Heartstrings Resonance: The Beloved Princess of the Female Power

But his tone towards Mu Yunxi was not so kind: "Was it your idea to run a school under the name of Yongle?"

Before Mu Yunxi could speak, Yongle spoke first, "Your Majesty, do you think that a woman like me is not qualified to run a school?"

Emperor Qing Zhao was immediately silenced by Yongle's question. He then listened to Yongle's words, "Yun Xi did all this for his son. Father, you are just afraid that the ministers will report you and make things difficult for you! But father, when these people are trained, they will become the pillars of Zhao State and benefit future generations, father!"

"The Imperial College..." Emperor Qing Zhao had just opened his mouth to say these three words when he was interrupted by Yongle. Yongle looked determined and said confidently: "The Imperial College is indeed full of talents, but do they know how to teach the people how to farm? Do they have the ability to study how to increase grain production? Or can they make sophisticated weapons by themselves and know how to build sturdy and durable bridges? Even if they have mastered all these skills, how many of them can truly benefit the people? In the final analysis, it is just for those aristocratic families to profit from it! But the Innovation Academy we are planning is completely different. The people we recruit are "What you learn will undoubtedly benefit the people's livelihood. Father, please consider this carefully. In the future, when the people of our Zhao Kingdom, thanks to the talented individuals cultivated by this academy, are able to live comfortably and no longer be forced to flee their homes due to natural disasters, who will they be most grateful to? Undoubtedly, it will be you, Father! In their hearts, you will become a wise ruler whose fame will be passed down through the ages! Future generations will surely praise your great achievements and pass them down through the ages!"

In fact, as early as when he first started planning to build this academy, Mu Yunxi had already explained the above principles clearly to Yongle.

Emperor Qing Zhao was initially a little annoyed by Yongle's barrage of questions, but as they continued, he began to feel a certain amount of truth in them, and his anger gradually dissipated. He then turned his gaze to Mu Yunxi and slowly asked, "Did you share these ideas with Yin'er?"

Mu Yunxi nodded calmly and replied, "That's right!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qing Zhao snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "Do you know how many aristocratic families will be offended by doing this? They have complex influence both in the court and in the local areas. A single move could affect the entire system!"

Yet, facing the emperor's questioning, Mu Yunxi showed no fear. Instead, she spoke righteously, "Your Majesty, the Zhao Kingdom court appears to be peaceful and harmonious. However, in every corner of this land, the local aristocratic families still firmly control the situation, colluding with local officials. They wantonly exploit and oppress the poor, causing great hardship for their lives. Many poor families cannot afford treatment or medicine for even a simple cold, and can only watch their loved ones suffer and eventually die. Your Majesty, think about this: if we can vigorously promote medical skills, allowing more people to master the methods of treating illnesses and saving lives, and reduce the saying that "scarcity makes things valuable"; and if we can lower the price of medicine so that it is no longer an unbearable burden for ordinary people, then... will so many innocent lives still be lost to poverty and disease?"

Mu Yunxi's impassioned words plunged Emperor Qing Zhao into deep thought. After a long pause, he raised his head and said earnestly, "You have a point, but some precious herbs are not renewable and are limited in quantity. If we want to significantly reduce drug prices, we must first ensure an adequate supply!"

"Then plant it, cultivate it. If there are no conditions, create them! Isn't it that the Baili family has become the leading medical family in Zhao State because they have several large medicine gardens with a complete range of products? Your Majesty, as the king of a country, do you think that you are inferior to the Baili family?" Mu Yunxi's crisp and firm voice echoed in the hall. Her brave and fearless words made Yongle, who was standing beside her, secretly sweat for her.

Emperor Qing Zhao stared at her with eyes as deep as a lake, as if trying to see through her exterior to her innermost thoughts. After a moment's silence, he took a sip from the teacup on the table, then spoke slowly, "How do you know I haven't tried it?"

Mu Yunxi met Emperor Qing Zhao's gaze fearlessly and asked, "Your Majesty, are you looking for someone from the Baili family to plant it for you?"

Hearing this, Emperor Qing Zhao showed a trace of helplessness on his face. He sighed softly and replied, "Otherwise, how can I learn how to grow medicinal herbs?" His words revealed a bit of helplessness and confusion.

Mu Yunxi couldn't help but sigh inwardly, feeling helpless about the Zhao people's conservative way of thinking. In her opinion, the Zhao people were simply too narrow-minded, or, to put it mildly, too honest and dutiful. Many things clearly had room for improvement and innovation, but they never considered trying to change. They blindly believed that the traditions left by their ancestors were necessarily the best, and they dared not even step beyond that.

