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

Chapter 119 My lord! You're wrong again!
Leng Liuxi, of course, did not believe Su Mo's claim that a single method could easily quell the Northern Di threat.

She, the empress, along with her high-ranking officials, generals on the frontier, and an army of 100,000, devoted herself wholeheartedly to the cause and sacrificed countless lives, yet she could not resolve the threat from the Northern Barbarians.

How could a mere soldier or a clerk from the yamen possibly solve this?

If that's really the case, then all the court officials might as well commit suicide by slitting their own throats!

In Leng Liuxi's view.

Su Mo simply believed that he could use money to bribe the Northern Di generals, and further, use the luxurious items and decadent habits of the Great Wu to corrupt the Northern Di leadership and undermine their fighting spirit!
The Great Wu Dynasty was full of talented people; how could they not have thought of this?

Even better, take action early on...

The results were minimal!

This is not a problem involving a few generals or nobles from the Northern Barbarians.

Even if the entire high-ranking officials of the Northern Barbarians are corrupted, the soldiers and herdsmen at the bottom will surely overthrow them and establish a new, aggressive regime!

This concerns the very survival of the Northern Di people!
The barren grasslands of northern Xinjiang meant that they had to migrate south to plunder resources and food in order to survive on that cruel land!
……

The inner city of Shenjing was much more magnificent and orderly than the outer city.

Unlike the black and white tones prevalent in the outer city, where carved beams and painted rafters are not permitted in residential buildings.

The buildings in the inner city are much more colorful. Many large mansions have red walls and green tiles, double eaves and vermilion doors with copper nails, steps and guardian beasts in front of the doors, creating a magnificent atmosphere!

Su Mo stared wide-eyed!
Such magnificent ancient architectural masterpieces have a truly enormous impact on modern people!
Owning a house in this inner city would be a true symbol of status!

Unfortunately, even if you have the money, you can't buy it!
The hierarchy in the Great Martial World is very strict. The biggest difference between officials and commoners lies mainly in their residences and clothing!
Even riding in a sedan chair had strict regulations!

You, a mere merchant, want to wear fine silks and satins and ride in a sedan chair carried by eight men? That's courting death!

The brocade reward that Su Mo received last time almost caused Lady Chen and the young widow to fight!

In addition to the more magnificent and ornate architecture, the inner city also features...

It is clean and tidy, far surpassing the outer city.

At least Su Mo didn't smell that foul stench of sewage!

Even Su Mo was so shocked.

Jiang Lan goes without saying.

If it weren't for Su Mo, she probably would never have been able to set foot in the inner city in her entire life!

Once inside the city, I walked with trepidation and trepidation!

Su Mo's small flag official's tooth token is quite useful.

I asked a patrolling guard and learned the location of the Southern Garrison Command.

The Northern Garrison Command was responsible for cases designated by the Empress herself, and could arrest, torture, and execute without going through the judicial system.

Similar to the East and West Offices.

The Northern Garrison Command has its own official seal and is able to investigate and handle cases in a way that even the commander cannot control, making it a higher authority than the Southern Garrison Command.

In fact, the Southern Garrison Command also had the authority to handle cases independently and had its own prison.

To the average person, there is not much difference between the two.

They're all hellish places anyway.

How could someone like Jiang Lan, a local thug, not be terrified!

They arrived outside the Southern Garrison Command.

Seeing that Jiang Lan was so frightened that she could barely stand, Su Mo frowned and simply told her to return to the outer city first.

Then, he strode towards the Southern Garrison Command, a place that terrified countless people!

Before Su Mo even entered the square outside the Southern Garrison Command, a group of soldiers in brocade uniforms stopped him!
"Who is coming?"

The leading red-clad captain, his face grim, gave Su Mo a cold shout.

Su Mo presented his identification token: "Su Mo, a junior officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard of Changping County, is hereby ordered to return to the capital to report on his duties!"

Upon hearing this, the red-clad captain was immediately stunned!

Ordered to report on duties?

What a joke!
A junior officer was ordered to report on his duties?
Would His Majesty issue a special imperial edict to a mere flag officer?

