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

Chapter 333 Have you ever heard of what it means to be as if the emperor himself were there?
Su Mo led his group of Imperial Guards away, leaving Qianse Pavilion in a mess, with blood flowing everywhere and several arms missing.

Zhang Wenxing stared intently at Su Mo's retreating figure, his teeth clenched in hatred, his eyes blazing with fury, yet he was utterly helpless.

Guo Liang's expression was incredibly complicated.

As the husband of Princess Jinling, Guo Liang had a wide circle of acquaintances.

Normally, regardless of whether they are princes, ministers, or sons of nobles, they all give him some face. Even Zhang Wenxing, the emperor's cousin, deliberately flatters him.

He always believed that even if he couldn't enter officialdom, he would be no different from a court official.

Now that he has encountered such a Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard), even though the other party is only a probationary commander and is usually not taken seriously by Guo Liang.

But when the other party showed him no respect whatsoever, Guo Liangcai was shocked to find that he was completely powerless against them!
After Emperor Wu Taizu left behind the ancestral instruction that relatives of the empress should not interfere in politics.

Although maternal relatives appear noble, they actually wield absolutely no power!

Su Mo led everyone onto the requisitioned small boat and said with a smile to the boatman, "We'll have to trouble you to take us ashore, sir."

The old boatman looked terrified and hurriedly said, "I understand!"

"I will escort you gentlemen ashore now."

Su Mo smiled and said, "You can slow down a bit, there's no need to rush."

Hearing this, Ning Xiaoxiao, who was standing nearby, was taken aback: "Sir, shouldn't we go back to the yamen as soon as possible and investigate the accounts of Qianse Pavilion?"

"What if other merchants falsify their accounts?"

Su Mo turned to look at Ning Xiaoxiao, smiled and said, "No rush."

"This matter must have reached the ears of other merchants long ago. No matter how fast we are, we can't outrun them."

Although the Great Wu Dynasty did not have technological communication methods such as telephones, the speed at which information spread was actually quite fast.

Such as carrier pigeons, hawks, paper cranes, talismans, etc.

It's hard to say about long distances, but for short distances, it's probably not much worse than a telephone call.

Ning Xiaoxiao couldn't help but be suspicious upon hearing this. Although she saw that Su Mo seemed confident, she still couldn't help but ask, "If they make up false accounts and then come to pay the commercial taxes on their own initiative, how much silver will they get?"

She knew all too well that those old accountants were extremely skilled at falsifying accounts.

It's virtually impossible to uncover their true financial situation.

The sage ordered Su Mo to raise 500,000 taels of silver within ten days, which could not be covered by the commercial taxes paid after falsifying accounts.

Su Mo looked at Ning Xiaoxiao with a half-smile: "Who told you I was going to check their real accounts?"

Ning Xiaoxiao was completely bewildered.

Su Mo didn't offer much explanation, given the large number of people around. He then muttered to himself, "Zhang Wenxing alone, plus the head of one of my servants, probably isn't enough..."

"Zhang Shouning, you'd better not disappoint me!"

……

Zhang Shouning was in a very good mood at this time.

As the head of the maternal relatives, during the Lunar New Year, other maternal relatives naturally sent people to deliver New Year's gifts in advance.

After all, they would all be visiting Zhang Shouning's residence to pay their respects after the New Year.

The key to determining who could enter the Imperial Brother-in-Law's residence and who could be received by Zhang Shouning lay in the weight of their New Year's gifts.

Zhang Shouning held a one-foot-tall, flawless white jade horse in his hands with great affection.

The steward beside him said with a fawning smile, "This jade horse sent by Marquis Wuyang is flawless from top to bottom, and is worth at least three hundred taels of silver!"

"It is evident that Marquis Wuyang holds the master in the highest esteem."

Zhang Shouning stroked his sparse beard and laughed, "The Marquis of Wuyang still knows how to behave!"

"Write this down."

"After the New Year, when Marquis Wuyang visits the mansion to pay his respects, I, the Imperial Uncle, will have a meeting with him."

