"Hmm...very good, this evidence will bring down more than thirty Leftist officials."

Inside the Imperial Study, Yuan Xiu flipped through the documents presented by Wen Hu and said with a smile, "Lord Sha County, you've done a great job! These documents are even more substantial than what Dong Xiao obtained!"

Wen Hu knelt on one knee and said, "Your subject is foolish and has taken too long."

"It's not too late." Yuan Xiu smiled, seemingly in a good mood, and said, "Presenting it during the Spring Festival is quite a generous gift to me."

Yuan Xiu handed the documents to Wei You beside him and said, "Look at these people, they really are parasites on the Great Jing! Especially Du Yuhe, he's an absolute embezzler!"

Wei You quickly flipped through the pages, becoming increasingly alarmed with each reading.

Yuan Xiu added, "No wonder Du Yu and this fellow have taken one concubine after another. They really are greedy for money and lustful!"

Wei You looked in one direction and exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, he actually..."

"Hmph! There are even those who embezzle military funds!"

Yuan Xiu said in a deep voice, "Lord Sha, have you ever considered that if all these officials are punished, it would be tantamount to cutting off one of your uncle's arms?"

Wen Hu clasped his hands and said, "Even if Your Majesty orders me to personally capture Du Yuhe, I will do so!"

Yuan Xiu waved his hand and said, "Don't touch Du Yuhe for now. I'm still waiting for his son to rid me of the bandits. Let him have some more time to be intimate with his concubines. That bastard probably didn't get enough of the dog shit he ate last time. When we deal with him, we'll lock him in a doghouse and let him eat his fill!"

Wen Hu asked, "What about these people on the list...?"

"You don't need to lift a finger. Just remember, until I give you my permission, you are still a member of the Left Prime Minister's office."

Yuan Xiu waved his hand at Wei You and said, "Wei You, besides Du Yuhe, mark out the ten most corrupt people on this list. You, along with He Yin, the Minister of Justice, and Dong Xiao, the Director of the Court of Justice, will handle this matter together. It has been twelfth year since the founding of the People's Republic of China. With the new year comes a new atmosphere. I want to take this opportunity to start an anti-corruption campaign in the court."

Wei You immediately knelt down to accept the order, saying, "Your Majesty's diligent governance is a blessing for the people!"

At this moment, Jin Hu walked in quickly, eyes downcast and mindful of his own thoughts, and leaned down to whisper in Yuan Xiu's ear.

Wen Hu glanced up at the golden pot, his mind racing.

She thought to herself, "Is this my newly favored father-in-law?"

I haven't seen Lü Lu at the Imperial Study twice now. Could it be that the incident at Mujing Bay last time wasn't so simple, and Lü Lu has fallen out of favor?

Wen Hu subconsciously memorized the appearance of the golden pot.

After hearing Jin Hu's words, Yuan Xiu's expression first showed bewilderment, then shock, and finally he stood up and strode out of the Imperial Study.

"That's enough, you may all leave!"

Arrive at Lin Palace.

Yuan Xiu watched as the imperial physician spoke to He Wu by the bedside for a while. After the physician came over, he asked, "Are you sure it's correct?"

The imperial physician, beaming, congratulated, "It's absolutely true! The Empress is indeed pregnant! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"Yes, there will be a reward. You may leave now, but please take good care of the Empress's health."

Yuan Xiu walked to the bedside and sat down, looking at He Wu lying on the bed looking delicate and charming.

He Wu was beautiful, with captivating phoenix eyes and a mole between her eyebrows that was the perfect finishing touch, but Yuan Xiu just couldn't muster any interest in her face.

I even felt a little nauseous.

Consort Jia was so alluring back then!

He Wu grasped Yuan Xiu's hand and said softly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for not being able to perform the proper etiquette."

"You may all step back."

Yuan Xiu dismissed Jin Hu and the palace maids, but his face showed little joy, and he didn't say anything caring. Instead, he asked, "Empress, you got pregnant after just one night with me?"

He Wu's expression immediately darkened, and she said awkwardly, "What are you saying, Your Majesty? I was able to conceive so quickly, isn't it all because of Your Majesty's divine prowess?"

"Cough..." Yuan Xiu couldn't help but cough lightly.

He Wu asked, "Is His Majesty unhappy?"

"I am happy, of course I am happy." Yuan Xiu pulled his hand away and said, "Your Majesty should take better care of your health in the future. I will try to come and see you more often."

As he spoke, he turned to leave.

He Wu asked doubtfully, "Is Your Majesty leaving so soon after arriving?"

"I will not disturb the Empress's rest any longer."

Seeing Yuan Xiu leave so resolutely, He Wu glared resentfully at his retreating figure and angrily turned over.

Yuan Xiu walked outside and suddenly stopped in place. Seeing his serious expression, Jin Hu and the palace maids dared not breathe.

Logically speaking, everyone present today should be rewarded for this joyous occasion.

Moreover, the reward will not be too low.

But clearly, Yuan Xiu had no intention of giving a reward.

Yuan Xiu glanced back into the hall, his brows furrowing into a deep frown.

"That one night, she was drugged..."

"Am I really that powerful?"

"Could it be that Eunuch Lü was right, and I struck the bullseye with one blow?"

"Damn it, I'm so powerful!" Yuan Xiu shook his head and strode away with an incredulous look on his face.

For several days in a row, the imperial court became unusually lively.

First, news of the Empress's pregnancy spread; second, more than a dozen corrupt officials were severely punished.

Under the control of Wei You, He Yin, and Dong Xiao, they did not only target the ten corrupt officials in the Left Party faction, but also arrested some other corrupt officials, which made the targeting less effective.

Besides these two major events, another important event occurred in the imperial court.

Mu Shanyue, a veteran official who had served three dynasties, resigned from his post.

His reason was simple: he was old and frail, his eyesight was failing, and he had originally planned to resign long ago. However, he was concerned about the country and couldn't rest easy knowing that the foundation of the nation was not yet established. Now, everything was fine; the empress had been established, and a prince had been born. He could now peacefully return home to enjoy his retirement for a thousand years.

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