This son-in-law is wicked in a good way!

"Princess Yongyang, are you up in the middle of the night just to tell me a joke?"

The Empress looked angry. Although she had always spoiled her younger sister, it didn't mean she had no limits.

Her voice also became stern, displaying imperial majesty.

"This is a matter of life and death for hundreds of thousands of people, how can you treat it so lightly!"

Chu Yuxun put her hands on her hips and retorted loudly, "Royal Sister, how am I being frivolous? As long as you issue an imperial decree to find the cultivators hidden in the mountains, and use the Nine Heavens Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique to summon a bolt of heavenly lightning, wouldn't that be enough to topple the mountain?"

She spoke with such seriousness, as if there were truly cultivators in this world.

The Empress pressed her hand to her forehead, suppressing her anger, and said, "Have you been reading some nonsense novel again?"

"Where in this world do cultivators come from?!"

Chu Yuxun pulled a copy of the novel "Zhu Xian" from her bosom and tossed it to the Empress with a disdainful look.

"Sister, you spend all your time in the palace, you're so ignorant."

"Mr. Hua An said that in this world there are immortals, Buddhas, demons, and monsters, all of whom possess the art of summoning heavenly lightning!"

"Of course, in my opinion, the most powerful of them all is the Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique of cultivators."

The Empress, enraged, crumpled the storybook into a ball and, with a look of utter disappointment, cursed, "You scoundrel!"

"Those are characters from storybooks! How could they possibly exist in real life!"

"Get out! Get out!"

The empress was so angry that she became somewhat hysterical.

Princess Yongyang was the only one in the entire Great Wu Dynasty who could anger her to this extent.

Princess Yongyang pouted with displeasure: "Royal sister, what about summoning heavenly lightning..."

"Get out!" The Empress roared in fury.

Now she gets furious whenever she hears thunder.

"Fine, I'll get out!" Princess Yongyang roared angrily, turned around and left with her hands on her hips.

The Empress clutched her high chest, took several deep breaths, and only then did she calm down.

His gaze shifted to the two guards kneeling on the ground, trembling, at the doorway.

"If there's a next time, you'll all go and face your own deaths."

The two guards were immediately relieved, as if they had been granted a pardon: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing our lives!"

The next day, morning.

After the assembled officials paid their respects, an imperial censor stepped forward and reported.

"Your Majesty, Wan Yu, the Grand Canal Supervisor, has been managing the Yellow River for fifteen years, yet he has achieved nothing. On the contrary, the Yellow River floods have become more severe. He must be lining his own pockets and holding his position without doing his job."

"I suggest that Wan Yu be dismissed from his post as the Director-General of the Yellow River Conservancy and that a capable and virtuous person be selected to manage the Yellow River floods. This is of utmost urgency."

Two vice ministers from the Ministry of Works stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I second that proposal!"

"We second that proposal!"

Most of the court officials agreed.

The Empress glanced at the composed Left Prime Minister and the six ministers, her face expressionless.

"Bring Wan Yu to the palace."

"As you command."

The Grand Eunuch Li Dekui shouted towards the outside of the hall, "Summon Lord Wan Yu, the Grand Coordinator of the Waterways, to the hall!"

Soon, two imperial guards escorted Wan Yu, who was dressed in prison clothes, into the palace.

"Your subject, Wan Yu, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The Empress said calmly, "No need for formalities!"

"Wan Yu, the Censorate has accused you of shirking your duties and enriching yourself during your tenure as the Director-General of the Waterways. Do you plead guilty?"

This River Conservancy Commissioner, Lord Wan, was dark-skinned and thin, with calloused hands; he looked like a reliable and capable man.

Wan Yu turned around and glanced at the censor, then sneered, "Your Majesty, may I ask this censor, do you have any evidence?"

Imperial Censor Li declared loudly, "The Yellow River floods are the evidence."

"If you've truly dedicated yourself to controlling the Yellow River, after fifteen years, why haven't you been able to completely eradicate its flooding?"

