"If I hadn't disguised myself and secretly followed the tribute horses and silverware convoy of the local officials and prefects of Zhen'an Prefecture in Guangxi to the capital, I'm afraid I would have been intercepted and killed on the way."
"We beg Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this case, recover the government silver, and seek justice for those soldiers who died unjustly!"
Su Wanwan was completely stunned.
She knew Wei Xun, the eunuch in charge of the garrison in Guangdong and Guangxi.
Wang even specifically scolded him in front of Su Wanwan, saying that he had swindled millions of taels of silver from Guangdong and Guangxi to curry favor in the capital.
The government silver was robbed... Were the escorting government troops all incompetent?
This is too strange.
Moreover, twenty days have passed, and the capital has not received a single piece of news.
This makes people even more wary.
Where was the government silver stolen?
"The border area between Guangdong and Guangxi and Hubei." Zhang Ju's face was pale and his breath was weak, but he still spoke clearly, not being careless at the crucial points.
That makes sense.
Su Wanwan's heart sank.
The commander-in-chief of Guangdong and Guangxi was Liu Wen, the Marquis of Anyuan, who was related to Wang's maternal family by marriage.
The chief guest of Huguang was Marquis Jiang Ji of Dingxi, who was also a relative by marriage to the Wang family.
Zhang Ju looked anxious: "Your Majesty, there is no time to lose. I went to the palace to see the Emperor but was ambushed. I'm afraid someone is waiting in the palace for me to walk into their trap."
That statement contains a lot of information.
The robbery of government silver extended their influence even into the palace, and the information was prevented from being reported to the emperor.
If it weren't for collusion between officials and thieves, who could have done this?
This is a classic case of outwardly complying while inwardly defying the emperor, a blatant slap in the face to him!
The two eunuchs who originally carried Zhang Ju to Anle Hall have also been found and confessed.
It was said that Wang Bai, the heir of the Marquis of Chongshan, ordered them to secretly kill Zhang Ju at Anle Hall.
Su Wanwan felt cold all over.
Wang Bai, the heir of the Marquis of Chongshan, was Yanruo's maternal brother.
Without hesitation, she summoned Liu Jin from the Directorate of Ceremonial.
After hearing Zhang Ju's confession, Liu Jin's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Wei Yun, the eunuch in charge of the garrison in Guangdong and Guangxi, was a member of the Directorate of Ceremonial.
The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs received absolutely no information.
If the Empress hadn't accidentally bumped into Zhang Ju today, he wouldn't know how long he would have been kept in the dark.
Su Wanwan didn't say much, her expression was serious:
"This matter is urgent and should not be delayed. If we do not deal with it decisively and make an example of someone, I'm afraid other places will follow suit, and not a single tael of silver will be able to be transported back to the capital!"
"What does Your Majesty mean?" A meaningful glint flashed in Liu Jin's deep, cold eyes.
"Remove Liu Wen and reclaim military power in Guangdong and Guangxi." Su Wanwan spoke slowly and calmly.
This incident happened in Guangdong and Guangxi, yet it hasn't been reported. Liu Wen's crime is unforgivable.
"Your Majesty is wise!" Liu Jin shared the same thought as her.
However, a deep sense of apprehension arose in his heart towards such a ruthless and decisive woman in the harem.
After a brief discussion, Liu Jin hurriedly left.
He needs to find another way to confirm this.
Su Wanwan knew that Lu Xingjian would have to give his approval for such important matters as the appointment and removal of local commanders.
However, Liu Jin returned soon after, bringing with him another person, Liu Yu, the Minister of War.
Because he couldn't contact Lu Xingjian either.
The robbery of official silver in Guangdong and Guangxi has also been confirmed.
This is too egregious. If we cannot retaliate in time, the court's prestige will be completely destroyed.
We must turn the situation around with lightning speed.
This was the first time Su Wanwan had discussed matters with the Grand Chancellor and the Minister of Revenue.
She dared not be careless, and only asked Liu Jin and Liu Yu to offer some initial suggestions.
Liu Yu had already made some preparations before his arrival:
"Fuqiang Earl Mao Rui first guarded Huguang, and in the second year of Honghua, he was transferred to Liangguang. By the time he left office, he had been guarding Liangguang for more than 20 years and was familiar with both Huguang and Liangguang."
