Chapter 214
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'There's gold everywhere. Even the walls are painted gold. There's golden dragons everywhere too, I didn't take the Emperor to be the type to try to show off like this... Hm? Is that a portrait of him and the Empress hung next to his desk? How... cute. Are you even allowed to call a man this old cute?' Shen Tianyu thought to herself without letting her poker facce slip even a bit.
The Emperor himself was sitting on his wooden chair with a straight back and his head resting on his clasped hands that created an arch over the gold-painted table. He was staring at the two of them as if waiting for them to speak.
"Emperor Father, this son and his fiancee requests an official meeting with you, the Crown Prince, Qiao Wangye and Jun Wangye about the future of Lavender Palace." Rong Jian got straight to the point without any pleasantries. With how little the Emperor speaks, this was probably the best approach for him.
The Emperor raised an eyebrow in question and moved his gaze to Shen Tianyu. He knew his fourth son wasn't associated with Lavender Palace so the request could only come from one other place.
Shen Tianyu dipped her head in a small bow and proceeded to explain her reasoning. "Lavender Palace wishes to introduce a new system that we believe will aid the businesses in this country and it's economic development as we seek to expand our own operations."
"... How exactly will this new system of yours help our country?" The Emperor spoke for the first time since they entered and asked this question.
"Well, if you are willing to have a more detailed discussion, I would like the time alloted to an official meeting but the basic function is that the new system will give people ease in innovation and might be effective in areas other than business." Shen Tianyu smiled without showing any weakness. Right now, they are not in the Empress's Chambers nor in the harem section of the Imperial Palace, meaning whether it be her or Rong Jian, they were subjects and the man in front of them was their ruler. Outside the Imperial Harem, they were not family but subject and ruler, no matter how close of a relationship they share in private. That was just how royal families worked, and also why some royal children were severely lacking in parental love and affection, which in turn causes them to be unable to empathize other people, especially the common citizens. And in addition to being the Zhu Wangye's future Wangfei, she is also here in capacity as a representative from Lavender Palace. And rehashing of the "patent" policy they had back in her world would need some time in order for it to become effectivve in this world.
The Emperor stared at her for a while longer without speaking, trying to intimidate her into saying more. If she was truly born and raised in a normal household of this world, she might have caved, but with her experience of similar clients from her previous life and her training in Yaodu, along with it's backing, she had nothing to be afraid of. And, as a result, her smile didn't even twitch. Rong Jian, on the other hand, though he looked calm was starting to get stressed inside after the first stick of incense had passed. He wanted to try to help by jumping in but also knew that if he did so, that might just sweep the official meeting off the table. Despite how it may seem, Kuian Guolian disliked people that relied too heavily on others, that was why he fell fro the Empress instead of the other noble ladies in the first place. It was excusable for children and those in need, such as citizens that were struck with war or a natural disaster, but once the child had their coming of age ceremony, he believed they should at least start to look into their own talents and find work befitting them. Even the Crown Prince, despite being named so since birth, had to pass a private test in order to be officially titled so. But seeing Shen Tianyu not budging an inch, Rong Jian settled on just watching them and decided he'd step in if need be, despite his ever rising sense of distress.
The Emperor finally broke eye contact and pulled out a bounded book from a cupboard in his desk just before Rong Jian was about to break and say something. He flipped through it as Rong Jian stared at him in anticipation and Shen Tianyu peered at the bounded book in his hand. It looked like any other book aside from not having a title.
'He's not going to ignore us, is he?' Shen Tianyu thought as she tried to get a peek of what was in the book. Even thought the two of them were in front of the Emperor's desk, the study was quite, and unnecessarily, large in size so they were standing at a respectful distance from where the Emperor sat, rendering them unable to read the documents on his desk. Which can be considered a good thing, since no ruler wants to have their subordinates read and memorize their important documents, you don't know if they'll betray you in the future or whether they're already agents for someone else, after all.
