Whether Jiang Shaohua likes Prince Ping or not, is actually not important.
What matters is the attitude she displays. She is willing to take care of Prince Ping, naive as a child, until Prince Ping grows up to be an adult.
Grand Empress Dowager Zheng sees this and feels comforted.
Jiang Shaohua seized the throne from Prince Ping; no one is angrier than her. However, she will not let anger cloud her judgnt and make irreparable actions.
Compared to Prince Huaiyang and Prince Wu’an, Jiang Shaohua ascending the Dragon Throne, at least, is barely acceptable. Originally, in her plan, Jiang Shaohua was to wholeheartedly assist Prince Ping. Now the plan has slightly changed; Jiang Shaohua refuses to make wedding clothes for Prince Ping, and insists on sitting on the Dragon Throne herself. Thus, let Jiang Shaohua manage the court for now. When Prince Ping grows up safely, marries, and has offspring, then slowly plan the matter of "returning the throne."
This is not sothing that can be done in one day and night. She must take good care of her health and live for another twenty, thirty years, or even longer.
Therefore, harmony with Jiang Shaohua is also necessary. This is done for everyone inside and outside the palace to see, and to declare to those who have malicious intentions towards the Zheng family. As this Grand Empress Dowager, she remains as steady as a mountain, and no one should think of moving against the Zheng family.
"Shao Hua, eat so too," the mischievous Prince Ping grabs a piece of rib and stuffs it into Jiang Shaohua’s hand.
This is Prince Ping’s way of expressing affection to those around him.
Jiang Shaohua does not show disdain; she smiles and brings the rib to Prince Ping’s mouth, "You love to eat, so it’s all for you."
Prince Ping opens his mouth, satisfied, and starts munching.
After the harmonious play of ancestors and descendants ended, Jiang Shaohua returned to Zhaohai Palace.
At this mont, there were still a pile of morials waiting for her review in Zhaohai Palace.
Both Chief Historian Chen and Chen Jinyu, the grandfather and grandson, were present, along with Wang Jin, the Secretary of the Secretariat, also attending to the writing materials.
"I have also heard about the funeral news of Lu Junma," Wang Jin thought Jiang Shaohua was enduring grief: "The deceased is gone, please restrain your grief, Commandery Princess."
Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly: "Wang Zhongshu Ling is right, national affairs co first, I can only endure the grief and deal with national affairs first."
Wang Jin: "..."
The feeling was sowhat strange.
Could a daughter who has just lost her father be this calm and rational?
Wang Jin suppressed the strange feeling in his heart.
On the imperial desk, there was a stack of morials. Chief Historian Chen and Wang Jin were responsible for half each, placing unimportant ones aside for a while, and presenting the important morials to Jiang Shaohua first.
Since Chen Jinyu was unfamiliar with governnt affairs, he couldn’t handle the task of initial screening of morials, so he attended to the writing materials and tea.
Jiang Shaohua looked at the morial from the Ministry of War, lost in thought.
Chief Historian Chen was skilled at handling trivial governnt affairs, but in terms of familiarity with the Six Ministries, he was not as good as Wang Jin.
Jiang Shaohua looked at Wang Jin: "Assistant Minister Wang submitted a morial, requesting military funding for the stationed troops across various regions. What is your opinion on this morial?"
Wang Jin thought for a mont and replied: "Every year the funding for the stationed troops is reduced, last year’s funding was only fifty percent. After being cut layer upon layer, only twenty to thirty percent finally reaches the soldiers. Soldiers have expressed grievances boiling over, and last year there were several cases of soldiers deserting and military camp mutinies. Luckily they were suppressed in ti. Assistant Minister Wang may have so trivial personal motives in submitting this morial, but on this matter alone, there is nothing wrong."
Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly, looking at Chief Historian Chen: "What is Chief Historian Chen’s opinion?"