"If the secret decree recalls Mao Rui back to Guangdong and Guangxi and dismisses Liu Wen, there is hope that the stolen government silver can be recovered."
Mao Rui had been away from Guangdong and Guangxi for less than a year, and his old confidants and prestige were still intact, so it was only natural that he was the right person to take on this mission.
Liu Jin's expression was serious: "The situation in Huguang is complicated. Marquis Dingxi Jiang Ji has been managing it for several years, so we cannot act rashly."
Su Wanwan frowned: "Does Jiang Ji have spies planted around him?"
Liu Jin gave Su Wanwan a deep look, a slight startle in his heart.
"The Eastern Depot did indeed have spies planted there, hidden for many years, and never easily activated."
Despite being a woman, she was very clear about the details here.
Su Wanwan didn't mince words: "Using secret agents to make Jiang Ji fall ill will give us at least a month to prepare."
She had seen Zhou direct secret agents to deal with disobedient local officials when she followed Zhou before.
However, this tactic can only buy time temporarily.
The main work still needs to be done in Hubei and Hunan.
However, as long as Hubei and Hunan don't get involved and cause trouble, with Mao Rui taking charge, the chances of pacifying Guangdong and Guangxi are much better.
Liu Jin and Liu Yu pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
After discussing it among themselves, the group finalized many details.
Su Wanwan reiterated the main theme: "The imperial authority cannot be trampled upon. The recovery of the official silver and the suppression of the robbers are crucial and cannot be compromised!"
This aligns with the ideas of Liu Jin and Liu Yu, so naturally there will be no objections.
After Liu Jin and Liu Yu left, Su Wanwan remained silent for a long time.
The situation that Emperor Lu Xingjian faced was more complex and difficult than she had imagined.
The two provinces and Guangxi are far away, and there will be no news for a while.
Su Wanwan continued to handle palace affairs without showing any emotion, but in her heart she kept hoping that Lu Xingjian would return soon.
Many of Wang's and Empress Zhang's henchmen were purged by her and sent to the laundry department.
She painstakingly brought back some of the palace servants who had previously been highly valued in Qingning Palace and placed them in suitable positions.
She even reinstated those former members of the Zhou family who had been sent far away to Jinling, and transferred them to positions in the Suzhou Weaving Bureau and the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau.
If used properly, these textile bureaus could become the imperial court's money bag.
This would prevent Lu Xingjian from rushing to extract money from the local area.
Having spent decades in the imperial harem, Lady Zhou possessed a keen eye for talent; the people she chose were worth ten of them.
With these people guarding key positions, she felt much more at ease.
Just as Su Wanwan was about to go out that day, she heard a commotion outside Xiaoyuan Garden.
A palace servant came to report that Wang Yongzheng, the Grand Master of Ceremonies of the Court of State Ceremonies, was outside the gate, requesting an investigation into the crimes of Xie Yihuxian, the envoy from Hami, for his treachery.
He Ying sensed something was amiss: "This Grand Master is quite strange, why did he come directly to our door?"
Su Wanwan felt a chill run down her spine: "They've probably come to probe our strength."
Lu Xingjian did not show up, but Liu Jin of the Directorate of Ceremonial and Liu Yu, the Minister of War, did visit Xiaoyuan.
I fear that some people are using this as an excuse to test whether Lu Xingjian is really at Xiaoyuan.
"Have someone drive him away?" He Ying asked, frowning.
Su Wanwan shook her head and called over Meng Yue and the other palace servants, "Could this Wang Yong have met the Emperor before?"
"When I wrote about Yi Huxian's audience with the Emperor, the Emperor summoned Wang Yong, the Grand Master of Ceremonies of the Court of State Ceremonies, to accompany him." Meng Yue was quick-witted and remembered it clearly.
"But this servant does not know what His Majesty instructed."
Su Wanwan couldn't help but curse inwardly. If this Grand Secretary really came to probe the truth, he was truly cunning.
If one thing doesn't match, it's a sign that the emperor isn't there.
She couldn't let him succeed.
Otherwise, Lu Xingjian would be in greater danger while he was away.
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