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

Chapter 244 Third Uncle Enters the Capital, the Strongest Support Arrives (First Update)
The convoy headed towards the capital in a grand procession.

Before even reaching the city, Su Mo saw groups of two or three, and even convoys, of noble sons showing off their bicycle skills on the outskirts of the city.

Some lifted their hands, some lifted the front wheel, and some even lifted the rear wheel—there were all sorts of variations.

Even though it's a heavy, old-fashioned bicycle that's not good for showing off your riding skills, most of the nobles of Dawu are skilled in martial arts, physically strong, and can do a lot of fancy tricks. They are extremely good at riding bicycles.

Su Mo couldn't help but sigh.

With the surge in bicycle sales, prices have decreased somewhat, but are still as high as 380 per bike.

Zhang Xuzu and others reduced the purchase price to 280 bicycles, resulting in extremely high profits. No wonder they were desperately trying to sell bicycles.

On Su Mo's side, after deducting costs and dividends for the Empress and Nangong Sheyue, each bicycle under the nobles' command could bring Su Mo an income of over a hundred taels of silver.

Su Mo continuously invested silver from his fiefdom, and one-third of that came from bicycles.

Moreover, the profits from bicycles are not limited to this.

The only limitation is production capacity!

It wasn't just young nobles who bought bicycles.

Even officials and elders often bought bicycles to ride to court, though they weren't as fond of showing them off as young people.

In particular, the market outside of Shenjing is too large to estimate.

Cao Feng's share, for example, was to be taken back to his fiefdom for sale, so that he would no longer compete with Zhang Xuzu, Wen Bi, and others in Shenjing.

It is said that when they arrived in the fiefdom, they sold for a sky-high price of five or six hundred taels of silver per vehicle!

A full 100% profit!

The fact that nearly a hundred vehicles from the Gufeng Mountain artisan battalion entered the capital is nothing special; many large merchant guilds have larger convoys than Su Mo.

However, there were not many caravans that were accompanied and protected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Dragon Guard.

Even before the convoy left the Gufeng Mountain area, a fast horseman spurred his horse and sped towards the capital!

Although Su Mo had been in seclusion for more than a month, focusing only on the construction of his fiefdom and ignoring external affairs, it seemed as if he had lost the Empress's favor and affection.

But for sycophants, they can never feel at ease unless they are completely eradicated.

The reason why a sycophant is a sycophant is that he may regain the emperor's favor at any time.

Naturally, there were numerous spies stationed outside Lonely Peak Mountain, constantly monitoring Su Mo's movements.

Especially this time when Su Mo returned to Beijing, he brought more than eighty large trucks, all wrapped up tightly, and it was unknown what they were transporting.

Su Mo didn't care about his whereabouts being leaked.

If you try to keep a low profile, others won't let you off the hook, so you might as well be high-profile.

So that others won't actually think I'm afraid of the Wang family!

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, whether openly or secretly, the Gufeng Mountain convoy drove into the capital in a grand procession.

……

The Imperial Palace, Lizheng Hall.

Before the Empress, there were three stacks of memorials, each a foot high, almost burying her head in them.

There was so much to do at the end of the year. The Empress had to review thousands of memorials every day, and she could only sleep for two or three hours a day. Moreover, she had difficulty falling asleep and her sleep quality was extremely poor.

Her already pale face appeared even paler.

He's currently forcing himself to stay alert, relying on the powerful spiritual energy of the Heavenly Infant Realm to sustain himself.

Having just finished reviewing a memorial from a disaster-stricken prefecture requesting tax reductions for the coming year, the Empress sat up straight and rubbed her forehead.

I don’t know if it’s because of lack of sleep, but I always feel a dull headache, and sometimes I even experience blurred vision and dizziness. However, when I use my magic to look inside, I can’t find anything wrong. The Empress doesn’t know what’s wrong either.

The imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital were also unable to find the cause of the problem and could only prescribe a calming and tranquilizing formula for the Empress.

After rubbing her head, the Empress felt much more refreshed and was about to pick up a new memorial to review.

An Wu suddenly requested an audience: "Your Majesty, Lord Su has returned to the capital!"

The Empress's face lit up with joy, but she quickly regained her composure, casually setting down the memorial and saying indifferently, "He's finally decided to come back?"

An Wu laughed and said, "Lord Su is indeed very busy building his fiefdom and also serving the emperor. He hasn't been back to his residence many times."

The Empress gave a soft hum: "He's already back home?"

Anwu remained silent.

He naturally understood the Empress's meaning.

No wonder Su Mo didn't come to the palace to see her after he returned!

He laughed and said, "As soon as Lord Su returned to the city, he went straight to the Su residence."

