What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 162 Su Mo Takes Action! The Empress Falls!
Su Mo said that he was cold and cunning.

Lin Moyin's expression suddenly turned strange: "Young Master, do you really think that way about Commander Leng?"

"Why do I feel that he's so cold and aloof, he doesn't seem like a bad person?"

Su Mo shook her head: "Only children distinguish between good and bad people!"

"A county magistrate who is corrupt but capable of getting things done ensures that the people under his jurisdiction live in peace and prosperity. Another county magistrate who is honest and upright but incompetent in his work makes a mess of things and causes great suffering to the people."

"Who do you think is the good person and who is the bad person?"

Lin Moyin paused for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Corruption is definitely the fault of bad people, but what about incorruptible officials who are also corrupt?

If you were an ordinary citizen, which official would you choose as your local leader?
Just as Lin Moyin was struggling with this decision.

Su Mo then said in a deep voice, "In this world, there are only stances, not good or bad!"

"As a member of the royal family, Leng Xixi's willingness to use any means necessary to protect the interests of the royal family is understandable."

"Anyway, we'll just have to be careful!"

Lin Moyin came to her senses, took a deep breath, and nodded slightly, saying, "No wonder you are so wary of Leng Xixi."

"It seems she truly only cares about the Empress! My lord, we must be on guard!"

As she spoke, her eyebrows furrowed, and she added with a worried expression, "However, as far as I know, she is a Heavenly Infant... Golden Core Realm cultivator, and her methods are mysterious and unpredictable."

"I hope she doesn't steal my solution to the problem of dealing with the feudal lords."

Su Mo smiled smugly and said, "Your husband isn't so easily fooled by her!"

"I have never revealed that method to anyone!"

"How did Mo'er know she was at the Golden Core Realm? She's so powerful! I really couldn't have guessed!"

As he spoke, he suddenly frowned and turned to look at the incense burner: "Mo'er, why is the smoke from this incense burner getting thicker and thicker?"

Lin Moyin blinked: "No, it's always been like this."

Her pretty face immediately turned resentful, her eyes reddened slightly, and she looked at Su Mo with a quiet gaze, saying, "My lord, keep your mouth shut."

"This method is something I won't even reveal to myself, let alone to that cold-hearted woman."

"I'm overthinking it."

Seeing Lin Moyin's resentful and aggrieved expression, with her eyes slightly red, Su Mo felt a pang of heartache for some reason.

The two were now very close, and a faint fragrance wafted into their nostrils.

Su Mo's heart fluttered.

These days, I've been stuck in the artisan camp like a beast of burden, and I don't know how long it's been since I've tasted meat!
He couldn't resist any longer, so he reached out and put his hand on Lin Moyin's waist, and then pulled her into his arms.

Lin Moyin's body trembled slightly, her pretty face darkened, and a white light flashed from her slender hand hidden in her white cloak as she subconsciously raised it.

The next second, Su Mo whispered in her ear, "It's fine to tell you, but you absolutely mustn't tell anyone else, especially not Leng Xixi!"

Lin Moyin immediately stopped what she was doing, turned her head to look at Su Mo, and asked with wide eyes in surprise, "Is what you said true, my lord?"

Are you really going to tell me?

Su Mo glanced at the pale but exceptionally beautiful lips that had come closer, and suddenly, she lightly touched them with her own.

Lin Moyin's delicate body stiffened instantly.

Panic and helplessness flashed in his eyes!
Su Mo, having successfully launched a sneak attack, smugly leaned close to Lin Moyin's ear and whispered, "Dealing with the feudal lords is the simplest thing; a single 'Decree of Grace' can easily take care of it."

As he spoke, his large hand habitually slipped inside his robe, giving it a squeeze, and a look of suspicion suddenly appeared on his face: "Hey? Why have you gotten so thin?"

He had played with Lin Moyin many times.

Upon handling it, I immediately noticed that the size was a bit off.

Lin Moyin's body was tense, and her voice was strange, as if she were gritting her teeth: "No way!"

