Chapter 135: Reason and Heavenly Power

"Sir Shangshu."

"Mr. Hu."

Hu Dashu smiled and welcomed Shangshu Fan in.

The officials responsible for investigating the Ministry of Revenue also gathered around and expressed comfort to the sick Shangshu. Even Yan Xingshu, the Minister of Personnel, was not convenient. The old face was full of sincere concern and concern. The people in the Supervision Bureau who investigated the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue had already carefully blocked the small wind blowing outside the door for Fan Shangshu, which was extremely enthusiastic.

Regardless of whether the court really wants to investigate the Ministry of Revenue, whether His Majesty really wants Fan Shangshu to resign, as long as Fan Jian is in the court for one day, as long as His Majesty does not tear the friendship between this milk brother, as long as... Fan Xian, who is far away in Jiangnan, is still alive, these officials in the court dare not be careless about Fan Shangshu.

So the scene at this time is a bit absurd and comedy. The Minister of Revenue who was investigated was cared for by everyone and was cared for by Xiaoyi.

Especially the inspectors of the Supervision Bureau, they all belong to the same place, led by Mu Tie, and the same place is still Fan Xian’s direct relatives and corps until today. Fan Jian is the father of their immediate boss. What else do they dare?

The prince's face turned pale and white. Looking at the scene in front of him, he felt extremely uneasy. Fan Jian said that he had not been sick for several days to the Ministry of Revenue. As soon as today comes, he seemed to attract everyone's attention. This minister, who is not usually visible, seems to have a certain aura on his body.

Even though he was the crown prince and the future king of Qing Kingdom, he still had to stand up when facing Shangshu Fan, and put on a gentle smile on his face, comforted him, "Is the Secretary of State good health?"

The prince was not afraid of Fan Xian, nor did he care about the Supervisory Office. However, as the royal family, especially the successor of the Dragon Chair, he had to show a certain demeanor. The relationship between the Fan family and their Li family was too deep. There was an old woman in Danzhou watching from a distance. The prince didn't know what kind of feelings the emperor had for the wet nurse.

Fan Jian smiled ashamed and said, "All matters in the Ministry of Revenue should be caused by me, but I have to trouble Your Highness and Lord Hu to spend their energy. It is really Fan's fault."

Everyone said a few words and then sat down. Although Fan Jian was on the side of being interviewed, he had not made any instructions on the Minister of Revenue, so he sat in the middle openly and unswervingly.

This is the Ministry of Revenue, which is the territory of Fan Jiandi.

After everything returned to peace, everyone turned their attention to Fang Li, the Ministry of Revenue's official, who was still there.

Everyone's eyes were different. Yan Xingshu was gloating, the prince was hesitating, Grand Secretary Hu was indifferent, and the Supervisory Office frowned. Only Shangshu Fan looked calm, and he seemed to have never thought that because of this person named Fang Li, there would be many people involved.

At this point, the prince certainly figured out everything. Fan Jian, the shameless, foolish, cunning and silent old fox!

When the court began to investigate the Ministry of Revenue. No! It should be said that as early as a few years ago, when the prince reached out to the Ministry of Revenue, Fan Jian was already watching the scene coldly, and then used extremely experienced means to cover up the matter quietly without anyone noticing it. But on the other hand, he deliberately left a small tail that was not noticed, and with a slight swing, he threw it to one of the seven departments...

In this way, he not only covered the prince's hand, but also took the prince's handle. The most important thing is that this cover even the officials on the prince's side themselves. As a result, the 400,000 taels of silver became nothing, and it was wiped extremely clean, even Fang Li thought there was no problem.

Coupled with the collapse of the Ministry of Rites, the prince's slight stupidity.

Only Fan Jian knew the whole process in the world, and this Shangshu was extremely ardent and did not throw the generals directly to attack the enemy, but left a trace of the thread in the mess.

For example, the winter clothes worn by soldiers in the snow in the north, and the siege machinery that was not needed on the South Vietnam front.

When the court began to investigate the Ministry of Revenue, it would find the thread leader. It gently pulled it... and finally pulled off their own belts.

This is a local bureau that has been buried for several years.

