Chapter 226 Extra 7 [Extra]
The entire process will take no more than three days.
The Enko cheating scandal was successfully concluded in a very short time.
For many court officials, the matter was already over before they even heard the news.
That was truly decisive and efficient.
The Grand Secretary publicly destroyed the leaked exam papers at the Meridian Gate Square, stating that the exam questions would be revised and the date of the special imperial examination would remain unchanged. The students cheered and shouted excitedly, "We will not fail the Emperor's grace!" No one dared to utter any more nonsense about "being benevolent and lenient towards superiors."
The court was stunned for a moment, but soon, a few more fools began to launch a frenzied impeachment.
A dozen memorials flew onto the emperor's desk like snowflakes, each word denouncing Shen Xu for forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices, thus deceiving the emperor.
They keep saying that Shen Xu is arrogant and domineering, and that he monopolizes power. They claim that Marquis Qingyuan is only acting for the Emperor, and that his actions are understandable and forgivable.
Xie Yingchen sneered after reading it and handed the document to Gu Zhizhuo.
Snap!
Gu Zhizhuo slammed his hand on the imperial desk in anger.
She accidentally hit him a little too hard, and she gasped slightly.
Xie Yingchen quickly grabbed her hand and rubbed his palm.
He had read all the case files of the fraud case. The Eastern Depot interrogated all the people involved. There were more than ten people, including the main culprits and accomplices. These confessions were infuriating to read.
Especially Rong Zhi's repeated use of the phrase "a hen crowing at dawn"...
They were arrogant and thought that the Eastern Depot was Yaoyao's backer. They believed that as long as the Eastern Depot was abolished, Yaoyao would lose her backer and confidence, and they could send people into the palace.
"Does it still hurt?"
Xie Yingchen blew on her palm repeatedly, his warm breath tickling her.
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"I'll have someone put a layer of cotton padding here later. You can take pictures whenever you want next time."
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes lit up: "The cotton has been delivered?"
Xie Jing and the rest of the deposed emperor's children and family members were all exiled to Minzhou. Only Ji Nanke was spared by Gu Zhizhuo and is still in the imperial prison.
Ji Nanke was specially brought in by the Heavenly Dao to balance the altered destiny.
She said she came from a place called "Modern".
Whether it's modern or not is not important.
Importantly, Gu Zhizhuo has extracted a lot of information from her over the past two years, such as corn and sweet potatoes, new sugar and salt production methods, cotton, new spinning wheels, and even something called "electricity"...
The first batch of cotton planted was sent to the palace as tribute.
I'll go check it out in a bit!
"There are also some sweet potatoes that have been sent over. I'll have someone cook them and let us try them later." After saying that, he said to Shen Xu, "When you go to Yongzhou, Chief Supervisor Shen, please take some with you and try planting them to see if they can survive there."
Shen Xu: "..."
He sat there for half an hour, and they finally remembered him.
snort!
Shen Xu was summoned by him, and he originally thought it was because of these memorials impeaching him, but it turned out...
hehe.
Xie Yingchen smiled gently, like a spring breeze and drizzle, and said, "Chief Supervisor Shen, before you leave, please do me one more favor."
As he spoke, he took out an ebony box no bigger than the palm of his hand, inside which was a brass key.
"Take a look here, see if there's any dirt on these people. Pick out a few, convict them if you can, and dismiss the innocent from their posts and never hire them again."
He casually pushed a pile of memorials on the table over, his fingers rhythmically tapping the imperial desk, his smile not reaching his eyes.
"Two years have passed, and the court is now stable enough to take action."
"So that they won't be so confused that they don't even know who's sitting up there."
Shen Xu took the box.
After the Prince of Jin died, the couple took over the secret room he left behind, without keeping it a secret from him.
Everything in the secret chamber was moved out, most of which were incriminating evidence against the officials gathered by the Prince of Jin, and now they were all locked in the Chengxin Hall of the Zichen Palace.
This is the key to Chengxintang.
"good."
Shen Xu agreed.
Xie Yingchen knew his purpose and said with a gentle smile, "You can arrange the personnel in the capital yourself. The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard will not be withdrawn. You can leave behind people you can trust."