"After all, it has been quite a while since I returned to the city, and Lord Su's third uncle has just arrived in the capital, so the nephew and uncle naturally met as soon as possible."

The Empress was slightly taken aback: "Chen Qian is here?"

An Wu quickly replied, "I just arrived this morning."

"Lord Su's current foundation is all in the capital, and he only has two relatives, Chen Qian and Chen Zhong. Naturally, he should invite his third uncle to the capital to take care of him."

An Wu carefully observed the Empress's expression, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to go out for a stroll today?"

The Empress's expression shifted slightly, but she then snorted, "There are many court affairs at the end of the year; how could I have time to leave the palace!"

He paused, then added, "Go and keep watch outside."

"If Su Mo wishes to enter the palace to see me, then inform me!"

An Wu thought to himself, "Just as I expected, His Majesty wanted to see Su Mo as soon as he learned of Su Mo's return, but out of modesty, he could not summon Su Mo to the palace for an audience."

If those powerful and influential families think that Su Mo has lost the Emperor's favor and try to seize his papermaking business, they will definitely make him suffer a crushing defeat.

An Wu even knew that Princess Baicheng seemed to have made a promise to Su Mo.

It might also be related to papermaking!

Wang family?

hum!

He quickly and respectfully replied, "This old servant obeys!"

……

At almost the same time, Wang Hao, the Second Grand Secretary and Minister of Revenue, also received news of Su Mo's return to the city.

Wang Hao's expression was somewhat complicated.

To be honest, he had a rather good impression of Su Mo.

With the imperial court facing financial difficulties, Wang Hao, the helmsman of the nation's finances, was naturally so worried that his hair turned white.

Su Mo suggested that the regulations for merchants be relaxed, and this was implemented on a trial basis in only five counties. This brought the imperial court tens of thousands of taels of silver in revenue each month.

The membership system, which charges by time and tiered fees according to regulations, was particularly astonishing to Wang Hao.

This year, not only were the salaries of all officials in the capital paid in full, but 30% of the salaries owed in the past were also paid in full. Officials of the fifth rank and above also received a winter bonus, which shows that the Empress's private treasury was well-funded and that the winter bonus came from the private treasury.

Su Mo deserves a lot of credit!
Don't underestimate Su Mo just because he's a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and a henchman of the Empress.

However, among the court officials, his reputation was quite good, far surpassing that of other henchmen.

I won't go into the reasons.

Wang Hao even considered recruiting Su Mo to work in the Ministry of Revenue.

It's a pity that this child is good at everything, except that he shouldn't have gone into papermaking!

The paper industry is the foundation of the Wang family. If it is shaken, the entire Wang family will be shaken as well, and may even fall out of the ranks of the five surnames and seven noble families!

Wang Hao originally thought that by giving Su Mo a small lesson, he would understand the power and influence of the Wang family and give up his desire to make paper.

That's just overestimating him.

He might still not know why he lost his position as military commander.

After going to Gufeng Mountain, they continued to make paper.

Based on the fragmented information received, the amount of papermaking materials collected by the villagers is probably quite large.

However, this person kept an exceptionally tight watch on the paper mill, and since it was located within the fiefdom, the Wang family was unable to ascertain the specifics of the mill.

Wang Hao sighed, first glancing at his second brother, who was sitting at the lower seat and was the nominal head of the Wang family, before his gaze fell on the middle-aged man kneeling on the ground.

As the Minister of Revenue and the Second Grand Secretary, he had many duties and little time to manage his family business.

The true head of the Wang family today is actually Wang Yao, the second younger brother of Wang Hao.

"Su Mo transported more than eighty vehicles back to Beijing?"

Do you know what's on the vehicle?

Wang Wensheng, a middle-aged man, is the Wang family's steward and head manager of the bookstore.

Despite being born into a family, the Wang family treated him quite well.

They were initially intended to train him to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

Unfortunately, Wang Wensheng only passed the provincial examination, ranking very low on the list, and had no hope of passing the metropolitan examination. Moreover, he was born into a family and had little potential for development.

Wang Jia then let him take over the family's bookstore and paper business.

A scholar like Wang Wensheng, who passed the imperial examinations, would be considered to have brought honor to his ancestors in other families. However, in the Wang family, he was only made a head manager, which shows how profound the Wang family's foundation was!

Upon hearing Wang Hao's inquiry, Wang Wensheng quickly replied, "Your Excellency, this young man did indeed transport over eighty large carts back to the city, the carts were fully loaded with goods, but they were tightly wrapped, and we do not know what they were." He paused, then added, "But even if there was paper, there certainly wouldn't be much."

Wang Hao frowned again.

