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

Chapter 354 Destroy the Buddha
Su Mo let out a long breath, stretched, and felt a bit of a headache.

In the past, copying articles was simple; you could just copy the original text directly.

This time, the epidemic prevention manual was compiled from various materials from later generations, and it also needed to be slightly modified according to the situation in this world, which naturally increased the difficulty considerably.

In particular, Su Mo also included a portion of the Barefoot Doctor's Manual.

Without a doubt, this is a timeless classic and can be passed down as a family heirloom of the Su family.

Although Su Mo had carefully checked it and found no mistakes, he was not in a hurry to hand it over to Leng Liuxi.

Go back and consult with Xiao Lizhuang, a true medical expert, to see if there's anything that needs fixing.

Not long after putting down his pencil, Zhang Xuzu went to the back room to see Su Mo, carrying a thick ledger in his hand.

"Master Su!"

Zhang Xuzu looked on with extreme excitement: "I never imagined that such a small place as Qinghefang would hide such a huge amount of wealth!"

"Those merchants are really rolling in money. If we don't teach them a lesson, they won't know how powerful our Qinghefang Hundred Household Office is, and they won't hand over their money obediently!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "Judging from what Lord Zhang said, it seems that you have gained a lot this time and have truly made a great contribution to the court."

He didn't think Qinghefang was a small place.

This is one of the most prosperous markets in the capital.

Adjacent to the Xima River and connected to the Luo River, the longest river in Dawu, it can be described as the economic center of Shenjing and a place for the transshipment of goods.

The commerce and entertainment industries are extremely developed, and the profits are naturally outrageously high.

Zhang Xuzu quickly chuckled and said, "How dare this humble servant take credit? It's all thanks to your strategic planning behind the scenes, sir."

"Sir, do you know that in just one day, 313 shops have come to pay back commercial taxes and fines!"

"A total of over 1.25 million taels of silver was obtained!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but feel smug: "In addition, I raided seven shops and, as you said, sold the goods at half price, which attracted countless people to buy them. They were all sold out in just half a day, and I made more than 100,000 taels of silver!"

"However, what should we do with those shops that were raided?"

The shops confiscated by the garrison were all truly large establishments, each worth no less than ten thousand taels of silver.

For example, Zhang Shouning's multi-storied ship and the Fuyu Tower were quite valuable.

Having already thoroughly offended everyone, Zhang Xuzu naturally had no intention of handing over the shop.

Su Mo thought for a moment: "Let's close the shop first and talk about it later."

Zhang Xuzu nodded: "This subordinate will do as you say, sir."

He paused slightly, then suddenly gritted his teeth, looking very annoyed: "My lord, I have one more thing to say."

Su Mo couldn't help but ask curiously, "Tell me!"

Zhang Xuzu took a deep breath: "The person who paid the most commercial tax and fines this time amounted to more than 13,000 taels!"

"But it wasn't the most profitable shop in the neighborhood; the most profitable one was Datong Temple!"

Su Mo was taken aback: "Datong Temple?"

Zhang Xuzu nodded and said in a deep voice, "I was shocked when I investigated!"

"The Datong Temple's annual income is at least 500,000 taels of silver!"

"At the market in front of the temple, small vendors are required to donate incense money to the temple in order to set up a stall. This alone can bring in 100,000 taels of silver a year!"

"The donations from pilgrims and believers, the interest from loans made by the Longevity Treasury, and the rent from the land under the temple's name are countless."

Zhang Xuzu became increasingly angry as he spoke: "But this Datong Temple refuses to pay a single copper coin in commercial tax. When we sent someone over, they said that this was not a business, but rather an offering to Buddha, and that there was never any such thing as paying taxes or any such law. I don't know what to do!"

Zhang Xuzu was naturally unwilling to accept that such a temple, which earned hundreds of thousands of taels of silver a year, was outside the jurisdiction of the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office!
The key point is that this could bring in at least tens of thousands of taels of silver!

Su Mo frowned.

In his view, the temples of Da Wu, along with powerful clans and feudal lords, had become one of the scourges of Da Wu.

No, it's even more serious.

Even if merchants refuse to pay taxes, they still promote economic development and accelerate the circulation of goods.

The temple is nothing more than a parasite that lives off Da Wu!
However, the temples in this world are much more difficult to deal with than the ancient temples of my previous life.

