After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 613 - 607 Shen Ruhui
Zhao Zhongyu said, "Even I know, do you think General Gou wouldnβt know?"
Shen Ruhuiβs face turned pale. π»π³β―β―π€β―π·π―β΄πβ―π.πβ΄π
Zhao Zhongyu sighed and said, "I have already submitted a memorial of impeachment this morning. Even if he didnβt know before, he should know now."
He said, "Since arriving at Yun City, Your Majesty has greatly relied on General Gou, and his favor has increased daily. Whatever General Gou requests, the Emperor does not refuse. The residence General Gou lives in now rivals the Fulin Palace where the Emperor temporarily resides. Just in these three months, he has recruited over three hundred servants and slaves, along with six concubines, almost bringing new people in every ten days. At this rate, the residence might not be able to house all his servants and slaves."
Shen Ruhui pursed his lips.
Zhao Zhongyu said, "Gou Xi shows more respect to Your Majesty than Prince East Sea, but compared to his former upright and honest self, he is vastly different now, almost a different person altogether. IβI am worried."
Zhao Zhongyu let out a deep sigh.
Shen Ruhui clenched his fist, looking at him hesitantly, "Why does Minister Zhao keep insisting that I go to Luoyang? Even if I do understand the water mill construction, itβs just a water mill."
Zhao Zhongyu also felt it was just a water mill, but since Zhao Hanzhang wrote two letters urging it, perhaps it was more than just a water mill, though he couldnβt admit this, so he said, "But this is something that genuinely concerns peopleβs livelihood."
He racked his brain to come up with reasons, "You know, most of those staying in Luoyang are the elderly and the weak, and itβs not easy to feed them. Water mills can reduce manpower. Here in Yun City, Your Majesty hasnβt used you, and the Ministry of Agriculture is merely a name. Given these circumstances, why not go to Luoyang then?"
Shen Ruhui became more suspicious. He hesitated but couldnβt hold back, "People outside say Governor Zhao harbors ambitions like Lady Lvβs. Is it true or not?"
Zhao Zhongyu laughed upon hearing this, "If Hanzhang had ambitions like Lady Lv, then who would be Han Gaozu?"
He said, "When in Luoyang, she already refused to become Empress, and she has a marriage contract. To this day, Fu Changrong does not hold even a minor official position, and Fu Zhongshuβs loyalty to Your Majesty is unparalleled. Your Majesty places immense trust in him. Shen Siqing, do you think he can become Han Gaozu?"
Shen Ruhui pondered, quietly letting out a breath of relief.
He hadnβt made up his mind. After all, it had been so difficult to get from Luoyang to Yun City, and now he had to return?
Zhao Zhongyu also knew he was conflicted, but unfortunately, he had no family, and his clan was scattered. Even if he wanted to bribe him, he couldnβt. He could only appeal to emotion and reason.
It could be said that among the officials who followed the Emperor in moving the capital to Yun City, more than half came because of Gou Xi.
The former Gou Xi was clear in distinguishing public from private, handled matters fairly and cleanly, and many courtiers feared him. Upon meeting him, they would turn their heads aside, not daring to meet his gaze.
They used to be afraid, but during critical times, the courtiers trusted him greatly. It was precisely because of this trust that the Emperor and courtiers finally agreed to move the capital.
But after arriving at Yun City, Gou Xi changed.
No, perhaps he had already changed long before; itβs just that they werenβt together before, and the change wasnβt obvious, so people hadnβt noticed.
Now, with everyone serving in Yun City together, assisting Your Majesty together, they genuinely felt the change in Gou Xi.
Shen Ruhui had no wife or children, not even his parents. In the past two years, his clansmen had either died or scattered. By now, he held very little desire.
He only wanted to follow the Emperor and the court to accomplish some things. If he could fortunately earn a good name in the end, he wouldnβt have come to this world in vain.
After seeing off Zhao Zhongyu, he anxiously paced back and forth in the field. The servant watched him for half an hour, noticing that he continued to wander tirelessly, and couldnβt help but ask, "Sir, what are you worried about?"
Shen Ruhui sighed, "I fear death."
The servant lowered his head and continued weeding, saying nothing more. He was afraid of death too.
Shen Ruhui, however, opened up, squatting by the field and saying to him, "The road is not easy to travel. I am truly afraid. What if I accidentally die on the way?"
The servant hesitated, "Since Minister Zhao invited so enthusiastically, he will probably send someone to escort you."
"You donβt know, the bandits on the road arenβt just one or two; sometimes there are hundreds, even thousands. What if we encounter such bandits?"
The servant said, "Sir is not talking about bandits but the refugee army."
"They are called an army, but actually they are still bandits."
The servant said, "Soldiers are bandits too, and the leading general is the bandit chief. Those who serve with the bandit chief in the court are all bandits..."
Shen Ruhui lifted his gaze, looking at him lightly. The servant immediately fell silent, lowering his head again to pull weeds. Carelessly, he pulled out a vegetable seedling, pretending not to notice. He crumpled it together with the weeds before placing it on the ground and stepped on it, then moved forward, blocking Shen Ruhuiβs gaze perfectly.
Shen Ruhui glanced at his foot and endured it for the time being, sighing deeply.
The servant said, "If you are afraid of death, then donβt go. Staying in Yun City is not bad. Although the Emperor hasnβt thought of employing you as the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, you still receive a monthly ration, and we have our own fields and vegetables. We wonβt starve."
"But if life only boils down to living or dying, then why did I come to this world?" After all, Shen Ruhui had some ambition in his heart. He wanted to do something, for himself and for the people of the Great Jin.
The servant said, "But you are afraid of death."
Shen Ruhui grieved, "Even if I werenβt afraid of death, would things be better if I went to Luoyang?"
He said, "If someone as upright and honest as Gou Xi can change like this, whoβs to say Zhao Hanzhang wonβt become worse if she gains power in the future?"
The servant thought for a moment and said, "When that time comes, Master can leave her and find another lord."
Shen Ruhui felt desolate, thinking again of staying motionless and only wanting to stay in this small space, planting and weeding.
But... every time Zhao Zhongyu visited, the flame in his heart grew.
Shen Ruhui was a person full of inner conflict. He struggled the entire afternoon, tossing and turning at night, but couldnβt firmly decide to stay and not leave.
At dawn, he got up and sat at the bedside in his inner clothes, neither washing up nor tying his hair, just sitting there dazedly.
The servant uncovered the pot, stirred the wheat porridge, and seeing that the wheat had bloomed, he put the lid back on and removed the fire.
He walked into the house and began packing the luggage.
Shen Ruhui regained his senses and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Packing up, preparing to return to Luoyang."
Shen Ruhui asked, "When did I say I was going back to Luoyang?"
The servant said nothing, put the packed clothes into the box, and said, "If Sir isnβt going back, then take the luggage out to use again."
After half an hour of busy work, Shen Ruhui sat down to eat the wheat porridge. He chewed slowly, unable to resist complaining, "If we are leaving soon, why not eat better, why save the grain?"
He said, "We should pound the wheat and cook some wheat rice or grind it into powder to make pancakes and blanch some of the vegetables weβve grown to go with them."
The servant, with a disdainful look, said, "Thatβs not tasty and too troublesome. Since when is more grain a bad thing? Weβll take all this along; we can eat it on the way, and also in Luoyang."
