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

Chapter 249 The Empress plots to seize the position of the principal wife of the Su family?
Su Mo racked his brains but couldn't figure out when Nangong Sheyue owed him such a big favor.

He wanted to ask the Empress, but she impatiently waved him away, telling him to hurry up and find Nangong Sheyue. Then she took out the Romance of the Three Kingdoms from her sleeve and began to read it with great interest.

She even took out a small booklet and took notes while reading.

Su Mo leaned over to see what notes the Empress had made, but the Empress playfully pushed him away, not letting him see.

Su Mo cursed inwardly, thinking he shouldn't have taught her the Thirty-Six Stratagems of "removing the plank after crossing the river"!

Seeing her studying diligently like a good student, Su Mo was too lazy to say goodbye. He snorted and left Linhu Palace on his own.

He greeted An Wu, who was guarding outside the palace, and then returned to his own residence.

To get through the back door of Nangong Sheyue and Princess Baicheng, you need to go home first and bring the gifts.

The weather is sunny today, with no wind and no snow.

As soon as Su Mo entered the side gate of the central courtyard, he saw Chen Zhong and Chen Qian lighting a charcoal fire outside the greenhouse, boiling water on the charcoal, and chatting while drinking tea.

Chen Zhong briefed Chen Qian on the situation in the capital.

Chen Qian will stay in the capital to assist his nephew, and he can't afford to be unfamiliar with the situation in the capital.

Seeing the carriage return, Chen Zhong and Chen Qian exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes!
They stayed here day and night!
My own nephew didn't come home all night!
The two immediately came to greet Su Mo.

Su Mo waved for Jiang Laoshi to take the carriage to the stables, then looked at Chen Qian and Chen Zhong and asked, "Second Uncle and Third Uncle, why don't you go to the hall to talk?"

Despite the clearing weather, the temperature remained extremely low.

Even with charcoal fires for warmth, it was still bone-chillingly cold for ordinary people like Chen Qian and Chen Zhong who only knew rudimentary martial arts.

Chen Qian naturally wouldn't tell his nephew that he and his second brother had been guarding the side gate all night. He casually said with a smile, "It's a bit stuffy in the hall, so my second brother and I came out to sit for a while."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Mo'er last night..."

Su Mo casually replied with a smile, "I spent my time in the palace."

"Uncles, please come inside and we'll talk!"

Su Mo summoned the doorman to guard the warm room and led Chen Jin and Chen Zhong into the side hall.

Chen Zhong and Chen Qian were surprised, not expecting Su Mo to be so open about staying overnight in the palace.

He thought it was because he was his nephew's uncle, but he never expected that his nephew was much more ferocious than he had imagined. The palace guards and eunuchs all knew that he often stayed overnight in the palace, but they dared not say it.

Su Mo took a sip of hot tea, and Chen Qian asked, "Has Mo'er eaten yet?"

Su Mo then realized that she hadn't eaten breakfast!
The Empress is so stingy!
I didn't even prepare breakfast for myself!
Without even considering what time he had slept before getting out of bed, he snorted and said, "I haven't eaten!"

The family owns a restaurant, located in the first and second courtyards, so eating there is naturally very convenient.

Su Mo instructed the servants to fetch food, then looked at Chen Qian and asked, "How many people came from Changping County?"

Chen Qian sighed, "When I received Mo'er's letter earlier, it really startled me! I never imagined that Mo'er would make such a name for herself in the capital and even become a marquis!"

"A hundred men have arrived from Xianyan Mountain. They are all tough and ruthless fighters who used to smuggle salt with Chenjia Village."

"All five Niu brothers have arrived!"

"In addition, a hundred people came from Chenjia Village, led by Chen Hu."

"Chen Bao had a post to hold, and someone also needed to keep an eye on things in Changping County, so he stayed in the county and didn't move."

"Some of the county officials have also arrived..."

"...Three thousand catties of various seafood, over one hundred catties of MSG, one thousand taels of gold, and over eight thousand taels of silver were transported with the shipment..."

He briefly explained the situation to Su Mo.

After hearing this, Su Mo excitedly slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Great!"

"My nephew is planning to establish a private army, which will be based on Niu Da and his men, and some more men will be selected from the villagers..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Zhong, who had been silent all along, suddenly changed his expression and looked at Su Mo in shock: "Mo'er wants to form a private army?"

"This must never be done!"

Su Mo waved his hand and smiled, "Second Uncle, don't panic. This is His Majesty's approval. Three hundred private soldiers can be formed on Lone Peak Mountain."

Chen Zhonghe and Chen Qian were speechless!
The Empress actually allowed Su Mo to build his own private army right under the nose of the capital?
Isn't she afraid that her own nephew will rebel?

