. You see, this guy was the mainstay of the boycott against donations, the toughest rock, and Wei Changsheng himself had a headache just looking at him. But now, he was the one who had changed the most.

"Lord Wei, I wonder when His Majesty will arrive? I've just donated another 100,000 dan of grain; could His Majesty perhaps grant me a minor official position?"

His Majesty was sitting right next to him, drinking tea. Wei Changsheng glanced back at Emperor Jingtai, who was playing chess and drinking tea with Xia Lin, and gave an awkward smile: "I'm afraid that won't work..."

"No way... Sigh, fine. That's right, this is all there is to my identity."

But just then, Xia Lin, who was standing next to him, suddenly looked up and said, "It's definitely not right for you to be an official. You didn't even study at the private school for two years. Who knows what kind of trouble you'll cause if you become an official."

The wealthy man naturally knew that Xia Lin was even more formidable than Wei Changsheng. Although Xia Lin spoke harshly, he still smiled and said, "Yes, yes, yes... Lord Xia is right. I was overthinking it."

"However," Xia Lin said with a smile, "I've heard that your son is quite good at studying. This time, he might be able to get a Jinshi degree. A Jinshi with the power of words is much more impressive than most Jinshi."

Upon hearing this, the wealthy man was first stunned, then his mind went blank. Lingnan Road was not a place known for its academic excellence. Last year, the entire Lingnan Road only produced eighteen Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), all of whom came from Guangdong Prefecture. Guangnan Prefecture had nothing, with only eight Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations).

Just now, Lord Xiahou said that he could grant his son the title of Jinshi after His Majesty's arrival. That is truly remarkable. Although it is a title for a Jinshi, for merchants like them, it is something that can only be dreamed of without a great opportunity. Many people have spent all their wealth trying to obtain a Jinshi title but still failed, ultimately getting stuck at the Juren level for their entire lives.

He had only given half of his fortune and yet received such imperial favor. All the gloom that had been there before vanished, replaced by boundless joy and refreshment.

After taking his leave, Emperor Jingtai, who had been sitting with his back to everyone, asked, "Where were we?"

"Speaking of my retention of post for investigation..." Wei Changsheng hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please speak."

"That's all. This is just a small punishment to serve as a warning. Changsheng, Changsheng, you must never forget where you came from. If there is a next time... Daosheng, what should we do?"

Xia Lin picked up the purple clay teapot, took a sip, glanced at Wei Changsheng with his sinister fox-like eyes, then lowered his head and whispered, "Kill."

Wei Changsheng didn't dare to speak. He first bowed deeply to Emperor Jingtai, then cupped his hands in a salute to Xia Lin: "Thank you for your favor, Your Majesty, and thank you for your kindness, Lord Xia." "Alright, go and arrange the inspection." Emperor Jingtai raised his hand: "Make it a big show."

"I accept your order."

Wei Changsheng hurriedly left, and Xia Lin glanced at his back and said, "You will have to meet with those natives later. Although they are currently allied with the Great Wei, they are not truly of one mind. You need to consolidate their loyalty."

"Oh, you can go, I don't want to see those dirty things."

"Damn it, they're still citizens of your Great Wei. You think you can just refuse to see them? You have to see them. If you don't, you're heading back to Jinling tomorrow."

"I love seeing these people from beyond the borders. I will use my magnanimity and benevolence to influence them. I will emulate the kindness of the Prime Minister in the past, to care for the people of the mountains, and together build my vast empire."

Xia Lin glanced at him, rolled her eyes, and didn't say anything.

"To be honest, the situation in Jinling is much more complicated than here, but thankfully, compared to the rebel Tang, I feel that my country is stable and the people are at peace."

At this point, Emperor Jingtai even seemed somewhat smug...

Seeing his expression, Xia Lin was both amused and annoyed. He waved his hand and said, "Don't be so satisfied. You still have a lot to do. The Li Tang dynasty is in chaos right now. Once they quell the current situation, a figure of unparalleled greatness will emerge. What about you?"

"I have a virtuous ruler."

Xia Lin placed her hands on her knees, almost jumping up to curse him, but then thought better of it. This bastard had somehow learned to be ruthless these past few years, and sometimes it was really frustrating. You know, Old Zhang was also ruthless, but Old Zhang's ruthlessness was different from his.

Old Zhang is a complete scoundrel, but he's different; he'll praise and flatter you, and sometimes there's just no good way to deal with him.

"Have you thought about how you'll compete with Li Tang then?"

"I haven't thought about it." Emperor Jingtai shook his head. "I don't understand it either. I'm not actually a particularly gifted person, but I can't help it because all my subordinates are gifted. By the way, I ordered the Ministry of Personnel to conduct an assessment of Zhang Zhongchun before I came here. If he passes, he should be promoted to Attendant-in-Ordinary."

"You want him to be a court attendant?"

“Ma Zhou is in charge of the Secretariat. He is good at governing the country and does not fight with others. The Ministry of Personnel is now under the control of Gao Shilian. I urgently need a lowly person who can deal with Gao Shilian.”

"Huh?" Xia Lin was taken aback: "Bitch?"

“Yes, ordinary people are no match for Gao Shilian. Even you would not be a match for Gao Shilian in the imperial court. Only Zhang Zhongchun can put up a fight against Gao Shilian.”

"Because he's a scoundrel?"

"No, because he doesn't follow the rules. A few days ago, Gao Shilian wanted to advocate for tax reform, but that was clearly in his favor, and he had a good reason to do so. Guess how it ended up being dropped?"

Xia Lin shook her head: "I don't know."

"Zhang Zhongchun submitted a memorial strongly supporting Gao Shilian's tax system, but said it needed to be implemented for some time. The opposition in the court lessened, so I agreed. Afterwards, this fellow did something: he engaged in tax evasion and profiteering in the areas where the new system was implemented. In the sixteen days since its implementation, he helped merchants in those areas evade taxes, amassing 800,000 taels of silver, and even managed to get the government to refund their taxes, while he himself pocketed 300,000 taels. However, because of Gao Shilian's new tax system, this was considered legitimate. Then Zhang Zhongchun had his deputy report the matter to the court. He debated fiercely with the court officials, constantly praising Gao Shilian and the new tax system, ultimately forcing Gao Shilian to abandon the proposal."

"Hahahaha...this guy." Xia Lin slapped his thigh and laughed, but this operation was truly brilliant: "And then what was done with him?"

"What else can be done? Gao Shilian's new regulations, the memorial I approved, I only said a few words, and confiscated 300,000 taels of his earnings, and that was it."

"Brilliant... I knew Old Zhang was a talent."

"The imperial court is saying that you two lived on the dragon vein of Luoyang back then, geniuses that only appear once every three hundred years, and two of you came from the same house..."

(End of this chapter)