Chapter 17 Active Business: "—I'll help you get together with General Xie, okay...?"
Su Xueyi was willing to take on the responsibility of reforming officialdom, and Ying Xi readily agreed.
Ying Xi thought that this was a good opportunity to test whether Su Xueyi had indeed changed.
If available, Su Xueyi is still usable.
If not, Ying Xi would have to think ahead about how to remove Su Xueyi's head without anyone noticing before he could escape.
Inside the room, Ying Xi waved her hand behind the screen and replied calmly, "Granted."
Outside, Su Xueyi raised her eyebrows, revealing a look of eager anticipation.
If he could regain Ying Xi's trust, he could get even closer to her when observing her.
Su Xueyi said, "Your subject will certainly not fail Your Majesty's command."
Su Xueyi walked backwards out the door.
I'm not worried that Su Xueyi might see something she shouldn't when she passes by the alley again.
After all, the jade mirror was a clever and cunning creature. Seeing him cover Su Xueyi's eyes, it would surely try to figure out the deeper meaning behind it.
Yingxi believed in the Jade Mirror's abilities.
Sure enough, after half a cup of tea, Yu Jing invited the imperial physician on duty that day into the bedchamber.
When the imperial physician entered the inner room carrying his medicine chest, Yu Jing casually mentioned that her apprentice had bought new lamps from the market, lit them at night, and had the old lamps on the wall removed during the day.
Fine jade mirror.
Therefore, Su Xueyi was unaware of his little secret.
Ying Xi secretly curled her lips.
Then he hissed in pain, and his ankle trembled slightly.
The imperial physician had already paid his respects and was taking off Ying Xi's gilded dragon boots in front of the bed when Ying Xi was distracted and hadn't noticed.
The imperial physician was terrified: "Your humble servant deserves to die ten thousand times over."
Ying Xi's eyes welled up with tears. The pain stimulated his tear ducts, and he took a deep breath to let the tears flow again.
"It's alright, continue."
"Yes." The imperial physician bowed his head.
Ying Xi looked over and saw that the imperial physician was holding his ankle in his palm, applying a pungent-smelling medicinal oil to it.
The medicine is dark red in the bottle, turns light red when spread, and gets hotter the more it is rubbed against the skin.
Yingxi felt both pain and heat in her ankle.
Upon closer inspection, his ankles were also stained with a thin layer of red, which, in contrast to the color of the rest of his skin, reminded him of the phrase "a scene of vibrant colors and rosy hues."
He didn't like his overly delicate body, feeling like a useless piece of trash.
Fortunately, no serious injuries were sustained. After the imperial physician finished his examination and gave some instructions, he took his leave.
After the imperial physician left, Ying Xi could only lie on the dragon bed. He followed the doctor's advice and could not move freely for several days, so Ying Xi sulked to himself.
But when he was venting his anger, he fiddled with the tassels by the bed, scattering them.
The beads that held the tassels together rolled off, bouncing and flying far away with a clatter. Ying Xi sat up halfway and followed the beads with her eyes, wanting to go down and pick them up.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he sank back onto the dragon bed in pain, his forehead now covered in sweat.
Ying Xi gritted her teeth, watched the bead roll to the corner of the wall, and snorted.
The bead made a slight sound when it hit the wall.
Sweet Tong sweetly persuaded her, "Um... host, are you really not planning to have a relationship?"
Ying Xi remained silent.
Sweet Tong continued to persuade, "If you have someone you like by your side, he will cherish you. He will not only help you pick up the beads, but he will also carry you wherever you want to go."
A stunningly beautiful emperor with a cool and noble demeanor.
Sweet Tong believes that given the host's condition, it can devour food no matter who it interacts with.
The emotional energy generated by falling in love is the main source of power for the sweet system.
Although Yingxi was constantly doing missions, Tian Tong was not satisfied; it wanted more and more of this energy.
"Can falling in love make my feet heal instantly?" Yingxi asked.
"No, Your Majesty, you need to take more calcium," Tian Tong said honestly.
Sweet Tong thought of the emperor, who didn't know what calcium was.
Sweetheart corrected: "Your Majesty, it means eat more meat."
Ying Xi: "Then eat more. Serve dinner."
"..."
Sweet Tong's persuasion failed once again.
***
The next day, Su Xueyi arrived at her post on time.
