What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 226 Stunning Female Official!

Chen Zhong held the note in his hand, looking somewhat bewildered.

As a low-ranking eunuch, he rarely had the opportunity to leave the palace, but he had heard of Bai Yujing's reputation.

Many eunuchs in the palace ordered takeout from Baiyujing.

Being able to eat Bai Yujing's meals was almost a symbol of status and position, especially for the head eunuchs, who would not eat anything other than Bai Yujing's food.

The only place comparable to Baiyujing is Yanyulou.

However, in the eyes of the eunuchs, Yanyu Tower was slightly inferior to Baiyujing. This can be seen from the fact that the chief eunuch chose Baiyujing. Of course, Baiyujing was also relatively more expensive.

A slightly more upscale four-dish-and-one-soup meal would cost one tael of silver!
As for the food and drink of those in charge of the seals and scribes in the Twenty-Four Offices, the prices of which were beyond the knowledge of a low-ranking eunuch like Chen Zhong.

Chen Zhong looked at the note again and couldn't help but have an unbelievable thought.

Could it be... that Bai Yujing is his nephew's business?

Judging from the eunuchs' discussions, Baiyujing may seem like just a small restaurant, but it's quite remarkable.

The eunuchs spoke of Bai Yujing with obvious envy.

Some eunuchs even speculated that Bai Yujing's daily profit was as high as a thousand taels of silver!

Normally, the palace's chief officials, scribes, and heads of records would not hesitate to take advantage of him, or even seize the restaurant altogether.

But Chen Zhong had never heard of any grand eunuch daring to provoke Bai Yujing!
This shows just how powerful Bai Yujing's background is!

If Baiyujing is his nephew's business, then everything makes sense.

No wonder he could speak directly with Eunuch An and Ning Jing.

Perhaps, Eunuch An and the Director of the Imperial Household Department are the true masters of Baiyujing!
Su Mo looked at the man who seemed not to be very familiar with the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

But who will truly be on the surface regarding the relationships within the palace?
It's hard to say whether Su Mo has any secret connections with the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial!
Chen Zhong thought about it more and more and more and it seemed like this was possible!

I couldn't help but gasp!
His own nephew actually managed to get in touch with Eunuch An and the Prime Minister!

Eunuch An is a favorite of His Majesty, and with the added position of Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Inner Court Minister, it's no wonder His Majesty spared his life!
Chen Zhong had nowhere to go.

After a slight hesitation, with mixed feelings, he walked towards the direction of Baiyujing, as the eunuch had indicated.

But in his heart he wondered what would happen to Consort Li and the young princess after he left the palace.

The Empress released Consort Li from the Cold Palace and allowed her daughter to live with Consort Li.

I hope everything will be alright.
……

After returning home, Su Mo kept thinking about Chen Zhong and was too lazy to go to Lonely Peak Mountain.

Seeing that Meng Danying was also there, he simply stayed at the house and told Xue Yishu and Meng Danying the story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Wang Xiuzhi, that old rascal, ordered a few stir-fries and half a roast chicken from Bai Yujing, and somehow found a porcelain bottle of Chenjia wine, which he then savored with relish.

They even pricked up their ears to listen to Su Mo's storytelling.

When he got excited, he slapped his thigh and shouted "Bravo!"

He would also occasionally offer advice to Su Mo, telling him how to say things correctly, just like those big-name readers who enjoy reading online novels in later generations.

Su Mo was too lazy to pay him any attention.

Anyway, it's just to have this guy stay at the house and keep watch.

After becoming familiar with the situation, they went to the fiefdom.

However, judging from Lao Wang's reaction, it is clear that Romance of the Three Kingdoms must be quite popular in this world.

Once the Romance of the Three Kingdoms became popular, it would be natural to release the Legend of Zhenguan, thus completely curing the Empress's heart disease.

Otherwise, Su Mo couldn't stand it if things continued like this.

Every night at bedtime, the Empress would summon him to sleep with her, which was unacceptable.

He himself has no objections, but his wife and concubines do!
Just as Su Mo was recounting the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Jiang Laoshi suddenly brought in a small booklet.

