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

Chapter 167 A Plan to Fulfill the Imperial Decree

Su Mo waited until evening, but her mother-in-law still hadn't brought her daughter back.

Even my mother-in-law hasn't come back!

The daughter is probably too outgoing, and the mother-in-law is too ashamed to face her son-in-law!
At the welcoming banquet that day, only Xue Shan's father-in-law attended, and Dong Yangrong was invited to accompany him.

At this point, the three of them naturally did not compose poems or exchange verses, and not even wine was served.

After instructing his servants to stand guard outside, Xue Shan looked at Su Mo and asked in a deep voice, "Son-in-law, how do you plan to start collecting these merchant fees?"

Dong Yangrong also put down his chopsticks and stared intently at Su Mo.

The three of them share both glory and loss.

The magistrate Xue Shan's job is to protect and support Su Mo. Once Su Mo achieves success, Xue Shan will naturally rise in rank as well.

Su Mo was speechless.

My father-in-law is probably addicted to collecting fees in Changping County.

He coughed twice: "This is not a fee, it's a little different from the protection money collected from the East and West Cities..."

"To be precise, it should be a membership fee based on formal etiquette."

Su Mo thought for a moment and then said, "I have just arrived in Tianchang County and am not very familiar with the situation here."

"What do you think, Lord Yue?"

Xue Shan had been thinking about this issue all afternoon, and said without hesitation, "Although the imperial court has allowed Tianchang County to serve as a pilot area, no official document from the imperial court has been issued."

"Clearly, no consensus has been reached in the court, and His Majesty is also observing the situation."

"If we can't get support from laws and regulations, we'll have to resort to expedient measures!"

Su Mo immediately gave a silent compliment.

Experience is the best teacher; the father-in-law grasped the key point instantly!
Xue Shan frowned and said again, "Although the government has a sense of righteousness, the local area is powerful and the government has no capable people."

"Those big merchants are supported by aristocratic families and powerful clans, so they cannot be easily touched."

"My suggestion is to start with small businesses!"

"The county government will set up a special office for the inspection of rites, which will be at your disposal. You can find the staff yourself!"

Su Mo frowned slightly: "How much money can those small merchants possibly collect?"

Xue Shan snorted: "Haste makes waste."

"Such a major matter as changing the ancestral rules of the court is being watched by countless people in the court. How can we act rashly? We must first seek to avoid mistakes rather than seek merit!"

Dong Yangrong nodded in agreement: "What you say is absolutely right, sir!"

"Many wealthy merchants secretly violate regulations and go against the rules."

"Without official documents from the imperial court, how can we convince them that by paying money they can legally acquire qualifications exceeding the standards of merchant etiquette? Why would we hand over our money to you for nothing!"

Su Mo thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Please forgive my rudeness, but I cannot agree with the views of my father-in-law and Mr. Dong!"

A strange light flashed in Xue Shan's eyes: "My dear son-in-law, please tell me?"

Su Mo was about to speak.

Suddenly, Yan Dahu's voice came from outside the door: "Master, there is a man named Ding Yu outside who claims to be an old friend of your son-in-law and has come to pay his respects."

Su Mo was taken aback: "Ding Yu? What's he doing in Tianchang County?"

Xue Shan looked at Su Mo suspiciously: "Who is this person?"

Su Mo explained, "I was introduced to you by my maternal uncle as a junior official in the Ministry of Revenue, but we haven't met many times."

Xue Shan looked at Su Mo in surprise: "My dear son-in-law, is it... that he has disappeared without a trace? He was actually acquainted with the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?"

Su Mo smiled wryly and said, "Your Excellency Yue has misunderstood. He is your brother-in-law."

Xue Shan's expression instantly turned strange.

That guy Wang Xiuzhi has such connections, why doesn't he introduce them to me, but instead introduces them to Su Mo?

Does he even know whose family is closer to him?

Seeing that Xue Shan's expression was not good, Su Mo quickly said, "This Ding Yu is a marginal figure in the Ministry of Revenue, he's nothing special!"

Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong were speechless.

Is my son-in-law (Dongweng) a little too arrogant?
Among the six ministries, the Ministry of Revenue ranked second, only below the Ministry of Personnel.

Su Mo said that the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a high-ranking official of the fifth rank, was nothing.
It should be noted that Xue Shan's mentor, the biggest backer in the imperial court, was only a junior official in the Ministry of Rites!

Dong Yangrong suddenly had a thought and called Yan Dahu and the doorman in: "Did Ding Yu really use the word 'pay a visit'?"

The doorman quickly replied, "Yes, Master Dong, that's exactly what he said."

"He also gave the younger one ten large coins, but he seemed very reluctant to part with them."

Xue Shan, Dong Yangrong...

I have absolutely no idea what's going on!
The fact that the Ministry of Revenue official took the initiative to seek out Su Mo was enough to shock them, and that he even used the word "pay his respects" and gave the doorman ten large coins?

Su Mo stood up and said in a deep voice, "Let's go and see what Ding Yu is up to!"

Xue Shan was startled and hurriedly said, "Lord Ding is an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a true high-ranking official in the imperial court. He should be respected and revered!"

Su Mo's forehead creased with annoyance.

My father-in-law is good in every way, except he's too obsessed with officialdom.

When they see an official of higher rank than themselves, their backs instinctively slouch.

To be honest, Su Mo found it really hard to respect that lewd old man, Ding Yu.

His appearance showed no sign of authority whatsoever; he didn't resemble a fifth-rank official at all.

He never bowed or scraped before powerful figures like the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Commander of the Phoenix Cry Division, or even the Commander of the Phoenix Cry Division.

Don't even mention a mere Ding Yu!
Of course, Su Mo didn't need to brag to them about how powerful his connections were in Shenjing.

He would never have mentioned that before leaving the capital, he had slapped Zhang Guojiu across the face.

I'm afraid I might accidentally scare my career-obsessed father-in-law and Master Dong to death!
Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong straightened their appearance with serious expressions, then quickly walked out of the dining room!

Su Mo sighed and followed.

Upon exiting the side gate of the back office, one sees a small, old man dressed in simple everyday clothes, his brows furrowed, standing alone outside.

Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong were taken aback.

Is this a junior official in the Ministry of Revenue?
Su Mo then cupped his hands in greeting and said, "This humble official greets Lord Ding!"

"Why has Lord Ding come to Tianchang County to look for me?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Shan quickly bowed to Ding Yu and greeted him, saying, "This humble official, Xue Shan, greets Lord Ding!"

Ding Yu looked at Su Mo with a complicated expression, then waved his hand: "Young Su, stop calling me 'this old man'!"

"I have been dismissed from my official post by the court and dare not accept the title of 'Your Excellency'!"

Su Mo was taken aback upon hearing this: "Lord Ding, what's going on?"

Last month, this guy was perfectly fine. He was just tricked into having a meal at the Misty Rain Pavilion by a colleague from the Ministry of Revenue, and I ended up paying for it myself.

Why was he suddenly dismissed?
Ding Yu sighed: "May we go inside to talk?"

Xue Shan quickly stepped aside: "Lord Ding, please come in!"

Even if he is dismissed, he was once a fifth-rank official in the capital, so he must have connections. Who knows, he might be reinstated someday.

Xue Shan dared not neglect Ding Yu.

The group took their seats in the side hall of the rear office.

After Xue Shan had tea served, he dismissed the servants and glanced at Su Mo.

Su Mo immediately asked in a deep voice, "Lord Ding, what exactly happened? Why were you suddenly dismissed from your post?"

Ding Yu didn't hide anything, and sighed, "I have a problem; I can't stand it when others falsify accounts. Not long ago, I was suddenly ordered by the Ministry of Revenue to audit the accounts of the Ministry of Works..."

"Let's not talk about this anymore."

He suddenly stopped and looked at Su Mo with a serious expression: "I have come here to seek refuge with Lord Su!" Su Mo and the other two were dumbfounded.

