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

Chapter 231 Su Mo has been promoted again! His power is immense!
When Leng Liuxi saw that Su Mo had compared the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families to clay chickens and earthenware dogs, she immediately burst out laughing: "Su Lang, you can't say that."

"Among the five surnames and seven noble families, there are many with outstanding knowledge; they are not all worthless."

The Empress paused, then added with a smile, "Of course, compared to our all-knowing Su Lang, he's far inferior."

Su Mo thought to herself, "Just as I thought."

After submitting their pledge of allegiance and severing ties with the five surnames and seven clans, the Empress's attitude indeed became much more friendly.

They all consider themselves family!
However, he quickly added a veiled comment, saying with a wry smile, "In normal business dealings, I'm not afraid of those lowly chickens and dogs, but I am afraid they won't play by the rules."

The Empress blinked her beautiful eyes: "Not playing by the rules?"

Su Mo explained, "It means using official methods or various underhanded tactics to make things difficult for this humble servant."

"I am but a lowly centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how could I possibly contend with the Wang family?"

The Empress frowned and thought for a moment: "Su Lang's position as a centurion is indeed a bit low."

"I originally planned to suggest to His Majesty that he be transferred to the position of Registrar in Wannian County after he finished supervising the imperial examinations..."

Su Mo was speechless.

The empress was obsessed with becoming a court official!

The position of the Registrar of Wannian County was indeed much higher than that of the Clerk of Tianchang County, which could be considered a promotion of two ranks.

Leng Liuxi frowned and continued, "However, now that my lord has been stripped of his position as military supervisor and is now a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"If Your Majesty forcibly promotes the young master to the position of registrar of Wannian County, the pressure on the court officials will be immense."

Su Mo quickly replied with a fawning smile, "Actually, it would also be acceptable to try out for the position of commander of a thousand men in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Leng Liuxi rolled her eyes at Su Mo, annoyed: "My lord, you've only been a centurion for a short time, and you already want to be a trial commander?"

"Even though the Embroidered Uniform Guard is His Majesty's personal guard, the feelings of the other Embroidered Uniform Guard officers must be considered!"

Su Mo smiled wryly, "If this won't work and that won't work, then I won't be able to get promoted."

The Empress couldn't help but chuckle: "Isn't your promotion fast enough, my lord? If I remember correctly, just half a year ago you were still a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

She blinked, as if suddenly remembering something: "However, it's not impossible for my lord to be promoted."

"I do have an idea."

Su Mo immediately became curious: "What are you thinking?"

The Empress explained, "Your Majesty previously discussed the reform of the tax bureaus with the Ministry of Revenue, and proposed to abolish local tax bureaus with an annual tax revenue of less than 1,000 shi (a unit of dry measure)."

"The tax office in Shenjing has also been restructured accordingly."

"In Qinghefang, a new tax bureau is being prepared to be established, specifically to handle commercial taxes related to ships, gambling dens, and other businesses, but no one is willing to take on the position of tax commissioner."

Su Mo was slightly startled.

Leng Liuxi wouldn't intend for her to become the tax ambassador, would she?

This is a job that's incredibly likely to offend people, but it doesn't offer many benefits, so it's no wonder nobody wants to do it.

Su Mo was not stupid, and quickly said, "My lord, I really don't know anything about tax matters."

The Empress waved her hand: "Young Master Su, please let me finish."

Su Mo could only nod, wondering what the Empress was up to.

The Empress continued, "As Your Majesty also knows, it is very difficult to collect commercial taxes from Qinghe Ward. The relationships behind it are complicated, which is why the Qinghe Tax Bureau failed to function."

"However, Your Majesty believes that since the Ministry of Revenue cannot collect this tax, the Embroidered Uniform Guard should be allowed to do it!"

"We can't refuse to accept the money from Qinghefang!"

As she spoke, the Empress looked at Su Mo: "Your Majesty has decided to establish the Qinghe Hundred-Household Office, which will be subordinate to the Right Office, and the officials in charge of the Hundred-Household Office will be promoted to the rank of Trial Thousand-Household Officer."

"I believe that the methods used by Master Su in the East and West Markets of Changping County will also be effective in Qinghefang."

"Commercial taxes can be collected under other names..."

Su Mo was speechless.

Isn't this the same?
Whether it's management fees or commercial taxes, the essence is to rob money from the vested interests of gambling dens.

Of course, using the name of management fees can indeed reduce the pressure considerably.

After all, it only targets Qinghefang.

If the commercial tax system is reformed, it will affect merchants all over the world.