The butler nodded in agreement, then his eyes darted around and he added, "Master, I just heard that there's a department store called Su's Department Store that has a glass auspicious deer inside. It's truly crystal clear and breathtakingly beautiful!"

“On the back of the auspicious deer, there is also a crystal mirror that reflects objects clearly.”

"If you, sir, obtain it, send it to Xingqing Palace, and the Empress Dowager will surely..."

Before the steward could finish speaking, a greedy glint appeared in Zhang Shouning's eyes, but his expression quickly turned ugly, and he couldn't help but snort, "That Su's Department Store is that brat's shop. How easy is it for him to get the Auspicious Deer Mirror!"

He paused, a greedy glint resurfacing in his eyes, but in the end he waved his hand, looking annoyed, and said, "Forget it, that guy is not easy to mess with."

"I'm too lazy to lower myself to the level of such a petty person!"

The butler was immediately taken aback.

Having followed Zhang Shouning for many years, how could he not know Zhang Shouning's greedy nature?

He had intended to inform the master of this news so that once the Auspicious Deer Mirror was obtained, the steward could also share in some of the benefits.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Shouning was so wary of that man surnamed Su.
He had no idea.

Although Zhang Shouning was greedy, he was not stupid!
Ever since he suffered a setback at the Dali Temple last time, and even Wang Yao was severely humiliated by the man surnamed Su, Zhang Shouning truly realized that the man surnamed Su was not someone to be trifled with!

That guy was enjoying great favor with the emperor, which truly left Zhang Shouning helpless.

Also, that bastard Lu Wenxuan was just about to send someone to Changping County to investigate that kid's situation when he suddenly died mysteriously!
Zhang Shouning was truly afraid!

Anyway, he will always be the emperor's brother-in-law, but the Su family may not always have such imperial favor.

What's wrong with avoiding his sharp edge?
It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.

The emperor's brother-in-law is flexible and knows how to bend; what's face worth anyway!

However, despite this, the mention of Su Mo instantly soured Zhang Shouning's mood, and he lost all interest in playing with the jade horse. He was about to instruct the steward to put it into the treasure vault.

Suddenly, a servant rushed into the study in a panic: "Master! Something terrible has happened!"

Zhang Shouning's old face suddenly darkened, and he snorted heavily: "What happened? Why are you in such a panic? What kind of behavior is this!"

The servant hurriedly replied, "Master, your elder brother's eldest son just sent someone to report."

"That Imperial Guard surnamed Su broke into the ship, confiscated the Qianse Pavilion's account books, and... he even killed Zhang Yi..."

"Many people from Fuyulou were also injured by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and their account books were stolen!"

Zhang Shouning froze instantly, then his triangular eyes widened to be bigger than a bull's eyes as he stared at the servant with disbelief: "What?"

"How dare that Su fellow cause trouble on my uncle's ship and at Fuyu Tower, and even kill Zhang Yi?"

The servant, with a mournful face, said, "Young Master Zhang said he wants you to go there quickly, sir, and retrieve the account books, otherwise something terrible is bound to happen!"

Zhang Shouning was so angry that he trembled all over, and his voice shook: "You bastard surnamed Su!"

"This is truly... truly... truly infuriating!"

In a fit of rage, he grabbed the jade horse from the table, raised it high, hesitated for a moment, then put it back down. He then picked up the teacup and smashed it on the ground with a loud bang, the tea splashing everywhere and turning into dust.

This expresses my boundless resentment and my unwavering determination to rather perish than be a broken piece of jade!

He shouted angrily, "You, surnamed Su, have gone too far! I'm not finished with you!"

Fueled by both old and new grudges.

Zhang Shouning was so angry he was practically fuming, his chest heaving!
I've decided that I won't bother with that despicable person and will let him off the hook.

In the end, they ended up bullying them again.

Does Mo Zhen really think that he, the dignified Duke of Dawu Anguo and the incomparably noble brother-in-law of the emperor, is made of clay?

