He immediately sent a memorial to the throne, requesting the Court of State Ceremonial to invite the emperor to a lecture on the classics.
The reply to the memorial was: I have just caught a slight cough, and I will wait three months before reporting back.
Is the Emperor ill?
Liu Jin's mind raced.
This guy has excellent physical fitness and is incredibly ruthless.
When he was seriously injured by a knife in Jiangnan, he heard that Empress Dowager Xiaosu was critically ill. As soon as he recovered, he rushed to the capital.
He actually refused to attend the imperial lectures on the grounds of coughing.
This is not his style.
Because the emperor still did not attend the imperial lectures for two consecutive years, and he was even criticized harshly by the chief minister Su in a memorial for this matter.
I abhor this.
How could I possibly agree to that?
Once the seed of doubt is planted, doubts will appear everywhere.
...
That day, after Yan Ge'er finished school, Su Wanwan went to the East Garden to pick up the child.
Compared to his previous caution, Yang Zhen was much more composed this time.
"Your Majesty's plan last time was excellent. At least Minister Liu has become more restrained in his actions, dismissing corrupt, negligent, weak, incompetent, old, and ailing officials, and appointing a group of honest, capable, and skilled people."
Su Wanwan simply smiled faintly: "If it weren't for Mr. Yang's strategic planning and guidance of public opinion, this outcome wouldn't have happened."
Yang Zhen was a shrewd man.
The evil deeds of Liu Jin and his cronies Zhang Cai were widely publicized, which enraged the authorities. However, despite investigations, the mastermind behind the crimes could not be found.
They only knew it was the work of a scholar, and had no suspicion whatsoever about Yang Zhen.
After all, he was just a student still studying for the imperial examinations, and his father was an official in the court. There was really no need for him to offend Minister Liu.
Yang Zhen remained calm and composed: "Your Majesty flatters me."
This was the first time Su Wanwan had asked him for a favor.
If he messes it up, Su Wanwan might never contact him again.
Whether it's to prove himself or to leave a good impression on her, he will do his best.
really.
Su Wanwan came to him again, this time with something else.
"Mr. Yang, do you know why the Censorate proposed to investigate the finances and grain of the provinces of Zhili, Hebei, and Zhejiang this time?"
Checking the finances and grain reserves is an excellent way to strike at dissidents and install their cronies.
The finances and grain of the nine border regions have been checked twice, but the matter is still not settled. Now, the provinces of Northern and Southern Zhili and Zhejiang need to be checked as well.
They are not afraid of taking too big a step and causing problems.
If Lu Xingjian were here, given his boldness, it would be understandable that he would do such a thing.
But since he wasn't in the palace, the way this memorial was submitted became quite intriguing.
If things go wrong, this report could cause a huge problem.
It's not impossible that those corrupt officials, driven to desperation, might collude with those with ulterior motives to seize power and change the world.
Su Wanwan was cautious by nature and dared not approve the memorial for the time being.
Yang Zhen raised an eyebrow.
She's a woman, yet she pays so much attention to the affairs of the previous dynasty.
Emperor Taizu's rule that "the empress dowager must not interfere in politics" has become a mere formality.
If even the emperor doesn't object, what right does a mere scholar like him have to object?
Yang Zhen had heard his father mention this matter before, and he knew it like the back of his hand:
"Has Your Highness ever heard of the capital's debts?"
Su Wanwan frowned: "What are Beijing debts?"
Yang Zhen's lips curled into a mocking smile:
"At the end of the year, officials from all over the country went to the capital to pay homage to the emperor. They were afraid of the emperor and worried about getting into trouble, so they raised money from all over the place to bribe him."
“More than 20,000 taels of silver were borrowed from wealthy households in the capital. When the borrower was reinstated, the debt would be repaid double from the government treasury. This was called the Capital Debt.”
"This matter has caused such a great stir that officials at all levels have gotten involved without any surprise."
"I suppose the Ninth Prince himself felt uneasy and planned to use the pretext of an investigation to cover up his actions, while also siphoning silver from the treasury. Why wouldn't he do it?"
Su Wanwan was stunned.
Liu Jin's blatant embezzlement has reached such a level that Lu Xingjian has no intention of punishing him.
They just said it wasn't the right time yet.
An unbelievable thought popped into my head.
You, Lu Xingjian, are something else.
What a cunning old fox!
Last year, he caused widespread public outrage and resentment by selling official positions, but he only managed to rake in 400,000 taels of silver.
Now, by establishing Liu Jin as a corrupt official, he has become a symbol of corruption and bribery in all directions.
We'll wait until the sheep are fattened up before slaughtering them.
Su Wanwan pursed her lips and simply said, "I understand."
Yang Zhen watched Su Wanwan's departing figure and remained silent for a while.
On the Lantern Festival in the first month of the lunar calendar, he accompanied his wife to see the lanterns, and actually saw Su Wanwan getting into a carriage surrounded by a crowd.
A woman with her child, all alone watching the lanterns on such a festival, is, frankly, somewhat forlorn.
For some reason, the image of her raising an eyebrow and asking him, "What, are you scared, sir?" kept replaying in his mind.
Cold and beautiful, aloof and stubborn.
In fact, his new wife was also a rare beauty.
I have great respect for him; he is a gentle and quiet person.
But for some reason, he always felt that something was missing.
Su Wanwan looks gentle and quiet, but she has a strong personality that is very appealing.
He used to think he was just curious.
Now that I'm married, what is there left to not understand?
Fortunately, he was good at hiding it, and apart from the occasional regret he had in the middle of the night, he did not reveal anything else.
Even when speaking to her, his eyes were open and aloof, making it impossible to detect anything unusual.
...
Su Wanwan approved the memorial requesting an investigation into the finances and grain of the provinces of Zhili, Hebei, and Zhejiang.
If the sky is going to break open, there's someone tall enough to hold it up, so what is she afraid of?
Zhou Wanxiu still managed to marry Xu Pengju as she wished.
Su Wanwan pretended not to know.
After her maternal grandfather's death, Lu Xingjian forbade her to take revenge, so she had no choice but to suppress her temper.
Before February was even over, my great-grandfather also passed away.
Su Wanwan did not go to pay her respects in person, but only sent someone to express her condolences.
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