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

Chapter 154 Su Mo's Angry Mo Makes Even the Empress Panick!
Su Mo glanced at Hao Jian and the other three, who were kneeling and bound on the ground, and couldn't help but turn to Leng Liuxi, frowning as he asked, "Lord Leng, what's going on?"

"Why did you kidnap Commander Hao?"

Leng Liuxi snorted: "As members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they should have been loyal to their duties, but they abandoned their posts, were disloyal, and failed the Emperor's grace!"

"I will take him back to the yamen and punish him severely!"

Upon hearing this, Hao Jian and the others turned deathly pale!

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were terrifying enough!
The prison of the Northern Garrison Command was an even more hellish place.

But the legendary Fengming Division was far more terrifying than the imperial prison of the Beizhenfu Division!
I have never heard of anyone who was taken away by Fengming Si being able to reappear in the public eye!
Upon hearing this, Su Mo frowned again.

In his view, Hao Jian skipping work was not an unforgivable crime.

Even if Hao Jian were to do nothing, there would be no way for him to do anything even if he wanted to!
They couldn't even get a job from the Ministry of Works.

It's already quite good that the artisans in the artisan battalion didn't starve to death, given that they had to pay their entrance and exit fees and go out to make a living.

It's not that officials are inactive, it's that they have too many wild ideas!
At least the craftsmen in the T-group didn't have many complaints about Hao Jian and the others.

During this period, Hao Jian and he worked together quite well.

Regardless of whether they were on duty or not, and regardless of whether the T-group was messing with equipment or using the barracks' reserves, they did not interfere much.

Such an official is truly hard to find.

If someone else were to come, there might be even more complications.

Thinking of this, Su Mo pondered and said, "Lord Leng, please forgive my bluntness."

"Lord Hao and the others weren't actually being irresponsible."

"The artisan battalion of Gufeng Mountain has not received any work from the imperial court for a long time. If it weren't for Lord Hao and others finding a way for the artisans to make a living, many people would probably have starved to death."

"It is indeed difficult for Commander Hao to help the craftsmen find a way to make a living and also to guard the camp every day."

Upon hearing this, Hao Jian and the other three looked at Su Mo with disbelief on their faces!
There are those who add flowers to brocade, but even more who kick someone when they're down.

Faced with this situation, choosing to stand by and do nothing is already quite good, let alone offering help in times of need!

Strictly speaking, Su Mo was contradicting her superior.

If you anger this centurion of the Phoenix Cry Division, you're bound to end up badly!

Leng Liuxi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and frowned slightly: "Young Master Su, are you pleading for them?"

Seeing that Leng Liuxi's favorability rating hadn't changed, Su Mo nodded and said, "I think so."

"Although Hao Baihu and others are guilty, their crimes do not warrant death."

Hao Jian was moved to tears upon hearing this!

Su Qiguan is a truly kind and honest man!
These words really struck a chord with them!
When the group heard Fengming Si Baihu address Su Mo as "Young Master Su" and use the honorific "you," a glimmer of hope arose in their hearts, and they looked at Leng Liuxi with pleading eyes, not daring to blink!

Leng Liuxi smiled and said, "If we take them back to Fengming Division to be punished, they will never be able to return to this Lonely Peak Mountain."

"I'm afraid that Young Master Su won't be able to rise through the ranks and take charge of the entire artisan battalion?"

She paused, looking at Su Mo meaningfully: "Young Master Su, are you sure you want to plead for them?"

"If that's true, then I will certainly release them!"

Upon hearing this, Hao Jian's face changed drastically, turning deathly pale!
When the commander of Fengming Division said that, Su Mo didn't even need to consider whether it was good or bad; this was blocking his path to officialdom!
This time, I'm doomed!

To everyone's surprise, Su Mo looked at Leng Liuxi very seriously: "This humble servant is sincerely pleading for Lord Hao and the others!"

Wei Zhengguang pledged himself to be the head of the banner.

Leng Xixi agreed again, promising to help him get promoted, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would become a trial centurion.

Getting rid of Hao Jian wouldn't mean much to Su Mo.

Could it be that Leng Xixi could directly promote himself to the position of centurion in the Lone Peak Mountain Artisan Battalion?

Leng Liuxi hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "In that case, I will spare them this time!"

"However, death penalty can be avoided, but living crime cannot be avoided."

"I will petition His Majesty to demote them by one rank and transfer them back to the Upper Left Office, and they shall not be eligible for promotion for three years!"

Upon hearing this, Hao Jian and the other three were completely petrified, their faces filled with disbelief!

