Chương 746: , Part 26

Yuchi Gong scratched his head and chuckled:

"That's true. Anyway, no matter what it's called, I'm sure I can get in!"

"The portrait must be drawn to make it look imposing, and my double whips must be included; neither can be omitted!"

Qin Qiong smiled and shook his head; there was nothing he could do about it.

On the other side, a group of civil officials surrounded Zhuge Liang, showering him with compliments, like stars around the moon:

"Kongming's insight is brilliant! The two characters 'Zhaoji' (肇基) not only convey the spirit of founding a nation but also have profound implications; they are truly superb!"

"If it weren't for Kongming's guidance on the system of dividing the cabinets, how could such a proper arrangement have been made?"

"Wen Xiping and Wu Yaowei, the founders of the dynasty, established a clear hierarchy with profound implications!"

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, smiled faintly, and remained completely at ease.

"It's merely a matter of adapting to the current situation; the key is the approval of my colleagues and His Majesty's wisdom. I'm just offering a preliminary suggestion."

Despite his modesty, there was still a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Who wouldn't be happy if their suggestion was adopted?

Zhang Fei and Guan Yu walked behind, and Zhang Fei was still muttering to himself:

"Second brother, I knew you made the right choice. Zhaoji Pavilion sounds more scholarly than Dingding Pavilion."

Later, I'll tell my son, "Your dad's portrait is in Zhaoji Pavilion, how prestigious is that!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard, nodded slightly, and had a faint smile on his lips.

Being able to enter the Zhaoji Pavilion and be ranked alongside the other meritorious officials, he had no regrets in his life.

Guo Jia walked alongside Xi Zhicai, Guo Jia fanning himself with an expression that said, "I knew it all along."

"See? I told you Zhaoji Pavilion would win. You didn't believe me."

Xi Zhicai laughed and said, "You're just following venture capital; how dare you say that?"

"Hey, you can't say that," Guo Jia waved his hand.

"Great minds think alike!"

The two chatted and laughed, looking very relaxed.

Song Yingxing walked the fastest, his steps hurried, his mind already drawing up blueprints.

A three-story pavilion, with dougong brackets, nanmu wood beams and pillars, and a bluestone base...

He was thinking to himself that he would have to call Jia Sixie and Zhang Zhongjing together to discuss how to build Zhaoji Pavilion in a way that was both magnificent and sturdy, so that it could last for a thousand or eight hundred years.

This is a monumental project; we can't afford to ruin our reputation.

Shen Wansan lagged behind, already pondering the situation: The construction of Zhaoji Pavilion must have cost a lot of money, right? Stone, timber, labor costs for the craftsmen...

I need to contact the Ministry of Revenue later to ensure the funds are allocated on a priority basis, so as not to delay the construction schedule.

Such a grand event cannot be ruined by money.

Besides, it would be a tremendous honor for businessmen to donate money to help build Zhaoji Pavilion in the future...

The more he thought about it, the further he went, his mind racing with calculations.

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, walking briskly with smiles on their faces.

No one can say for sure whether it's because the long-awaited Hall of Meritorious Officials has finally been named, or because the desire to "be remembered in history" has finally found a tangible solution.

The sun was shining brightly, and the wind was gentle.

In the summer of Luoyang, cicadas chirped incessantly, but it wasn't noisy at all.

......

In the 21st year of Shenwu, mid-July.

It was early autumn in Luoyang, and the summer heat hadn't completely dissipated. The afternoon sun made people feel lazy.

The curtains in the Ganlu Hall were half-drawn, and the ice basins under the eaves emitted wisps of cool air. The hall was very cool, making it the perfect time to catch a fish.

Liu Ce pushed aside a stack of railway construction documents that the Ministry of Works had just handed him, as if he were clearing away a small mountain.

The folds were piled up so high, it was a headache just looking at them.

He held a piece of freshly steamed osmanthus cake in his mouth, sweet, fragrant, and soft, and enjoyed it with a cup of hot tea. He was living a very happy life.