The Lone Peak Mountain Artisan Camp is now under strict guard by the Dragon Guard, and no one is allowed to enter or leave easily. Even the Wang family does not know the specific situation inside.

It is naturally unclear what these eighty trucks were carrying.

Wang Hao had discussed the artisan camp at Gufeng Mountain with other court officials, but none of them could give a clear answer. Only Zhong Yin, the Minister of War, had a strange expression, as if he vaguely knew some inside information.

However, when asked, he evaded the question and refused to reveal any information.

Wang Hao stared intently at Wang Wensheng and asked in a deep voice, "How do you know?"

Wang Wensheng explained, "Your Excellency is busy with important matters of the court and may not know that paper is difficult to produce."

"Even ordinary straw paper has many processes, and it takes more than half a month to boil it into pulp. Green rattan paper and mulberry bark paper are even more complicated."

"From the moment he started looking for a paper maker, it took him less than two months to actually find a way to make paper. In two months, he certainly won't be able to produce much paper."

"If eighty cartloads were all made of paper, there would probably be tens of thousands of reams. It's simply unbelievable!"

Wang Hao frowned and said calmly, "Although this person is young, he is highly knowledgeable and proficient in all kinds of strange skills and tricks. He should not be underestimated."

Wang Yao, who was sitting next to him, suddenly laughed and said, "Brother, there's really no need to worry."

"Paper making is not something you can just do on a whim."

“Our Wang family has dedicated hundreds of years to the study of papermaking to achieve what we have today. If a mere child were to learn it in two months and claim to have surpassed the Wang family’s centuries of accumulated expertise, wouldn’t that be a joke!”

"Even if it were actually made, the quality would definitely be extremely poor, and with a little pressure, it would naturally not sell!"

He paused, then sneered, "In my fifty years of life, this is the first time I've ever heard of anyone making paper from bamboo!"

Wang Hao frowned slightly: "Bamboo really can't be used to make paper?"

Wang Yao shook his head and said, "I have never heard of such a thing!"

Wang Wensheng, who was kneeling on the ground, quickly said, "Our craftsmen have tried to make paper from bamboo and wood, but all of them failed."

"Wood is hard and difficult to boil into pulp, and bamboo fibers are also tough, so they cannot be used for papermaking. Only mulberry and hemp bark are suitable for papermaking."

After hesitating for a moment, considering that Su Mo wouldn't be doing this without a reason, he added, "However, this person might have other special skills, such as making paper from bamboo and wood. I can't guarantee that it's not possible."

Each papermaking formula is different.

For example, the Wang family didn't even know what materials the Cui family used to make Xuan paper, let alone the specific processes involved.

Therefore, the quality of paper produced by different paper mills varies greatly.

The Wang family's ability to become a paper industry giant suggests that their papermaking formula is exceptional.

Upon hearing this, Wang Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still said, "This Su Mo has mastered many secret techniques; he might actually have the art of making paper from bamboo and wood."

"After my brother goes back, he will have the craftsmen figure out whether it is feasible to make paper from bamboo and wood!"

Wang Yao nodded first, then sneered: "Actually, there's no need for such trouble."

"He's just a nouveau riche with no real background, just trying to make a living. How could he possibly stand against our Wang family!"

"In my opinion, we should go directly to his door and forbid him from making paper. If he doesn't listen, then we should get rid of him!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Hao's face instantly turned ashen, and he slapped Wang Yao hard across the face!

With a snap, half of Wang Yao's face swelled up instantly.

This shows how powerful Wang Hao's slap was!
Wang Yao covered his aching cheek and looked at his brother with disbelief!
"Nonsense!" Wang Hao glared at him fiercely, raised his hand again, then lowered it, letting out a heavy snort. "Just because someone else makes paper, does that mean you've killed them!"

"Do you still have any regard for the laws of the Great Martial Kingdom?"

"Don't even mention that Su Mo is an official appointed by the imperial court!"

Wang Hao took a deep breath, his face growing increasingly ashen: "Don't forget, they're not to be trifled with either!"

"Behind this young man stands Lin Moyin, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with the cultivation level of the Returning Aperture Realm! And Nangong Sheyue, a commander of the Phoenix Cry Division, is even more advanced, at the mid-to-late stage of the Returning Aperture Realm!"

"Do you also want to kill them all?"

"or!"

Wang Hao said, enunciating each word clearly: "You want to be killed by them!"

Wang Yao was speechless for a moment.

Although he wanted to say that Lin Moyin and Nangong Sheyue might not dare to be enemies with the Wang family for the sake of a mere Jinyiwei centurion!

But seeing Wang Hao's ashen face, he could only swallow his words.

