The Lucky Farmgirl

Wei Zhi was also reflecting on the matter. The Emperor had brought it up for the second time yesterday, and although it was just a casual mention and no conclusion was reached, Wei Zhi knew that after another mention, everyone would need to seriously consider it.

The Central Secretariat had six secretaries, all tasked with drafting imperial decrees, attending to the Emperor, and receiving submitted documents. By promoting them, the Emperor intended to assign them the duties of attending, delivering decrees, and querying, as well as managing the affairs of the Central Secretariat, thus offloading some responsibilities from the right and left assistant ministers of the Secretariat.

And what happens afterward?

Currently, the Central Secretariat lacks a Chief Secretary, and the decision-making falls upon the assistant ministers. With these roles being delegated to subordinates, their authority would be further diminished.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the fact is that not only would their responsibilities be delegated to subordinates, but the Emperor would also reclaim some of them.

Wei Zhi was concerned about this.

The Emperor seemed not to favor being constrained by others.

But this is understandable. Who likes having three people constantly nagging in their ear while doing things?

The Emperor’s preferences for sweet-talking and his fondness for Prince Gong, who speaks like honey, had made this clear.

Thus, Wei Zhi pondered and decided to refuse the matter. As the head of the Imperial Secretariat, he held the power to block such a proposal simply by refusing to agree.

When Bai Shan visited him and subtly brought up the issue, Wei Zhi paused briefly before saying, "I understand this matter in my heart. You’re still young, so there’s no need to get involved for now. Just focus on your duties at the Central Secretariat."

Wei Zhi looked at Bai Shan, his gaze filled with appreciation and delight. His recent foul mood vanished, and he couldn’t resist patting Bai Shan’s shoulder, saying, "Do your job well."

Regardless of the future, the promotion of secretaries now was a great opportunity for Bai Shan. A rise in rank would elevate him from the sixth grade to the fifth, equivalent to advancing two grades in a year, faster than Zhou Man, who currently held the record for quick promotions.

Most importantly, he would eventually need to go out and gain experience. Which minister at court has no experience in local governance?

A little participation in regional affairs is necessary before returning to the capital to enter the center of power.

The unwritten rule was that when a central official was posted outward, unless it was as a punishment, they would receive a half or full-grade promotion.

With one transition, Bai Shan could become the top official of a province. Some officials might toil for twenty years and still fail to reach the position of Prefect.

Yet Bai Shan only needed a little maneuvering, and he could manage it while even contemplating refusing the Emperor’s promotion...

Wei Zhi thought that the future of Great Jin, with officials like Bai Shan who prioritized the greater picture and national interests over personal ones, would never stray from the right path.

Thus, when Wei Zhi entered the palace again to accompany the Emperor in a game of chess, he proactively raised the topic of promoting secretaries, then clearly told the Emperor he didn’t agree.

Many relationships in this world are like springs; if you push, one side weakens. The same applies to monarch and ministers. The Emperor previously had grand ambitions, but now he seemed hesitant, like he had been doused with cold water. After a glance at Wei Zhi’s stern face, he decided to avoid confrontation and calmly nodded to show he understood.

After that, the matter was not brought up again for a long time and thus came to nothing.

This surprised Liu Huan, who had been waiting for Bai Shan’s promotion so he could celebrate with a feast, and he privately asked them, "Why has the promotion issue gone quiet?"

Bai Shan and Yin Huo exchanged glances, both aware of the truth.

Bai Shan knew it must have been Wei Zhi’s doing, and Yin Huo learned from his father that Lord Wei had played chess with the Emperor, after which the Emperor had spent two days riding horses in the West Inner Court, unhappily hunting with Yin Li, leaving him with quite a few wild animals recently.

Yin Huo remembered and turned to Bai Shan, "I have some fresh venison, but it will spoil soon as the weather gets warmer. Would your family like some? I’ll give you half."

Bai Shan immediately agreed.

Liu Huan, standing nearby, promptly said, "I want some too, a deer leg."

Yin Huo nodded, "I’ll have a servant deliver it to you."

Bai Erlang, on the side, remained silent until Liu Huan nudged him with an elbow, "Don’t you want any?"

Bai Erlang shook his head, "This afternoon, the palace sent a roe deer over. It was said to have been shot by the Emperor in the West Inner Court."

Liu Huan laughed foolishly and said, "How come the Emperor shot a roe deer, while Lord Yin shot a deer?"

Bai Erlang gave him a quick look, saying, "You’re thinking too much. Next door, Princess Changyu received a whole deer, but venison is too warm for Princess Mingda, so they didn’t send us any. Besides the roe deer, plenty of rabbits and other creatures were sent over too."

Since becoming a consort, Bai Erlang may lack some things, but definitely not food and drink. He was now among the top tier, unlike when he had to compete for resources with the noble families in the capital. As the Emperor’s son-in-law, Mingda would receive her share of whatever the palace had. Even if Bai Erlang and Mingda didn’t ask for it, there’d always be people bringing them the good stuff from the influential families...

No longer did they need to depend on Yin Huo to buy a deer.

Only, Bai Erlang and Mingda focused mainly on food and drink; the couple showed little interest in other luxurious items.

Bai Erlang said to Bai Shan, "My family has some roe deer and rabbit meat too, do you want any?"

Bai Shan nodded, "Yes."

He accepted everything offered.

With a large family, they could consume anything, or if unable to finish, they could send some to the restaurants. They would never waste the food.

Thus, Bai Shan and Daji rode around to various homes, gathering lots of stuff but never entering, loading up the cart before heading home.

Bai Erlang planned to leave them and work on his drafts at home, so he called out, "Don’t forget to visit our newly built road tomorrow on your day off."

Bai Shan waved to show his understanding.

Riding beside Bai Shan, Yin Huo looked away and said, "I’ve heard new houses have been built in New City, a lot of scholars are planning to rent there, even some classmates from the Imperial Academy are interested."

Bai Shan replied, "It was built by the Princess. Doesn’t the Academy provide accommodations?"

Those from poor families could choose to stay in the dormitories.

Yin Huo shook his head, "Ultimately, the dormitories aren’t convenient. Some people study late, which can cause conflicts if their roommates disagree."

But renting outside was too expensive, so many chose to compromise.

However, if affordable places existed, even if farther away, many would opt for them, using travel time to recite textbooks, not wasting any time, spending a couple of coins on transport.

Better than enduring at the dorms and possibly ruining relationships.

Bai Shan said, "They can talk to Bai Er, who is their senior. He might not do much, but offering lower prices is possible."

Bai Erlang certainly wouldn’t mind, earning good will and reputation for Princess Mingda.

Don’t assume a princess doesn’t need a good reputation.

With a good name and connections, she’d always have defenders when criticized at court, like Princess Changyu and Manbao.

This day off coincided with a mock examination, leading to the imperial session occurring prior, where major issues were discussed before smaller ones. A censor then emerged to impeach Princess Changyu for indulgence and extravagance, stating that based on his incomplete survey from watching the streets daily, she dined out twenty-one days in a month...