112 Impeachment

"You owe me money."

Just after the Mid-Autumn Festival, a major event occurred in the court: the newly appointed Minister of the Three Departments was impeached.

Shen Suqin usually didn't need to attend court, but because of this matter, she was summoned to the palace early in the morning.

Xiao Pingchuan was worried and insisted on accompanying him, saying, "I'll only accompany you to the palace gate, I won't go inside."

"Alright."

The two rode in a carriage, and along the way, Shen Suqin still had the mood to lift the curtain and look at the street scene outside. "It feels like there are more stalls and vendors on the street, and it's more lively than before."

"It's probably because life is better than before," Xiao Pingchuan said.

Shen Suqin nodded.

Although land grabbing is still rampant in Daliang and the head tax is not much lighter than before, one thing is certain: handicrafts and commerce are more developed than before.

The most obvious example is that after Liangzhou switched to cotton cultivation, a large number of people were needed to carry out tasks such as thinning seedlings, mounding soil, removing buds, catching insects, and harvesting in the later stages. Many landless farmers found a way to make a living in this way.

In addition, Ningyuan has become the largest cluster of handicraft workshops in the entire Daliang. A single soap workshop and a cotton clothing workshop employ more than 80,000 people and have also driven the development of Jinzhou and even several surrounding counties.

Nowadays, everyone says that Ningyuan is full of gold.

Perhaps influenced by Ningyuan, the number of handicraft workshops gradually increased in various parts of Daliang. In addition, Shi Ye's rise to power gradually increased tax supervision in various places and slowly standardized taxation, giving those small workshops room to survive.

Furthermore, the large-scale planting of wheat has increased grain production. Compared to the past when millet was grown, people harvested more, and the situation of not having enough to eat gradually decreased.

In short, the entire situation is developing in a positive direction.

Unfortunately, the source of all this is now going to be tried in the palace.

"What do you think they'll impeach me for? My arrogant behavior? My abuse of power?" Shen Suqin asked.

“Let them impeach me whatever they want. If it doesn’t work, I’ll just kidnap you back to the Shule River and never bother with this mess again,” Xiao Pingchuan said.

Shen Suqin smiled and said, "General Xiao is mighty."

"You should know that the most important thing in everything is to protect yourself."

"Of course, don't worry, these old cabbages can't out-argue me."

When they arrived at the palace gate, Xiao Pingchuan thought for a moment and still felt uneasy letting her go in alone.

He then disarmed himself and had someone run inside to announce that he wanted to pay his respects to the Emperor.

“You don’t need to do that,” Shen Suqin said. “They’re still counting on me to make money for the national treasury, they won’t do anything to me.”

"No, the powerful families are used to being arrogant. Nobody knows what they might do. I'm not comfortable with that."

"Alright, let's go in together then. But you absolutely mustn't act impulsively."

"Yes, I won't act impulsively."

Soon, the young eunuch who had come to announce the arrival came out and said that His Majesty had also invited the General of the Northern Garrison to enter the palace.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, one finds the Minister of Personnel, the Censor, Pei Tingfeng, the Vice Minister of Revenue, and others, filling almost half the room.

Shen Suqin and Xiao Pingchuan entered and bowed. Xiao Pingchuan consciously stood in the corner. Everyone knew that he had lowered his posture, but the powerful aura of blood tempering around him could not be ignored.

"Shen Sansi, please take a look at this memorial first." Emperor Xingwu instructed Eunuch Yan to hand her the memorial on the table.

Shen Suqin took it, read it quickly, and closed it, saying, "Your Majesty, I've finished reading."

What are your thoughts?

“You really talk too much nonsense,” Shen Suqin said. “It’s just one sentence, ‘competing with the people for profit and making ill-gotten gains,’ yet you keep going on and on. No wonder His Majesty often reads memorials until midnight. Minister of Revenue, you are getting on in years. Don’t you find it tiring to waste your energy on these trivial matters?”

The Minister of Revenue never expected that His Majesty would show her the impeachment memorial directly, let alone that she would start cursing him face to face.

"You, you! Arrogant!" he said angrily.

"Thank you." Shen Suqin's eyes swept over everyone's faces. "Are there any other grounds for impeachment? If so, please tell me as well."

The Imperial Censor stepped forward: "Shen Sansi, in handling salt mine tax revenue, you abused your power, using coercion and bribery. Furthermore, the General of the Northern Garrison rode his horse recklessly in the marketplace, showing utter disregard for human life. These two men, wielding considerable power, have acted rather arrogantly. I urge Your Majesty to impose some disciplinary measures as a warning to others."