Fan Jian didn't need to do anything, he just needed to wait for himself to be threatened. He created a situation that allowed some people to grab the belt they had forgotten and pulled it harder.

Good luck.

The investigation into the Ministry of Rites has also begun. Although after Guo Youzhi was killed in the Heavenly Prison, the Ministry of Rites underwent a major blood change and all the documents were a little confused, under the strong investigation of the court's investigation team and the meticulous search of the Supervision Bureau, the order issued by the Ministry of Rites corresponded to the receipts secretly retained by the Ministry of Revenue.

The 400,000 taels of silver was indeed sent to the Ministry of Rites. The problem is that the 14th ritual part was transferred to the 400,000 taels of silver for the ritual and the Autumn Examination School... Where did it go?

Mr. Hu had been patrolling all over the world for a long time, and then he entered the school to see the matter. Of course, he knew that the school houses in various counties and roads in the world were still so dilapidated, and the autumn examination school yamen in many places would leak. So his face became increasingly ugly, and he asked to the official of the Ministry of Rites in front of him: "Who can tell me where the 400,000 taels of silver went?"

Grand Secretary Hu looked at His Highness the Crown Prince indifferently and sighed in his heart.

In fact, everyone in the hall knew the situation in the court in the past few years. The Ministry of Rites has always been the back garden of the East Palace, and the Ministry of Rites has no courage to make 400,000 taels of silver and spent it everywhere. Anyone could guess that the money was flowing to the East Palace.

But since I found out that the East Palace, this matter seemed a bit unsustainable.

Grand Secretary Hu pondered for a moment and said, "The primary issue at the moment is to find out the whereabouts of the 400,000 taels of silver."

The prince was shocked, but smiled gently on his face and said, "Mr. Hu's words are reasonable."

Mu Tie, a department of the Supervision Bureau, was not qualified to sit next to these ministers and stood on the side. He looked at the face of Old Shangshu Fan who was sitting in the middle, and suddenly spoke: "Yinzi came to the Ministry of Rites, but the official who was in charge of this matter died in the spring of the previous year."

The prince was silent on the side, Guo Youzhi was dead, Guo Baokun was gone, and now the Supervision Bureau has confirmed the death of the specific person in charge. Even if the eldest princess knew that she had something to do with the 400,000 taels of silver, she could not find any evidence to hand it over to Grand Secretary Hu, so he felt a little relieved. While he was relieved, he couldn't help feeling sad and angry. Aunt! Why do you want this?

However, Mu Tie's words made His Royal Highness feel cold.

He said in a straight voice: "But there are always clues to be found. Grand Secretary. Do you think you want the Supervisory Office to check the Ministry of Rites?"

Check the Ministry of Rites?

Everyone in the hall was shocked and wanted to let these wolf-like inspectors investigate the Ministry of Rites? The court's investigation of the Ministry of Revenue would obviously make Mr. Xiao Fan, who was far away in Jiangnan, extremely angry. The Supervision Bureau investigated the Ministry of Rites. Under the remote control of Mr. Xiao Fan, the poor officials of the Ministry of Rites would really not survive.

But Mu Tie's request at this time seemed very reasonable.

Fan Jian was lightly aiding his beard, expressionless, but he was thinking in his heart that An Zhi's confidant's head seemed much more useful than before, and he could guess his thoughts.

Fan Jiandi's mind was very simple. Didn't the court want to investigate the Ministry of Revenue? If the Ministry of Revenue wants to protect itself, it must pull the front line and drag it into more ministries and offices... The Ministry of Rites was just the beginning. After all the six ministries were found, the wise emperor, His Majesty, was not easy to remove all the six ministries.

Yan Xingshu, the Minister of Personnel, glanced at Fan Jian, admired the old fox very much, and quickly shook his head and refuted: "The court's clear order to investigate the Ministry of Revenue will not affect it too much."

Fan Jian said with a slight smile: "It's reasonable, it's reasonable."

Anyone could hear the sarcasm of these two sounds of reasonableness. Yan Xingshu looked embarrassed and knew that his argument was unreasonable. Since the Ministry of Revenue was in deficit involving the Ministry of Rites, of course he should continue to investigate.