The imperial court could not implement it!
Such a reform would inevitably lead to deaths, and in fact, to rivers of blood and countless heads rolling in the dead!

Sure enough, the next second, the Empress stared straight at Su Mo: "Does Su Lang dare to take on the role of the Hundred-Household Officer of Qinghe Hundred-Household Office?"

Su Mo gave a wry smile and was about to speak when the Empress immediately added, "Of the money collected, I can decide to keep 30% for the use of the hundred households!"

Su Mo was immediately stunned, looking at the Empress in disbelief: "Thirty percent of it is from this humble servant?"

The Empress was immediately amused and exasperated: "What are you saying, Su Lang? How could the court's money be used for your personal purposes!"

"They should stay at the garrison!"

"The garrison personnel shall be recruited and appointed by you, sir!"

He paused, then continued, "Your salary will be paid according to the imperial salary. Other allowances, such as winter wax allowance, charcoal allowance, and ice allowance, are up to you, sir!"

"Hmm..." The Empress hesitated for a moment, then added, "The garrison is nominally subordinate to the Right Garrison, but it has its own seal and seal. All matters can be reported directly to His Majesty without going through the garrison itself!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo gasped in shock!
You decide your own benefits, but ultimately, the money still belongs to you.
It's just a profit-sharing system, who doesn't understand that?
Of course, what truly shocked Su Mo was not the dividend.

The Qinghe Hundred Household Office was able to possess its own official seal and permits, and could directly petition the Emperor on all matters without going through the office itself!

Isn't this a completely simplified version of the Northern Garrison Command?

All that's missing is an imperial prison and independent judicial offices!
A centurion is still a higher-ranking probationary commander!

This is no longer the Embroidered Uniform Guard; it only carries the name. It could even be said to be the prototype of the Phoenix Cry Division!
As long as the money can be collected.

With the direct support of a sage behind him, he is powerful, influential, and well-connected!

It currently governs Qinghefang. Will it be upgraded to encompass both the inner and outer cities of the capital in the future?
With 30% of the profits remaining in the garrison, as long as more dividends are given to the subordinates, wouldn't those Imperial Guards work themselves to the bone for him?
Wouldn't that mean he wields immense power?

At that time, who would dare to look down on him, a centurion?
The Empress is building her own power base!
Su Mo couldn't help but swallow hard, and looked at the Empress with a wry smile: "Lord Leng, are you joking with me?"

Leng Liuxi rolled her eyes at Su Mo: "I'm not joking with you, my lord."

"If my lord does not wish to serve as a centurion, I will recommend someone else to His Majesty!"

She gave a soft snort: "A generous reward will surely bring forth brave men. I refuse to believe that the money from the brothels and gambling dens in Qinghefang cannot be collected!"

Su Mo took a deep breath and looked at the Empress with a serious expression: "Since Your Majesty thinks so highly of me, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse."

"I accept the post of Commander of Qinghe!"

He patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, sir! Those brothels and gambling dens, if anyone dares to shortchange you by even a small amount, I will make sure they know what it means to be ruthless under the law!"

Although Qinghefang was just a market town, it had a population of over 200,000, making it larger than both the east and west markets of Changping County.

In particular, all the powerful and wealthy in the capital went to the brothels in Qinghefang to listen to music.

The profits involved are incredibly high!

The Empress chuckled and nodded: "In that case, I will speak to His Majesty on the matter of granting Su Lang the position of a centurion."

"in addition……"

The Empress's expression turned slightly serious: "Lord Su, you also need to hurry up with the papermaking matter. It would be best if, as you said, the Wang family could be driven north and south!"

She rarely joked with Su Mo like that: "Su Lang will be in charge of the business."

"If the Wang family doesn't play by the rules, I'll help you fight them back!"

Su Mo had been waiting for the Empress to say these words, and quickly replied, "This humble servant will certainly not fail Your Majesty's expectations!"

The Empress extended her delicate hand to Su Mo: "Bring me the Hundred-Household Ordnance Token and the Phoenix Cry Secret Order!"

Su Mo was taken aback.

It's normal to take away the official token of the centurion, but why should the secret order of the Phoenix Cry Division also be taken back?

However, he still handed over the ivory token and secret order to the Empress as instructed.

The Empress put away Su Mo's ivory token, took out an ivory token from her sleeve and handed it to Su Mo, along with a small official seal.

"This is the official token of the Qinghe Hundred-Household Commander. Please keep it safe."

"However, I can only grant you one token, but you will have to make arrangements for the local garrison and government offices yourself."

"Once the garrison troops are recruited, or if any troops need to be transferred from other garrisons, please give me the list, and I will certainly fulfill your request!"

