106 Chapter 106
◎Princess Regent◎
On April 15th of the Renxu year, Princess Rong'an turned 18.
The emperor and empress attached great importance to it and ordered dukes, nobles, and officials of the fourth rank and above in Beijing to bring their families into the palace to present gifts.
In addition, King Xie Peng of Shu was also present.
Princes were not allowed to enter the capital without reason. When the officials heard that the princess brought the King of Shu back to the capital, they were all surprised.
However, after the King of Shu entered the capital, he stopped socializing with others and plunged into Tiangongyuan, never to come out again. He was truly a strange man.
The birthday banquet was held at noon, but because it coincided with the fifth court meeting, the court meeting had been moved to the afternoon. After the birthday banquet, the officials gathered at Fengtian Gate to enter the court.
After Xie Mingzhuo's trip to Sichuan and Guizhi, the interests of too many people were affected, and many officials in the court must have been resentful of her. However, these people were all very skilled in acting, and they were in high spirits during the banquet, and there was no sign of dissatisfaction.
There were endless toasts and drinks at the banquet, but as there was a court meeting in the afternoon, the officials did not dare to drink too much.
However, some young noble ladies and gentlemen would muster up the courage to come to Xie Mingzhuo from time to time to express their gratitude. Xie Mingzhuo smiled warmly and accepted all of them.
I had heard that Princess Rong'an was very majestic in the court, but in private she was very kind and did not act like a princess. Her words were also quite pleasant. Almost every young man left with a feeling of shame and joy after toasting her.
Woohoo, Her Royal Highness the Princess praised them!
"Shao Shao, you have a court meeting soon, don't drink too much." Big brother Xie Mingxuan came closer and advised, "If anyone toasts again, I'll drink."
Before Xie Mingzhuo could respond, Xie Mingshuo squeezed in and said, "Go away, go away. With your alcohol tolerance, don't drink so much that your hands will shake when you do the experiment. Let me do it."
Xie Mingzhuo: “…”
The two were so kind that she would not refuse.
This little bit of alcohol couldn't affect her thinking at all, but drinking too much would always harm her health and she would stink of alcohol.
After some toasts, the birthday party ended.
Officials and their families left the palace one after another, and court officials went to Fengtian Gate in an orderly manner.
In fact, the court could have been adjourned today, but Xie Changfeng insisted and specifically instructed the Guanglu Temple and the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor to mainly serve water to avoid anyone misbehaving during the court meeting.
The official in charge of meals couldn't help but complain: If the emperor is worried about impoliteness, the banquet can be left until nightfall, so that the court officials can attend the banquet after leaving the court. I don't know why the emperor wants to hold a luncheon.
They didn't know that Xie Changfeng was worried that these officials would do something crazy at the court meeting and ruin the atmosphere of his beloved daughter's birthday party.
Today's court meeting is bound to be turbulent, and all the officials know it.
Xie Mingzhuo no longer needed to show up himself, as officials from the Censorate would come out to impeach him.
The case of Mr. Bai's family extermination revealed the negligence of Sichuan's salt administration. A large number of officials were involved in the profits of illegal salt and have been escorted to Beijing.
Behind every official, there is a big tree with deep roots, and it is unrealistic to uproot it.
It's still possible to tear off a few pieces of bark and chop off a few branches.
Fang Ji was the first to be hit.
As the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he could influence the appointment, dismissal and transfer of most officials, and the private salt network in Sichuan would also "reciprocate" and provide him with huge profits.
According to investigations, a secret room was dug under the storeroom in his home, which contained piles of priceless gold, silver and jewelry, not to mention the countless fertile fields owned by his ancestral clan.
The evidence is conclusive and no matter how loudly you cry out for justice, it will be of no avail.
The rest of the officials involved were all leeches sucking the country's profits, and each of them was fat enough to feed the border troops for at least five years.
Those who were to be beheaded were beheaded, those whose property was to be confiscated were confiscated, and those who were to be exiled were exiled.
Xie Mingzhuo was no longer as gentle and amiable as she was at the birthday party. She made every decision without hesitation. Even if someone wanted to say a few words, they would not dare to say a word when they saw the thick stack of evidence in her hand.
"Those who have committed crimes will be severely punished, and those who have made contributions will be generously rewarded." Xie Mingzhuo softened his tone. "This time, I went to Shu to investigate the family extermination case and was fortunate to meet a talented person. For a year, she traveled all over the salt fields of Shu, gained experience through personal experience, and figured out a way to increase salt production several times."
"Several times?!" Many people were unwilling to believe it.
