The Ministry of Accounts, the Ministry of Penalties and the Ministry of Officials.
All three departments have been settled.
Now it was time for the military officials.
Xu Qingnian asked Li Jian and Li Kang to come over to deliver the letter and greet him in advance.
At this moment, when he arrived outside the An Guo Gong Mansion, the housekeeper of the An Guo Gong Mansion immediately came to greet Xu Qingnian with great enthusiasm.
“Lord Xu, you’re here! His Lordship is waiting for you inside.”
The State Duke’s House’s butler came with a smile and welcomed Xu Qingnian inside.
“Good.”
Xu Qingnian followed the butler all the way and soon arrived inside the courtyard.
At this moment, it was not only Duke An, but also Duke Qi and Duke Lu, as well as several marquises.
“My nephew, Xu Qingnian, has met the three State Dukes.”
“My humble brother, I have met all the brothers.”
Xu Qingnian came and bowed towards the crowd, modest as ever.
“Nephew Shouren, not that uncle is talking about you, tell me yourself, how long has it been since you have come to sit here with uncle?”
“Yes, these days, hanging around with that bunch of civil officials, that bunch of civil servants, that one doesn’t have a dirty heart? Aren’t you afraid they’ll harm you if you get so close to them?”
“You guys just don’t scare Shouren’s nephew, but Shouren’s nephew, ah, it should be said or not, you indeed haven’t visited us old guys.”
The three guowans open their mouths, not really angry with Xu Qingnian, but just slightly complaining some.
After all, Xu Qingnian was from their lineage of martial officials, so it was logical that they should be closer to them.
“A few uncles, you can’t really blame me, just what has happened in this period of time, you few of you can see it in your eyes, I am also tired, otherwise I would have come to the door long ago.”
“And what my nephew has done, I’m also afraid of dragging a few uncles into it.”
Xu Qingnian said with a sobbing face, he knew that the line of martial officials had developed a little opinion of him, but there was nothing he could do about it.
His Majesty had asked him to go to the Ministry of Penalty, then to the Ministry of Household, and with so many things happening in between, how could he come?
“Lien? What’s even involved.”
“Shouren, ah, you’re just too good at being a man.”
“Alright, Shouren, sit down, what’s the reason for bringing us old guys, and you older brothers together today?”
The State Dukes opened their mouths, but Duke An still pressed the scene, Xu Qingnian had asked them to gather together, there must be something important to discuss, otherwise it would not be possible to make a sudden visit and purposely call everyone to come together.
When he heard the Duke of An Guo say this, Xu Qingnian also stopped exchanging pleasantries.
“Three uncles, several brothers, Qingnian has come here this time to bring a big piece of good news.”
Xu Qingnian said seriously.
“What good news?”
The crowd was curious.
Big news?
“The Northern Expedition!”
Xu Qingnian calmly uttered two words.
In an instant everyone held their breath and looked towards Xu Qingnian.
What did the Martial Officials’ lineage want most now? Wasn’t it the Northern Expedition?
But if they really wanted a Northern Expedition, they all knew in their hearts that they would not be able to do it for a short period of time, not even for a small war.
However, Xu Qingnian suddenly said that the Northern Expedition was a great news, so how could the people not take it seriously?
“Qingnian, say it straight, no need to beat around the bush.”
An Guo Duke was the first to speak out, telling Xu Qingnian not to beat around the bush and to say what he needed to say.
“Uncle, brothers, I believe everyone knows who Qingnian is supporting, other than that, there is no doubt about the phrase “Full of River Red”, right?”
“The shame of Jingcheng is yet to be snowed, Qingnian’s greatest dream in his life is to kill to the north and slaughter all the barbarians.”
“I’ve been thinking about it day and night, don’t look at these days, I’ve been close to those civil servants, but for what? It’s not for the sake of infiltrating the enemy.”
“A few days ago when His Majesty was about to say the Northern Expedition, Qingnian was excited and stayed up all night, but when His Majesty launched the waterwheel project, Qingnian also stayed up all night and was even a little ashamed.”
Xu Qingnian opened his mouth and said so.
“Ashamed? Nephew Shouren, what are you ashamed of?”
The Duke of Qi could not help but interrupt and ask.
“Back to Uncle Qi, this water chariot project is something that Qingnian has worked on.”
“At first, the Southern Yufu was fined 10% of the tax revenue by His Majesty, so Qingnian felt ashamed, so he developed the waterwheel in the hope of benefiting the people, but he never expected that His Majesty would value it and be willing to invest so much silver.”