Of course, he didn't dare to ask any more questions. After checking that Su Mo's ivory token was correct, he pointed to a strongman and said, "Zhao Gao, take him there!"

Su Mo sighed again.

The Imperial Guards of Shenjing are awesome!
This red-clad captain, who wasn't even a general of the Han Dynasty, dared to refer to himself as "he"!

No wonder Commander Qianhu would rather stay in the capital and be a low-ranking official than go to a local command post and be a high-ranking official!
Officials in Beijing are truly three ranks higher!
However, Zhao Gao's attitude was much more polite.

Leading Su Mo into the Zhenfu Division, they went through several corridors and passageways before finally leading Su Mo to an old clerk.

The old clerk leisurely sipped his tea while reading the official gazette.

Zhao Gao took the initiative to say, "Li Qianshu, this is Su Mo, a junior officer from Changping Garrison. He has been ordered to return to the capital to report on his duties."

Upon hearing this, Li Qianshu was immediately taken aback.

He put down the official gazette and squinted at Su Mo for a while.

He then slowly said, "So you are Su Mo, the minor officer of Changping County?"

"Where is the ivory token?"

Su Mo quickly handed over the ivory token: "Reporting to Your Excellency, the ivory token is here."

Although the Assistant Secretary of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a subordinate official, he wielded considerable power.

The old clerk carefully examined Su Mo's ivory token, then handed it back to Su Mo, saying expressionlessly, "Your report has been forwarded to the Phoenix Cry Division."

Su Mo was immediately taken aback: "Phoenix Cry Division?"

"May I ask, Your Excellency, where is the Phoenix Cry Division? I have never heard of it."

He only knew that the Great Wu Dynasty had this Embroidered Uniform Guard, but he didn't even understand the internal structure of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital.

Why has another Phoenix Cry Division appeared?

The old clerk ignored Su Mo and turned to Zhao Gao, saying, "Take him to the Mingzheng Hall!"

Zhao Gao looked at Su Mo with a strange expression: "Lord Su, please follow me!"

Su Mo followed Zhao Gao with a belly full of suspicion.

They arrived at the Mingzheng Hall.

But in the Mingzheng Hall, a young and beautiful woman sat upright, wearing a black cloak over a close-fitting armor with fine scales and mountain patterns, her face expressionless!
This outfit looks quite imposing!

The woman glanced at Su Mo expressionlessly.

"Are you Su Mo, a minor officer in Changping County?" The voice was equally devoid of emotion.

Su Mo had no choice but to repeat himself: "Your Excellency, I am indeed Su Mo."

The woman rose to her feet: "Come with me!"

He walked straight out of the Southern Garrison Command.

Outside, there was a horse-drawn carriage parked.

The carriage was completely sealed off, without even a single window; the curtain at the front had been replaced by two wooden doors!

The woman handed Su Mo a thick black cloth: "Blindfold yourself! Get in the car!"

Su Mo...

What the hell is this Phoenix Cry Division?!

The level of secrecy seems to be much higher than that of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

He had no choice but to obediently cover his eyes and get into the carriage.

It felt like we were going around in circles, and at least two incense sticks' worth of time passed before the carriage finally stopped!
"You can get off now!"

The woman's indifferent voice came from outside the carriage.

Su Mo hesitated for a moment, then removed the blindfold and stepped out of the carriage.

To his astonishment, he found himself in a rather exquisite and enormous garden.

The garden was larger than Su Mo, this country bumpkin, could have imagined.

Putting aside everything else, just look at this pond in front of us, which is over ten acres in size, and you can get a glimpse of its scale!
"follow me!"

The woman stepped onto the stone bridge and walked to the stone pavilion in the center of the pond.

"Sit down!" She looked at Su Mo expressionlessly. "I am the Commander of the Fengming Division, and I am in charge of your performance review this time!"

"Nothing that happens here must be revealed to anyone!"

"Otherwise, die!"

The woman paused, then continued, "Now, I will ask you questions, and you will answer them!"

Su Mo grew increasingly suspicious.