"Next Earth Day." The Emperor suddenly said without looking up from his book. This continent operated in ten-day weeks, with each month consisting of three weeks and each year consisting of twelve months all according to the lunar cycle and the farming seasons. In order to align with the solar cycle, a leap month of thirty days would be added every threee years. The next leap, or long, year would be next year. The weeks of this calender had a unique naming, different from the Gregorian calender of Shen Tianyu's world which were named after celestial bodies, more commonly known as planets or things within the Solar System. The first day of each week would be Solar Day followed by Moon Day, Fire Day, Water Day, Earth Day, Wind Day, Wood Day, Metal Day, Lightning Day, and finally, God Day. So, translated to her previous world, Earth Day would be Thursday... except there's more days in the week here.
"Um?" Shen Tianyu uttered a sound in question, not quite understanding, nor used to, the Emperor's concise way of speech.
"I have time next Earth Day. How long do you need to explain it?" The Emperor elaborated further, realizing that she wasn't his Empress nor one of his sons, and therefore wasn't used to his way of speech.
"Oh, um. It shouldn't take very long to explain the concept, half a shichen at most, but hashing out the political details might take longer." Shen Tianyu responded. She was planning on doing something similar to a report or presentation in order to convinve them it was a good idea.
"Hm. I have two shichen free then." The Emperor replied.
"Um. We'd appreciate it if all the Wangye participated too, as it'd need the future Emperor to understand how it works so there won't be hiccups in the future and the cooperation of other businesses along with the military to carry out any capturing and punishments if necessary." Shen Tianyu tried to bring up the idea of all the other Wangye attending too. Of course, Rong Jian would act as an intermediary of sorts.
"I'll talk to the other three but no guarantees." The Emperor compromised on the idea. Though if he talked to them, they'd most likely agree. "Is it just you?"
"No, Your Majesty. Manager Yanmen and Vice-Manager Wu also wish to attend the meeting." Shen Tianyu phrased it to seem like she was asking permission for them to be there. She had laready told them to prepare though so it was really just a courtesy.
"Permission granted." The Emperor simply gave permission for them to attend.
"This subject thanks Your Majesty." Shen Tianyu put a fist into her palm and gave him a bow.
"Mm. See you next Earth Day." The Emperor finalized their meeting date and dismissed them. They both gave a full formal bow to him again before they retreated from the study. They passed the Head Eunuch on their way out, whom Shen Tianyu smiled at again. They then boarded their inconspicuous carriage that had been waiting for them and left the Imperial Palace.
"I'm glad that went smoothly." Rong Jian sighed in relief after they had settled in.
"You call that smooth? We were having a staring contest for a whole incense stick's worth of time. If that's smooth, I pity the Ministers that have to deal with your father on a normal day. I'm sure policies he doesn't like would cause the Ministers to visibly shake in their boots." Shen Tianyu replied as she lifted the edge of the window curtain to peer outside as she sat with her back beside the window.30 min. That's a long staring contest...1 hr4 hours
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'There's gold everywhere. Even the walls are painted gold. There's golden dragons everywhere too, I didn't take the Emperor to be the type to try to show off like this... Hm? Is that a portrait of him and the Empress hung next to his desk? How... cute. Are you even allowed to call a man this old cute?' Shen Tianyu thought to herself without letting her poker facce slip even a bit.
The Emperor himself was sitting on his wooden chair with a straight back and his head resting on his clasped hands that created an arch over the gold-painted table. He was staring at the two of them as if waiting for them to speak.
"Emperor Father, this son and his fiancee requests an official meeting with you, the Crown Prince, Qiao Wangye and Jun Wangye about the future of Lavender Palace." Rong Jian got straight to the point without any pleasantries. With how little the Emperor speaks, this was probably the best approach for him.
The Emperor raised an eyebrow in question and moved his gaze to Shen Tianyu. He knew his fourth son wasn't associated with Lavender Palace so the request could only come from one other place.
Shen Tianyu dipped her head in a small bow and proceeded to explain her reasoning. "Lavender Palace wishes to introduce a new system that we believe will aid the businesses in this country and it's economic development as we seek to expand our own operations."
"... How exactly will this new system of yours help our country?" The Emperor spoke for the first time since they entered and asked this question.