Su Mo then added, "Three hundred private soldiers are a bit few. There are already more than 20,000 villagers and hired laborers in Lonely Peak Mountain. I'm afraid this number of troops is not enough to maintain it."

"My nephew plans to form a reserve militia of another 500 men..."

Chen Qian and Chen Zhong were speechless again.

They've all gone to fight eight hundred soldiers.

"With so many soldiers, can the financial resources keep up?" Chen Qian naturally knew that maintaining an army was expensive.

One full-time soldier requires the support of at least ten farming households; eight hundred soldiers would require eight thousand or even more households!
Su Mo nodded: "It shouldn't be a problem."

He frowned and muttered to himself, "Now we should be making about two thousand taels of silver a day, but it's a bit tight to invest in the construction of the fiefdom and support eight hundred soldiers!"

"My third uncle just sent ten thousand taels of silver, which should last another ten days or half a month. Once the fiefdom is back on track, everything will be fine."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qian and Chen Zhong both frowned.

Chen Zhong, that poor wretch, didn't say anything.

Chen Qian is now considered a wealthy man. In Changping County, everyone calls him Inspector Chen or Master Chen.

Some even say he is the richest man in Changping County!
In fact, Chen Qian thought so too.

If all of his nephew's assets in Changping County were attributed to him, that would amount to more than 20,000 taels of silver, making him the richest man in Changping without any problem!

Now I realize that the 20,000 taels of silver deposited was only ten days' income from my nephew's business in the capital!

Only then did Chen Qian directly realize the extent to which his nephew's influence in the capital had developed!
After a moment of reflection, he suddenly hesitated and then coughed up a cough!

"Chen Qianyu and Qin Bier also came with Third Uncle this time."

"And Qin Bier's daughter."

Su Mo's eyes lit up immediately: "They came with Diandian?"

"Where were they before?"

Chen Qian was slightly taken aback, not expecting Su Mo to behave this way.

He had assumed Su Mo would dislike it.

After all, Chen Qianyu and Qin Bier, although they are pretty, come from very poor backgrounds.

Chen Qianyu is the daughter of a salt smuggler, while Qin Bier is a widow with a child to support!
If people knew that Su Mo had such a woman, and that she almost brought him into the Su family, it might affect his nephew's reputation.

However, human hearts are made of flesh and blood. The two women treated Chen Qian with great respect in Changping County, serving him as if he were their own father-in-law. They begged Chen Qian to take them to the capital, and Chen Qian softened and agreed.

Seeing Su Mo's joyful and eager expression, Chen Qian breathed a slight sigh of relief: "They are still outside the capital and have not yet entered the city."

Su Mo frowned: "Why didn't you go into the city with your third uncle?"

Chen Qian hesitated for a moment: "Mo'er, aren't you afraid they'll ruin your reputation? After all, they..."

Su Mo burst out laughing: "My nephew is a lackey of the imperial court, what reputation does he have to speak of!"

"Besides, it's my nephew's place to decide who his wife is. When has it become anyone else's place to criticize her?"

"Not bad!" Chen Qian nodded and smiled, "Mo'er hasn't forgotten her roots, which makes me very gratified."

"I will immediately send someone to fetch her and the others!"

She paused, then continued, "However, their backgrounds are not good after all. They've told their uncle that they don't aspire to become concubines in the Su family; they only ask to be lowly maids serving Mo'er!"

As soon as Chen Qian said this...

Su Mo suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Taking a concubine is fine, the key is to get a wife!

It remains to be seen how Lin Moyin will react after learning about the Empress's situation!
However, thinking of Lin Moyin, Su Mo became suspicious again.

What could possibly be wrong with her that she's been away from Beijing for over a month, and hasn't returned even though it's almost Chinese New Year?

Could it be that the Empress deliberately transferred her away?

Su Mo's head was getting more and more sore from thinking about it!
Seeing Su Mo's bitter expression, Chen Qian, being cunning and experienced, naturally knew what Su Mo was thinking.

He also started to get a headache.

If the Empress were to have an affair with her nephew, would she allow him to have other women?

What will happen to Commander Lin and his men?
Chen Qian dropped the subject and instead asked, "Mo'er, would you like to meet the Niu brothers?"

Su Mo waved her hand: "I don't have time for that."

"After breakfast, my nephew still needs to pull some strings..."

Just as Chen Qian was about to ask Su Mo which family he should go to to pull some strings, a doorman suddenly shouted from outside, "Master, it's Young Master Zhang..."

Before they could finish speaking, Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng, their faces full of resentment, stormed into the side hall.

Su Mo was stunned.

I never expected the Empress to be so efficient.

As soon as he returned, Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng came to his door to demand an explanation.

But before Su Mo could speak, Zhang Xuzu angrily exclaimed, "I'm furious!"

"That bastard Han Yu is a disgrace!"