Zhang Shouning took several deep breaths, his old eyes bloodshot, and roared at the steward: "Immediately gather men and go with my uncle to settle accounts with that scoundrel surnamed Su!"

The butler responded and left.

Zhang Shouning suddenly remembered something and called the steward back: "Wait!"

"Remember to bring my uncle's python robe!"

The guy surnamed Su is a madman!
As everyone knows, Zhang Yi was his own confidant. He killed him without hesitation. Who knows if he might have lost his mind? He even beheaded the emperor's brother-in-law!
It's safer to bring the python costume!

That fellow has a tiger-patterned robe; if he doesn't wear a python robe, Zhang Shouning is genuinely worried that he won't be able to control him.

Seeing the imperial python robe presented by the steward, Zhang Shouning felt his confidence return.

Although the python robe was bestowed by the late emperor, it was no different from the one bestowed by the empress.

This is the most exquisite imperial garment bestowed by the Great Wu Dynasty!
Zhang Shouning refused to believe that the man surnamed Su would dare to lay a finger on him!
He then took a deep breath, waved his hand, and shouted angrily, "Come with me, all of you!"

"Um……"

Looking around, Zhang Shouning saw that his mansion had over a hundred guards, all of them highly skilled and valiant, their swords flashing menacingly, their morale soaring. While feeling greatly gratified, he didn't forget to remind them.

"Remember! Watch your brother-in-law's expression and act accordingly. Do not make any moves rashly!"

"That fellow is a martial arts grandmaster, a sorcerer who has transcended the divine realm... incomparably vicious and cruel..."

"never mind!"

Zhang Shouning felt that it was not appropriate to boost the enemy's morale too much before setting off, so he added one last thing: "If that fellow goes mad and tries to commit violence, you must remember to protect my uncle, do you understand?"

Without further hesitation, Zhang Shouning led his guards and charged aggressively toward Qinghefang!
When he led his entourage to Qinghefang, he naturally attracted the attention of countless onlookers.

But Zhang Shouning suddenly paused, stopped, and turned to look at the guards on the ship sent by Zhang Wenxing to deliver the message: "Where is that scoundrel surnamed Su now?"

The guard was bewildered: "Does he mean the Qinghefang Hundred-Household Office?"

Zhang Shouning snorted angrily: "What I'm asking is where the Hundred-Household Commander of Qinghefang is located!"

"damn it!"

He was so angry that his old face turned pale: "Where did this damned Qinghefang Hundred Household Office come from? I've never even heard of this lousy office!"

The guard remained bewildered: "I have no idea either!"

Zhang Shouning...

Just then, a voice suddenly came from among the onlookers: "They're still on the boat, they haven't come ashore yet!"

Zhang Shouning glared fiercely at the crowd.

But a huge crowd had gathered to watch the show, and no one knew which guy had made the announcement. In the end, he could only grunt and wave his hand, saying, "Come with me!"

Sure enough, Zhang Shouning led the guards of the Imperial Brother's Mansion to the banks of the Xima River, where they saw several small boats swaying and drifting to the riverbank.

Dozens of Imperial Guards landed carrying a large number of account books.

The man at the head, dressed in a pure black flying fish suit, imposing and exceptionally tall, could only be Su Mo, whom he hated to the core.
Enraged, Zhang Shouning strode over and roared from afar, "You, surnamed Su, stop right there, my uncle!"

……

The owners of large shipyards, brothel owners, managers, and so on, who had gathered at Xiaolanting, had already gathered there.

Upon seeing Zhang Guojiu appear, his eyes lit up immediately.

While breathing a sigh of relief, they all revealed expressions of schadenfreude!
The Imperial Guards are incredibly audacious to come and collect taxes on ships and merchants; they're utterly lawless!

Let's see how he dies this time!
The Empress's henchmen wielded immense power to intimidate officials, commoners, and all other officials.

But in front of Zhang Shouning, the emperor's brother-in-law, he was nothing more than a dog; how could he possibly show off his power!
"Hmph, let's see how he dies this time!"

