The Minister of Personnel stepped out next. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a report. Recent official assessments have revealed suspicions of corruption among some minor officials, and we are investigating them thoroughly. We have gathered some evidence, and we await further verification. We will provide Your Majesty with a satisfactory result."

"Greedy?"

The Minister of Personnel wiped the sweat from his forehead, lowered his head and dared not say anything more.

"We must punish them severely and show no leniency. We will never tolerate such corrupt officials in our dynasty and uphold the rule of law."

"Yes!" the Minister of Personnel responded quickly.

Fortunately, Shen Qing was in a good mood, otherwise he would probably not be able to escape this disaster!

The Minister of Justice also hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. We have a plan in place. We will enforce the law impartially, and will not wrongly accuse a good person, nor let a criminal go."

Shen Qing nodded.

Bai Xian thought for a moment and stood up. "Your Majesty, I have something to ask. I've recently noticed a Western Region merchant wandering around the city. He looks very familiar, and he bears a striking resemblance to the Western Region prince who appeared at the court ceremony."

"Western Region?" Shen Qing raised an eyebrow. "Are there any unusual movements?"

Bai Xian quickly said, "Everything is relatively stable. We have been closely monitoring the situation and will promptly report any disturbances to Your Majesty."

"Just keep an eye on them. If they're just regular traders, don't worry about them. But if they're up to anything shady, report them immediately."

"yes."

Shen Qing's expression eased slightly. "I'm not in the court, so please do your job. Thank you for your hard work. But don't slack off. If there is anything important, report it in time."

"Your Majesty has returned triumphantly. I suggest holding a celebration banquet." A minister stood out from the queue respectfully and said with a bow.

"I second the motion!" another minister echoed.

"Your Majesty has defeated the northerners. This is a cause for celebration for the entire nation and should indeed be celebrated." Another minister stepped forward and spoke earnestly.

…

Shen Qing sat on the dragon throne, listening to the ministers' suggestions, and couldn't help but sigh. "What kind of banquet should we hold?" she muttered to herself.

What she hated most was hosting banquets. Every time she attended such an event, the food wasn't good, and it was a waste of money and effort. On top of that, she had to constantly be on guard against all sorts of schemes.

She felt annoyed when she thought of those people at the banquet, who flattered each other on the surface but used all kinds of clumsy methods to scheme against each other behind the scenes, and would do anything for power and profit.

Shen Qing waved his hand and said, "No need. This battle with the North has already cost a lot of money. Let's not waste it."

The ministers looked at each other, some with admiration, others with disappointment. But seeing Shen Qing's resolute attitude, they stopped talking.

After the Northern War ended, Shen Qingzhen was at peace for a while.

She strolled around the Imperial Garden every day, played chess with Jiang Zhuo, urged Jiang Zhuo to review memorials, occasionally visited her little apprentice, dressed casually to accompany the eldest lady shopping, and Scar.

The days were very leisurely, but also a bit boring.

That day, Shen Qing was sitting in the pavilion playing chess with Jiang Zhuo when a palace maid came hurriedly to report.

"Your Majesty, Lord Chun requests an audience."

Spring night?

"Bring it in." Shen Qing didn't even raise his head, still studying the chessboard layout in front of him.

Chunye followed the palace maid to the pavilion and saw Jiang Zhuo playing chess with Chen Qing with a smile on his face. He felt it was really scary.

He had the good fortune to compete in chess with Shen Qing once, and he was terrible!

"What's up?"

Chun Ye sighed, "Your Majesty, I request to be transferred away from Miss Bai."

This made Shen Qing a little puzzled. She raised her head and looked at Chun Ye, and found that he didn't seem to be joking.

"What's the reason?"

"I'm leaving." Chun Ye said in a somewhat depressed tone, "I can't protect her anymore."

Chen Qing and Jiang Zhuo looked at each other, raised their hands and signaled the palace maids and guards beside them to go down first.

"Sit down and tell me in detail."

Chunye walked to the stone bench next to him and sat down. He looked at the curious eyes on both sides and sighed slightly.

"I'm not actually from Dongli. I'm from the Western Regions. The prince of the Western Regions is my eldest brother."

"Wait a minute." Shen Qing raised his hand to interrupt Chun Ye, turned around and called Qingge, "Qingge, prepare some small food plates, quickly."

Chun Ye looked at Shen Qing speechlessly, and the latter gestured for him to start.

"I was born in the Western Regions. As a prince, I lived in the royal palace of the Western Regions from a young age and never saw the outside world. My father and brother were very kind to me. At that time, I naively believed that this dignity and peace would be with me forever."

"We once galloped across the grasslands together, and envisioned the future together under the starry sky. Back then, the Western Regions enjoyed good weather and good harvests, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment..."

"Direct turn." Shen Qing swallowed the grapes in his mouth.

Chun Ye's eyes gradually dimmed. "However, as my father's health gradually weakened, the power struggle within the royal family intensified. The various uncles and princes formed cliques and factions to fight for the throne. The once harmonious palace became a turmoil, full of conspiracy and calculation."

"My eldest brother had no intention of participating in this fight, but his talent and prestige made the other brothers feel threatened. They began to plot against my eldest brother, trying to exclude him from the competition for the throne. And I, because of my close relationship with my eldest brother, became a thorn in their side." Chun Ye's fists clenched unconsciously, and his voice trembled slightly.

"That day, my eldest brother called me to his study with a serious expression. He was silent for a long time. He said that the struggle in the palace had reached a fever pitch. He was worried about my safety and decided to send me away from the Western Regions first and take me back when the situation stabilized."

He was not afraid of anything on that spring night and did not want to leave.

"I refused to leave. I wanted to face it together with my elder brother. But he told me this was the only way to protect me. He promised to resolve this conflict and restore peace to the Western Region."

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