"Say it quickly!"

"Then what... um... what exactly is this 'Decree of Grace'?"

Su Mo remained silent, her suspicion growing stronger, and she spread her five fingers to measure the size again.

Something's still not right!
He moved his palm suspiciously, pressing it against the warm, smooth skin to explore further, wanting to verify it more accurately.

Lord Qianhu is exceptionally gifted, one in ten thousand.

His hand was suddenly pressed down by Lin Moyin, rendering him unable to move.

The commander snorted, his expression extremely resentful: "My lord only knows how to bully me!"

"He didn't even bother to explain the details of the Edict of Grace to me!"

Su Mo hesitated for a moment, as if struggling, before finally speaking.

"The Edict of Grace changed the rule that the territory under the jurisdiction of the feudal lords was no longer inherited solely by their eldest son, but was instead jointly inherited by their eldest, second, and third sons."

"In this way, the power and territory of the feudal lords will shrink more and more, and eventually they will perish!"

"Even if some feudal lords attempt to rebel, I'm afraid their second and third sons will report them before they even begin!"

I heard this.

Leng Liuxi froze on the spot, staring at Su Mo in disbelief!

An overwhelming storm surged within me!

Is this the Edict of Grace?

Ruthless to such an extent!

What's even more terrifying is that this is an open conspiracy, and even if the feudal lords knew that the court was plotting something, they would have no way to deal with it!
The most pressing threat to the Great Wu Empire is the power of the feudal lords.

This one method alone will wipe them out completely!

Su Mo was indeed true to his word!
He could easily destroy the empire's princes!
No wonder he had been reluctant to reveal that the dosage of the mind-controlling incense was increased to the maximum, and that he even suffered a great loss before finally revealing it!

If the feudal lords knew that this method came from Su Mo, they would hate Su Mo to the bone and would spare no effort to kill him to vent their anger!
The most difficult of the feudal lords, Su Mo destroyed with a single method.

Does he also have ways to deal with aristocratic clans and Taoist sects?

How could a person be so monstrous!
He was just a young man who hadn't even reached twenty!

Leng Liuxi was so shocked that she forgot to hold down the restless big hand!
Until the large hand moved down...

He suddenly woke up in shock and quickly pulled Su Mo's demonic claws out!
He then took a deep breath and asked a question he wanted to know more about than dealing with powerful clans: "Young master, you are such a learned man... where did you acquire all your knowledge?"

"of course……"

As he spoke, Su Mo seemed to suddenly wake up. His dazed eyes cleared instantly, and his face contorted in pain and struggle!

"...Of course it's...the old man with the white beard...the old man with the white beard...the old man with the white beard!"

Leng Liuxi saw Su Mo's face contorted in pain as he struggled.

I was suddenly shocked.

Su Mo even revealed a method, like the "Decree of Grace," that would surely lead to his death.

When asked where his knowledge came from, and why he struggled so much, he replied...

Clearly, this issue was ten times more important to him than the imperial edict of grace!
Once he comes to his senses, he'll realize he's been bewitched.

They will hate me to the core in the future, be more vigilant, and never reveal a single word to me again!

Leng Liuxi hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said softly, "My lord, you are tired. Go and rest some more!"

Su Mo calmed down slightly, muttering "old man with white beard" over and over again. Before long, he slumped over his desk and fell asleep once more.

Leng Liuxi made a move with his bare hands.

The incense burner fell into my palm.

Seeing the incense stick inside, which was less than two inches long, Feng Mei raised her eyebrows slightly.

It can only be used once more.

The Bewitching Incense is the most special, even more terrifying than the Mind Control Technique. It can not only bewitch the mind, but is also a rare and precious item used to enhance pleasure in the bedroom.

If one does not take precautions beforehand and hold one's breath, even a powerful cultivator at the Golden Core stage could fall victim to it!
Having been caught off guard by Su Mo's sudden attack, she was shaken and inhaled a considerable amount of the poison.

Her pale face was slightly flushed.

He quickly extinguished the incense sticks and put the incense burner and ritual implements into his sleeve.

