National Division

Chapter 79 "On Managing Officials"

Dali Temple, government office
As Zhou Liang cut through the air at lightning speed, almost all the pressure fell on Suo Yuanli, and the atmosphere in the hall seemed to freeze into ice.

The Empress Dowager's gaze turned coldly to Suo Yuanli, her face as frosty as she said in a deep voice, "Severe torture to extract confessions, deceiving superiors and subordinates, fabricating false charges, and being arrogant and domineering—what is your crime?"

Suo Yuanli knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly, almost like pounding garlic: "Your Majesty, this humble subject knows his crime, and begs Your Majesty for mercy."

The Empress's eyes were filled with disgust, and her voice was stern and murderous: "Guards, drag her out and give her one hundred strokes of the cane! Exile her to Lingnan Road and never employ her again!"
Suo Yuanli was terrified and almost collapsed to the ground, crying out, "Your Majesty, spare me! Spare me!"

Would he have survived being flogged a hundred times? Let alone made it to Lingnan.

Several burly guards rushed forward, grabbed Suo Yuanli without a word, and dragged him out of the Dali Temple.

Zhou Liang was terrified and lowered his head even further.

The Empress suddenly called out, "Zhou Liang."

"Your subject is here." Upon suddenly hearing his name called, Zhou Liang's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed in response.

"Considering that you still have a sense of the bigger picture and did not abuse the instruments of torture, you are also responsible for the lack of oversight due to lax governance!" The Empress said coldly, looking at Zhou Liang, and pondered, "A year's salary will be deducted as a small punishment to serve as a warning. I hope you will be mindful of yourself and not repeat the mistake."

Zhou Liang felt a little relieved, and knelt down with a thud, bowing and saying, "Your humble servant is willing to accept the punishment."

Sure enough, the Empress Dowager still couldn't do without him. Now, Li Jing's former officials in the capital were stirring up trouble. If it weren't for him, who knows how many would have committed treason or rebellion!
Upon seeing this, Shen Lin's aged eyes flickered, and he sighed inwardly.

After all, he was one of the Nine Ministers of the court, and it wasn't a genuine confession obtained through torture. The fact that he was fined a year's salary was already a sign of great favor towards Mu Zhi.

However, Zhou Liang is narrow-minded and vindictive, and I'm afraid he will hold a grudge against Mu Zhi.

If you don't kill the snake, there will be trouble later.

The Empress Dowager said, "Minister Zhou, take me to see Scholar Shen."

Upon hearing that the Empress had changed her address, Zhou Liang's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was completely relieved. He quickly said, "Your Majesty, please come with me."

As he spoke, he led the Empress, Gu Nanzhu, Murong Yue, and the others to the Dali Temple prison.

Meanwhile, in the prison, Shen Xian let out a long sigh of relief. He had finished writing "On the Censor" and placed his brush on a brush rack to let the ink on the memorial dry.

Gao Yanfu's pupils contracted slightly, his heart filled with inexplicable shock.

He was also an educated man, and having served the Empress for so many years, his knowledge far surpassed that of ordinary people. Judging from the memorial he had just submitted, how could he not know the turbulent events hidden within it?

Just then, a guard said, "Eunuch Gao, the Princess has arrived."

As they spoke, Princess Zhenguo and Si Di, accompanied by Xue Zhihua, arrived at the prison cell.

Gao Yanfu hurriedly left the prison and stepped forward to greet him, saying, "This servant greets Your Highness."

"No need for such formalities, Eunuch Gao." The Princess Zhenguo glanced at the young man with her beautiful eyes and thought to herself, "He is indeed a handsome man."

Si Di, with her hand on the Vermilion Bird Blade at her waist, glanced at Shen Xian, then her gaze fell on the memorials on the table. She probed them with her divine sense, and a strange light appeared in her eyes.

Xue Zhihua looked at the young man in blue robes sitting on the licorice cushion, and felt a little relieved.

Shen Xian also left the table and bowed to the Princess Zhenguo, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Highness, may Your Highness live a thousand years."

Jiang Rui, who was next door, witnessed the entire scene.

This area belongs to the Dali Temple prison area, with only two prisons facing each other.

The Princess Zhenguo looked at the tall, composed young man and gently comforted him, "Scholar Shen has suffered."

Shen Xian cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness and Lord Xue."

Xue Zhihua looked at the young man with an air of nonchalance and composure, and was somewhat impressed by his demeanor.

Princess Zhenguo nodded secretly and said softly, "This is not the place to talk. Scholar Shen, why don't you go to the Dali Temple first to have a conversation?"

Shen Xian smiled and said, "Your Highness, I was arrested here by the Dali Temple. They say I am harboring a criminal. If I leave without a clear explanation, wouldn't that give them a handle against me?"

In fact, he could have stopped while he was ahead, but then all the memorials he had written would have been for nothing.

He was waiting, waiting for the Empress to personally deliver the memorial, to put the brakes on this increasingly dark and cruel political system.

The diva will definitely come!
This is a psychological perception; after their first meeting, he must have left a deep impression on the diva.

In "The Strategy for Maintaining Peace," the gathering of martial artists from across the land to organize the exorcism of demons and the suppression of evil spirits only elevates him to the level of a prime minister, making him a potential talent for the country, but not necessarily a strategist.

However, the Two-Tax System in "The Wealth of Nations" can be said to have fully presented his political views to the Empress Dowager.

