Under the watchful eyes of all the courtiers, Gu Simiao slowly spoke and said: "Wei ministers beg to change the title of Taihe County."
Hearing this, everyone immediately showed a look of doubt.
There are seventy-five provinces in the three capitals of Great Xia, and more than seven thousand prefectures and counties. Most courtiers cannot remember the names and locations of all prefectures and counties, but in Taihe County, almost every courtier knows it.
And also know the specific conditions there.
Because Taihe County, like Xingping County, is a county seat affiliated with Shuntian Prefecture.
It is impossible for a court official who can live in a temple not to remember the counties under the Emperor's feet.
But precisely because they knew it, they were confused.
Although the land of Gyeonggi is extremely prosperous, it is not all a blessed land. There are also many middle-level and lower-level counties, so Lu Chen, the magistrate of Xingping County, has a particularly high value.
Although Xingping County is not as rich as Luojing, it is still a prosperous place with plenty of oil and water. And with the empress's favor for Lu Chen, as long as Lu Chen is willing, he can definitely bring many wealthy households into his family. Yap.
You can receive a lot of money, food and spiritual stones just by lying down.
But Taihe County is different.
Taihe County is located in the northwest corner of Luojing, more than 200 miles away from Luojing, between two black mountains covered with carboniferous mountains.
The special topography and geology make most of the land there extremely barren.
Not to mention being able to grow spiritual food with spiritual energy, even ordinary food can only be grown in a small amount of cultivated land, which cannot feed many people at all.
Without enough fertile fields, there will naturally not be much population. The entire county has a population of no more than 10,000 households. There are very few wealthy households, and most of them are poor families.
Not to mention being compared with Jiangling County, which has a population of one million, it is also far behind Xingping County.
Exchange the governor of Jiangling County with three thousand houses for the governor of a worthless county?
They really couldn't understand what was going on in Gu Simiao's mind?
The empress frowned slightly and asked softly: "If I remember correctly, Taihe County is the worst county in Shuntian Prefecture, with very little annual income. Gu Aiqing, you gave up the rich land of Jiangling and chose the barren soil of Taihe County. , but is there any special reason?"
Lu Chen also looked over.
Under everyone's curious eyes, Gu Simiao nodded without hesitation.
"Your Majesty is wise. The reason why I am acting like this is indeed because of a special reason."
Hearing this, the empress glanced at Lu Chen imperceptibly, and then asked, "Can you tell me?"
"certainly."
Gu Simiao nodded and continued:
"Ten years ago, when Wei Chen was studying in the sect when he was young, there was a senior sister from the same sect who took great care of Wei Chen and became like sisters to Wei Chen. Later, during a sect training, Wei Chen walked with the senior sister."
At this point, her voice became a little heavy inexplicably, her chin drooped slightly, and her eyes dimmed a little.
In her low-pitched narration, everyone soon learned about the past of this unique person who was rare to meet in a thousand years.
Ten years ago, when she was fifteen years old, she had just stepped out of the sect. During that sect training, because she was young and arrogant, she did not listen to the advice of her fellow senior sisters, and she accidentally fell into the evil spirit. trap.
In order to protect her, her senior sister died tragically under the evil claws.
This incident became Gu Simiao's lifelong regret.
After talking about the past ten years ago, Gu Simiao's little hands under her sleeves inexplicably tightened.
"Senior sister was born in a poor family and was a girl from an ordinary family in Heitu Village, Taihe County. She once told Wei Chen that she did not have much ambition in this life. She only hoped that after leaving the sect, she would have the opportunity to return to her hometown in glory. , benefiting the village.”
"If I still have the energy left, I can help all people and bring benefits to the poor families like her."
Hearing this, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on Lu Chen's face.
The Duke of Jiangling County who gave up his residence of 3,000 households and condescended to become the Duke of Taihe County was originally because of his obsession with his savior.
At this time, Gu Simiao said again: "Senior Sister risked her life to save Wei Chen. Her beliefs and wishes will naturally be inherited by Wei Chen. Therefore, being a high-ranking official and a generous salary is not what Wei Chen wants. Wei Chen just wants to replace Senior Sister and realize her wish." Ideals and ambitions that have no chance of realization.”
After saying that, she directly bent her knees, knelt heavily on the ground, and begged sincerely:
"I hope your majesty will make it happen!"
After the words fell, all the courtiers could not help but be slightly moved.
The empress also had a strange look on her face.
The next second, before she could weigh the pros and cons in her mind, Jiang Chengdao's voice suddenly sounded in her ears.
"Promise her, Your Majesty."
