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

Chapter 338 The Emperor's Brother-in-Law's Grief and Indignation! That Su fellow is insidious and vicious!
After the person hiding in the shadows left, Leng Liuxi put down the memorial, her pretty face showing her frustration.

I got angry at that bastard again.

Does he see me as such a bloodthirsty person?

I am not afraid to kill, and I am not afraid to kill a lot of people, but I will not kill without a reason!
They wouldn't send a palace maid to deliver robes to Su Mo just to kill her and silence her.

Of course, on the other hand...

Even if he didn't intend to kill the palace maid, it was hard to imagine that Bao Wu, Ning Jing, and others might try to guess the emperor's intentions or, for the sake of secrecy, make the palace maid disappear silently.

It was quite common for people to go missing from time to time in the palace.

Although the empress was somewhat annoyed and annoyed, her pretty face quickly softened.

This also proves that Su Lang is a person who values ​​relationships.

He even cared about the safety of a palace maid who brought him robes, fearing that he would kill her to silence her, and came to tell him that the palace maid looked like an old friend of his.

If you treat him well, he will definitely remember it.

As an emperor, Leng Liuxi had no choice but to be cold-blooded and ruthless.

But she didn't want the man she liked to be as cold-blooded as she was!

Humans are always so contradictory.

……

Inside Xingqing Palace.

Zhang Shouning's eyes widened in shock, staring at Empress Dowager Zhang: "What?!"

"Your Majesty intends to confiscate my two shops?"

Empress Dowager Zhang nodded and explained, "His Majesty is not targeting you."

"However, the Tiannan region has been transformed by a dragon, and the imperial court urgently needs money for disaster relief."

"Those unscrupulous merchants evade commercial taxes, which is why the Emperor had no choice but to use you, his own uncle, to establish his authority and deter other merchants."

She paused slightly, then said, "I have already spoken with the Emperor."

“Your two shops earn less than a hundred taels of silver a month. After the Emperor confiscates the shops, he will allocate two hundred taels of silver to the Duke of Anguo’s mansion every month. He will definitely not let you suffer any real injustice.”

Zhang Shouning opened his mouth wide, his old face changing color continuously. Just as Su Mo had guessed, his expressions were absolutely fascinating!

What is he supposed to say?
He used to frequently go to Empress Zhang to plead poverty, and then Empress Zhang would give him jewelry and other gifts to help with the expenses of the Imperial Brother-in-law's residence.

Now tell Empress Dowager Zhang that her two shops don't just earn a hundred taels of silver a month, but several thousand taels.

Zhang Shouning knew very well.

The Empress dislikes me 100%.

His only support was his elder sister, the Empress Dowager!
If Empress Dowager Zhang knew that I had been deceiving her all along, taking her money, jewelry and other gifts for myself.

What should Empress Dowager Zhang think?

Without the Empress Dowager's protection, given the Empress's ruthless, vicious, and cold-blooded nature, wouldn't his life be as cold as water?
However, Zhang Shouling was no fool. Her eyes darted around, and she said solemnly, "Elder sister, this is absolutely unacceptable!"

Empress Dowager Zhang frowned slightly: "Why not?"

Zhang Shouning said with righteous indignation, "The court is facing disaster, how can I, your younger brother, add to His Majesty's troubles at this time!"

"My brother absolutely cannot accept these two hundred taels of silver!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't help but show a look of relief on her face.

We didn't spoil him for nothing!
The emperor's brother-in-law is a man of principle and knows what is important!
She immediately smiled and said, "You should keep this money."

"If the Imperial Brother-in-law's residence lacks funds, wouldn't it make the Zhang family and the imperial court look like a laughing stock!"

"No matter how difficult things are for the imperial court, it won't lack your money!"

Zhang Shouning said emphatically, "I really dare not accept this money!"

“Sister, I think it would be better if you went to His Majesty and asked him to return the two shops to your brother…”

He paused slightly, a look of heartache on his face, and finally gritted his teeth: "I will definitely pay the commercial taxes in full from now on!"

"When those unscrupulous merchants saw that even I, the Duke of Anguo and the Emperor's brother-in-law, honestly paid my taxes, it was clear that His Majesty cared for the people of the world and had no favoritism."