"I saw it with my own eyes." Xie Mingzhuo turned to face the imperial throne. "Your Majesty, this is the memorial submitted by Xiang Jingze, the Sichuan Salt Inspector. In it, she proposed in detail the reform of the Sichuan Salt Works. If the new system is implemented, not only will the salt industry flourish, but it will also improve the supply of grain and fodder along the border and regulate the salt merchants. The people will no longer be short of salt, and the suffering of the salt farmers will also be alleviated."
Wu Shanqing took the memorial and read it out.
The officials were not fools. Everyone could hear that after the implementation of the new system, the court's control over the salt industry would be more secure. If the new system could be promoted nationwide in the future, it would be a hundred benefits to the court.
but--
There is not much left for corrupt officials to enrich themselves.
The princess was determined to cut off the salt profit line.
Interest groups tried to dissuade her, but the princess had just punished dozens of officials for corruption. They were already seriously injured, so how could they dare to fight against the enemy with an egg?
Xie Changfeng clapped his hands. "That's great. Rong'an, the implementation of the new system requires someone to take charge. Censor Xiang is young, has a low position, and is burdened with the complexities of salt affairs. I'm afraid he's not capable of supervising the entire province. What do you think?"
"Xiang Jingze was promoted to the position of Director of the Sichuan Salt Tax Bureau, and Gao Quan, the Governor of Huguang, was transferred to the position of Governor of Sichuan to oversee the implementation of the new policy."
Some people protested: "How can a seventh-rank imperial censor be promoted to the fifth rank all of a sudden?"
Who wouldn’t be jealous when seeing someone being promoted above their level?
Moreover, the position of the Director of the Salt Tax Bureau is still a lucrative job, even if the salt fields are about to undergo restructuring and the profits are greatly reduced.
Xie Mingzhuo simply replied, "I told you, those who have made contributions will be rewarded handsomely."
In addition to rewards, there is also reuse and appreciation.
Everyone was given a stern look by her and could only accept it.
"That's the first thing," Xie Mingzhuo continued. "The second thing you all already know is that the Sun and Moon Cult, disguised as Taoist alchemists, has taken advantage of Taoist temples to plant poisonous plants, harm the people, and deceive officials. While evil cults are certainly despicable, Taoist temples also have their flaws. To prevent them from repeating the same mistakes, I have decided to reclaim the private lands of all palaces and temples and transfer them to the Ministry of Revenue, which will be responsible for surveying and collecting taxes."
"This is absolutely unacceptable!" Someone immediately jumped out to advise, "Suddenly making them lose their foundation would cause unrest."
The existence of the Sun and Moon Sect in the dark is already chilling. If those palaces and temples incite their followers to cause chaos, the imperial court will inevitably be stretched to its limits.
The others also tried to persuade him.
Even though I know the princess won't listen——
"You all have a point. In this case, the palaces and temples can still own land, but they must pay land taxes to the court and distribute the land tax to each acre to prevent the recurrence of fraudulent land ownership."
"No, there are countless temples and shrines across the country. Cutting off someone's financial resources is like killing their parents. Moreover, this incident only happened in Shu. The temples and shrines in other places might be dissatisfied."
Xie Mingzhuo took another step back and said, "Then it will only be implemented in Shu."
All the ministers were speechless. If they continued to refute, they would not be able to keep their official hats.
First, state an impossible decision and everyone will oppose it. Then, take a step back and most people will be able to accept it.
Her real purpose is just to boil the frog in warm water.
Taking advantage of the fact that the Sun and Moon Sect planted poisonous substances, the land of the palaces and temples in Shu was brought into the national taxation system, and then the whole country. When the time was ripe, the private land of the gentry, powerful people and nobles would also not be spared.
As for how to fully implement it, she already has a plan in mind.
"Yuan Guande, this matter is under the jurisdiction of the Sichuan Qingli Division of the Ministry of Revenue. If there are any errors, you will be held responsible."
Yuan Guande sighed secretly: "I obey your command."
"As for the third incident, I'm sure you've all heard of it. During this trip to Guizhou, I stumbled upon an old case. Now that the culprit has been brought to justice and confessed, the wronged individual should finally be vindicated."
There is indeed no objection to this case, but Shi Zan, the left councilor at that time and now the governor of Jiangxi, has not yet responded to the imperial edict and returned to Beijing, so the case has not been completely concluded.
But it doesn't matter much.
With the confession of the culprit Yang Dan, the testimony of the Shuidong Song family, and the example of Guizhou chieftains stealing silver mines, the case has become clear.
Whether the verdict is overturned or not has no impact on them. I am afraid that only Governor Shi, who is far away in Jiangxi, will spit out blood.
Xie Changfeng personally wrote an imperial edict and announced it to the world.
The imperial edict praised Lin Yingjie for his loyalty to the country, his noble character and integrity, and said he was a role model for all officials. He was posthumously awarded the rank of Guanglu Dafu, a first-rank official.