After all, most temples are related to Taoist sects, and their martial arts are quite powerful.

Xiao Lizhuang, a Golden Core cultivator, addressed the abbot of Datong Temple as her senior brother, demonstrating the temple's strength.

In addition, many of the temple's worshippers and believers have considerable backgrounds.

The temple also had various vested interests with many court officials and powerful families. The longevity vault, which provided loans, was where countless officials' silver was hidden!
More importantly, although the temples appear to be scattered, they are actually a unified whole. If one of them is attacked, it will surely provoke a full-scale counterattack from the other temples!
After pondering for a long time, Su Mo slowly said, "Don't act rashly."

"Have someone secretly investigate all sources of income for Datong Temple, especially land rent, longevity profits, and the incense-burning believers who require close attention!"

"I will discuss this matter with His Majesty before making any further plans."

Zhang Xuzu snorted heavily: "This subordinate understands!"

Su Mo did not mention the situation at Datong Temple again.

Anyway, the temple is right there; there's no way to escape it.

Once the new army is trained and marches north, it will naturally require a large amount of military expenditure.

Perhaps we can obtain it directly from the temple at that time.

Based on Su Mo's understanding of the Empress, who is desperate for money, she would definitely launch an offensive without hesitation once she knew the temple's true income!
Just like Qinghefang.

The Empress saw the extravagance of the luxury ships last time, making a fortune every day, and now she's making me collect the commercial taxes?

However, the situation at the temple is more serious. If they do not move, they will do so with lightning speed, giving the other party no chance to react!
In other words!
Any action that threatens Buddhism will lead to its destruction!

A single misstep could have endless consequences!

Su Mo snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, "All of you brothers have worked hard today."

"As I have said, as long as everyone does their job well, promotion and wealth are within reach."

Zhang Xuzu's eyes lit up immediately.

He had to give his subordinates benefits before he could get them to do things; otherwise, his title as the third son of the Duke of Ningguo wouldn't last long.

Su Mo smiled again and said, "It's hard to say about promotion for now; it depends on His Majesty's decision."

"But when it comes to getting rich, the sooner the better, and that's something I can decide."

He had an agreement with the Empress that 30% of the income from the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office could be retained as operating expenses.

As for the exact percentage, Su Mo didn't really remember clearly, nor could he easily ask the Empress for confirmation.

But with so much income now, Su Mo really doesn't dare to keep 30% of it.

After all, this is disaster relief money, and keeping too much of it will definitely attract criticism.

Therefore, Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "Later, send 1.2 million taels of silver to the palace. Remember, it must be deposited into His Majesty's private treasury."

"The remaining 100,000 taels will be used as the garrison's operating expenses and deposited within the garrison."

Zhang Xuzu was immediately startled: "The remaining 60,000 taels? Are you going to divide them all up?"

Su Mo glared at him irritably: "What are you thinking! Aren't you afraid of the sharp wit of the imperial censors and officials in charge of criticism?"

Zhang Xuzu quickly chuckled, "Isn't this subordinate just surprised!"

Su Mo gave a soft hum: "The Hundred Household Office is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Upper Left Office, so we have to send 10,000 taels to the Upper Left Office for its operating expenses."

"In addition, send 40,000 taels to Commander Lu Su!"

Even a powerful force like the Northern Garrison Command is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Commander's Office.

Not to mention the Qinghefang Hundred-Household Office, which had slightly less power than the Northern Garrison Command and no independent imperial prison.

Next, the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office will face unprecedented pressure.

Putting aside the external situation, the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) must first be properly organized internally.

If the benefits are not shared equally, how can the Commander's Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard speak up for the Hundred-Household Office of Qinghefang?

Zhang Xuzu nodded quickly: "This subordinate knows what to do!"

"The remaining ten thousand taels?"

Su Mo pondered for a moment: "Send three thousand taels to Dong Bao's residence. Let's leave aside the sealed-off Sihai Salt Shop for now. The rest can be distributed among the brothers below."

Zhang Xuzu was stunned for a moment: "Give money to Dong Bao?"

His expression was rather unpleasant: "This fellow, relying on his position as a deputy commander, completely disregarded us. Those of us who went to persuade him were almost beaten out!"