Lord Qianhu said that he had already made arrangements for himself, and that the performance review was just a formality.

Why does it look like such a huge event now?
And now they've even come up with the Phoenix Cry Division? They can even directly demand people from the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

However, just by hearing the name Fengming Division, one can tell that it has an extremely powerful background!

Don't forget, the current Empress is a woman!

Su Mo could only suppress his suspicions and nodded, saying in a deep voice, "This subordinate understands!"

As a result, the woman asked her first question.

Su Mo's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat!

"What merits did you make in the battle to wipe out the Heavenly Mother Cult in Longmen Cave that allowed you to be promoted directly from a strongman to a junior officer?"

Su Mo felt a sudden chill run down his spine!
Fortunately, Lin Moyin had already told him the truth and they had a conversation!

At this point, the only option is to trust your woman!
Su Mo took a deep breath and was about to speak when he was shocked to find that the woman opposite him had an eerie light in her eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul!

Su Mo felt dizzy and extremely tired, as if he was about to fall asleep!

Just then, a burning sensation appeared on my chest, like a branding iron.

Su Mo jolted awake in pain.

The drowsiness vanished instantly!
"so close!"

"Is this a mind control technique?"

Su Mo gasped!
He was most afraid that the secret of time travelers would be discovered, so he had tried to find out about the relevant techniques indirectly.

The art of mind control was learned from Lin Moyin!

This is a high-level spell that only a Grand Sorcerer at the Returning to the Origin Realm can control!

Looking at Fengming Si Qianhu, who was not much older than Lin Moyin, he was actually a Guiqiao Realm Immortal Daoist who was even more powerful than Lin Moyin and Wang Xiuzhi.
Fengming Si Qianhu was slightly surprised to see that Su Mo did not answer immediately, but instead showed a hint of struggle.

His eyes shone with an even stronger eerie light as he asked again, "What merits did you make in the battle to wipe out the Heavenly Mother Cult in the Dragon Gate Cave that allowed you to be promoted directly from a Warrior to a Junior Flag Officer?"

Su Mo quickly feigned confusion and mumbled, "This humble official accompanied the centurion to Longmen Cave to exterminate the cultists. We killed two cultists and thus gained merit, which led to my promotion to junior officer."

Fengming Si Qianhu coldly asked, "No other reason?"

Su Mo looked conflicted, and after hesitating for a long time, he said, "This humble official and the centurion... are of one mind... that's why the centurion specifically recommended this humble official for promotion to junior officer?"

Fengming Division Commander immediately asked in a deep voice, "Why did Lin Moyin recommend you for the position of Junior Flag Officer, and why was the approval granted within just a few days?"

Su Mo asked suspiciously, "This humble official doesn't know either!"

"...It might be the centurion, who has connections with the higher-ups in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Fengming Si Qianhu remained silent for a moment.

The eerie look in his eyes gradually faded!

Her smooth forehead and fair neck were slightly damp with sweat.

The Mind Control Technique requires an enormous amount of magical power and spiritual energy!
Su Mo also noticed that the scorching aura of the Vajra Pestle had disappeared!

Clearly, the opponent has withdrawn their spell!
Fortunately, I heard information about the Mind Control Technique from Lin Moyin, otherwise I would definitely have fallen for it, and it would have been difficult to even pretend.

Su Mo then feigned suspicion and looked towards the commander of the Fengming Division.

The commander of the Fengming Division softened his tone considerably and asked calmly, "I'm asking you!"

"Changping County, with its two markets, east and west, why do you receive over a thousand taels of silver in your hands!"

Su Mo was secretly startled again!
Unless they had investigated themselves beforehand, even the Embroidered Uniform Guard could not have figured out the situation in the East and West Markets in such a short time!
They even know exactly how much they earn!
He suddenly remembered that Lin Moyin had once said something.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has a secret method of communication that can reach a distance of a thousand miles in an hour, but it cannot be used except in urgent situations.

The Phoenix Cry Division likely used this secret method to quickly investigate what they had done in Changping County!
Su Mo couldn't help but become suspicious.