With Su Xueyi in charge, the Ministry of Personnel resumed its work efficiency, and Feng Yong felt like he had been saved.
The number of official documents that were difficult to decide on and sent to Ying Xi's desk was reduced by at least half. The long queues at Weiyang Palace were gone. It was said that the Imperial Secretariat was bustling with activity, much to Ying Xi's delight at having some free time.
Let's talk about another job of Su Xueyi.
Su Xueyi voluntarily requested a thorough investigation into the integrity of officials, and the investigation is now in full swing.
The Right Chancellor's choice of starting point was brilliant.
He knew that even if each family was corrupt, their accounts could still balance out, and even if they wanted to crack down on corruption, they couldn't do it openly.
Su Xueyi mobilized a very special type of person in the imperial court—the censor.
Censors have the privilege of reporting matters based on hearsay, and can initiate cases without conducting investigations.
Censors have always been fearless in the face of power. If any censor dies resisting a powerful authority, it is a feat that will be remembered in history and admired by future generations.
Therefore, Su Xueyi requested the emperor to issue an edict to adjust the direction of the censors' inspections this year, using the number of corrupt officials reported as the standard for evaluation and promotion at the end of the year based on their performance.
When the imperial edict was first issued, the censors were energized.
Because their goals were clear, they stopped getting bogged down in trivial matters and instead set up camps in the countryside to gather intelligence, their eyes wide open like copper bells.
In just a few days, they have already achieved some success, catching several large rats.
today.
The Secretariat presented Ying Xi with a memorial for a decision. Besides reporting on the progress of the anti-corruption campaign, the following matter was particularly difficult to handle:
—Exploring the ownership of the army brought back by Xie Qianli.
The troops under Xie's command originally belonged to the Imperial Guard.
While the late emperor was indeed absurd, even daring to divert military funds to satisfy his own pleasures, Xie Ji was, after all, his brother-in-law, so he didn't embezzle too much. In addition, Xie Ji himself was loyal, brave, and patriotic, spending his own money to fight the war, and Grand Princess Huining had a keen eye, even contributing her own dowry to ensure the stability of the Qin dynasty.
Therefore, this imperial guard not only preserved its strength, but also underwent multiple reorganizations and expansions due to the suppression of rebellions, eventually becoming the most elite and battle-hardened force of the Qin royal army.
If Xie Ji were still alive, and there were no rumors of him harming meritorious officials, it would be only natural for the court to take back this imperial guard.
However, Xie Ji died, and Xie Qianli was in deep mourning. If Ying Xi were to recall the Imperial Guards at this time, it would be an awkward situation.
What if they don't accept it?
How could Ying Xi possibly allow Xie Qianli to amass power and control an army right under the walls of the capital?
In her past life, Ying Xi was determined to seize Xie Qianli's forces by force.
But now that I think about it, this may have become a thorn lurking in his relationship with Xie Qianli.
The feeling of that dragon-shaped blade that pierced through him was very realistic.
The problem was once again blatantly presented to Ying Xi.
How can we limit Xie Qianli's power without escalating the conflict?
He thought about it a lot.
Unable to leave Weiyang Palace today due to his injury, he finished reviewing other memorials in his study, but this difficult problem remained, and he was racking his brains over it.
Thud.
He picked up the red brush and then put it down again.
The pen clattered against the pen holder, and Ying Xi hesitated to give her reply. Finally, annoyed, she looked out the window.
If it was still early spring a few days ago, spring colors have now reached a considerable scale.
He gazed into the distance and saw palaces adorned with vibrant colors, not just the early-blooming magnolias, but many other flowers that must have already blossomed.
Yingxi had the idea of going on a spring outing, but as soon as she got up, she couldn't move her feet. When she looked down again, another problem was right in front of her.
Ying Xi sighed and shrugged at her desk.
"Your Majesty," Yu Jing came over again, bringing the emperor a fresh cup of tea. Yu Jing then promptly removed the previous teacup, her gaze seemingly casually glancing at Ying Xi's untouched memorial, and reminded him, "There are officials from the Ministry of Personnel outside, waiting to inquire about the placement of the Xie family's army."
"The Xie family's army?"
Yu Jing's eyebrows twitched, and she suddenly realized that she had misspoke. She quickly apologized, saying, "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"
"The army belongs to the Emperor, how could it possibly belong to the Xie family? This servant had absolutely no intention of sowing discord between His Majesty and General Xie..."