It's a typical case of blaming someone if they don't do a good job.

Wan Yu's face flushed red with anger, but he couldn't refute this reason.

"Your Majesty, since I began managing the Yellow River, I have worked diligently and conscientiously, fearing only that I may fail the trust placed in me by the late Emperor and Your Majesty."

"However, the Yellow River is too long, spanning several states, and the riverbed has been silted up for many years. It will take decades or even hundreds of years to completely eliminate the floods."

"It's not that I haven't tried my best, but this is simply not a task that can be completed in a short time."

The Empress had read Wan Yu's theories on river management and agreed with his views.

However, the court officials wouldn't let it go, especially the recent breach of the Yellow River in the Yuzhou section, which they used to make a big fuss, leaving the Empress helpless.

"nonsense!"

Jiang Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, shouted loudly with a serious expression.

"River management is simply a matter of reinforcing the riverbanks and dredging the waterways. How could it possibly take that long?"

"You're clearly shirking responsibility and trying to fool His Majesty!"

At this moment, an old general wearing brass armor stepped out from the right-hand guards, clasped his hands in a salute to the Empress, and said...

"Your Majesty, Lord Jiang is absolutely right. Although I am not an expert in river management, I have led troops in battle for decades, opening up mountains and building bridges over rivers. I believe that river management is no different from this principle."

"How can it be said that it will take decades or even hundreds of years! Lord Wan is clearly shirking his responsibility."

This is General Gao Changlin, who came from the Ministry of War.

Logically speaking, the river management had absolutely nothing to do with the Ministry of War, so it was not his place to step forward.

The Empress glanced at Gao Changlin, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

Is the Ministry of War even trying to get involved in the position of River Conservancy Governor?

However, the Empress remained silent, her expression calm and revealing neither joy nor anger.

She was waiting, waiting for the Left Prime Minister and several ministers to speak.

Finally, Lu Zhanshan, the Minister of Works, could not contain himself any longer and stepped forward to bow and greet him.

"Your Majesty, the waterways have always been under the jurisdiction of our Ministry of Works. I suggest that the position of Director-General of Waterways be abolished and that the Ministry of Works continue to manage them."

"There will never be such parasites who occupy positions without doing their jobs and line their own pockets."

Minister of Personnel Kong Wenxuan stepped forward: "I second that proposal!"

Minister of Justice Lei Heng stepped forward: "I second that proposal!"

Finally, the Left Chancellor Lu Chongyang stepped forward: "Your Majesty, this old minister believes this method is feasible!"

With two ministers and the Left Prime Minister backing him up, it seems the Ministry of Works didn't put in much effort for the position of River Conservancy Director-General.

The Empress suddenly laughed. These old foxes have finally been brought down.

Well then, let the show begin.

"Did Lu Xiang also believe that Wan Yu, during his fifteen years of managing the Yellow River, was merely occupying a position without performing his duties and enriching himself?"

Lu Chongyang frowned slightly, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

What's going on? Does His Majesty have some hidden plan?

No, not possible!

The Yellow River breached its banks, and Wan Yu, as the Grand Canal Supervisor, bore inescapable responsibility. Even His Majesty could not exonerate him.

"Your Majesty," I said, "I simply feel that Lord Wan has been managing the Yellow River for fifteen years, spending hundreds of thousands of taels of silver every year, yet the Yellow River floods are still raging. Since there has been no success, why not try a different method?"

Lu Chongyang's words did not give a definitive answer, leaving himself a way out.

Minister of Works Lu Zhanshan smiled and said, "The Left Chancellor's words are wise and prudent; I hope Your Majesty will consider them carefully!"

You're kidding me!

The Empress really wanted to throw something at his old, grimy face.

However, his face remained expressionless.

"The Left Chancellor believes that Lord Wan's fifteen years of river management efforts have been ineffective, but I do not think so?"

"Someone, bring these things up!"

The Left Prime Minister's gaze darkened, and he exchanged glances with the other ministers who were also feeling uneasy, looking curiously at the Empress.