spend time

The next day, Minister Zhang experienced the princess's power.

Jiang Shaohua immediately asked someone to bring over all the documents and materials from the Ministry of Personnel within the past three years.

Zhang Shangshu's heart tightened, and he said in a gentle voice: "The number of officials in the prefectures and counties of Daliang is huge, adding up to more than 10,000. The annual official assessment is always a very tedious matter. The Ministry of Personnel naturally has the documents and materials. However, moving them all here will take up too much space and will be too laborious."

"How about we just move last year's paperwork?"

Obviously, Minister Zhang had "prepared" the information for last year, but had not had time to "prepare" the information for the previous two years.

Jiang Shaohua sneered in her heart and said calmly: "Just as Minister Zhang said, there are too many officials in Daliang and too much assessment materials. This princess alone cannot finish reading them even if it takes a month. This princess plans to randomly select some from them and read them."

"If Minister Zhang continues to make excuses, I will start to suspect that the Ministry of Personnel is doing something shameful."

Minister Zhang was so furious at being squeezed that he was fuming, but he couldn't turn hostile, so he held back his anger and asked someone to bring over three years' worth of official assessment documents.

Pile after pile, they filled up half the room.

Jiang Shaohua casually ordered: "Please ask Wang Sheren to take out the official assessment documents for Jingzhou for the past three years. This princess will look at these today."

Wang Jin bowed and accepted the order.

Minister Zhang couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. The princess had clearly planned ahead of time, and asked for the three-year official assessment documents of Jingzhou. You know, Nanyang County is in Jingzhou. All the officials of the Nanyang Palace are also among the officials of Jingzhou.

Wang Jin worked meticulously and efficiently. In two incense sticks of time, he had found all the information Jiang Shaohua wanted to read. When they were piled together, they were about a foot high. One afternoon was enough for him to finish reading them.

Jiang Shaohua sat on the chair, picked up the first book, and flipped through it slowly.

Xue, the governor of Jingzhou, has been diligent and conscientious in his administration for three years. There has been no famine in Jingzhou, and the province has never asked the court for money or grain, and taxes have been paid in full. This is already a first-rate official in the Daliang officialdom.

Even so, Governor Xue's assessment score was only above average.

Jiang Shaohua pulled the corner of his mouth and looked at Zhang Shangshu with an ambiguous look: "A capable minister like Governor Xue only got an above-average score in the assessment. This shows how strict the assessment standards of the Ministry of Personnel are. I wonder what the annual assessment of Governor Wang Yi of Jiangnan is like?"

Of course it is top quality.

For Prime Minister Wang, the Ministry of Personnel had to give Governor Wang the best grade in the assessment. Unfortunately, Governor Wang failed to live up to his expectations and was directly dismissed from office after being caught for corruption, which made Prime Minister Wang lose face.

Jiang Shaohua suddenly mentioned Wang Yi at this moment, which was like a slap in the face of Shangshu Zhang.

Minister Zhang's face really didn't look good.

Wang Jin also felt embarrassed and explained in a low voice: "Although my brother is extremely greedy, he is very loyal to the court. The taxes he pays every year are the highest among all the states in Daliang. Therefore, he always gets top marks in the annual assessment of the Ministry of Personnel."

Jiang Shaohua said calmly, "Jiangnan is richer than the capital. It is natural that they pay more taxes. It is not a great achievement. This princess only found out today that the standard used by the Ministry of Personnel to evaluate officials in various states and counties is taxes."

Wang Jin was speechless.

Minister Zhang was angry, and his tone was a little stiff: "Taxes do account for the largest proportion, and the rest include peace under the rule, whether there are civil unrest or famine, etc. The princess hasn't finished reading it yet, it's too early to draw a conclusion!"

Jiang Shaohua glanced at Zhang Shangshu and said with a half-smile: "This princess is just talking nonsense, why is Zhang Shangshu so anxious and angry?"

"Master Wang, there is no need to record what just happened. Otherwise, if it is presented to the emperor, Minister Zhang will lose face and become angry and resentful of me."

Zhang Shangshu: "..."

This Jiang Shaohua was really sharp-tongued. Minister Zhang was so angry that his teeth itched, so he simply shut up and pretended to be generous and not to argue with the yellow-haired girl.

Jiang Shaohua continued to look through it and soon saw the assessment documents of the officials in Nanyang Palace.

The officials of the palace were nominally court officials, but in reality they were paid by the palace and obeyed the orders of the princess. The annual performance evaluation by the Ministry of Personnel did not matter to them.

However, when Jiang Shaohua saw that Chen Changshi and Feng Changshi were both middle-to-upper-level officials, she felt unhappy and her pretty face darkened: "Minister Zhang, Nanyang County is the fief of this county lord, and all taxes go to the Nanyang Palace. However, in the past few years, Nanyang County has contributed a large amount of grain to the court every year, right!"

Minister Zhang had expected what he would hear, but he had to respond: "Yes, Nanyang County has donated a lot of grain in recent years."

Jiang Shaohua snorted coldly: "According to the standards of the Ministry of Personnel for evaluating officials, Chen Changshi and Feng Changshi are both capable officials. How could there not be even one top-ranked one?"

"If the whole court is filled with corrupt officials like Governor Wang, wouldn't Daliang be full of termites?"

Wang Jin lowered his head and took notes silently.

Zhang Shangshu's face was burning with anger from the questioning, and he gritted his teeth to explain: "Chen Changshi and Feng Changshi are both officials of the royal palace. They don't need to be promoted, and they don't need to care whether the assessment is top-notch or not. So..."

"So, the Ministry of Personnel was deliberately harsh and ranked them in the upper middle level?" Jiang Shaohua looked at Minister Zhang coldly and said sharply: "This princess only found out today that Minister Zhang actually does his job in this way. Official assessment is related to the stability of the officialdom. As the Minister of Personnel, you are so selfish. Are you worthy of the emperor's trust in you?"

Minister Zhang was caught in a weak spot and had to stand up and confess his crime.

Jiang Shaohua left Zhang Shangshu alone for a moment before saying calmly, "This princess will report the right and wrong of this matter to the emperor. The emperor will make the final decision. Zhang Shangshu does not need to stay here with me. Just focus on your own work."

Minister Zhang was driven away in such disgrace.

Wang Jin's wrists were sore from writing, so he finally stopped to take a short break. He looked up at Jiang Shaohua with a complicated look.

After a long time, Wang Jin finally broke the silence with a low voice: "The princess seems to be in a bad mood today, and she is particularly mean to Minister Zhang."

Wang Jin is indeed meticulous.

She was worried about Cui Du's injury, so how could she feel good? Minister Zhang was unlucky today and became her punching bag.

Jiang Shaohua would not say this to Wang Jin. She glanced over and asked, "What did I say wrong?"

Wang Jin shut up immediately.

……

Two days later, the news that Earl Changning was assassinated at the farm finally reached the palace.

Emperor Taihe was immediately alarmed and immediately summoned Jiang Shaohua.

Jiang Shaohua had been forbearing for a few days, and today she was finally able to vent her negative emotions. With red eyes, she said, "Your Majesty, during this time in the capital, I did too much and made people unhappy. Since you failed to assassinate me, you secretly attacked Cui Du."

"If this continues, I'm afraid all the officials of Nanyang Palace will be in danger."

"Your Majesty, please allow me to return to Nanyang County immediately."

Emperor Taihe felt a little guilty and sighed, "You have been in the capital for a long time, helping me solve my problems. It is really hard. Come back if you want! I have given you a decree. You can come to the capital anytime you want in the future. You don't have to wait for my decree to summon you." (End of this chapter)