"Master, you are attending a banquet at the Duke of Ningguo's mansion this afternoon. Would you like me to prepare a congratulatory gift for you?"

Although Su Mo did not formally give Jiang Laoshi a steward's position, most of the servants and maids in the Su family were former members of Youyu Hall, so Jiang Laoshi was naturally the de facto steward of the Su family.

Outsiders also think so.

As a qualified "housekeeper", one must keep the master's schedule in mind and remind him of various matters.

Su Mo then realized that the day before yesterday, the eldest son of the Duke of Ning, who was also the Vice Commander of the former Military Governor's Office, had sent someone to deliver an invitation to him to a family banquet at the Duke of Ning's residence.

Wang Xiuzhi, who was standing next to him, sighed again.

Despite learning from Ding Yu that Su Mo was already quite formidable.

But unexpectedly, Su Mo's associates were either commanders of the Fengming Division or powerful figures in the imperial court like the Duke of Ningguo!
Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "Go and make the preparations... to prepare something worth one hundred taels of silver."

He didn't know what kind of gift to bring to the banquet at the Duke of Ning's mansion, but he couldn't go empty-handed, so he simply left it to Jiang Laoshi.

Jiang Laoshi took the slip and went to the treasury to withdraw the silver, when a gatekeeper came to report.

"Reporting to your master, there is an old eunuch outside who claims to be Chen Zhong and requests an audience with you."

Su Mo was immediately stunned.

I had only just returned from the palace when my second uncle arrived right behind me?
My uncle's situation seems serious, but it's actually not simple at all.

The Empress didn't even leave her second uncle to investigate thoroughly?
He frowned suspiciously, then said to Xue Yishu and the others, "Uncle, Yishu, you stay here, I'm going over there."

Wang Xiuzhi asked curiously, "Who is Chen Zhong? Do you need to personally greet him?"

Su Mo smiled and said, "Our second uncle had been out of contact for a long time, and we only recently reconnected."

Xue Yishu was immediately taken aback and exclaimed, "My lord's second uncle?"

Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she stammered, "Should I...should I go with you to greet...my second uncle?"

Su Mo smiled and waved her hand: "No need, I'll go."

He had many questions to ask Chen Zhong, and it wouldn't be convenient for Xue Yishu to go with him.

Chen Zhong stared blankly at the large house in front of him.

Then, not long after, Su Mo quickly came out to greet them.

"Second Uncle, why did you leave the palace?" Su Mo invited Chen Zhong into the main hall, dismissed the servants, and asked with a furrowed brow.

Chen Zhong recounted the entire incident to Su Mo.

Su Mo was immediately at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

To my utter surprise, the matter was resolved so simply.

He had originally planned to have Chen Zhong leave the palace to help him manage shipbuilding matters, and now things were exactly as he had hoped.

Chen Zhong finally couldn't hold back any longer and turned to look at the layout of the house: "Mo'er, is this house yours?"

Su Mo nodded: "It belongs to my nephew."

Chen Zhong then asked, "What about Bai Yujing?"

Su Mo smiled and said, "It's also my nephew's business."

Chen Zhong was speechless...

Su Mo thought for a moment and asked, "Now that Second Uncle has left the palace, may I ask what your plans are for the future?"

Chen Zhong's face showed bitterness. He sighed and said in a melancholy tone, "My second uncle has spent most of his life serving others in the palace. Now that he has left the palace, I don't know where he will go."

Su Mo laughed and said, "Second Uncle, how could you say that?"

"My nephew has quite a few businesses, but he doesn't have many trustworthy people to help manage them."

"I was just about to ask my second uncle to help take care of my nephew."

In ancient times, appointing people was often based on nepotism.

Although sibling rivalry was not uncommon, it was a very small minority. Clan was the greatest source of survival for people in ancient times.

The people you can truly trust are your own family and relatives. After all, you share the same fate, whether it's prosperity or ruin.

To put it bluntly, if someone in the clan rebels, the other clan members, no matter how unwilling, have no choice but to bite the bullet and charge into battle!

