Professional Ethics of a Concubine

After the prince's enthronement ceremony was over, except for the envoys from Chu who were in a hurry to leave, the envoys from other countries did not leave immediately.

You may not believe it, but except for Dayan and Gulan, the money in the pockets of the envoys from various countries who stayed behind is cleaner than their faces!

I don't even have the money to go back.

When the emperor heard about the plight of envoys from various countries, he was silent for a long time, wondering if they were being killed too harshly.

The emperor summoned Prince Duan and asked him what was going on and why he had spent all the money.

“Father, I don’t even want them to come to the manor because they are too noisy. But they insist on coming and I can’t stop them. If I try to stop them, they will get angry with you.

When eating, drinking and having fun, they don’t consider how much money they spend. After they’re done, they calculate the bill and feel it’s too expensive, but they are too embarrassed to complain.

After all, they are all members of the royal families of various countries, and they have to save face. As they were paying, the money was gone, and there were still a few people who kept accounts, saying that they would pay it back after returning home. "

emperor,……

"Hahaha, well done. I didn't expect the royal manor to be so popular. You have made an indispensable contribution!" The emperor couldn't help but smile and praise Prince Duan.

Prince Duan was naturally happy to receive the compliment, but he was very humble and said that it was because there were many good things and fun things in the manor, and the service was very thoughtful, and it had nothing to do with him.

"Father, the people of those small countries heard that Gulan has formed an alliance with us and can trade with us. They also want to obtain quotas for materials such as sugar and refined salt. They said they would sell their specialties to us at a low price."

Prince Duan asked again,

"I don't know much about the alliance between the two countries, so it's up to you, Father, to make the final decision."

"White sugar is not an option. The prince said that white sugar is very important and there is only a small amount of it. The same goes for refined salt and liquor. Things like soap, hydrosols and essential oils can be sold to them."

The emperor spoke.

Because white sugar is high in calories, easy to store, and can also be used for first aid for wounds, it is called war supplies in modern times. Its importance on the battlefield is self-evident.

In ancient times, because sugar was only extracted from sugarcane and the technology of extracting sugar from beets had not yet been mastered, let alone industrial sugar production, white sugar was expensive and scarce.

Therefore, Da Zhao’s control over white sugar is also the strictest.

Apart from giving a certain amount of sugar trading quota to Gulan and Dayan, it is impossible for other countries to give it, as they themselves do not have enough.

Prince Duan agreed to this matter, "Okay, father, I will inform them later about the specific matter of the alliance. Should we let the officials of the Ministry of Rites come to discuss it with them?"

"You can't just take care of the affairs of the manor. It's a bit of a waste of your talent."

The emperor has seen the excellent qualities of Prince Duan and is willing to delegate more power to him.

"From now on, you will be fully responsible for our trade with other countries. You should also start training some capable officials. If you don't understand what to do, ask the crown prince, the prime minister, and the senior officials in the court."

Prince Duan was stunned for a moment, then quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude.

However, he was not that excited, but felt very tired instead.

From the beginning, he was asked to be in charge of the poetry garden party in the manor, which was a good match for his profession. He was eager to show his abilities and didn't want to be seen as a waste anymore, so he was very happy. He was full of enthusiasm every day and liked everyone. He thought everyone was a fat sheep with the sign "to be slaughtered" written on their foreheads.

Later, he began to manage the entire Paradise, entertaining envoys from various countries with food, drinks and entertainment, and dealing with various disputes. Although it was very tiring, he could barely accept it.

After all, when he was explaining various rare paintings and reciting poems, he would receive their astonished looks, which made him feel happy.

However, if he is asked to be responsible for any trade between these countries in the future, he will... subconsciously resist.

Alas, although the power is getting greater, but also the responsibility is greater, there are more things to do, and it is even less professional!

In the past, he collected antiques, calligraphy and paintings, recited poems and composed couplets, doing the things that scholars do.

After he took over the trade, wouldn't he have to ask every day how much silver this is, how much silver that is, which country made more silver from trading, which country made less silver...

He suddenly fell into a nest of silver!

This was like a huge boomerang for him, a prodigal son who used to only care about pretentiousness and never cared about how much money he spent when buying things.

The Emperor spoke again,

"It is not a big deal for the envoys from small countries to stay here all the time. They come to watch the ceremony and pay tribute.

When we go back, we will also give them gifts in return and some extra travel expenses, and then we will send them away quickly. You are responsible for this matter."

"...Okay, father! I will make arrangements carefully." Prince Duan felt that the burden on him was even heavier.

For the first time, he understood that his father's love was so heavy.

For a moment, he didn't know whether he was happier or more miserable now compared to being a useless prince?

After a period of extremely intensive work, Prince Duan became tired and his work enthusiasm was no longer strong.

Although he was promoted and had more power, the scope of his work exceeded his comfort zone, which made him more anxious instead of motivated.

