vstars Chapter 752 The dust has settled
Chapter 752 The dust has settled
A new emperor brings a new court; this is a true reflection of the current state of the Zhou Dynasty court.
There will always be people who are promoted in the new dynasty, and there will always be people who are punished at this time.
The Jiang and Qiu families are of course the former, as are the trusted ministers left by the late emperor to the present.
Such as the Lin family and the Ouyang family.
Those who have always remained neutral will also enjoy temporary peace.
Those who secretly stir up trouble and secretly take sides are now in a state of suspense.
Therefore, recently the Jiang, Qiu, and Lin families have almost had their doorsteps trampled down.
At Jiang Xiaoqi's instruction, the Jiang family closed their doors to visitors after the new emperor ascended the throne, just as they had done when the whole family was taking the imperial examinations.
A heavy iron gate stood guard, a large lock separating the inside from the outside.
People who came to deliver gifts couldn't even get in, and the Qiu family's doorstep was practically bursting at the seams.
In addition, the Ouyang family, the Lin family, and even the Dong family, the Li family, the Xue family, the Wang family, the Xiao family, and several other families of Jiang Xiaoqi's brothers-in-law were also constantly coming and going.
However, the heads of these families are not at home. They are all staying together and do not want to get involved in the messy affairs of the court.
Influenced by the Chiang family, they only wanted to be simple, loyal subjects.
Don't even think about colluding with old aristocratic families.
The nine-compartment hot pot was bubbling and steaming.
Eating a piping hot pot in the middle of summer and sweating it out actually makes you feel less hot, which is really strange.
Especially when paired with that sweet water that's inexplicably bubbly, it's so refreshingly cool—it's simply a heavenly combination!
That's right, Jiang Xiaoqi and several of her brothers-in-law were eating an upgraded version of the four-compartment hot pot, which is now a nine-compartment hot pot.
Amidst the turbulent political landscape of the court, their entire family truly remained uninvolved.
Of course, this was also tacitly approved by His Majesty the Emperor.
The gentleman's family is loyal, honest, and pure; they should not be dragged into the murky world of the imperial court.
If they are talented, they should just wait to serve the Great Zhou. There will be suitable people to deal with this mess.
The right people were Qiu Cheng and his son, and Lord Yun, the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Qiu Cheng and Qiu Feng, in cooperation with the Minister of War, first purged the remnants of the Fifth Prince's faction, and then the commander of the Imperial Guards removed the spies planted by various forces in the palace and the court.
The Great Zhou court spent the entire spring and summer in bloodshed, confiscation of property, exile, beheading, and slow slicing.
For a time, people were filled with fear, terrified that they would be the next to be sacrificed.
Those with a clear conscience are naturally unburdened, while those who are not entirely clean but not deeply involved are the ones who are most anxious.
Life and death were decided by the emperor's single thought.
Who wants to die if he can live?
Therefore, it is understandable that the emperor's trusted ministers would be favored. These people would give up all their wealth to save their lives, because if they lost their lives, they would really have nothing left.
Qiu Cheng, contrary to his usual behavior, accepted gifts both those he could and those he couldn't, but he made a detailed record of them.
The moment the gifts were received, they went directly into the emperor's private treasury, along with the gift list.
Now there's no need to guess anymore, just check the list directly, it's really convenient.
The money collected directly filled His Majesty's private treasury. Qiu Cheng was thinking that the cost of building ships was quite high, and His Majesty must be short of money now. This would help His Majesty recover some of the expenses incurred in building ships.
Qiu Cheng's move was very much like that of an old friend, and the emperor was very pleased with it.
"My dear minister, you have worked hard, but these things do not need to all go into my private treasury. Take some out and reward the people who participated in the Zhenhai fleet's voyage."
Especially you and your men, you've truly worked hard and made great contributions these past two years. Don't be stingy with these material things; it would only discourage your men."
"His Majesty has already bestowed gifts upon us before. Is it necessary to bestow them again now?"
Qiu Cheng genuinely wanted to save the emperor money; he wasn't just seeking fame or feigning righteousness.
“It was a gift from me when I was the crown prince, and it is a gift from me now that I am the emperor. They are different.”
"This……"
Qiu Cheng was persuaded; His Majesty, having just ascended the throne, indeed needed to win over the hearts of the people.
Recently, quite a few families have been confiscated and their clans exterminated in the imperial court, leaving many people in a state of panic.
His Majesty's bestowal of these rewards is sending a signal—
Following His Majesty means you'll get to eat meat!
Well, the words may be rough, but the principle is sound. Qiu Cheng felt that this simple and direct statement was more effective than those roundabout ways.
"Very well! Your Majesty, I understand. I will reorganize the list and select some less important items as rewards for everyone."
"That's right. Money is just an external thing, a tool for us to use."
Besides, as the saying goes, "You have to give to receive; even if you spend all your money, it will come back again."
Chen Lin, who opened several stores with Jiang Xiaoqi, also deeply felt that money is not saved, but earned.
Moreover, the Zhenhai fleet is about to return, and it's very likely that they're carrying silver mines from their Great Zhou Dynasty!
What's a little gold and silver to give up at this point? Besides, the gold and silver practically came to us on their own.
"Your Majesty and Lord Jiang are right. I was being too petty."
Qiu Cheng wasn't being sarcastic when he said this; he genuinely felt that he might have developed health problems from trying to save money.
"Haha, my dear minister, please don't say that. It's really thanks to your meticulousness that we were able to save so much money when we built the dock later."
"The construction of the docks and the building of the ships—you deserve the greatest credit!"
The emperor's words made Qiu Cheng overjoyed, and he wished he could serve the emperor for another hundred years.
"This is all within my duty, and I dare not claim credit for it!"
On one side, the relationship between the ruler and his ministers was harmonious, and on the other side, those who sent gifts received a reply.
This was the result of discussions between the emperor and Qiu Cheng. After all, the person had shed blood, and if they hadn't really committed any serious wrongdoing, they would let them go.
But those that touch the root of the problem are, of course, the complete service of confiscating property, exile, and beheading.
This would allow them to completely plunder their wealth, ending the matter once and for all.
The emperor's private treasury would naturally become even fuller.
Therefore, the emperor decided that the construction of the third phase of the fleet should no longer be funded by his own tutor.
I'm not so strapped for cash anymore; I should be able to afford this.