Su Mo frowned and said, "Dong Bao has a good relationship with Commander Lu. He doesn't know the details of the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office, so it's inevitable that he'll be a little arrogant."

"We still have to give Commander Lu face."

"Send the money over there and give him a way out."

"If he doesn't know what's good for him, I'll find a way to get rid of him."

Zhang Xuzu snorted: "That guy got off easy!"

Su Mo chuckled: "He's a third-rank commander, on par with Lord You Li, and ranked second or third in the Commandery!" "You're just a centurion, and you don't even respect him. What would you do if you were a chiliarch?"

Zhang Xuzu quickly replied with a smile, "How dare I! Aren't I being protected by the adults?"

"This fellow is disrespecting our centurion's office, which means he's disrespecting Lord Su. How can I not be angry!"

He really didn't take Dong Bao seriously.

After all, he was a member of the Ningguo Duke's mansion and Su Mo's direct subordinate.

Didn't you hear Lord Su say that if Dong Bao doesn't know what's good for him, he should find a way to get rid of him?
With two powerful backers like these, it's no wonder Zhang Xuzu wouldn't take Dong Bao seriously!
Su Mo frowned slightly upon hearing Zhang Xuzu's words, then said solemnly, "You must remember, for an official, there are only eternal interests, not permanent enemies!"

"The Wang family has a deep-seated grudge against me. This time, they still opened their shops and did not collude with other merchants to force me."

Zhang Xuzu was immediately taken aback: "Does this mean that if the Wang family wants to make peace with you, sir, you will agree?"

"They've secretly plotted against you, sir, quite a few times!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "Why not?"

"Does it really mean that we must kill everyone in the Wang family, or that I must be killed by the Wang family, before we will stop?"

"Wang Hao is the second-in-command of the current court, and his clan has countless officials in the court and local government. Furthermore, he has intricate connections with cultivation sects, powerful local clans, and so on!"

"It is already a rare achievement to have the Wang family yield and show goodwill. How could I possibly drive them to extermination?"

"Even if it is true, I can forget about living peacefully with other powerful clans. I will spend the rest of my life scheming against them."

Zhang Xuzu was taken aback again, and hesitated for a moment: "Then why did you and the Wang family seem to be at odds before?"

Su Mo sneered: "If it weren't for that, how could I possibly fight against them?"

Zhang Xuzu suddenly realized!
I'm increasingly finding Lord Su to be unfathomable!
After giving the instructions, Su Mo told Zhang Xuzu to go and do the work.

Before leaving, Zhang Xuzu suddenly said, "My lord!"

"That young Lanting shop owner was the first to come and pay the commercial tax, even earlier than Wen Qianhu's brother-in-law!"

"She left a message for the adults, hoping to meet them."

Zhang Xuzu paused, then added, "Hey! That young master of the Orchid Pavilion is truly breathtakingly beautiful, a rare sight in the world..."

Su Mo's heart skipped a beat.

This young owner of the Orchid Pavilion is a man who knows when to advance and when to retreat.

When issuing government bonds in the future, we will definitely need to find some people to act as shills.

The owner of Xiaolantingfang is the perfect candidate.

He nodded: "In that case, I will see her!"

"You should send someone to inform her that after she leaves the yamen the day after tomorrow, she may come to my residence to pay her respects."

Zhang Xuzu quickly put on an "I understand" expression: "This subordinate will send someone to do it right away!"

Su Mo was both amused and exasperated: "Get lost!"

"By the way! You can divide all seven thousand taels of silver among yourselves; I don't need my share!"

Zhang Xuzu was stunned: "How can this be?"

Seven thousand taels of silver is a huge sum of money.

The Qinghefang Hundred Household Office only has about a hundred people now, and even including the accountants and clerks, each person can get several dozen taels of silver.

Zhang Xuzu felt that this was already a lot, not to mention that Su Mo's share should also be distributed.

Su Mo rolled her eyes: "Do you think I'm short of that little bit of money?"

It's hard to say about other money, but Su Mo wouldn't stoop to embezzling this disaster relief money.

After driving Zhang Xuzu away.

Su Mo did not stay at the garrison. He was preparing to return to Lonely Peak Mountain to study the epidemic prevention manual with Xiao Lizhuang.

Although it wasn't time for the yamen to close yet, as the highest-ranking official, he could naturally leave whenever he wanted.