Su Mo looked at Leng Liuxi suspiciously: "If they are all transferred away, who will look after this artisan battalion?"

Leng Liuxi smiled and said, "Isn't there still Mr. Su?"

"Young Master Su will temporarily assume the position of head of the artisan soldiers' battalion at Gufeng Mountain. After I petition His Majesty, His Majesty will make his decision."

Su Mo was dumbfounded.

Is this okay?

No promotion, no raise.

This is just making me work for nothing!

Besides, Su Mo's goal is not to become a craftsman's foreman!

What if the Empress finds me useful and wants me to continue working for her?
He quickly said, "Lord Leng, you absolutely mustn't!"

Leng Liuxi looked at Su Mo in confusion: "Why not?"

Su Mo's eyes darted around: "Didn't His Majesty appoint me as the Registrar of Tianchang County?"

“How can I, your humble servant, remain in the artisan battalion and serve as its commander?”

Leng Liuxi smiled and said, "His Majesty did not say that Su Langjun's post in the garrison was to be removed."

"Besides, Gufeng Mountain is very close to Tianchang County. It would be very convenient for Young Master Su to come here from time to time to take care of things."

Su Mo was speechless.

This shows that he is determined to be a workhorse and serve the court wholeheartedly!

I'm here to enjoy myself, not to do hard labor.

Being an official is so arduous, it's better not to be one!
He snorted, "I'm not doing it anyway!"

Leng Liuxi blinked: "In that case, I have no choice but to report the truth to Your Majesty and punish them."

Hao Jian and the others turned pale again.

Upon hearing this, Su Mo's face immediately darkened, and his tone turned cold: "Lord Leng, there is no need to threaten this humble servant with them."

"This humble servant has done his duty as a subordinate to plead for Commander Hao."

"If Your Excellency does not agree, this humble servant has no choice but to do as you please, whether you wish to kill or torture me!"

For some reason, Leng Liuxi felt a slight panic in her heart!
I almost forgot, Su Mo is the kind of person who responds better to gentle persuasion than force!
I finally managed to build a personal relationship with him and extract tactical strategies like the flatbed wagon formation from him!

If we were to become estranged from Su Shi because of a few insignificant Imperial Guards, wouldn't that be a huge loss?
She blinked, covered her mouth and smiled, "I was just joking with you, Young Master Su, why take it seriously!"

Su Mo gave a heavy snort.

She turned her head away, too lazy to look at Leng Liuxi.

The pale-faced old eunuch and the black-armored female knight were at a loss for words.

Anyone else would have lost their head a hundred times over.

But Su Mo keeps courting death, yet he never seems to die.

He even brandished a knife right under His Majesty's nose!
Su Mo put on an expression of ignoring the Empress, but the Empress was not angry at all. Instead, she tried to please Su Mo and covered her mouth with a smile, saying, "Then what would it take for Young Master Su to become the commander of the artisan battalion?"

Su Mo rolled her eyes: "Don't even think about it!"

He couldn't get promoted.

salary?

Given the poverty of the Great Wu Dynasty, how much could a first-rank official with an annual salary of one thousand taels of silver possibly increase his own salary?

Does Baiyujing make half a day's profit in a year?
The Empress's eyes darted around slightly, a sly look appearing on her face: "What if we transferred your little lover, Lin Moyin, to a rank of commander in the core five institutes?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo was stunned for a moment, staring straight at Leng Liuxi, and exclaimed, "What did you say?"

"When the core five schools have a thousand households?"

Leng Liuxi nodded: "Yes!"

"The premise is that you have to manage the Lone Peak Mountain Artisan Battalion well."

"Um……"

"Didn't you say that five taels of silver is enough to make one Divine Arm Bow? I beg Your Majesty to grant you ten thousand taels of silver to make two thousand Divine Arm Bows."

She paused, then said, "Whenever my lord finishes the work, I will help her become a commander of the five core units!"

Hao Jian and others were petrified once again!

This scene is so magical.

One was a junior officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the other was a centurion in the Phoenix Cry Division.

Using the position of a fifth-rank official in the core five garrisons as leverage for bargaining?

Su Mo suddenly burst out laughing: "Lord Leng, although I am not well-educated, I am not stupid. Don't lie to me!"

"Even if you are a centurion of the Phoenix Cry Division, it is probably impossible for you to be promoted to a thousand-household rank in the five core departments on the left and right."

The Empress covered her mouth and laughed, "How will you know I can't do it if you don't try, Young Master Su?"

She paused, then added, "I am very well-read, I'm not lying to you!"

Su Mo rolled her eyes at her: "I'm not doing it, unless..."

