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Chapter 74: Plot of the Couple (II)

Translator: Storm in a Teacup

Long kept watching Shi as he finished his porridge and called the servants to take everything away.

After it was cleaned up, Long said, “Qingzhou, are you full?”

Shi smiled. “Of course. Your Majesty, your arm hasn’t recovered. Do you want to read the memorials?”

Long immediately shook his head. “I don’t want to move. Qingzhou, you can do it.”

Qingzhou nodded. “Okay.”

“But, do it here. Qingzhou, I want to look at you and talk with you. Otherwise, I’d be bored lying in bed alone,” Long requested again.

Shi nodded again. “Okay.”

After a while, the table and the memorials were moved near the bed. Shi waved away the servants. Then, he sat beside the bed and began to read the memorials. Every time he picked up one memorial, he would talk to Long about the things reported.

Long would respond to him. He’d also curl his lips and say the person who wrote that was just talking nonsense.

Until that one, Shi raised his eyebrows.

Long asked immediately, “What’s the matter?”

“There’s another drought in Quanzhou and farmers didn’t have a good harvest in autumn. I’m afraid they’ll suffer a lot this winter and also next spring.”

Long thought for a moment and said, “Quanzhou has a drought almost every three years. When it was serious, the farmers reaped nothing at harvest time. There was also one time that it suffered droughts for three consecutive years... Qingzhou, do you have any solution?”

Shi shook his head. “The Ministry of Works should be responsible. I don’t know much about water conservancy. However, if we want to divert water over there on a large scale, we’ll spend a considerable amount of money on the projects.”

Long thought about it and said, “What’s the business situation over there?”

Shi recalled and said, “I don’t know the details, but Quanzhou actually enjoys a good geographical location. People need to pass through it when they need to go to the north, so it’s an important location. Because there are few mountains and all wasteland, there’s very little rainfall there every year. It’s said that residents in Quanzhou offended the gods a hundred years ago, so the gods chose to punish the descendants of those people with no rainfall.”

Long found it ridiculous. “Qingzhou, you still believe that?”

Shi shook his head. “I didn’t mean that... However, all people there believe in this legend, and just because of that, they even don’t want to work hard.”

Long understood him. “Qingzhou, you mean that the reason why Quanzhou is so poor is related to the weather, but the most important reason is people’s mindset?”

“Yes.” Shi nodded. “Since kids can remember, people of all generations say that they are the offspring of sinners, so they are punished by heaven. If they want to have a good life, they must pray and ask for heaven’s forgiveness. If it doesn’t rain and there is no harvest that year, it must be because heaven is still angry.”

Long found it absurd and frowned deeply. “This kind of thinking really stands in the way of progress. Who are the local officials taking charge there?”

“The governor is Dong Wenqing and the prefect is Wu Xiang’an. I don’t know who the magistrate is,” Shi recalled.

Long touched Shi’s cheek with his unharmed hand.

Shi felt confused.

Long smiled. “Qingzhou, you’re incredible. I don’t know who the governor is over there, but you even know the prefect.”

Shi smiled. “Your Majesty, there are so many national affairs on your mind every day, so you don’t remember who the officials are at some small places. Isn’t that normal?”

“Alas...” Long gave a long sigh. “So in my dream, you were a wise emperor, but I was fatuous.”

After hearing that, Shi stopped smiling. A moment later, he said slowly, “Your Majesty, do you care about that dream that much?”

“Hmm?” Long stared at Shi. “Qingzhou, in which aspect?”

Shi shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Long paused, and then said softly, “Qingzhou, I remember that dream because it brought about a great change of mind for me. There is nothing else.”

Shi stared at Long.

Long beckoned him. Shi put down the memorial and approached him.

Long kissed Shi’s eyelids. “Qingzhou... What are you afraid of?”

Afraid? Shi shook his head. “I’m not afraid... Your Majesty, it’s just that your dream makes me feel uncomfortable.”

“You’re right.” Long nodded seriously. Then, he said softly, “Then we won’t talk about this dream in the future, okay?”

After hearing those words, Shi nodded slightly. “Okay.”

Long smiled and hugged Shi in his arms. They held each other quietly for a while.

Later, the topic returned to the drought in Quanzhou.

“Qingzhou, what do you think about the governor and prefect there?”

“They’ve been in office for five years, but made no achievements,” Shi criticized directly.

Long frowned. “What are the backgrounds of Dong Wenqing and Wu Xiang’an?”

“In the barren land of Quanzhou, it’s dry in summer and extremely cold in winter. No one likes to work there. So Dong Wenqing and Wu Xiang’an have no special background. When they come back to the imperial city to report on their work every year, they bring some gifts to the officials here, hoping to be promoted and designated to other places. However, they don’t have any valuable gifts to offer, so they’ve been staying there all along.”