“So Qingnian is ashamed.”
Xu Qingnian blamed himself a little.
But when she said this, everyone was shocked.
“You made the water cart?”
“No way, old brother Shouren, you made this water cart?”
“I thought it was Li Yanlong who made it, but I didn’t expect it to be you.”
“Come to think of it, how could this old man, Li Yanlong, come up with something like this? Old Brother Shouren, you are really clever.”
The crowd was shocked, they were prejudiced against the waterwheel, but even with their prejudice, they knew that it could indeed increase crop yields, but they did not think it could achieve the effect of doubling food production.
So in contrast, the northern expedition was better.
But now, after hearing that this was something Xu Qingnian had developed, everyone’s attitude changed instantly.
The waterwheel was a good thing.
But Li Yanlong was not a good thing.
“O nephew Shouren, what exactly do you mean, just say it.”
An Guo Gong spoke out, he just wanted to know what exactly was Xu Qingnian going to say, what was the good news about the Northern Expedition?
And it was still great news.
“Uncle Li, this waterwheel nephew can guarantee that, indeed, it will ensure that Great Wei’s grain production will double.”
“So when nephew heard that His Majesty was going to produce in large quantities, nephew’s first reaction was to blame himself for the delay, but soon nephew thought of something else.”
“His Majesty has actually never planned a northern expedition, in fact Qingnian already knows the answer, the treasury is empty, not just in terms of silver, but also in terms of food production.”
“If we really launch a northern expedition, is it hard to drag the silver to the battlefield? The biggest problem in war is food, no matter how much silver is given to the soldiers of Great Wei, what all soldiers want most when they go to battle is food.”
“Without dry food, giving millions of taels of silver won’t help.”
Xu Qingnian spoke up, and what he said was something everyone understood.
Fighting a war was the most costly, food, pay and all kinds of military supplies, which of these things was not the most important?
Now the treasury has silver, but Xu Qingnian is also right, there is no food.
Unless the people don’t eat or drink, and give food to the soldiers and starve to death themselves.
In that case, there would be no need to fight the war.
“So, nephew Shouren, what do you mean?”
Duke An gradually picked up the flavour.
“Uncle Li, nephew’s meaning is simple, let His Majesty produce a large number of waterwheels to benefit the country and the people, although it is not good for the present, it will be beneficial to Great Wei in the future, when there is sufficient food in Great Wei and the treasury is sufficient, at that time, when the Northern Expedition is mentioned again, it will be impossible for His Majesty to refuse again.”
Xu Qingnian replied seriously.
But when Xu Qingnian said this, the crowd frowned in silence.
Because they instantly understood what Xu Qingnian meant.
He had come to be a lobbyist.
The crowd was silent, they were not stupid, Xu Qingnian said so many things, but did not move them at all, but rather made them a little uncomfortable, after all, they were determined to go to the North and stop the water chariot project from being implemented.
As a result, Xu Qingnian came over as a lobbyist, even though he valued Xu Qingnian, he could not lose his own personal interest ah.
Seeing the silence of the ministers, Xu Qingnian was not half embarra*sed, but instead said incomparably serious.
“I believe that all of you somewhat distrust Qingnian, but this matter, cannot be questioned.”
Xu Qingnian took out his account book, which he had copied himself.
Handing the account book to the several State Princes, Xu Qingnian first kept quiet.
And when the several State Princes opened it and took a look, they all quickly frowned.
“How can there be so much?”
After a while, Duke An handed the account book to the other marquises to look at, while looking at Xu Qingnian and asking this.
“Uncle Li, this is the account book of the Ministry of Accounts, naturally it cannot be faked.”
“Nowadays, Great Wei is flourishing, and the national tax has begun to grow and improve, but what is the greatest shortage now? The most important thing for Wei is to feed the people.”
“If Great Wei were to develop at the present time, twenty years would not be enough for a northern expedition, I believe Uncle Li should understand this better.”
“But if there is a waterwheel, increasing food production and increasing the population, the bottom of Great Wei will be stable, the people will be at peace, everyone will be well fed and have money left over, so they can take it to buy and sell things, and then Great Wei will be able to earn a constant stream of tax revenue and silver.”
“Qingnian has already made a promise to the Minister of Household Affairs to make the tax revenue of Great Wei reach 100,000,000 taels within five years, and if we start promoting the waterwheel, starting with the fifty counties, we will only need one quarter to see the results.”