"How dare other merchants violate the laws of the imperial court?"

Empress Dowager Zhang frowned: "Is this a good idea?"

Zhang Shouning hurriedly replied, "It must be excellent!"

"Sister, you must go and tell His Majesty right away!"

Empress Dowager Zhang frowned.

My younger brother's words do make some sense.

Leaving the shop for him to run would not only deter merchants but also save the emperor a hundred taels of silver.

More importantly, if the shop is preserved, it will remain the Zhang family's property and can be passed down from generation to generation.

The extra funds allocated to the Imperial Brother-in-Law's residence may not be available year after year.
but……

Empress Dowager Zhang suddenly recalled the laughter she had heard outside the bathhouse earlier.

His brows furrowed even more.

I am not yet old and my eyesight and hearing are failing.

How could one not tell whether it was a man's laughter or a palace maid's laughter!
If I were to go and speak to the Emperor now, and happen to see something I shouldn't have, would he order someone to drag that man out and beat him to death?

Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't help but feel agitated, and said indifferently, "Let's discuss this matter tomorrow."

"You should go back to the Emperor's residence first. Your elder sister will explain the situation to the Emperor tomorrow."

Zhang Shouning was taken aback upon hearing this.

Normally, my elder sister is extremely attentive to her own affairs, so why does she seem so impatient about the important matters concerning the two shops today?

How could he dare to ask Empress Dowager Zhang to leave it for tomorrow?

The Empress is very cunning, especially that scoundrel surnamed Su, who is extremely vicious and ruthless.

He's probably already led his men to shut down his brothels and boat shops!

He hurriedly said, "Sister, this matter can't be discussed tomorrow! It will be too late if we wait any longer!"

"Elder sister, you may not know this, but His Majesty now favors a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard surnamed Su!"

"That scoundrel is extremely vicious, ruthless, and cunning. He must have already ordered his men to raid my brother's shop..."

Empress Dowager Zhang was already annoyed, and hearing this only made her more irritated. She snorted and said, "So be it. Once those merchants pay their taxes, do you think the Emperor won't return the money to you?"

Zhang Shouning's voice stopped abruptly, as if someone had grabbed his throat.

Isn't this obvious?

His Majesty is even more greedy than I am. When he rewards his ministers, he never gives more than ten taels of silver!
If it weren't for this, how could that scoundrel surnamed Su have gained the Empress's favor and trust!
It's just that the person surnamed Su is good at making money.

If such a lucrative shop were to fall into her hands, would she ever return it to me?

Unless the sun rises in the west!
Empress Dowager Zhang paused, then suddenly had a thought. She squinted at Zhang Shouning and asked, "What exactly is going on with that Jinyiwei officer surnamed Su?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shouning immediately flew into a rage, gritting his teeth and saying hatefully, "That Su fellow is truly despicable!"

"He really ruined my brother's life..."

Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't help but frown: "This person is merely acting on the Emperor's orders!"

"They only investigated your two shops, why hold a grudge against them!"

Zhang Shouning...

Empress Dowager Zhang then asked, "I heard that he replenished the national treasury with hundreds of thousands of taels of silver?"

She was genuinely curious.

Several hundred thousand taels is no small sum.

Although the imperial court's two taxes were mainly based on grain, silver also accounted for a significant portion.

One tax is worth ten million taels, two taxes are worth twenty million taels!
How could a mere member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard bring in hundreds of thousands of taels of revenue for the imperial court?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shouning snorted heavily and said disdainfully, "Isn't that money just squeezed from the merchants?"

"That scoundrel is insidious; he actually devised a vicious scheme to instigate His Majesty to violate the ancestral precepts of the founding emperor and open up the customs and regulations for merchants, thereby collecting money from them!"

Zhang Shouning became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and angrily shouted, "Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, and traders are the lowest of the four classes!"

“Since ancient times, the four classes of people have had distinct statuses and should not be confused. How can merchants dress in fine silks and satins and be carried in sedan chairs like scholars and officials? Wouldn’t that disrupt the foundation of the Great Wu?”

"besides!"

"Sister, tell me, in this world, what can you buy that doesn't belong to you?"

