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

Chapter 328 Empress: My own man is still the most reliable!

Su Mo was immediately surprised.

The scarlet exclamation mark never appeared.

But without a doubt, this color-coded mission is much more difficult than the orange-colored hidden mission, and it certainly won't be easy to complete!

It could even lead to your death!
It's like having a cheat code, similar to the quest system in online games; you get rewards for completing quests.

Anyone who frequently plays online games knows that red is not a good color!

However, Su Mo couldn't click the exclamation mark even if she wanted to.

The gates of the Rikjeongjeon Hall are already closed.

The Empress was discussing the matter of the earth dragon turning over with the six Grand Secretaries behind closed doors.

The Lizheng Hall is equipped with a soundproof array, so no sound can be heard from inside the hall from the outside.

Su Mo could only suppress his temper and consciously found a spot next to a pillar, where he stood obediently.

Anyway, once the Empress summons me, I can click on the exclamation mark to see what's going on.

However, Su Mo wanted to keep a low profile.

But the six ministers did not give him the opportunity to keep a low profile.

It would be strange if the ministers weren't surprised and suspicious of Su Mo appearing at such an occasion!
You need to know what kind of big shots come here!
He Jiang, the Minister of Personnel, immediately cast an inquiring glance at Zhong Yin.

But Zhong Yin shook his head slightly.

Clearly, he didn't know why Su Mo had appeared outside the Lizheng Hall.

Zhong Yin was unaware of the situation, and He Jiang wanted to ask An Wu, but couldn't find him.

The old eunuch appeared and disappeared mysteriously, leading Su Mo to the outside of the Lizheng Hall before vanishing without a trace.

Seeing that he himself claimed to be unaware of the matter, and that He Jiang and the others were all looking at him, Zhong Yin could only beckon to Su Mo: "Su County Magistrate, come stand over here."

Su Mo's heart stirred.

I'll go and sound them out.

With such a display of force, it goes without saying that something big must have happened!
It's even possible that an enemy country will invade!
He strode toward the four ministers, then bowed respectfully and greeted them: "This humble official, Su Mo, greets all the ministers!"

Although I have never met the Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, or the Ministry of Works.

But Su Mo had naturally seen their portraits as well.

Although the portrait Lin Moyin showed him was quite abstract, its obvious features were clearly depicted.

For example, Qi Jin, the Minister of Justice, had two very distinctive vertical eyebrows.

Or perhaps it was Chu Cheng, the Minister of Works, who had a large black mole on his left earlobe.

He Jiang and the others didn't give Su Mo any attitude, and nodded to Su Mo one after another in response to Su Mo's greeting.

Although Su Mo held a minor official position, he was given the title of Imperial Tutor.

The Wang family was in a complete mess because of Su Mo.

The six ministers, including He Jiang, really dared not underestimate Su Mo.

Leaving aside Zhong Yin, who boarded Su Mo's pirate ship.

He Jiang and the others had little conflict of interest with Su Mo, and there was no need for them to offend this sycophant who had recently gained the Empress's favor for no reason.

With Zhong Yin speaking, the two exchanged a few polite words and got the conversation flowing.

Zhong Yin cut to the chase, asking, "Is County Magistrate Su also summoned by His Majesty?"

Do you know why His Majesty summoned us?

Su Mo was taken aback upon hearing this, frowned as he looked at Zhong Yin, and said suspiciously, "That is exactly what I wanted to ask."

"Could it be that even you ministers are unaware of what has happened?"

Zhong Yin was taken aback: "His Majesty summoned Su Xianzi, indicating that this matter is also related to him. You really didn't know?"

Su Mo smiled wryly and said, "If I knew, how could I dare to deceive you gentlemen?"

Zhong Yin snorted in annoyance.

He wouldn't easily believe this guy's nonsense.

Last time, he sent me a single word, "Wei," and I easily fell into his trap.

Now, Wang Hao, and even officials from the Wang family line, don't give him a friendly look.

Zhong Li's family also sent people over, implying that Zhong Yin should distance himself from Su Mo.

Zhong Lishi came from a collateral branch of the Zhao County Li clan, and the attitude of her maternal family naturally represented the attitude of the Zhao County Li clan.