“By then, we will increase our efforts to complete the nationwide rollout of the waterwheel within two years, then in the third year, Great Wei’s grain will be doubled, and by waiting another two years, Great Wei’s grain production will be piling up like a mountain.”
“At this time, with both silver and grain, may I ask Your Majesty, how can Great Wei not fight? How can we not go on a northern expedition?”
“But if we stop His Majesty from promoting the waterwheel, firstly, we will annoy His Majesty, and secondly, in the current situation of Great Wei, it is absolutely impossible to make a northern expedition, and even if we force the palace, His Majesty will not agree.”
“Even if His Majesty agrees, it will only appease us, just like this time, by allowing the Ministry of War to plan a northern expedition, but Qingnian can guarantee that this is just a deception.”
“Please think deeply, Your Majesties!”
“Please think deeply, all the marquises!”
Xu Qingnian had said everything up to this point, and there was basically nothing more to say.
Even the Empress’s thoughts had been stated.
At this moment, the three State Princes and dozens of marquises were silent.
It was because Xu Qingnian’s every word was the truth.
Yes, although the empress said that she wanted a northern expedition and a northern expedition, but in the end, everyone knew in their hearts whether the northern expedition was going to happen or not.
The situation is that it is not possible to make a northern expedition, there is silver to wage war and, but there is no silver to supply, especially the food and gra*s.
The problem is how much food and gra*s we have now, but how much would be consumed in the transportation process?
When the Northern Expedition really started, the fixed point was the northern lands, a distance of more than 30,000 miles.
A million quintals of grain and gra*s, transported there, would only leave at most 200,000 quintals, and the journey would take at least three months.
Unless they are transported by flying boats, but flying boats are the stuff of the immortal dao, which are difficult to make, and how many can be transported there?
So the northern expedition was not possible.
But Xu Qingnian’s words made the crowd silent.
Five years of time.
The treasury was full.
The granaries were full.
If Xu Qingnian could really achieve this, then indeed he could, or at least if he did, it would be impossible not to go on a northern expedition.
It’s better than now, right? The first thing you need to do is to say that you’re going to be able to get a new one, and then you’ll have to wait half a year, and then when you get impatient, you’ll say that you’re going to get a new one.
The fact that Xu Qingnian’s words can be achieved is one thing, but at least there is a head start.
Instead of being fooled by the empress all day long.
“Nephew Shouren, can you really guarantee that within five years, Great Wei’s national tax will increase to 100,000,000 taels?”
The Duke of An could not help but speak up.
He was aware of the situation of Great Wei, and it was definitely not possible to say that a northern expedition would be possible now, not to mention 70,000,000 taels of silver, even if the treasury had 300,000,000 taels of silver, it would not be possible to go on a northern expedition.
Troops! Rations! Military pay! Supply and demand! And so on and so forth. There were simply too many things.
Why was Emperor Wu able to make seven northern expeditions?
It was the savings of the five generations of Wei, and the amount of silver spent on the seven northern expeditions was obvious to everyone, which meant that if they could return with a great victory, they could feed on the war.
But the problem was that the barbarians were poor, and it was questionable whether they could win a great victory.
Would the Chu Yuan dynasty let Wei fight?
There are also internal problems, will the va*sal kings of the region have second thoughts?
And the hearts of the people, do the people want to fight? The people want to fight, but who will be unlucky if they really fight? Will it be the people?
“100,000,000 taels, Qingnian is only 70% sure at the moment, the remaining 30% is on Uncle Li and all of you.”
Xu Qingnian said seriously.
“On us?”
The crowd became curious.
“Develop Great Wei at full strength, and be ready to attack and defend first against the barbarians in the north.”
Xu Qingnian set the tone.
But he knew that the lineage of martial officials would not listen to himself completely, because they did not dare to guarantee that he was truly bent on being a martial official.
But what Xu Qingnian understood even more was one thing.
The military officials wanted the Northern Expedition no matter what, and since they wanted it, they would take out an extra insurance policy.
And he was absolutely right.
It was impossible for the empress to go on a northern expedition, at least not this year, and not next year either.
Instead of that, why go to offend the empress?
And now Xu Qingnian had come up with an insurance policy to give them as a deal, so why not?
If Xu Qingnian did it, then everything could be done according to what Xu Qingnian said, and the Northern Expedition was close at hand.
If Xu Qingnian does not do well, then it is fine, they continue to negotiate with the Empress, which is just to say that they think highly of Xu Qingnian.
Either way, they were not at a loss.
“Nephew Shouren, if the person sitting here today was not you, I would have kicked people out long ago.”