"Does he really think that just because he has the emperor's favor, he can act lawlessly and even try to steal commercial taxes? He's really courting death!"

"No matter how much imperial favor one enjoys, can it surpass the emperor's maternal uncle?"

"Zhang Shouning is the emperor's maternal uncle!"

"However, I've heard that the relationship between the Sage and Zhang Shouning isn't as good as it seems on the surface? Last time, they even smashed up Tianyi Tower!"

"So what? The key is that the Empress Dowager treats Zhang Shouning well!" "The Great Wu Dynasty governs with filial piety; would the Emperor dare to disobey the Empress Dowager?"

"That's it! That's it!"

The owners of the shipyard and the brothel naturally hated Su Mo with a passion.

If we can collect commercial taxes from Qianse Pavilion today, we can collect their taxes in the future!
Who would be willing to throw away thousands of taels of silver in a month for no reason?
A thousand taels of silver is enough to buy fifty or sixty delicate and beautiful maids.

Even rarer Silla maids, Kunlun slaves, and Bodhisattva maids can be bought in large quantities!
……

Seeing Zhang Shouning leading over a hundred guards from the Imperial Uncle's Mansion, armed with gleaming swords and spears, Zhang Shouning charged ahead, displaying remarkable audacity.

Su Mo sneered inwardly.

Although Ning Xiaoxiao and the others didn't say anything, their faces turned slightly pale.

Clearly, in their minds, Zhang Shouning, the emperor's brother-in-law, still wielded considerable influence.

Ignoring the countless onlookers around them, Zhang Shouning, consumed by rage, blocked Su Mo's path, glaring at him with eyes blazing with fury!

"Su, stop right there!"

Zhang Shouning was so angry that his face turned pale. He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "I, the Imperial Uncle, am not going to hold this against you, but you have repeatedly tried to ride on my head!"

"Do you really think my brother-in-law is easy to bully?!"

As he spoke, he took another deep breath and pointed at Su Mo: "If you don't give me an explanation today, I will never let you off the hook!"

Su Mo glanced at Zhang Shouning expressionlessly, then sneered, "I'm handling a case, and the Duke of Anguo has brought so many people here. Does he intend to kill me?"

As he spoke, his face suddenly darkened: "Which court law allows relatives of the empress to draw their swords against court officials?"

"Could it be that the Duke of Anguo intends to rebel?"

Zhang Shouning was furious: "Stop talking nonsense!"

"Let me ask you, Your Majesty, what case are you handling, and what crimes have the people from Your Majesty's household committed?"

"Who gave you the audacity to kill people from my maternal uncle's residence!"

As he spoke, his voice suddenly turned sharp: "It is you, my brother-in-law, who is plotting a rebellion!"

Upon hearing this, the onlookers gasped in shock.

All eyes turned to Su Mo!
These Imperial Guards are incredibly audacious!

The people from the Imperial Uncle's mansion were all killed?
Immediately everyone got excited!
They started by accusing each other of rebellion and murder. This is a really big scandal!

There was no prelude, it went straight to the climax!
Is the word "rebellion" so easy to use?

That's deadly!

And many people will die!
Of course, in the eyes of the onlookers, neither group was a good person.

The fiercer the fight, the better!
It's just dogs fighting!

No matter who dies, it's worth celebrating with a few drinks and some dishes!
Su Mo's face grew even darker upon hearing Zhang Shouning's words: "I am not afraid to reveal the case, but does the Duke of Anguo dare to listen?"

As he spoke, he cupped his hands in the direction of the imperial city and solemnly said, "The ancestral precepts of the Martial Ancestor forbid relatives of the empress from interfering in politics!"

"As the emperor's brother-in-law, how could the Duke of Anguo not know the ancestral teachings of Emperor Wuzu?"

Zhang Shouning's heart skipped a beat!
But with so many people watching, how could he back down? In the end, he snorted, "What a sharp-tongued and vicious little brat!"

