Prime Minister

Chapter 24 024 [The New Official Takes Office]

The 7th day of the 11th month of the 18th year of the Taihe reign.

As he had done in the past few days, Xue Huai leisurely arrived at the Hanlin Academy to report for duty, intending to stay for half a day before returning home.

Having already made an appointment with his mentor Shen Wang, he would visit Shen's residence the next day. Naturally, he needed to go back and carefully consider how to make contact with that leader of the Qingliu faction.

Upon arriving at his duty room, Xue Huai casually picked up a copy of the "Book of Liang" and sat down to read it carefully.

"Editor Xue".

A clerk knocked on the door and entered, greeting him and saying, "The Headmaster requests your presence in the main hall."

"it is good."

Xue Huai put down his book and followed the clerk to the main hall.

Besides Lin Miao, there was another unfamiliar official present.

"Jing Che is here."

Lin Miao spoke gently and then introduced the official to Xue Huai: "This is Yuan Cheng, the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate."

The Censorate?
Xue Huai looked at Yuan Cheng, who was over thirty years old, about thirty-four or thirty-five years old. His face was thin and sharp, with prominent brow bones that suppressed a pair of deep eyes like those of a hawk.

Although the other party was only a seventh-rank censor and was already quite old, Xue Huai did not look down on him at all. He trusted his intuition when judging people. A person's official rank was influenced by many factors. A low rank did not mean a weak or humble character. In particular, an older censor like this was a person who was not easy to mess with.

The two exchanged greetings, and Yuan Cheng got straight to the point: "By order of the Imperial Commissioner for Investigating Corruption Cases in the Ministry of Works, Xue Huai, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, has been transferred to the Ministry of Works' Corruption Case Investigation Office to assist in the investigation of this case. He is to return within three months. The transfer document has been submitted to the Chancellor for review."

Xue Huai was not a native of this world after all, and it took him a while to understand the other party's convoluted words.

The emperor did not downplay major issues or dismiss minor ones. Gu Heng's imprisonment was just the beginning. The problems exposed in the Ministry of Works had to be addressed, hence the establishment of the Imperial Commission to Investigate Corruption Cases in the Ministry of Works.

The "Imperial Commissioner for Investigating Corruption Cases in the Ministry of Works" that Yuan Cheng mentioned was, in layman's terms, an imperial envoy inspecting the Ministry of Works to investigate cases.

It's also understandable that Xue Huai was transferred to the investigation department. Such a temporary "special task force" would inevitably need a compiler or reviewer from the Hanlin Academy to be in charge of document work.

Xue Huai naturally had no reason to refuse. His original task of compiling "A Study of the Taihe River Works" had been suspended, leaving him in a state of idleness. Moreover, this was an order from the imperial envoy.

At this moment, a clerk stepped forward and handed Xue Huai the "Transfer Document" issued by the imperial envoy and already signed by Lin Miao, as well as a "Notification Ticket" issued by Lin Miao on behalf of the Hanlin Academy. These two documents served as proof for Xue Huai to temporarily leave the Hanlin Academy and go to the investigation office to carry out his duties.

Yuan Cheng was clearly an impatient man. He looked at Xue Huai and said, "Editor Xue, this case is complicated and time is of the essence. Please come with me to the investigation office immediately."

Xue Huai nodded and said, "Please, Imperial Censor Yuan."

Yuan Cheng stepped forward first, while Xue Huai deliberately lagged behind. Sure enough, Lin Miao stepped forward and smiled, saying, "Don't worry, the imperial envoy is your mentor in this case."

Shen Wang?

Xue Huai was slightly taken aback, but then felt it was only natural.

The Ministry of Works is a deep and complex place, and it would be difficult for an ordinary person to break through its many obstacles. Since the emperor wants to properly deal with those bloated and corrupt officials in the Ministry of Works, he must send a high-ranking official with sufficient ability and prestige.

First, the ministers of the Ning Party were directly excluded, including even Wei Zheng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice who had a deep conflict with Xue Minglun. This was because no matter what their conflicts were, they always shared common interests and would stand together in this critical moment.

The faction led by the Second Grand Secretary Ouyang Hui is equally incompetent; their own backgrounds are not clean either. If they were to investigate, it would likely turn into a dog-eat-dog situation.

The emperor only wanted to severely punish the corrupt officials in the Ministry of Works, and most importantly, to sort out the accounts and fill the empty national treasury. This task should definitely be entrusted to Shen Wang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who has a good reputation for integrity.

On the way to the investigation office with Yuan Cheng, Xue Huai gradually figured out the details. Only one question remained in his mind: Did Shen Wang personally summon him to the investigation office, or did someone else mention his name?
The investigation office was located near Longzong Gate. It was an independent government office with the sign "Imperial Order to Investigate Corruption Cases of the Ministry of Works". It was very close to the Imperial City and the Six Ministries, which saved a lot of time in sending orders up and down the chain of command.

Through Yuan Cheng's introduction, Xue Huai gained a clearer understanding of this temporarily established government office.