In fact, this is also the working status of ordinary people. There are really not many people as career-oriented as the prince.

Prince Duan's current state requires self-regulation, but he also needs new stimulation, goals and encouragement from the outside.

"Give more gifts in return and don't be impolite." The emperor emphasized again, mainly because he felt that the people of these small countries were being slaughtered quite badly.

Since they feel comfortable with flattery, just give them more gifts in return. Anyway, the money can be earned back in subsequent transactions.

"Yes, father." Prince Duan agreed and took his leave.

Not far from the imperial study, I met the prince.

"Greetings, my brother the Crown Prince." Prince Duan quickly bowed. Xie Jin stopped, looked at him and asked with a smile,

"What's wrong? You look listless? Did you get scolded by your father?"

"I didn't get scolded. My father praised me for my good work and gave me the task of forming alliances and trading with other countries, as well as sending them away."

Prince Duan shook his head and tried to cheer himself up, but still spoke in a somewhat listless tone.

"That's great! Your father has assigned you a more important task. This is a sign of his appreciation for your abilities." Xie Jin said.

"I, I'm afraid I won't do it well. I've never done it before. If I mess it up again, it will disappoint my father and my brother, the crown prince."

Prince Duan explained part of the reasons for his anxiety.

"No one is born knowing something. Take your time and learn slowly." Xie Jin patted his shoulder and encouraged him.

Prince Duan forced a smile, thanked Xie Jin, and then hurriedly left.

Xie Jin looked at his back and frowned slightly.

After discussing the matter with his father, Xie Jin returned to the East Palace and found Ye Qingzhi and said to her,

"Qingqing, I just ran into Prince Duan outside the Imperial Study. He looked listless and in a bad mood.

But in fact, the emperor had just assigned him an important task, asking him to be in charge of trade with various countries, and he also praised him for his previous good work and recognized his ability, so why is he so unhappy? "

Xie Jin really didn't understand, so he asked Master Ye very seriously.

When Ye Qingzhi heard this, she knew that this was common burnout and promotion anxiety in the workplace. It was normal for the leader not to understand, because the leader is career-oriented and will view any difficulty as a challenge and will never waste his energy.

Therefore, Ye Qingzhi took the opportunity to explain to Xie Jin what self-efficacy is, burnout period, the mismatch between work content and skills that can cause anxiety, and what a comfort zone is.

After this explanation, Xie Jin understood. If you want people to work actively, you have to whip them continuously like whipping cattle and horses.

"Then I will personally take care of him for a while, teach Prince Duan how to handle such matters, and then assign him two capable men."

Xie Jin stroked his chin and thought for a moment before speaking.

"If he performs well, I will reward him with some rare calligraphy and paintings. Is that okay?"

Ye Qingzhi smiled and gave Xie Jin a thumbs up, praising him.

"That will definitely work. Your Highness, if you lead the Prince of Duan yourself, not only will it give him confidence, it will also allow him to take you as an example and learn from you. It will also prevent the people below from having any small thoughts of looking down on him. This is better than anyone else teaching the Prince of Duan.

Rewarding him with things he likes is icing on the cake and will also make Prince Duan happy and positive.

However, Prince Duan has the noble character of a scholar. If you keep asking him to do things that involve dealing with money, he will dislike it from the bottom of his heart and will not be able to generate any self-motivation.

Therefore, now that the alliance transaction is over, we need to arrange some things that are more suitable for Prince Duan, such as letting him travel to various countries.

Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Let Prince Duan go to other colleges to give lectures and show off his prowess in front of people. He will definitely like it.

Of course, Prince Duan must also learn to recruit different talents for His Highness. He must not only be good at Confucianism, but also have to be good at agriculture, engineering, and mathematics.

It is also possible to let Prince Duan lead an envoy to travel to other countries, and this delegation should also include various talents.

They can bring our Great Zhao culture and skills, and we can also learn their special culture and personally dig out their good things...

That’s right, traveling is hard, and you may encounter various accidents along the way…”

"Prince Duan is a prince, so he doesn't have to rush. He can ride in a comfortable carriage and take a luxurious ship. There are also officials from all walks of life waiting on him. How hard can it be?"

Xie Jin made the decision and said,

"I'll ask him later. If he doesn't want to, forget it. Some people do this."

Ye Qingzhi thought about it and it made sense. How could it be the same for the prince to go out or for a commoner to go out?

-

The next day, after Prince Duan learned about these things from Xie Jin, he immediately hugged Xie Jin and said with tears of gratitude,

"Brother Crown Prince, you are truly my brother!"

Xie Jin, ...

But Xie Jin was so disgusted that he quickly pushed him away and said with a stern face,

"First, you should complete the tasks assigned by your father. I will take care of you for two days so that you can get familiar with the officials and procedures.

After you finish these things, you can rest and prepare for your lectures at various colleges next year."

"Don't worry, Prince!" Prince Duan showed great enthusiasm again, made all kinds of assurances, and even issued a military order.