Long frowned. “People there are already living in appalling conditions. Where did they get the gifts?”

Shi said lightly, “Obviously, they’re not incorruptible, but they aren’t going too far. At least people haven’t starved to death because of them. So I just said they didn’t make lots of achievements. That’s it.”

Long let out a long sigh and said, “Well, Qingzhou, among all the ministers in the court, who do you think is suitable for working there?”

Shi gently pressed his lips. “It’s not easy to change people’s mindset there, since it’s been more than a hundred years... Although there are many ministers in the court, I don’t think anyone has the ability and is suitable for working there.”

Long thought about it for a while and then said, “What do you think if I send the Right Prime Minister there?”

Shi was stunned. “Send Right Prime Minister there?”

“Yes.” Long smiled. “Quanzhou often suffers from droughts. Most importantly, the people there are muddleheaded. They can do nothing but pray to heaven every day, which is worrisome. The Right Prime Minister is knowledgeable and talented. The point is he’s the pillar of the country. If he goes to Quanzhou, he’ll certainly change the folk customs there and enlighten the common people. Despite of the dry weather, people get rich in other ways. I believe that the Right Prime Minister will definitely share my worries! Although it seems to be a demotion, I’ll assure him that no one will replace his position in the court! I’ll wait for his triumphant return!”

“Triumphant return?” Shi rolled his eyes. “Do you think he’s going to war?”

Long smiled. “It’s more difficult to govern that place than to fight in a war. Of course I expect his triumphant return.”

Shi became silent, and then he said with a smile, “I guess that old fox will be pissed off...”

“But that’s for the wellbeing of our people. He has to obey!” Long said.

“If he goes there, it’ll take him at least two or three years to change people’s mindset. Even if you keep the position of Right Prime Minister for him, there’ll certainly be a different situation in the court when he comes back. Someone will become the new Prime Minister and work for the emperor. Maybe that man won’t have the title, he’ll still wield the same power. When the real Right Prime Minister comes back... he’ll have no real power. It’ll be difficult for him to get back his position. Your Majesty, I admire you.”

“Qingzhou...” Long’s eyes were sparkling. “Do you really admire me?”

“Of course.” Qingzhou nodded.

Long laughed. “Qingzhou, I thought I was very stupid in your heart.”

“Why?” Shi was surprised. “Your Majesty, you’re not stupid at all. In fact, you know everything, but you just don’t say much sometimes.”

“Well...” Long touched his chin. “Hearing that, I also think so. I’m really extremely intelligent!”

Shi found it so funny. He just praised him a little, yet he began to be so narcissistic?

A moment later, Long said seriously, “Qingzhou, I want to get rid of the Right Prime Minister first and further clear the court!”

Shi also became serious. “Okay. But, Your Majesty, whom will you send to tell him that?”

“You,” Long said.

Shi was stunned. “Me? I have no official position in the court...”

“Qingzhou, given your identity and intelligence, you’re the most suitable. There are few officials in the court whose rank is higher than that of the Right Prime Minister, but your identity can hold him back. You just came back from the battlefield and brought the envoys of the Northern Barbarians to sue for peace. Now, everyone says that you are the second Empress Wenyuan. Qingzhou, you’re the most appropriate person to do it. I can... let you naturally appear in the court from now on!”

Shi gasped. “You...”

Long smiled. “Qingzhou, do you just want to be my empress, but not my general?”

Shi’s facial expression slightly changed. After a long time, he said softly, “You don’t want me to go to the battlefield again, do you?”

“Of course not,” Long said firmly.

“But why...”

“If you go to battlefield again, I’ll definitely accompany you! That’s it!” Long said with determination.

Shi was speechless.

“I don’t want to be separated from you for a long time again. This time you misunderstood me and thought I fell in love with someone else. Maybe next time you’ll think that I even have children with others!”

Shi found it so funny. “You...”

Long said seriously, “Isn’t that true? I just treated that guy as a younger brother and wanted to introduce him to you after you came back. I had a drink with him and got drunk. Then, we rested in one room. Both of us are men and he is just a friend of mine. Who knows others would spread gossips like that? What made me more upset is that you actually believed it, Qingzhou! Besides, you left me so long and you didn’t even write to me once! Not even once! If you leave for another several months or even one year, you’ll definitely misunderstand me and think that I already have children with others! Don’t you think I should stop this from happening?”

Shi didn’t know what to say.

Long looked at Shi sadly. “Qingzhou, you just trust me too little.”

Shi coughed and finally said, “Your Majesty, that was my fault.”

“Qingzhou, you apologized? “Long’s eyes brightened. “How are you going to make up for it?”

Shi became speechless. He just said one sentence, yet Long wanted more. Was he going too far?

Long really went further. He moved a little closer to Shi and grabbed his hand to pull his body to him...

Then, he kissed Shi...

That was the compensation Long wanted most!