Chapter 18 The River Burst Its Banks Again!

Study in Chonghua Palace.

The two cabinet assistants, the Minister of Personnel and the head of the Hanlin Academy who were called over looked at each other with puzzlement in their eyes.

Especially the cabinet Fu Cha, who had just heard that his son-in-law was punished for offering a Taoist priest, and he didn't know what nerves the emperor had touched.

"Is there a person named Pan Ji in the Hanlin Academy?" Xiao Yunzhou sat in the main seat and got straight to the point.

The head of the Hanlin Academy's eyelids jumped, "Your Majesty, there is such a person, a fifth-rank editor."

Xiao Yunzhou immediately grabbed the chair, it really exists!

The little princess was right again!

"How has Pan Ji's performance been in the past few years?"

The Minister of Personnel was sweating.

Each official is evaluated every three years, why did the emperor suddenly ask about a small person from the fifth rank?

What went wrong?

The head of the Hanlin Academy answered on the spot for the Minister of Personnel, "To reply to the emperor, the editor Pan Ji is a fellow Jinshi, and he mainly compiles and edits ancient books on dredging the Guijiang River Basin. He has been compiling books regardless of weather in the past few years, and he is quite diligent."

But he thought for a moment and said, "It's just that he doesn't communicate much with his colleagues, has a strange temper, and often goes out alone."

Xiao Yunzhou's eyes flickered.

This is consistent with what his daughter said. This Pan Ji is doing the compilation of ancient books on dredging.

With a strange temper and a loner, it's no wonder that no one recommended him for this dike breach.

Until this editor gave money to the cabinet, he was recommended again.

Xiao Yunzhou thought about it and looked at the cabinet Fu Cha Lord with displeasure.

What a Fu Cha family!

One was thinking about poisoning him in the harem, and the other was taking bribes in the previous dynasty!

A capable Pan Ji wanted to recommend himself to dredge the Yellow River Basin three years later, and he also had to give gifts to Fu Cha Lord!

It's simply outrageous.

"Pan Ji, transferred to Yangshan, as the governor of river dredging."

Xiao Yunzhou ordered, "Take office immediately."

The ministers in the study were all shocked.

Especially the two old men in the cabinet and the Minister of Personnel, they couldn't help but look up and observe Xiao Yunzhou's expression.

The emperor ascended the throne at the age of fifteen, and followed the prime minister to listen to government affairs for three years.

He only went to court at the age of eighteen, but even when he was in power, he always trusted the cabinet, especially Fu Cha, who was related to him.

The emperor rarely intervened directly in the appointment of officials.

It was often the cabinet that recommended and approved Xiao Yunzhou.

Why is it different today?

"Your Majesty, this cannot be done. Pan Ji has no experience in river affairs. Where did the emperor hear about this person? You must know that what you learn from books is shallow. He is an editor and may not even have seen what a river looks like."

Fu Cha stood up and objected.

Xiao Yunzhou closed his eyes and was about to speak when he heard a baby crying in the side room.

The ministers in the whole room were surprised.

Who is in the side hall?

Why is there a newborn baby crying?

They were puzzled, but saw Xiao Yunzhou tense for a moment and asked Wei Zheng with concern.

"But the little princess is crying? What happened to her?"

The ministers were stunned.

Is it the third princess?

The third princess was just born a while ago, but why is a little princess in the emperor's Chonghua Palace?

Last night, the emperor was injured in his legs and feet by the earth dragon, and today he summoned the little princess who was just one month old...

The emperor seemed to be different.

The ministers were at a loss, but Wei Zheng knew who was being favored now.

He immediately trotted over, as if he was not going to serve the little princess, but the next prince.

After a while, he ran over breathlessly to answer.

"Your Majesty, it's the little princess crying. She seems to want to go out to see the flowers, but Concubine Liu won't let her."

Xiao Yunzhou couldn't help laughing, "Bring her to me, I'll take her to see the flowers. It's snowing outside, let's see them in this study."

"Go, bring some pots of narcissus and winter plums."

The two elders were shocked.

This is too much pampering!

They usually don't pamper their children so much.

Why do they want to take the child to see the flowers when they are still discussing matters?

But Wei Zheng quickly and steadily brought Xiao Chuchu in the silk bag.

Xiao Yunzhou usually likes to practice Taoism and is not very close to his own children.

Even the eldest prince is not often called to bring him to his side, but now, he is smiling with Xiao Chuchu in his arms.

He also carefully checked whether there were any gaps in the small quilt wrapped around her for ventilation.

"My dear Chuchu is so good."

"It's snowing outside. It's cold outside. Let's watch the flowers in the house. Father will hold you and watch the flowers."

The ministers were stunned when they saw Xiao Yunzhou holding his daughter like an old father.

[Oh, is this the cabinet minister? ]

Xiao Chuchu looked around in the cradle, but her little face was full of excitement and she stopped crying.

She actually just wanted to see the prime minister.

For a scholar to reach this level is the highest honor.