“But I trust you, after five years, not to mention the national tax of 100,000,000 taels, as long as there are 70,000,000 taels, I will support you from now on, no matter what.”
Duke An made his decision.
This deal was not a loss at all, and it was good to agree to it, but of course it was definitely necessary to say so on the surface.
“Thank you, Duke of State, for your trust.”
Xu Qingnian bowed towards the crowd.
Since even the military officials’ lineage had been negotiated down, the next step was to talk to the people.
Xu Qingnian wanted to leave, but was directly pressed by Duke An.
“Don’t try to leave, stay and have a few drinks.”
“Yes, yes, old brother Shouren, you want to run away now? Stay and have a few drinks, how long has it been since we’ve seen each other.”
“You don’t want to leave today, stay, drink, drink more.”
The crowd directly pressed Xu Qingnian and insisted on pulling him to drink, not letting him go.
Looking at the crowd, Xu Qingnian had no choice but to drink with them, but he drank for two hours, and no matter what he said, they just wouldn’t let him go.
This made Xu Qingnian’s teeth ache for a while.
But the good thing was that after two hours, the drinking was almost over and Xu Qingnian finally escaped.
He was a little drunk, the wine from the royal residence was very odd and could not be forced out, so he could only digest it slowly. Luckily, Xu Qingnian ran the Golden Crow Body Tempering Technique and the wine in his body disappeared instantly.
But he was still a little dizzy.
Back in the Shouren Academy, Xu Qingnian wanted to call Zhao Da Zhao Er brothers to ask them about the situation, but Zhao Da Zhao Er brothers were the first two to come and said with great excitement.
“Lord Xu, do you know what has happened?”
“Lord Xu, you will definitely not believe me when I tell you.”
The two were full of excitement and came up to Xu Qingnian and said.
“What’s wrong?”
Xu Qingnian took a sip of tea to slow down his wine.
“Lord Xu, didn’t you ask us two brothers to go on an errand? Did you make the water chariot that was rumoured within the imperial capital?”
“Do you know what the people’s reaction was?”
Zhao Da said excitedly.
“What reaction?”
Xu Qingnian was also a little curious.
Right now all the problems had been solved, except for the people, and he had asked Zhao Da Zhao Er to pa*s it on first to see the people’s reaction before deciding whether or not to take the plunge.
So there was some curiosity.
“My lord, we two brothers just spread the news out, the people’s first reaction was disbelief, after all, this waterwheel has now become a scourge in the eyes of the people.”
“But as the Ministry of Punishment went to arrest a few people who had spread the rumour, many people began to speak out, confirming that the water chariot was indeed made by you, and even a few people from the capital of South Yu have just come to our capital.”
“There has been a lot of publicity about the waterwheel and all sorts of praise for you, and there have even been some craftsmen from the South Yufu capital who have made some small moulds to show the people what the waterwheel does, to publicise the benefits of the waterwheel and to put in a good word for you.”
“Now, the people all over the capital are praising the waterwheel for its benefits to the country and the people, and they are also praising you, Lord Xu, for being so clever.”
Zhao Da said excitedly, and Zhao Er, who was beside him, could not help but rush to interject.
“Not only that, Lord Xu, but there is also a rumour that you built this waterwheel because His Majesty had fined the people of Nan Yu Province 10% of their taxes, so in order to compensate them, you made it.”
“Nowadays, the people are praising you again for being sincere for the people.”
Zhao Er added, and it was because of these words that the people were even more convinced that the water cart was a good thing, and that it was Xu Qingnian who had made it.
“Is it so exaggerated?”
Xu Qingnian was somewhat curious.
To be honest with the people, Xu Qingnian actually didn’t have a clue, after all, someone had spread rumours in advance.
As the old saying goes, it’s quick to create a rumor, but it’s hard to dispel it.
I was prepared to break my leg, but what I didn’t expect was that the people would be so supportive?
It was a bit unexpected.
“It’s not exaggerated at all, Your Excellency, if you don’t believe me, you can go outside and take a look.”
Zhao Da said with a face full of certainty.
“All right then, wait for me here.”
Xu Qingnian really wanted to see for himself, not because he didn’t believe these two, but because the matter was so important.
Just after he returned, Xu Qingnian left again.
However, he deliberately wore a hat for fear that the people would recognise him.
Xu Qingnian went straight to the restaurant, where he could hear 70% of the news from the capital of Great Wei.
