Unlimited Resources: Raising a Minister with a Space Supermarket

Chapter 587 - 518: Perplexity

What exactly does Fu Qionglin mean? Logically, Su Jingchen, being the top scholar, should have started in the Hanlin Academy, but the Emperor did the opposite, sending Su Jingchen to the Northern Land to start as a County Magistrate.

According to the laws of Great Liang, officials are not allowed to serve in their hometowns, for fear that they might be entangled with the local family powers, unable to judge cases impartially, or become local tyrants, like little emperors.

It’s unclear how Fu Yi spoke to the Emperor at the time, but in any case, Su Jingchen’s official career trajectory was completely different from what was in the book.

Not entering the Hanlin Academy means he won’t have the opportunity to enter the Cabinet in the future, so Su Jingchen might very well be stuck at the third-rank official for his whole life.

Just when Su Jingchen and Yu Xiaolian were thinking this way, Fu Qionglin said that Su Jingchen had a chance to return to the Capital as a Capital Official, this...

Yu Xiaolian always felt that Fu Qionglin and the Emperor had some conspiracy waiting for them, but what exactly it was, she couldn’t guess for now.

In the evening, when Su Jingchen returned from the Salt Transport Department, Yu Xiaolian shared her concerns with Su Jingchen.

Su Jingchen merely comforted Yu Xiaolian not to overthink and instructed her to take care of herself and their child during this time and not to go out casually.

Yu Xiaolian knew that aside from Fu Qionglin’s letter, Su Jingchen should have also received a secret letter from the Emperor, but as it was a court secret, Su Jingchen couldn’t tell her.

Since Su Jingchen asked her to be at ease, Yu Xiaolian decided not to worry anymore.

"If I had known coming to Yangzhou would be so stifling, I might as well have returned to Yu State with my fifth aunt when we were in Lu State." Having not seen her parents for several years, Yu Xiaolian missed them dearly.

Su Jingchen glanced at Yu Xiaolian and suddenly said, "Yangzhou isn’t very far from Yu State, if you want to go back, I can arrange for someone to escort you."

Yu Xiaolian’s eyes lit up as she stood up, but a moment later, she sat down with her shoulders drooping, "Better not, the situation here with you is uncertain, if I leave, my heart won’t be at ease!"

In fact, Yu Xiaolian had already been extremely torn on her way to Yangzhou; she disliked the officialdom and thought that living a simple, happy life with her family was the best and happiest way to live. However, Su Jingchen had ambitions, and she really couldn’t bear to stop him.

Her determination to stay away from officialdom wasn’t very firm until after reading Fu Qionglin’s letter, she had made up her mind.

She didn’t want to be a tutor for some Princess, nor did she want her daughter to be a companion or handkerchief friend to the Princess.

For many, this might be a sought-after opportunity, but Yu Xiaolian had no desire for such a chance.

Being close to the Emperor is like being close to a tiger, the Royal Family is the most complicated. She only wished for her daughter to grow up safe, happy, and carefree, without getting involved in all the scheming and intrigue.

Yu Xiaolian looked at Su Jingchen, "If the Emperor summons me to the palace, I do not plan to accept the decree!"

Su Jingchen was slightly surprised, "Why?"

Refusing a decree is defying the imperial edict!

After Yu Xiaolian explained her thoughts, Su Jingchen was silent for a long time.

He couldn’t extricate himself for now, but he was already close to Prince Cheng’s Mansion. He believed the Kou Family would seek him out before long.

"Three years, no, at most two years. Give me two years, and I will handle everything." Su Jingchen gently placed his hand on Yu Xiaolian’s shoulder.

He could not leave his mother’s revenge unavenged, or he would be unworthy as a son!

Yu Xiaolian understood Su Jingchen, but what if the Emperor’s decree came? What then?

It would be best to find a way to make the Emperor dismiss the idea of summoning Yu Xiaolian to the Capital.

While there are quite a few female tutors in Great Liang, those gaining the Emperor’s attention in their careers are almost nonexistent, and Yu Xiaolian has no desire to be the first in history to do so.

Besides, she didn’t think a grand state would lack someone like her, there might be other intentions involved.

The Emperor ordered Su Jingchen to stay in Yangzhou to manage the Lianghuai Salt Field, yet he wanted her to take the child to the Capital. Yu Xiaolian felt it was like becoming a hostage.

Su Jingchen remained silent for a long time and then spoke, "The Lianghuai Salt Field is the Emperor’s cash cow. It’s understandable that the Emperor doesn’t want to suffer losses twice, but separating us, husband and wife, in different places is somewhat excessive."

Seeing that Su Jingchen shared her perspective, Yu Xiaolian quickly asked, "Then what should we do?"

She really didn’t want to go to the Capital!

Su Jingchen reassured Yu Xiaolian, "The Emperor merely has this idea for now, it may not mean he will actually summon you to the Capital."

"But what if the Emperor is serious?" Yu Xiaolian gazed at Su Jingchen.

Su Jingchen whispered, "I have my ways, rest assured!"

Yu Xiaolian frowned and pressed on, "What ways? Can’t you tell me?"

Su Jingchen pulled Yu Xiaolian to sit on his lap and whispered something to her.

The more Yu Xiaolian listened, the more alarmed she became.

It turned out, Yangzhou’s officialdom was so complicated, no wonder Su Jingchen had been holding back those bandits and refused to confront Cao Guangqiao: it turns out Cao Guangqiao, in his early years, was gathering wealth for Jun Tingye when he was still the Crown Prince.

No wonder when Jun Yian became Emperor, Cao Guangqiao fell, but when Jun Tingye took over, Cao Guangqiao wasn’t dismissed this time.

People of the Emperor’s, they must wait for the Emperor to deal with them. So, Su Jingchen had already mentioned the assassination attempt by Cao Guangqiao’s people in the secret letter to the Emperor, just waiting for the Emperor’s judgment.

"So why doesn’t the Emperor continue to employ Cao Guangqiao as the Salt Transport Envoy of Lianghuai, but sends you to Yangzhou instead?" Yu Xiaolian wondered.

"The imperial mind is hard to fathom, the Emperor must have his considerations."

Su Jingchen avoided Yu Xiaolian’s gaze. He couldn’t possibly tell her that the Emperor sent him there to kill and eliminate the last threats to his throne.

Knowing it in his heart was enough, such things cannot be spoken aloud.

As for sending Yu Xiaolian to the Capital, Su Jingchen knew the Emperor wanted a handle on him, but as long as he handed another handle over to the Emperor, he believed the Emperor wouldn’t cling to Yu Xiaolian.

After all, the weight of the Loyal and Righteous Marquis Mansion in the Emperor’s heart might be heavier.

On the surface, the Loyal and Righteous Marquis Mansion might already seem like a spent force, but the Marquis Mansion had a Death Exemption Token, a grant from the late Emperor, which was still unique in Great Liang.

As long as Su Jingchen revealed himself as a descendant of the Loyal and Righteous Marquis, the Emperor would certainly step in for him, allowing him to replace Kou Siyu.

In this way, the Death Exemption Token would return to the Emperor, free from any threat.

"The late Emperor only allowed the Kou Family three generations of nobility. By Kou Siyu’s generation, it’s already the last. Why does the Emperor still not rest assured about the Kou Family?" Yu Xiaolian asked in confusion.

Su Jingchen smiled faintly, "It’s only because Kou Siyu is too closely associated with Prince Cheng’s Mansion!"

A military family, even without military power now, still makes the Emperor wary.

After all, Kou Maonian’s early fame was so illustrious that people dared not underestimate that his descendants would be incompetents.