"A Wise and Virtuous Monarch..." The Emperor listened to Lih Mian’s report, feeling lancholic.
He truly wished to be rembered as a Wise and Virtuous Monarch in the annals of history. However, judging by the current situation, he could only barely be considered a Restorer, and that didn’t account for the empty State Treasury and the court barely managing during the past decade.
During his reign, the only achievent worth ntioning in the annals might be the rail transport system. Even this requires future generations to continue its maintenance for it to be recorded in history.
If his successors aren’t willing to invest effort in this, once the rail lines fall into disrepair, they will likely be swept away by the sands of ti in the long history.
The Emperor felt both yearning and embarrassnt at the praise from the capital’s citizens: Jinrong is great at flattering, but shouldn’t there be so basis for it? With this kind of flattery, he feels rather guilty as a father.
He instinctively glanced around the room, relieved that there were no outsiders, only his trusted eunuchs attending him.
Zhang Cunhai and the two little eunuchs felt their hearts tremble. Being called a wise monarch is a good thing, isn’t it? Even if there’s so discrepancy, it’s not like they invented it themselves, right? Why does the Emperor seem like he intends to silence everyone?
Just bow your heads and pretend to be dead; that’s the safest approach at such tis.
The Emperor withdrew his gaze, frowning, and asked, "Who is leading the spread of this rhetoric?" Jinrong influencing the capital’s public opinion?
Lih Mian had completed his report and had been waiting a while for the Emperor to speak.
Although the Emperor hadn’t given orders during this ti, as the Emperor’s trusted aide and head of the country’s largest information center, Lih Mian had already discerned from the court officials’ movents that the court was rife with disputes lately and required close monitoring of various factions.
This rhetoric, spread throughout the capital streets and alleys, did not require investigation to be heard all around.
As for finding out who spread the rumors, that would require professionals.
"Director of the Ministry of Works, Lord Jiang, has an elder brother nad Guan He, currently residing in the Qi family’s courtyard, spending his days gambling and causing trouble, with many connections to street ruffians. To my knowledge, the ones spreading news in the city are those idle n familiar with Guan He, roaming every corner of the capital."
Yes, from Lih Mian’s perspective, Guan He was just a troublemaker.
"Jiang Yifan’s elder brother? A scholar?" The Emperor asked in surprise, falling to gambling all day?
Speaking of this, Lih Mian felt a blow to his pride, unwilling to discuss it.
"Reporting to His Majesty, Guan He is not a scholar; he’s always mingled in Jianghu, with decent martial arts skills. In his leisure ti, he also teaches martial arts to two brothers of the Qi family."
Honestly, people as troubleso as Guan He are indeed rare.
Lih Mian, knowing of such a person in the capital, once put on casual clothes, seemingly casually confronting Guan He on the street.
What Lih Mian was reluctant to ntion was that he was not an opponent for that man. Not only was he not an opponent, but after exchanging a few blows in their brief encounter, Guan He turned back and looked at him with a mocking glance.
That glance left Lih Mian feeling entirely uncomfortable whenever he thought of it.
But he couldn’t help it; his skills were inferior. At that ti, his energy was too depleted to engage again.
Moreover, since Guan He resided at the alley behind the Duke’s Mansion, although a mber of the Qi family, with Duke An’s protection, ordinary people really couldn’t do anything to him.
Lih Mian always regarded Guan He as frivolous and carelessly, but felt powerless against him.
Thinking there was such an eccentric in the capital, yet no one could do anything about him, Grand Commander Lih felt truly choked.
"Decent martial arts?" The Emperor imdiately showed interest, "How good? Comparable to Commander Lih?"
The Emperor wasn’t interested in Guan He but found Lih Mian’s expression amusing.
Having followed him for many years, the Emperor was acutely aware of Lih Mian’s pride. Soone able to make Lih Mian show such an expression, yet forced to admit their skills, must be soone causing him a headache.
Indeed, Lih Mian’s expression froze, replying, "Reporting to His Majesty, Guan He’s skills surpass mine." After serving the Emperor so many years, did he follow the wrong master? Knowing the answer yet still asking, how embarrassing!
"Have you crossed paths?" Lih Mian actually wasn’t able to challenge him? There weren’t any intense fights, were there?
"rely bumped into each other on the street, and I ended up disadvantaged." What Lih Mian said was rely a bump, but none of those present—the Emperor and the three eunuchs—believed it was just a simple encounter.
Seeing the Emperor about to ask more, Lih Mian quickly reminded, "Your Majesty, uh, Guan He is from Jianghu." Faced with Guan He, he really didn’t want to suffer any more setbacks.
The Emperor laughed and didn’t pursue what made Lih Mian uncomfortable, "There are quite a few idle n in the capital; are they all under Guan He’s control?"
Lih Mian responded with utter disdain to the Emperor’s question. Could he actually gather manpower like that? With the ti he has, he hasn’t even fully road around or enjoyed a drink in the taverns.
If you expect him to sincerely carry out sothing, you’d need him to reincarnate and live another life!
"Not really, originally Guan He ca to the capital as Miss Ye’s guard. Later, he had conflicts with the idle n and subdued them. Being naturally carefree, he would drink and dine with them occasionally, without deliberately commanding them, yet those n were willing to assist Guan He."
While he spoke, Lih Mian internally lanted. Such a good opportunity to plot against, he couldn’t bring Guan He down once and for all.
Alas, without Guan He’s hooligans, the capital seems to lose much of its vibrancy. In the capital, even the hooligans should be above other places.
"Oh," The Emperor’s tone was complex, filled with both sighs and lancholy, "Jinrong hasn’t squandered his years, yet inadvertently amassed such a complex influence."
Lih Mian didn’t dare respond, and Zhang Cunhai continued to play dead. These are family affairs between the Imperial Family; they wouldn’t dare express any opinions.
Moreover, the Emperor’s sigh contained far too complex emotions for outsiders to ddle.
The Emperor didn’t intend to consult anyone, "These rumors...watch them closely and ensure they don’t stir up other issues."
Lih Mian agreed, seeing the Emperor had no other instructions, and withdrew.
The Emperor’s aning was clear; the discussions of being a Wise Monarch could continue. As for other matters, to avoid trouble, other rhetoric must be controlled.
With the idle n associated with Guan He, combined with the Imperial Guard Camp’s influence, controlling so rumors should be achievable.
...
As the call for the Emperor being a Wise and Virtuous Monarch intensified, the support from the citizens for machinery, which they had yet to see, also grew louder. Within the capital, forces opposing the new policies and giving status to craftsn found themselves uneasy.
The citizens’ discussions have always been chaotic, with all sorts of views, yet this ti it was completely one-sided.
These rumors seed to be manipulated, but by the ti they realized it and started investigating the origin of these discussions, those idle n had already succeeded in their tasks and returned to their usual activities like loitering, extorting, or collecting protection fees, as if they’d never been interested in rumors at all.
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