Empress: "Unless what?"

Su Mo was determined to be the head of the artisan camp on Lone Peak Mountain.

Watch how he implements assembly line production, and secretly send someone over to learn the secrets of the assembly line!
Su Mo replied without hesitation, "Unless Lin Qianhu is first appointed as the commander of the five core units, I will believe you!" Upon hearing Su Mo's words, the Empress hesitated slightly.

Su Mo attributed the credit for the Eight-Ox Crossbow to Lin Moyin, and Lin Moyin would definitely reward her for her contributions.

Otherwise, who will be willing to serve her wholeheartedly in the future?

This time it was just going with the flow.

The problem has escalated now, and there's already a lot of criticism.

After all, Lin Moyin had only been a commander of the Sixth Garrison for less than three months, and had been promoted from a nominal fifth-rank official to a trial commander!
The Empress hesitated for a long time, just about to refuse Su Mo.

Looking up at Su Mo's disdainful expression, she felt inexplicably angry!

How dare you look down on me?
I, the Empress, am not even capable of transferring a mere commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
He's not a government official!

She snorted, but then her words changed abruptly: "Fine!"

"When I return, I will petition His Majesty to transfer Lin Moyin to the Fifth Core Unit!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo's eyes widened instantly, staring at the Empress in disbelief. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out, "Your Majesty, are you joking with me?"

Seeing Su Mo's shocked expression, the Empress felt secretly pleased!
This guy used to always surprise me, now it's finally my turn to surprise him!
She scoffed, "Who's joking with you!"

As she spoke, she raised her delicate hand, extended her little finger, and beckoned to Su Mo.

Su Mo looked completely bewildered: "Lord Leng, what's going on?"

The Empress blinked, a hint of playfulness in her eyes: "Pinky promise! Never to change your mind for a hundred years!"

Su Mo...

Is it a bit too frivolous to decide the positions of the top five officials in the city by making a pinky promise?

He was completely bewildered after hooking his fingers with the Empress.

The Empress then said solemnly, "Young Master Su, now hurry up and organize the documents you just mentioned so that I can take them back to report to His Majesty!"

Su Mo...

This really doesn't take much time.

After all, Su Mo had a lot of charcoal pencils made at the camp to make writing easier.

He's not good with a brush, but he's good with a pen. He writes very fast, but his handwriting doesn't last long.

After handing over the blueprints and documents to Leng Liuxi.

Leng Liuxi ordered the female knights to untie Hao Jian and the others.

His expression darkened, and he took out the ceremonial token of the Phoenix Cry Division's centurion, addressing the group of black-armored female knights: "With this token, seal off the artisan camp at Lone Peak Mountain."

"No one except Su Mo is allowed to enter or leave. Anyone who violates this rule will be killed on sight!"

Before Su Mo could react, the Empress gave him a slight bow and said, "This concubine is leaving!"

"If you remember this, my lord, you must keep it a secret and not reveal it to outsiders."

Then, he summoned the pale-faced old eunuch, boarded a carriage, and sped away!

When selecting a location for the artisan battalion, secrecy was the primary consideration.

For example, the Gufeng Mountain Artisan Camp is located in a steep valley of Gufeng Mountain, surrounded by mountains on three sides. The mountains are so steep that even monkeys would find it difficult to climb, and there is a large river encircling it, with only one main road for access.

A dozen or so female knights in black armor stood guard at the key pass, their weapons drawn, their faces cold and their killing intent palpable.

Clearly, the Empress's orders are being carried out thoroughly, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving!

Su Mo was speechless.

However, I can understand Leng Xixi's actions.

After all, in the eyes of the ancients, the importance of powerful long-range weapons such as the Divine Arm Bow and the Eight-Ox Crossbow was self-evident.

Leng Xixi was already being kind to him by allowing him to enter and leave the artisan camp!

Su Mo sighed and looked at Hao Jian and the others, who were pale and still trembling.

He cupped his hands in greeting to the group and said, "Lord Hao, esteemed officers, I have some business to attend to and must take my leave now!"

"Gentlemen...please rest assured and wait here for the imperial decree!"

After taking two steps, he turned back to remind Hao Jian and the others, "Um... it's best if you don't ask about or talk about what happened earlier!"

Since he spoke so confidently and said he could help Lord Qianhu transfer to one of the five core institutes.

Su Mo decided to believe her for the time being.

Naturally, he sought out Lin Moyin beforehand to discuss the Eight-Ox Crossbow and the Divine Arm Bow.

So that the Empress might suddenly decide to summon the Commander-in-Chief, and his true colors would be revealed during questioning!

