Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 246 Court Intrigue, Acting Expediently

The atmosphere on the white jade square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony suddenly froze the moment Lin Hai stepped forward.

Chen Ye stood at the back of the military officers' line, his eyes lowered, seemingly indifferent to everything before him, but his keen senses had already captured every subtle change in the square.

He could sense that at the front of the civil officials' procession, Grand Tutor Wu Daofu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, paused slightly. Although his eyes were still closed, his detached and leisurely demeanor subtly diminished.

Zhou Xuanqing, on the other hand, stroked his beard without making a sound, seemingly with a smug look on his face.

"Your Majesty!" Lin Hai's voice was old yet loud, carrying an undeniable penetrating force, "Your subject wishes to impeach the Director of the Agricultural Reclamation Department of the Ministry of Works, Wang Qi!"

Wang Qi?

Upon hearing the name, many officials paused for a moment, then exchanged puzzled glances.

Wang Qi, a fifth-rank official, is a newly promoted official who has only been in power in the last two years. He is diligent and has achieved good results. More importantly, he was recommended by Chen Wan'er, a secretary in the imperial secretariat, and is a true member of Chen Wan'er's faction.

Lin Hai's intention in impeaching him at this time is self-evident.

This wasn't aimed at Wang Qi at all, but at Chen Wan'er, and even... at the unfathomable Empress on the dragon throne.

Behind the beaded curtain, Empress Wu Zhao's voice remained cold and indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Oh? What is the reason why Lin Taibao wants to impeach Wang Langzhong?"

"Your Majesty!" Lin Hai bowed again, his voice becoming increasingly impassioned, "I have received a secret report that Wang Qi, the Director of the Agricultural Reclamation Bureau, has abused his power to illegally occupy a hundred acres of fertile land in the suburbs of the capital and forced tenant farmers to build private residences for him. The evidence is conclusive, with witnesses and physical evidence to prove it!"

“How is such behavior any different from that of a robber? As an official appointed by the court and receiving the emperor's salary, he does not think of sharing the country's burdens, but instead preys on the local people and competes with them for profit! He is a parasite on the country and cannot be tolerated by law! I implore Your Majesty to severely punish this scoundrel as a warning to others and to rectify the court!”

Lin Hai's words were righteous and forceful, resounding with conviction.

The officials of the Censorate behind him stepped forward to second the motion, and for a time, the entire square was filled with voices requesting severe punishment for Wang Qi.

"I second that opinion! Wang Qi, as an official appointed by the court, knowingly broke the law, and his crime should be punished even more severely!"

"Your Majesty, please issue an edict to thoroughly investigate this case and absolutely not tolerate evil!"

The clamor grew louder and louder, as if Wang Qi had become an unforgivable sinner.

Wang Qi, who was being impeached, was kneeling on the ground, sweating profusely, his body trembling like a leaf, unable to utter a complete sentence.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! Your Majesty, I..."

However, his explanations seemed so pale and powerless in the face of such a surging outcry.

Chen Ye watched coldly from the sidelines.

He knew that these old foxes' target was not just Wang Qi.

They were using Wang Qi to give the Empress a warning, while also testing her limits.

If the Empress were to punish Wang Qi in an attempt to quell public anger, it would undoubtedly chill the hearts of those newly appointed nobles who had pledged allegiance to her, making them feel that even the Empress could not protect them.

In this way, the prestige that the Empress had worked so hard to build would be greatly diminished.

If the Empress were to protect Wang Qi, she would be accused of favoritism and protecting her cronies, which would be exactly what Zhou Xuanqing and his group of censors wanted.

They could then use this as an excuse to escalate the situation and even threaten the very foundation of the nation.

This is indeed a dilemma.

Just then, another group of people stepped forward from the civil officials' queue.

The one leading the group was Zhang Jing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

This person also came from a humble background, but through his own talent and learning, he rose step by step to where he is today, and is a pivotal figure in the imperial party.

"Your Majesty!" Zhang Jing's voice was steady and powerful. "Regarding the matter of Grand Protector Lin impeaching Physician Wang, I believe there are still many doubts, and we should not listen to only one side of the story!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Hai's aged eyes narrowed sharply, shooting out two cold glints.

"Minister Zhang, are you implying that I am deceiving the emperor?"