Shen Xu nodded: "I will take Sheng Jiang with me. I request Your Majesty to appoint a new commander for the Imperial Guards."
“Very well,” Xie Yingchen nodded. “Let Sheng Jiang be the General of Yongzhou. Once you arrive, you can handle Qi Guangping.”
Qi Guangping was the General Commander of Yongzhou. He was already the General Commander of Yongzhou before the incident at Blackwater Fortress.
Shen Xu gripped the small jade pendant on his wrist, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Xie Yingchen asked Gu Zhizhuo, who was still flipping through folded documents, "Yaoyao, are you going?"
Shen Xu's gaze paused.
Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow and looked at him: "Commander of the Imperial Guards?"
"I promised you."
"Is there?"
She thought for a moment, then realized she couldn't remember.
It's better if she doesn't remember, lest she start thinking about becoming a nun and the imperial advisor again. Xie Yingchen interrupted her thoughts, "That's not important. Do you want to go?"
She happily agreed: "I'll go!"
Commander of the Imperial Guards, not bad at all!
Xie Yingchen curved the corners of his mouth into a smile, his pupils reflecting her image as if they held a faint glow.
Hmph, calling Yao Yao a "hen crowing at dawn"? Let the whole world see what it means to be a queen in command of troops.
When Shen Xu made his move, it was as powerful as thunder and lightning, with an imposing presence.
All those who submitted impeachment memorials, whose crimes could be found in the Chengxin Hall, were all imprisoned without exception and severely punished according to the law. The rest did not escape either; they were all accused of crimes, large or small, and dismissed from their posts for investigation.
The Imperial Guards were mobilized in full force, confiscating property and arresting people.
Wherever the Embroidered Spring Blade passes, the wind howls and cranes cry.
While the imperial court was still embroiled in the imperial examination fraud case and discussing how to persuade the emperor to spare the Marquis of Qingyuan from the death penalty, a bloody storm suddenly erupted.
The new emperor ruled the world with benevolence.
He was always lenient with his officials, to the point that they almost forgot how this man on the dragon throne rose from a seemingly hopeless situation to the throne. — How could he have done it without some ruthlessness and cunning?
For a time, everyone felt insecure.
The clever ones are honest and hardworking, going to and from the government office and keeping their heads down to do their jobs; the less clever ones are like headless flies, buzzing around aimlessly.
A foolish collusion between superiors and subordinates led to the impeachment of Shen Xu for abusing his power and acting arrogantly and lawlessly.
So, another group was arrested.
"Serves you right."
The Prime Minister Song spoke privately to his wife.
"They're treating the Emperor like an easy target."
"If it weren't for the mess left behind by the deposed emperor, and the people's livelihood being the priority, the emperor wouldn't have been able to deal with these insignificant villains for the past two years, and they wouldn't have been able to keep running around like this until now."
He secluded himself behind closed doors, focusing solely on setting exam questions, claiming to others that his old ailment had flared up, and refused to see anyone.
When the Duke of Wei saw that he was sick, he also quickly fell ill, groaning and complaining.
In just three days, the group that was most agitated, constantly spouting classical phrases and shouting that "the eunuch faction is rampant, the harem is interfering in politics, and the country is doomed," were all imprisoned without exception.
The room fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.
The courtiers shrank back obediently like quails, but before they could catch their breath, another imperial edict, like a thunderclap, exploded above their heads—
Empress Gu Zhizhuo was appointed Commander of the Imperial Guards, in charge of the capital's defenses.
The entire court was in an uproar.
The Empress stays in the inner palace, managing the concubines, raising the princes and princesses, and occasionally meeting with noblewomen—that's enough for her. —Of course, she has nothing now, but that's precisely the Empress's duty.
To seize military power?! Are you out of your mind?
They dared not impeach him again, so they went to see Chief Minister Song together and asked him to stop worrying about his illness and come out to persuade him.
"Persuade? Persuade what?"
"Where were you when the Empress pursued Duoleng for thousands of miles back then?"
"Where were you when the Empress was suppressing the Liang people's rebellion in the capital? Don't forget how your families survived."
