Chapter 336

He Jinglan and An Qinghe curiously came over to look.

He Jinglan looked at that dense cluster of things, feeling an inexplicable chill, "What is this? So disgusting."

Gu Xixi's face looked a little grim, "These are about-to-hatch locust eggs."

He Jinglan was a wealthy young lady, and An Qinghe grew fruit trees; although neither had ever seen locusts in person,

but they also knew the notoriety of locusts.

For a moment, the expressions of all three turned solemn.

Gu Xixi lowered her head and continued to examine the wheat seedlings.

Without needing to be told, He Jinglan and An Qinghe naturally knew what to do at this time, and joined in searching for the locust eggs.

"Here they are! So many—basically every plant has them!"

"Mine too."

Gu Xixi walked for a while, then stopped and said, "Let's head back now."

An Qinghe exclaimed, "Not looking anymore?"

Gu Xixi walked quickly outward, saying, "No need to look, it's already enough."

An Qinghe had never seen Gu Xixi with such a complexion, and pressed, "Are these locust eggs that serious?"

He knew that when locusts pass, there is no harvest, but he didn't understand whether this small amount of eggs could truly cause a locust plague in the future.

Gu Xixi's voice sounded somewhat tense, "Given this density per square meter, not to mention a total crop failure this summer around the capital region, even the surrounding counties will inevitably be affected."

An Qinghe's heart rose with it, "That's a locust plague, done for, done for, this is no small matter!"

He Jinglan, well-read in poetry and books, naturally understood the severity of a locust plague.

She trusted Gu Xixi's judgment; although anxious, she could still maintain calm thinking.

"Xixi, you say that going back now, you must have already figured out what to do, right?"

"If there's anything I can help with, just tell me; I won't shirk my duty."

An Qinghe nodded vigorously, "Exactly, exactly, and me too!"

Gu Xixi looked at He Jinglan, "Take me to see Mu Nan Zhao."

The two locked eyes; He Jinglan solemnly said, "Okay."

An Qinghe opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, just strode ahead to lead the way.

Even if he and Mu Nan Zhao don't get along, deep down he admits that Mu Nan Zhao truly has ability.

Especially when facing matters of principle, to still be jealous and let selfishness interfere—how could that be the conduct of a true man?

At the palace, Mu Nan Zhao and He Jinghui walked out of the palace gate.

All the colleagues they met along the way wore satisfied smiles, clasping their hands in congratulations.

He Jinghui also smiled and returned the gesture, thanking everyone.

Finally they boarded the He family's carriage.

He Jinghui's smile instantly collapsed, as if he had just raw-chewed an entire bitter gourd, he hung his head and sighed.

Mu Nan Zhao said lightly, "Cheer up; to rise two ranks in such a short time is something others could only beg for."

He Jinghui lifted the curtain, looked around, made sure no one else could hear, then said, "This good fortune I'm giving you—do you want it?"

"The Minister of Revenue is a second-rank official; managing the miscellaneous affairs of cabinet deliberations already keeps one busy, and now one must also clean up the mess left behind—bad accounts, unfillable deficits. Don't you know how much money remains in the treasury?"

"To have me fill this vacancy, put nicely, is due to the emperor's new appointment, entrusting me in a crisis."

"Put bluntly, isn't it just giving me the burden that nobody else wants to shoulder?"

Mu Nan Zhao picked up the book on the tea table and flipped through it casually, saying, "It's not that nobody is willing to take it on; it's that nobody can shoulder this burden."

"Just now you didn't see, but weren't there a few people whose eyes were practically burning red?"

He Jinglan gave a dismissive snort, "Just a bunch of office-obsessed fools, whose eyes see only the post of Minister."

"They only see the thief eating, not knowing the thief gets beaten."

"Moreover, how many muddled accounts did the faction of the former Empress Dowager leave behind? Fan the old man, as Minister of Personnel, has three generations of his family serving in the court; he must certainly be implicated."

"Now letting you take the post of Minister of Revenue also serves to check and warn the Fan family."

He Jinghui leaned back and wailed, "I understand the pros and cons you mention, but who asked me? Before it was just physical exhaustion; now I'll have mental exhaustion too. Are you still going to let people live?"

Mu Nan Zhao glanced at him, then continued flipping the book.

He Jinghui sat up and looked at him, "This is the latest volume of Red Leaf Romance that Jing Lan had me buy; you never read these popular books, do you?"

Mu Nan Zhao didn't lift his eyes, "Hn, boring, just flipping through."

He Jinghui casually nodded, turned, and poured himself a cup of tea.

As he drank, he suddenly realized, "Mu Nan Zhao!! It was you who recommended me?!"

Mu Nan Zhao responded blandly, sighing, "I thought you would have noticed sooner."

"It's truly a waste of the years of friendship between us."

He Jinghui lunged at him, indignant, "How can you still have the nerve to mention our years of acquaintance?"

"Is there anyone who would sabotage their own brother like you do?!"

Mu Nan Zhao frowned from the noise, set down the book, and said, "The only reason I didn't tell you was because I had to act urgently."

"Your He family has always wanted to secure the Minister of Revenue post; you know that better than anyone."

"Seeing that the Minister post is about to fall to your uncle, if I don't pull a few strings, in a few days will you still be able to hold steady as head of the household?"

"The He family must remain firmly in your grasp; this is an unspoken understanding between us."

He Jinghui fell silent.

This branch of his was originally the legitimate line of the He family, but his parents died early, leaving only him and his sister.

During He Jinghui's upbringing, he personally watched his own family being gradually eaten away by others.

He Jinghui's father's power was the support of the entire family,

After his death, the He family immediately shifted its attention to other relatives who had a chance to become officials.

At that time He Jinghui was still young, and could only rely on his own efforts to grow.

He strove to protect his sister, shielding her from the cold looks and poor treatment from relatives, bearing it all himself.

Knowing that He Jinghui had met Mu Nan Zhao.

Mu Nan Zhao saw at a glance the ambition that He Jinghui had suppressed deep inside.

"Isn't it just that the He family doesn't take you seriously?"

"From now on, let them all listen to you, forced to look you in the eye properly—wouldn't that work?"

At that time He Jinghui also vaguely sensed that Mu Nan Zhao's eyes seemed to hold something broader.

Thus he associated with Mu Nan Zhao, both as a follower and as a companion.

Recalling fragments of the past, He Jinghui felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and the scene before him cleared up.

"I was too slow."

Thinking that obtaining what he had once wanted, he actually forgot to stay vigilant in times of peace.

Mu Nan Zhao said, "Officially, I need not say it—you should know how important it is to have the Ministry of Revenue in our own hands when dealing with men like Grand Secretary Fan and others."

"Privately, the Minister of Revenue being chosen from the He family was originally the emperor's idea; I merely acted before them and pushed you into that position."

He Jinghui looked at Mu Nan Zhao, bowed solemnly with clasped hands, "To gain such a true friend is my fortune; it stops me at the brink of a cliff."

Mu Nan Zhao stared at him for a moment, then turned his gaze away with a look of disdain.

"Don't be so pretentious; it's ugly."

He Jinghui's veins bulged at his temples, he gritted his teeth, "Mu Nan Zhao, you dare to be shameless!"

The Regent Prince's residence is not far from the imperial palace; they arrived at the gate before they finished speaking.

The carriage had not yet come to a stop when the steward, who had been waiting a long time, hurried forward and whispered a few words beside the window.