GBP Chapter 467 Unwavering Thief
Chapter 467 Unwavering Thief
Ye Wenshu leaned against him, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes, but she still said softly, "Your Highness, please don't upset yourself."
"But... His Highness the Crown Prince seems to value Miss Shi highly. He even petitioned for her merits in court today, and His Majesty also granted her Chuzhou as her fiefdom. This is the standard for a princess or prince."
"If we lay a hand on her, will it displease the Crown Prince?"
"Prince?"
Shen Yanchu sneered, "He only dares to act this way because he is favored by His Majesty."
"So what if Shi Wanxia has the Crown Prince backing her up? She's still just a woman. Once she enters the gates of my Xiang Prince's Mansion, she'll be completely at our mercy."
He paused, then added, "Besides, the Crown Prince is currently busy investigating the remnants of the Prince of Rongyang, and may not have the energy to deal with Shi Wanxia's affairs."
"Don't worry, I've already sent people to investigate her misdeeds in Chuzhou. Once we find something wrong with her, even with the Crown Prince protecting her, I can make sure she suffers!"
Ye Wenshu was overjoyed and quickly nodded, "Your Highness, you are always thorough in your work, I trust you."
"But... could we move our wedding date up a little?"
"I want to marry you as soon as possible, and I also want to help you 'teach' Shi girl so that she won't cause trouble outside and embarrass you."
Shen Yanchu looked down at her, his eyes full of doting: "Okay, I'll have someone go and tell Mother to set a wedding date as soon as possible."
Little did he know that Ye Wenshu's eagerness for the wedding was not only to "teach" Shi Wanxia, but also because she feared that things might change if things dragged on.
She had heard that Shi Wanxia was highly respected in Chuzhou and had also gained the favor of the Crown Prince. If she were allowed to continue developing her power, she feared she would become her greatest threat.
As the two were talking, a servant's voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, Vice Minister Zhou of the Ministry of Personnel requests an audience."
Shen Yanchu frowned. Vice Minister Zhou was Zhou Xianzhi's son and also his man.
"Let him in."
Minister Zhou entered the flower hall and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness, greetings, Miss Ye."
"Get up."
Shen Yanchu asked, "What brings you here to see me?"
Vice Minister Zhou stood up and lowered his voice: "Your Highness, today in court, the Crown Prince argued with my father about the matter of bestowing official titles upon female officials."
"Although His Majesty did not grant the request, he did not completely reject it either, and instructed the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites to discuss the regulations."
"Your father is worried that if women are allowed to serve in the court, it may disrupt the ancestral rules. Therefore, he sent me to ask Your Highness how to deal with this matter."
A calculating glint flashed in Shen Yanchu's eyes: "A female official being granted an official position? Shi Wanxia certainly knows how to win people's hearts, to the point that the Crown Prince is going to such lengths for her."
He paused, then said to Vice Minister Zhou, "Go back and tell your father to emphasize 'ancestral rules' and 'moral principles' when discussing the regulations, and to unite with a few senior officials to advise His Majesty."
“As long as we persist, His Majesty will not easily break the ancestral rules.”
"As for Shi Wanxia... without the help of the female officials, she can't cause any trouble in Chuzhou."
Vice Minister Zhou quickly replied, "Your Highness is wise! I will go back and inform my father immediately." After saying this, he bowed and withdrew.
In the flower hall, Ye Qingwan nestled in Shen Yanchu's arms, a sweet smile on her face: "Your Highness, with you here, I'm not afraid of anything."
Shen Yanchu stroked her hair, but a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.
Shi Wanxia, you just wait. After my wedding, I will make you pay for what you did today!
In the study of the Chuzhou government office, the candlelight flickered, making Shi Wanxia's profile exceptionally clear.
She sat at her desk, holding a letter sent by the Crown Prince, her brows slightly furrowed.
“Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince said in his letter that His Majesty has granted you Chuzhou as your fief, and also bestowed upon you gold and a princess’s mansion. However, the matter of granting official titles to female officials has been suppressed by the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites.”
Shuyun stood to the side and said in a low voice, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
"Those old ministers are just stubborn and inflexible. They only know how to stick to the so-called ancestral rules and can't see the merits of Qin Xin and Qing Lan at all!"
Shi Wanxia put down the letter, rubbed her temples, and said calmly, "I don't blame them. The ancestral rules have been passed down for many years, and it's not easy to change them."
"It's already quite an achievement that His Highness the Crown Prince was able to secure this opportunity for us to discuss things."
She paused, then looked at Shuyun, "By the way, have you found out about Shen Yanchu's return to the capital?"
Mentioning Shen Yanchu, Shuyun's tone immediately became serious: "We found out. Prince Xiang returned to the capital yesterday. It is said that he met Ye Qingwan as soon as he entered the mansion, and also summoned Minister Zhou of the Ministry of Personnel. I wonder what they are plotting."
"Also, the Imperial Guard's cavalry has returned to the Imperial Guard, but before leaving, the Prince of Xiang left a few people in Chuzhou, seemingly to secretly monitor us."
Shi Wanxia's eyes turned cold: "Surveillance? He's as petty as ever."
She stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark night sky outside.
"The post-disaster reconstruction in Chuzhou has just begun to show results, and we cannot afford any mistakes."
“Shen Yanchu is plotting in the capital, and we cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom in Chuzhou.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Qin Xin and Qing Lan walked in.
"Young lady, are you looking for us?"
Qin Xin held an account book in her hand, which recorded the progress of the Chuzhou water conservancy project.
"This is the progress schedule for the recent dam reinforcement. After using cement, the progress is 30% faster than expected. In another half month, the entire reinforcement will be completed."
Qinglan stepped forward and handed over a document: "Miss, this is the information on the resettlement of the disaster victims."
"Currently, 80% of the disaster victims have moved into newly built houses, and the remaining 20% will be properly resettled in a few days."
"However... there is still a shortage of medicinal herbs and food, which need to be transported from the capital as soon as possible."
Shi Wanxia took the account books and documents, looked at them carefully, and nodded, saying, "Well done. Water conservancy and resettlement are of paramount importance and must not be allowed to go wrong."
"Regarding the grain and medicine, I will write to the Crown Prince and ask him to help coordinate with the Ministry of Revenue to transport them over as soon as possible."
She placed the account books and documents on the table, turned to the three men and said, "I have called you here today to arrange a few things."
"First, Qin Xin, you will continue to be in charge of water conservancy projects and the promotion of cement."
"The Prince of Xiang has left people in Chuzhou to keep watch. Send more people to the construction site and pay attention to safety. If anyone is found to be deliberately sabotaging the site, arrest them immediately without hesitation."
Qin Xin bowed and replied, "Yes, Miss!"
"Secondly, Qinglan, in addition to being responsible for the resettlement and medical care of the disaster victims, you also need to keep an eye on the situation in Chuzhou City."
"Although the Crown Prince has wiped out some of the remnants of the Prince of Rongyang, the main force is still there, and I am worried that they will launch a counterattack."
"If any suspicious persons are discovered, immediately inform Young Master Cui and have him send people to investigate."
Qinglan replied, "Understood!"
"Third, Shuyun, please organize all the documents we have in Chuzhou for disaster relief, quelling the rebellion, and reconstruction, including account books, lists of disaster victims, and project progress schedules. The more detailed the better."
“Shen Yanchu is looking for something against us in the capital. We must prepare in advance. Once the capital sends people to investigate, we must not let them find any loopholes.”
Shuyun nodded: "Don't worry, Miss, I'll go and fix it right away, I'll make sure there's not a single leak!"