"This humble official dares not," Zhang Jing replied neither humbly nor arrogantly. "However, this matter is of great importance. Wang Langzhong is a fifth-rank official of the imperial court. How can he be convicted based on just a few vague secret reports?"

"Hundreds of acres of fertile land on the outskirts of Beijing is a considerable amount. If it was truly forcibly seized, why has no one reported it to the Jingzhao Prefecture so far? Forcing tenants to build private houses—such a large-scale operation—could not have been kept secret from everyone."

"I believe there is something fishy about this matter. Perhaps someone is maliciously framing him, intending to confuse the public and disrupt the court! I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and clear Wang Langzhong's name!"

Zhang Jing's words were reasonable and well-founded, instantly turning the tide of the situation.

Several young officials behind him immediately echoed his sentiments.

"That's right! There are many suspicious points in this matter, and it must be thoroughly investigated!"

"We also believe that Lord Wang is by no means such a greedy and shameless person!"

For a time, the two factions in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony were locked in a fierce argument.

On one side were the powerful families and former officials, led by Zhou Xuanqing and Lin Hai, who were deeply entrenched and wielded immense influence in the court.

On the other side was the Imperial Party, led by the newly promoted commoners personally promoted by the Empress. Although their foundation was still shallow, they had the advantage of being young and sharp. More importantly, they were backed by the most powerful person in the current Great Chen Dynasty.

At this moment, the two forces finally tore off their usual veil of warmth and began their first direct confrontation.

At the same time, many people couldn't help but glance at the corner at the back of the military officers' line.

Chen Ye.

This young man, who had recently risen to fame and was regarded as a rising star of the Imperial Party, was unusually quiet, like an outsider.

He remained silent and made no comment, simply standing there quietly, as if the power struggle that was about to shake up the court had nothing to do with him.

Even Grand Tutor Wu Daofu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, couldn't help but open them and look in Chen Ye's direction, a hint of amusement flashing in his turbid eyes.

This kid is quite composed.

Behind the dragon throne, the figure in bright yellow also remained silent.

She sat there quietly, letting the ministers below argue until their faces turned red, remaining silent as if watching a play that had nothing to do with her.

Time passed slowly, but the arguments in the court showed no signs of abating.

Lin Hai's side produced several so-called witness testimonies, accusing Wang Qiqiang of illegally occupying farmland.

Zhang Jing's side seized upon the loopholes in these testimonies, refuting them one by one and accusing the other side of malicious framing.

The two sides went back and forth, exchanging sharp words and spittle flying everywhere.

Wang Qize, who was kneeling on the ground, had gone from being panicked to looking ashen-faced.

He knew that he had become a pawn, a victim used in the power struggle between two powerful forces.

Regardless of the final outcome, his political career has likely come to an end.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, his eyes filled with despair.

Just then, Chen Ye, who was at the back of the group, suddenly felt a familiar gaze fall on him.

He raised his eyes without making a sound, and his gaze met that of his sister, Chen Wan'er.

Today, Chen Wan'er was dressed in a light blue female official's robe. She stood quietly behind the Empress's beaded curtain, her face expressionless, but her bright eyes held a hint of inquiry.

Chen Ye understood what she meant.

She was asking herself what she thought of the current situation.

Chen Ye's gaze swept across the square, landing on Wang Qi kneeling on the ground. He then glanced at Zhou Xuanqing and Lin Hai, before finally shaking his head slightly at Chen Wan'er.

A simple action, yet it conveys a wealth of information.

He was telling his sister not to act rashly, and even more so not to try to protect Wang Qi.

Because the other party's target is not Wang Qi at all, but to use this as an opportunity to attack the entire Imperial Party, no matter how much we try to protect him now, we will only fall into their trap.

The only way to break this deadlock is to jump out of this game.

Chen Wan'er was incredibly intelligent and immediately understood Chen Ye's meaning. The anxiety in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a clear understanding.

The siblings' silent exchange happened in an instant, and no one noticed it except themselves.

At this moment, Grand Tutor Zhou Xuanqing, who had been silent all along, finally stepped out of the queue.

The moment he stepped out of the line, the entire square fell silent.

All the arguing stopped abruptly.

