Chapter 150

 

Chen Jingzong finally met He Qingxian on the morning of the 13^th of Eleventh Month. It was said that He Qingxian was an old friend of the old man, but He Qingtian had criticized his eldest brother and third brother for having shady achievements.

Before Chen Jingzong stood in the queue of military attachés, he saw the old man in front of him looking back and motioning for him to come over.

This little bit of face had to be given, so Chen Jingzong walked forward unhurriedly.

Chen Tingjian introduced him to He Qingxian: “This is my fourth son.” He also asked Chen Jingzong to perform the junior salute.

Chen Jingzong called Uncle not so warmly.

He Qingxian looked him up and down, and said to Chen Tingjian with a bit of sarcasm: “Actually inherited your good looks.”

The implication was that Chen Jingzong became prince consort purely because of his face, and Chen Tingjian should have rejected the late emperor’s offer of marriage in the first place and let his son reap any benefits.

Chen Tingjian had no reaction, but Chen Jingzong didn’t like hearing it. He looked at He Qingxian and said, “You are totally right. What I am most grateful to the old man in my life is that he gave me this face. If I look ugly, dark, and short, Grand Princess may look down on me.”

He Qingxian:……

The officials who were eavesdropping behind them snickered. He Qingxian’s words were not polite. Didn’t prince consort’s “ugly, dark, and short” make a mockery of He Qingxian’s appearance?

In fact, He Qingxian could be considered to have good facial features and a dignified appearance, but who allowed him to torture himself until he had a farmer-like yellow-wheat complexion. Now he was standing next to Chen Tingjian, and still sarcastically said that Chen Jingzong relied on his face to become prince consort.

“Scram!” Chen Tingjian scolded his rude son.

Chen Jingzong also irritated him casually: “Chief Minister is indeed magnanimous. Others clearly look down on you, but you still rush to let your sons develop friendships.”

After saying that, he turned and left.

Chen Tingjian glared at him and then looked at He Qingxian.

He Qingxian actually smiled: “This temperament is not like someone raised by your old Chen family.”

Chen Tingjian flicked his sleeves and was too lazy to pretend to be polite with him.

In the court, Chen Tingjian, this Chief Minister Chen who usually no one dared to provoke, finally met his opponent and had a heated argument with He Qingxian over the handling of several matters.

The civil and military officials were confused. Wasn’t He Qingxian called by Chen Tingjian to help him implement the new policies? Why did He Qingxian even criticize Chen Tingjian?

But soon the officials realized that He Qingxian wanted to clean them up, but the Chief Minister was dissatisfied with He Qingxian being too harsh and kept speaking up for them!

At this time, even those officials who were dissatisfied with Chen Tingjian put aside their prejudices and helped Chen Tingjian. After all, Chen Tingjian only wanted them to work diligently, ideally, contribute some silver to the court from their own pockets. He Qingxian, on the other hand, wished to strictly adhere to the law and convict them of corruption and dereliction of duty!

In the evening of that day, all the officials in the capital were delayed for at least an hour before they were off duty!

As the night fell, Chen Jingzong returned home and complained to Hua Yang about He Qingxian: “This guy is just messing around. It’s fine if he doesn’t like the old man, Eldest Brother, and Third Brother. Why should he look down on me when we just meet?”

Hua Yang: “Why does he look down on you?”

Chen Jingzong: “He praised me openly for my good looks, but secretly mocked me for being unworthy of marrying a princess except for my face.”

Hua Yang: “At least he praised you.”

Chen Jingzong put down his chopsticks and looked over in disbelief: “Don’t you respect the old man the most, and you love the house and its crow with us three brothers? Now Cabinet Elder He is targeting our father and sons, and you still speak up for him. Really love the new and loathe the old so quickly.”

Hua Yang: “I am being fair. He and Father are old friends, and Father served as Chief Minister for three years before he thought of putting him in important position. If he complains to Father and then vents his anger on you three brothers, is it worth it for you to fuss over it?”