That's the crime of deceiving the emperor!
Hao Jian and the others watched as Su Mo, carrying a precious sword and a strange crossbow, rode away at full speed.

It took him a long time to come back to his senses.

They exchanged a glance, both their faces filled with disbelief.

Hao Jian swallowed hard: "What did that official from the Phoenix Cry Division say just now?"

"Should we be demoted one rank and transferred back to the Upper Left Office?"

"Is this what they call... being spared the death penalty but not spared punishment?"

The three captains swallowed hard.

Is that Fengming Division centurion out of his mind?
From a centurion in a remote, desolate place to a probationary centurion in one of the six subordinate offices in the capital, isn't this a "promotion"?

Don’t say anything else.

The monthly income of a centurion in the Gufeng Mountain artisan battalion was only about ten taels of silver.

If a trial centurion from one of the six subordinate offices doesn't earn at least thirty to fifty taels of silver, how can he dare to call himself a trial centurion in the capital?
The key point is that the trial of the centurion in Shenjing offers even greater hope!

This artisan battalion commander will probably never be promoted to the rank of centurion in his entire life!
With no power, influence, or money, Hao Jian had long since given up on being a centurion; whoever wanted the position could take it!
Su Mo rode back to Shenjing at top speed.

It was completely dark by then, and the Left Office had already closed for the day.

Su Mo headed straight for Lord Qianhu's residence.

The gatekeepers had changed, but they all recognized Su Mo. Without needing to announce their arrival, they fawned over him, took the reins, and helped Su Mo settle his horse!

Su Mo strode into the courtyard and arrived at Lin Moyin's study.

Lord Qianhu is taking a rare break to practice calligraphy and cultivate his Daoist mind.

Seeing Su Mo approach, Lin Moyin was slightly taken aback and put down her brush: "Why are you here?"

Su Mo casually closed the study door and said in a deep voice, "I have something to tell you!"

Upon seeing this, Lin Moyin raised her hand and activated the soundproofing array that she had set up earlier.

He lowered his voice and asked, "What is it?"

Su Mo placed the Divine Arm Bow and the Battle Sword on the table and went straight to the point: "I made two weapons at the Lone Peak Mountain Artisan Camp."

"One is called the Eight-Ox Crossbow, the other is called the Divine Arm Bow... Hmm..."

He pointed to the divine crossbow on the table: "This is it."

"When we were testing the crossbow, Leng Xixi happened to see it and then attributed the credit to you and her..."

"..."

"Leng Xixi probably wants me to take over the artisan battalion and manufacture the divine crossbow. I disagreed, so she suggested transferring you to the core Fifth Institute!"

Su Mo gave a brief account of what had happened.

Lin Moyin was completely petrified!
After a long pause, he took a deep breath and asked incredulously, "That cold-looking thing actually... has such abilities?"

"I am a newly appointed commander of the Left Guard!"

Don't be fooled by the fact that they are all from families with thousands of households!

However, the commanders of the five core institutes, who hold great power, are qualified to have a slightly more equal dialogue with commanders like Wei Zhengguang, and have become one of the real chess players!

Even though he was a centurion of the Fengming Division and possessed royal blood, he was still a member of the royal family.

Lin Moyin couldn't believe that she could influence the Empress's transfer of the Imperial Guard commanders!

It should be noted that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Phoenix Cry Division were both the Empress's personal domains and important means of balancing the power of officials and immortals!

How can we allow outsiders to interfere at will!

Even sisters wouldn't do!

Su Mo shook her head, about to speak, when she felt a little thirsty. She picked up the half-finished cup of tea on the desk and drank it all in one gulp: "I'm not sure either, but judging from her tone, she's very confident!"

He paused, then said, "Let's not even talk about whether she has the ability or not."

"Let me give you a brief overview of the structure of the Eight-Ox Crossbow and the Divine Arm Bow."

"If the Empress asks about it in the future, you only need to say that you have such an idea and order me to find a way to build it, and there will be no major problems!"

Lin Moyin was silent for a moment, then suddenly said softly, "My lord is so good to me!"

Su Mo chuckled and couldn't resist pinching her bouncy cheek: "You're my woman, if I don't treat you well, who else can I treat well?"

Lin Moyin blinked: "For example, Xue Yishu?"

"For example, Liu Siyun, whose tongue is very long and very flexible?"

Su Mo...

"Ahem, let's talk about the Eight-Ox Crossbow and the Divine Arm Bow!"

Okay, I don't dare ask for monthly votes, but I've put up avatars of the Empress and the female commander on the homepage. Could you please give them a like?
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(End of this chapter)