If it weren't for Empress Gu guarding the capital, countless more people would have died in the capital when the deposed emperor colluded with the Liang people to rebel.
"Such military achievements, aren't they enough for her to take command of the Imperial Guard?!"
Not to mention, Empress Gu was secretly instructing Princess Jiaye to instigate internal strife within Liang. Now, the King and Queen of Liang are locked in a bitter struggle, severely weakening the Liang people. Earlier this year, Jiang Youzheng, acting on Empress Gu's orders, feigned a declaration of war, frightening the King of Liang into immediately offering seven cities to the Great Qi Kingdom to sue for a truce—a significant achievement in territorial expansion. However, this matter remains highly confidential, known to very few.
Duke Wei slammed his hand on the table, snorted, and shouted, "If the Empress were a man, would you still think she's unworthy?"
Of course not.
Duke Wei, a mere military man, was not good at refined language and spoke very bluntly: "What have you done that benefits the country and the people? Look at yourselves, aren't you shameless? You only got these positions because you have a few extra pounds between your legs. And you dare to question whether the Empress is worthy? Bah!"
"..."
One by one, they returned empty-handed.
When Gu Zhizhuo returned to the Gu family to visit the Grand Madam and the others, he heard that someone had found Gu Baibai and wanted her to persuade her to resign from her post.
What I'm saying is that one shouldn't be proud or complacent because of mere military achievements.
As a result, Gu Baibai captured him and sent him to the northern frontier.
Gu Zhinan chuckled and said, "Father said that since we are about to launch a northern expedition, if he can come back alive, we can discuss what is meant by mere military merit."
"He was terrified on the spot, crying and screaming while clinging to his father's leg. It stank horribly."
Gu Yican took Gu Yique to the northern frontier right after the New Year. Once the food supplies were ready in April, they would set off on a northern expedition.
Aside from the Dowager Lady sighing and worrying that she too might one day don armor and go to war, constantly muttering, "Why does she have to go to war even after becoming Empress?"
Her sisters all surrounded her, beaming with joy.
Thus, Gu Zhizhuo smoothly took over the post of commander of the Imperial Guards. He delivered a resounding slap to those officials who constantly clamored that "the empress dowager should not interfere in politics."
When Xie Yingchen first ascended the throne, the court of the deposed emperor was divided into three factions, and the officials acted independently.
At that time, he could only focus on resolving the factional strife.
He appeared lenient, but in reality, he spent two years gaining complete control over the court. Now that the time has come, his heavy power has been applied, and the court is now completely clean and orderly.
Shen Xu once again stood above all the officials.
It strikes fear into people's hearts.
Everyone thought that Shen Xu had truly become the new emperor's confidant this time, and that the poisoned knife in his hand meant that everyone in the court would have to act according to his wishes.
Unexpectedly, he turned around and resigned as the head of the Eastern Depot, and accepted the imperial decree to become the governor of Yongzhou, taking charge of the military and political affairs of the entire province.
ah? ? ?
Are you kidding me?
After the initial shock, all sorts of conspiracy theories surfaced in my mind.
It turns out that the emperor deliberately offered Shen Xu a high position to lure him out of the capital, and then took the opportunity to consolidate his power in the inner court and the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
That's brilliant!
Some people consider themselves clever and always like to secretly try to figure out what the superiors want; this time, they've learned their lesson.
The emperor can turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist; how could they possibly fathom his power?!
The restlessness in the court has subsided considerably.
Surprisingly, no one raised any objection to Shen Xu's appointment as governor of Yongzhou.
This time, nearly 30% of the officials in the capital were imprisoned.
With fewer people, the work still had to be done. Tasks were piled down, and one person was used as two. As they worked, there was no time left for idle thoughts or trying to figure out the emperor's mind; they even lost time to eat.
He would run to the yamen as soon as he opened his eyes, and lie down on the couch as soon as he closed his eyes.
They had a very "fulfilling" time.
So much so that he almost forgot what his newly acquired concubine looked like.
No one noticed that Shen Xu left Beijing to take up his new post.
After taking over the Yin family business, Yin Xiyan was constantly on the move, and was still in Minzhou.
