allonlinenovel Chapter 111 Rebellious Officials of the Former Dynasty 42
Chapter 111 Rebellious Officials of the Former Dynasty 42
"She deserves to be beaten!" the emperor replied slowly. Seeing that Lady Yu was on the verge of tears, looking as if she really believed his nonsense, he smiled.
"In this palace, you are the smartest." He leaned down to look at the seemingly foolish Lady Yu and smiled, "And your son is smart too."
Lady Yu hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am ignorant."
The emperor glanced at her trembling hairpin and chuckled, "What are you afraid of? I'm not senile enough to eat people."
"I just suddenly realized that I have overlooked something in the past."
Xiao Yao wasn't entirely useless except for pleasing him.
He looked at Madam Yu with deep eyes: "What do you think of me transferring him back to the capital and placing him in the Dali Temple?"
Lady Yu was startled: "Your Majesty, please reconsider! This child has finally had a chance to leave the capital. If he is rashly summoned back, wouldn't that cause unrest in the palace?"
"Are you afraid he'll cause trouble in the palace, but aren't you afraid he'll miss a golden opportunity?"
"Your Majesty, I am not afraid. Jiu'er has no ambition for high office. The northern desert is just fine. Please let him grow up there!" Madam Yu's voice suddenly calmed down. She looked up at the emperor calmly, and then kowtowed heavily in pleading.
The emperor glanced at the large bump that had rapidly appeared on her forehead and chuckled, "Alright, go back now."
After a pause, he added, "In a few days, the Three Departments will be going to the northern desert to investigate a case. You can write a letter and have them take it with them."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Relieved, Lady Yu smiled beautifully again.
“Give him a good talking-to. Don’t let him be so cowardly. What kind of behavior is it for a prince to hide behind the princess in everything?”
"Yes!"
As Madam Yu stepped out of the warm pavilion, her body went limp when her maidservant came forward to help her up.
She pressed down hard on the maid's hand and whispered, "Don't make a sound, help me back!"
Once back in the palace, she collapsed onto the soft couch, utterly exhausted.
If she made even the slightest mistake, the emperor's suspicion of Jiu'er would increase dramatically!
She stared blankly at the misty sky outside the window, feeling that the emperor's temperament had become increasingly unstable lately.
As people get older, they often fear death and do things they never dared to imagine doing before.
With the turmoil in the palace subsided, the scene of several high-ranking officials from the previous dynasty being buried in coffins like a flowing stream became a common sight in the capital.
Amidst the endless stream of coffins, the people of the capital nearly believed that some ruthless bandits had wiped out the entire family of a high-ranking official, sparking widespread discussion.
The officials in the court were also taken aback by the strange behavior of these powerful figures. They wanted to find out what was going on, but found that all three of their residences were closed to visitors.
The doorman wouldn't even accept the invitations they handed out, simply saying through the door, "The master doesn't receive guests, please leave."
Just as officials of all ranks were wondering what these three were up to, the next morning at court, the three high-ranking officials carried a coffin to court.
They reported to the emperor that the northern border troops were corrupt and volunteered to go there to clean up the mess, vowing not to return to the capital until all the corrupt officials were killed!
Those who had nothing to do with the matter thought they were making a mountain out of a molehill.
Is something happening in the border army worth making such a big fuss about?
It's not like they're really going to rebel.
But those who had connections were already trembling with fear.
This……
Why is this so!
The morning court session ended with the emperor's order to investigate. The officials, unsettled by the situation, sought out their mentors and fellow examinees to inquire about the details.
No sooner had the woman left the mansion than the Dali Temple came to arrest her.
Whether you have anything to do with this or not, if you try to find out about it, your whole family will be sent to the Dali Temple!
If you are truly innocent, you will be released once the investigation is completed!
As for whether you will still have a place in the imperial court at that time?
What is this guy doing in the court if he can't even tell the wind direction?
Rather than being schemed against and killed in the future, it's better to go back to the countryside and farm as soon as possible!
In a short time, the prisons of the Dali Temple were filled to capacity, the prisons of the Ministry of Justice were filled to capacity, and even the prisons of the Prefect of the Capital were filled to capacity. Officials of all ranks who were arrested could only walk dozens of miles in shackles and be imprisoned in the county towns under the jurisdiction of the capital.
The imperial court was nearly empty, and the capital was filled with an atmosphere of unease and fear.
Amidst this tense atmosphere, the officials, carrying the coffins bestowed upon them by the emperor, headed north.
In their minds, the northern desert region was probably already riddled with holes from the ravages of those bookworms.
When they received the new evidence from Xiao Yao on the way, their belief was further strengthened.
But the actual northern desert...
"Looking for wool washing workers! Ten coins a day, plus two steamed buns and a piece of salted meat for lunch!" Outside Tongcheng, a minor official from Tongcheng Prefecture stood in front of the notice board, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Before him stood a dense crowd of Tongcheng people.
A few hundred meters away from that minor official was another notice board.
"Fifteen coins for a woman who knows how to make felt! Meals included!"
"Beckoning to skillful women, learn to knit sweaters. Meals will be provided during the learning period. Twenty coins will be earned for each sweater you learn to knit!"
Tongcheng, which had been quiet for more than a decade, suddenly became bustling with activity.
After killing the ringleader Gao Xu and throwing several officials with irrefutable evidence into prison, the officials of Tongzhou City suddenly became obedient.
The policies set by Ling Yi were carried out in a solid and effective manner, and some of the guys who didn't have time to embezzle too much and were let off the hook were even able to exceed the targets.
The princess and the prince both said that as long as they can complete the task well, they can be exonerated!
As long as you hand over the embezzled money, you can continue to be an official!
No one in this world is born bad. Some people are just born into a bad environment and are unknowingly influenced to become less like human beings.
If everyone else is taking bribes and I don't, not only will I not get any money, but I'll also be ostracized by my superiors. What's the point?
Wouldn't it be better to take the money and live a life of debauchery at home?
As a result, one corrupt official after another emerged.
Ling Yi's ruthlessness was not so extreme as to execute all those who embezzled. Therefore, those who embezzled less than a hundred taels of silver and returned the money were demoted one rank and allowed to remain in their posts.
As for the positions they vacated, aren't there still warriors who truly refuse to conform to the world?
Those officials who had been marginalized and suppressed in the past suddenly discovered that the world in Tongcheng had changed!
Their persistence was a joke in the past, but now it has become a trendsetter for the entire Tongcheng.
The princess not only promoted them and made up for the allowances that Gao Xu had withheld over the years, but also entrusted them with important responsibilities!
Those disheartened officials suddenly found themselves in important positions, keeping them incredibly busy.
They had never experienced such a smooth office process in their lives; decisions made today could be passed down through the ranks the next day.
In just two months, the lifeless Tongcheng has undergone a complete transformation.