[It's a pity that Master Fucha didn't know how to cherish it. It really lost the face of the scholars. The winter tribute he secretly received alone was more than the private treasury money accumulated by the emperor father in the ten years since he ascended the throne! ]

【Alas, the emperor wanted to build a Taoist temple before, but he was very tight because he had no money in his private treasury, so he gave up. 】

【He certainly didn't expect that Lord Fucha would have it if he just showed a little in his palm. 】

Xiao Yunzhou's face suddenly darkened.

The ministers in the study felt a chill for a moment.

But Xiao Chuchu didn't notice it yet. Her eyes were rolling around, still recalling.

【The governor sent by the emperor to control the Yellow River breach this time was Lord Fucha's adopted son. He gave Lord Fucha 100,000 taels of silver. 】

How unreasonable!

Xiao Yunzhou was almost angry to the point of vomiting blood.

100,000 taels, he might not even be able to take it out!

The Ministry of Revenue said it was short of money for the treatment of refugees this time.

As a result, Lord Fucha took 100,000 taels alone!

【Alas, what's more hateful is that this adopted son who bribed is also a greedy person. Calculating the time, it is estimated that the emperor will soon receive the news that the river embankment has breached again. ]

【It was because he cut corners and spent only one-third of the silver on the river bank. 】

Xiao Yunzhou closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

After all, he was a Taoist who cultivated his body and mind.

In a breath, he hid his anger and looked at the Minister of Personnel, "Why don't you do it?"

The Minister of Personnel looked at Fu Cha Ge Lao and hesitated, "Your Majesty, without the cabinet's approval, I..."

Xiao Yunzhou was furious.

But in a moment, a eunuch ran to the door quickly, sweating profusely.

"Your Majesty, Yangshan is three hundred miles away!"

"Last night, the river bank broke again!"

The ministers in the entire study were all stunned.

Especially the Minister of Personnel, who did not immediately obey the order to call Pan Ji, almost fell to his knees.

The previous river management governor Zhu Ming was recommended by the Ministry of Personnel, sent to the cabinet for approval, and then sent to the emperor for approval.

But the Minister of Personnel knew that this was just a formality.

In fact, it was Fu Cha who directly hinted to recommend Governor Zhu!

But now Zhu Ming made a mistake, and the Ministry of Personnel who recommended him could not escape the blame!

The back of the Minister of Personnel was sweating.

He was finished...

"Send Jinyiwei Lu Tong to immediately arrest Governor Zhu Ming and Minister of River Affairs Liu Xun and bring them back to Beijing!"

Xiao Yunzhou held the little princess, afraid of scaring her, so he didn't yell.

But his tone was low and gentle, and his eyes were as sharp as a sword.

The Minister of Personnel knelt down on his knees.

"The Minister of Personnel failed to supervise the officials, and he was suspended from his post and cooperated with the Jinyiwei investigation,"

"The cabinet minister, the person who transferred the review, the same as above, and fined another five years!"

Fu Cha's face was dark blue.

But Xiao Yunzhou was too lazy to look at him.

[Wow, good job! Such corrupt officials should be severely punished! 】

【The Emperor is so wise today~~~】

Xiao Chuchu was genuinely happy to see the corrupt official being punished.

She even liked the cheap Emperor who was obsessed with cultivation.

It was the first time that Xiao Yunzhou heard his daughter's flattery, and the corners of his lips could not help but rise.

He carried his daughter into the inner room.

"Wei Zheng, call the fifth prince to have dinner together."

*

Go to the West Five Houses.

The fifth prince Cheng Gan, with the little eunuch, went around to the South Imperial Garden.

He ran into Pang Rushong, the imperial guard who was off duty today.

Pang Rushong was the one who carried the emperor out of the Qianqing Palace last night and was rewarded.

He was also the future border general in Chuchu's words.

Cheng Gan nodded at him from a distance, "Guard Pang, were you injured last night?"

Guard Pang's eyes were moved, and he quickly saluted, "Fifth Prince, I'm fine."

"Thanks to the Fifth Prince's reminder last night, I escaped from the west side of the palace gate and was not hit by the broken beam."

His wife is now the third princess's wet nurse.

Yesterday, she sent him a letter saying that Liu promised to take good care of her.

Guard Pang didn't expect that the Fifth Prince was such a generous person.

He was just an ordinary guard.

Usually, other princes would look down on their guards and ignore them.

The guards around the eldest prince were injured in a fight and were punished by the eldest prince.

In comparison, the Fifth Prince was really kind to others!

"Thank you for your concern, Prince."

"I'm glad you're fine." Cheng Gan breathed a sigh of relief.

After listening to what his sister said, he really couldn't bear that a general in the future would die of illness.

Cheng Gan knew that as a prince, he could not have too much contact with the imperial guards, lest his father become suspicious.

He asked the eunuch to deliver the golden wound medicine from the Imperial Hospital, "This time, thanks to Guard Pang for saving my father, Guard Pang must be more careful in the future. Minor injuries must be treated in time, otherwise they will become serious illnesses over time."

Pang Rushong was so moved that he was about to kneel down, but Cheng Gan walked over and helped him up.

"No need to be polite. You saved my father, so I should do this."

As he was speaking, Wei Zheng hurried over.

"Fifth Prince, you are here, it took me a while to find you."

"Go to Chonghua Palace with me quickly."

"The Emperor wants to wait for you to enjoy fried skewers and hot pot together."