Upon hearing Jiang Chengdao's message, the empress was stunned for a moment, and then said silently in her mind:
"Brother Huang was moved by Gu Aiqing's words?"
"A little bit."
Jiang Chengdao responded casually. Obviously, his focus was not on this.
"It doesn't matter what happens to this kind of thing. What Wei Chen wants to say is that it's almost time to prepare for Wei Chen's arrangements after returning to Cangming Realm."
Hearing this, the empress' face suddenly darkened.
"Is the emperor leaving?"
"Um."
Jiang Chengdao responded lightly:
"The Holy Realm is related to the stability of the world, and no accidents can occur no matter what. It has been nearly a month since Wei Chen left the country. Before leaving, the evil sealing formation set up with the help of His Majesty's Supreme Holy Power and Wei Chen's Holy Spirit Power is almost reaching its limit. , before the evil spirit breaks the seal, the minister must rush back to the Holy Realm, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."
"Your Majesty cannot be without the support of generals, and now the only person who can make you, Your Majesty, sit back and relax on this matter, apart from Fu Hua, is Gu Simiao."
"Although other generals from the Zhu Kingdom who have the strength to return to the One Realm have surrendered to Your Majesty, their hearts are apart from each other, and their loyalty has yet to be verified. Moreover, except for Huangzhou, other borders are still under the threat of the iron hoofs of foreign races and cannot be moved lightly. , and Gu Simiao performed outstandingly in the matter of the Demon Queen."
"So, taking advantage of this opportunity to reward meritorious officials, leaving her in Luojing and serving as your Majesty's right-hand man with Fu Hua who is about to return to the capital is the most appropriate choice at the moment."
After the words fell, the empress thought for a moment and nodded secretly.
Jiang Chengdao was right. In the six months since he brought at least half of the Cangming Army back to the Cangming Realm to rebuild and repair the evil-sealing formation, she could no longer rely entirely on his supreme power as before.
Someone has to take his place to some extent.
The strongest person under the Holy King is the warrior in the Guiyi Realm.
Fu Hua and Gu Simiao are both excellent candidates.
As soon as she thought this, the empress no longer hesitated. The moment her eyes regained focus, she slowly opened her mouth and said to Gu Simiao, who was half-kneeling below:
"Gu Aiqing is so affectionate and loyal to her savior, how can I be such a hard-hearted evil person?"
Hearing this, Gu Simiao's face suddenly relaxed slightly, and then she cupped her hands and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
The empress raised the corners of her mouth slightly, showing a meaningful smile, and then said: "It's too early to thank you now."
As she spoke, she suddenly glanced at the somewhat sparse queue of military attachés, and then raised her voice:
"Gu Simiao, the governor of Huangzhou, understands the righteousness and is loyal to the country. He was granted the title of Duke of Taihe County and the title of Crown Prince and Shaobao. He was also granted the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese and foreign military affairs and General Shenwu, taking charge of the affairs of the army and horses."
As soon as these words came out, the officials were stunned for a moment.
Even Gu Simiao himself was stunned.
She never expected that after her operation, not only did she not anger the emperor, but she also received a lot of compensation.
After the other courtiers reacted, they couldn't help but look at Jiang Chengdao.
The Duke of Taihe County and the Prince Shaobao are all fake.
The official position that really needs attention is the Shenwu General, the head of the military attache.
This is the top military attache who commands 800,000 forbidden troops!
The last Shenwu General was Xia Houyan, the Demon Queen's fellow disciple. He was one of the most core figures among the Demon Queen's gang and was deeply trusted by the Demon Queen. You can imagine how powerful the person who holds this position is. .
Of course, Gu Simiao is fully qualified to sit in this position.
Whether it's merit, loyalty, or birth.
She ticked almost all the boxes.
But meeting the conditions doesn't mean she can take that position.
The key to the problem lies with Saint King Cangming.
Although the Forbidden Army has now been reorganized, almost all of the soldiers and horses that maintain order in Luojing and guard the capital in place of the Forbidden Army Wu who betrayed the emperor are the Cangming Army brought out by the Holy King of Cangming.
As long as he doesn't nod, no one can get involved in Luo Jing's military power.
Even the emperor is the same.
However, under the worried or expectant eyes of everyone, Jiang Chengdao turned around without hesitation, raised his hands to the empress and shouted:
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Seeing his clear and concise statement, Fang Ping, Liu Dongyang and other court officials immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and then unanimously raised their hands and shouted that His Majesty is wise.
With the finalization of Gu Simiao's changes to the awards, this grand gathering with the theme of merit-based rewards came to an end.