The Minister of Rites also said: "There is no precedent for the Three Departments. Although it is a special permission granted by the emperor, they should also represent the face of the royal family. They should act properly and not give others any handle to use against them."

Shen Suqin listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

After everyone had finished talking, she looked around and, seeing that no one had anything to say, she said quietly, "I never expected that putting tens of millions of taels of silver into the national treasury would offend so many people." Her tone was aggrieved. "It's because I'm not capable enough. Maybe I really can't handle this job."

At first, everyone's brows relaxed as they listened, but the more they listened, the more they felt something was amiss.

“How about this, let His Majesty choose someone else…” Shen Suqin continued.

"Huh?" the Minister of Personnel exclaimed. He hadn't intended for her to quit. Besides, if she did quit, who would they find to replace her? That was a sum of tens of millions in revenue. Looking across the entire Liang Dynasty, who had that kind of ability?

He instinctively looked at His Majesty the Emperor, only to find him with his eyes half-closed, as if he were asleep.

"As long as someone is found to take over, I will immediately step down and relinquish my position as Minister of the Three Departments. What do you gentlemen think?" Shen Suqin asked.

As soon as he finished speaking, you could hear a pin drop in the Imperial Study.

After a moment, the Imperial Censor coughed lightly and said, "Minister Shen, you are being too serious. I don't think His Majesty intended for you to step down. In the future, Minister Shen, just be careful to restrain your words and actions."

"Really?" Shen Suqin stared with her innocent big eyes. "But I'm competing with the people for profit. I'm a businessman, and I can't possibly close my business just to become an official. If I had to choose between the two, I'd rather go back to business. After all, being in this position of the Three Departments not only makes me not make money, but I also have to lose money. It's not worth it, right, Minister?"

The Minister of Revenue was furious. He only wanted to cause her some trouble, but he didn't expect that she was so unwilling to take on the role of the Minister of the Three Departments. Wasn't he just handing her a ladder to climb?

If she uses this opportunity to quit, His Majesty will certainly not let her off the hook.

Thinking of this, the Minister of Revenue raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said in a softer voice, "The Three Ministers are dedicated to the country and the people, bringing benefits to the masses. How could they possibly compete with the people for profit?"

"but......"

Pei Tingfeng, who had been silent until now, interrupted Shen Suqin and said gently, "I have worked with Shen Sansi for a long time and I know very well how difficult it is to recover this salt and iron mine. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and I think all of you gentlemen understand that."

"I understand, I understand."

"As for competing with the people for profit, that's utter nonsense. Who doesn't know how many people Shen Sansi's Xingyuan Restaurant and Guzongfang support? If they were to close down one day, the unemployed people alone would be enough to raze your mansions to the ground."

Yes, yes, yes.

"Alright, Songchao, calm down first." Emperor Xingwu spoke up at the right moment. "I have heard everything you have said. Each of you has your own position and your own reasoning. So, Commissioner Shen will have his salary reduced by one month. Do you disagree?"

Shen Suqin bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you."

"As for you," Emperor Xingwu looked at the censors and others, "let's just fine you a year's salary, consider it saving some money for the national treasury."

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

"Alright, all of you may leave. Lord Pei, Minister Shen, and General Xiao, please stay."

"yes."

After seeing off those old men, Shi Ye leaned back in his chair and said, "These old guys never do anything productive. They're always forming cliques and fighting each other. Sooner or later, I'll send them back to their hometowns."

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger." Pei Tingfeng bowed.

"You too, how did you get involved?" Shi Ye asked Pei Tingfeng.

He remembered that they had originally chosen Pei Tingfeng to lead the charge.

“The Pei family is the head of the aristocratic families,” Pei Tingfeng said helplessly. “They are not the ones who really want to cause trouble. They are just the ones who have been pushed out to be sacrificed.”

"It's all thanks to you for offering a way out, otherwise those people probably wouldn't have been able to sleep for days," Shi Ye said.

Shen Suqin waved her hand: "I'm still here, I was fined a month's salary, haha."

Shi Ye, his face expressionless, asked, "Is it not enough?"

Shen Suqin gave a fake smile: "You owe me money."

Shi Ye pretended not to hear and said to Xiao Pingchuan, "General Xiao, do you really not trust me? Why do you still insist on protecting me?"

Xiao Pingchuan: "Then you should compensate her with money."

Shi Ye wished he could kick all these people out of the room.

He grumbled for a moment, then said, "Alright, let's get down to business. This bureaucracy of mine, it just won't do without reform. Are we really going to rely on a few people from humble backgrounds to climb up the ranks bit by bit?"

“If that doesn’t work, then we’ll have to change the selection system for officials,” Shen Suqin said. “We’ll change the standards and broaden the scope.”