Grand Secretary Hu also looked embarrassed and persuaded him: "Ask for a while, and a while."

If you let go and ask the Supervisory Office to investigate the Ministry of Rites, you will definitely find His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the end. Therefore, before entering the palace to ask for the imperial edict, Grand Secretary Hu, as the Minister of Inspector General, did not dare to make this decision.

At this moment, His Highness the Crown Prince gritted his teeth and said, "The affairs of the Ministry of Rites are always to be investigated. It's just that there are some orders and the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue has not been investigated yet. The expansion of the company is too wide. I'm afraid it will hinder Your Majesty's decree."

Fan Jian still smiled and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is right, right."

Grand Secretary Hu sighed in his heart and said, "About the Ministry of Rites, please listen to the emperor when entering the palace later. According to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's wishes, the Ministry of Revenue should continue here."

If you continue to investigate, the Ministry of Revenue will definitely find more problems. The 400,000 taels of silver is just the tip of the iceberg after all. The prince just doesn’t believe that the Fan family will be so clean in the Ministry of Revenue!

Of course, the Ministry of Revenue is not clean. Shangshu Fan set up a local bureau, so the burial line is not just His Royal Highness.

As the inspection gradually deepened, several departments were successfully dragged into the water by the Ministry of Revenue, and Dali Temple was the first to be hit. The Dali Temple minister, who had been silent, immediately changed his face and was very embarrassed.

The Ministry of Revenue is not a bad debt, but there are too many secret debts, and every deficit is pointed to the misappropriation of one of the court.

After finding out, even the clean yamen like the Taixue School did not escape!

Yan Xingshu, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, began to be alert. Although the Ministry of Revenue found the problem at this time, it did not involve the eldest princess and the second prince, because the people on his side had always gone to the inner treasury side, but seeing that Fan Jian and the Ministry of Revenue were prepared so well, who knew if he would be so sinister that he would use some name to insult the second prince?

"Let's get here first." Yan Xingshu frowned and said, "After entering the palace and requesting an order, we will continue tomorrow."

"It's reasonable." Fan Jian still said these two words with a smile.

Hu Dashu's face was cold and looked at the officials in the investigation team and thought to himself why the court was corrupt like this? If His Majesty was really determined to investigate, Shangshu Fan would naturally resign. However, as long as Jiangnan was not found, he would not have to bear too much responsibility. And... the rest of the officials in the court were afraid that most of the luck would be.

In the late spring palace, there are occasionally red apricots on the walls of the low inner palace, green trees and flowers complement each other, and the beautiful scenery enters the curtain and is unconscious.

It was already dusk and it was dark in a flash. The door of the imperial study room opened and closed. It was closed and opened, and several ministers who were discussing affairs came and went. In the end, only the lonely emperor was left in the room.

There was also the old eunuch and a candle.

With a bang! The Emperor of Qing's eyes were furious, and he slapped the wooden table with his palm, but he did not shake out a trace of tea. He said in a cold voice: "What a Ministry of Revenue, What a Eastern Palace. Do you really think I dare not kill anyone?"

The minister who had entered the imperial study to discuss matters was responsible for investigating the officials of the Ministry of Revenue after receiving the order. After listening to their report, Emperor Qing was furious. His original intention was to investigate the Ministry of Revenue. By using the Ministry of Revenue to transfer silver to Jiangnan, he persuaded Fan Jian to abdicate and use this relatively open method to re-establish the balance in the court.

But he never expected that the Ministry of Revenue was much cleaner than he thought. Fan Jian was much cleaner than he thought. Instead, the other five ministries and three temples in the court were not known how much benefit he had gained from the Ministry of Revenue, especially the Eastern Palace!

Previously, Grand Secretary Hu had already reported the affairs of the Ministry of Rites and had a sad hint. It is best not to continue to investigate the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, otherwise it will cause chaos in the government. I am afraid that the Ministry of Revenue has not had time to bear the crimes they should bear, and the other ministers of each ministries should start to go to prison.

