Chapter 861 - 864: Discussing Rewards
Chapter 861: Chapter 864: Discussing Rewards
Hua Shunming had been keeping a close eye on the royal court. Hearing Le San’s report, he sat in his palace and smiled bitterly.
"Gu Wenheng really gave me a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect him to have so many facets.
"I thought assigning him to govern a local region was already making the best use of his talents.
"I never imagined he possessed such capabilities. Tell me, if I had summoned him to Shangjing sooner, wouldn’t things have been much easier for me?"
Especially considering the newly drafted rules and regulations, the old ones from the past now seemed like child’s play.
Le San was rendered speechless.
"Alas, I am still too greedy. Even at this point, I still want to keep all the good things firmly in my grasp.
"I hope the Emperor, having gained such a fine official, can put him to good use."
At this, Hua Shunming was interrupted by a violent fit of COUGHING. Frightened, Le San hastily ordered someone to summon an Imperial Physician.
Meanwhile, in the royal court.
Hua Zhang looked at the newly audited ledgers and immediately ordered the Ministry of Revenue to conduct a re-examination. Many of the accounts within were hidden so cleverly that if Gu Wenheng hadn’t dug them up this time, they would have turned into another unsolvable mess in a few years.
Hua Zhang wasted no words on the dissatisfied courtiers; he simply had them pass around Gu Wenheng’s memorial, and they were instantly silenced. They even felt a bit nervous, terrified of being implicated.
This man was truly someone who would shock everyone with a single brilliant feat. Having just arrived in Shangjing, he was already prepared to turn the finally peaceful city upside down all over again.
Gu Wenheng paid no mind to their probing gazes. He would be dealing with these people for a long time to come, and the real beginning was this Ministry of Revenue audit.
What Gu Wenheng was doing was bound to make him enemies. Especially as more and more messy accounts were unearthed, both Hua Shunming and Hua Zhang worried for his safety and secretly dispatched guards to protect him.
Hua Shunming did not expect the new emperor to sincerely thank him for this matter.
"Father, this Gu Wenheng possesses the talent to bring peace to the nation. Thank you for leaving such a capable minister to me," Hua Zhang said.
Hua Shunming felt a lump in his throat. Although his son’s attitude was sincere, his tone was incredibly infuriating.
He thought, "If I had known he possessed such talent and such courage, I would have grabbed him to work for me long ago."
Still, it wasn’t too bad. Over the years, Gu Wenheng had governed a few regions for him. He could only comfort himself this way.
"My days are numbered," Hua Shunming said, raising a hand to stop Hua Zhang’s expression of concern. "Although Gu Wenheng acts hastily, this is the most advantageous approach for the royal court.
"During my final days, you should provide him with the utmost convenience. It would be best if he could straighten out all these chaotic messes.
"This is also the last thing I can do for you as your father."
As he spoke, Hua Shunming fell into self-blame once more. "It’s my fault for being so careless all these years. I assumed that because they followed me out of my old mansion, they would remain unfailingly loyal.
"Emperor, let my mistakes be a warning to you. You must remain vigilant, even with the people you trust the most by your side.
"As long as a person is alive and has attachments, they will have selfish motives. Do not let go of everything in your grasp."
Hua Zhang nodded hastily. Although his father did not explicitly admit his faults, he could hear the self-reproach and guidance in his words.
"Then what about Gu Wenheng?"
"As for him, it depends on how well you can manage the boundaries," Hua Shunming replied. "But from what we can see so far, this man operates with a firm bottom line. His desire for money and power is not that deep."
Thinking of how both his and his father’s private treasuries only existed because of Mr. Gu, Hua Zhang felt even more satisfied with Gu Wenheng.
However, a faint sense of guilt also rose within him. "Father, Mr. Gu gave the Royal Family all of his money-making methods. I feel ashamed."
Hua Shunming looked at the Emperor with gratification. "You finally thought of it.
