A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace-Chapter 851: A Visit from Western Xia

During these seven or eight days,

everywhere in the Capital City has been insanely busy.

The Emperor has decreed that the entire Capital, inside and outside, top to bottom, must be completely tidied up.

No matter how much we look down upon the Western Xia Kingdom, we certainly can’t afford to embarrass ourselves in a messy state, can we?

Thus,

the Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Revenue, and Ministry of Works, even the Ministry of War, have all mobilized.

The Ministry of Rites is responsible for arranging accommodations and assigning staff to serve.

The Ministry of Revenue is responsible for allocating silver, various funds, and the supply of all sorts of consumables.

The Ministry of Works is responsible for repairing or demolishing the dilapidated buildings on the streets, especially the main streets.

In essence,

everyone, from high-ranking officials,

has turned into soiled laborers.

After all, it’s an imperial edict from the Emperor himself, and since it concerns the black gauze cap, extra diligence is imperative!

Even if you don’t do it personally, you have to supervise it yourself.

If any spot is found lacking, tut tut...

As for the Ministry of War,

their task was to maintain peace throughout the Capital, especially in the Western Xia Kingdom’s quarters, once the Western Xia envoys arrived (mainly to monitor!).

But since the envoys haven’t entered the Capital yet,

they couldn’t just sit idly by, so Zhao Junyao waved his hand.

"Go help the Ministry of Works with moving bricks!"

And so, those soldiers from the Ministry of War, who usually excel in horseback archery, began their seven-day brick-moving stint.

Even while sweating, being in a different location feels... hmm... not quite the same?!

No matter if it’s the same or not, the bricks still need to be moved, and the streets need to be swept.

Ye Tang, seeing her well-trained soldiers being underutilized like this, feels quite distressed,

so distressed that she can’t bear watching, hence...

she went to drink with Yang Chenyi.

Ye Tang, now serving under Minister Yang He of the Ministry of War, holds the Fifth Rank title of Valiant General.

This time,

Minister Yang entrusted her with the task of welcoming the envoys.

With Ye Tang’s martial skills and proficiency in horseback archery, guarding the embassy where the Western Xia envoys stay is more than sufficient.

The task isn’t overly burdensome; it just requires attentiveness.

Thus, there’s no one more suitable for the job than a female general like her.

As for Yang Chenyi,

he recently became the new Patrol Commander of the Bureau of Warhorses.

His main task is usually to lead a small squad of officers and soldiers to patrol the major streets, managing whatever issues arise there.

All sorts of brawls, kidnapping women, highway robberies, extortion, and wealthy families abusing commoners, among other things, fall under his jurisdiction.

To summarize: addressing those conflicts that are neither trivial nor escalated into serious military confrontations.

Nipping various instability factors in the bud stage.

This position is neither particularly prominent nor insignificant.

Initially, he declined, considering these matters petty and bothersome.

But gradually, he grew fond of the role.

Especially when he sees the weak being saved through his efforts, he feels that all of his persistence has become worthwhile.

No wonder his father always said,

the best training is among the common people!

Seeing it now, it is indeed so.

Therefore, Yang Chenyi is quite pleased with his new position.

This time, with the Western Xia envoys’ visit, his duties became even heavier than usual.

He had to patrol more frequently and thoroughly than before.

Besides eating and sleeping, his remaining time was spent walking the streets.

However, compared to Ye Tang’s distress, he feels a bit more relaxed.

"I say, it’s just these few days, do you need to feel so dejected? After all, it’s still a task assigned by the Emperor!"

Yang Chenyi kindly consoled her.

Ye Tang glared at him.

"Easy for you to say. Why don’t you try it?"

"Don’t forget, they were trained under your guidance too!"

Yang Chenyi fell silent.

"I feel distressed too!"

"But look at me, I’ve been training in the Ministry of War for so long, and now I’m just managing the streets?"

"Although my rank has gone up, it feels like a demotion in disguise!"

Ye Tang punched him on the arm.

"You brat, got promoted and still complaining!"

"You patrol those streets with such authority, it’s not like I haven’t seen that!"

"You’re so happy that you smile from ear to ear every day on duty!"

Yang Chenyi, unable to retort, mumbled for a while and finally said,

"No wonder you can’t get married; your tongue is sharp as a knife!"

Ye Tang’s eyes widened in anger.

"Hey... you brat!"

"You speak as though you’ve found a wife yourself!"

Yang Chenyi, startled by her words, retorted,

"It’s not that I can’t find a wife, I just don’t want to!"

Ye Tang quickly replied,

"Then I can’t get married because I don’t want to!"

Yang Chenyi: "..."

"Fine, fine, I’m not arguing with you; I’m going on patrol!"

Ye Tang narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, glaring at him.

"Haha, out of words, huh?! Go on, go on!"

"I’ll go move bricks!"

With that said, the two who constantly bickered upon meeting each other, went their separate ways.

...

Seven days later, the Capital City was cleaned spotlessly, completely renewed.

Everywhere from the main streets to the narrow alleys, everything was placed neatly and orderly.

The vendors had also been cleared out, making the streets much more spacious.

The embassy was ready as well.

The Ministry of Rites had everything prepared for reception.

The palace also began preparations for a cleansing banquet.

Personnel from the Ministry of War were fully rallied, ready to escort at any time.

No matter how many envoys from Western Xia there were, each of them needed to be kept an eye on and shouldn’t be allowed to wander unchecked.

While the guests are guests, should they harbor any ill intentions,

Great Chu Dynasty won’t show any courtesy.

At this moment,

everything inside and outside the palace, top to bottom, was thoroughly prepared.

However, inside the Imperial Study Room.

Even though it was close to midnight, a group of officials were still noisily bickering with each other.

The reason was:

Regarding the reception banquet tomorrow, there was no consensus among officials, primarily divided into two perspectives.

One group believed that:

Western Xia is different from those ordinary tributary states.

With its vast land and abundant resources, its strength should not be underestimated.

Since they were the ones extending friendship, Great Chu Dynasty shouldn’t neglect this opportunity.

Therefore, regarding whatever treatment, it should naturally be the best of the best.

To demonstrate the national prestige of Great Chu Dynasty!

Yet, another group disagreed.

"Follow the protocols and it will be sufficient! There’s no need to be too extravagant; it might seem forced!"

"Exactly, our Great Chu’s national strength is formidable, far exceeding Western Xia! Is it necessary to use these conventions to showcase our prowess?"

Upon hearing this,

the other side objected.

"As they say, even excellent wine fears a secluded alley; if we don’t display our national prestige, they might think we’re easy to bully!"

To which the other side immediately retorted.

"You all have been officials for too long; you’ve lost touch with the common people’s hardships."

"Bear in mind, every penny spent comes from the people’s taxes!"

"It’s not worth spending so much for these people of Western Xia; those funds could be better spent elsewhere!"

"Indeed, indeed, Emperor, what we’ve prepared now is already ample enough!"

"Beyond this, it’s truly unnecessary!"

Zhao Junyao looked at one side, seemed reasonable, looked at the other, also seemed reasonable.