Su Mo was both amused and exasperated.

Clearly, the Empress knew she couldn't resist the temptation, and had even prepared the ivory tablets.

A normal centurion's badge wasn't made of ivory.

The high-end configuration is different for thousands of households.

Just like Lin Moyin's former position as the centurion of Changping Centurion Office, he was a high-ranking centurion of the fifth rank.

He took the ivory plaque and looked at it. It read "Qinghe Hundred-Household Official," with a number on it and a special note indicating that he was of the same rank as a probationary thousand-household officer, and was permitted to serve in the palace and report directly to the emperor.

Su Mo took another deep breath.

No wonder Fengming wanted to retract his secret order.

This new Imperial Guard token has already incorporated the function of the Phoenix Cry Secret Order.

Walking through the palace and delivering a direct message almost certainly indicates that the person holding the token is the Empress's trusted and beloved general, who can meet with the Empress at any time. Who wouldn't be alarmed upon seeing this?
He examined the small official seal again. It was the official seal of the Qinghe Hundred-Household Office!

The seal of the Guan was of great importance in preventing and controlling the epidemic.

With this, when the people of Qinghe Garrison went on missions in other places, they basically didn't need anyone to handle it; they could just have it stamped with the seal.

Simply put, Qinghe Health Station can enforce the law across borders!

Even the Right Division of the five core divisions under Lin Moyin's command, which was a regular Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) unit, did not have this kind of security seal.

Su Mo suspected that if he successfully collected the money from Qinghefang...

The Empress even ordered the establishment of an imperial prison in Qinghefang, with three independent judicial offices, making it another Northern Garrison Command!
After examining the ivory token and seal, Su Mo hesitated for a moment: "This Qinghe Hundred-Household Office doesn't even have a government office?"

The Empress nodded: "Yes! Everything must be arranged by Su Lang."

Su Mo hesitated for a moment: "Then the money?"

Empress: "No!"

After pausing, seeing Su Mo's dejected expression, he could only add, "His Majesty is establishing a new army, and expenses are tight. Su Lang, please provide the funds first, and we can return them after the management fees are collected."

Su Mo...

Leng Liuxi came here to comfort Su Mo and to tell him not to be discouraged by losing his position as Military Supervisor.

Seeing that Su Mo was not only not discouraged, but was also eager to fight back against the Wang family, there was no need for him to stay.

After instructing Su Mo to continue serving him at Linhu Palace the next day, he drifted away.

Su Mo stared blankly at the Empress's disappearing figure for a moment.

Go sleep with someone tomorrow?
Don't you need to go tonight?
Is this a day off for me?
Looking at the sun, it should be around three or four in the afternoon.

Let's finish Chi Wulei's task first.

His own wife said that Chi Wulei is very likely to become the Minister of Personnel in the future, making him a very valuable investment.

It's perfect timing to take advantage of her busy schedule with the upcoming exams these few days and get the task done.

Once Chi Wulei emerges, the deed is done, and even if she doesn't want to accept his "bribe," she has no choice.

We can't let her sister get lung disease again.

There was no rush to discuss the matter of the Qinghe centurion with Lin Moyin and the others.

Qinghe Baihu Office was absolutely destitute.

Su Mo is the only official in charge!
Manpower, local government offices, and so on all need to be established from scratch. We must plan carefully before taking any action to avoid attracting the attention of brothels and gambling dens.

After saying goodbye to Lin Moyin and the others, Su Mo did not ride a horse but chose to walk out.

Not all members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard could ride horses within the city; Fang Cheng was one of the special cavalrymen on duty.

Of course, rules are rules, but people are flexible.

However, Su Mo would not choose to act ostentatiously unless it was necessary.

Not long after stepping out onto the street, Su Mo saw many people stopping to watch, so she curiously went over to take a look.

Several sons of noble families, dressed in brocade robes, rode bicycles down the street, showing off their skills!

Such a novel sight had only appeared a few times in the capital, naturally attracting a large crowd of onlookers who pointed and discussed it amongst themselves.

Su Mo was speechless.

Zhang Xuzu and his team were very efficient; they sold all the bicycles.

It seems I'll need to find a bicycle to get around.

It must be said that in ancient times when transportation was underdeveloped, this thing was indeed very convenient.

Even a centurion like Su Mo has to travel on foot!

It's not that I can't afford to ride in a sedan chair, it's just that I'm not used to it.

Following the address given by Lin Moyin, Su Mo walked for almost half an hour before finally finding Chi Wulei's residence in a dilapidated alley near the outer city wall.