We must eliminate powerful and influential families and suppress the local magnates!
He not only articulated his political beliefs but also provided the Queen with practical strategies.

The stance on the distinction between the path of immortality and the path of humanity is naturally appealing to the Human Emperor.

These words were no different from Shang Yang telling Duke Xiao of Qin about the hegemonic way of enriching the country and strengthening the army. From then on, the Queen regarded him as a national hero! But that was not enough. If he wanted to become a strategist, he needed to constantly reinforce the monarch's impression.

Princess Zhenguo looked at the handsome young man with a cool demeanor and seemed to understand something. She said softly, "I have already sent someone to report this matter to the Empress Dowager. I expect an eunuch will deliver the imperial edict soon. If Mr. Shen is really worried, he can wait for you in prison."

Just as time was quietly passing by, a guard from the Imperial Guards rushed over, cupped his fists, and said, "Eunuch Gao, the Empress Dowager has arrived."

The eldest princess turned to look at Si Di and said, "Si Di, let's go and greet them together."

Si Di glanced deeply at the composed young man, said nothing more, and with her hand on the Vermilion Bird Blade at her waist, escorted the princess to greet the Empress.

At this moment, Jiang Rui, who was next door, was shocked by what he saw.

The Dali Temple is bustling with activity today.

Not long after, the Queen arrived along the long prison corridor.

With a wave of her hand, Murong Yue froze the prisoners on both sides, rendering them unable to speak or move.

They were clearly worried that the cries for justice would disturb the Empress's mood.

Zhou Liang led the way, the lights on both sides of the prison cell flickering, sometimes shining and sometimes dimming on the man's rat-bearded and monkey-faced features.

A short while later, they met Princess Zhenguo and Si Di.

"Your Majesty." The Princess Zhenguo quickened her pace and called out softly, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

The Empress's gaze was warm, and her cool voice carried a hint of doting: "Qingluan, what brings you here?"

Qingluan is the name of the Princess Zhenguo, which contains the Empress's certain expectations or...political ambitions.

The Princess Zhenguo's beautiful face was beaming with a smile, adding to her charm. She stepped forward and said, "Zhihua said that Scholar Shen was going to set up two offices to slay demons and pacify evil spirits, but then somehow he was taken away by the Dali Temple. So your son and Sidi came to see for ourselves."

Actually, it's mostly out of sheer boredom, just wanting to watch a good show.

Si Di stepped forward, bowed to the Empress, and said, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress."

The Empress nodded without saying anything more: "Scholar Shen is also one of your Vermilion Bird Division members, let's go and take a look together."

As they spoke, the group of people, surrounded by attendants, arrived in front of the prison.

Gao Yanfu and the guards waited respectfully on both sides of the prison. When they saw the Empress's carriage arrive, they bowed to her and said, "This humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty live a thousand years."

The Empress, her beautiful face radiating an air of authority, waved her hand and said, "Rise, all of you."

A pair of cool, clear eyes fell on Shen Xian.

Shen Xian bowed and cupped his hands, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Holy Empress."

The title at this moment is "Holy Empress," or rather, Shen Xian has called the Heavenly Empress "Holy" since he met her, which also contains a kind of hope of Shen Xian.

The Empress nodded and said gently, "Mr. Shen, your men were impetuous and rude, which has frightened you."

Shen Xian raised his eyes, his gaze calm as still water, meeting the Empress's phoenix eyes. He smiled nonchalantly and said, "This humble subject has nothing to report. Having just entered the capital, I have just experienced the cruelty of our dynasty's criminal officials and the strictness of its laws. Only today do I realize the value of a clerk."

He can now act flattered, but the "national hero" and "strategist" persona he painstakingly cultivated has vanished.

In other words, even if one is fearless and composed when faced with swords and axes, one cannot speak out against one's superiors.

How to get along with an emperor is an art. If you are too humble, you will appear obsequious and lose your integrity. If you are too arrogant, you will appear unruly.

Maintaining a balance of humility and arrogance is even more difficult than in ordinary relationships.

Looking at that calm and expressionless face, and the imperial edict on the table, the Empress paused for a moment, then said in a clear voice, "Mr. Shen, the person from before has been severely punished by me. Does Mr. Shen have any other requests? I will grant them."

Zhou Liang hurriedly stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Scholar Shen, it was a misunderstanding earlier. Suo Yuanli has been flogged and exiled to Lingnan. I have also been fined a year's salary for my negligence. I will personally visit you to apologize to you another day."

This reveals Zhou Liang's cunning; he placed himself in a pitiful position.

“Lord Zhou, there’s no need for that.” Shen Xian’s expression paused slightly, but he did not get into a dispute with him, and he did not even mention the mistake of the criminal he had just made.

Because he's going to use a dimensional reduction attack!
Beyond the emotional conflict surrounding this matter, from the perspective of governance, we can insightfully point out the underlying structural contradictions.

Shen Xian took the memorial, bowed, and handed it over: "Your Majesty, this is what I felt while I was in prison just now. I wrote it down here and hope Your Majesty will accept it."

The Empress Dowager's heart was filled with anticipation, and her authoritative voice carried a hint of urging: "Gao Yanfu, bring it here."

Gao Yanfu hurriedly stepped forward, took the memorial from Shen Xian's hand, and presented it to the Empress with a respectful expression.

The Empress Dowager quickly opened the memorial, and the three regular script characters on the cover immediately caught her eye and captivated her attention.

[On the Administration of Ministers]

(End of this chapter)