This veteran of three reigns commands considerable prestige in the imperial court.

"Your Majesty," Zhou Xuanqing's voice was hoarse and slow, yet carried an undeniable air of authority, "This old minister believes that everything Lin Taibao said is true. Wang Qi, as an official appointed by the court, is unworthy of his position and should be severely punished!"

"The laws and regulations of the imperial court are the cornerstone of the nation and cannot be shaken in the slightest! If we can tolerate such corrupt and lawless individuals today, then if everyone follows suit in the future, the nation will cease to exist!"

"Your Majesty, please issue the decree!"

He didn't launch into a long speech or make any grand pronouncements; his few simple words, however, seemed to weigh heavily on the scene, like a mountain pressing down on it.

The faces of all the nobles and officials turned extremely ugly.

However, at that moment, the Empress's voice rang out from behind the beaded curtain.

"I am aware of the case of Wang Qi's illegal occupation of fertile land."

Her tone was calm; she neither said she believed nor disbelieved, but simply said she understood.

Before anyone could react, she abruptly changed the subject. "My lords, compared to the hundred acres of fertile land on the outskirts of the capital, I have something even more important to discuss with you."

More important things?

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled as to what the Empress was up to.

Even the two old foxes, Zhou Xuanqing and Wu Daofu, showed a hint of confusion on their faces.

The Empress's voice, tinged with heaviness, slowly rang out.

"I have just received an urgent report from Nanhe County. This year, Nanhe County suffered from a severe drought, with no rain for several months. After winter came, it was extremely cold, resulting in thousands of miles of barren land and no harvest."

"Now, famine is rampant throughout the county, with people exchanging their own children to eat, and corpses of the starved lying on the roads. This has already caused a terrible disaster!"

These words shocked the entire court!

The court, which had been tense and arguing fiercely just moments before, fell silent instantly.

Behind the beaded curtain, the Empress's voice, weary and angry, continued to ring out.

"The report stated that Li Mu, the prefect of Nanhe County, not only failed to open the granaries to distribute grain and comfort the victims at the beginning of the disaster, but also ordered a news blackout in order to cover up his dereliction of duty, thus missing the best opportunity for disaster relief."

"Grain prices are soaring and bandits are rampant. The entire Nanhe County is now like a living hell!"

"My esteemed ministers, tell me, how should this matter be handled?"

After a long silence, Grand Tutor Wu Daofu finally stepped out of the ranks, knelt down, and wept uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty! This old minister...is guilty!"

"As the head of all officials, I failed to detect the changes in Nanhe County in time, resulting in widespread suffering and devastation. I deserve to die!"

As soon as he knelt down, the officials behind him reacted and knelt down in unison.

"I am guilty!"

"Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Confessions were heard one after another.

Even Zhou Xuanqing and Lin Hai, who were previously arrogant, could only kneel down reluctantly with dark faces.

They knew that the Empress was using the Nanhe County incident to put pressure on all of them.

Behind the beaded curtain, the Empress looked down at the kneeling ministers below, her cold eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

She waited a moment before slowly saying, "Please rise, my lords."

"Now is not the time to assign blame. The most urgent task is to provide immediate relief to the disaster victims and stabilize the situation in Nanhe County."

"Tobe!"

The Minister of Revenue quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your subject is here."

How much grain is left in the national treasury?

The Minister of Revenue wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, after deducting the military supplies for various regions, the national treasury still has 1.2 million shi of grain in reserve, in addition to 1 million taels of silver specifically for disaster relief."

"Too little! Issue my decree to immediately transfer 300,000 shi of military rations from the Jingji Camp and the Xishan Camp, and the Ministry of Revenue shall allocate another 2 million taels of silver. We must gather all the disaster relief grain and supplies within three days."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Minister of Revenue dared not delay in the slightest and immediately accepted the order.

"Ministry of War!"

The Minister of War immediately stepped forward and said, "Your subject is here."

"Your unit is hereby ordered to immediately dispatch three thousand elite soldiers from the capital garrison to escort the grain supplies to Nanhe County. If any bandits, outlaws, or local forces dare to obstruct the disaster relief efforts, they may be executed first and reported later!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!" The Minister of War's voice was firm and powerful.