After the eunuch screamed "Retreat from the court", all the courtiers filed out and left the Taiji Hall, while Jiang Chengdao followed the empress and went to the Zichen Hall with her.
"Huaiyu."
Just as he walked out of the Tai Chi Hall with several colleagues who congratulated him on his promotion, Gu Simiao's voice came from behind.
Those few people said goodbye to Lu Chen very wisely and left quickly, while Lu Chen turned his head and looked at Gu Simiao.
"Miss Gu, is there something wrong?"
Seeing his indifferent look, Gu Simiao was startled for a brief moment, then chuckled and said, "It's nothing, I just came to congratulate you."
Lu Chen: "."
Please don't congratulate me. I feel so distressed.
Gu Simiao smiled again and said: "To be directly promoted from the seventh rank to the third rank, and to the ninth rank in a row, although it is not without precedent, it is also very rare. Your Majesty is so kind to Huaiyu that it is enviable. Woolen cloth."
Hearing this, Lu Chen's heart suddenly felt numb.
Then he shook his head with a calm face and said: "There is nothing to congratulate. From the point of view of the lower official, no matter what the position is, its essence is to be loyal to the country and the country and to benefit the people of the world. It’s just different, there is no distinction between high and low.”
"As the saying goes, seeking political power in his position and holding an important position, especially if he is promoted out of the ordinary, means shouldering responsibilities that are countless times heavier than before. His Majesty has such misplaced love for this official, and he must devote everything to national affairs. Do this job to perfection, only in this way can you repay your kindness."
After hearing this meticulous answer, Gu Simiao's face, which was originally smiling, could not help but become a little solemn.
"Huaiyu is indeed as rumored. He is so dedicated and conscientious in his duties at all times."
"Miss Gu, thank you for your praise."
Gu Simiao shook her head slightly, and then sighed inexplicably.
"Huaiyu, although it is our duty as ministers to feed the emperor's salary and worry about the emperor's worries, life cannot only be about official matters. When it is time to think about yourself, you still have to think about yourself."
Lu Chen raised his eyebrows slightly: "I'm sorry to be blunt, but I wonder what Miss Gu is referring to?"
A meaningful smile spread across Gu Simiao's face.
"I have to say, Huaiyu, you really haven't changed at all in the past few years. You are still as stubborn and slow as when I rescued you."
Lu Chen frowned slightly.
Then, without waiting for him to ask, Gu Simiao said again: "Speaking of which, Huaiyu, I heard from Xiao Yi that you and he have been looking for my whereabouts in the past few years, and now you finally know my identity, okay? It’s easy to meet again, don’t you have anything special to say to me?”
Speaking of this, she suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked at Lu Chen with a hint of deep meaning.
However, Lu Chen pretended to think about it for a while and then shook his head neatly.
"Other than thank you, I have nothing to say to you, Miss Gu."
Gu Simiao: "."
The delicate little face was full of speechless meaning.
This man is really just a piece of wood.
Shaking her head, Gu Simiao shook away the distracting thoughts in her mind, and then said to Lu Chen calmly: "Huaiyu, remember not to leave in a hurry after your shift is over, and wait for me in the Liu Kelang public room."
"Um."
At the same time, inside the Zichen Palace.
Gu Simiao was not the only one who lamented Lu Chen's rapid promotion. Jiang Chengdao also felt a little emotional about this.
It's just that the empress has directly announced the decree. He can't openly oppose his sister in the court and attack her authority.
Of course, it wasn't that he looked down on Lu Chen, but he just felt that this was a bit of a trick.
After all, Lu Chen was too young.
"Although the political achievements are enough, isn't it a little too early for Lu Chen?"
Hearing this, the empress shook her head.
"During his tenure as the governor of the two states, Lu Qing did a very good job in all aspects. Not only was he able to coordinate all parties, allowing Xiao Aiqing to focus all his energy on water control, he was also able to manage the government affairs of the two states in an orderly manner, which was deeply loved by the people. Love.”
"And he is not only able to do things, but also dares to do them. He is not afraid of the powerful, he is dedicated to the public, and he dares to be the first in the world. He is a rare and capable minister in the world. He is just the right minister of engineering. I even think that he is a bit overqualified. Woolen cloth."
"If I weren't worried about his rejection, I would even want to directly promote him to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
Seeing the regretful look on the empress's face, Jiang Chengdao couldn't help but be speechless.
They all rose to the top in one fell swoop, directly becoming a minister, but their sister was still not satisfied.
Why don't you just let him join the cabinet directly?
It’s finally the weekend. Tomorrow and the next two days will be spent coding and adding more! ! !
(End of chapter)
