Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

As night fell, Gu Mingli left the palace and returned to his residence.

By the time the carriage had passed through Suzaku Avenue, he had already taken two naps in the carriage.

Yi Shi sat on the carriage shaft to keep watch for him, occasionally peeking through the gap in the curtain.

"Your Majesty has kept the young master so late again today."

Gu Mingli hummed sleepily.

"There's no other way. I'm working myself to the bone all day just to keep that guy happy."

Yi Shi pursed her lips and nodded.

Since the young master is so loyal, he must report back properly.

So he took out a small note and began to write furiously.

The young master spared no effort, all to please His Majesty.

Meanwhile, the lights in the imperial study were still on.

After Xiao Ye finished reviewing the last memorial, he put the vermilion brush back on the brush holder.

The cicadas chirped intermittently outside the hall, and the night wind blew in through the half-open window, flipping a corner of the Xuan paper on the desk.

Liu An stepped forward and closed half of the window.

Footsteps could be heard outside the palace gate.

Zhao Cheng, the director of the Second Division of the Control Yuan, strode in, lifted his robe, and knelt down.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."

Xiao Ye didn't even lift his eyelids, but tapped his finger on the imperial desk.

"Did you find it?"

Zhao Cheng took out a palm-sized notebook from his pocket and respectfully held it above his head.

"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to conduct a thorough investigation. There are a total of 1,637 eligible young women from prominent families and powerful official households in the capital whose given names contain the character 'Jing'."

Xiao Ye paused for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly.

"So many?"

Zhao Cheng turned a page.

"Among them, there are 412 people whose names contain two characters that are both 'Jing' (静), and whose nicknames are 'Jingjing' (静静)."

Xiao Ye slowly raised his head.

Zhao Cheng noticed that the temperature of that gaze was dropping.

But duty called, so I gritted my teeth and continued reading.

"As Your Majesty instructed, I have selected one hundred and three families who are a suitable match for the Gu family's social standing."

He turned the notebook to the folded corner and reported the information one by one.

"Li Jingjing, the eldest daughter of the Li family, a senior official in the Ministry of War, is seventeen years old. Wang Jingjing, the illegitimate daughter of the Wang family, a junior official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, is nineteen years old. Zhao Jingjing, the cousin of the Zhao family, an assistant minister in the Court of Judicial Review, is twenty-one years old..."

After hearing five or six names, Xiao Ye's face darkened.

That's enough.

Zhao Cheng shut up and dared not read any more.

The hall was quiet for a moment.

The flame on the candlestick flickered, and the wax slowly dripped down the copper wall.

Xiao Ye leaned back in his chair, his thumb tracing the dragon head carving on the armrest.

A layer of sweat appeared on Zhao Cheng's forehead.

He worked in the Control Yuan for ten years, investigating corrupt officials, rebels, and secret agents within the imperial harem.

This was the first time I'd been sent to search the entire city for a woman named "Jingjing".

Zhao Cheng tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, could Jingjing's actions have a different meaning?"

"..."

Xiao Ye remained silent for a moment.

He coughed lightly and casually picked up a folding paper.

"Gu Mingli must be used by me. Send people to keep a close eye on him and forbid him from having too much contact with powerful families."

Zhao Cheng boldly raised his eyes and glanced at the emperor's expression.

Your Majesty means...

No one can get married into the Gu family.

understood!

Zhao Cheng quickly cupped his hands and nodded.

"I understand!"

Footsteps sounded outside the window again.

The shadow guard delivered the note from Yi Shi.

Xiao Ye unfolded it and took a look.

He frowned.

Then he let out a sneer.

Inside the hall, the servants lowered their heads, their eyes wide with gossip, and stole glances at the emperor out of the corner of their eyes.

Xiao Ye quickly composed himself.

Then, with a normal expression, he waved to Zhao Cheng.

"Alright, you may leave."

As if remembering something else, he added casually, "Make sure to keep a close eye on things."

Zhao Cheng: "!!!"

"yes!"

Zhao Cheng held the small notebook and backed out of the hall.

Only the faint crackling of the candlelight remained inside the hall.

Xiao Ye sat behind his desk, looking at the note that Yi Shi had written.

After a while, he suddenly spoke.

"Geng Zhi".

Geng Zhi quickly emerged from behind the pillar, his face still bearing a cold expression.

Xiao Ye glanced at him.

"Tell Yi Shi that if he continues to send messages out of context, he won't need to return to the palace."

"Is the note not big enough, or are there not enough carrier pigeons? The cause and effect aren't even clearly explained; can't you even send a few words?"

Liu An lowered his head and eyes, forcing back the smile on his lips.