Land in the capital is incredibly valuable, and while large residences like the Su residence exist, they are beyond the reach of ordinary officials.

Chi Wulei's small house was rented, and the entrance looked very simple, without even a mythical beast statue at the door.

At this moment, there were quite a few guys dressed as butlers and servants waiting in line outside the door.

They were holding visiting cards, congratulatory gifts, and the like.

Su Mo shook his head repeatedly as he watched.

The officialdom in Dawu was extremely corrupt.

It's obvious they know Chi Wulei is the chief examiner for the grand examination, so they've come to pull strings.

Even if we use connections now, Chi Wulei won't know, and it won't affect the ranking in the grand examination.

But once Chi Wulei is promoted to the rank of Vice Minister, a truly important official in the court, and qualified to participate in the court recommendation, it would be best to establish connections with her in advance.

Su Mo disliked this kind of person the most.

Instead of doing their jobs, they spend all their time trying to pull strings and use connections to get things done; they're just scheming and despicable.

Of course, nine out of ten of these guys who came were no good; most of them were just trying their luck.

Those who are truly qualified to be associated with someone of Chi Wulei's level would not resort to such low-level and crude methods.

Su Mo gave these guys a disdainful look, then strode towards the side gate of the Chi residence.

As soon as I walked over, I heard an impolite shout: "Hey, newbie, get in line!"

Su Mo turned to look at the guy shouting, but ignored him and strode to the door.

Such a disregard for the rules naturally provoked public outrage, with those in line glaring at each other angrily.

Just then, the side door suddenly opened.

An elderly servant with white hair and a distant expression hung a sign in front of the door.

The sign read: "The owner is not here; visitors are not permitted!"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

The old servant turned and closed the door without expression.

Su Mo quickly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Please wait a moment, sir."

The old servant was slightly puzzled. He turned around, frowned, looked at Su Mo, and then pointed to the sign coldly, saying, "Sir, are you illiterate?"

"The host is not here, so we cannot entertain guests."

As a seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's gate, and an old servant of the Ministry of Personnel, he really didn't need to give face to anyone.

Su Mo smiled and said, "I am not here to see Lord Chi."

As he spoke, he rummaged through his bag, picked up the official badge of the Qinghe Hundred-Household Commander, thought about it for a moment and then felt it was inappropriate, so he put it back and looked for the badge of the Fengming Division Chief.

He waved the ivory token in front of the old servant and said, "I have something I wish to do to see the second young lady of the Chi family. I hope you can convey my request and see if it is convenient for us to meet."

When the old servant saw Su Mo's Phoenix Cry Chef's token, his old face immediately changed color!

Of course he knew the power and influence of the Phoenix Cry Division!
He looked at Su Mo with extreme vigilance: "May I ask, sir, what business do you have with my second young lady?"

Su Mo smiled and said, "It's nothing urgent, just a few things I'd like to know. If it's inconvenient for Miss Chi..."

"Would you like to come back later?"

The more polite Su Mo was, the more wary the old servant became.

The arrival of people from the Phoenix Cry Division is hardly a simple matter, and it's almost certainly not a good thing!

These imperial henchmen are the most ruthless and vicious; you can't trust a single word they say!
Could it be related to its owner?

Thinking of this, the old servant became even more vigilant. How could he allow Su Mo to meet the Second Miss? Without hesitation, he shook his head and said coldly, "The Second Miss is unwell and should not receive guests. Please leave."

After saying that, he slammed the side door shut with a bang.

Su Mo was completely dumbfounded.

Are the servants of the Ministry of Personnel officials all this arrogant? Even the title of the Chief of the Phoenix Cry Division is useless.
Seeing Su Mo's discomfiture, sarcastic and mocking voices immediately came from behind him.

"Hmph! I thought he was some big shot, but I was just turned away!"

"Exactly! They think they can break the rules just because they have some status!"

"Don't you even look at where this place is!"

"Does he think he can just walk into Doctor Chi's residence as he pleases?"

"I don't know which servant is so arrogant, ruining the reputation of our master! My master is always obedient, and we all wait in line obediently!"

……

Su Mo turned around with a dark expression and glanced at these guys.

He then tied the Phoenix Cry Division's general's flag to his waist and said coldly, "What did you say? I can't hear you clearly. Could you repeat yourself?"

The guys queuing outside stared intently at the tooth token on Su Mo's waist, and all swallowed hard.

"Everyone, run!"

Then, they scattered in panic.

In the blink of an eye, apart from Su Mo, there was no one else in front of the Chi residence!
(End of this chapter)