Upon hearing Su Mo's words, He Jiang coughed slightly and said, "Our guesses are useless. We will know what happened when His Majesty summons us."

The Minister of Personnel wields immense power in the appointment of officials.

However, it was an unspoken rule that the Minister of Personnel was not allowed to join the cabinet.

In terms of the right to speak on matters of national importance, He Jiang was ultimately inferior to the six ministers of the cabinet.

After He Jiang spoke, no one dared to say anything more, and they all waited silently outside the hall.

They waited for almost half an hour.

Ministers He Jiang and others remained calm and composed, showing no sign of impatience.

Su Mo, however, felt somewhat impatient.

Suddenly, Chu Cheng walked up to Su Mo and asked abruptly, "I heard that my nephew Jiang He went back to the capital for the New Year. Did he go to look for Su Mo?"

Chu Cheng referred to himself as "this old man" instead of "this official" or "this minister," naturally taking the initiative to extend goodwill to Su Mo.

Although Su Mo didn't understand much about the intricacies of officialdom, he still knew these simple common sense principles.

He quickly bowed to Chu Cheng, then asked with some surprise, "Lord Chu has returned to the capital?"

That person was a centurion, which was actually half a rank higher than him in terms of official position.

Su Mo's Baiyujing Restaurant was acquired by Chu Jianghe at a loss.

Although Zhang Xuzu and other young masters coveted the shop, and Chu Jianghe was likely also plotting to shift the blame, it must be admitted that Su Mo still benefited greatly.

Both sides were actually aware of this.

As Su Mo's backer, Lin Moyin will definitely investigate the shop's situation thoroughly.

If you don't have the ability, don't accept this benefit.

Once you accept the offer, you must accept the consequences, no matter what they may be.

Seeing Su Mo's suspicion, Chu Cheng explained, "I only heard my wife mention this matter, but I haven't seen him come to my residence."

"I thought he went to visit the county magistrate to reminisce, but I didn't expect that even the county magistrate didn't see him."

Su Mo chuckled inwardly.

Chu Jianghe is more ambitious than anyone else.

Upon returning to Beijing, how could he not immediately pay a visit to Chu Cheng, his powerful backer?

"I truly did not know that Lord Chu had returned to the capital; otherwise, I would have certainly sought him out for a proper reunion and to fulfill my duty as a host."

Su Mo paused slightly, then said, "Lord Chu probably has a mission to attend to, which is why he didn't come to Minister Chu's residence."

Chu Cheng nodded: "That's probably the case."

"Otherwise, if they return to the capital but do not seek out the county to meet, such heartlessness and ingratitude deserve my rebuke!"

Chu Jianghe was able to become a high-ranking centurion in Changping County Garrison entirely thanks to Su Mo's behind-the-scenes efforts!

Chu Cheng, to avoid suspicion, could not interfere with the appointment of Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards).

Upon hearing Chu Cheng's words, Su Mo quickly replied, "How could I dare trouble Lord Chu to come to my door!"

"When Lord Chu goes to pay his respects to the Minister, he will have his servants inform him that I will personally bring gifts and visit him in person."

Chu Cheng waved his hand: "You can come to my door, but there's no need to bring gifts."

As the two were talking, the doors of the Rikjeong Hall finally opened again.

Su Mo had actually been keeping an eye on what was happening over there.

A red exclamation mark flashed!

He no longer cared about talking to Chu Cheng; on a whim, he went to click the scarlet exclamation mark!

[System notification: You are too far from the target to start the quest. Please click the quest icon within three zhang (approximately 10 meters).]

Su Mo...

Emerging from the Hall of State Affairs was Zhao Hanxiang, the petite official whom Su Mo had seen many times before.

However, the six cabinet ministers did not follow.

Zhao Hanxiang looked solemnly at He Jiang and the others: "His Majesty commands! Summon He Jiang, Minister of Personnel; Zhong Yin, Minister of War; Qi Jin, Minister of Justice; and Chu Cheng, Minister of Works, to the palace for an audience!"

He Jiang and the others quickly tidied their appearance and solemnly entered the Lizheng Hall.

Su Mo was feeling down and didn't notice what Zhao Hanxiang said. Just as he came to his senses, he saw He Jiang and the others walking towards the Lizheng Hall one after another, so he quickly followed after them.