This is the third dish this afternoon.

The new pastry chef in the imperial kitchen was incredibly skilled; the osmanthus cake was steamed until soft and fluffy, sweet but not cloying, and he ate too much without realizing it.

Just as he swallowed the last bite of cake, before he could even wipe his mouth, a eunuch announced in a soft voice from outside the hall:

"Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived."

"Wow!"

Liu Ce was so startled that he dropped half of the cake crumbs from his hand onto the hem of his dragon robe.

He hurriedly rubbed his hands into the folds of his robe, then quickly sat up straight, grabbed the top memorial and held it in front of his face, burying his head low as if he were busy with important matters and writing furiously, even his breathing became soft.

This set of movements is so fluid and smooth; it's clear he's a repeat offender.

Cai Yan walked in slowly, dressed in an elegant palace gown, with only a jade hairpin in her hair, looking both gentle and dignified.

She glanced up and saw Liu Ce holding up a memorial to cover his face, his shoulders still slightly stiff. She then glanced at the empty plate with half a corner sticking out from the side of the imperial desk and couldn't help but smile.

"Husband, stop pretending. I can see there are three pieces of cake missing from the dish." Cai Yan walked to the imperial desk and sat down. A palace maid served tea and then bowed and withdrew.

"This is your third dish this afternoon, isn't it? Be careful of indigestion. You complained of an upset stomach again tonight."

"Hey, I'm just tired from reviewing memorials, so I'm grabbing a bite to eat."

Liu Ce awkwardly put down the folding book, scratched his head, and looked embarrassed at being caught red-handed.

He quickly changed the subject: "Yan'er, why did you come today? Is everything alright in the harem? I thought you wouldn't be coming until tonight."

Cai Yan took a sip of tea, sighed softly, and without beating around the bush, went straight to the point:

"My husband, Chen'er is already twenty-six this year."

"Twenty-six?"

Liu Ce didn't react for a moment, his mind still reeling from the embarrassment of being caught with the osmanthus cake incident. He paused for two seconds before snapping out of it, counting on his fingers...

"Oh right, born in October of the fourth year of Zhongping, so you are indeed twenty-six this year. Time flies, you've grown up so much in the blink of an eye."

"Yes, I'm twenty-six."

Cai Yan pronounced the words "twenty-six" clearly, looking at him with a meaningful gaze, exactly like a mother in later generations urging her child to get married.

"My husband, I was already pregnant with Chen'er when you were twenty."

"... cough cough."

Liu Ce choked a little, picked up the teacup and took a big gulp, almost choking himself to death.

Okay, he knows it's about pressuring me to get married.

Let alone in ancient times, even in later generations, if a man is 26 and still unmarried, his parents will nag him every day.

But he was so busy fighting wars, building railways, and developing industries that he completely forgot about his son's marriage.

Cai Yan wasn't in a hurry; she just sat there watching him, her tone calm and measured, but every word she spoke was piercing:

"In previous years you said you were busy... fighting in the Western Regions, fighting in Parthia, fighting in Rome, building railways, manufacturing cannons... I understand, national affairs are important."

But now the Western Expedition is over, the Zhaoji Pavilion is under construction, and the Fourth and Fifth Five-Year Plans have come to an end. The Crown Prince is busy attending court with you every day, reviewing memorials, and learning government affairs. He is so busy that he doesn't even have time to rest. There is not even a single person around who cares about his well-being.

The East Palace was such a big courtyard, but he was all alone, with no one to talk to.

"My lord, shouldn't you consider... finding a Crown Princess for Chen'er?"

Liu Ce put down his teacup, scratched his head, and smiled.

There was a hint of embarrassment, a realization, and a touch of awkwardness in that smile.

"Yeah," he slapped his forehead, "we should have found him a long time ago. We were so busy these past few years that we didn't have time for him and completely neglected his marriage."

Now that I have some free time, perfect timing, I'll get it done for him. That way you won't nag me every day.

This is exactly what Cai Yan was waiting for.