She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 538 - 536: Others’ Achievements

Chapter 538: Chapter 536: Others’ Achievements

In the imperial court, after the ministers had finished their daily reports, the Emperor called Prince Fu out of the ranks. "Jinyi, Lord Wang must have already spoken to you about the matter of the screw connection, right? Since you are in charge of the Ministry of Works, it is up to you to oversee whether the screw fasteners can be used or not. You must urge Lord Wang to settle this matter as soon as possible."

Prince Fu quickly agreed, then glanced at Jinrong with a gloomy expression. This carefree sixth brother of his had finally come to prominence, even the issue discussed in today’s court meeting mentioned the screw fasteners presented by Jinrong. As soon as Jinrong had made a name for himself, he had become a formidable opponent.

The Crown Prince’s face did not reveal anything, nor did he show any sign of a smile. As the Crown Prince, the heir to the entire nation, he also controlled all the empire’s finances. No matter how capable others were, they still needed money to live. Therefore, although Jinyi had always been energetically lively, the Crown Prince did not take him seriously.

However, Jinrong’s role as the Assistant Manager of the Ministry of Personnel was something the Crown Prince found unsettling. The hiring and firing of officials across the land had always been firmly in his own grasp, and yet, Jinrong, who had been carefree for so many years, was now assisting in this role. Although the final decisions still rested with the Cabinet and the Emperor, the outcomes could differ greatly depending on whether the actual person working on them added an extra stroke or omitted one.

With promotions and transfers of officials, under similar conditions, to secure a good position or a nice assignment, they would inevitably try every trick in the book, and might well find their way to Jinrong. An imperial prince serving as the Assistant Manager of the Ministry of Personnel doesn’t even need to break any court laws; a casual remark could result in the replacement of an official with similar achievements, leading to the rewriting of the previously determined appointment documents.

In the long run, would not Jinrong amass too many followers and old acquaintances? This would pose a grave threat to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince shifted his gaze to Xing Yuyue, who maintained his usual demeanor, giving the Crown Prince a barely noticeable nod, signaling him to stay calm and not let his emotions show on his face.

......

Prince Fu suppressed his anger until after the court was dismissed and he returned to his mansion. As soon as he walked into the small room of the meeting hall, Prince Fu could contain himself no longer. With a sweep of his hand, he knocked a set of Ru ware tea utensils and several cups and saucers to the ground.

Tea leaves, broth, and shards of porcelain scattered, leaving the small room in the meeting hall without a single spot to set foot on.

Liu Yu had just put down a document he was holding and came forward only to be startled by the sudden outburst of rage. Seeing that Prince Fu was about to step forward, he quickly kicked away a couple of broken porcelain pieces, and while walking over, he said softly, "Your Highness, wait just a moment, let my men come in and clean up before you continue. There are shattered porcelain pieces everywhere, be careful not to step on them and get injured."

Prince Fu’s steps faltered, but he stopped himself, scowling as he watched two young servants first clean up around his feet and the table, then sat down with a stern face at the head of the table.

Liu Yu could guess why Prince Fu was angry. A few days ago, a message had come from a contact left in Qingyuan County, reporting that the Qi family of Clear Water Village seemed to have passed the inspection, and their products would likely be sent to the capital soon.

Receiving a message was certainly good, but what frustrated him was the fact that almost simultaneously with the message from Prince Fu’s spies, the guards of Qingyuan County had also entered Prince Yu’s Mansion, rendering the news worthless.

Prince Fu was very dissatisfied with this. From this incident, it was clear that the spies they had left in Qingyuan County were as good as mere decorations. It would be reasonable to assume that Ye Xinyan, managing such a large enterprise, would sometimes overlook something. However, because of Guan He, the spies from Prince Fu’s Mansion simply couldn’t get close to the Mechanical Workshop of the Qi family, and thus, they were entirely unable to find out what all those craftsmen were busy with.

Yesterday, the Minister of Works, Wang Xian, took out several sets of threaded fasteners from the palace, claiming that they were parts made in collaboration with His Highness Prince Yu. After examination by several officials responsible for specific affairs and work in the Ministry of Works, it was determined that these fasteners were usable and indeed very useful. The only fatal flaw was the difficulty in producing threads of uniform size, so they were doomed to be of limited application.

After several officials reported this, Prince Fu’s expression eased somewhat. It seemed that at most, Prince Yu had only managed to come up with an ingenious device and was unlikely to make a significant splash.

However, Wang Xian’s face showed a hint of hesitation as he hesitantly told them: according to His Highness Prince Yu, Clear Water Village had special equipment for making these threads, called a lathe, a large device capable of producing threads of a uniform standard.

After sending off the several officials, Prince Fu burst into a rage: When there’s nothing going on, each of them claims to be a genius, capable of anything, but when it comes to dealing with real issues, not one of them is actually useful. Prince Yu, idly living a life of leisure, could continuously come up with noticeable achievements, while those who claimed to be prodigies could only follow in the footsteps of others.

At that time, accompanying Prince Fu was Shi Dong, the chief clerk of Prince Fu’s Mansion. When he returned and spoke of this to Liu Yu, the two couldn’t help feeling ashamed. His Highness Prince Fu had long noticed that Miss Ye of the Ye Family was extraordinary and first planned to arrange a marriage among his subordinates. When that failed, he even sent someone specifically to that remote village in Yuyuan Prefecture, his diligence unmistakable, yet it yielded no results.

His Highness Prince Fu was already sharp and insightful enough. While others in the capital had not yet caught on, he had planned to harness Miss Ye’s talents for himself. However, it was tough to intervene, given that she was the granddaughter of Duke An, the outside granddaughter of Marquis Zhongyong, and Prince Yu had already gained the upper hand.

The best approach would have been an arranged marriage, which would not only bring Miss Ye under his wing but also foster friendship between the two families, a cause for celebration for everyone. Unfortunately, they made a misstep in choosing a candidate, selecting someone like that Shen Family son, and thus, a promising plan was ruined. That Shen Family’s son had been lying in the capital for several months, and in the end, had to be carried onto a carriage and shamefully returned to Liaoyuan Prefecture.

Given all these events, it’s no wonder His Highness was furious. However, although His Highness had erupted in rage at the time, he had not been this angry, not to the point of destroying his own property. Could there be something more vexing at play?

Liu Yu glanced at Zhixin, the close attendant of Prince Fu, and noticed Zhixin cautiously and nervously signaling him. Liu Yu felt a jolt—something else indeed aggravated Prince Fu.

After tidying up the room and freshening the tea, Liu Yu poured tea for Prince Fu and said, "What exactly has upset Your Highness so profoundly? If you speak it out, we can discuss it and find a solution. It surely beats Your Highness stewing in resentment alone."

Prince Fu swept the items on the table aside, took a moment to calm himself, and after some of his anger had dissipated, he sat down with a stern face and finally spoke: "At today’s court session, the Imperial Father appointed Prince Yu as the Assistant Manager of the Ministry of Personnel."

That simple sentence made Master Liu’s eyes widen. What was the Emperor thinking? Even if the Emperor intended to maintain stability and cultivate his successors, it should have been the Crown Prince’s responsibility. Why, why entrust Prince Yu, who has always avoided duty, with helping manage the affairs?

Liu Yu looked at Prince Fu, who spoke with a strained voice, "In these past two years, Prince Yu has indeed accomplished a few things worth noticing. Perhaps the Imperial Father thinks Prince Yu is the most distinguished among the princes. All the effort I’ve made over these years doesn’t compare to Prince Yu flaunting the achievements of others in the Emperor’s eyes."