“Those foolish merchants pay money to buy the prescribed rituals, only to have to buy them again after a year, six months, or even three months!”

Empress Dowager Zhang was stunned upon hearing this.

Zhang Shouning glanced furtively at the Empress Dowager's expression and said angrily, "However, the court is in dire financial straits, and this scoundrel has deceived His Majesty with his vicious scheme to amass wealth!"

"Even the entire court of civil and military officials are beholden to this treacherous minister..."

Before he could finish speaking, Empress Dowager Zhang's face suddenly darkened, and she rebuked him, "Emperor Taizu instructed that relatives of the empress should not interfere in politics!"

"Stop talking nonsense, or I won't be able to protect you!" After saying that, she pondered with a dark expression.

The man in the hot spring room of the Ziwei Palace should not be this Jinyiwei guard surnamed Su.

Even if the emperor is confused, he could never have such an entanglement with those royal lackeys and henchmen!

But who is that person?

The Emperor has indeed reached the point where he should take a concubine and get married.

The Great Wu empire must not fall into the hands of outsiders, otherwise, after my death, how will I have the face to meet the late emperor, or even the founding emperor!
We must ask the eunuchs and palace maids for clarification.

An Wu definitely knows the inside story, but... even if I ask him, that old servant might not be willing to tell me.

……

The one who understands you best is often your enemy.

Zhang Shouning was right!

Su Mo returned to Qinghefang Hundred Household Office from the palace. Under the surprised and suspicious gazes of Zhang Xuzu and others, he went inside and changed into a set of ordinary brocade guard robes.

He then immediately ordered Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng to lead men to seal off Qianse Pavilion and Fuyu Tower respectively.

Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng exchanged a glance.

They all swallowed hard, as if by unspoken agreement.

The Empress summoned him urgently, and Lord Su went to the palace with Eunuch An.

Upon returning, the flying fish robe he was wearing transformed into a set of eunuch's clothes.

Any normal man can figure out what happened.

I really don't know what to say about Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng.

It's not surprising that the Empress favors Lord Su.

After all, Lord Su's talent, appearance, and methods are all rare in the world, and Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng admire him immensely!
The problem is, Lord Su keeps a lot of women in his inner quarters!
Hmm, and there's also a concubine who hasn't been betrothed yet!

Why would Your Majesty take a fancy to a husband who already has a concubine?

Could it be that Lord Su possesses extraordinary talent, making His Majesty unable to resist him?

Their admiration for Lord Su was like a surging river, never-ending!

After the initial shock, Zhang Xuzu couldn't help but ask, "Didn't we just confiscate Zhang Shouning's shop's account books?"

"What else can they seize if they go there?"

Su Mo smiled and said, "Just shut down the shop!"

"After the seizure, immediately find a broker to go to Wannian County and transfer the shops and ships to the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office!"

Zhang Xuzu was dumbfounded: "Transfer the shop to the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office?"

"Could it be that you, sir, possess the deed to Fuyulou? And the deed to that ship?"

Su Mo waved his hand and said calmly, "Go ahead and do it."

"If that scoundrel Zhang Shouning produces the house deeds and boat deeds to file a lawsuit, then we'll have to deal with that separately!"

Zhang Xuzu hesitated for a moment: "Wannian County is currently on holiday..."

Cao Feng also said, "Even if we find a broker and go to Wannian County, I'm afraid we still won't be able to complete the transfer."

Su Mo glared at them with exasperation.

"Do I need to teach you this?"

"Who are you?"

He emphasized, "The Emperor's personal guards! The Embroidered Uniform Guards!"

"That clerk from Wannian County, even if he's lying in his concubine's bed, I'll drag him out and get the transfer paperwork done!"

Ma Wei, standing next to him, was dumbfounded again.

So the Imperial Guards in the capital are even more lawless than those in the towns and villages?

That's the shop owned by the current emperor's brother-in-law. There's no deed to the house or the boat, yet they dare to transfer ownership.

He broke out in a cold sweat.

I feel increasingly lost about the future, and even my life is in danger!

Unfortunately, I'm already on a pirate ship.

Can only walk one way to the dark.

Whether in the countryside or the capital, those who betray their masters are destined for a bad end.

