nucmednet Chapter 174 Picnic
Chapter 174 Picnic
After leaving Old Man Zou's courtyard, Shen Li temporarily put aside this idea and only asked Gu Chang'an if he was free during his day off when he returned home.
"Does A-Li have any arrangements?" Gu Chang'an looked up from a pile of official documents: "I don't need to attend court during my day off, and even if I have some matters to attend to, I'm not busy."
"How about we go for a walk in the countryside?" Shen Li asked, her eyes sparkling.
Seeing her lively expression, Gu Chang'an smiled and said, "Okay."
His daughter, Ah Li, is even more lively this year than last year, and looks even more like a child than before, so how could he possibly spoil her fun?
"It's settled then." Shen Li said to the outside, "Lian Qiao, go home and pick up the Second Miss. Tell her we'll take her out to play tomorrow."
"Yes," Lian Qiao replied calmly, but her steps were very cheerful.
Ultimately, they're only teenagers; no matter how composed they are, they can't hide anything.
"I have ordered people to arrange everything for tomorrow's trip," Gu Chang'an said.
“There’s no need to trouble you, my husband. I’ve already had everything prepared. You can just come along,” Shen Li interrupted him.
Gu Chang'an smiled: "Thank you for your trouble, A-Li."
Shen Li was about to continue speaking when she suddenly noticed a written memorial in front of him, which mentioned Henan Province.
"Husband, what is this?" she asked.
"His Majesty wants to allocate funds to repair the river embankment. Yesterday, he asked me how much money I had available for this purpose. This is the report I prepared to submit after compiling the statistics."
Seeing that A-Li was interested in it, Gu Chang'an picked it up and handed it to her.
Shen Li took the document and opened it. Seeing the allocation of 500,000 taels of silver, she couldn't help but gasp: "Does the national treasury have this much money now?"
Last winter, it was difficult to spare even 100,000 taels of silver for making firearms. Gu Chang'an has only been in charge for half a year, and he is already so wealthy.
"After my assassination attempt, His Majesty dispatched various censors to oversee the investigation. Many places have turned over the money and grain that had been depleted in the national treasury over the years. Now, not only is there more money, but there is also enough grain," Gu Chang'an explained.
He got involved, so he must have had his own agenda.
Shen Li felt only blame and heartache upon hearing this. No matter how worthwhile it was, she shouldn't have stabbed herself, right?
Gu Chang'an was indeed a little guilty, so he lowered his head and pretended to be very busy, trying to avoid eye contact with her.
“I also copied the memorial from Henan Province to the capital today. I’m afraid that major water conservancy projects cannot be built by local officials alone. Shouldn’t the imperial court send someone?” she asked.
"The water affairs in Henan are all managed by the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, and there have been no problems over the years. I don't think His Majesty intends to send anyone there."
Gu Chang'an pondered for a moment and then said, "However, the Grand Secretary intends to send an imperial censor to assist and supervise."
Shen Liwen vaguely remembered that Zhou Zhen had also made this suggestion in her previous life. However, she had not been deeply involved in the court in her previous life, and Gu Chang'an was not in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and could not handle this matter. Therefore, she did not know why the emperor did not agree to it.
"I suppose it's because Henan Dao is quite close to the King of Yi that I only became aware of this matter through the issue of taxation; the King of Yi is opposing it," Gu Chang'an continued.
Shen Li then understood that Prince Yi did not want the censors to interfere with him, while Zhou Zhen, being shrewd, wanted to send someone to sow discord among Prince Yi's people.
Both sides had their own agendas, and it was clear that the previous emperor had listened to the King of Chess.
“We can’t let him oppose it. If the local area is too united, it will be detrimental to the construction of the project.” Shen Li had already made up her mind. It would be best if her father spoke to him about this matter.
My father is known for being selfless and devoted to the public good. When he is dissatisfied, he will even undermine the Crown Prince, and he is not afraid of offending Prince Yi, since they are on the opposite side.
Gu Chang'an nodded: "Ah Li is right. If this matter is discussed at the court meeting, I will definitely do my part."
Based on the previous events, he had realized that this matter might not be simple, otherwise Ah Li wouldn't be paying so much attention to it.
"Okay." Shen Li felt a little relieved.
In his previous life, the King of Chess was favored by the emperor because he had no right to inherit the throne. In this life, the King of Chess is so powerful that the emperor may not listen to what he has to say.
They might even be wary of him.
Such is the nature of kinship within imperial families; once a threat is detected, it can be automatically severed, as if they were enemies in a past life.
The struggle for the throne was a one-way street from the very beginning.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
The next day, after breakfast, Shen Li and Gu Chang'an changed their clothes and prepared to set off. Shen Li wore a sky-blue narrow-sleeved long dress with simple yet exquisite embroidery. The silver threads shimmered faintly in the sunlight, making her look like an elf.
Gu Chang'an wore a moon-white robe. The wide sleeves and flowing robe did not look cumbersome on him. They were all well-behaved and would not hinder his movement or sitting. Of course, they would not overshadow his charm. He was gentle and composed, and the clothes made him look elegant and graceful, like a piece of jade.
"Ah Li, won't this make fishing inconvenient?" Gu Chang'an asked, still looking at his sleeves as he walked out of the room.
Shen Li picked out the clothes for him, but he felt they weren't suitable for an outing; they were more appropriate for a literary gathering.
"No, as long as it looks good." Shen Li had no intention of letting him change it, and besides, she couldn't take her eyes off him.
Those shoulders, that waist, those long legs—it's a feast for the eyes just to look at them.
"Oh, okay." Gu Chang'an nodded obediently; if A-Li said it was okay, then it was okay.
Chunsheng, standing to the side, always felt that his master was like a foolish boy who had been snatched away in front of his wife, lacking any basic judgment.
Of course, he only dared to shake his head quietly, unable to bear to look.
Besides the manor, there are also some mountains and rivers outside Kyoto. The servants had already taken their spots, and most of the things were ready when Shen Li and Gu Chang'an's carriage arrived.
"Go back, everyone, with your guards." Gu Chang'an waved his hand, feeling uncomfortable with too many people.
Since the assassination attempt, the emperor had sent a guard to protect him, but with Shadow nearby today, he didn't think he would need the guard.
Shen Li didn't stop her. With so many people around, it was indeed less comfortable to be so unrestrained, and with her there, it wouldn't be easy to hurt Gu Chang'an.
"Wow, the river here is so clear! And there are lots of wild animals coming from the mountains!" Shen Yue exclaimed excitedly as she looked around.
"How long has it been since you last went out?" Shen Li asked with a smile.
"I haven't left the house since we returned from the hunt. I've received quite a few invitations, but they're either poetry gatherings or flower viewing parties, which I'm really not interested in."
Shen Yue felt miserable when she brought it up: "I don't know how to shoot arrows or ride horses, or even how to fight."
“If you really had a father, he wouldn’t have let you go.” Shen Li pinched her smiling face and said indulgently, “I was afraid you would hurt someone and it would be hard to explain.”
“Sister, don’t be ashamed. Father is clearly more worried about you.” Shen Yue wrinkled her nose at Shen Li.
Even if she makes a mistake, she won't be very lethal, but her older sister is different. If she really makes a mistake, the noble ladies of Kyoto will probably be wiped out, or at least a few will be left.
"How dare you make fun of your older sister? Aren't you afraid I'll ask Dad to test your studies later?" Shen Li raised her eyebrows, feigning a threat.