"Well, if you are willing to have a more detailed discussion, I would like the time alloted to an official meeting but the basic function is that the new system will give people ease in innovation and might be effective in areas other than business." Shen Tianyu smiled without showing any weakness. Right now, they are not in the Empress's Chambers nor in the harem section of the Imperial Palace, meaning whether it be her or Rong Jian, they were subjects and the man in front of them was their ruler. Outside the Imperial Harem, they were not family but subject and ruler, no matter how close of a relationship they share in private. That was just how royal families worked, and also why some royal children were severely lacking in parental love and affection, which in turn causes them to be unable to empathize other people, especially the common citizens. And in addition to being the Zhu Wangye's future Wangfei, she is also here in capacity as a representative from Lavender Palace. And rehashing of the "patent" policy they had back in her world would need some time in order for it to become effectivve in this world.
The Emperor stared at her for a while longer without speaking, trying to intimidate her into saying more. If she was truly born and raised in a normal household of this world, she might have caved, but with her experience of similar clients from her previous life and her training in Yaodu, along with it's backing, she had nothing to be afraid of. And, as a result, her smile didn't even twitch. Rong Jian, on the other hand, though he looked calm was starting to get stressed inside after the first stick of incense had passed. He wanted to try to help by jumping in but also knew that if he did so, that might just sweep the official meeting off the table. Despite how it may seem, Kuian Guolian disliked people that relied too heavily on others, that was why he fell fro the Empress instead of the other noble ladies in the first place. It was excusable for children and those in need, such as citizens that were struck with war or a natural disaster, but once the child had their coming of age ceremony, he believed they should at least start to look into their own talents and find work befitting them. Even the Crown Prince, despite being named so since birth, had to pass a private test in order to be officially titled so. But seeing Shen Tianyu not budging an inch, Rong Jian settled on just watching them and decided he'd step in if need be, despite his ever rising sense of distress.
The Emperor finally broke eye contact and pulled out a bounded book from a cupboard in his desk just before Rong Jian was about to break and say something. He flipped through it as Rong Jian stared at him in anticipation and Shen Tianyu peered at the bounded book in his hand. It looked like any other book aside from not having a title.
'He's not going to ignore us, is he?' Shen Tianyu thought as she tried to get a peek of what was in the book. Even thought the two of them were in front of the Emperor's desk, the study was quite, and unnecessarily, large in size so they were standing at a respectful distance from where the Emperor sat, rendering them unable to read the documents on his desk. Which can be considered a good thing, since no ruler wants to have their subordinates read and memorize their important documents, you don't know if they'll betray you in the future or whether they're already agents for someone else, after all.
"Next Earth Day." The Emperor suddenly said without looking up from his book. This continent operated in ten-day weeks, with each month consisting of three weeks and each year consisting of twelve months all according to the lunar cycle and the farming seasons. In order to align with the solar cycle, a leap month of thirty days would be added every threee years. The next leap, or long, year would be next year. The weeks of this calender had a unique naming, different from the Gregorian calender of Shen Tianyu's world which were named after celestial bodies, more commonly known as planets or things within the Solar System. The first day of each week would be Solar Day followed by Moon Day, Fire Day, Water Day, Earth Day, Wind Day, Wood Day, Metal Day, Lightning Day, and finally, God Day. So, translated to her previous world, Earth Day would be Thursday... except there's more days in the week here.
"Um?" Shen Tianyu uttered a sound in question, not quite understanding, nor used to, the Emperor's concise way of speech.
"I have time next Earth Day. How long do you need to explain it?" The Emperor elaborated further, realizing that she wasn't his Empress nor one of his sons, and therefore wasn't used to his way of speech.
"Oh, um. It shouldn't take very long to explain the concept, half a shichen at most, but hashing out the political details might take longer." Shen Tianyu responded. She was planning on doing something similar to a report or presentation in order to convinve them it was a good idea.
"Hm. I have two shichen free then." The Emperor replied.
"Um. We'd appreciate it if all the Wangye participated too, as it'd need the future Emperor to understand how it works so there won't be hiccups in the future and the cooperation of other businesses along with the military to carry out any capturing and punishments if necessary." Shen Tianyu tried to bring up the idea of all the other Wangye attending too. Of course, Rong Jian would act as an intermediary of sorts.