Xie Jin nodded with satisfaction, and to prevent him from continuing to talk nonsense, he left quickly.

-

In the end, under Prince Duan's arrangement, when those small countries left, Great Zhao not only gave them very generous return gifts, but also some small amounts of white sugar, refined salt and other items as expensive souvenirs.

Compared with the meager gifts they brought, it was probably more than ten times more, demonstrating the generosity of a powerful country.

As for the transaction, it has been agreed upon.

However, specific officials and departments will be assigned to handle subsequent issues such as transaction locations, caravans, items, etc.

In all these affairs, it was basically Prince Duan who took the lead. Only when encountering some decisive issues, such as trade shares, would he go to the Crown Prince for consultation.

After seeing off the last delegation from a small country, Prince Duan had lost a lot of weight visibly.

But the whole person has become more shrewd and capable, and his abilities in all aspects have improved a lot, and he can truly stand on his own.

-

Su Ting was also preparing to take the Gulan delegation back.

Before leaving, he was still worried about the Third Prince being left here alone, but when he saw his happy expression, he felt that his worries were unnecessary.

The third prince was obviously happy and didn't want to leave.

However, we still need to be concerned about what we should be concerned about.

"Your Highness, we are all gone. It is not appropriate for you to live in the guild hall anymore. How about buying a house in the capital and some maids and servants to take care of you?"

Because the third prince will be able to earn money on his own later, eating, drinking and having fun in the manor is called work, not consumption, so the Gulan delegation actually has some money left.

Furthermore, due to the alliance between the two countries, on the way back home, you can enjoy free food and lodging at the post stations in the territory of Da Zhao, and you will be escorted by Da Zhao soldiers, so it doesn't cost too much money.

That's why Su Ting asked with such concern.

"Don't worry about that. My cousin the Crown Prince has already given me a house. You can just send some servants from my mansion over later."

The third prince waved his hand and spoke, not caring at all about being a gigolo.

The soft rice given by the prince's cousin is delicious.

Hearing this, Su Ting even felt a little envious. How great it would be if the Crown Prince of Great Zhao was the Crown Prince of their Gulan Kingdom!

"Then do you want to send your wives, concubines and children over here?" Su Ting asked again.

“Will this work?!”

Of course the Third Prince wanted to do so, but he was afraid that if he did so, it would be as if he had left the Kingdom of Gulan and settled directly in Da Zhao.

Once his wife and children arrive, the Gulan Kingdom will no longer have any leverage over him.

Although, there is nothing he can do, his heart is always with his mother!

He just wanted to stay in Da Zhao to learn more and earn more money from the people of Da Zhao.

"I don't know either. When I return, I will report this matter to His Majesty and let Him make the decision. The Third Prince can also write a petition to His Majesty and personally ask for His Majesty's approval."

Su Ting gave him advice.

The third prince agreed and pondered how to write the letter, whether it would be better to play the victim or express loyalty.

However, before he could write the letter, the next day he met the messenger from Gulan and received a reply letter from the empress.

After seeing this, the third prince couldn't help but burst into tears. He immediately kowtowed three times in the direction of Gulan Kingdom to thank his mother for her tolerance and kindness.

Su Ting also received a reply letter from the empress, in which she asked him to stay in Da Zhao and assist the third prince in establishing the embassy of Gulan Kingdom in Da Zhao.

The empress asked him to focus on learning the planting techniques of Da Zhao, and return to Gulan Kingdom with the first batch of talents in this area before the beginning of next spring.

Su Ting read the letter twice, put it away, and then, like the third prince, kowtowed in the direction of the Gulan Kingdom.

"After receiving the letter and gifts I sent back last time, my mother sent someone to send my wife, concubines, and children to reunite with me. They are already on their way and will arrive in more than half a month."

The third prince stood up, wiped his tears, put away the letter, and said to Su Ting with a smile.

"Congratulations to the Third Prince for getting what he wished for." Su Ting also said with a smile.

"Your Majesty has arranged something for me, so I will have to stay here for a few more months."

"Master Su, tell me if you have any difficulties and I will help you solve them."

The third prince immediately made a boast.

Su Ting thanked him immediately, but thought in his heart that he might as well go directly to the prince.

That's the one who can handle everything.

-

On the other side, the emperor finally received a reply from the empress.

When the messenger asked for an audience, Xie Jin happened to be there. When he heard that it was his mother's reply to his father, Xie Jin quickly said,

"Father, I will take my leave now and will not bother you any more."

"Don't you want to read your mother's letter?" the emperor said.

"…This is a letter from mother to father. I won't read it. It's embarrassing for you to talk about private matters. If there is anything you need to let me know later, father can tell me."

Xie Jin said this in a very understanding manner.

Upon hearing this, the emperor smiled in a good mood, waved to Xie Jin, and asked him to go down first.

However, when the emperor couldn't wait to open it and read it, he fell silent and his defenses broke down.