"How did the arrest and interrogation go yesterday...?"

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, yesterday we were ordered by her to arrest twenty-five officials who were occupying their positions without performing their duties and neglecting their responsibilities. These officials held ranks of 1,000 shi or above."

Fifty-three officials held ranks between 1,000 and 500 shi (a unit of grain measure).

Eighty people held ranks between 200 and 500 shi (a unit of grain measure) in official positions.

The remaining two hundred people!

A total of 338 people!

Upon hearing the final number announced by Yang Qiu, the officials couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

At this moment, Dou Miao's expression also turned quite grim. She never expected that Yang Qiu and his group had actually arrested so many people.

No wonder there was such a commotion yesterday. At the same time, she was also filled with resentment. In such a large court, more than half of the officials were lazy and negligent in their duties. Did they just treat the practical spirit that the emperor had been encouraging as nothing?

This is clearly a blatant disregard for imperial authority and a complete disregard for the mother and child!

.

"This is the list of arrested officials. Please take a look, Your Majesty!"

After saying this, Yang Qiu took out a list and handed it to a eunuch.

Dou Miao squinted at the densely packed names on the list, her murderous intent growing stronger.

Where is the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?

"Your subject is here!"

Upon hearing the Empress Dowager call his name, Minister Yin Xun quickly stood up.

Then Dou Miao looked at Yin Xun and said slowly, word by word, "Every single one of these people on the list will be dismissed from their posts, investigated, and never re-employed. Their family property will be confiscated and put into public service. Their entire families, including themselves, will be exiled to the frontier!"

Although Dou Miao was always clever and knew how to hide her talents, she was no longer going to pretend at this moment. She wanted to show everyone her abilities as the Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty.

"Hiss~,"

Dou Miao's handling of the situation caused the officials in the hall to gasp in shock. They never expected that the Empress Dowager, who had always been indifferent to politics, would act so ruthlessly.

Keep in mind that these were over three hundred officials, not ordinary citizens. Yet, without even asking any questions, they simply ordered their homes confiscated and them exiled with a single, casual remark.

Despite this, not a single person in the hall stood up to speak for or plead for those people.

The officials standing in the hall at this moment were all pragmatic individuals selected by Yang Qiu and his team through investigation and screening. They had long disliked those officials who were lazy, negligent in their duties, and constantly pointing fingers.

Now that the Empress Dowager has exiled all those people to the frontier, the pragmatic officials in the palace are naturally more than happy to accept it.