The emperor was furious and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed with the methods of the Ministry of Revenue, so the previous thunder was angry. In his opinion, since Fan Jian knew these things early, why did he keep hiding them? It was not until he was about to move the Ministry of Revenue that he suddenly threw them out and caught the ministers off guard... Isn't this just a person who is the emperor off guard!

He grew up with Fan Jian since childhood, and of course he knew the ability of his steward. He was not surprised by the Ministry of Revenue's response so scheming. He was angry that the ministers in the court were not good and were tied to this big ship by the Ministry of Revenue. What was even more angry was that the prince was so stupid, asking him how he dared to pass on the world to him?

Of course, the emperor was even more angry at Fan Jian's sharp counterattack because this "partner" was...

"He is threatening me!" the emperor frowned and said coldly.

Old Eunuch Hong, with a face full of old spots, shook his head and sighed: "Your Majesty, don't be afraid of the old slave talking too much. This person... is always selfish. Even a loyal minister like Shangshu Fan, in such a dangerous situation, needs to think of some ways to protect himself."

The emperor's voice was a little sharp and he said jokingly: "Is it a loyal minister to play tricks like this?"

Old Eunuch Hong sighed: "Director Chen loves to play tricks more, but when it comes to loyalty, I am afraid that the old slaves will not dare to claim to be above them."

The emperor slowly closed his eyes and said, "Chen Pingping has saved my life countless times, how could Fan Jian compare to it?"

"Shangshu Fan has been managing the Ministry of Revenue over the years and has quietly erased all hidden dangers. What is it for? It is not for the peace of the court." Old Eunuch Hong sighed: "If Lord Shangshu really has any unjust intentions, the evidence he holds in his hands is enough for him to do too much, but he has not done anything, which means he just doesn't want the court to be in turmoil."

"He should at least tell me first." The emperor said coldly.

Old Eunuch Hong whispered: "From the news sent back by Fan's mansion over the years, the reason why Lord Shangshu has never entered the palace to report details is that he is not willing to worry about His Majesty... His Majesty should still remember the news that came a few days ago."

The emperor was slightly stunned. Thinking of the person named Zheng Tuo’s news, his mood gradually calmed down. He regained a little favor to Fan Jian, and asked with a frown: “But the Ministry of Revenue still has to investigate, otherwise it will end so that the court’s face will be put aside?”

"The key is Your Majesty's current attitude towards Shangshu Fan." Old Eunuch Hong lowered his head and asked for instructions.

The emperor shook his head: "He can't do the Minister of Revenue anymore. I can give him other compensation... But he can't take the Ministry of Revenue anymore. An Zhiyuan manages the inner treasury in Jiangnan. No matter from any aspect, Fan Jian is not suitable to continue to serve as the Minister of Revenue."

A feeling of sadness arose in the heart of the old eunuch Hong, and some sympathize with the Lord Shangshu who has been working hard for the past few years, said tentatively: "There is a saying that I don't know whether to speak or not."

"Tell me."

Old Eunuch Hong said in a slight voice: "Mr. Little Fan is so talented that His Majesty has arranged for him to take over the inner treasury and the Supervisory Office, which is really aware of others and good at responsibilities. As for Secretary Fan, if it is common sense, he should not pay attention to the Ministry of Revenue anymore, but... Your Majesty may still remember that in the first year of Qingli, Fan Jian, who was still the Minister of the Secretariat at that time, had made a big fuss once. Secretary Fan, in fact, did not want Mr. Little Fan to take charge of the Supervisory Office."

"Yeah, keep going." The emperor frowned, knowing what Eunuch Hong said implicitly.

"After all, Shangshu Fan was a romantic talent back then." Old Eunuch Hong said with a smile: "He is a passionate person. The old slave took the liberty and always thought that any sentimental person could become a bond. Shangshu Fan stayed in the capital and Lord Fan would be much more secure when he was in Jiangnan."

The emperor's face was calm and said after a while: "The Empress Dowager said this before in the Empress Dowager's harem. First, for the sake of the mother of Danzhou, the palace always had to give more rain and dew to the Fan Mansion. Second, Fan Jian stayed in Beijing, and Fan Xian would be more at ease in Jiangnan."

What is peace of mind? It's just a secret defense and threat.
To be continued...