Previously, officials were selected based on family background, social standing, and personal character, which is why powerful families were able to maintain control over the officialdom.

“If you trace back from humble backgrounds, you’ll find that many have held power and influence. Why don’t you raise the selection criteria by three generations back?” Shen Suqin suggested.

Shi Ye considered it carefully: "That is indeed a solution, what do you think, Lord Pei?"

"I have no objection. Either way, it will dilute the power of the aristocratic families, so I have nothing to say."

He himself comes from a distinguished family; it's already good enough that he doesn't object.

"Then let's do it this way for now. Speaking of which, there's something else. I mentioned it to Shen Sansi before; it seems that Great Liang is preparing for war. So I'd like to ask General Zhenbei, approximately how long will it take?"

Xiao Pingchuan solemnly replied, "Two years."

He had carefully calculated that, based on the existing soldiers, updating their equipment, equipping them with firearms, and improving their combat capabilities, he would need at least two more years to prepare, provided that the imperial court provided sufficient supplies.

"You know what this time means, right?" Shi Ye reminded him.

This is not the time to confront the Shatuo, but the time to attack the Shatuo royal court and destroy the Shatuo kingdom.

"Your subject understands."

Are you sure you can?

"Your subject may."

"Alright, two years. Just tell me what you need. Even if you have to cut off the gold leaf from this dragon pillar and sell it, I will prioritize the supply of the Black Flag Army."

If we want the Great Liang to develop steadily, the border threats must be completely eliminated. Otherwise, with enemies eyeing us from the outside and harassing the border every few days, how can we develop in peace?

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

——

Before the autumn harvest, Xiao Pingchuan returned to Shule River alone.

Shen Suqin remained in the capital. If there were any matters in Ningyuan that required her attention, they would be sent over via official post.

The Three Departments were recruiting people, just as Shen Suqin had predicted. Although the powerful families in the court strongly opposed the selection of officials from humble backgrounds, the scions of the powerful families at the grassroots level were unwilling to work. Therefore, many minor officials who were busy with errands and trivial matters were still recruited from humble backgrounds.

As the year drew to a close, the Three Offices system was finally completed.

Just before the end of the year, the last batch of tax silver for salt, iron, and tea was delivered to the national treasury for sealing. The memorial was handed to the imperial study, and when Emperor Xingwu saw the numbers on it, he was so shocked that he knocked over a teacup.

The next day, rewards were delivered to the general's mansion in a steady stream.

At that time, Shen Suqin was alone in the General's Mansion. Yuan Xiang had already left a letter saying that she was going back to Ningyuan School to teach children for free. She did not return to the General's Mansion, but instead found a house to live in in Ningyuan City.

Aunt Jiang returned to Ningyuan with her daughter.

Shen Suqin accepted the rewards, examined them one by one, and then wrote a memorial to resign his post overnight.

In her memorial, she stated that the Three Offices were now fully established and could operate independently in various regions, requiring only the regular inspections by officials. She declared that she was retiring from her post as Commissioner of the Three Offices and would return to Ningyuan to continue her business.

Emperor Xingwu did not respond to this for a long time.

Three days later, one night, he changed his clothes and came in a low-key manner. Shen Suqin received him in the flower hall.

"Do you really have to leave?" Shi Ye asked bluntly.

Shen Suqin poured him a cup of tea: "It's time to go. After I leave, you can consider letting Pei Tingfeng take this position as a way to appease the aristocratic families. Pei Tingfeng is not the kind of person who would do something like embezzling public funds. Giving him the position of Minister of Justice will allow him to play his proper role."

"You've already thought this through?" Shi Ye gritted his teeth.

"Well, I never liked the cutthroat world of officialdom. I want to go back to my Ningyuan and bask in the sun."

"Should I go find Xiao... Forget it, once you've made up your mind, who can change it?"

Shen Suqin smiled and said, "I'm just going back to Ningyuan. If there's anything you need, you can still call me. I'll do my best to help."

"I understand."

Shen Suqin saw the guest off, saying, "Then go back. Eunuch Yan must be worried because he can't find you."

"I want to ask you one last question."

"you say."

"On the day Marquis Anping forced the emperor to abdicate, who did you really want to save? Me, Xiao Pingchuan, or the world?"

Shen Suqin shook her head: "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, it's... myself."

At that time, she was tied to Xiao Pingchuan's boat, while Xiao Pingchuan was tied to the Crown Prince's boat. The powerful families wanted her dead, so she could only survive by binding herself tightly to them.

Shi Ye took a step back and smiled, "Alright, alright. I'm leaving now. Take care."

"Um."