It is said that civil officials are all cunning and shrewd, and Xiao Jingzhao has truly witnessed the power of civil officials this time.
They try to shirk all responsibility by saying "it was sold at a high price."
"Bought at a high price? From whom? Minister Wei, you can hand the person over to the authorities for investigation."
Just as Prime Minister Wei was about to raise his head, his neck stiffened and he froze on the spot.
The grain merchant was not a citizen of Wanling Kingdom, and the authorities would find out with a simple investigation. By then, it was too late to find someone to take the blame.
As far as he knew, Xiao Jingzhao was no pushover; if he were found guilty of deceiving the emperor, his crime would be compounded.
"Your Majesty, it was all because our clansmen were blinded by greed and did wrong. If Your Majesty would be merciful and exempt my third brother from corvée labor, I would be eternally grateful."
"Does Minister Wei intend for me to bend the law for personal gain?"
Xiao Jingzhao's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, startling Prime Minister Wei into a moment of clarity.
Just as the emperor was establishing his authority, he had run into the new emperor's crosshairs.
"Rise. Minister Wei is the head of all officials. You should put an end to the idea of bending the law for personal gain as soon as possible."
Seeing that Prime Minister Wei had been kneeling for a while, Xiao Jingzhao didn't want to show his dislike for him too obviously, so he simply told him to get up.
"Has Minister Wei's illness been cured?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am deeply saddened by the loss of my beloved daughter. My health has improved today, and I was just thinking of going to the palace to see Your Majesty as soon as possible."
His words were so flawless that no one could find fault with them.
Prime Minister Wei pleaded in vain and had no choice but to take his leave.
It is said that a new emperor brings a new court. When Prime Minister Wei left Linhua Palace, he saw that all the palace maids and eunuchs serving outside the palace were unfamiliar faces.
There were also several guards nearby.
It is clear that the new emperor has thoroughly cleaned the palace.
Watching Prime Minister Wei's figure disappear outside the hall, Lin Xiangzhi poured Xiao Jingzhao a cup of tea.
"He was the prime minister of the previous dynasty. The emperor should be careful when using him. You can't judge a book by its cover."
"He is not only the prime minister, but also the former father-in-law of the emperor. I was just telling you that I don't have many capable people around me, but I can select new people after the autumn examination."
Xiao Jingzhao was confident that he could not simply eliminate all the old officials at once, lest he become the subject of gossip.
Given time, once he has cultivated new talent, he will soon uproot those with disloyal intentions.
When Prime Minister Wei returned home, he learned that not only his third brother had been taken away, but also several of his cousins.
The restaurant was sealed off, all the grain in the warehouse was confiscated and sent to military camps in northern Xinjiang, and the case is still under investigation.
Prime Minister Wei only hoped to close the case as soon as possible and pay the fine, lest things get complicated.
To demonstrate his sincerity, when raising funds for the army, Prime Minister Wei did not dare to play tricks and actually contributed 10,000 taels of silver.
In just two days, more than enough military pay and provisions were raised.
Xiao Jingzhao ordered people to send money and grain to the northern border.
With his father, the King, using tax revenue from Yannan to support the military camps in the south, Xiao Jingzhao had much less to worry about.
In the imperial study, Xiao Jingzhao held a booklet and examined it carefully. It contained a list of those who needed to raise funds for the army and the corresponding amounts.
Seeing that Prime Minister Wei was ranked first, and the cabinet ministers were all about the same, with fewer ministers of lower rank, it was impossible to find fault with the ranking.
At this moment, Xiangyang stood outside the window, occasionally looking up at the room, his lips moving slightly before he lowered his head again.
Seeing that he seemed hesitant to speak, Xiao Jingzhao put down the booklet in his hand and waved to him.
Xiang Yang hurriedly went inside. "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
What are you trying to say?
Xiangyang raised his hand and touched his face. "Did His Majesty notice?"
"You practically have it written all over your face; anyone can see it."
"Your Majesty is wise. Today, when I went to the yamen to check on the progress of the trial, I heard everyone praising Your Majesty's wisdom as I walked down the street."