He was originally a left governor of the second rank, and posthumously awarding him the first rank was a form of compensation.
It's a pity that he can only be a casual official. He has no military merit and cannot be granted a title. Otherwise, he can benefit his descendants and indirectly compensate Lin Fan.
But rules are made by people, and the emperor has privileges.
The imperial edict also stated that Lin Fan, the second son of the Lin family, had suffered injustice, had been displaced in his childhood, and had experienced hardships, but he still upheld his sense of justice. During his tenure in the Anlu County government office in Huguang, he was upright and loyal, eradicated evil, and protected the people. He was a role model for officials. Now he was specially appointed as a ninth-rank constable in the Ministry of Justice and was awarded a double set of official uniforms.
Constables have no rank. This is a special exception granted by the emperor himself. No one can dismiss them except the emperor. The value of their rank is probably higher than that of officials of the seventh or eighth rank in the Ministry of Justice.
How many people have studied hard for decades and still can’t get a ninth-rank official? How come a small yamen runner can also get a ninth-rank official?
Xie Changfeng didn't think Lin Fan was unworthy at all. On the contrary, he felt that his rank was too low. If Xie Mingzhuo hadn't stopped him, the value of this constable would have doubled.
Whether it was the Liang Wang case or the Guizhou Silver Mine case, Lin Fan's contributions were not small, but he had never been an official, so he could not be promoted according to normal regulations.
Lin Yingjie had been wronged for ten years, so he couldn't continue to wrong his son, right? Especially since this was his future son-in-law.
Xie Changfeng discussed with his family and decided to give him a golden rice bowl.
If it were someone else, holding a golden rice bowl, they would probably feel unworthy of their position and be ridiculed, but the family believed that Lin Fan would not do that.
With his abilities, he would be very successful in the Ministry of Justice. In addition, he has "privileges" and is not controlled by his superiors, so the obstacles he faces when investigating cases will be infinitely reduced.
Before Xie Mingzhuo returned to Beijing, he also asked Lin Fan that he wanted to stay in the capital. He planned to accept Cen Kui's previous invitation and join the Ministry of Justice to assist in investigating cases and arresting thieves and criminals.
Rather than letting him accept Cen Kui's feelings, it is better to accept my own feelings.
This imperial edict is most appropriate.
The court meeting can basically be concluded at this point.
The court officials were waiting for Wu Zhangyin to "adjourn the court", but unexpectedly, the emperor took out another imperial edict and asked Wu Zhangyin to read it.
They had no choice but to kneel and listen.
Ignoring the large amount of flowery words at the beginning of the imperial edict, the tone suddenly changes in the middle.
The general meaning is: The Taoist immortal came into my dream again, and I was guided by him. From now on, I need to practice hard and pray for the people of the world. However, the court cannot be without a leader, and the sacred artifacts cannot be empty for long. I was instructed by the Taoist immortal that Princess Rong'an has always been diligent and kind, capable and capable, and has the ability to pluck out the best from the worst. Therefore, I ordered Princess Rong'an to supervise state affairs to prolong the sacrifice to the ancestors.
Last year, the Taoist immortal warned us of heavy snowfall, which is still fresh in our memory. Now the emperor is using the Taoist immortal as an excuse again, and the officials have no way to refute it.
Taoist immortals have saved millions of people, and people all over the world have complete faith in them. They will follow whatever they say.
If they object to the Taoist letting the princess govern the country, then if there is any natural disaster in the country in the future, will they be blamed?
I can't bear this crime.
But if you take one step back, you will always take another step back.
They failed to stop the princess from entering the court to participate in politics. If the regent was unable to dissuade her, it would be too late when the princess ascended the throne.
The officials were hesitant, and after the imperial edict was read, no one responded in the court for a while.
Xie Mingzhuo had anticipated this scenario. Even if someone was willing to follow her, they wouldn't dare risk the wrath of the world in front of so many people.
But no one jumped out to refute it, which says it all.
They are weighing the pros and cons.
She raised her head and met Xie Changfeng's gaze. The latter said in a deep and dignified tone, "The imperial decree has been issued. My will is made. If you have no objection, please withdraw from the court."
Wu Shanqing: "Retreat—to the court—"
Some officials have been dismissed from their posts for being involved in the case. The political parties in the court are like a pile of loose sand. Without anyone to lead them now, there will be no chance in the future.
Everyone completely gave up hope.
The court meeting ended and it was already dusk.
The magnificent sunset was like the most brilliant paint in the world, dyeing the entire palace orange and gold.
Xie Mingzhuo stood with his hands behind his back and looked out.
The sky is high and the earth is vast, you can roam freely.
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