Cao Feng also angrily cursed, "I misjudged him! If I had known that guy was such a scoundrel, I would have skinned him alive!"

Su Mo was stunned again.

It wasn't because I recommended them to be the examiners of the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office that they came to confront me.

He frowned: "Brother Zhang, Brother Cao, what happened?" Zhang Xuzu was about to speak when his gaze suddenly fell on Chen Qian and Chen Zhong: "Lord Su...them?"

Su Mo introduced them, saying, "These are my second maternal uncle, Chen Zhong, and my third maternal uncle, Chen Qian."

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, this is Brother Zhang from the Ning Duke's Mansion and Brother Cao from the Hanping Marquis's Mansion!"

Chen Qian's face changed color again.

The Duke of Ning's Mansion!

There was also Marquis Ping of Han, one of the feudal lords!
These were beings he had never even been qualified to hear about before, and who he never dared to dream of ever encountering!

I never expected to meet the real person in person.

Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng were also taken aback.

Judging from their appearance and attire, Chen Qian and Chen Zhong were not people of high status.

However, out of respect for Su Mo, the two still nodded to Chen Zhong and Chen Qian as a greeting.

Chen Qian quickly stood up: "Since Young Master Zhang and Young Master Cao have something to discuss with Mo'er, I won't disturb Mo'er's discussion with the two young masters!"

After saying that, he pulled Chen Zhong away from the side hall.

Su Mo then turned his gaze to the two of them: "What did Han Yu do to make you so angry?"

Cao Feng snorted heavily and looked at Zhang Xuzu: "Brother Zhang, you speak to Lord Su!"

Zhang Xuzu said angrily, "That bastard Han Yu is unethical and infuriating!"

"He came to me earlier, saying that since Lord Su has been removed from his position as Military Supervisor, he will surely lose the Emperor's favor. How can he be qualified to control the soap business? It's a good opportunity to take the soap business away from Lord Su!"

Su Mo's expression suddenly darkened.

Who would have thought that Han Yu, who looked like a refined and cultured scholar, was actually such a person at heart.

Zhang Xuzu then angrily retorted, "How could I be such an unethical person!"

"After scolding him, the fellow left in a huff."

"Not long after, that guy sent someone over and said he didn't want the soap or even the shipbuilding crew anymore."

He took a deep breath: "I thought this guy had gone mad, but I never expected that so many soaps and bar soaps would suddenly appear on the market."

"Only after asking around did I learn that this was a business of the Rong Prince's Mansion!"

Su Mo's expression changed again.

King Rong naturally knew this.

His relationship with the Empress was similar to that of Prince Qi, the father of Princess Baicheng.

Although he is not the Empress's biological brother, he is her cousin and a true member of the royal family.

In terms of power, they are far superior to relatives of the emperor like Zhang Shouning.

The Empress's elder brothers had all died long ago, leaving only her two younger brothers alive. It is said that they are both confined to the Prince's residence, and there has been no news of them for a long time.

Su Mo looked at Zhang Xuzu suspiciously: "Is the business of the Rong Prince's Mansion related to Han Yu?"

Zhang Xuzu snorted heavily: "Who doesn't know that the Han family of Heyuan Marquis is in cahoots with Prince Rong!"

"The Rong Prince's Mansion is located right next to the fiefdom of the Marquis of Heyuan!"

"It must be that scoundrel Han Yu who, through some unknown means, stole the soap formula and presented it to Prince Rong, trying to seize the profits from this soap from us!"

Su Mo was speechless upon hearing this.

No wonder Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng were so angry!
The profits from soap were enormous, and many people had already joined in, including local nobles like Cao Feng, Wen Bi, Li You, Fengming Si, and the Empress (Leng Xixi).

Su Mo still receives tens of thousands of taels of silver as a bonus every month.

If anyone else dares to interfere in this deal, the Ning Gongguo Mansion and the Hanping Marquis Mansion will naturally tear them to shreds!

He's Prince Rong now!
Su Mo also started to have a headache.

Despite the fact that Prince Rong and the Empress were not on the same level, Prince Rong was still a descendant of Emperor Wu Taizu.

Many people suspect that the Empress's two younger brothers are actually long dead.

In this way, even if the Empress gives birth to a child, she may not be able to smoothly take over the Great Wu kingdom.

Most of the ministers held traditional views, but due to the realities of the situation, they had no choice but to accept the fact that the empress had ascended the throne.

However, whether or not they can accept the succession of the Empress's son to the throne of the Great Wu Dynasty is still hard to say.

Strictly speaking, this was a change of dynasty and a change of regime!
Leaving aside whether the Duke of Ning and Marquis of Hanping have the strength to confront the Prince of Rong's Mansion, even if they do, they would not make a move.

This involves a struggle for the imperial throne!