Chief Historian Chen stroked his beard: "In two days, Commandery Princess will ascend the throne and beco Emperor of Da Liang. With the new emperor ascending, there should be a fresh atmosphere. Not only should the funding for the stationed troops be issued, but it should also be issued in full to the soldiers."
Wang Jin frowned slightly: "The Ministry of Revenue probably can’t raise so much silver at the mont."
The new emperor’s ascension, first securing the military’s loyalty, is an extrely correct decision. However, the national treasury is empty, and the funds are tight, there is no way. When Emperor Taihe was alive, did he not want to fully fund the soldiers’ salaries? It’s because he couldn’t raise the silver, and the military funding for the border army and Capital City’s garrison could not be reduced, so they had to be cut from the stationed troops.
Now, this dilemma is once again presented to Jiang Shaohua. How should the imnse yearly expenditure of several million taels for military funding be handled?
Jiang Shaohua said calmly: "This year’s military funding will be fully issued, if the national treasury’s tax revenue is insufficient, then find another way elsewhere. If one is determined, a solution can always be found."
Wang Jin quietly reminded: "I know that Nanyang County is affluent, but those are Commandery Princess’s private assets, it’s impossible to use them to fill the court’s deficit."
Chen Jinyu couldn’t help but agree: "Wang Zhongshu Ling is right. Commandery Princess must not set this precedent. Even taking a step back, if Commandery Princess is willing to use the Prince Mansion’s savings to support the military funding, it’s not a long-term plan. Da Liang has nearly four hundred thousand soldiers, the annual expenditure on military funding is imnse. How could Nanyang Prince Mansion possibly support it."
With the financial capacity of Nanyang Prince Mansion, maintaining over ten thousand elite soldiers is already impressive. Tens of thousands of troops can only be maintained with the finances of the entire nation.
Jiang Shaohua spoke slowly: "This is indeed a difficult problem. But it ultimately needs to be resolved."
"This morial will be kept in reserve for now, and will be discussed at the upcoming grand court eting in a few days."
This busy routine lasted until midnight before all the morials were reviewed.
Wang Jin used to have lodging in Zhaohai Palace, but now it’s naturally inconvenient to stay, and he withdrew with Chief Historian Chen.
At this mont, Qin Hu ca to report: "Commandery Princess, Elder Changning has returned from the Imperial Manor."
Jiang Shaohua’s brows relaxed.
With Elder Changning accompanying the Commandery Princess, it was enough. Chen Jinyu also left the palace along with Chief Historian Chen, returning to Prince Mansion.
...
Cui Du hurried back upon hearing the funeral news of Lu Xuan. He originally thought to console the grieving Commandery Princess, but unexpectedly, the Commandery Princess showed no signs of sadness.
Cui Du was silent for a mont, then asked softly: "Did he do sothing to wrong you?"
Jiang Shaohua’s eyes flashed with sarcasm: "In his eyes, everything he did was justified and reasonable. After the daughter is married away, as a father, it is right to manage the family affairs for his daughter."
Cui Du imdiately understood: "In your previous life, he occupied the Prince Mansion’s estate?"
"Not only that, but he also planned to pass everything to Lu Ying." Jiang Shaohua sneered: "In fact, he succeeded. I stayed in the Capital City and never returned to Nanyang County until I died. Nanyang Prince Mansion beca his territory. He took nurous concubines, had nurous children, and lived very happily."
If she hadn’t been reborn, she would have carried this grievance to the underworld.
Cui Du imdiately felt a shared sense of enmity: "No wonder you have always been cold and distant towards him. Never giving him any opportunities to contact governnt affairs."
"Looking at it this way, his early passing is a good thing."
Jiang Shaohua glanced back at Cui Du.
Sothing stirred in Cui Du’s heart, and a frightening thought suddenly flashed in his mind.
Wait!
Lu Xuan’s convenient death, could it be...
But such a thing, even between spouses, cannot be voiced.
Cui Du didn’t pursue the matter further, softly said: "The dead cannot co back to life. By mourning him, we fulfill our duty of filial piety."
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