"This servant knows his mistake and begs Your Majesty for punishment!"
Yu Jing truly stumbled this time. He used to speak with meticulous care, but now, as he grew increasingly familiar with the emperor, he had become careless. Interference by eunuchs in politics was a serious crime, and he was terrified.
But Yingxi calmly said, "I don't blame you. This is the last time. You may leave."
Yu Jing, drenched in cold sweat, took his leave.
Ying Xi raised her eyes; she still couldn't avoid the matter that had to be dealt with.
His heart had just started pounding again, and even the eunuchs in the court who were loyal to him unconsciously thought that this army belonged to the Xie family.
It's clear how difficult it is for him to successfully reclaim this team; in fact, it seems like everything he does is wrong!
Ying Xi picked up her teacup and took a sip. It was bitter.
"Your Majesty, are you and General Xie a good match?"
Sweet Tong popped up again, enthusiastically recommending, "—I'll help you get together with General Xie!!!"
Sweet Tong's voice was sharp and shrill, filled with the excitement of volunteering.
Yingxi lost her grip on the cup and choked on her tea.
He covered his mouth with his hand and coughed violently: "...Nonsense."
"Don't be like that," Tian Tong said. "When you watch fantasy dramas or read BL novels, as long as the feelings are deep, which male lead can't turn the world upside down for the other person?"
But Ying Xi didn't know about fantasy romance dramas, nor had she read any BL novels, so she couldn't understand.
The system excitedly explained, "He fell in love with you, and even with a large army, he'll protect you!"
The word "love" brushed against Ying Xi's heart, subtly stirring her heartstrings, so gently that she was unaware of it.
Ying Xi slowly put down her cup and rationally questioned, "Then let the Xiongnu Chanyu fall in love with me and surrender. I won't have to fight the Xiongnu, and I won't have to die in this life."
Sweet Tong was speechless.
Sweet Tong missed the point: "The Xiongnu are not within our service area, so the Chanyu will not fall in love with you for the time being. But General Xie might."
"So you should think about it, develop your relationship properly, and the problem will be solved on its own."
"Because love always gives people the determination to protect the other person and the courage to go all in. Try opening your heart!"
Sweet Tong is actively operating.
However, Ying Xi considered this theory to be emotional and utterly absurd.
He wanted to befriend Xie Qianli in the army, and then, after a few days, encounter other difficulties, befriend other people.
Putting aside whether they could get along, the fact that she relied on others to do things was enough to make Ying Xi utterly disgusted.
The emperor looked down at his palm, his pale fingertips clenched tightly together. Ying Xi seemed lost in thought.
—In this life, he also lacks absolute authority and a strong physique.
His rule, though seemingly respectable, required him to appease some people and make some concessions.
Since we've already tried it in the past, it would be a mistake to immediately incorporate and reorganize it.
Since Yu Jing could speak so readily, Xie Qianli had an inseparable relationship with this army.
The more you show fear, the more counterproductive it will be.
Moreover, Xie Qianli only committed regicide at the very end, so at worst he would still die. In any case, when the time comes, one must be bold. Why would he hesitate?
This isn't the first time he's feigned harmony between the emperor and his subjects!
Ying Xi lifted the vermilion brush with her wrist suspended, dipped it in ink, and wrote with flowing, dynamic strokes.
On the very letter urging the Duke of England to reintegrate the army into the Imperial Guard, the lower left corner of the annotation reads:
"The Xie family is known for its loyalty and integrity. Xie Qianli has recently lost his father, and I cannot bear to have him leave his old troops so hastily. I hope that when he sees his old troops, he will remember the days when he fought alongside his father, and that his enlistment in the Imperial Guard will be postponed for the time being."
Soon after, Ying Xi will have this memorial circulated throughout the city.
He also had another favor to give Xie Qianli.
He wasn't out of his mind.
If emotions are a remedy for problems in a system, they are a knife for oneself.
His emotional appeal carried the emperor's sorrow for the former Duke of Ying and his trust in the current Duke of Ying. He was determined to let all his subjects know that the emperor had shown the Xie family great kindness and respect.
If Xie Qianli dares to rebel now, he will have to disregard the reputation of the prestigious Xie family and be nailed to the pillar of shame for thousands of years to come!
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