"I'll talk to the other three but no guarantees." The Emperor compromised on the idea. Though if he talked to them, they'd most likely agree. "Is it just you?"
"No, Your Majesty. Manager Yanmen and Vice-Manager Wu also wish to attend the meeting." Shen Tianyu phrased it to seem like she was asking permission for them to be there. She had laready told them to prepare though so it was really just a courtesy.
"Permission granted." The Emperor simply gave permission for them to attend.
"This subject thanks Your Majesty." Shen Tianyu put a fist into her palm and gave him a bow.
"Mm. See you next Earth Day." The Emperor finalized their meeting date and dismissed them. They both gave a full formal bow to him again before they retreated from the study. They passed the Head Eunuch on their way out, whom Shen Tianyu smiled at again. They then boarded their inconspicuous carriage that had been waiting for them and left the Imperial Palace.
"I'm glad that went smoothly." Rong Jian sighed in relief after they had settled in.
"You call that smooth? We were having a staring contest for a whole incense stick's worth of time. If that's smooth, I pity the Ministers that have to deal with your father on a normal day. I'm sure policies he doesn't like would cause the Ministers to visibly shake in their boots." Shen Tianyu replied as she lifted the edge of the window curtain to peer outside as she sat with her back beside the window.30 min. That's a long staring contest...1 hr4 hours
'There's gold everywhere. Even the walls are painted gold. There's golden dragons everywhere too, I didn't take the Emperor to be the type to try to show off like this... Hm? Is that a portrait of him and the Empress hung next to his desk? How... cute. Are you even allowed to call a man this old cute?' Shen Tianyu thought to herself without letting her poker facce slip even a bit.The Emperor himself was sitting on his wooden chair with a straight back and his head resting on his clasped hands that created an arch over the gold-painted table. He was staring at the two of them as if waiting for them to speak."Emperor Father, this son and his fiancee requests an official meeting with you, the Crown Prince, Qiao Wangye and Jun Wangye about the future of Lavender Palace." Rong Jian got straight to the point without any pleasantries. With how little the Emperor speaks, this was probably the best approach for him.The Emperor raised an eyebrow in question and moved his gaze to Shen Tianyu. He knew his fourth son wasn't associated with Lavender Palace so the request could only come from one other place.Shen Tianyu dipped her head in a small bow and proceeded to explain her reasoning. "Lavender Palace wishes to introduce a new system that we believe will aid the businesses in this country and it's economic development as we seek to expand our own operations.""... How exactly will this new system of yours help our country?" The Emperor spoke for the first time since they entered and asked this question."Well, if you are willing to have a more detailed discussion, I would like the time alloted to an official meeting but the basic function is that the new system will give people ease in innovation and might be effective in areas other than business." Shen Tianyu smiled without showing any weakness. Right now, they are not in the Empress's Chambers nor in the harem section of the Imperial Palace, meaning whether it be her or Rong Jian, they were subjects and the man in front of them was their ruler. Outside the Imperial Harem, they were not family but subject and ruler, no matter how close of a relationship they share in private. That was just how royal families worked, and also why some royal children were severely lacking in parental love and affection, which in turn causes them to be unable to empathize other people, especially the common citizens. And in addition to being the Zhu Wangye's future Wangfei, she is also here in capacity as a representative from Lavender Palace. And rehashing of the "patent" policy they had back in her world would need some time in order for it to become effectivve in this world.The Emperor stared at her for a while longer without speaking, trying to intimidate her into saying more. If she was truly born and raised in a normal household of this world, she might have caved, but with her experience of similar clients from her previous life and her training in Yaodu, along with it's backing, she had nothing to be afraid of. And, as a result, her smile didn't even twitch. Rong Jian, on the other hand, though he looked calm was starting to get stressed inside after the first stick of incense had passed. He wanted to try to help by jumping in but also knew that if he did so, that might just sweep the official meeting off the table. Despite how it may seem, Kuian Guolian disliked people that relied too heavily on others, that was why he fell fro the Empress instead of the other noble ladies in the first