A quarter of an hour later, Xu Qingnian arrived at the restaurant, ordered a random pot of wine, and sat down in the corner.
Indeed, just as he fell down and sat down, he heard many people talking about themselves again.
“Let me tell you, this Lord Xu is really dedicated to the people, when His Majesty first fined the South Yu Province 10% of the tax, Lord Xu sympathised with the people and felt ashamed of them, so he built this waterwheel.”
“I have a distant relative who wrote to me a few days ago, and you see, this cannot be faked, can it? The letter says plainly that this relative of mine, who makes his living from farming, had an average harvest before, but now he has turned it over, and because of the water source, he has used the waste fields as well.”
“Now the people of the whole South Yufu are decorated with lights and colours, it’s even more lively than the New Year, if you don’t believe me, you can go to the South Yufu and take a look.”
A man’s voice was tremendous as he spoke about this matter.
At the same time, he held out a letter and showed it to the group.
Many people padded over and after scanning the letter, murmurs rang out at once.
“If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t believe it, but I believe Lord Xu. He is dedicated to the people, he dislikes the Confucian scholars, he has made trouble with the Ministry of Punishment, he has beheaded the county king, and he has got rid of the female merchants. If this waterwheel is created by Lord Xu, it must be something that benefits the people.”
“Yes, Lord Xu is dedicated to the people, this waterwheel must have been created by him.”
The people spoke up in support, but soon someone was full of curiosity and said.
“Then why would anyone say that this thing is useless?”
This statement led to a lot of direct discussion.
“Isn’t that simple? How many people has Lord Xu offended for the sake of us common people? There must be someone who is secretly causing trouble, something that is so beneficial to the country and the people is about to be destroyed by this group of people.”
“Yes, yes, yes, someone must be trying to harm Lord Xu, we can’t fall for it.”
The people were almost unconditionally supporting Xu Qingnian, as long as it was something Xu Qingnian had come up with, then it was something good, if someone said it was bad, then there was something wrong with that person and they wanted to plot against Xu Qingnian.
This is what the people are thinking now, after all, what Xu Qingnian has done is so vivid in their minds that everyone knows that Xu Qingnian is a good official who is dedicated to the people, even his words are for the people.
“Then why did it say before that this thing was made by the Minister of Works, Li Yanlong, ah? I’m really a bit confused?”
Someone spoke up again, full of curiosity.
“That still needs to be said, it must be because the Minister of Works, Li Yanlong, saw that this item was extremely good and wanted to show it off in front of His Majesty, stealing the credit from Lord Xu.”
“Yes, there is this possibility, Li Yanlong is not a good person anyway, we must not be blinded, if Li Yanlong still dares to admit that this is something he has made, we all of us must make a scene, there is no way we will let Lord Xu do a good deed and not get the benefit.”
“Yes, yes, that’s right, this Li Yanlong, as a Shang Shu, is so shameless as to steal Lord Xu’s credit, not a son of man!”
“Yes, not a son of man.”
The people looked righteously indignant and scolded Li Yanlong severely.
Xu Qingnian was a bit embarra*sed, he wanted to say a word of explanation for Li Yanlong, but after thinking about it, he couldn’t, in case if he explained, they would misunderstand and say that Li Yanlong had threatened him?
What if they misinterpreted it as a threat?
Lord Li, it’s better for you to take the blame, than to plague the country and the people.
When the people’s thoughts were ascertained, Xu Qingnian was both moved and happy, ah, really pay it forward, I thought it was the hardest thing to do, but I never thought it would become the easiest thing.
He got up and left.
Xu Qingnian returned to the Shouren Academy.
Perhaps because he was in a good mood, Xu Qingnian asked Li Guangxiao to add extra dishes.
His Majesty had asked him to finish it in a day, and it took him less than half a day to settle everything before and after.
If it wasn’t for the state princes who had to drag themselves to drink, it probably wouldn’t have taken half a day.
“Alas! Heaven did not give birth to me, Xu Qingnian, and the Great Wei is like a long night for all the ages.”
Xu Qingnian muttered to himself.
With all three powers settled, now all that was needed was to wait for the court tomorrow, but Xu Qingnian had one more thing to prepare.
A complete drawing of the waterwheel.
Yes, a complete drawing of the waterwheel.
There are three copies of the waterwheel, the first one is in the hands of Li Xin, this one is missing some parts, these parts may not seem to be of much use, but in fact they are hidden inside.
The waterwheel at South Yufu could be used for a maximum of six months, then several problems would arise, one being fixing and the other being transportation.