Geng Zhi was puzzled and could only lower his head in agreement.

……

Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Gu Mingli is very efficient.

The design of the logistics park has been completed.

The Ministry of Works sent craftsmen down to be assigned by Gu Mingli for construction.

outside of Kyoto.

On the barren beach at the mouth of the Haihe River, the foundation of the logistics park has just been excavated.

The 800-acre plot of land was marked out with wooden stakes and hemp ropes, and lime lines were laid on the ground.

The drawings by Gu Mingli were nailed to wooden boards in the shed, the edges of which had been blown frayed by the wind.

Gu Mingyue was anxious to spend money, so she personally came to the construction site every day to supervise the progress.

She stood on a high earthen slope, with Lu Qinghe, the head of finance at the main branch, beside her.

A form was spread out in front of the two of them, filled with a dense list of materials to be purchased for the project.

"Where are the bricks and stones?"

Lu Qinghe flipped through the account books.

"The Ministry of Works said that the kilns are in a tight schedule and it will take at least twenty days for the first batch to arrive."

"Where's the timber?"

"The Ministry of Works' Construction Department said that the logging order for the Jingji Forest Farm has not yet been approved."

"What about manpower?"

"Half of the craftsmen conscripted by the Ministry of Works have arrived. The other half said they still have unfinished tasks and cannot spare anyone for the time being."

Gu Mingyue closed the ledger.

She stood on the earthen slope, looking down at the empty construction site.

About thirty craftsmen squatted by the foundation pit, eating dry rations.

Several truckloads of yellow soil and gravel were piled up next to it, with hardly any decent bricks.

The wind blew across the river, carrying the damp, muddy smell.

This is clearly the Ministry of Works trying to trip up her brother.

Last time they tried to make things difficult for her brother, but they ended up being fined and flogged in the Imperial Study.

On the surface, they dared not disobey the imperial edict, but in secret, they tightly controlled the supply of materials and manpower.

The reasons are all readily available: tight schedule, logging permits not yet approved, and insufficient craftsmen.

Each point sounds reasonable on its own, but when put together, they just create a dragging out of the discussion.

The project was delayed, the emperor lost patience, and the Gu siblings eventually gave up.

Gu Mingyue stood there for a while, then turned to look at Lu Qinghe.

"Manager Lu, please prepare the brush and ink."

Lu Qinghe took out a fine brush and a new account book from the cloth bag at his waist.

He squatted down on a flat stone on the earthen slope and began to write.

"Note: Regulations for the Management of Pujitang Logistics Park Project"

"All registered craftsmen, foremen, and managers will be evaluated every ten days."

Lu Qinghe took notes while silently digesting the information.

"The evaluation includes three aspects: attendance, progress, and quality, all scored out of 100. Those scoring below 60 will have 30% of their monthly wage deducted."

"Employees who rank at the bottom in performance evaluations for two consecutive weeks will be dismissed and will not be rehired."

Lu Qinghe paused for a moment, then looked up at Gu Mingyue with some surprise.

This is... a personnel evaluation method?!

Such complicated rules were devised by a dozen or so officials, including vice ministers and ministers, who gathered together to study and formulate them.

But this young Master Gu can do it so effortlessly?!

Upon hearing this, several foremen who were drinking water in the workers' shed put down their bowls.

Some were surprised and doubtful, while others scoffed and laughed.

Gu Mingyue's voice was clear and bright, and everyone on the construction site could hear every word clearly.

"If the materials allocated by the Ministry of Works are delayed by more than five days, Pujitang has the right to purchase them on its own, and the cost will be deducted from the Ministry of Works' appropriation. The accounts shall be submitted to the Emperor for review."

After Lu Qinghe finished writing the last stroke, he looked up at Gu Mingyue.

"Master, this 'report to the Emperor for review' thing, I'm afraid the Ministry of Works..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Anyway, her brother is there to serve the emperor!

Gu Mingyue patted the dust off her skirt.

"His Majesty himself said that the logistics park is allowed to act expediently."

Lu Qinghe looked down at the few lines on the paper.

Each one is short, but each one is a vital point.

He had never heard of such a method before.

In the past, when doing business, employees would be rewarded for good work and scolded for bad work.

No one has ever written down the rules in black and white or scored them by numbers.

"Master, what's this called?"

"Performance appraisal".

Gu Mingyue's lips curved slightly.

I looked up and saw the sunlight shimmering on the river in the distance.

If the Ministry of Works wants to delay, she can bypass the Ministry and do it herself.

In any case, with the special decree from the emperor in hand, their purchasing and employment rights are not subject to the control of the government.

As for those people from the Ministry of Works, once her performance evaluation form is posted, let's see who dares to slack off.