After a moment of silence, Su Mo smiled wryly and said, "Lord Ding, please don't joke with me!"

"How could I possibly be worthy of your esteemed presence and dare to utter the words 'please'?"

Such a meticulous person might just be a ticking time bomb that blows them to pieces one day.

Su Mo didn't want to have too much to do with him.

Ding Yu said calmly, "Lord Su is the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and concurrently serves as the Registrar of Tianchang County. I suppose he is carrying out an imperial decree?"

Su Mo's eyes narrowed sharply as he stared intently at Ding Yu: "What do you mean by that, Lord Ding?"

Ding Yu sneered: "Although I am not popular, I have served as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Revenue for more than ten years. How could I not have any connections at all!"

"Although this matter has not been discussed in the court, I have heard about it in secret."

He paused slightly: "In my opinion, it will be difficult for you, sir, to relax the regulations on merchants in Tianchang County!"

Su Mo and the other two's expressions changed simultaneously!

This matter was never discussed in the imperial court, yet Ding Yu knew it so clearly!

Ding Yu added with a slightly arrogant tone, "No one knows the state of the imperial court's finances better than I do!"

"Therefore, His Majesty must place great hopes on Lord Su. His appointment as a registrar while concurrently serving as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard demonstrates His Majesty's intentions!"

"If Lord Su accepts my offer, I guarantee I will help you collect the money levied on merchants!"

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "In this way, we will surely offend those corrupt officials in the Ministry of Works."

"Let's see if Su Shannan has the guts!"

Su Mo remained silent, lost in thought.

Xue Shan looked at Ding Yu suspiciously: "Su Shannan?"

Ding Yu turned to Xue Shan: "Lord Xue, are you unaware that Lord Su has been granted the title of Baron of Gufeng Mountain by the imperial court, making him a Baron of the Great Wu?"

Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong were both dumbfounded and looked at Su Mo at the same time.

He kept swallowing, unable to utter a word!
Su Mo, is he a nobleman of the empire?

Baron is also a title!

It was a fifth-rank noble title, much higher than my own sixth-rank county magistrate title!

In the future, in public, will I have to respectfully address my son-in-law as "Baron"?

But Su Mo had only been in the capital for three months, so how could he have been granted the title of baron by the emperor?
After pondering for a long time, Su Mo finally turned his gaze to Ding Yu and slowly said, "Offending the Ministry of Works is nothing to be afraid of."

"They have no jurisdiction over me."

"However, does Elder Ding have any way to enable me to fulfill His Majesty's important mission?"

Ding Yu sat up straight and said in a deep voice without hesitation, "Tianchang County is an attached county, and many forces within it are connected to the imperial court, making it a complex and intertwined place!"

"To adopt a policy of compromise and proceed slowly is a grave mistake!"

Su Mo took a deep breath: "Please teach me, sir!"

Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong both frowned at the same time, and involuntarily pricked up their ears.

Let's see what Ding Yu can say.

The strategy of planning slowly was exactly what the two of them had in mind, but they never expected that Ding Yu would belittle it as worthless!
Ding Yu's expression grew increasingly serious.

With just one sentence, Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong broke out in a cold sweat.

"Opening up regulations, on the surface, is supposed to solve the court's financial difficulties, but in reality, it is a struggle between imperial power and ministerial power!"

A strange light flashed in Su Mo's eyes: "Please continue, sir!"

Ding Yu said in a deep voice, "If Lord Su is unable to establish a foothold in Tianchang County for a long time, the amount of money collected will be negligible."

"The six elders of the cabinet will definitely join forces to pressure the emperor, using this as an excuse to force him to cancel the matter, and he will dare not easily change the ancestral rules in the future!"

"Therefore, no matter how complicated the situation in Tianchang County is."

He took a deep breath and stared intently at Su Mo: "In my opinion, Lord Su has only one choice."

"Implement this policy as soon as possible, and within three months, we will seize ten thousand taels of silver!"

Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong were completely speechless.

It's not that they are less intelligent than Ding Yu.

However, they were unaware of the affairs of the imperial court, let alone the power struggle between the Empress and the court's important officials.

Different information cocoons lead to different judgments and conclusions!
Su Mo nodded slowly: "That is exactly what I was thinking."

"For the time being, I don't have many clues."

He paused slightly, then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Ding Yu: "Does Elder Ding have a way to break this deadlock?"

Ding Yu accepted Su Mo's bow without any ceremony and said with a smirk, "It's nothing more than cutting the Gordian knot!"

"Before the various forces in Tianchang County can react, arrest all the merchants. We'll surely find items on them that exceed the regulations!"

"Then we can force them to pay for the regulations!"

"If there are any die-hards, punish them severely. After all, once the money is in his hands, His Majesty won't care how you got it!"

Xue Shan's heart tightened, and he said in a deep voice, "Once the merchants are arrested, they will definitely threaten to strike!"

"Those merchants, big and small, all have local powers supporting them. If the 200,000 people inside and outside the city have nowhere to buy rice and other grains, and if powerful families secretly fan the flames, wouldn't that lead to chaos in the county?"

Dong Yangrong quickly added, "Tianchang is only twenty miles from the capital. If chaos breaks out and the capital is thrown into panic, no one can bear the responsibility!"

Ding Yu snorted: "The key is speed!"

"Those aristocratic families, though arrogant and powerful, are more cautious in their actions than ordinary people."

"We dare not act rashly before we understand the whole story and come up with a solution with others!"

"Once things settle down and the Emperor sees the effects of money, his support for Lord Su will naturally be even stronger!"

"How could those aristocratic families and powerful clans possibly make enemies of the emperor and the county government over such a small sum of money?"

He paused, then slowly added, "Besides, aristocratic families, official clans, and Taoist families are not necessarily all on good terms."

“It’s not like they’re the only ones paying for it.”

"Who would be willing to be the first to stick their neck out, risking offending a saint, to vent someone else's anger!"

"Some merchants have such powerful backgrounds that it's not easy to offend them. Let them go!"

Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong were completely convinced.

A fifth-rank official in the capital truly lives up to his reputation!
We must not underestimate someone just because they were dismissed from their post!
Xue Shan looked at Ding Yu with much more awe. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Old Master Ding, your method is indeed extremely ingenious!"

"However, the Tianchang County government office, with its six departments and three classes of clerks, is controlled by powerful clans and aristocratic families."

"Where did you get the manpower to capture those merchants?"

It would be extremely difficult to arrest so many merchants in such a short period of time without two or three hundred people working desperately!
A cold glint flashed in Ding Yu's eyes, and he said in a sinister tone, "Doesn't Lord Su also hold the position of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"No matter how arrogant the aristocratic families are, they wouldn't dare to easily extend their reach into the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"Regulations, in a minor sense, are violations; in a major sense, they constitute rebellion. The Embroidered Uniform Guard can certainly handle these matters! In fact, there aren't many things the Embroidered Uniform Guard can't handle!"

"Those merchants, once arrested and thrown into the garrison prison, would dare not obediently pay up to save their lives?"

Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong's expressions suddenly changed!
That Ding Yu is too ruthless!
How could such a ruthless person be marginalized by the Ministry of Revenue and end up being dismissed from office?
Is he really that meticulous about accounting matters, and inflexible?
Xue Shan and Dong Yangrong could hardly believe it!

Ding Yu glanced at Su Mo, then added, "As long as Lord Su can establish connections with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and persuade them to take action, the matter can be accomplished!"

"Lord Su is fulfilling His Majesty's imperial decree!"

"Such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win the Emperor's favor will surely not be missed by the centurions of the garrison!"

I received a message from the editor yesterday that the article will be recommended on the 1st. I need to save up 4,000 words of manuscript per day for a big update that day. Sigh, I'll try to update as much as possible these days.

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(End of this chapter)