"Our Royal Family does not consist of tyrants who forcefully seize what belongs to others. In the early years, I intended to compensate him, but his status was too low and his influence too weak. Giving him too much would have instead become a burden to him.
"Now, however, you can take this opportunity to offer him some compensation."
There were only a few types of royal compensation. Hua Zhang asked, "Do you mean to bestow a noble title upon him, Father?"
Hua Shunming looked at him with disappointment. "A noble title is easy to bestow but difficult to take back. Besides, considering his current achievements, it’s still too early to grant him a title."
Hua Zhang nodded obediently. His father’s words made sense. If he gave out the best reward all at once, he wouldn’t know how to reward Gu Wenheng for future contributions.
"Near the Imperial Palace, I remember the Royal Family still holds a few residences." Hua Shunming fell into deep thought. He was the second emperor of the Rong Dynasty. The late Emperor had struggled to produce heirs and only had him as his sole son, so many Prince Mansions near the Imperial Palace had been left vacant.
Although his own sons had been granted titles, the new emperor disliked his brothers. Aside from the legitimate second Prince who received a Prince Mansion, the rest were treated rather perfunctorily.
Because of this, the concubines and the Princes had even pleaded with him. To ensure their future safety and allow them to enjoy wealth and honor, Hua Shunming had taken on the responsibility for these properties.
Reminded by this, Hua Zhang also thought of the maintenance fees for those several Prince Mansions listed on the ledgers this time, making his heart ache at the expense. He even felt a bit of regret. He should have just handed those mansions over to his brothers back then and let them bear the costs themselves.
"Are you suggesting we bestow a Prince Mansion upon Gu Aiqing, Father?" This seemed a bit overstepping. Although those courtyards were empty, they occupied a large area and were magnificently built.
"Are the things Gu Wenheng provided not even worth a single courtyard?" Hua Shunming was almost amused by his son’s stinginess. As an emperor, he was indeed a bit penny-pinching, but that was because the National Treasury had been empty when he took over. He had painstakingly scraped together some Silver, so he was exceptionally careful with his spending.
Although the National Treasury’s income had decreased over the past few years, the private treasuries of both father and son were quite abundant. If they still didn’t give Gu Wenheng, the hero behind all this, a proper reward, he feared it would chill a loyal heart.
"I’m just afraid the courtiers will have objections again," Hua Zhang said hesitantly.
Only after becoming the emperor did Hua Zhang truly understand the hardships Hua Shunming had endured over the years.
Hua Shunming sighed. "Don’t let those people lead you by the nose. If I had always cared about their opinions all these years, you would have succeeded the throne years ago."
Between angering himself and angering others to death, Hua Shunming felt the choice was very easy to make.
Hua Zhang fell silent. Recalling his father’s tough stance when handling state affairs in the past, he came to a realization.
Hua Shunming felt his energy waning once more. "Go back and think about it carefully. You are the Emperor. As long as you hold the absolute power in your hands, you will have the confidence to avoid being manipulated."
With eight or nine tenths of the military power already in hand, Hua Shunming felt that his tenure as emperor had been quite successful, laying a solid foundation for Hua Zhang. If his son still couldn’t govern the world well under such favorable circumstances, it would simply be due to his own incompetence.
Hua Zhang instructed Le San and the others to take meticulous care of his father. Taking his attendants with him, he went to the Imperial Study Room and began pondering what excuse he could use to reward Gu Wenheng.
Later, at the Tianfu Restaurant.
Gu Wenheng had an appointment today. He was entertaining He Nan in an exclusive private room.
He Nan’s attitude was respectful at the moment. "Mr. Gu, I am here to thank you for your support in my promotion."
Gu Wenheng reached out to help him up and patted his shoulder, saying, "We’ve been brothers for over ten years; let’s not talk about such things.
"The journey ahead is long. You must make thorough preparations for the road."
With his help, He Nan had chosen to be posted to a remote area to serve as a Magistrate. Although the location wasn’t ideal, there was plenty of room for upward mobility.