Quick Wear: The Female Supporting Character Wants to Live

Chapter 136 My 26 Male Servant 11

Yao Shu took a deep breath, her eyes were as cold as a knife, and she ordered: "The Li family, the Zhang family, the Yang family, and the Chang family are greedy and disregard human life. I now confiscate all the property of the Chang family.

Women were demoted to slavery and were forbidden from participating in politics or business for life, and men were beheaded and their bodies thrown into the wilderness.

"I obey your command!" Gu Yuan responded respectfully, then stepped back to carry out the order.

The waitress beside her looked at the furious Yao Shu and couldn't help feeling nervous.

She glanced at Yao Shu cautiously, then quickly lowered her head, fearing that she would accidentally anger the monarch.

"Come here." Yao Shu suddenly pointed at the waitress below and said.

The maid was startled, and she walked forward nervously, asking in a low voice, "What does your majesty want me to do?"

Yao Shu smiled slightly, stretched out her hand to grab a handful of golden melon seeds, and then held them in front of the waitress: "You must be tired from riding a horse to deliver the memorials, this is a reward from me."

The waitress' eyes widened, her surprise was beyond words. She quickly stretched out her hands to take the golden melon seeds and said excitedly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."

Yao Shu nodded slightly to show her satisfaction, waved her hand and said, "You can leave first."

"The slaves obey."

The waitress retreated happily, holding the handful of golden melon seeds tightly in her hand.

Yao Shu glanced at the guard Wu Xi beside her and said softly, "Go and call General Dai Honglun and Deputy Prime Minister Jiu Ximing. Remember to act in secret and don't let anyone find out."

"Yes, I understand." Wu Xi responded respectfully, then quickly turned and left.

After Wu Xi left, Yao Shu also left the main hall and went to the side hall to wait.

Not long after, Jiu Ximing came out of the secret passage. He quickly stepped forward, saluted Yao Shu and said, "Your Majesty, I am your humble servant. I wonder what important matter your Majesty has summoned me for?"

Yao Shu looked at Jiu Ximing with a smile, handed him the memorial in her hand, and said softly: "My dear, please take a look at this memorial first."

Jiu Ximing took the memorial and read it carefully.

After a moment, he raised his head, looked at Yao Shu calmly and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want me to recommend a few new officials to take office?"

"Well, Qushui County is close to the west. We will send people to monitor the number of troops in Jiang's fiefdom."

Yao Shu nodded. As expected of an old fox, she could see what she needed at once.

Jiu Ximing lowered his head and thought for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will write a few easy-to-use officials for you when the time comes."

Yao Shu frowned slightly and asked with some concern: "What if there are people who are greedy for money inside?"

Jiu Ximing quickly explained: "Your Majesty, rest assured, these officials were carefully selected and bribed by me. Under normal circumstances, they will not easily reveal their identities."

Jiu Ximing suddenly thought of something and reminded Yao Shu, "Your Majesty, many ministers in the court are now the connections of the Prince of Chen. It may not be realistic to win over the people around the Prince of Chen."

Yao Shu sighed inwardly. It was indeed true. Most of the officials who could serve in the central government came from old and new aristocrats and wealthy families.

With her current strength, she is not enough to compete with Jiang Xi.

Therefore, she needed the grassroots people to actively participate in state affairs, which would not only stabilize the people's hearts, but also help strengthen the imperial power.

But her act of launching a coup would inevitably trigger strong resistance from the nobles.

No one is willing to give up the benefits that they can obtain, let alone those upper-class people who are blinded by greed.

Yao Shu frowned and thought about it, then came up with an idea and told Jiu Ximing.

"I will first win over the middle and lower-level officials, and then propose an examination system in the court to allow the people to study. Those officials who do not take sides will naturally agree with my policy in order to avoid trouble."

Jiu Ximing did not agree with Yao Shu's words, and asked Yao Shu tactfully: "Your Majesty, among the lower-class people, only nobles and merchants can afford to read."

Yes, nowadays only rich people can use paper. The current papermaking process is not widespread and the technology is not mature yet.

Yao Shu thought of someone, Xing Yan.

The Rang family is the largest merchant in Lingxi County, and the head of the Rang family is Rang Xingyan’s sister Rang Xingheng.

If she remembered correctly, officials, farmers, merchants, and businessmen had no chance to study, but Xing Heng had to donate tens of thousands of taels of silver to get a lowly job as a court official.

Although Xingheng is rich, he is often suppressed by the powerful and wealthy class and is subject to various taxes, which even a wealthy businessman cannot bear.

Yao Shu said: "I have a candidate who can help me complete this important task."

Yao Shu told Jiu Ximing her idea, but Jiu Ximing disagreed and asked hesitantly.

“…Is this really possible?”

Too much business is likely to affect the development of agriculture.

What the ancient dynasties needed were law-abiding peasants; people who were too smart were not valued by the dynasties.

Yao Shu nodded affirmatively, "Don't worry, I will pay attention to the balance."

"Then I will recommend the new official to Your Majesty tomorrow, and the rest will still be up to Your Majesty to implement."

Jiu Ximing saluted Yao Shu, and Yao Shu said to Jiu Ximing, "It's really hard for you to call Jiu Aiqing here so late at night."

"I am not tired. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

"Ah."

After Jiu Ximing left, the national general Dai Honglun met Jiu Ximing through a secret passage.

Dai Honglun raised his eyebrows, "Oh, His Majesty is calling you too?"

"Yes, His Majesty probably wants to talk to you about military rations."

Jiu Ximing knew what Yao Shu and Dai Honglun were going to discuss with just a quick guess.

Dai Honglun asked curiously, "How are you so smart? How did you know that? Did His Majesty tell you?"

"...The matter of the military commander has already shown that His Majesty wants to suppress the military power of the Prince of Chen. There is no need to guess."

Dai Honglun: ...

Does this mean she's stupid?

Jiu Ximing noticed Dai Honglun's little thoughts and immediately bowed and took his leave.

"Eh... why did you leave?" Dai Honglun scratched his head, shook his head and stopped thinking about the previous conversation, then walked into the secret passage to meet Yao Shu.

"Your Majesty, what do you want to ask me?"

Dai Honglun half-knelt in front of Yao Shu. Yao Shu took the tea from Qi An's hand and drank it. She said, "Now that you are here, someone has already taken care of the military rations."

"Have the corrupt officials been caught?" Dai Honglun asked. Yao Shu nodded, "Yes, when the time comes, all the money confiscated from their homes will be used to pay the army."

Dai Honglun said happily: "Then when will your majesty attack the State of Chu next month?"

Yao Shu was silent for a while and then said, "Not sure, at the latest the second half of next month."

Dai Honglun asked: "Your Majesty, who will you take with you to the battle?

Wu Qingjiao, the daughter of Grand Commandant Wu Muying, is a newly recommended military officer. She is both brave and resourceful, and she has won battles with Xingnu before."

"Then secretly appoint Wu Muying as the deputy commander, and pass the imperial edict to her when the time comes. I will write an imperial edict for you and you can take it when the time comes."

Yao Shu came to the desk and wrote an imperial edict. She stamped it with the imperial seal, picked up the edict, blew on it, rolled it up and handed it to Dai Honglun.