But before long after leaving the garrison, a carriage came speeding up from behind.

"Lord Su, please wait a moment!"

Su Mo was stunned.

But then the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a stunningly beautiful, aloof face.

Above the aloof woman's head, there's a 33% favorability bar and a green exclamation mark.

"Master Chi?"

Su Mo was slightly taken aback: "What business does Lord Chi have with me?"

The person who arrived was Chi Wulei, a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel whom he had met once before and who had spoken up for him.

Su Mo knew that last time when he presided over the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination, he was overshadowed by Zhu Bi, the Grand Scholar of the Eastern Pavilion.

Chi Wulei was promoted from the position of Assistant Director of the Examination and Merit Department to Assistant Director of the Personnel Department.

Although both were fifth-rank officials, the Director of the Ministry of Personnel ranked first among all departments of the Ministry of Personnel, second only to the Minister and the two Vice Ministers.

Officials in the Ministry of Personnel hold low positions but wield significant power, not to mention that Chi Wulei is already the fourth most powerful figure in the Ministry!

Her coming to find him on her own initiative really surprised Su Mo.

Also, notice the green exclamation mark above her head.

Su Mo then realized that the ten years of cultivation and 18% favorability he had gained from treating Chi Wuyou's lung disease last time were now in his account.

However, there is still one reward of being appointed as an eighth-rank official to be issued.

Is it about to be released?
Chi Wulei hesitated slightly before saying, "Lord Su, would it be convenient for us to find a place to talk?"

Su Mo asked suspiciously, "Important matter?"

Chi Wulei nodded slightly, emphasizing each word: "It's very important!"

Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "How about Lord Chi comes to my residence?"

He originally intended to return to Gufeng Mountain.

However, since Chi Wulei has important business to attend to, he should return to the Su residence first.

The study is equipped with a soundproof array, making it suitable for discussing various conspiracies and schemes.

Chi Wulei immediately nodded and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking!"

At that moment, Su Mo led Chi Wulei to his own residence.

Chi Wulei had the old servant who had driven the carriage that Su Mo had seen during his last visit to the Chi residence stand guard outside the study.

He then looked at Su Mo with a solemn expression and said bluntly, "His Majesty has appointed me as an imperial envoy to Tiannan Road to oversee disaster relief efforts."

Su Mo was taken aback upon hearing this: "His Majesty ordered you to go to Tiannan Road?"

This is no easy task.

Everyone knows how chaotic the situation is in Tiannan Province right now.

If the imperial envoy performs well, his official career will be very promising; if he performs poorly, he will face utter ruin.

In Su Mo's opinion, there's a 99% chance it won't be done well.

He couldn't understand why His Majesty would entrust such a thorny task to Chi Wulei, given that Chi Wulei was highly regarded and was being groomed as a future important minister.
Chi Wulei's pretty face was solemn: "In Yiling County of Tiannan Circuit, a fire dragon descended from the sky and burned down seventeen granaries, turning 300,000 shi of stored grain into ashes..."

Su Mo's expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed, "A fire dragon burning the warehouse?"

Chi Wulei nodded: "That's exactly right!"

"This time, I am not only responsible for disaster relief and epidemic prevention, but also for secretly investigating the case of the fire that burned down the granary!"

She paused slightly: "Originally, the Vice Minister proposed that Lord Su take on this imperial envoy responsibility..."

Su Mo exclaimed, "Holy crap!"
What a fine Wang Hao!
Chi Wulei gave Su Mo a strange look and continued, "The Vice Minister said that this was Su Mo's scheme..."

Su Mo was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but snort: "That bastard Wang Hao, is he really so kind, doing this all for my sake?"

Chi Wulei looked at Su Mo with an even stranger expression.

I don't know if he was startled by Su Mo calling Wang Hao by his name.

She let out a soft breath and explained, "His Majesty also feels that Vice Minister Wang's suggestion was indeed for Lord Su's benefit."

"Not only that, but Chief Minister Xiao also thinks so."

Su Mo was dumbfounded.

Was sending himself to the dire and turbulent Tiannan region as an imperial envoy for his own benefit?

If that's the case, why would His Majesty allow Chi Wulei to serve as the imperial envoy?

Also, why did Chi Wulei come looking for me?

(End of this chapter)