A button is needed to stabilise it, but this button is vital and without it, even if people from other countries copy the waterwheel one by one, it will be of no use.
When the six months are up, something is bound to go wrong, and then it will have to be repaired or stabilised in some other way, and something will have to be done about it, wasting manpower and financial resources.
The third copy, on the other hand, is a truly complete waterwheel, which will allow the waterwheel to run steadily without any major problems and reduce the cost of manual maintenance.
Xu Qingnian will not get this one for the time being, the second one will just be given to the Ministry of Works, and the third one will be given to His Majesty, who will then order the Ministry of Works to build it and put it on the waterwheel after a year.
The first year, manual labour must be spent to deal with this matter, that is, to let the people of foreign countries see it.
In this way, the people of these foreign countries will only find the waterwheel somewhat chicken-hearted and think that Great Wei is whimsical to come up with a chicken-hearted object.
The point is to delay other countries from copying it.
It doesn’t matter if they are found out, the point is to delay the extent to which other countries copy it, or even make them feel lax, so that Wei can develop firmly.
Xu Qingnian’s favourite thing to do is to keep a hand in the game.
There was no way that he didn’t know that there were spies from enemy countries in Wei, so it was best to hide one hand.
Of course, it is possible that the enemy country has geniuses who have guessed this, but it doesn’t matter, after all, it can’t be hidden, Great Wei does need to develop, so if it is copied, it is copied.
Inside the study.
Xu Qingnian drew the drawing.
However, an hour later.
Outside the capital of Great Wei.
A carriage slowly drove up and appeared at the southern city gate of Kyoto.
The entrance to the South City Gate was full of traffic, with people coming and going, entering and leaving the city.
It is the most central place in Great Wei.
At that moment, a figure stepped out of the carriage.
As this figure stepped out, an unknown number of gazes gathered on this person.
This was a man.
Dressed in a white robe embroidered with blue clouds and brocade, just by looking at the surface of the clothing, the very finest silk, it all looked extremely smooth, like clouds like water.
But what was really startling was that the man was very young, in his early twenties, with skin like snow and an extremely beautiful face.
Yes, extremely beautiful, extremely handsome.
His features are exquisite, his eyes are starry, he is a modest gentleman, as gentle as jade, a stranger like jade, a gentleman without peer.
This, coupled with his Confucian aura, sets off the word superb, to the fullest extent.
Although he has no body, from this face, it is clear that this man is no ordinary person.
“Hua Xinyun, he’s Hua Xinyun.”
“Hiss, Hua Xinyun actually looks this handsome?”
“So he is Hua Xinyun.”
“This man’s face, for some reason, feels more beautiful than a woman’s.”
“A man’s face and a woman’s face, it is the most beautiful on earth.”
“No wonder it was once said that Hua Xinyun once charmed all the women in Great Wei’s Kyoto, it seems that his name is true.”
“Yes, yes, with such a face, I have a feeling that I can’t even say it as a big man.”
“Big brother, don’t disgust people, okay?”
“Hua Xinyun is actually so handsome, ahhh, I’m in love with him.”
“I’m in love with him too, he’s so handsome!”
The people all froze in place, some of them came back to their senses and started discussing, but most of them still looked a bit awestruck.
Some of the women, in particular, stood dumbfounded in place, their gazes filled with infatuation.
There is one thing to be said for women in this world, how many of them don’t like handsome men?
Being with an ugly man is life.
To be with a handsome man is every woman’s dream.
So what if you are a slag? I’m not afraid of being handsome and scum, I’m afraid of being ugly and scum too.
Feeling the gazes of the crowd, Hua Xinyun was very calm, he had been like this since he was young, as soon as he appeared, he was the focus of the world.
He had already gotten used to it.
So there was no discomfort.
Stepping down from the carriage, Hua Xinyun stood behind the group while a woman stood beside her, who was also extremely beautiful looking, wearing a long light red coat.
“My lord, let’s go straight to the other lane, your body does not need to be in the usual queue with them.”
The woman spoke up, reminding Hua Xinyun that he could take the official road.
However, Hua Xinyun shook his head, his voice extremely gentle as he said.
“No need, just this path.”
With his words, the latter fell silent and accompanied him quietly.
The procession was long, and it was a full hour before they reached Hua Xinyun, and the city historian at the entrance hastily rose to greet them.
Hua Xinyun handed over the road guide, and everything was in order, and he spoke to people very gently, which made people feel good.
As the formalities were checked, Hua Ningsheng Yun’s attendant stopped a carriage.