He is indeed the head of the Wang family, but Wang Hao is the biggest reliance of the Wang family's current power and the eldest son of the main branch of the Wang family!

With just a word from Wang Hao, he could make him change the head of the household!

Wang Hao glared at Wang Yao again, but his expression returned to normal. He said calmly, "You don't need to worry about the papermaking matter for now. Let Wen Sheng handle it!"

After saying that, he waved his hand, his expression somewhat dejected: "Go away!"

Wang Yao hesitated for a moment, then left dejectedly, clutching his cheek.

……

Su Zhai.

With Su Mo's return, the place became incredibly lively.

Su Mo immediately closed the study door and met Chen Qian and Chen Zhong inside.

The two had slightly red eyes, clearly having already inquired about each other's situations over the past few decades, and probably even had a good cry together.

Chen Qian looked at his nephew, who was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar, and sighed with emotion.

Speechless, he finally let out a long sigh!
Although Su Mo looked the same as before, he had lost much of his childishness and gained a bit more maturity, and also... an air of authority!
Chen Qian understood that his position as a ninth-rank inspector was due to Su Mo's influence behind the scenes.

Su Mo sent a letter summoning him to the capital, and Chen Qian resigned his post without hesitation and came.

Su Mo didn't hide anything from her third uncle, and told her second uncle about the current situation.

Apart from matters related to the system, she revealed everything else, including the fact that Leng Xixi was the Empress.

Both of my uncles were shrewd people; they knew what to say and what not to say.

After Su Mo explained it to them, Chen Qian and Chen Zhong were dumbfounded again.

Chen Qian finally understood why he was able to go directly from a clerk in the yamen to a ninth-rank patrol inspector.

Chen Zhong finally understood that he was suspected of treason, yet he was still able to leave the palace unscathed!

It turns out that the Empress has taken a liking to her own nephew!
just in case……

Just in case...

If Su Mo really becomes the Empress's husband, wouldn't the Su family and the Chen family become royalty?
Should I also be called Chen Guojiu (the Imperial Brother-in-Law)?

While not quite on par with the immense power of Zhang Guojiu, he should be comparable to a prefect, right?

Chen Zhong and Chen Qian exchanged a glance and subconsciously swallowed.

After Su Mo finished recounting the situation after arriving in the capital, she frowned and looked at Chen Qian.

"Now that the Su family is making paper, it has attracted suppression from the Wang family and even the Cui family. Second Uncle, Third Uncle, what do you two think your nephew should do?"

Although my third uncle was not very familiar with the situation in the capital, his experience and methods from decades of working as a clerk might be of great inspiration to me.

Chen Qian frowned slightly, then picked up his copper pipe, took a deep drag, and finally said slowly, "As your uncle, I think it's better for Mo'er to handle this matter herself!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo was immediately stunned and looked at Chen Qian with extreme confusion.

Third Uncle always believed in leveraging external forces and using force against force.
Now, the Empress and Princess Baicheng are both forces I can rely on, and they are also my strongest trump cards in the fight against the royal family.

Why did my third uncle leave me to deal with the Wang family's suppression alone?

Chen Qian took another drag of his cigarette: "Every time you use a relationship, you'll have one less!"

"In my opinion, the reason why the Empress and Princess Baicheng value Mo'er so much is because they value Mo'er's talent and the benefits she brings to the court!"

"Now Mo'er is of great use to the court. If she asks for anything, His Majesty and the Princess will naturally grant it."

"What if in the future, Mo'er, you can no longer bring His Majesty enough benefits? Or perhaps, the trouble you bring is more than the benefits you bring?"

Chen Qian sneered: "His Majesty values ​​the country and its people; to an emperor, feelings are worthless!"

"How can Mo'er place all her hopes on His Majesty's feelings!"

"Mo'er single-handedly dealt with the Wang family without causing trouble for His Majesty or the court, which His Majesty has witnessed."

Su Mo frowned: "What if it fails?"

"The Wang family is extremely powerful and deeply entrenched..."

Chen Qian waved his hand: "His Majesty will not let you fail!"

"This paper isn't entirely yours, Mo'er!"

"Furthermore, this matter, in the final analysis, is a struggle between His Majesty and the powerful clans. How can His Majesty accept defeat!"

He paused, then said meaningfully, "The situation is naturally completely different when you beg His Majesty versus when His Majesty begs you to be a tool against powerful clans."

"Even if the Empress cannot help you for the time being, all the grievances you suffer now will be compensated many times over in the future!"

Su Mo stared at his third uncle in disbelief.

Ginger is indeed old and spicy!
My third uncle may not understand the power dynamics in the imperial court, but he understands people's hearts!
　Here's 12 words first, and another chapter around midnight.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)