"Your Majesty!" Mu Yunxi said earnestly, "When you ask for the planting technology, they won't give it up easily. After all, this is the livelihood of the Baili family. How could they give it up so easily? I guess, Your Majesty, you have also made huge concessions, but the Baili family has not agreed.

"But because you are the ruler of a nation, they couldn't directly refuse your request due to your status. So, they came up with a compromise: you sent people over to learn. Unfortunately, those people you sent only learned the basics, successfully cultivating only the herbs with a high survival rate. As for the more complex varieties, they all died, completely failing to grasp the essence. "When you went to them to ask for an explanation, they shouted in protest, insisting that they cultivated the same way at home," Mu Yunxi said helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qing Zhao couldn't help but frown, because the Baili family's reply to him was exactly the same.

Emperor Qing Zhao then informed Mu Yunxi of the entire incident. Mu Yunxi felt a mixture of laughter and tears, even wanting to cover her face with her hands. She couldn't help but say to Emperor Qing Zhao, "Your Majesty! Medicinal herbs are very different from grains! Growing medicinal herbs is far more demanding than growing grains! When you sent people to learn, didn't you pay attention to how they controlled soil moisture and the local climate when growing medicinal herbs? Also, did you delve into the specific months and planting dates for the most appropriate herbs?"

Emperor Qing Zhao responded with a bewildered look on his face: "It's as simple as growing vegetables."

Mu Yunxi didn't want to continue the topic, so she said, "Now that Baili Zhong is willing to teach at the Innovation Academy, I think he should know a little about how to grow some herbs!" At this point, Mu Yunxi asked in confusion, "Speaking of which, if you can't grow any herbs, why don't you ask the imperial physician to find out which herbs grow best and when?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qing Zhao coughed dryly. Yongle explained to her, "Most of the imperial physicians are from the Baili family."

"Then why is there no imperial physician with the surname Baili?" Mu Yunxi thought about it but couldn't find any imperial physician with the surname Baili.

Yongle looked at Emperor Qingzhao and shook his head, "I don't know!"

"People with the surname Baili are all rich and would not look down on the little money in the palace!" Seeing the two looking at him, Emperor Qing Zhao said again: "You also know that the national treasury was empty in the past few years and could only maintain superficial expenses..." He didn't say anything else, but Mu Yunxi also knew what he meant.

After a while, he asked Mu Yunxi, "You asked Wutou about Baili Zhong. It turns out you had this idea in mind a long time ago!"

"I knew he was a bit of a liar!" Mu Yunxi muttered. Wutou, hiding somewhere, secretly complained: "Your Majesty, if you want to hear it, I have several heads to hide!"

Emperor Qing Zhao snorted coldly, "You have a good brain, but you are a little bold! I also want to tell you that you have to settle this matter yourselves. I can't interfere, otherwise it will be difficult to convince the people. If you can't shut up those aristocratic families, your academy may not be able to recruit students!" Mu Yunxi and Yongle naturally knew what Emperor Qing Zhao meant.

He then said to Yongle, "Don't join her in everything. She is very cunning. What if she can't protect you?" He had no awareness of talking behind others' backs, and Mu Yunxi, who was being talked about, had no awareness of being talked about either.

Yongle said in a coquettish tone: "Don't we have the Emperor? Could it be that the Emperor will not care about his son?"

Glancing at Mu Yunxi, she continued, "Furthermore, Yunxi will consult with me on everything. If I disagree, she won't do anything. But this will benefit both the country and the people. Once accomplished, Zhao will only need to defend itself against foreign enemies. And the people of Zhao will be able to live and work in peace and contentment. Father, wouldn't you want to see this prosperity?" She envied and yearned for the peace and stability of Mu Yunxi's hometown. She also wanted Zhao to be as prosperous as Mu Yunxi's.

Emperor Qing Zhao looked at his daughter, who was leaning against his elbow, and said angrily, "You two have lived a lifetime longer than me, and you two are good at talking, and you two are right! Get out of here right now!"

Emperor Qing Zhao really didn't want to see these two people. He wanted to refute them, but they ignored him. After the two of them left the hall, Eunuch Fu brought a cup of tea to Emperor Qing Zhao's table and said, "My dear husband... No, this old servant made a mistake. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!" He was about to kneel, but Emperor Qing Zhao stopped him, saying, "Don't kneel. You are an old man. What were you going to say? Go on!"