Xiang Yang paused for a moment and then said, "They also praised the prince for loving the people like Emperor Renzong. Everyone thought that the grain that Young Master Lin sent to the capital was sent by the prince."
Before the Prince of Yannan and his wife arrived in the capital, everyone still habitually addressed him as "Your Highness".
"I feel guilty towards the Prime Minister and his maternal uncle for this matter. It is not easy to explain to the public. I will make it up to him when I have the opportunity later."
If it were according to the old rules that one could purchase an official position, the grain that Lin Xiangzhi sent would have been enough to exchange for one or two official posts.
"According to the law, how does the government intend to punish those who drive up grain prices?"
"A fine of 20,000 taels of silver, one year of corvée labor, and a three-generation ban on his descendants from participating in the imperial examinations."
"Yes, that's right. The Wei family has officially split up, but secretly they have colluded with officials and businessmen."
Xiao Jingzhao naturally knew that the punishment was too severe, and the officials below would also change their tune depending on the wind. In the past, even if someone in Prime Minister Wei's family had inflated prices, the common people would dare not speak out, and the government would turn a blind eye.
Song Rui was extremely foolish and would never hold the Wei family accountable.
"There is one more thing, Your Majesty, that will please you as well."
"What other good news is there? Don't beat around the bush, just say it all at once."
Despite the hard work of the past few days, things at court went relatively smoothly, and Xiao Jing was in a good mood.
"It's Miss Jiang. She also runs a grain shop. I went to take a look. It's called Affordable Grains."
"Mixed grains?"
Xiao Jingzhao raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"It means grains and cereals. Today, the shop is not selling rice or flour, but sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and some red and black beans that look like seeds. I heard from the shopkeeper that they are seeds and can also be used to make porridge."
"She runs a clinic and a shop, and she also has to take care of Sui Sui. How can she manage all of this?" A strange feeling arose in Xiao Jingzhao's heart.
This woman is too strong-willed.
"Your Majesty need not worry about Miss Jiang. With Young Master Nangong helping to manage things, Miss Jiang will not be burdened."
Gao Mu told him about this. Young Master Nangong and Miss Jiang are close friends. He works hard in the Jiang family and helps manage everything inside and outside.
"Ma Liang".
"Your servant is here."
"Go and convey the imperial edict, requesting that Zhen Jingxiu be admitted to the Imperial Academy to study."
Ma Liang was taken aback, then bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, this servant will go and convey the imperial edict immediately."
Although Xiang Yang was a rough man, he had heard about the new and old powerful figures in the capital during his time in Beijing.
He asked, puzzled, "Your Majesty, as far as I know, the Zhen family's private school is no worse than the Imperial Academy."
"Of course I know that the Zhen family has many students, and many learned scholars have close relationships with the Zhen family."
Xiang Yang suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and his eyes lit up. "Does His Majesty mean to revitalize the Imperial Academy and bring Young Master Sui Sui into the palace to study?"
"With Lin Xiangzhi at the Imperial Academy, he can exchange learning experiences with Zhen Jingxiu."
Xiao Jingzhao remained calm and changed the subject.
No one knows how much he misses that soft, adorable little dumpling.
...
True Mansion.
Grand Scholar Zhen was not surprised at all by the arrival of Steward Ma.
He immediately agreed to let Zhen Jingxiu go to the Imperial Academy to prepare for the exam.
After seeing off Steward Ma, Grand Scholar Zhen earnestly instructed Zhen Jingxiu, "The Xiao family is different from the Song family. Go there and study hard. In the future, the reputation of the Zhen family will depend on you."
"As for your marriage, your grandmother is already making preparations. She's just waiting for your parents to come home so she can go to the Jiang family to propose marriage."
"Grandfather, there's no rush. If I pass the imperial examination with flying colors, it won't be too late to propose to Miss Jiang."
Zhen Jingxiu thought of that elegant and refined woman, and a blush unconsciously rose to the tips of his ears.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