If we try to escape now, I'm afraid I'll be crushed to dust by Su Mo or Zhang Xuzu!
The Embroidered Uniform Guard's vengeful nature was no joke.

Zhang Xuzu and Cao Feng were indeed not yet ready to switch out of their roles as sons of high-ranking officials.

After all, no matter how arrogant the young master is, how could he be more arrogant than the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not as powerful and influential as it was at its peak, and no longer inspires fear in everyone, it is still a force to be reckoned with today.

But looking at the entire Great Wu Dynasty, only the six ministers of the cabinet, and generals like Princess Baicheng, and hereditary dukes like Zhang Lie, could rival the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Zhang Xuzu led his men out aggressively.

Su Mo glanced at the sky; it was almost time to finish her shift.

Regardless of what time others start or finish work.

I have to work nine to five.

Having direct subordinates to do things certainly saves a lot of trouble.

Once Zhang Xuzu and his ilk have been trained, they will be even more capable of leaving things to their own devices and collecting salaries from the imperial court.

Su Mo had originally planned to ask Ning Xiaoxiao to go back to the Su residence together, but then he realized that Ning Xiaoxiao, the probationary centurion, had also gone out to do some work.

He had no choice but to ride back to the Su residence alone.

The Qinghefang Garrison had prepared horses and several bicycles.

Although to outsiders this was a symbol of wealth and status, many court officials were used to traveling by bicycle, looking just like the government officials of the 1960s and 70s in my previous life, very stylish.

But once the novelty wore off, Su Mo felt too embarrassed to ride her bicycle all over the streets.

When they returned to the Su residence, it felt empty.

Many guards and servants went to the villa on Lonely Peak Mountain.

In the Su family mansion in the capital, only about a dozen servants remained, plus the steward Jiang Laoshi.

Su Mo had just instructed his servants to fetch food from Baiyujing when Jiang Laoshi rushed in to report.

"Master, Commander Wen has just arrived outside the manor. He says he needs to speak with you!"

Su Mo was slightly stunned.

What did Wen Yannian want from me?
Are the official documents and credentials for the trial commander being sent over?
He is still working as a trial commander of the Left Guard without a license, only having Empress Leng Liuxi's endorsement.

The problem is, shouldn't my official document have been delivered by the Southern Garrison Command?

He thought for a moment and then said, "Please invite Commander Wen to the side hall. I'll be there right away!"

Jiang Laoshi immediately agreed and left.

Su Mo took a sip of tea, went back to change into casual clothes, and then went to the side hall to see Wen Yannian.

Upon seeing Su Mo, Wen Yannian immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Lord Su, it's been a long time!"

"I have come here unexpectedly today, and I hope Lord Su will not take offense!"

Su Mo chuckled and said, "What are you saying, Lord Wen!"

"How could I not welcome you, sir, with such a visit! Besides, I only met you a few days ago when the shop opened; how could it be that we haven't seen each other in a long time!"

He paused, then smiled and said, "Please sit down, sir!"

Wen Yannian didn't dare to be presumptuous in front of Su Mo, and only sat back down after hearing Su Mo's words.

"As the saying goes, a day apart feels like three autumns, and I feel as if I haven't seen Lord Su for several years!"

Su Mo chuckled and picked up the teacup, saying, "Please have some tea, sir!"

He then jokingly said, "Lord Wen, your presence at my humble abode is surely to say that it has been many years since we last met, is it?"

Wen Yannian suddenly became serious, took a small sip of tea, then put down his teacup and said with a wry smile, "To be honest, I have come here this time to ask Lord Su for a favor!"

Su Mo said slowly, "My lord, please speak frankly."

"Given our relationship, there's no need for such formalities!"

Wen Yannian hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice: "Since that's the case, then I'll speak frankly!"

"May I ask, Lord Su, did you receive an imperial decree to collect commercial taxes in Qinghefang?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo frowned immediately.

Was he speaking on behalf of those merchants?
　To be honest, I really didn't know how to organize the monthly ticket extra event last time. As a newbie, I didn't understand. I only knew that organizing this event could increase monthly tickets, but I ended up not having any monthly tickets to read it on my own account... I hope my fellow fans will forgive me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)