……

"Young Master Su, we have arrived at your residence!"

Su Mo heard a gentle voice in her ear and groggily opened her eyes.

Seeing Leng Xi looking at him with a half-smile, he was slightly taken aback: "You've arrived so quickly?"

He lifted the car window curtain and looked outside.

Sure enough, they had arrived outside their own house.

Su Mo frowned deeply: "How did I fall asleep?"

Mingming had a wonderful afternoon nap at the artisan camp office.

Leng Liuxi covered her mouth and laughed, "It must be because my lord has been too tired lately."

"Now that you have escorted me here, I will return to the inner city. Take care, my lord."

Su Mo's expression grew increasingly suspicious. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he changed his words to, "This humble official takes his leave!"

After saying that, he got up and got out of the carriage.

Leng Liuxi lifted the curtain, peeked out, and smiled at Su Mo: "If my lord is truly weary, he may rest for a few days. It is not impossible to go to Tianchang County later. I will explain this to His Majesty."

Su Mo nodded: "Thank you for your understanding, sir!"

Seeing that Leng Xixi showed no sign of leaving, Su Mo became suspicious again and looked at Leng Liuxi: "Lord Leng, why aren't you leaving yet?"

Leng Liuxi gave Su Mo a resentful look: "Has my lord forgotten the promise you made to me when we got in the carriage?"

Su Mo slapped his forehead!
I promised to give her perfume!
How could you forget so quickly!

The perfume was kept in his private study, which contained many things that could not be seen in the light of day. No one, not even Liu Siyun and others, was allowed to enter.

Su Mo would not let the doorman fetch it, so he could only say, "Please wait a moment, sir!"

Afterwards, he hurried back to the study in the back courtyard, took a bottle each of orchid and rose scented perfume, and also grabbed a box of twelve bars of soap before returning.

Leng Liuxi smiled gently, accepted the wooden box and perfume, and then, satisfied, instructed An Wu to drive away.

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance on the street.

Su Mo frowned, and a look of suspicion appeared on his face.

I think I just had a dream. In the dream, Lin Moyin appeared in the carriage.
It seems like they've even gotten the hang of it!

The size is wrong! And that part seems off too!

Uh! They even mentioned the Edict of Grace!

Fortunately, it was just a dream, and I don't have the habit of speaking in my dreams. Otherwise, if the decree of grace were leaked, the problem would be serious.

Who knows if Leng Xixi will keep it a secret for me? Who knows if the Empress will use me to appease the lords' anger!
It's all because what you think about during the day, you dream about at night.

It's been a long time since I've seen Lady Chih-hu, so it's not surprising that I dreamed about her.

It's normal for the size to be slightly off.

Dreams are dreams, after all, not real, so some differences are perfectly reasonable.

However, the cold carriage was indeed quite strange.

I absolutely must never get into her car again!
Su Mo felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it, so she walked into the courtyard with a thoughtful expression.

Passing by the study next to the side room, I saw Liu Siyun sitting behind the desk, one hand supporting her chin, flipping through account books by lamplight.

Seeing the voluptuous figure of the long-tongued beauty.

Su Mo suddenly felt a surge of heat in her abdomen and couldn't help but walk over quietly.

Suddenly, he hugged the mature woman from behind.

Liu Siyun was startled and turned her head. She exclaimed with slight surprise, "My lord, why are you back?"

Su Mo lifted the hem of her mature skirt: "Lie down! Don't move!"

……

The noise from the study was so loud that it disturbed Jiang Lan, who was already asleep in the next room.

The sesame oil in the oil lamp was added three times!

Su Mo didn't know why she couldn't control herself!

In the past...

Yes, it's likely that they wouldn't be able to control themselves.

Who can blame them? Liu Siyun is such a stunning beauty, she's just too tempting!

After finishing.

The maidservant thoughtfully brought hot water and helped Su Mo wipe her body.

Su Mo glanced at Liu Siyun and casually asked, "Why are you still checking the ledgers so late?"

