frightfiction Chapter 1889 The Way of the Nation
Chapter 1889 The Way of the Nation
Cheng Youning stopped thinking about it and shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the words he had just heard! He shouldn't have come to the Ge residence today; not only had he wasted time, but he had also offended his ears.
The carriage moved along slowly, stopping and starting. The impatient Cheng Youning had long been unable to sit still in the carriage. Calculating the time, they had only traveled halfway to the Imperial Academy.
"Bang!" The carriage stopped!
Cheng Youning sighed. It was one thing to walk slowly, but now the carriage had stopped. He instructed Qiao Rong, "Go and see what's going on. Who's blocking the road? Why is the carriage stopped?"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Rong immediately got out of the car and went to inquire. After a while, he returned and reported, "It's the yamen arresting people."
"Who are you arresting that's causing such a huge commotion, blocking the streets?"
"Your Highness, something has happened at the Buddhist Registry of the Ministry of Rites."
"Hmm? The Buddhist Registry?"
"Yes, the Right Shanshi of the Sangha Bureau was arrested, as was the Left Chanjiao."
Cheng Youning seemed to remember something, raising an eyebrow, "Is Han Muran's disturbance at Tingfeng Nunnery related to the two people who were just arrested? Did they pull some strings to make Han Muran the abbot and recruit a group of witches to run rampant in Tingfeng Nunnery?"
Cheng Youning's tone was certain; he was convinced that this was the case, and indeed it was.
"Your Highness is absolutely right. These two are indeed colluding with the Han family to commit illegal acts."
Cheng Youning snorted, her eyes filled with disdain and contempt. "Then that means these two should have been arrested long ago! By the way, with so many people involved in the Han family's affair, how is the Han family doing?"
"I don't know much either, but I heard that the Han family's gate was blocked by a crowd of people who were smashing the gate with all sorts of things!"
This news was something Qiao Rong had just heard earlier: the people were cursing Right Shanshi and Left Chanjiao of the Buddhist Registry, as well as Han Muran of the Han family.
Once You Shanshi and Zuo Chanjiao were arrested, even the most ordinary people connected with Han Muran, who was imprisoned. How much power could a woman have? Wasn't it the Han family supporting her from behind?
There are always some bright minds among the common people, and there are always some who can figure things out. Once one person understands, everyone else will understand. So, among the crowd blocking the way to watch the spectacle, half were cursing the Han family, and the other half were cursing the Sanglu Si (a government agency).
Although the insults were harsh and intense, they all hit the mark.
Because they deserve to be criticized!
"Tell me!" Hearing that the Han family's gate was blocked by people, Cheng Youning became interested. He didn't expect that there would be so many interesting things happening on the street after only two days of being confined.
"It's just rotten vegetable leaves, rotten eggs, and swill. The most disgusting thing is feces. In short, the Han family can't even leave the house now!" Qiao Rong scratched his ear. He had only heard so much in such a short time.
Cheng Youning was a little unsatisfied after hearing this, but she still raised her chin and curled the corners of her mouth, saying with some satisfaction, "Serves you right!"
After thinking for a moment, Cheng Youning added, "But in the end, it won't hurt the core! If only we could confiscate all of the Han family's assets and throw them all into prison."
After thinking it over, Qiao Rong hesitated and said, "That's Madam Wan's maternal family. Your Highness really hopes the Han family will be raided!"
Cheng Youning glanced at Qiao Rong indifferently. "According to the law, isn't this the fate of the Han family? Besides, what about my grandmother's family? Do they have any special privileges? Humph! As the saying goes, even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners! Look at me, I'm still the Crown Prince, and I've never escaped punishment. Have you ever seen the Emperor be lenient with me? The Han family? Can the Han family compare to a Crown Prince like me, just because they're surnamed Han? I, surnamed Wan, haven't received any special treatment, so what's so special about those surnamed Han? Come on, turn the carriage around, let's take a detour to the Imperial Academy, or we'll miss the morning classes!"
Qiao Rong was naturally upright and honest. The emperor chose him to be Cheng Youning's page because of his straightforward and loyal nature.
Hearing Cheng Youning's words, Qiao Rong felt a bit of admiration. He had felt inexplicably happy when he heard those people cursing the Han family, but as Cheng Youning said, everyone was just venting their anger. As far as the Han family was concerned, they hadn't lost any limbs and their foundations were not damaged at all.
I wonder if the people handling the case will be impartial. The Emperor has eyes and ears everywhere; does he really not know anything about the Han family's affairs?
As the carriage turned around and onto another main street, Qiao Rong asked Cheng Youning, "Your Highness, will you tell the Emperor about the Han family's affairs?"
"His Majesty is discerning and no one can fool my grandfather. The fact that he gave Han Yuanqiao, the eldest son of the Han family, a nominal third-rank position shows that the Han family has no merit and cannot be given important responsibilities. Half of the civil and military officials in the court were recommended, but those positions and salaries were not given to them for nothing. They were all tested by His Majesty. It is not to say that they can govern the country and bring peace to the nation, but they all have some talent and ambition. We don't expect them to save the world and bring peace to the people, but they should at least have some policies for governing the country and bringing peace to the people. Otherwise, what use are they? As for the Han family, they are penniless and can't even talk about strategy on paper. How can such a person catch His Majesty's eye?"
Qiao Rong exclaimed, "I never imagined His Highness the Crown Prince would look down on the Han family so much!"
In truth, Qiao Rong also looked down on the Han family, but she just didn't dare to say it!
Cheng Youning chuckled upon hearing this, appearing somewhat mature. "It's not that I look down on the Han family, but rather that I've seen through them. When the Han family first came to beg for alms, they stayed briefly at Prince Pang's residence. But to me, it was more like they were just lingering. What's wrong with doing business? It's just that the commercial taxes are higher, but there's still profit to be made. The Han family, a merchant family, have neglected their business after decades of operation, spending all their time around my grandmother. But I must say, they're very good at flattering people; they always manage to keep my grandmother happy. Remember the kite incident? I was punished by my great-uncle with a beating and sent to farm outside the north city. I didn't go to Prince Pang's residence for quite some time, and my grandmother didn't even notice I was punished. Normally, if I didn't show my face for three days, my grandmother would start asking about me. With the Han family around, my grandmother completely forgot about me. The Han family really has some tricks up their sleeves."
“Those are the old lady’s family members, so naturally they’re treated differently!”
"Hmph! Greed knows no bounds, and the world is full of unpredictable endeavors. Just wait and see! The Han family's fate is sealed. However, I will still tell the Emperor about today's events, including his philandering sworn brother. I will tell the Emperor everything! By the way, regarding that piece of land outside the north city, I still need to check on it in the next few days. That land is close to the city gate and next to the road. If the crops don't grow well, the people will think that I, the Crown Prince, neglect farming. The way to govern a country is to prioritize farming. Only if I, the Crown Prince, take the lead in farming will the people follow suit."