place. It was excusable for children and those in need, such as citizens that were struck with war or a natural disaster, but once the child had their coming of age ceremony, he believed they should at least start to look into their own talents and find work befitting them. Even the Crown Prince, despite being named so since birth, had to pass a private test in order to be officially titled so. But seeing Shen Tianyu not budging an inch, Rong Jian settled on just watching them and decided he'd step in if need be, despite his ever rising sense of distress.The Emperor finally broke eye contact and pulled out a bounded book from a cupboard in his desk just before Rong Jian was about to break and say something. He flipped through it as Rong Jian stared at him in anticipation and Shen Tianyu peered at the bounded book in his hand. It looked like any other book aside from not having a title.'He's not going to ignore us, is he?' Shen Tianyu thought as she tried to get a peek of what was in the book. Even thought the two of them were in front of the Emperor's desk, the study was quite, and unnecessarily, large in size so they were standing at a respectful distance from where the Emperor sat, rendering them unable to read the documents on his desk. Which can be considered a good thing, since no ruler wants to have their subordinates read and memorize their important documents, you don't know if they'll betray you in the future or whether they're already agents for someone else, after all."Next Earth Day." The Emperor suddenly said without looking up from his book. This continent operated in ten-day weeks, with each month consisting of three weeks and each year consisting of twelve months all according to the lunar cycle and the farming seasons. In order to align with the solar cycle, a leap month of thirty days would be added every threee years. The next leap, or long, year would be next year. The weeks of this calender had a unique naming, different from the Gregorian calender of Shen Tianyu's world which were named after celestial bodies, more commonly known as planets or things within the Solar System. The first day of each week would be Solar Day followed by Moon Day, Fire Day, Water Day, Earth Day, Wind Day, Wood Day, Metal Day, Lightning Day, and finally, God Day. So, translated to her previous world, Earth Day would be Thursday... except there's more days in the week here."Um?" Shen Tianyu uttered a sound in question, not quite understanding, nor used to, the Emperor's concise way of speech."I have time next Earth Day. How long do you need to explain it?" The Emperor elaborated further, realizing that she wasn't his Empress nor one of his sons, and therefore wasn't used to his way of speech."Oh, um. It shouldn't take very long to explain the concept, half a shichen at most, but hashing out the political details might take longer." Shen Tianyu responded. She was planning on doing something similar to a report or presentation in order to convinve them it was a good idea."Hm. I have two shichen free then." The Emperor replied."Um. We'd appreciate it if all the Wangye participated too, as it'd need the future Emperor to understand how it works so there won't be hiccups in the future and the cooperation of other businesses along with the military to carry out any capturing and punishments if necessary." Shen Tianyu tried to bring up the idea of all the other Wangye attending too. Of course, Rong Jian would act as an intermediary of sorts."I'll talk to the other three but no guarantees." The Emperor compromised on the idea. Though if he talked to them, they'd most likely agree. "Is it just you?""No, Your Majesty. Manager Yanmen and Vice-Manager Wu also wish to attend the meeting." Shen Tianyu phrased it to seem like she was asking permission for them to be there. She had laready told them to prepare though so it was really just a courtesy."Permission granted." The Emperor simply gave permission for them to attend."This subject thanks Your Majesty." Shen Tianyu put a fist into her palm and gave him a bow."Mm. See you next Earth Day." The Emperor finalized their meeting date and dismissed them. They both gave a full formal bow to him again before they retreated from the study. They passed the Head Eunuch on their way out, whom Shen Tianyu smiled at again. They then boarded their inconspicuous carriage that had been waiting for them and left the Imperial Palace."I'm glad that went smoothly." Rong Jian sighed in relief after they had settled in."You call that smooth? We were having a staring contest for a whole incense stick's worth of time. If that's smooth, I pity the Ministers that have to deal with your father on a normal day. I'm sure policies he doesn't like would cause the Ministers to visibly shake in their boots." Shen Tianyu replied as she lifted the edge of the window curtain to peer outside as she sat with her back beside the window.30 min. That's a long staring contest...1 hr4 hours
