Chang Yi stood up and said, "Cousin, my brother had a smooth journey. Thank you for your hard work in coming back."
Yang Wuchun sat down and drank a glass of water. His mouth was dry after riding all the way back. "My cousin is here. I must go back. If I hadn't been busy today, I would have come to greet you in person. Cousin, don't stand there. We are brothers. You can't be so formal."
Chang Yi smiled and sat down. "My father always told us brothers to learn from our cousin. Look at my cousin's momentum. I, his younger brother, can't catch up with him."
Yang Wuchun laughed, "Uncle must be joking. I should learn from my younger brothers. This is how my life will be. But Chang Lian and the others are different. Chang Lian is in the Hanlin Academy, and my uncle has entered the capital. My younger brothers have a bright future in the future."
As the eldest cousin, he may need help from his cousins in the future, otherwise, he would not be in such a hurry to ride back on horseback. His cousins are no longer just cousins, but also distinguished guests of the Yang family.
Yang Zhumu stood up and said, "You two brothers, go chat. I'll go to the backyard and take a look."
Chang Yi's gift was not in a hurry to be delivered. The servants were all sorting it out. He would deliver it after it was sorted out. "Uncle, I brought some good wine. Let's have a few more glasses later."
Yang Zhumu likes wine very much, "Okay."
Yang Wuchun waited until his father left before he asked, "Are aunt and uncle all right?"
"Dad is very good. He doesn't set traps for others. Mom is living a happy life. My daughter-in-law is filial and we have many grandchildren. Mom is very happy every day. How about my eldest cousin? Is everything good at home?"
Yang Wuchun, "We haven't changed much. The only change in the past two years is that we have a child."
It's really incomparable. He never dreamed that the Zhou family would develop so fast and come to Beijing in a blink of an eye. He was a little dazed when he received the news, as if he had returned to Zhoujia Village. Instead, he felt that life in Zhoujia Village was particularly unreal.
In the capital, Zhulan received a call, a call for flower viewing, a call from the official's family, "Master Zhong's family!"
Mrs. Song was used to getting information. She had been in Beijing for some time and had learned a lot. "Mr. Zhong and his wife are both elegant people who love to appreciate flowers and paintings."
"It's very lively at the home of the Minister of Personnel, Master Zhong!"
Zhou Shuren's family is poor, and although he came to Beijing in a high-profile manner, there are still many people who are waiting and watching. The Zhou family is not that lively, but the Zhong family is lively. Since Lord Zhong was transferred, the Zhong family has never stopped having guests. She really didn't expect that Lord Zhong's wife would send her an invitation.
Mrs. Song said, "You might as well go. The Zhong family's banquet is a good one, and there are few troubles. In addition, the wife of Master Zhong is famous for her kindness, and it will be smoother for her to introduce you to the circle of officials' wives."
Zhulan also thought that the Zhong family's banquet was great. "Fortunately, the date did not conflict with the Wang family's, otherwise we would have to give it up."
"Are you going to take the young lady with you?"
Zhu Lan shook her head, "I won't bring Xue Han with me this time. I can go by myself."
She didn't plan to bring anyone this time, so she didn't have to be distracted and could just concentrate on observing the officials' families in the capital. The officials' families in the capital were of a much higher level than those in the local areas.
Inside the palace, the emperor pointed to the book on the memorial and said, "My dear minister, please explain it."
Zhou Shuren explained: "The Ministry of Revenue has a large backlog of books of all kinds. I think it would be better to sort them out instead of letting them pile up and wait for them to be eaten by insects. Your Majesty can use these books to set up a library and put all the books in the academy to give readers a place to read for free."
The emperor looked at Zhou Shuren in silence. Zhou Shuren gave him reputation. The ten years of war not only consumed lives, but also inheritance. Many books were destroyed. Even after more than ten years of the establishment of the dynasty, books were still not affordable for ordinary people.
Xiao Qing narrowed his eyes. Zhou Shuren's memorial was not complete. "I thought you wanted to sell books, but I didn't expect that you would sell them for free."
Zhou Shuren didn't even think about selling books, he just flattered the emperor, and his flattery was very accurate. After all these years, he could still tell that the emperor was happy.
The emperor was in a good mood, but still asked, "It's free, where does the money come from?"
Even if there are sea merchants offering money, it won’t be enough.
Zhou Shuren smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this library is a good thing. Although the Ministry of Revenue publishes books and provides money for the library, the officials in the Ministry of Revenue are very slow and don't have time to work part-time. So I thought again, the director of this library must have made great contributions. This is not something that ordinary people can do."
Prince, “… .”
This is a vicious person. The major contribution is to pay money. Whoever pays more, has made the greater contribution, and has the right to have the library registered under the name of the Ministry of Revenue.
The emperor thought that Zhou Shuren was really evil when he got angry, and the pit he dug had no bottom, but he was in a good mood, "I approve it."
Prince, “… .”
He felt a little sympathy for his second, third, and fourth brothers. He didn't have to guess about this pit, as the three of them would definitely fight for it. His mood, well, was exceptionally good.
Finally, there are the damaged books and calligraphy and paintings. Zhou Shuren wrote in the memorial that they should all be placed in the library, looking for capable people to complete them. After they are completed, they can copy a copy and take it away, or they can be bought first. Some of the damaged ancient books are very famous, and they can also serve as a publicity tool for the library.
The more the emperor looked at Zhou Shuren, the more he liked him. He felt such a pity in his heart. If he had known earlier, he would not have allowed Zhou Shuren to go to Lizhou. It would have been better to send him directly to the Ministry of Revenue. Why did he suffer for so many years? However, it was just a thought.
He felt that Zhou Shuren's current abilities were the result of constant training. He could see Zhou Shuren's progress over the years, from being clumsy to being sophisticated. These were the cornerstones of what made Zhou Shuren what he is today.
After another half hour, Zhou Shuren followed Lord Xiao out of the palace.
Zhou Shuren breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the palace. Xiao Qing laughed, "I know you've been to the palace many times. You were talking so much just now. You're not the type to get nervous. What's wrong with you?"
Zhou Shuren couldn't say that the prince's gaze at him was too scorching. He was afraid that if the imperial power was replaced, he would also die in the Ministry of Revenue. No, it definitely wouldn't happen. This idea was too scary. He had come into contact with some princes over the years. It was obvious that the prince had great ambitions and big ideas. Ambitions and ideas all require money to realize. It's scary to think about it!