Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 770: Rat Race
Minister Ji returned from the palace to the Ministry of Revenue office, without even a moment to catch his breath, he immediately gathered the entire Ministry of Revenue to announce the urgent tasks for the next ten days.
The officials of the Ministry of Revenue were all inwardly bemoaning their fate. One slightly bolder official spoke up, "Lord Minister, according to the Ministry of Revenue’s precedent, the court’s allocation of grain and silver to the states and counties is for disaster relief. Just going through the procedures takes a month; ten days is not enough."
In the past, the allocated funds and grain would be skimmed off layer by layer, and if seventy percent reached the hands of those in need, it would be a blessing.
Minister Ji, with a stern face, said coldly, "What precedent does the Ministry of Revenue have? And stop mentioning the past. It is the second year of Zhaoping, under the new emperor, with new atmospheres and new rules. If you miss the past so much, then just stop serving and return to the past, wouldn’t that be better."
The outspoken official of the Ministry of Revenue was reprimanded and dared not make another sound.
Minister Ji knew all too well what kind of people his subordinates were, and once again sternly said, "Yu State has suffered from war, and everything needs rebuilding. Even Nanyang County is contributing money and grain, the court must not stand idly by, it must fully support. Do your tasks carefully, anyone who makes a mistake, think about losing your head and having your family property confiscated, then think about being sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
"By that time, regret will do you no good."
The officials of the Ministry of Revenue felt their scalps tighten and solemnly responded.
In fact, with the Emperor’s observer Tang Youyin present, even if they wanted to play tricks, there wasn’t much chance. Not to mention, there were now several female scholars, all grateful to the Empress and eager to prove themselves.
They indeed had to be extraordinarily careful in their duties, a single misstep could make way for those who followed.
Minister Ji moved directly into the government office. The officials of the Ministry of Revenue, following his example, also moved into the government office, working through the day and continuing to toil into the night, so busy that it was ablaze with lights and bustling with activity.
Such a large commotion in the Ministry of Revenue naturally caught the attention of the neighboring Ministry of Personnel.
"Lord Minister," Zhou Langzhong, a confidant of Minister Zhang, advised cautiously, "His Majesty is very concerned about the matters in Yu State, when selecting officials, should we be more careful too?"
By careful, Zhou Langzhong meant not to overextend when appointing officials. Candidates looking to fill vacancies often spent tens of thousands of silver. As a result, even those from modest backgrounds who passed the advanced scholar exams had to wait patiently for suitable opportunities in the officialdom circuit. Even if they got a genuine position, they were often assigned to far and impoverished county governments.
Yu State, which was once good, is no longer a desirable place after this turmoil. As the Ministry of Personnel released news of selecting officials, hardly anyone visited Zhang Mansion in the past few days.
This task offered no benefits and required a substantial investment of time and effort. What’s even more annoying was that Minister Ji of the Ministry of Revenue was working incredibly hard, placing Minister Zhang in a passive position.
In a foul mood, Minister Zhang glared at his subordinate, "When have I ever been careless in my duties? Just follow the court’s requirements, select robust officials from the candidates. Three days have passed, and there are seven days left, and the list must be submitted. What are you standing around for? Get to work immediately!"
The last sentence was filled with erupting anger.
Zhou Langzhong hesitantly retreated, wiping his forehead with his sleeve after leaving the signature room. He thought to himself his minister’s difficulties on the court had made him vent his frustrations on them.
Minister Zhang used to have only Prime Minister Wang above him. And Prime Minister Wang relied on him in every way; he always considered himself the second in command of the Prime Minister Faction.
Unexpectedly, after a palace coup, the Da Liang Court was turned upside down. The Empress ascended to the throne, and Wang Jin became the head of the Prime Minister Faction. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Minister Zhang, high in rank and seniority, was unwilling to follow the orders of a young upstart and simply established his own faction, splitting the Prime Minister Faction in two.
Minister Zhang recruited about a third of the Prime Minister Faction officials, mostly mid to low-ranking ones. He originally thought he could achieve something, or at worst, create a tripartite situation. However, it turned out forming a clique was not an easy task for everyone.
After nearly a year, not only did he fail to form a real "Minister Faction," but many fair-weather friends defected to the Empress. Minister Zhang was thwarted and humiliated at every turn.
The Empress was keen on promoting Minister Dong of the Ministry of Rites, and Ministers Ding of the Ministry of War and Yang of the Ministry of Justice were all raised and appointed by her. Minister Ji was also kept completely compliant. Except for Minister Zhou, who kept his head down and silent, Minister Zhang was the biggest thorn in the court.
The Empress was no pushover, and never hesitated to suppress the Ministry of Personnel. In court meetings, she gave Minister Zhang no face, and occasionally scolded or criticized him.
Minister Zhang’s prestige and authority were repeatedly undermined. Now, he barely managed to hold on to the Ministry of Personnel office.
Even so, when performing tasks, things had to be done adeptly, without any faults to be found.
First, draft the rules, then list all eligible candidates, with at least three candidates for each position. After evaluating each person’s strengths and weaknesses, finalize the list of candidate officials.
Ten days later, Minister Zhang presented the list to the palace for the audience.
Coincidentally, Minister Ji had also completed his tasks and entered the palace for the audience together.
Chief Historian Chen and Secretary of the Secretariat Wang were both in Zhaohai Palace, with several housekeepers in attendance. The Empress sat on the Dragon Throne, her gaze indifferent, and spoke before Minister Zhang could, "Minister Ji, how much grain and silver can the Ministry of Revenue allocate?"
It was these seemingly innocuous yet truly frustrating gestures that angered Minister Zhang while leaving him with no way to counter.
Minister Zhang held back his frustration and listened intently.
Minister Ji reported loudly, "Reporting to the Emperor, the Ministry of Revenue can allocate one hundred thousand stones of grain, and the Ministry of Agriculture can supply a batch of new grain seeds, enough to cultivate one hundred fifty thousand acres of fertile land. Additionally, the Ministry of Revenue can provide three hundred thousand taels of silver, all to be sent to Yu State."
This figure was evidently decided after comparing the figures presented by the Nanyang Prince Mansion, ultimately reached after careful consideration. The relief grain was the same, fewer grain seeds, but the silver was directly tripled.
The Ministry of Revenue, in charge of the Da Liang National Treasury, competing with a Nanyang Prince Mansion was indeed quite sad. If they couldn’t compete, Minister Ji wouldn’t have the face to stand in Zhaohai Palace.
Jiang Shaohua understood this, and with a slight smile, said, "Minister Ji, you’ve worked hard."
That was considered a sign of satisfaction.
Minister Ji’s heart relaxed, and he replied respectfully, "Your servant is just doing my duty, I dare not speak of hardship."
Next, it was Minister Zhang’s turn to report, "Here is the list of officials selected by the Ministry of Personnel. Please, Your Majesty, review and decide."
Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly.
Chen Sheren stepped forward to take the list from Minister Zhang. Then, the Empress directly instructed, "Chen Sheren, show the list to Chief Historian Chen first."
Chen Sheren, smiling, obliged, handing the list smoothly to Chief Historian Chen.
Minister Zhang: "..."