Chen Jingzong recalled the tit-for-tat confrontation between the two old men in the morning, and felt very gloating: “The old man must regret listening to you now.”

Hua Yang: “Father has a big heart. If he dares to transfer him to the capital, he must be fully prepared.”

Chen Jingzong:……

He finally understood that for her, these two old men were the best!

.

In late winter, sister-in-law Yu Xiu brought Wan Yi to visit Hua Yang, and also passed on a brocade box from Sun shi to Hua Yang.

In the brocade box, there was a complete set of “Land Measurement Regulations”, which was written by Chen Tingjian himself.

In the previous life, in the second year of Yuanyou, the imperial court measured land all over the country. The “Land Measurement Regulations” were also printed and posted in all prefectures, counties, villages and towns. Hua Yang also asked Wu Run to get a copy.

Although she could not memorize every word, Hua Yang roughly remembered the content. At this time, comparing this version of the new regulations that had not yet been distributed, Hua Yang quickly discovered the difference.

Her father-in-law’s “Land Measurement Regulations” have a total of eight articles. The main contents of these eight articles were the same in both lives. It was just that the regulations in this life have the shadow of He Qingxian. For example, the bow ruler used for land measurement had been unified nationwide, and local officials were not allowed to change it without permission. For example, it clearly stipulated that terrain such as mountains, tidal flats, houses, cemeteries, etc. shall not be classified as fields, and good farmland, medium farmland, and low-grade farmland must also be clearly classified and must not be confused.

In addition, the new regulations also provide more detailed punishments for imperial clansmen, officials, soldiers and civilians who do not abide by the Land Measurement Regulations, including encouraging the common people to supervise and report. Once it was found that those who continue to conceal or underreport, in addition to confiscating part of their land, at best they would be fined money and demoted, and at worst they would be imprisoned, exiled, or beheaded.

Her father-in-law also wrote a letter to Hua Yang, telling her that her mother empress and brother were very supportive of this land measurement this time. When this regulation was officially implemented next year, her brother would send four Jinyiwei to each provincial capital and two Jinyiwei to each county to supervise. After Jinyiwei arrived at the local area, they would also ask the counties to mobilize local students to study the “Land Measurement Regulations” and explain it to the common people in the counties, villages and towns, so as to prevent people from misunderstanding the new policy and changing people’s sentiment.

The Jinyiwei would be dispatched. How could any local official who had been tested by the Examination Law for three years dare to continue to prey on the common people?

Hua Yang believed that the land measurement in this life would only be more effective than in the previous life. As long as He Qingxian remain in the cabinet, the “One Whip Law” in the next year would be more beneficial to the country and the people.

When the common people no longer became the victims of the New Policy, her father-in-law’s fifth crime of “increasing taxes to harm the people” in the previous life would become nonsense.

Hua Yang breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Of the seven crimes against her father-in-law, the fifth one was the most difficult to resolve, because it involved the implementation of two new policies, and she was unable to defeat thousands of local officials.

Fortunately, her father-in-law’s temperament changed slightly under her influence. He was willing to let He Qingxian come to the capital, and the new policy became more and more perfect.

Hua Yang particularly liked this version of the new regulations. When Chen Jingzong came back, she was still reading it over and over again.

Chen Jingzong took off his boots and sat next to her. He recognized his old man’s writing at a glance, and then, with Hua Yang’s encouragement, he read it carefully from beginning to end.

Hua Yang asked: “How is it?”

Chen Jingzong saw pride on her face, as if the old man was her own father, and she came to show off to him triumphantly.

Chen Jingzong refused to praise the old man: “The late emperor asked him to be the Chief Minister. If he doesn’t make some achievements, wouldn’t that be a corpse mealit means occupying a position and enjoying salary without doing anything?”

Hua Yang: “There are many Chief Ministers, but few dare to openly offend the imperial clansmen, officials, and gentry of the world.”

Chen Jingzong: “You are also a member of imperial clan, and you have a lot of land under your name, right?”

Hua Yang: “What I received was all given by Father Emperor, and I don’t covet for another acre.”