Zhao Hanxiang stopped him, saying, "His Majesty has not summoned Lord Su for an audience."

"Please wait a moment, Lord Su, outside the hall."

Su Mo could only stop in his tracks, feeling rather dejected. However, even though he was left all alone outside the palace...

However, the Imperial Guards on duty, as well as the palace maids and eunuchs waiting outside the palace, dared not show the slightest disrespect.

Isn't it obvious?

The Empress wants to meet with Su Mo alone!
The palace maids and eunuchs were incredibly envious!

If only the Empress would favor me so much!
Su Mo waited outside the palace for a long time.

It wasn't until it was completely dark and the lanterns and candles outside the palace were lit that Xiao Yuan and the others emerged from the Lizheng Hall one after another with solemn expressions.

Xiao Yuan and the others, including Wang Hao, only glanced at Su Mo, did not greet her at all, and hurriedly left.

Zhao Hanxiang then whispered to Su Mo, "Lord Su, you have been waiting for me."

"Please follow me, Lord Su."

Su Mo thought Zhao Hanxiang was going to lead him into the Lizheng Hall, but to his surprise, Zhao Hanxiang led him towards the inner palace, all the way to the outside of the Ziwei Hall!
Clearly, the Empress had already established her own residence at the back gate of the palace and returned to the Ziwei Palace in the inner palace.

Looking at the magnificent and heavily guarded Ziwei Palace.

Su Mo took a slight breath.

The harem has visited many times, and stayed at the Linhu Palace more than once or twice, but this is the first time they have come to the Ziwei Palace.

This is the Empress's bedroom!

Has the Empress stopped hiding her true colors altogether?

If the palace maids and eunuchs saw this, wouldn't they be afraid of gossip?

With mixed feelings, Su Mo entered the Ziwei Palace.

Even Zhao Hanxiang, the official in charge of remonstrance, was kept outside the hall and not allowed to enter.

Soon, Su Mo saw the Empress with her phoenix brows furrowed, her expression solemn, and her eyes filled with worry.

The scarlet exclamation mark above his head was still there; it hadn't disappeared.

Su Mo clicked on the exclamation mark immediately!

Then my eyelids twitched suddenly!
【Leng Liuxi】: Emperor of the Great Wu Dynasty (59%)

[Task]: One Million Yuan in Disaster Relief Funds

[Requirement]: Raise one million taels of silver for the Empress within ten days!

[Notice]: A powerful magnitude 8 earthquake has struck Tiannan Province, causing heavy casualties among the people. The imperial court is urgently needed to provide disaster relief funds!

[Note]: Of the million taels allocated for disaster relief, the Ministry of Revenue only provided 300,000 taels, leaving a huge shortfall.

You think that perhaps the wealthy merchants and powerful families in Qinghefang could afford it.

If you put a knife to their necks, they'll be more than willing to hand over their cellar savings.

[Reward]: Unknown
[WARNING]: This task may have unpredictable consequences. Please make your decision carefully.

[Warning]: If you refuse the mission, Leng Liuxi's favorability will decrease by 10%!

……

I quickly went through the task details.

Su Mo finally understood why the Empress had urgently summoned Xiao Yuan and the others.

Earthquakes, floods, droughts, locust plagues, and epidemics.

These were the five most terrifying calamities in ancient times.

Su Mo had only ever heard of magnitude 8 earthquakes, but he never expected to witness one here!
Leng Liuxi had only been on the throne for a few years, the court was still unstable, and many people in the countryside harbored resentment towards the empress's ascension to the throne.

Now that such a terrifying earthquake has occurred, one can imagine the immense pressure the Empress is under!
Just as Su Mo was sighing inwardly.

When the Empress saw Su Mo enter, her expression relaxed somewhat, and she beckoned to Su Mo: "Su Qing, come and have a word with me."

She ordered the palace maids to bring over a brocade stool and place it next to the dragon throne. Then, Leng Liuxi instructed the serving palace maids and eunuchs to retreat outside the palace.

Su Mo hesitated for a moment, but finally sat down on the brocade stool.

In the vast Ziwei Palace, with only him and the Empress present, there was no need for him to sit on only half of his buttocks.

