Drunk Bamboo

On the Golden Stairs Palace.

The emperor looked extremely unhappy.

He looked down at everyone with a gloomy face and didn't say a word for a long time.

No minister dared to speak first, as they had no idea what the emperor was angry about.

Suddenly, the emperor spoke coldly:

"Do you know Canglan County?"

But this question is very strange.

The ministers thought for a long time but could not figure out why the emperor was asking about a remote Canglan County.

Prime Minister Wang Yan replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, Canglan County is in the southern prefecture of Zhongnan Road, backed by mountains to the west and bordering Nanmi County to the east. Due to its climate, it produces a lot of fruits and grains, and the people are well-fed."

"What Prime Minister Wang said is correct." The emperor first agreed with what Wang Yan said, then suddenly raised his voice and said angrily, "In such a peaceful county, there are actually bandits occupying the mountains and forests for several years, and the government office just sits there and does nothing, and no one suppresses the bandits!"

The ministers gasped.

"Snapped--"

"Snapped--"

“Snap, snap, snap—”

Five or six memorials were thrown out one by one by the emperor, and they slid down the golden steps and scattered all over the hall.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty, please calm down!" All the ministers knelt down immediately.

"A bandit from Jiangbei County, and now a bandit from Canglan County. The country of Rao is really full of bandits!"

The emperor was so angry that his voice was shaking.

The Rao State ruled by him was full of hidden cancers, and he deceived his superiors and subordinates in an unforgivable way.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! We are terrified! We are terrified!" The ministers still said the same thing.

Every time the emperor got angry, he would kneel on the ground, either to calm down or to show fear.

"You should be terrified. How do the officials below you do things?" The emperor glared at the officials crawling at his feet, and his eyes fell on Li Ce, the Minister of Personnel. "How does the Ministry of Personnel evaluate and promote officials?"

Li Ce quickly admitted his mistake, "It is our fault. It is me who failed in my duty!"

Li Ce has been the Minister of Personnel for more than ten years. He does things in a disciplined manner and does not form cliques for personal gain. He is considered loyal.

But he has no ambition, is not tactful enough, and can only do things according to rigid rules.

Sometimes it is a good thing to just follow the rules, but sometimes you can be taken advantage of by others, pretending to be superficial and deceiving Li Ce.

The emperor knew Li Ce's weaknesses, and it was his loyalty that impressed him that led him to be appointed Minister of Personnel.

I didn't expect that after so many years, hidden dangers would be buried.

The emperor stared at Li Ce fiercely. "If the county magistrates of Canglan County and Nanmi County had not worked together to eliminate the bandits, the government office would not have submitted a memorial to seek credit. If it were not for the careful observation of Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Justice, who noticed the clues and conducted a thorough investigation, the credit for eliminating the bandits would have fallen on the shoulders of the government official in vain."

He sneered, "They are indifferent to suppressing the bandits, but they are quick to take credit."

All the ministers were sweating profusely.

It was even more embarrassing for the Minister of Personnel Li Ce.

Li Ce didn't know how to answer: "Your humble servant..."

The emperor was disappointed: "Li Ce, how come you haven't made any progress in all these years?"

At this time, Prince Wen Hua Qinming stepped forward and bowed to plead for mercy: "Your Majesty, Minister Li has served in the Ministry of Personnel for many years. He is diligent and conscientious, and has never done anything selfish. The appointment and promotion of officials are all in accordance with strict procedures and regulations, and they can only be approved after being evaluated one by one. Although the Ministry of Personnel was responsible for the two incidents, it cannot be blamed entirely on the Ministry of Personnel."

Li Ce was grateful to Hua Qinming for pleading for him.

The emperor's eyebrows twitched, but he said nothing.

Hua Qinming continued, "Your Highness the Crown Prince has been in Jiangbei County for a long time, and he must have had some interactions with the local county magistrate and county magistrate. Even Your Highness didn't notice it at all, let alone Lord Li who is in Zhongdu?"

He also poured the water on the prince.

The prince's face remained calm.

Hua Qinming finally said: "Canglan County is thousands of miles away from Zhongdu. If the government office intends to conceal the truth, it will be difficult for officials from the Ministry of Personnel to discover the problem."

King Wen worked in the Ministry of Personnel, so naturally he had to speak for the Ministry.

