Royal Gold Magistrate

After finishing the boxed meal, Emperor Jing took a sip from the teacup on the table and casually said, “I’ve already sent people to station at the Banshan Newspaper Office. I didn’t expect the disaster victims in Jianjiang to eat better than your newspaper reporters.”

“I’ve heard that the newspaper reporters drink salt water and eat steamed buns. The stir-fries have no oil, and they can only get half portions. What’s going on?”

“Ah, this…? That’s not right, Your Majesty! I had them drink egg soup, how did it become salt water?” Fang Zheng looked bewildered.

Emperor Jing glanced at him, “Even if they’re drinking egg soup, the rest can’t be wrong, can it? What’s really going on here? I see you’re quite generous to the disaster victims, why are you so stingy with the reporters?”

That’s my own money, damn it! The newspaper hasn’t made a profit yet, and the reporters don’t have Taoyuan household registration! What are they expecting?

Fang Zheng didn’t expect the Emperor to discover this. He wanted to cry but had no tears. He tried to justify, “Your Majesty! The reporters bear the great responsibility of promoting social justice!”

“They face constant temptations from the outside world! Imagine if the reporters’ will isn’t firm and they accept bribes, wouldn’t the foundation of the newspaper be destroyed in an instant?”

“As the saying goes, ‘When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on any man, it will first exercise his mind with suffering, toil his sinews and bones, expose his body to hunger, subject him to extreme poverty.’ Your subject is trying to train their willpower!”

“When they grow, your subject will give them a raise! Let them eat well!”

Guo Tianyang secretly spat. What a bastard! This treatment is almost as bad as the eunuchs in the laundry, and he still has the nerve to argue!

After listening, Emperor Jing nodded, “Not bad, there’s some logic to it. However, doing this is too much. I’ve heard the reporters are extremely tired every day. In the future, you must feed them better!”

Fang Zheng hurriedly said, “There are! The newspaper does have benefits! Your Majesty might not know.”

“I know, you give those worthless stones as rewards!”

“………”

Fang Zheng felt indignant. How are they worthless? If sold, they’d make a fortune!

Emperor Jing looked at him with disdain, “No need to say more. In the future, the reporters’ meals must at least be the same as the disaster victims’!”

Reporters = disaster victims?

Fang Zheng’s eyes rolled, and he grinned, “Alright! Your subject will make the changes when I return.”

Emperor Jing continued, “Good, now tell me, how do you plan to settle those disaster victims?”

Fang Zheng organized his thoughts and said leisurely, “In response to Your Majesty, regarding the various projects in the city, your subject estimates that most will be completed successively within a year.”

“About a year later, a considerable portion of these people will start to return home gradually.”

“During the great disaster, many landlords were also severely affected and became homeless, so quite a lot of land should be vacant.”

“Plus, there might be discrepancies in previous measurements. Your subject suggests sending more people to re-measure the land at this time.”

“Then distribute the ownerless land to the disaster victims, exempting them from rent for three years. However, twenty mu of land can only support a family of four, there might not be enough land.”

“For this matter, we can only request the Ministry of Revenue to allocate silver to help the disaster victims through the crisis.”

“Once sweet potatoes are widely planted, there will be nothing to worry about.”

After listening, a faint smile appeared on Emperor Jing’s face, “Good, it aligns with my thoughts without prior discussion.”

“You don’t need to worry about this matter. I will arrange for people to do it.”

Then he sighed, “I saw you being impulsive and unrestrained, acting recklessly. I was really afraid you’d be a bad influence on the Crown Prince.”

“Now that I’ve come here, it has made me see you in a new light. I don’t need to worry too much about the Crown Prince being by your side.”

Fang Zheng smiled bashfully.

What are you saying? Don’t I have reasons and evidence for everything I do? What do you mean by reckless!

Emperor Jing continued, “As soon as I stepped into Jianjiang territory, Nie Zheng had already reported to me about the Crown Prince’s news.”

“I remember everything the Crown Prince has done.”

“At first, I was always worried about him. The Crown Prince’s temperament is quite similar to the late Emperor when he was young, lively, martial, and believing in the Dao.”

“I found him the best teachers, the best environment, hoping he could change his temperament, just be a preserving ruler, to avoid following the late Emperor’s old path.”

“I didn’t expect him to meet you and become like this today.”

As he spoke, Emperor Jing smiled again.

“Minister Fang, the Crown Prince met you and suddenly had such a big change. Could it be that besides hitting people, you have other methods you haven’t told me?”

Fang Zheng felt extremely awkward.

What did I teach? This is free-range education. How is the Crown Prince like this because of my teaching? This is simply his nature bursting forth!

Thinking of this, Fang Zheng could only say reluctantly, “Your Majesty, some birds are born to be free.”

“His Highness is such a person, someone who yearns for freedom. Keeping him confined in the deep palace every day naturally prevents him from growing healthily.”

“He can neither lead troops into battle, nor can he apply the classics he’s learned, so naturally, he can only indulge in pleasure.”

“Being martial is the nature of young people. Your subject was also martial when young, this is the way of nature.”

When I was the Crown Prince’s age, I was already going crazy with Yasuo! Who wasn’t martial?

Fang Zheng paused, reorganized his thoughts, and said, “The Crown Prince has a pure heart and is compassionate.”

“Not only that, but he’s also courageous in taking on responsibilities. Your subject can’t say I’ve taught the Crown Prince anything, rather, the Crown Prince has taught me a lot.”

“Your Majesty asked why the Crown Prince has changed so much. Perhaps it’s because the Crown Prince has been stifled in the palace for too long, with no opportunity to display his talents.”

“Now the Crown Prince has finally revealed his true nature.”

“So your subject wants to say, it’s not that your subject has any magical method, it’s just that the Crown Prince is naturally born to be a benevolent ruler!”

After hearing this, Emperor Jing originally wanted to maintain his usual serious expression, but he couldn’t suppress the corners of his mouth from rising uncontrollably.

Yes! Isn’t my son just naturally born to be a benevolent ruler?

Fang Zheng, on the other hand, grinned openly!

See how happy you are when I praise your child?

Flattering Your Majesty, you see right through it. Now I put the hat on your son’s head, aren’t you confused?

Of course, I’m speaking from the heart. The Crown Prince’s ability to evolve is indeed maxed out.

Guo Tianyang had already given up on learning and continued to slack off.

He expressionlessly chewed on the sunflower seeds the waiter had just brought, not even spitting out the shells.

Fang Zheng raised his head to look at Emperor Jing, asking curiously, “Your Majesty just said the Crown Prince is like the late Emperor and believes in the Dao? Then why have I never seen a single Daoist priest in the palace?”

Hearing this, Emperor Jing fell silent for a while, his tone filled with emotion: “Yes, the late Emperor was extremely warlike when he was young, you could say he would stop at nothing to strengthen his military power.”

“In his later years, he became obsessed with immortality and the art of becoming an immortal, searching the entire country for Daoist priests to refine elixirs for him.”

Emperor Jing closed his eyes, full of helplessness:

“I kept advising the late Emperor to give up on refining elixirs at that time, but it only angered him greatly.”

“Later, King Wu found many Daoist priests for the late Emperor. The elixirs they refined had quite an effect. After consuming them, he was energetic and sweating profusely.”

“Seeing such miraculous effects, I didn’t stop him much. It’s just a pity that the way of Heaven is merciless. The late Emperor still passed away not long after!”