"How much profit have Baiyujing and Yanyulou made this month?"

Liu Siyun brushed aside her slightly messy hair and immediately got into character: "The two restaurants had a total revenue of over 17,000 taels."

“After deducting the cost of more than 5,000 taels for food and drinks, the 900 taels paid to Vice Commissioner Wei for the takeaway business, and the 500 taels paid to the restaurant manager and staff for wages and performance bonuses.”

"The final surplus was 10,500 taels."

"But half must be given to Shangzuo and Fengming Division!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo was also taken aback: "This month, wouldn't we be able to earn more than six thousand taels of silver?"

Jiang Lan, who was wiping Su Mo's body, suddenly added, "That's not all!"

"30% of the restaurant's food costs come from food supplied by Changping County, so it's not considered a profit."

"Also, although I have asked the restaurant to use as little MSG as possible, most of it has already been used up, and it can only last for half a month at most."

Su Mo nodded and said, "I'll go to Uncle Xin's place later and ask him to send over more seafood and MSG."

"However, the restaurant's profits have indeed exceeded my expectations. I thought that in the first month, it would be at most around three thousand taels!"

Su Mo really underestimated the spending power of the wealthy in Shenjing and also misjudged the speed of the restaurant's development!

Also, Wei Zhengguang's efficiency is too high. He expanded the food delivery business in a really fast way!
Liu Siyun also found it somewhat unbelievable: "The numbers are correct."

"I also find this somewhat unbelievable."

She couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "How can just two restaurants generate such a huge revenue!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "This is a huge market of over two million people!"

"Even if each person only earns ten coins, that's still a staggering twenty thousand taels!"

This is what makes monopolies so terrifying.

Baiyujing and Yanyulou have basically monopolized the high-end market of the Shenjing restaurant industry!
It's hard not to make money!

If Liu Siyun and Jiang Lan knew...

In some world, a company's market value is in the tens of trillions, more than the combined GDP of many countries. It is truly so rich that it rivals the wealth of a nation, and people would probably be so shocked that they would be speechless!

Liu Siyun didn't know about the fruit company, but she personally oversaw Baiyujing and Yanyulou.

Despite how unbelievable it seems, the fact remains that they earned that much.

The chests full of silver and copper coins in the warehouse don't lie!

After her initial surprise, Liu Siyun's pretty face suddenly furrowed: "With so much silver in the treasury, I can't even sleep soundly."

"Should we notify the Fengming Division and the Shangzuo Bureau to come and distribute the profits?"

"in addition……"

She hesitated, but didn't continue.

Su Mo frowned: "What else?"

Liu Siyun gritted her teeth: "The manager of Tianyi Tower has approached me twice, asking to invest in Baiyujing and Yanyu Tower."

"I don't know how to answer, nor can I reveal the situation of the Left Office and the Phoenix Cry Division. I can only say that my lord is not here and I will reply to him when he returns."

Su Mo's expression darkened slightly: "Could it be that the person on the first floor that day was unaware that the restaurant had a connection to the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Liu Siyun replied without hesitation, "She must know!"

"Before the Yanyu Tower opened, Zhang Yanei smashed the building, and Sister Lin led the Left Guard of the Imperial Guards to arrest him. Tianyi Tower must have known about this."

Jiang Lan, standing beside her, hesitated for a moment: "I've heard rumors circulating that the person on the first floor that day... has a very powerful background, possibly related to royalty!"

Su Mo snorted coldly: "No wonder he's not even afraid of the Left Guard!"

"We have exactly one day left!"

"Tomorrow, notify the Left Office and the person in charge of auditing the accounts at Fengming Division... Hmm, have Commander Nangong come over directly for the profit sharing!"

Su Mo maintained a one-way communication with Yin Rou.

Now that Yin Rou has gone to the artisan camp, there's really no way to contact the Phoenix Cry Division for the time being.

I'll ask for Leng Xixi's or Nangong Sheyue's contact information next time I see them.

Su Mo thought for a moment, then added, "Have someone notify the manager of Tianyi Tower to summon Bai Yujing!"