Before Su Mo could ask, the Empress asked, "How much silver does Su Lang have in his residence?"

Su Mo's heart stirred slightly.

Then he immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I am not entirely sure how much silver is in the house."

"It's probably around 100,000 taels."

He paused, then added, "My fiefdom has accumulated a considerable amount of paper and some glassware. There are also some four-wheeled carriages and bicycles from the artisan soldiers' camp."

"If it were sold, it should be worth forty or fifty thousand taels of silver."

"Hmm... My second uncle just sent a letter. Two hundred thousand catties of whale oil and a lot of seafood will be transported back to the capital later. It is estimated to be worth five or six thousand taels of silver."

The Empress was slightly taken aback.

She wasn't surprised that Su Mo had such a wealthy background.

In fact, she could roughly calculate how much silver Su Mo had in savings.

Despite the continuous influx of money into Lonely Peak Mountain, that's the area that received the most investment in the early stages, and now it doesn't require much more investment.

With the release of paper, wool sweaters, and other products, and the booming business of restaurants at the end of the year.

Su Mo is truly making a fortune every day.

If it weren't for the soap business, which had stockpiled a lot of oil, and the investment of a lot of silver in the shipyard, Su Mo's silver reserves would have been even greater!

To the Empress's surprise...

Su Mo was so honest that he didn't even ask why he had done it, and he revealed all his family's wealth!

They even mentioned the whale oil that hadn't been transported back to Shenjing yet!
Other ministers would have been secretive and dared not speak, or even wanted to speak, for fear that they would have their homes confiscated!
When it really matters, you can only rely on your own man!

She had touched him and kissed him; though the Empress didn't say it, she had long regarded Su Mo as her own man.

She couldn't help but feel secretly moved.

But the worry on his face did not disappear. He sighed and said, "I never imagined that Su Lang had accumulated so much silver."

"But it's still not enough!"

"Even if Su Lang lends me all his silver, plus the two hundred thousand taels of silver in my personal treasury, it's still far from enough!"

Su Mo's heart skipped a beat.

The Ministry of Revenue can allocate 300,000 taels, and with some extra effort, we should be able to squeeze out 150,000 taels.

Adding the Empress's 200,000 taels of private funds, it's only 350,000 taels short of one million.

This task doesn't seem impossible to complete?

Three hundred and fifty thousand taels, although that is still a very large number.

But compared to one million taels, it at least gives people a glimmer of hope for completing the mission.

Thinking of this, Su Mo frowned and asked, "Sir, could you please tell me what happened that requires so much money?"

The Empress's face darkened slightly: "The Tiannan Road has been struck by a dragon, affecting one state and three counties. More than 100,000 people have died or been injured, and countless houses have collapsed."

"I have discussed with the cabinet and the six ministries that the court must immediately provide disaster relief and allocate relief funds and grain to Tiannan Road."

"According to the Ministry of Revenue's estimate, at least two million taels of silver will be needed..."

Upon hearing the Empress's words, Su Mo was taken aback.

Two million taels?

The system clearly stated one million taels!

Could it be that even the officials handling this life-saving money dared to embezzle it, one million taels at a time?
Is it too dark?

The question is, what does corruption have to do with one's duties?
The mission is simply to raise one million taels of silver!

Surely you don't exclude the Ministry of Revenue's appropriations and the Empress's private funds?

The system clearly states that the Ministry of Revenue allocated 300,000 taels of silver!

The Empress rubbed her temples and then said, "The remaining disaster relief funds can be urgently allocated from various places, but at least one million in disaster relief funds must be prepared in the early stages and transported to the disaster area as quickly as possible..."

Seeing the Empress's brows furrowed into a deep frown as she pondered a solution.

For some reason, Su Mo felt a slight pain in her heart, and finally gritted her teeth!

Oh shit!

It's difficult!
I'll take this job!

Anyway, it's not like I'm the one paying for it!

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I will find a way to use the remaining disaster relief funds!"

"Within ten days, we will definitely raise enough funds for His Majesty's disaster relief!"

Upon hearing this, Leng Liuxi was stunned and looked at Su Mo in surprise.

"what?"

"Does the young master have a way to raise disaster relief funds?"

(End of this chapter)