The Minister of Revenue blushed with embarrassment after hearing Xie Yuan's words.
He wished there was a crack in the ground so he could disappear into.
Cui Hong, kneeling at the head of all the officials, couldn't help but lower his eyelids upon seeing this scene.
He was indeed somewhat surprised, not expecting Empress Xie to be so shrewd, using the national treasury's annual revenue accounts to launch an attack.
Upon further reflection, Cui Hong felt relieved.
Women are naturally used to getting caught up in these trivial accounts.
That's all she has in mind.
Xie Yuan: ...You thought that was the end of it?
Innocent!
Xie Yuan always does things with a purpose.
To do things just to vent one's anger or save face without any real benefit is definitely not Xie Yuan's style.
The face-to-face accountability just now was only the first step.
The Minister of Revenue was so ashamed that he couldn't lift his head, repeatedly saying, "I am old and I have been negligent!"
Xie Yuan ignored his refusal and said directly, "Invite Zheng Shizhong here."
As Xie Yuan's chief eunuch, Duo Shou naturally accompanied her to court.
The young eunuch, not yet thirty years old, had already become the chief eunuch of the Jiaofang Palace and a trusted confidant of Xie Yuan.
Duoshou can be considered to have reached the pinnacle of his life.
However, Duoshou never imagined that one day he would be able to stand with the Empress in the main hall.
Duoshou stood respectfully, holding a whisk in his hands.
Upon hearing Xie Yuan's instructions, he quickly flicked his whisk and bowed to accept the order.
The three ministers, Wang, Cui, and Zheng, were all taken aback.
"Zheng Shizhong?"
Who is this?
"...Does our Great Zhou Dynasty still have the official position of 'Attendant-in-Ordinary'?"
The three were initially surprised.
The position of Attendant-in-Ordinary is an official post with a long history, dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties.
The Attendant-in-Ordinary was a trusted and important minister of the emperor, and was mostly used to "grant titles and honors".
It's similar to being a prime minister.
Today, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has been renamed the Secretariat, and the official titles of the prime minister have been changed to Left and Right Vice Ministers, and Grand Secretary, etc.
Basically, the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary no longer existed in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"etc!"
"have!"
"Lady Attendant!"
The three prime ministers truly lived up to their reputation as cunning old foxes with quick reflexes and keen senses.
After a slight pause, the thought came to mind—reading a book!
The Empress Xie's female attendant!
The reason why Wang, Cui, and Zheng reacted in this way was not only because they were clever, but also because the women in their families had been selected as female attendants.
For example, Wang Yu's daughter-in-law was a female attendant.
I go to Jiaofang Palace every day; I heard they also have "dining under the eaves"!
Haha, it's just a trick among women, yet they've managed to make it look so convincing.
The daughter-in-law also seems to have become a bit more "arrogant" than before.
Wang Yu was a magnanimous man and would never hold a grudge against a woman.
His daughter-in-law and son occasionally argued, but he pretended not to know.
However, at this moment, Empress Xie wanted to summon the "female attendant" to the main hall.
This, this—
"No!"
Cui Hong couldn't hold back. Instead of calling on his henchmen to intervene, he spoke up himself, "How can a woman be allowed to set foot in such an important place as the imperial court?"
Xie Yuan did not say anything like "I am also a woman".
Because if you say that, it will just lead to a lot of arguments.
She didn't have the same "lung capacity" as Helian Jue, who could argue with the court officials for a whole day.
Moreover, such a thing is completely meaningless!
She, Xie Yuan, was already sitting in the imperial court; whether she won or lost the argument, it wouldn't affect anything.
What Xie Yuan needs to do now is to enable female officials to enter the court openly and legitimately.
Let "female official" no longer just a superficial title, but a real "official" position!
“Lord Cui, I would like to ask the Minister of Revenue, a man of such high standing, to answer, but he knows nothing about it.”
Xie Yuan feigned a troubled expression, as if to say: I didn't want to either! It's all your so-called manly faults that you're all useless!
This is the ultimate way to kill someone by destroying their spirit!
The Minister of Revenue's face, which had been flushed just moments before, turned deathly pale in an instant.
What does "Empress Xie" mean?
To say he's inferior to a woman?
This is absolutely the greatest humiliation.
The Minister of Revenue was no longer a young man; he was over fifty years old, and in ancient times he could definitely refer to himself as "old and decrepit."
A gurgling sound came from his throat.
He dared not open his mouth, because if he did, he would spit out a mouthful of blood.
Even Cui Hong was taken aback by Xie Yuan's bluntness.
It is said that those who are involved in politics rarely speak so directly.
Their style is characterized by innuendo, veiled sarcasm, and subtle, roundabout approaches.
Saying it so bluntly has absolutely no political or artistic merit!
Ironically, these words left Cui Hong speechless, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.
Seeing that Cui Hong had lost his voice, Xie Yuan said calmly, "Summon them!"
Duo Shou quickly replied, "Yes! Her Majesty the Empress has ordered that Minister Zheng be summoned to an audience!"
"By order of the Empress, Minister Zheng is hereby summoned to an audience!"
"Her Majesty the Empress has decreed: Summon—"
One by one, the young eunuchs shouted out these words.
Although the voice wasn't particularly loud, it inexplicably possessed an earth-shattering power.
Zheng Qing, also known as Princess Nanling, stood on the steps outside the main hall.
She grew up in the palace and was no stranger to the previous dynasty.
However, today is definitely the first time that Nanling has stepped into the main hall openly and legitimately.
If it were the old Nanling, she definitely wouldn't dare.
She was so insecure and timid that she was bullied by the eunuchs and maids in the palace.
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