"I, your uncle, ask you: Zhang Yi is the steward of my household. What heinous crime has he committed that warrants his immediate execution?"

"If you cannot provide a reasonable explanation, then I, your uncle, will sue..."

Su Mo said quietly, "Even if we appeal to the Taiji Hall, to the Sage himself, we still need to seek justice, right?"

Zhang Shouning...

Su Mo sighed: "My nephew, the Duke of Gang'an, said the same thing to me."

"Um……"

He pointed to Zhang Wenxing, who had finally dared to board the small boat and disembark: "If the Duke of Anguo doesn't believe me, he can ask him himself, and also ask him how I answered!"

Zhang Shouning's face instantly turned red!

Zhang Wenxing hurriedly ran towards Zhang Shouning.

Guo Liang, who then came ashore, hesitated for a long time before finally standing still.

Even if he was confused, he knew that he should never get involved in this kind of thing, otherwise he would be severely scolded by Princess Jinling when he got back!
Zhang Wenxing ran over, angrily pointing at Su Mo, about to speak.

As a result, a fierce glint flashed in Su Mo's eyes, and his killing intent was revealed without any attempt to conceal it!

Zhang Wenxing suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and a coldness rose uncontrollably in his heart. He swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth!
Su Mo narrowed his eyes, his tone growing increasingly sinister: "I respect that the Duke of Anguo is the maternal uncle of the Emperor, which is why I have tolerated him so many times!"

"Duke Anguo, you are ungrateful and obstructing my investigation. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impartial and incorruptible!"

Seeing Su Mo's undisguised murderous intent, Zhang Shouning was startled, his body trembled, and he subconsciously took a step back, shouting in a fierce but weak voice, "What do you intend to do?"

Su Mo stepped forward...

Zhang Shouning was terrified and quickly took two steps back: "You...you stay away!"

Su Mo reacted to Zhang Shouning like a mouse to a cat.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Finally, he stopped and looked at Zhang Shouning very seriously: "This official only wants to collect taxes!"

"I am well-read and I am not lying to Duke Anguo. Anyone who obstructs me will truly be killed!"

He paused slightly, then changed the subject, saying, "Of course, the Duke of Anguo is of noble status, and it is indeed not appropriate for me to kill him!"

Zhang Shouning...

What does it mean to be "difficult to kill"?

"However, since the Duke of Anguo insisted on obstructing my investigation, I had no choice but to produce the item bestowed by the Emperor!"

Seeing that Su Mo had stopped and said he wouldn't dare kill him, Zhang Shouning's courage suddenly surged again.

He couldn't help but sneer, "Hmph!"

"What imperial gift? It's nothing more than an imperial tiger robe. You're making it sound like my uncle-in-law has nothing of value."

"Don't think you can scare me with this!"

He suddenly became smug: "Today I'll show you something amazing!"

Zhang Shouning's voice suddenly became serious: "Guards!"

"Help my uncle-in-law change his clothes!"

Su Mo was genuinely confused.

But then, behind Zhang Shouning, an old man dressed as a steward came forward with a brocade box in both hands, looking very eager.

Then, he took out a robe and a jade belt from the brocade box and helped Zhang Shouning put them on!
When Zhang Shouning changed into his robes, the expressions of the onlookers around him changed drastically.

The owners of the pleasure boats and brothels at Xiaolanting were also dumbfounded.

They all stared at Zhang Shouning in disbelief!
Then they all started whispering in surprise!

"This...this can't be a python robe, can it?"

"Indeed! This is indeed a python robe! I was fortunate enough to see you wear it once!"

Upon hearing this, everyone else looked at the speaker in surprise!
Most of them are unaware of the true backers of others.

This statement already conveys a tremendous amount of information!

But everyone's attention quickly shifted back to Zhang Shouning.

"I never imagined Zhang Shouning would own a python robe. This is truly an eye-opener!"

"Strange! According to the custom of the Great Wu Dynasty, only kings and nobles or those who have made great contributions to expanding the territory can be granted the python robe. Even if Zhang Shouning is the emperor's brother-in-law, he is still a relative of the empress. How could he be granted the python robe?"