At this moment, no one in the court dared to speak out in support.

"King Wen is right. In the final analysis, it is the Ministry of Personnel's assessment method that has loopholes and needs to be improved."

Surprisingly, it was the Crown Prince who supported King Wen.

The emperor looked around at everyone with his hawk-like eyes.

Still no one dared to stand up.

The atmosphere was like this, as if the air had frozen.

At this time, Hua Qinfeng's sonorous and powerful voice rang out.

"I agree with what Your Highness said. If officials cannot do things for the people, it is the people who suffer."

Hua Qinfeng had been listening to what they were saying quietly, but when it came to matters concerning the common people, he couldn't help but speak up.

He originally wanted to find a reason to remove the prefect of Nanfu, but he didn't expect that Zhang Xinghe had already discovered the clues and reported it to the emperor.

Now, not only can we punish the prefect of Nanfu, but we can also prevent officials like him from appearing again. This is truly a blessing for the people.

He will support it no matter what.

The emperor turned his gaze to the two prime ministers.

"Do the two Prime Ministers have any suggestions?"

Wang Yan: "If we want authenticity, we have to go down and investigate in person to verify the authenticity."

Luo Yuan agreed: "The Prime Minister is right. In the future, if an official is promoted, the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate must first send an official to check and make a decision."

The emperor immediately made a decision, "This is what we will do from now on."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The emperor added: "The two incidents in Jiangbei County and Canglan County serve as a reminder to me. They are also a heavy blow to the bell. In places I cannot see, far away from Zhongdu, are the people also living in peace and contentment?"

"I have decided to send someone to patrol the south on my behalf, to monitor the officials and understand the people's sentiments."

All the officials said in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"

After the court session, Hua Qinfeng quickly left the Golden Stairs Hall and headed straight for the palace wall.

After he left, the Golden Stage Palace was still turbulent.

"My father said he needs to reconsider it. Who do you think will take my place on the southern tour?" The prince stood beside Hua Qinming and smiled warmly.

He dared to point the finger at him directly in the Golden Hall. He really didn't even have the dignity to do it.

Hua Qinming lowered his eyebrows and smiled, "Ahem, I'll listen to my father in everything."

……

On the palace wall, Hua Qinfeng saw Xun Shurui at a glance.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Xun Shurui looked surprised.

"I have something important to discuss with you." Hua Qinfeng said straightforwardly.

"Yes!"

Xun Shurui immediately gave a look to the guards around him, and they immediately withdrew.

Hua Qinfeng had been a soldier and a general, and he knew how to make soldiers understand with just a glance. This showed that this commander had a high status, authority, and trust in the hearts of the guards.

"I won't beat around the bush with you. A batch of poisonous plants called Linhai Lotus have entered the palace recently. I don't know which palace they are in now. I want you to investigate secretly and don't make it public."

Xun Shurui was stunned at first, then shocked, and finally blamed himself.

"It was my fault! I allowed poisonous substances to enter the palace."

A smart person can think of so many things in an instant.

Hua Qinfeng slowed down his tone, "I'm not here to blame you, nor am I here to find fault with you. You just need to do what I tell you to do, and tell me when you find Lin Hai Lianhua."

There was no word of trust, but every word was full of trust.

Xun Shurui responded:

"Yes!"

"Here are the drawings."

Hua Qinfeng gave him the lotus painting in the forest painted by Xie Yuzhu.

Xun Shurui asked: "Your Majesty, should we inform His Majesty of such a dangerous matter?"

Hua Qinfeng glanced at him and thought, "Don't employ a person you doubt; don't doubt a person you employ." He did not hide anything.

"When my father finds out, he will be furious and search the entire palace. This will easily alert the enemy and destroy the poisonous flowers in advance. However, we will not be able to find out who transported these poisonous flowers and what they are used for. The next action will be more careful and we will be caught off guard."

"Besides, if no evidence is found, it will be my fault in the end."

Xun Shurui was very moved by what Hua Qinfeng said.

"I will definitely find Lin Hai Xue Lian."

Before leaving, Hua Qinfeng warned, "Don't tell anyone before the matter is thoroughly investigated, including Lord Xun and the people from the Imperial Guard."

Xun Shurui's eyes flashed with pride, "Yes, I will keep my mouth shut."

The prince trusted him the most.