Royal Gold Magistrate

Fang Zheng was utterly bored waiting outside the imperial study.

He wanted to chat up the guards at the door, but no one paid him any attention.

After who knows how long, Emperor Jing slowly approached, with Guo Tianyang following behind.

He looked Fang Zheng up and down without saying a word, then went straight inside.

Guo Tianyang said in a low voice, “Come in.”

Fang Zheng obediently followed him into the imperial study.

Unfortunately, there was no seat left for him this time.

Emperor Jing still didn’t speak, just kept his head down, looking at some official documents.

Fang Zheng stood in place, feeling as if he’d been called to the teacher’s office for punishment.

He was getting sleepy…

“Fang Zheng, today I demoted you to Assistant Prefect of Jianjiang. Do you harbor any resentment?” Emperor Jing asked slowly, still looking down.

“Your Majesty, I have no resentment, but I don’t accept it,” Fang Zheng answered honestly.

“The officials aren’t taking disaster relief seriously. I just wanted to give them a push… to save many people from starving to death.”

“I did nothing wrong.”

Emperor Jing suddenly stood up, furious, “Fang Zheng! How dare you! Where do you place the court’s laws with your actions?”

“If everyone did as you do, where would the face of the royal family and the court be?”

Fang Zheng replied calmly, “Your Majesty, in my view, the lives of the people are more important than the face of the officials.”

“You’re courting death! You dare talk back! Guards!”

“Your Majesty, wait!” Fang Zheng said, then pulled out a stack of banknotes from his bosom.

“Your Majesty, this is the profit from the Number One Scholar tickets in Banshan District recently, plus tax and other miscellaneous income, totaling 23,023 taels.”

Emperor Jing looked at the banknotes and suddenly calmed down.

He sneered, “What? Don’t tell me you’re trying to bribe me?”

“I wouldn’t dare!”

Then Fang Zheng took out another piece of paper from his bosom: “This is the amount of grain I’ve collected from the public. A total of 344 dan, all donated by ordinary people for the disaster areas. This is just from less than half a day of fundraising.”

“What do you mean? Are you trying to move me with these, to make me change my mind?”

“Are you done? If you’re done, I’m calling the guards.”

Fang Zheng shook his head, then took out a third item.

A small booklet, which he presented with both hands.

“Your Majesty, the newspaper business consumes a huge amount of paper, and at only five coins per copy, we wouldn’t have dared to publish it before.”

“But I ordered people to research the papermaking industry and invent a new method that can increase production fivefold, greatly reducing the price of paper.”

“However, I’ve been busy with the Crown Prince Daily recently and haven’t had the chance to present it to Your Majesty. Now that I’m leaving, I’m offering it to Your Majesty along with some other important matters from Banshan District. I just wanted to hand everything over properly, nothing more. Please don’t read too much into it, Your Majesty.”

After speaking, Fang Zheng stood there straight and proper!

Today, I’ve handed over a shield. Let’s see the result.

Emperor Jing stared blankly at the small booklet on the table.

Papermaking… fivefold production… greatly reduced paper prices, these words kept spinning in his mind.

After a long while, he came back to his senses and coughed awkwardly twice.

“I did speak a bit loudly just now. Have a seat!”

Fang Zheng almost laughed out loud. So real, too damn real!

Then Fang Zheng hurriedly sat down, truly tired from standing for so long.

Emperor Jing picked up the booklet and kept flipping through it. Behind him, Guo Tianyang looked at Fang Zheng enviously.

He’s really good! He’s got His Majesty wrapped around his finger. But I can’t learn this trick!

After Emperor Jing finished reading the booklet, he couldn’t help but sigh.

“This method is excellent. If we had such a papermaking method earlier, wouldn’t the number of talents in our Jing Dynasty multiply?”

“Minister Fang! This is a great achievement! Tell me, what reward do you want?”

Fang Zheng thought for a moment: “Your Majesty, I don’t want to go to Jianjiang. Let me stay in the capital. I’ll do whatever Your Majesty asks.”

“Then enter the palace.”

Guo Tianyang immediately felt his hair stand on end, his eyes widening as he looked at Emperor Jing.

Your Majesty! You don’t want me anymore?

This guy is only younger than me, how is he better in any other way?

Then he glared fiercely at Fang Zheng.

Fang Zheng smiled awkwardly, “Your Majesty sure knows how to joke…”

Emperor Jing’s expression became serious again: “You were the one joking with me first! I ordered you to go to Jianjiang in front of the court officials, and now you’re telling me you don’t want to go. My word is golden. If I change it in less than a day, how would the world view me?”

“Choose something else!”

“Then I’ll leave it to Your Majesty’s arrangement.”

Seeing Fang Zheng’s attitude, Emperor Jing spoke earnestly: “Don’t harbor any resentment over today’s matter. You and the Crown Prince dared to do such a big thing without consulting me.”

“Being demoted is already a light punishment. Otherwise, if I hadn’t intervened, you’d have suffered much worse!”

Fang Zheng countered, “If I had told Your Majesty, would you have let me do it?”

Emperor Jing was silent for a while, then answered, “Some things can certainly be done, but not so hastily! I thought I understood you quite well! Why were you so rash this time, not considering the consequences?”

Fang Zheng’s expression gradually became serious. He looked at Emperor Jing with a complex expression, then suddenly sighed, “Ah… Your Majesty, I too have experienced hunger before.”

“Back then in Taoyuan County, crying to heaven brought no response, calling to earth brought no reply. Many people under our governance starved to death. I knelt everywhere begging for help from other places, but didn’t get much grain.”

“At that time, I wondered why no high official could come out and save the people from disaster, give the people a bite to eat?”

“Unfortunately… there was no such person, and more and more people in Taoyuan County died.”

A bitter smile appeared on Fang Zheng’s lips, “Now I’ve become the high official I once imagined. Knowing that people are suffering, how could I enjoy a comfortable life in the capital without doing anything? I can’t!”

Thinking back to those early days in Taoyuan County, Fang Zheng truly felt heartbroken.

Behind Emperor Jing, Guo Tianyang’s face visibly darkened.

Fang Zheng, you dare to blatantly copy me!

Damn! If I ever talk to you again, I’m a dog!

“Moreover, this wasn’t just my wish. The Crown Prince is also kindhearted, racking his brains to think of various ways to raise grain and save people!”

“To fulfill the Crown Prince’s and my wishes, I have no regrets in my heart, nor any fear.”

“Therefore, I acted impulsively and without restraint. I await Your Majesty’s punishment!”

Emperor Jing couldn’t help but be moved, though he didn’t show it on his face.

He just said calmly, “I understand. Be careful when you go to Jianjiang.”

Fang Zheng was dumbfounded. Had his emotional appeal been for nothing? He still had to go?

Then he asked, “Isn’t Your Majesty afraid I’ll cause trouble in Jianjiang and lose face for the court?”

Emperor Jing finally smiled again: “Whether face or lives are more important, that’s up to you, Minister Fang.”