Yun Shu was stunned.
"The cement formula was developed by Your Daughter and Jiang Yuanbao-Jiang Daren. Your Daughter was the one who negotiated the sales of the formula and came up with every clause in the contracts.
Minister Yan did absolutely nothing. He opens his mouth and claims the money should go to him. Even bandits are more reasonable than that, are they not?"
Emperor Xuanwu remained silent.
In truth, Minister Yan had indeed gone mad with desperation.
The child was not wrong. This money had nothing to do with the national treasury. At most, he would collect a merchant tax from her at the end of the year.
Emperor Xuanwu cleared his throat, preparing to nod in agreement and offer her a few placating words, when Yun Shu's indignant voice rang out again.
"It would be one thing if he was merely shameless, but he even accused Your Daughter of prioritizing personal profit, ignoring the greater good of Tian Sheng and the interests of the realm. He claims I've funneled all the earnings into a private vault!
Father Emperor, I implore you to judge fairly. Among all the court officials, who doesn't have a bit of private industry?
Yet who among them, when handling personal business, still secures benefits for Tian Sheng as Your Daughter has?
Do they believe paving cement roads across the entirety of Tian Sheng costs nothing?
Why do you think the merchants' association leaders agreed to this arrangement?
It is precisely because this cement formula of mine offers them even greater profits! Without that condition, I could have sold the formula for a hundred thousand taels per copy and still found eager buyers.
Put another way, all that roadwork has essentially been paid for by Your Daughter!
Your Daughter contributed a large sum to support the Ministry of Revenue. If Minister Yan won't show gratitude, fine—but to slander Your Daughter in such a greedy and outrageous fashion, to try and extort even my personal earnings—
It is simply too much! Father Emperor, I ask that you uphold justice for Your Daughter!"
"Minister Yan has indeed overstepped."
Emperor Xuanwu had been thoroughly convinced.
"At tomorrow's morning court, We shall speak on your behalf."
"Then Your Daughter thanks Father Emperor in advance!"
A sovereign's word must not be taken lightly. He had promised, so he must not go back on it.
Heh.
Her goal achieved, Yun Shu kept up her puffed-cheeked look of outrage and picked up the second memorial.
Then, with a loud snap, she closed it again.
Emperor Xuanwu's eyelid twitched. With what had just happened, he no longer found it amusing.
"What's in that one?"
"This one accuses Great General Wei Yuan of utter ignorance regarding commerce."
Yun Shu was righteously angry.
"Great General Wei Yuan had the audacity to accuse Your Daughter of wasting funds on purchasing a mountain of Zhibei flower fruit at five wen per jin. Now they're stored in a warehouse outside the city, and he claims they're of no use at all.
He says Your Daughter is extravagant and frivolous, squandering wealth.
Does he even understand what supply and demand means? Does he know the value of trade secrets?
It's understandable if he knows nothing of business, but to speak so recklessly about matters he doesn't grasp—that is entirely his failing!
And the worst part? His solution is to have the court buy those Zhibei flower fruits from Your Daughter at just one wen per jin to make winter clothing and bedding for the border troops.
Tell me, how is that any less shameless than Minister Yan's blatant grasping?"
"..."
"Father Emperor, why do you not speak?"
Yun Shu pressed him.
"You must render justice to Your Daughter!"
Emperor Xuanwu sighed.
"Very well."
A flicker of regret stirred within him.
Had he known it would come to this, he would have read the memorials himself.
Those fools who impeached her probably imagined she would be like the deposed Crown Prince, trembling with dread the moment she saw memorials of censure, scrambling to defend herself and desperately trying to appease every voice.
But the truth?
Were it not for the current circumstances, this little one would likely be hurling those memorials onto the floor, shouting at the top of her lungs: Who dares bring charges against This Princess?
Does this child even know what guilt or fear looks like?
All she knows is to march straight to her Imperial Father and lodge complaints, demanding that he deal with those who would dare impeach her.
Emperor Xuanwu pressed his forehead in resignation, numbly playing along as her complaints echoed beside him.
"Father Emperor, you must uphold justice for Your Daughter!"
"Mm."
"Father Emperor, this man is utterly vile. Deal with him!"
"Very well..."
"Father Emperor, he is even more shameless than Minister Yan!"
"Indeed."
"Father Emperor, Cousin personally led the exiled criminals of Qiongzhou and drove off the pirates!"
"Right..."
Emperor Xuanwu responded reflexively, only to suddenly jerk upright.
"What? Who led what to defeat whom?"
"Cousin."
Yun Shu handed over the memorial she was holding and explained carefully.
"Apparently, every winter, nations like Kingdom Wa and Kingdom Li run short of resources, so they disguise themselves as pirates and raid our coastal regions, including Qiongzhou.
This year is no different. The attacks were especially fierce, and over three hundred civilians were killed or injured along the coast.
Unfortunately, the stationed troops in Qiongzhou held the line defensively without launching counterattacks, leading to further casualties of more than five hundred.
To protect the people, Qiongzhou's Zhizhou, Tang Muzhi-Tang Daren , had no choice but to rally able-bodied convicts, board fishing boats, and sail out to eliminate the marauding pirates."
Could such a thing truly be?
Emperor Xuanwu's thoughts jumped back to when he'd said he did not know who to appoint as admiral to lead the navy. At that time, this little one had actually recommended Tang Muzhi.
But he had dismissed the idea without a second thought.
Tang Muzhi was a civil official. Surely, he was not suited for such a martial task.
Yet how long had it been?
He had led convicts onto fishing boats and successfully vanquished pirates.
Could it be that Tang Aiqing truly had the makings of a great general?
Hmm… No, this warranted further consideration.
Tang Aiqing had been carefully selected to become a capable statesman for Xiao Wu. If...
[Simulation Life Selection System at your service.]
[Please choose your next course of action!]
Excellent. No need to agonize.
Emperor Xuanwu smiled as he held the memorial, though his gaze shifted to the glowing screen before him.
[A. Appoint Tang Muzhi as the naval commander.]
[B. Appoint the heir of Marquis Wu'an, Cen Shifeng, as the naval commander.]
[C. Appoint General Zhennan, Xue Weiyong, as the naval commander.]
Emperor Xuanwu raised an eyebrow and promptly selected A.
[You have chosen A. Tang Muzhi has successfully trained an invincible naval force. The court has lost a minister of legendary governance but gained a general of enduring renown.]
From civil service, he would have become a minister for the ages. From military service, a general of unmatched legacy.
Splendid. Tang Aiqing truly lived up to his promise. Even the Simulation Life Selection System offered such high praise.
And yet… that left him torn once more.
How could one man excel equally in civil and military affairs?
How was he supposed to choose?
Could one truly say a Minister for the Ages was lesser than a General for the Ages?
Each was irreplaceable. Each was someone he could not bear to lose.