“That’s absolutely right! Normally, Zhang Shouning shouldn’t have been granted a python robe, and I’ve never heard of him ever receiving one!”

The mysterious masked owner of the Little Orchid Pavilion ship, who had remained silent until now, couldn't help but say softly, "No matter what, Zhang Shouning has unleashed the python robe, which is an unsolvable Yang Path. That Jinyiwei commander will definitely not be able to deal with it!"

To be able to establish oneself in Qinghefang and run a brothel business, one must certainly not be an ordinary merchant.

His insight is extremely high.

Everyone understood what the python robe meant!
When Ning Xiaoxiao saw Zhang Shouning suddenly put on the python robe, her expression changed drastically!

As a seasoned member of the Imperial Guard, she knew what the python robe meant and couldn't help but feel anxious for Su Mo!
According to the rules of the Great Wu, only kings and nobles or those who have made great contributions to expanding the territory can be granted the python robe.

Those who possess the python robe hold a status equivalent to a prince or one of the Three Dukes; seeing the python robe is as if seeing a prince.

Although not to the point of requiring worship like that of the Empress.

Even high-ranking officials of the second rank in the imperial court must take the initiative to greet them on formal occasions!

Normally, Zhang Shouning would not be qualified to be granted a python robe; at most, he would be granted a dragon robe.

However, Emperor Wu Taizong doted on Empress Zhang so much that he extended his affection to Zhang Shouning as well, which is why he bestowed upon him the python robe!
Zhang Shouning felt a surge of confidence as soon as he put on the tiger-patterned clothing.

He pointed smugly at the python robe: "Open your dog eyes and take a good look. What kind of imperial robe is this imperial uncle wearing!"

Zhang Wenxing then said smugly, "Hmph!"

"The robe that my uncle is wearing is a first-class imperial-bestowed python robe!"

"You are merely a fifth-rank officer probationary commander, yet you are seen wearing a python robe. Why don't you quickly step forward, pay your respects, and apologize!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes instinctively focused on Su Mo!

Everyone felt that Zhang Shouning had unleashed a powerful weapon.

This Jinyiwei commander, no matter how arrogant and domineering he was, or how much favor he received from the emperor, had no choice but to bow his head and submit this time!

Those who wore python robes held a status equivalent to kings, dukes, and the Three Dukes!
The two sides are not even in the same league, how can they fight like this?
Su Mo narrowed his eyes, looked Zhang Shouning up and down for a while, and then sighed: "I never expected that the Duke of Anguo would be bestowed with a python robe. This is truly a surprise to me!"

As he spoke, he took two steps forward.

Zhang Shouning was startled and instinctively wanted to back away.

But he immediately realized that he had put on the python robe, and no matter how bold this man surnamed Su was, he didn't dare to touch a hair on his head, and he stopped immediately!

With a solemn expression, Su Mo bowed and greeted Zhang Shouning, saying, "This humble official, Su Mo, greets the Duke of Anguo!"

After saying that, he walked over to Zhang Shouning.

Zhang Shouning was shocked: "Stop!"

Seeing Su Mo's gloomy face and his approach of less than two feet, Zhang Shouning finally couldn't withstand the pressure and quickly took a step back, shouting sharply, "You...you...what do you want to do?"

The two guards behind him, who looked extremely strong, quickly stepped forward, their hands on their sword hilts, to protect the emperor's brother-in-law!
Su Mo squinted at Zhang Shouning for a long time, his expression turning strange.

He reached into his pouch at his waist and began rummaging around, then suddenly blurted out, "Duke Anguo, have you ever heard of what it means to be as if I were personally present?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shouning was immediately dumbfounded.

"What...what do you mean?"

Su Mo smiled strangely and waved his hand in front of Zhang Shouning: "It means exactly what it says!"

"Duke Anguo, take a good look!"

　It's the last day, and I'm just a little short of 3,000 monthly votes. Is there any chance of a miracle?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)