The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

Chapter 617: Chapter 604: Little Cunning

His smile was genuine and heartfelt, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Seeing this, a sigh escaped from Chu Shengrui.

In tradition, a wife is expected to be virtuous and accommodating, providing an aura of calm dignity while the concubine should be adorable, enhancing the pleasures of life. Yet in his case, his concubine embodied both of these attributes, while his wife seemed detached from all.

He truly wondered what sort of situation this was.

Chu Shengrui found his empress increasingly distasteful, though he hid his feelings well, merely maintaining a polite smile while conversing with his Concubine Hui and others.

The meal was near its end.

A young eunuch hurried in, bowed with respect, “Your Majesty, the First Prince and Mr. Wei have requested an audience. They are waiting outside the Shangyuan Hall.”

Chu Yunhe’s motives didn’t concern him, but Mr. Wei’s visit implied some important matter at hand.

“Inform them of my command; let them wait for a moment; I will be there shortly.”

Upon receiving Chu Shengrui’s orders, the young eunuch hurriedly carried out the command.

Both Chu Yunzhao and Chu Jinnian exchanged glances.

With Chu Yunhe continuously being sidelined, they anticipated that he and Mr. Wei, becoming increasingly desperate, would now attempt to incite some form of turmoil.

“The two of you, accompany me.” Chu Shengrui instructed.

“Yes.” Chu Yunzhao and Chu Jinnian agreed. After cleaning their mouths, they left with Chu Shengrui for the Shangyuan Hall.

“Your son pays his respects, Father Emperor.”

“This servant pays his respects to the Emperor.”

Chu Yunhe and Mr. Wei both bowed. After Chu Shengrui responded with a “You may rise,” they stood up. Seeing Chu Yunzhao and Chu Jinnian accompanying Chu Shengrui, their expressions subtly changed.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“This servant pays his respects to the Fourth Prince,” said Mr. Wei as he bowed first.

“Elder brother, Mr. Wei.”

“First Prince, Mr. Wei.”

Chu Yunzhao and Chu Jinnian respectfully greeted them and positioned themselves alongside Chu Yunhe and Mr. Wei.

Seated on his Dragon Throne, Chu Shengrui glanced at Chu Yunhe and Mr. Wei, “What brings you both here to the throne?”

After some hesitation, and a confirming glance at Mr. Wei, Chu Yunhe finally spoke, “Your Majesty, I come on behalf of the waterwheel.”

“During the severity of drought in Lu and surrounding areas, the common people were in dire straits. The invention of the waterwheel brought some relief, helping the people survive the disaster. I believe that the inventors of such a useful tool, which has greatly benefitted the state and its people, should be tremendously rewarded.”

“This will not only manifest the graciousness of our royal line but also motivate the common people to contribute more to the nation.”

Upon hearing Chu Yunhe’s words, Chu Shengrui nodded slightly, “Indeed, those responsible for such deeds should be highly praised. But I wonder about the nature of the inventor of the waterwheel and appropriate awards for such individuals.”

“Since you propose rewards for these individuals, you must have a plan in mind. Speak freely.”

“Yes.” Chu Yunhe responded, “To be frank, Your Majesty, I have made inquiries. The inventor of the waterwheel is a young maiden from the Zhuang family of farmers. She and her younger sister have fended for themselves since their parents’ early demise. She is known for her hard work, kindness, and willingness to help her fellow villagers. She has impeccable character.”

“As for the award…”

Chu Yunhe paused, and then said, “In my opinion, since the award will be seen by the whole nation, it would be best to present Miss Zhuang with the title of the county mistress, as a mark of honor.”

Chu Shengrui’s brow furrowed slightly, his voice dropping, “The waterwheel is indeed a great contribution from Miss Zhuang, but the title of county mistress…”

Despite Miss Zhuang’s contribution in creating the waterwheel, the title of county mistress seemed quite an extravagant reward.

“Emperor,” Mr. Wei began to speak.

However, before he could finish, Chu Jinnian stepped forward, “Emperor, this servant believes that the First Prince has suggested an excellent idea.”

“A nation is built on its people, and the people depend on food for survival. If a drought cannot be controlled, not only would it cause significant hardship for the local people, but the shortage of food would cause prices to soar, affecting everyone. In light of this, Miss Zhuang has made a significant contribution to maintaining stability across the nation.”

“Furthermore, the waterwheel not only mitigates this season’s drought but will also prove useful for many years to come, contributing to the country’s stability.”

Chu Shengrui had doubts about Chu Yunhe’s proposal, but hearing Chu Jinnian’s strong support changed his mind, “Since Jinnian also supports this, then it’s settled. Direct the Ministry of Rites to prepare for it.”

“The Emperor’s wisdom is unparalleled.”

“Your Majesty is wise.”

All four echoed in agreement, exchanging glances in hidden surprise.

Three out of four showed confused expressions.

Chu Yunhe, seemingly unable to contain himself, immediately questioned Mr. Wei once they had left the Shangyuan Hall, “When I saw Chu Yunzhao and Chu Jinnian accompanying the Emperor, I assumed my proposal would surely meet with opposition. I was caught off guard when Chu Jinnian not only didn’t protest but actually supported the idea.”

“Indeed,” Mr. Wei nodded with a puzzled look, “Zhuang Qisheng has said that Zhuang Qingning is ambitious and intended to curry favor with him. Such a person would work zealously if shown small kindnesses, let alone being granted such a generous reward.”

“By ennobling Zhuang Qingning to county mistress within Ningming Prefecture’s jurisdiction, and with the help of Zhuang Qisheng, we can expect her to work for our purposes in the future. Moreover, since you, the First Prince, have requested her ennoblement, her deeds will naturally be linked to you.”

“Our original plan was to annoy a village girl with the hefty reward to do our bidding. While Chu Yunzhao might fail to see through this plan, Chu Jinnian certainly would. So his not objecting but even supporting our plan is truly puzzling.”

“Perhaps…”after a moment of thought, Chu Yunhe speculated, “Perhaps he figured that since I had already brought up this idea, which clearly benefits the country and its people, openly opposing would make the Emperor sees him as narrow-minded. Thus, it would be better to simply go along with it, earning him a reputation for being open-minded.”

“Chu Jinnian and Chu Yunzhao are always scheming these petty ploy and cunning tricks, which indeed, are disgraceful.”

“Whether they are disgraceful or not doesn’t matter, as long as they don’t cause trouble for us.” Mr. Wei stroked his beard with a smile, “Speaking of which, I heard that your Consort Liang is due to give birth in the next few days?”

“Indeed, based on the calculations, the time is these few days,” Chu Yunhe replied joyfully when the conversation shifted to this subject, “and Mrs. Wang has confirmed her pregnancy for over two months now.”

“Congratulations, First Prince.” Mr. Wei congratulated with a bow, “Consort Liang’s child will be the first royal grandchild, born with auspicious signs, and with Mrs. Wang also expecting, if the child is a son, you will have greatly contributed to the expansion of the royal line. The Emperor will be extremely pleased at that time.”