Chapter 543 Affair?

Zhao Sicheng and Xiao Wan were both wearing red official uniforms and walking hand in hand on the streets of the capital, attracting the attention of passers-by.

"What are you doing..." Xiao Wan couldn't break free and whispered with a red face.

Zhao Sicheng turned to look at her and suddenly said seriously:

"Wanwan, I plan to pick a good day and go to your house to propose marriage."

He stopped and looked into Xiao Wan's eyes with an extremely serious expression.

"I don't want to be so sneaky anymore. I didn't have time to give you the most grand wedding in my last life, so I must make it up to you in this life.

I want you to be my wife, and we can walk hand in hand in the sunshine, receiving blessings from everyone. "

Xiao Wan looked into his eyes, tears gradually flashing in her eyes. Her nose felt slightly sour, and she said angrily:

"You have no shame in saying these things in broad daylight."

When Zhao Sicheng saw her smiling with a red face, he also started smiling, looking very proud.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of with your own wife. Let's go home and eat hot pot!"

…

The two people's residences seem to be on two different streets, but in fact their backyards are connected.

Not long after, Zhao Sicheng appeared in Xiao Wan's yard. The two washed vegetables and cut meat together under the wisteria trellis and cooked hot pot.

Before long, the fresh and spicy taste filled the entire courtyard.

Zhao Sicheng sipped a piece of Xiao Wan's favorite duck blood, put it in her bowl, and asked casually:

"By the way, Your Majesty wants to build a palace for Concubine Rong. According to my experience, it will cost about 180,000 taels. When will your Ministry of Revenue approve it?"

"One hundred and eighty thousand taels? Not a lot." Xiao Wan refused directly.

"We just finished a war, the treasury is empty, how can we give you 180,000 taels? You have diarrhea, so eat less spicy food."

Zhao Sicheng counted on his fingers for her:

"Wood, stone, bricks, glazed tiles... and laying of floor ducts, drainage systems... 180,000 taels cannot be any less. You can't say the treasury is empty every time you spend money.

My wife is so nice, help me peel some shrimp, ah——"

Xiao Wan stuffed a large shrimp into Zhao Sicheng's mouth and shook her head.

"To be honest, every time your Ministry of Industry submits a budget, everyone in the Ministry of Revenue wants to crack your heads open to take a look.

What we spent was pure silver, not the dirt from your Ministry of Industry's backyard. What kind of material is this? Why does it have to be golden thread wood?

I think it is necessary to impeach you for doing things the way you are doing it. It is too extravagant and wasteful.

Come and serve me a bowl of soup, love you."

"Impeachment is impeachment - be careful of the heat." Zhao Sicheng said as he served the soup.

"Then I have to write a letter to the Ministry of Finance. Every time you approve the funds, you need this material or that material. The construction period is three months, but by the time you get the money, it's been a month. How can the Ministry of Works guarantee the quality and progress of the project?

By the way, I have booked a show for your favorite troupe tonight, let’s go together.”

"Public affairs must be handled impartially. Money and grain are a matter of national importance. The procedures of the Ministry of Revenue are here, and it is not just that the Ministry of Works is slow in approving silver.

After the show, I want to go to the east of the city for a stroll. I ordered two new sets of clothes for you. Will it be too late to write the memorial when I come back?"

"There's still time, there's still time. Come back and we can write together."

…

Three days later, at the regular court meeting, Xiao Wan and Zhao Sicheng went to court side by side with their respective memorials impeaching each other.

However, before they could open their mouths, the Minister of the Honglu Temple, Cai Wenxu, had already stepped forward and said to Yan Xiuyun:

"Your Majesty, I studied the Book of Zhou last night. There is a sentence in it: 'The work of heaven is for man to do; the wealth of earth is for man to guard.' It means that craftsmen and financial officials should perform their respective duties and jointly maintain the prosperity of the country.

This reminds me that the various departments of our government also need to work closely together to ensure smooth operation.”

Yan Xiuyun nodded slightly, "That's right, what does Lord Cai want to say?"

Cai Wenxu said:

“I have recently heard that although the duties of officials in two departments are clearly defined, they are entangled in personal affairs, which may hinder the fair execution of public duties. This is indeed a major concern for the country.

Although I am the Minister of the Honglu Temple, I have no choice but to report this bad trend to Your Majesty, otherwise I would feel uneasy as a minister. "

"A private affair?" Yan Xiuyun was a little surprised.

There were not many female officials in the court. He glanced in the direction of Zhu Lan and heard Cai Wenxu say:

"I would like to impeach the Minister of Works Zhao Sicheng and the Minister of Revenue Xiao Wan.

After leaving court three days ago, the two men behaved intimately at the palace gate, walking hand in hand, and many colleagues saw it with their own eyes.

This is a bad practice, I dare to ask Your Majesty to severely punish it! "

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiuyun looked at Zhao Xiao and asked, "Is what the Minister of the Honglu Temple reported true?"

Zhao Sicheng and Xiao Wan looked at each other, stepped out and knelt.

"Your Majesty," Zhao Sicheng said, "What the Minister of the Ministry of Rites said is half true and half false."

Yan Xiuyun stared in silence.

Cai Wenxu rebuked, "Half true, half false? Oh, then tell me, which one is false?"

Zhao Sicheng looked at him and said:

"Lord Cai just said that Minister Xiao and I behaved very intimately and walked hand in hand. This is true.

But you are totally wrong to say that we have a secret relationship. "

Cai Wenxu did not get angry but laughed: "We are walking together, so what else can it be but a private affair?"

"Your Majesty." Zhao Sicheng's voice echoed in the huge golden palace.

"Minister Xiao and I do have feelings for each other, but it is not the private relationship that the Minister of the Honglu Temple said.

We have known each other for a long time and have a deep understanding of each other. My family has prepared the betrothal gifts and plans to marry Minister Xiao soon.

Master Cai, she is my legitimate wife in my heart, and we are honest and upright, so how can it become what you call an affair?"

Cai Wenxu didn't expect Zhao Sicheng to be so outspoken and was stunned for a moment.

"You...you...how could you do this..."

Zhao Sicheng asked in return: "Daliang law has never stipulated that officials cannot marry each other. May I ask Lord Cai, why can't I marry Minister Xiao?"