Chen Zhong didn't refuse and nodded: "From now on, I'll leave my old bones to Mo'er."

"However, my uncle wants to go back to Changping County for a visit."

Su Mo nodded: "That's how it should be."

He thought for a moment and then said, "How about this, I'll write a letter to my third uncle."

"Third Uncle, you should give up your position as the patrol inspector of Changping County and come to the capital to lend your nephew a hand."

"The foundation over there can be entrusted to Chen Bao."

Chen Zhong looked at Su Mo suspiciously: "Chen Bao?"

Su Mo smiled and said, "He was originally a private salt dealer, but now he works for the Fengming Division... Hmm, his daughter and nephew have a very close relationship."

Chen Zhong smiled and said, "Then I can trust you."

There wasn't much benefit to be gained in Changping County.

Refined salt cannot be privately traded, and the two markets must divide half of it with Fengming Division, so the annual income is at most a few thousand taels of silver.

It's only equivalent to a few days' profit from Baiyujing and Yanyulou.

Su Mo no longer took it to heart.

Chen Bao is capable, and with the connections he has made and the relationships he has with the centurion's office, there shouldn't be any problems.

Su Mo even planned to summon Du Zhongbai from Shenjing to serve him.

We are severely understaffed.

The fiefdom involved everything from scratch, including various businesses, and in the future, there would be troops to train and protect it. Even with three heads and six arms, it wouldn't be enough for Su Mo, not to mention that he also had to take care of the Empress's sleep.

Qin Bier and her daughter Diandian, Su Mo also planned to bring them to Shenjing.

I didn't know if I could establish myself in the capital.

Now that they've finally established a small foothold, there probably won't be many opportunities to return to Changping. Someone as close as Qin Bier can't stay in Changping forever.

As the first woman Su Mo encountered after arriving in this world, his feelings for Qin Bi'er were quite special.

As for Chen Qianyu, if she wants to come, the Su residence can accommodate her; if she doesn't want to come, Su Mo won't force her.

Subsequently, Su Mo wrote three letters.

One letter from Chen Qian, one letter from Chen Bao, and one letter from Niu Da of Xianyan Mountain.

After handing it over to Chen Zhong, he gave him a few more instructions and then went with Chen Zhong to the back residence, where he introduced Wang Xiuzhi, Xue Yishu, and others.

Jiang Laoshi also returned with congratulatory gifts and reminded Su Mo to attend the banquet at the Ning Duke's Mansion.

Su Mo instructed Xue Yishu to take good care of her second uncle, then changed into a brand new robe. She had just taken Jiang Laoshi out when they were about to take a carriage to the Ningguo Duke's Mansion.

Suddenly, several squads of soldiers in bright armor arrived quickly.

Judging from their attire, there were soldiers from the former military governor's office, as well as female guards from the Fengming Division in brocade robes and straight swords.

Su Mo frowned.

Sure enough, a high-ranking military officer from the former military governor's office, clad in iron armor, stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Su Mo, and asked, "May I ask, sir, is Su Mo here in person?"

Su Mo nodded: "What brings you here, General?"

The general quickly and respectfully replied, "General, you dare not accept such an honor."

"Your Excellency has been appointed by His Majesty as the Martial Arts Inspector, responsible for overseeing the physical and spiritual examinations at the Immortal Martial Arts Temple. I have been ordered to invite Your Excellency to the Temple of the Martial King to await the commencement of the grand examination."

Like the imperial examinations, the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination also has a locked-down system to prevent examiners and candidates from privately imparting knowledge to each other, and the candidates will not be released until the results are announced.

As the military supervisor, Su Mo was responsible for inspecting the examination venue and overseeing matters, so he was naturally one of those who were quarantined.

The Temple of King Wu was originally called the Temple of Emperor Wu, and it was the venue for the martial arts competitions held in various dynasties.

However, after the establishment of the Great Wu Kingdom, it was necessary to avoid using the name of Emperor Wu Taizu, so it was renamed Wu Wang Temple.

If it is the imperial examination in spring, the examiners, officials in charge (officials inside the curtain) and the proctors and inspectors (officials outside the curtain) need to be separated in the Wenchang Temple.

