Chapter 2: Starting the Career
When Han Ranzhi brought up business matters, her expression became serious as she looked up at Lu Yuner: "Sister Yuner, do you resent me?"
Lu Yuner naturally understood the meaning behind her words. From the Second Rank Minister of Revenue to an Eighth Rank Doctor, outsiders who didn't know might think she had committed an offense and been demoted.
"I don't resent you. I guess Sister Ranzhi's recommendation also had the Emperor's intention," Lu Yuner smiled, as if seeing through it all, and continued, "First, to appoint the worthy and capable; second, to combat corruption and promote integrity."
Because Lu Yuner knew that the current female Emperor was originally the Ninth Princess Mu Yue of the previous dynasty. Just because she was born in the Cold Palace and not favored, she endured all kinds of humiliation every day, bullied by her brothers and sisters above, and disrespected by even the dog servants below.
She lived in hiding for years, and after the Chaoyang Gate incident, she finally ascended to the throne by stepping on the flesh and blood of her closest kin.
In the struggle for imperial power, the victor becomes the king and the loser becomes the bandit. Throughout history, there have been many emperors who killed their relatives and usurped the throne.
The reason this female Emperor could claim the throne was naturally due to an important figure behind the scenes - the current and only non-imperial Prince, Cloud Prince Su Bai.
Cloud Prince Su Bai was a female hostage from the Kingdom of Yunnan. Although small in territory, Yunnan was a land of outstanding people and abundant resources.
Every year, they offered plenty of gold, silver, and jewels to the previous female Emperor, with the sole purpose of seeking peace and prosperity for their country.
However, the previous female Emperor was fond of extravagance, insatiably greedy, and her desires were hard to fill. She betrayed her word and ordered troops to be sent, disregarding the lives of Yunnan's people and forcibly occupying Yunnan as her own.
A grudge for the destruction of a country, and one enduring humiliation with a heavy burden - this also led to Su Bai and Mu Yue appreciating each other's qualities and cooperating to overthrow this decadent and corrupt dynasty.
However, after this female Emperor ascended the throne, she carried out extensive reforms both inside and outside the court, concentrating manpower and financial resources on water conservancy and people's livelihood projects, and promulgating various commercial and educational decrees.
For example, allowing free trade in markets, allowing men to go to school, and so on. Every measure was genuinely for the welfare of the people.
Indeed, she was a wise ruler who was benevolent, respectful of the worthy, diligent in government, and loving towards the people.
This was also why Lu Yuner, since becoming Minister of Revenue, had been willing to work tirelessly and handle official business personally.
However, given the severe corruption of the previous dynasty and many constraints, it was impossible to uproot everything at once. Even if everything could be uprooted, capable people would still need to be in place.
The key issue at present was the problem of talent cultivation, followed by the problem of educational corruption.
The Imperial Academy, being the highest institution of learning and educational management, was naturally the first to bear the brunt.
Han Ranzhi smiled slightly and sincerely praised, "Sister Yuner is indeed clever!"
Then her tone became somewhat heavy as she tightly gripped her teacup and said solemnly, "You also know that I come from a humble background. The path of studying and entering officialdom was extremely rough. I know well the bitterness of having grand ambitions but nowhere to fulfill them. Now, what Her Majesty proposes is also my heart's desire, but... it will inevitably face difficulties. I know Sister Yuner is cultured and talented. Would you be willing..."
"I'm willing. It would be Sister Yuner's greatest honor," Lu Yuner was of course willing. This kind of unfulfilled ambition - having the will to serve the country for a thousand miles but lacking a long sword to pierce the sky, pitifully studying hard by the cold window for ten years yet unable to achieve fame - should be given attention.
Hearing the answer, Han Ranzhi smiled warmly, the gentle light in her heart gathering between her beautiful brows. She raised her teacup, "Come, let's use tea instead of wine and have a drink."
At this moment, Liu Lan laughed lightly from the side, "Alright, alright! Indeed, in a gathering of three, I'm the odd one out. But don't worry, you two. With this general protecting you at the Imperial Academy, no one will dare to touch a hair on your heads."
The latter half of her words took on a somewhat arrogant tone. Though she appeared unrestrained on the surface, the glint in her eyes was not to be underestimated.
Lu Yuner was surprised, "Sister Lan, you're going too?" How come she hadn't heard about this?