Prince Rong is one of the few princes who are very likely to ascend to the throne of the Great Wu Emperor!

Not to mention the Duke of Ningguo, even the Empress herself might not dare to easily touch Prince Rong.

Emperor Wu Taizu had many sons, including more than a dozen princes of the Great Wu clan. They all held military power and controlled the tax revenue of their fiefdoms, much like the enfeoffment of marquises!
Once one of them is moved.

The other princes, feeling the pinch, will surely join forces, and perhaps even unite with many of their fiefdoms, to rebel under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials"!

Su Mo took a deep breath and stared intently at Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng: "In your opinion, what should we do about this?"

Zhang Xuzu's eyes showed a hint of apprehension, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Prince Rong already had... a strong and well-equipped army, and now..."

Su Mo's expression changed instantly, and he shouted, "Brother Zhang, watch your words!"

Zhang Xuzu dared not continue, and could only snort, "Brother Cao and I came to see Lord Su to see if you have any way to ruin that fellow's business!"

Su Mo snorted: "Han Yu has the soap recipe and the support of Prince Rong. How do you expect me to make a move?"

Cao Feng was immediately taken aback and interjected, "Even Lord Su can't do anything about it?"

Su Mo's gaze fell on Zhang Xuzu, and she said irritably, "What methods do you think you can come up with! You should have said earlier that this prescription needs to be kept secret..."

Zhang Xuzu's face immediately showed an embarrassed expression.

Su Mo paused, pondered for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject: "Hmm...it's not necessarily impossible...I have an idea..."

Zhang Xuzu hurriedly said, "Sir, please speak quickly!"

Su Mo slowly said, "The soap business involves Fengming Division. Although Brother Zhang is not in a position to oppose Prince Rong, Prince Rong must also be wary of Duke Ning!"

"This business can only be conducted through individual means."

"As long as we can reduce costs and lower the selling price, making it unprofitable for Rong Wang, that will be fine!"

Zhang Xuzu did not doubt Su Mo's words.

After all, he knew about Su Mo's relationship with the Empress.

The Phoenix Cry Division's share is the Empress's share.

It is estimated that Rong Wang would only dare to compete with his own family for profits in trade, and would never dare to use other means.

He frowned slightly, hesitatingly saying, "But Han Yu obtained the same formula as us, and the cost is the same as ours..."

Before he could finish speaking, Cao Feng's eyes suddenly lit up, and he stared intently at Su Mo: "Does Your Excellency mean... a giant Kun?"

Su Mo looked at Cao Feng approvingly and smiled, "Brother Cao is right!"

"That is exactly what I meant!"

"Oil is extremely expensive, so the cost of soap cannot be reduced. If we can capture a giant Kun and obtain a large amount of Kun fat, how can King Rong wage a price war with us?"

Zhang Xuzu slapped his thigh excitedly: "Exactly!"

"Then what are we waiting for? My lord, hurry up and build the ship! We will send men out to sea to hunt the Kun!"

Su Mo rolled her eyes: "Where are the shipbuilders?"

"I told you to find shipbuilders long ago, but where are they now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng froze, speechless.

After a long pause, Zhang Xuzu looked at Su Mo with a wry smile: "Lord Su, it's not that I didn't try my best..."

"It's really hard to find shipbuilders!"

"The Great Wu Sea Forbidden Zone has very few people who know how to build large ships. I have already sent people to find many shipbuilders, but they all say they don't know how to build large ships. How dare I bring them here and ruin your plans, sir!"

He wasn't entirely lying to Su Mo.

They definitely contacted people, but they didn't really put in the necessary effort.

Soap trading was so profitable that Zhang Xuzu's mind was entirely focused on it. The more he thought about shipbuilding, the less reliable it seemed, so he naturally didn't really try to find shipbuilders.

Su Mo stared intently at Zhang Xuzu, making Zhang Xuzu feel a little flustered.

He could only grit his teeth and say, "I'll put in some more effort to see what happens when we get back!"

Su Mo nodded: "The sooner the better!"

"If we wait until Rong Wang's soap dominates the market, even if we capture the giant Kun, it will take a great deal of effort to drive it away!"

Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng naturally understood this principle.

Without daring to delay, he immediately took his leave!

After Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng left, Su Mo was about to call his two uncles in before going to Nangong Sheyue to give her gifts and ask for some benefits for Yin Rou.

But then the gatekeeper came to report that there was a beautiful young woman outside the gate who called herself Xiao Lizhuang and specifically asked for her name!

Su Mo was taken aback.

Lin Moyin's master came knocking on her door?

Did she find out about her relationship with Lin Moyin?
　I have a cold and feel dizzy, so I really can't write. I'll make up for it with an extra chapter tomorrow for the 600 monthly votes.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)