“I beg the carriage driver to go to Shouren Academy, many thanks.”
Getting into the carriage, Hua Xinyun opened his mouth and said with a smile.
The coachman was a little stunned, firstly because of Hua Xinyun’s appearance, and secondly because Hua Xinyun was going to Shouren Academy, but he soon came back to his senses and spurred his horse on.
It was only when Hua Xinyun had gone that quite a few voices rang out as well.
“Hua Xinyun is really here.”
“What’s he doing going straight to Shouren Academy instead of going to the Great Wei Wen Palace? Is it hard to find trouble with Xu Qingnian?”
“It shouldn’t be that bad, right? Now Lord Xu is a retainer, so who is he, Hua Xinyun, to find trouble with Lord Xu?”
“What does this Hua Xinyun want to do when he comes back this time? If I had a tenth of his face, I would be able to get this woman from Kyoto in no time at all.”
“One tenth? If I had a tenth of his face, I’d have this woman in Kyoto at my fingertips.
The people were all curious as to why Hua Xinyun wanted to go to Shouren Academy.
A lot of speculations emerged, and the news of Hua Xinyun’s return to Kyoto spread instantly.
Before the hour.
Shouren Academy.
Xu Qingnian had already finished the drawings.
Looking at the three drawings, Xu Qingnian was very satisfied.
At last, the matter was all settled.
When the court meets tomorrow, the officials will agree and His Majesty will give the order, then the great construction of the waterwheel can begin.
The only trouble that will follow is controlling the cost.
This is a good point.
As for whether anyone would stop it, Xu Qingnian could also guess that there would definitely be, but it would not be a big problem.
The emperor, four of the six ministries, the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of the Household, the Ministry of Penalty and the Ministry of Industry have all agreed, and the Ministry of Military Affairs, which is a lineage of military officials, naturally agrees.
But the question is, what business is it of yours?
In this way, even if some people disagree, so what? Even if the Prince of Huaining disagrees with all sorts of things, he is not afraid, as all the civil and military officials, including the people, agree.
It’s comfortable.
This is the benefit of the human condition.
Xu Qingnian thought about it and felt that the reason why it went so smoothly this time was entirely because of the usual human kindness, indeed good people have good rewards.
And just as Xu Qingnian was thinking about it, Yang Bao’s figure appeared and looked a little serious and nervous.
“My lord, someone is coming.”
Yang Bao spoke, looking very serious.
“Who?”
Xu Qingnian was slightly curious.
“Hua Xinyun! He’s the one the people have been talking about lately, and he’s here to visit you. I’ve heard that this person is very famous, and he’s close to the Great Wei Palace of Literature, so he might not be good for you, should we meet him?”
Yang Bao asked with a suppressed voice.
Hua Xinyun?
When Xu Qingnian heard this name once again, he still felt somewhat unfamiliar.
But when people came to visit in person, Xu Qingnian had no reason not to see them.
“Take a look.”
Xu Qingnian got up, walked out of the study and headed towards the outside of Shouren Academy, Chen Xinghe had also left his room, hearing that Hua Xinyun had come, he naturally wanted to meet him.
“Senior brother Qingnian, this Hua Xinyun’s sudden visit may not have any good intentions, so be careful.”
Chen Xinghe reminded him, and Xu Qingnian nodded.
After just a few steps, two figures appeared outside the school hall.
A woman, an extremely beautiful looking woman, at least in the top five of the women one had seen.
Tied for first was the Empress and the woman from the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, second was Zhao Wan’er, third was the Young Ping County Princess, and fourth was this woman.
Dressed in a long pale red coat and with an exceptionally good figure, she was a superb woman.
Moreover, her qi and blood surged within her body, emanating an inexplicable aura.
It was a martial artist.
And at least a seventh-grade martial artist or above.
It was a bit exaggerated, she looked just a year or two older than herself, yet she possessed the strength of a seventh grade or above, strong.
But soon, Xu Qingnian’s gaze fell on the man beside her.
His face was extremely handsome, and his every move was elegant and easy-going, making people inexplicably feel good.
Xu Qingnian had never seen such a handsome person before, and it was hard to imagine that a man could be so handsome.
If this were a woman, I guess the empress would not even be able to compete.
Hua Xinyun’s gaze also fell on Xu Qingnian.
When their gazes met, Hua Xinyun was the first to reveal a smile and bowed towards Xu Qingnian.
“Student Hua Xinyun, I have met Lord Squire.”
