OBS Chapter 337 I Was First a Female Official, Then a Princess
Chapter 337 I Was First a Female Official, Then a Princess
The sycamore leaves in the Ministry of Works courtyard rustled in the breeze, and dappled sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, falling on Wang Bojun and Shi Wanxia.
The little incident caused by the previous phrase "I will obey the princess's orders" still left Wang Bojun with some doubts.
In his mind, as a member of the royal family, the princess was of extremely high status, far exceeding that of ordinary officials. He really couldn't understand why Shi Wanxia was so insistent on being addressed by her official title.
Shi Wanxia keenly noticed the confusion in Wang Bojun's eyes and said, "Lord Wang, you seem puzzled by my insistence on addressing you by your official title."
She paused slightly, her gaze firm and profound. "I was first and foremost the Minister of Works, a high-ranking official of the third rank personally appointed by His Majesty. Only secondly was I a princess of the first rank."
"Throughout history, princesses and noble ladies have been as numerous as the stars, but I am the first female official in this court."
"This honor does not come from the status of a princess, but from His Majesty's trust and the opportunity to serve the country and the people."
“Therefore, in this Ministry of Works, in this imperial court, I am first and foremost the Minister of Works, and only then the Princess. Do you understand?” Shi Wanxia’s voice was firm and resounding, echoing in the courtyard.
Wang Bojun then realized his slip of the tongue and secretly regretted it.
He quickly bowed and admitted his mistake, his attitude sincere: "Your Excellency is right to reprimand me. I misspoke for a moment. Please forgive my mistake."
Looking up, Wang Bojun's eyes were full of admiration: "I have long heard of your achievements, sir."
"Your Excellency is a man of great learning and has unique insights into policies for governing the world."
"The implementation of movable type printing today has not only reduced the cost of books, allowing knowledge to be widely disseminated among students from poor families, but has also enriched the national treasury."
"It has provided strong material support for the border war. No wonder His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince trust you so much."
Shi Wanxia nodded slightly, her expression calm: "Lord Wang, you are in a position to govern."
"We are in the Ministry of Works and bear the heavy responsibility of promoting national construction. We cannot slack off in the slightest."
After arranging things for Liu Qingci and the others, Shi Wanxia went to her study. The desk was piled high with official documents, recording various matters that the Ministry of Works was promoting, such as water conservancy projects and the promotion of movable type printing.
Just as Shi Wanxia sat down, Wang Bojun walked in with a cup of tea. Steam rose from the cup, and the aroma of tea filled the air.
"Lord Shi, this is freshly arrived pre-rain Longjing tea. Please try it."
Wang Bojun gently placed the teacup on the table, his gaze falling on the pile of official documents on his desk.
"These official documents have been categorized by their urgency, with the documents concerning the expansion of the movable type printing workshop being the most important."
Shi Wanxia nodded, picked up her teacup and took a small sip. The aroma of the tea instantly spread across her tongue, dispelling some of her fatigue.
She unfolded the documents concerning the expansion of the movable type printing workshop and began to study them carefully, her expression growing increasingly solemn.
"Lord Wang, there seems to be a problem with the supply of timber needed for the workshop expansion."
Wang Bojun stepped forward and pointed to the document, saying, "Lord Shi, according to my investigation, it was the timber supplier who raised the price, which led to a significant increase in costs."
"Moreover, delays frequently occurred during transportation, which seriously affected the progress of the project."
Shi Wanxia pondered for a moment, a resolute glint in her eyes: "This matter cannot be delayed. Tomorrow you will come with me to meet with these merchants and we must resolve the timber supply issue."
"Yes, Lord Shi." Wang Bojun responded and withdrew, while Shi Wanxia continued to bury herself in official documents, the flickering candlelight illuminating her focused figure until late at night.
The next day, just as dawn broke, Shi Wanxia and Wang Bojun headed to the area where timber merchants gathered.
In negotiations with the merchants, Shi Wanxia was clear-headed, argued logically, and explained the pros and cons.
Wang Bojun then chimed in, using his excellent eloquence and adaptability to help Shi Wanxia successfully persuade the merchants to not only lower the price of timber but also optimize the transportation process.
When Shen Yanzhou arrived, he saw Miss Shi engrossed in handling official business.
Upon seeing His Highness the Crown Prince personally visit the Ministry of Works, Wang Bojun immediately knelt down to pay his respects.
"Your humble servant pays respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
The voice made Shi Wanxia look up and see that it was His Highness the Crown Prince.
Just as he was about to bow, Shen Yanzhou quickly raised his hand to stop him.
"Alright, Miss Shi, you are now both the Minister of Works and a princess. I truly love you as my younger sister, so you don't need to be so polite when you see me in the future."
Shi Wanxia was overjoyed. Although Shen Yanzhou was the crown prince, he was a rare good-tempered man with a pure and kind nature and a gentle and refined temperament.
Just as I was about to express my gratitude, a minor official rushed over, looking flustered: "Lord Shi, Lord Wang, something terrible has happened! There's been an accident at the movable type printing workshop."
"A worker's improper operation caused a fire. Although the fire has been extinguished, some equipment was severely damaged, and the printing progress has been greatly affected."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia frowned and said, "Let's go and take a look at the workshop."
After saying that, he walked quickly toward the workshop, with Wang Bojun following closely behind.
Shen Yanzhou was worried, but he also had many official duties to attend to.
He then instructed his men to protect Shi Wanxia, for the court was not as peaceful as it appeared on the surface.
Upon arriving at the workshop, Shi Wanxia carefully examined the damage and inquired with the workers about the incident.
She then convened the Ministry of Works' technical officials to discuss solutions.
"Lord Wang, this accident has not only affected the progress of movable type printing, but may also have an adverse impact on its subsequent promotion."
"We must repair the equipment as soon as possible, find out the cause of the accident, improve operating procedures, and prevent such incidents from happening again." Shi Wanxia arranged the work in an orderly manner.
Wang Bojun nodded in agreement: "What you say is absolutely right, sir. I will immediately arrange for craftsmen to repair the equipment and at the same time provide all workers with training on operating procedures to ensure that similar accidents do not happen again."
Under the command of Shi Wanxia and Wang Bojun, the workers of the Work Department worked together and, after several days of hard work, not only repaired the damaged equipment but also optimized the operating procedures and improved production efficiency.
After this incident, Wang Bojun admired Shi Wanxia even more.
Her calm and decisiveness in the face of emergencies and her methodical approach to handling problems made Wang Bojun realize that Shi Wanxia's ability to become the first female official in the court was not due to luck, but to her real ability and sense of responsibility.
Back at the Ministry of Works, Shi Wanxia and Wang Bojun immediately threw themselves into their new work.
With their joint efforts, the Ministry of Works' various affairs proceeded in an orderly manner, the promotion of movable type printing achieved remarkable results, and the water conservancy project was nearing completion.
During this period of working together, Shi Wanxia and Wang Bojun gradually developed a tacit understanding.
After that, Wang Bojun and Shi Wanxia cooperated more and more tacitly in various tasks of the Ministry of Works.
Together they promoted the construction of water conservancy projects, solving the problem of farmland irrigation; together they explored new building materials, improving the quality and efficiency of construction.
In this process, Shi Wanxia, with her unique charm and outstanding talent, not only won the respect of the Ministry of Works, but also gained a firm foothold in the male-dominated court and wrote her own legend.