"Humph!"

"So what if they're kings and nobles! The Phoenix Cry Division and the Upper Left Office take half the profits, they can't possibly be unable to handle something as simple as this!"

Liu Siyun nodded, then suddenly added, "Oh, right!"

“A palace eunuch came and said that he ordered 300 takeaway meals a day, but they had to be sold at half price.”

"I've calculated it. After a 50% discount, it's thirty coins per serving. After deducting the five coins for delivery, the restaurant won't make much profit. I don't know whether we should agree to it."

Su Mo smiled and said, "Of course I agree!"

"Don't underestimate the lowly status of most eunuchs; together, they have a considerable network of connections, which might be useful for opening up markets within the palace!"

He paused, then said, "You can decide on the restaurant's management yourself."

Liu Siyun hesitated for a moment: "My lord, I feel something is not right. Perhaps we should have Sister Lin come?"

Su Mo smiled and said, "It's nothing!"

“Mo’er is not…that kind of person who holds grudges.”

As he spoke, for some reason, a sinister aura surged up again.

Liu Siyun was shocked when she saw it!

……

at the same time.

Empress Leng Liuxi had just returned to the palace when she immediately moved to Huaqing Pool, where she bathed in the cold pool under the service of palace maids!

The effects of the Bewitching Incense are astonishing, especially on inexperienced women.

After soaking in the icy pool for a long time, Leng Liuxi finally regained her clarity and transformed back into the decisive, ruthless empress!
The Empress's pretty face darkened as she pondered the Edict of Grace!

The more I thought about it, the more astonished I became that this open scheme was so perfect and flawless!

The reason why feudal lords are a major threat to enemy states is simply because they control too much territory and have too many troops!
A single feudal lord is not to be feared.

With the power of the empire, they could crush it with a flick of their wrist!

What's terrifying are the dozens or even hundreds of feudal lords, large and small!
The total force is easily a million strong!

If one of the feudal lords were to attack, the others would naturally be left vulnerable and forced to join forces against the imperial court.

In this way, the Great Wu will surely fall into endless internal strife!
The Edict of Grace is different!
This is to completely divide and disintegrate the power of the feudal lords from within!

The feudal lords disagreed, but could the second and third sons disagree?
The second and third sons could not inherit their father's wealth; at most, they would receive some money as a reward.

Things changed after the implementation of the Grace Decree!

Who wouldn't want to inherit their father's vast territory, wealth, and army?
If the second and third sons harbor dissenting thoughts, the feudal lords will split up internally, making it impossible for them to join forces with other feudal lords to oppose the imperial court.

If the feudal lords had no choice but to accept the edict of favor.

The territory was divided into three parts, and those three parts were further divided into nine.

Within twenty years, they will become scattered aristocratic clans, and they will no longer have the resources to resist the imperial army.
The Empress became more and more excited as she thought about it!
If I were even more ruthless, as soon as the third generation of a feudal lord was born, I would order the second generation to divide one-third of the territory to his youngest son.

The problem of the feudal lords can probably be solved within ten years!

However, this matter cannot be rushed.

Just in case some feudal lords make a desperate last stand, the court must prepare countermeasures in advance.

We must at least stockpile enough provisions and money to support an army of 100,000 for a year!
While Su Mo's side is building more Divine Arm Bows and Eight-Ox Crossbows.

He then sent another million taels of silver to his private treasury.

Then the Edict of Grace can be truly implemented!
After deciding on the strategy, the Empress stood up and was about to call her palace maids to put on her robes.

His gaze unconsciously drifted downwards.

Her pretty face immediately darkened.

snort!
How is it small!

The Empress was somewhat unconvinced!
The more I think about it, the angrier I get!

That bastard not only dared to be disrespectful to me, but also... said such infuriating things!
Aren't you afraid of being beheaded a hundred times over?

Hmm... but the soap that bastard sent was actually pretty good. After using it, I felt refreshed and smelled wonderful.

Let's spare him this time!
(End of this chapter)