The little child Zhao Xi, who was the subject of much concern among the elder ministers, was currently in her swaddling clothes, seemingly bored as she blew little bubbles.
Her pair of large obsidian-like eyes rolled around playfully.
Having shed the slight redness from birth, the three-month-old baby was now white and tender all over, resembling fine porcelain jade, her adorable appearance beyond description.
One glance at her was enough to make anyone's heart swell with affection.
Reluctantly stroking the little one's cheek one more time, An Ning finally rose to review today's memorials.
Although the war had ended, there were still many matters to handle afterward. Western Xia was located in the northwest, and while most of its territory was severely desertified, the fertile areas of the Hetao region and Hexi Corridor still yielded considerable grain production.
Of course, the most important aspects were its vast plains and pastures.
This was also why An Ning had chosen to conquer this area first.
The loss of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun meant more than just losing a natural defensive barrier for the Great Song Dynasty; it also meant losing extensive plains and pastures.
After pondering for a moment, An Ning quickly decided on several subordinate officials and very smoothly assigned Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, those two close friends, to positions.
Beside her, Zhang Zihou equally smoothly presented assessment indicators for lower-level officials from various regions, clearly marking their strengths, weaknesses, and specialties.
It was evident he had put considerable effort into this behind the scenes. Looking at this nearly detailed roster in her hands, An Ning couldn't help but smile.
It seemed someone was doing quite well in the Ministry of Personnel, but what was more important...
"Is it that obvious?"
She was referring to her desire to reduce the official bureaucracy.
For some reason, Zhang Zihou across from her relaxed his expression, his voice clearly quite pleased:
"Your Majesty specifically transferred me to the Ministry of Personnel earlier, and immediately placed me in the position of Left Department Director—surely this wasn't just a momentary whim."
"Besides, hasn't Your Majesty already been implementing this in recent years?"
Above, curbing the practice of granting official positions through patronage; below, clarifying the responsibilities and authority of various prefectures and offices.
As for those who were blind to the situation and overly self-interested, they had been gradually removed by Your Majesty for various reasons over the years.
Considering all this, wasn't it precisely to pave the way for smoother operations in the future? Thinking of this, Zhang Dun further contemplated:
"Our dynasty has long suffered from bureaucratic bloat. Now that we have Western Xia, it presents a good opportunity to reform part of the official system and transfer some officials there. This would reduce the resistance Your Majesty faces in the future..."
While the two were discussing, little Zhao Xi nearby didn't cry or fuss, but merely blinked her big eyes, seemingly quite curious as she looked toward where the voices were coming from.
Unfortunately, her view was blocked by the bed frame nearby. When the two adults finished handling official business, they discovered the child had nearly managed to sit up.
But being so young after all, with soft bones and little strength, after attempting and finding she couldn't do it, she simply extended her small hand and tugged at the bell beside her little bed.
With the jingling sound, An Ning finally set down the memorial and went forward, picking up the little one entirely.
Afterward, perhaps having discovered a pattern, except for occasional needs like eating, drinking, and elimination, every day around the hour of You (5-7 PM), or when it was getting dark outside—which was basically when An Ning had finished handling official business—the child would reach out to shake the little bell, seeking her mother's fragrant, soft embrace.
Other times, she rarely cried or fussed.
Indeed, seeing the little one so well-behaved, during the daytime An Ning accordingly often let the child remain in the main hall, no longer having the matrons take her to the side room.
Observing all this, that night after their intimate moments, a certain Zhang suddenly said with considerable pride:
"With intelligence like Xi'er's, I'm afraid it's rare even in this world. Not like that one in Zizhan's family—nearly one year old and still seeming dull-witted, far inferior to our Xi'er!"
This person always had some strange competitive urges.
But to be honest, An Ning was curious too. Lately she had specifically observed that Xi'er's intelligence and physical constitution were visibly superior to ordinary children, but to what extent exactly?
She was actually quite eager to find out...