One decree after another was clearly conveyed from behind the beaded curtain, orderly and decisive, fully demonstrating the ruthless power of an empress.

The court, which had been in complete chaos just moments before, instantly became efficient and solemn under her command.

All the officials held their breath and dared not utter a sound.

They were suddenly shocked to realize that the young empress, who had only been on the throne for five years, was far more shrewd and ruthless than they had ever imagined.

After arranging the provisions and troops, the Empress changed the subject again.

"The provisions and troops are all ready, but we are still missing an imperial envoy who can oversee the overall situation and go to Nanhe County to preside over the disaster relief."

"My esteemed ministers, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

These words immediately put everyone on edge.

This is not a good job.

Nanhe County is now a living hell, with disaster victims everywhere, bandits running rampant, and local officials corrupt beyond measure. To stabilize the situation and provide relief to the victims in such chaos is simply an impossible task.

Moreover, the imperial envoy wields great power, and if he is not careful, he will become a target of attacks from various forces. At that time, let alone making achievements, it would be lucky if he could even save his life.

For a moment, the square fell silent again.

Those censors who had been jumping around so eagerly before were now all bowing their heads, looking down at their noses and keeping their minds at ease, afraid of being called out by the Empress.

Zhou Xuanqing, Lin Hai, and the others remained silent.

Time passed slowly in a suffocating silence.

Behind the beaded curtain, the Empress was not in a hurry, as if she was waiting for something.

Finally, just as the oppressive atmosphere was about to reach its peak, the Empress's clear and cold voice once again resounded throughout the square.

"Since none of you gentlemen have a suitable candidate to recommend..."

Her voice paused, "Is Chen Ye, the Zhaowu Captain of the Xuanjing Division, here?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat.

The military officers around him instantly looked as if they had seen a ghost, and took a step back in unison, leaving him all alone in everyone's sight.

Chen Ye's mind raced, but his expression remained calm. Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, he slowly walked out of the queue, came to the center of the square, bowed in the direction of the dragon throne, and spoke in a steady and powerful voice.

"Chen is here!"

"I hereby appoint you as the Disaster Relief Commissioner of Nanhe Commandery. Do you have any objections?"

"Your Majesty, I will obey your decree without question. How dare I have any objections?"

"Very good!" The Empress's cool voice held a hint of approval.

"In that case, Chen Ye shall accept the appointment."

"I hereby appoint you as Imperial Commissioner for Disaster Relief in Nanhe Prefecture, overseeing all disaster relief matters in Nanhe Prefecture. All local civil and military officials will be under your command."

"Set off immediately, without delay!"

"Sir, obey the order!"

Chen Ye bowed again.

However, just when everyone thought the matter was settled, the Empress's voice rang out once again.

"Someone is coming."

A eunuch stepped forward in response.

"Bring me my Dragon-Slaying Blade."

"Yes!"

Then, to everyone's astonishment, an old eunuch carrying a long brocade box slowly walked out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and came to Chen Ye's side.

He opened the brocade box, and inside lay a simple, ancient-looking, jet-black longsword.

A ferocious golden dragon pattern coiled around the scabbard, and a chilling aura of killing intent emanated from it, making the surrounding air feel cold.

"Imperial Envoy Chen, take this sword," the old eunuch said in a high-pitched voice.

Chen Ye extended both hands and respectfully accepted the Dragon-Slaying Blade.

As I held the blade, a chilling sensation washed over me; it felt incredibly heavy.

"Holding this sword is as if I were personally present." Behind the beaded curtain, the Empress spoke slowly, with an undeniable air of authority.

"Chen Ye, I hereby grant you the authority to act as you see fit. Once you arrive in Nanhe County, anyone who dares to obstruct disaster relief or delay military operations, regardless of their rank or background, you may execute them!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials present were horrified, because this power to act expediently was simply too great; it was practically like having a second emperor outside the capital.

As a result, Zhou Xuanqing and Lin Hai's expressions were extremely grim.

As for Grand Tutor Wu Daofu, he looked at Chen Ye, who had taken the knife, narrowed his eyes slightly, and then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

At the same time, under the watchful eyes of thousands, Chen Ye knelt down and bowed, "Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

"Go! Remember, I only want one result."

"That is to ensure the survival of the people of Nanhe County!"

(End of this chapter)