Su Mo nodded to the general: "I have something to do and need to give some instructions to my servants. Please wait a moment, General."

The general nodded and smiled, "Please go ahead, Lord Su. I'll be waiting."

Su Mo turned to Jiang Laoshi and said, "Go and inform the madam to attend the banquet at the Zhang residence on my behalf."

"I also explained this matter to Vice Commissioner Zhang, and that I would visit him again to apologize in person later."

Jiang Laoshi nodded excitedly and replied, "Don't worry, sir, I'll go find the First Madam right away!"

He naturally knew what it meant to be the Martial Arts Grand Trial Supervisor.

As long as nothing unexpected happens during this major examination, he will be promoted to the first rank after the examination ends, as is customary!
Moreover, from now on, my master will also have disciples.

Although the position of military supervisor is not as important as that of the chief examiner, it is still a title, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is half a mentor.

After Jiang Laoshi left, the general invited Su Mo into the carriage, lowered the curtain, and drove towards the Wuwang Temple.

The Temple of King Wu is not actually a standalone temple.

To be precise, it's a group of temples.

The dozen or so temples stretched for two or three miles. Normally, many pilgrims and believers would come to the temples to worship and pray for blessings, but at this time they had been strictly sealed off by soldiers, and outsiders were not allowed to enter or leave.

This was Su Mo's first time visiting the Wuwang Temple. Looking through the car window at the magnificent temple complex, he couldn't help but sigh in awe.

A true architectural masterpiece of antiquity!
It must be admitted that the true treasures that embody ancient architectural techniques are the various temples and Buddhist grottoes!
Especially since this is a world of cultivation.

There are numerous temples and Taoist monasteries of all sizes; within the capital city alone, there are no fewer than twenty or thirty temples and Taoist monasteries!
Whether it's building new temples or gilding statues of bodhisattvas and deities, believers are truly willing to spend money!

Some people even donate their land directly to temples.

Basically, any temple that receives even a little incense offerings is rolling in money.

Of course, as the imperial examination venue for the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination, the Wuwang Temple was not privately owned. Incense offerings and other rites were all collected by the Ministry of Rites, which was an important source of various benefits for officials of the Ministry of Rites, such as ice and charcoal tributes.

The carriage carried Su Mo straight to the main hall of the Wuwang Temple.

After the vehicle stopped, Su Mo stepped out and was led into the main hall by soldiers.

Inside the hall, a table had already been set up.

Su Mo looked around and the first thing he saw was a stunningly beautiful female official in the central seat, with a face like jade and lips like crimson. She was wearing a fifth-rank official robe and a black gauze hat, and her expression was blank but her official authority was extremely strong.

Above the female official's head was a very conspicuous yellow exclamation mark!
This stunningly beautiful female official is none other than Chi Wulei, a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel!
Su Mo was a little surprised.

Unexpectedly, Chi Wulei is so beautiful and has a great figure, no less than my Mo'er and Nangong Sheyue!

However, this cold and ruthless expression is exactly the same as that of Lin Moyin and Nangong Sheyue.

It is unusual for a woman to hold an official position. Even if she doesn't have this cold and stern personality, she must still put on this cold and stern demeanor to avoid being looked down upon by other officials.

Only the "cold-hearted" centurion was a special case.

However, compared to female officials in the intelligence system like Lin Moyin and Nangong Sheyue, Chi Wulei, though also cold and stern, lacked the decisiveness of a killer and had more of a dignified and steady presence!
Su Mo couldn't help but sigh.

Officials and henchmen are fundamentally different.

Of course, what truly caught his attention was...

It wasn't Chi Wulei's stunningly beautiful face or his imposing official demeanor.

It was the favorability bar above her head, and that flashing light bulb!
Su Mo swallowed hard.

This is one of the rewards for completing the Empress's mission: activating the target – Chi Wulei!

He was about to click the yellow exclamation mark.

The stunningly beautiful female official, Chi Wulei, glanced at him expressionlessly and spoke first: "You are the Military Supervisor, Su Mo?"

(End of this chapter)