Chen Jingzong: “But two or three tenths of the national land tax has to be used to support your large family of imperial relatives. According to the reforms of those two old men, sooner or later this burden will truly fall on the heads of the imperial clan. When that time comes, will you resent them?”

Hua Yang: “Let it fall then. If the common people can’t survive, what’s the point of me alone wearing gold and silver? If the common people can all be well-fed and clothed, then the lives of the imperial clansmen will not be bad either.”

Chen Jingzong touched her face: “You are really a fairy descending to earth.”

This time, although he smiled, there was no mockery or ridicule in his eyes.

Hua Yang looked at him for a moment, slapped his hand away, and then handed him these regulations and the letter from her father-in-law: “Take them and burn them.”

It was against the rules for the dignified chief minister to send a copy of the unpublished government decree to the grand princess in advance. Even if her father-in-law did not tell her to burn it, Hua Yang herself knew its importance.

Chen Jingzong brought over a copper lamp, took off its lampshade, and burn the papers one by one.

Hua Yang sat nearby and watched the papers turn to ashes bit by bit in the golden-red flames.

The firelight was warm, and it also dispelled the haze in her heart.

Lying on the bed after dinner, Hua Yang said casually: “The Twelfth Month is coming soon. What are your plans for this year’s annual leave?”

Chen Jingzong hugged her: “Nothing, I just want to be with you every day.”

In the book, the love between husband and wife was described as being ‘stuck’ together, but he preferred to say ‘connected’.

Hua Yang glared at him.

Chen Jingzong was dissatisfied: “I can still accompany you out of the city to enjoy the scenery in spring, summer and autumn. But it’s so cold in the winter, where else can you go if not staying at home?”

For young couples, if they just stay at home, wouldn’t the greatest pleasure be “connect together”?

Hua Yang asked him: “Have you ever heard of hot spring (Tangquan)?”

Chen Jingzong’s heart moved and he said, “I’ve never heard of it, I’ve only heard of praying mantis boxing (Tanglang quan).”

Hua Yang:……

She squinted at him and explained to him, a bumpkin prince consort who had never enjoyed a proper treatment of a cabinet elder’s son: “Hot spring is a kind of warm spring water that emerges from underground. It’s about the same temperature as the water when we bath in. About eighty miles north of the capital, there is a mountain range that produces hot springs, called Tangshan.”

Chen Jingzong: “Then let’s go to Tangshan this year.”

Hua Yang: “You can only wish. Such a wonderful place has long been enclosed by the imperial family and built as a Temporary Palace. Unless Mother Empress and brother go there and took us with them, we won’t be able to enter.”

Chen Jingzong: “Since we can’t go, why are you telling me this?”

Hua Yang: “Besides the Temporary Palace, there are some scattered hot spring areas, but they have been occupied by others and built into villas. I have only been out of the palace for a few years, but I haven’t met anyone who wants to sell their villa there.”

Chen Jingzong: “You’re already talking in circles. In the end can we go or not?”

Hua Yang couldn’t help laughing and said: “My aunt bought a villa a few years ago. If she doesn’t go this year, we can borrow it for a while.”

Chen Jingzong: “I understand. What things your aunt likes? I will send someone to find gifts tomorrow to honor her.”

Hua Yang: “As long as you honor me, I’ll go talk to my aunt.”

Chen Jingzong immediately pinned her down.

Hua Yang:……

After being kissed enough by him in various places, Hua Yang said angrily: “What I want is your gift, not this kind!”

Chen Jingzong: “I am the best gift. Your aunt doesn’t have the fortune to enjoy it, but it’s perfect way to honor you.”

Hua Yang didn’t care for it and pushed him.

Chen Jingzong grabbed both of her wrist, and the domineering but weak grand princess could only accept his filial piety with a weak expression on her face, half-pushing and half-submissive.

The author has something to say:

Aunt: My nephew-in-law is Panpan’s. Just lend me Zhou Ji for three night.

Zhou Ji: ….

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