Xie Yingchen and Gu Zhizhuo came together to see him off.
Shen Xu brought Sheng Jiang along on this trip, while Wu Shang and Feng Zheng stayed in the capital. As a result, Sheng Jiang smugly showed off in front of Feng Zheng for a few days.
Sheng Jiang: As expected, the master values me the most!
Shen Xu took away two thousand Imperial Guards, and Xie Yingchen allocated an additional three thousand five battalions to him.
He said with a smile, "If you encounter someone who doesn't know their place in Yongzhou, feel free to take action."
These people were specifically there to protect him; they would stay with him in Yongzhou for an extended period.
"hehe."
Shen Xu gently stroked his sleeve, his shimmering peach blossom eyes filled with sharp intent.
Don't you know what's good for you?
Anyone who dares to be disrespectful will be met with a rude awakening!
He asked, "Where is the military supervisor?"
Xie Yingchen had said that a military supervisor would accompany him, and now that they were about to set off, he still hadn't seen what the military supervisor looked like.
Who the supervisor was is not important.
This was a common practice of the imperial court, and Shen Xu didn't care. In any case, no matter who it was, they couldn't possibly cause trouble in his hands.
"Yes, yes, we've arrived."
Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile.
"Um?"
Where? Shen Xu looked at Sheng Jiang, who shook his head almost imperceptibly.
Shen Xu's gaze fell on Gu Zhizhuo again, and he raised an eyebrow: What do you mean?
Gu Zhizhuo pointed to the black carriage behind him.
"The military supervisor..."
Shen Xu turned around.
I didn't see anyone, just a cat.
The cat, Shenmao, perched on the carriage window, looking left and right. Seeing that everyone was staring at it, the cat proudly raised its whiskers and looked down with its golden cat eyes... This position was not good for looking down, so Shenmao nimbly leaped onto the roof of the carriage, craned its neck, and barely managed to look down at everyone.
"Meow!"
"Lord Shen Mao!"
Pfft. Sheng Jiang almost burst out laughing, but he quickly covered his mouth, struggling to hold it in.
Shen Xu: ? ? ?
This was the first time, and Gu Zhizhuo could see the confusion on his face.
Those beautiful peach blossom eyes blinked blankly once, then blinked again.
Surrounded by so many people, Shenmao shook her fur and excitedly patted him with her paw: "Meow~"
Xie Yingchen took a transfer order and handed it to him personally.
Shen Xu opened it blankly, and after a series of official jargon, it was written in a very formal manner:
Shen Mao was appointed as the military supervisor of Yongzhou, a fifth-rank official.
Xie Yingchen: "Shenmao is a cat that has made great contributions, and I will reward it according to its merits."
"Master Supervisor, look at this! Isn't it impressive?"
The transfer order was still in Shen Xu's hand, and he almost subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.
The black tabby cat was dressed in the official robes of a fifth-rank official. The robes were specially made, fit perfectly, and were embroidered with bear patches, the embroidery being extremely fine.
The majestic cat sat atop the carriage, its qilin tail held high.
Meow~
Gu Zhizhu bowed to it in a serious manner: "Lord Cat, please protect the people under your jurisdiction when you arrive in Yongzhou."
"Meow!"
Shen Xu's lips curved into a slight smile.
He stroked the cat's soft head, the red mole at the corner of its eye shining brightly.
It's Master Cat!
*
The *History of the Great Qi Dynasty: General History of Yongzhou* records:
Shen Xu served as the governor of Yongzhou for ten years, suppressing bandits thirteen times at Fengtang Pass and casting nine iron tallies to guard the border. When he first took office, the fields were littered with corpses of the starving; on the day he left, children played merrily on the fields. He reorganized the army, ordering the barbarian cavalry to retreat three hundred li, and opened trade markets so that herders could exchange cattle and sheep for grain and seeds. Ultimately, Yongzhou became a prosperous place where cooking smoke never ceased and people left their doors unlocked at night.
A note from the author:
The End. Please give it a 5-star rating for its completion~ Thank you, love you all!
There will be a bonus episode in a few days.
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