Given the level of secrecy of the Phoenix Cry Division, is it really necessary for them to investigate me using secret communication methods just for this matter?
Surely they wouldn't be so poor as to try to steal two thousand taels of silver from me?
He hesitated for a moment, then decided it was best to be honest and say, "Reporting to Commander Qian."

"This humble official...this humble official has some knowledge of business management."

"We've put a lot of effort into regulating the East and West markets and standardizing business operations..."

"With a better business environment, vendors' businesses improve, and they...are more willing to pay management fees, therefore..."

Su Mo paused, then gritted his teeth and said, "Therefore, I was able to profit quite a bit from it."

The commander of the Fengming Division snorted coldly: "In my opinion, this is plunder by force!"

"Aren't you afraid that the Emperor will punish you and cut off your head!"

Su Mo quickly replied, "Your Excellency is wise!"

"After my administration rectified the two markets, the business environment for vendors improved, and their businesses naturally became better. Even those who paid management fees earned more than before. They paid the management fees willingly, and I certainly did not extort them!"

Fengming Division Commander sneered: "All the wealth in the world is predetermined!"

"For every coin you take, the common people lose a coin!"

"The greater the profits of merchants, the greater the losses of ordinary people!"

"A mere junior officer in the Imperial Guard dares to embezzle a thousand taels of silver. If all officials in the world were like you, how would the common people survive?"

As she spoke, a murderous glint flashed in her eyes: "Tell me, should you have been killed or not!"

Su Mo felt a cold sweat break out on his back and hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, please forgive me for not agreeing with your words!"

"The wealth in this world is never fixed!"

Commander Fengming Si sneered: "This is a truth known to all!"

Su Mo took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Reporting to Your Excellency!"

In my humble opinion, the wealth of the world will only increase!

"In ancient times, when everyone ate raw meat and drank blood, how could their wealth compare to the magnificent Great Wu of today!"

Fengming Division Commander Qianhu paused in mid-air!
Su Mo then added, "The world's wealth will only increase!"

"Wealth comes from labor!"

"Like the trees in the mountains, if no one cuts them down, they will eventually turn into withered wood, rot and disappear, and cannot be considered as wealth."

"If a woodcutter cuts it down for firewood or burns it for charcoal, it will become a valuable commodity!"

As he spoke, Su Mo glanced at the commander of the Fengming Division and, seeing her look surprised, immediately added, "And the rice and grain in the fields."

"If no one cultivates the land, there will be no harvest; but if the people work hard, there will be a bumper harvest of rice and grain, and wealth will follow!"

Finally, Su Mo made a decisive conclusion!
"There is no fixed way to calculate the wealth of the world!"

"If that's the case, wouldn't everyone be able to make a living without working?"

Fengming Division Commander was speechless after hearing Su Mo's words.

I wanted to refute it, but I had no way to refute it!

That does make a lot of sense!
But how come those great Confucian scholars and academicians say that the wealth of the world is predetermined, and often use this saying to advise the sage not to do things that burden the people and waste resources, and not to engage in extravagant and wasteful behavior?

She couldn't understand it at all, and finally could only let out a heavy snort: "Even if that wealth comes from...labor!"

“Merchants like you, who buy low and sell high, do no work and deserve to be killed!”

Su Mo exclaimed, "Holy crap!"
In the future, I will definitely have to rely on business acumen to become wealthy.

Or, embezzlement!

Does that mean I should personally go to the fields and farm?
Although in ancient times, when productivity was low, agriculture was the most direct and effective means of increasing social wealth.

The problem is, it's fine to let others do the work, but it's definitely not okay to do it yourself!
I'm here to enjoy myself!
We're not here to farm, much less to benefit the people!
He naturally wanted to offer advice and explanations to the merchants.

It's not about right or wrong, it's all about who's in the position!
I've organized my thoughts.

Su Mo then slowly spoke: "Lord Commander, please forgive my rudeness!"

"Sir, you're wrong again!"

Seven thousand words done! Ten thousand tomorrow!
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(End of this chapter)