Imperial Envoy Shen Wang brought his staff and confidants, along with capable personnel drawn from relevant ministries and departments. These included censors from the Censorate, officials from the Ministry of Justice, judges from the Court of Judicial Review, and officials from the Six Ministries, as well as Xue Huai, a compiler from the Hanlin Academy. In addition, the Emperor personally appointed a captain from the Jing'an Division to be responsible for the protection.

Yuan Cheng took out the token and handed it to the Jing'an Division captain outside the gate for verification. Then he led Xue Huai inside and said expressionlessly, "Editor Xue, Vice Minister Shen is in the signing room. Please follow me."

Xue Huai entered the signing room and immediately saw the middle-aged civil official sitting behind his desk, explaining some things to several officials.

Shen Wang was forty-two years old. He was as thin as bamboo and his face was as cold as jade. A vertical line between his eyebrows was as if it were carved into his bone. His whole body was imposing and dignified, like snow weighed down by evening clouds.

Xue Huai stood quietly to the side until the officials had left, then he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Vice Minister Shen."

"You came."

Shen Wang looked up at him, his tone calm and even: "Let's go, I'll take you to the archives." It was similar to the Hanlin Academy's compilation and examination hall, a place used to store account books and files, and also where Xue Huai would be working for the next period of time.

The master and apprentice walked one after the other, their steps steady.

The investigation office is not a manor or villa; the buildings here are connected and compactly laid out, filled with a busy and tense atmosphere.

Upon entering the inner room of the document room, the servant brought by Shen Wang served fragrant tea, then closed the door and left, giving the two a quiet space.

Shen Wang cleared his throat and said, "Yuan Cheng told you the general situation, right?"

"Yes."

Xue Huai agreed and slowly said, "This disciple already knows his responsibilities, but I am slightly surprised."

"What's the surprise?" Shen Wang put down his teacup, his usually composed demeanor gradually relaxing. "Jing Che, after you escaped with your life from the Nine Bend River that day, why were you unwilling to visit the Shen residence?"

Today's events came rather suddenly.

After waking up, Xue Huai quickly made up his mind to repair his relationship with Shen Wang, after all, the other party was his mentor in the officialdom and his biggest backer.

No matter how many disagreements the two had before, he couldn't just watch himself lose the protection of this powerful figure.

However, things didn't go as planned. The hidden mastermind suddenly launched an attack, and undercurrents and crises followed one after another. He could only rely on himself to solve the problems first.

Having finally managed to get through it, Shen Wang was busy with official duties, and he hadn't had a suitable opportunity to visit him.

Until this moment.

Xue Huai remained calm, but a troubled expression appeared on his face: "I feel ashamed and have no face to ask my teacher for help."

"Let's not dwell on the past. I've seen the changes in you over this period of time, and these are the changes I've always hoped to see."

Shen Wang brushed it off with a smile, saying, "No matter how the situation develops, you will always be my disciple. Just remember that."

Xue Huai felt a sense of relief; all he really wanted was those words.

As long as Shen Wang continues to acknowledge their relationship, his future career in officialdom will be much easier.

"Master, I never expected His Majesty to entrust you with the investigation of this case."

A hint of confusion appeared on Xue Huai's face, but his tone was exceptionally sincere.

"Is this what surprised you?"

Shen Wang looked into his eyes and slowly said, "Actually, I was also a little surprised. I thought His Majesty would let Grand Secretary Ouyang step forward, after all, his reputation was enough to suppress Minister Xue, and even the Grand Secretary would not be able to take action. As a teacher, I am still relatively inexperienced and my rank is below Minister Xue, so there will inevitably be many inconveniences this time."

Xue Huai shook his head slightly and said, "I didn't think that way. I just feel that this case involves many people, and the Ministry of Works' accounts are flawless. If the truth cannot be found out in time, it may affect your reputation. But please rest assured, I am not someone who is afraid of difficulties. Since I have gained your appreciation, I will do my best to do my job well."

Shen Wang understood his implied meaning and did not try to hide it, saying directly, "It is His Majesty's decree to transfer you here to assist in the investigation."

Xue Huai's expression hardened slightly.

He never expected that this was actually the emperor's arrangement.

Xue Huai still doesn't have a clear impression of the emperor in the palace.

Judging from past memories and rumors, the emperor was once a sage ruler praised by scholars of the literati. However, as time passed, his ambitions were gradually eroded, and in recent years he has become increasingly indulgent in pleasure—of course, the power of the court is still firmly in his hands.

He didn't quite understand the emperor's intentions for a moment. From the other party's perspective, all he needed to do was finalize the selection of Shen Wang and wait for Shen Wang to produce a satisfactory answer. Why would he be interested in paying attention to a seventh-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy?
While deep in thought, Xue Huai asked, seemingly impetuously, "Teacher, if I may be so bold as to ask, how far does His Majesty intend to investigate this case?"

"Which step..."

Shen Wang remained noncommittal, looking at Xue Huai calmly and saying, "You should ask me why His Majesty asked you to assist in the investigation."

Xue Huai pondered for a moment and said, "Because this case involves the Xue family."

"Any more?"

"Because I am of the same clan as Minister Xue of the Ministry of Works, and not long ago Minister Xue extended a helping hand to me."

Hearing this honest answer, Shen Wang smiled slightly and then asked, "Are you prepared to go head-to-head with Minister Xue?"

(End of this chapter)