He opened his mouth, looking incomparably respectful, and even addressed Xu Qingnian as Lord Squire.
This was quite a bit unexpected.
“Brother Xingyun is really polite.”
“I have heard of Brother Xinyun’s name earlier, but I didn’t expect to see him today, but he is really true to his reputation.”
Xu Qingnian was very enthusiastic, as he was so polite, he must not be neglected.
Hua Xinyun was extremely polite and respectful, the complete opposite of the arrogant and incomparable rumours outside, ah.
“Brother Xinyun is a few years older than me, don’t ever shout for lord, come, come, come, brother Xinyun come inside and have a good sit and chat.”
Xu Qingnian pulled Hua Xinyun inside, looking extremely emotional in general, giving the impression that he had a particularly good feeling for Hua Xinyun.
“Lord Xu is really polite.”
“What’s a few years older than that? Compared to what Lord Xu has done, Nixing Yun really cannot afford it.”
Hua Xinyun looked ashamed of himself, yet he praised Xu Qingnian with great seriousness, with respect and admiration in his eyes.
“No, no, I really can’t afford it, Lord Xu, you should call me Shouren, brother, come in quickly.”
Xu Qingnian offered his hospitality and had the finest tea prepared.
However, Hua Xinyun did not enter, but spoke.
“Since Brother Xu said so, then Xing Yun will not be pretentious, but I will not enter, I have other things to do.”
“Brother Xu, here are some gifts I brought from a foreign country, they are all worthless things, but they are still somewhat practical, you shouldn’t mind.”
“I have heard that Brother Xu has some conflicts with the Great Wei Wen Gong, my humble brother thinks that there must be a misunderstanding, so I will help Brother Xu to put in some good words, so that no new misunderstandings and conflicts will arise as much as possible.”
“There are also many gossips in the capital, there must be villains among them, please don’t worry, my brother is a scholar and cultivates the righteousness of Hao, he will never do anything against my brother.”
“Please don’t misunderstand and listen to slanderous rumours that will ruin the relationship between you and me.”
Hua Xinyun did not intend to go inside, but explained many things outside the school hall, and this visit was also for this matter.
“Brother, don’t worry, naturally my humble brother will not listen to slanderous words, once I see brother today, my humble brother understands everything.”
Xu Qingnian nodded seriously, and at the same time warmly invited the other party to stay for dinner.
But Hua Xinyun smiled faintly and politely refused.
“Xiandi, in a few days, my brother will host a banquet, and we will not get drunk then.”
“Forget it today, my brother does have some matters to attend to first, and he does not want to disturb Xiandi.”
“However, I hope that you will help my brother in the court on another day.”
Hua Xinyun said sincerely.
Xu Qingnian nodded his head.
“Brother, don’t worry, you and I are both part of the Great Wei, so we will naturally help each other.”
Xu Qingnian said with a smile, while Hua Xingyun also revealed a smile.
But just then, Xu Qingnian continued to speak again.
“Brother, can you help me with one thing?”
“I heard that there are many books in the Great Wei Palace of Literature, and I love to read, especially about the lives of saints, so if you can, please find some for me.
Xu Qingnian said.
“It’s a small matter, I’ll have it delivered this evening.
Hua Xinyun nodded, this was indeed a trivial matter.
“Take care, brother.”
Xu Qingnian watched Hua Xinyun leave, and at the same time, he couldn’t help but say with emotion.
Hua Xinyun’s character, when it came to it, was really good.
It was only after Hua Xinyun had completely left.
The smile on Xu Qingnian’s face gradually tightened.
That’s right, he was faking it.
Whether this Hua Xinyun was good or bad, Xu Qingnian didn’t know, but to come up and be so polite and talk so well, Xu Qingnian really didn’t believe him when he said he was a good person.
But if he said he was a bad person, Xu Qingnian also had proof, so it was okay to be nice on the surface, but behind the scenes, he still had to be wary.
But at that moment, senior brother Chen Xinghe’s voice rang out.
“Senior brother Qingnian, this person is not a good person, you should be careful.”
Chen Xinghe’s face was clear and proud as he looked at Hua Xinyun who had already walked away and said so.
“Senior brother, why?”
Xu Qingnian was a bit curious, this senior brother of his could actually see through the good and bad of the other party at a glance?
“Generally people who are more handsome than me and are not arrogant are definitely not good people.”
Chen Xinghe said with a certainty on his face.
And for a moment, Xu Qingnian was speechless.
Because what was said …… Seems to be very reasonable ah.