readsfreenovel Chapter 263: Open a Cheat
Chapter 263: Open a Cheat
Zhou Chang held the golden Pixiu given by Zheng Tu, feeling somewhat reluctant to part with it.
The matter between Prince Duan and Qin Shou was settled the day before yesterday, and the epidemic issue has basically come to an end.
I spent the whole day working behind closed doors in my residence yesterday.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't just her, but also the identities of many people in the past, especially the memories of Concubine Rui Shen Rui. She, the daughter of the Minister of Rites who was a good listener, really helped a lot.
Successfully helped Zhou Chang plan in his mind how to rescue Wen Qingyan.
According to Shen Rui's memory, Zhou Chang knew exactly who was actually committing cheating in the imperial examinations and selling official positions and titles.
Now that she has Shen Rui's memories, it's like having a plug-in. Why is she hiding it? To save trouble, she plans to be direct.
Therefore, the carriage now stopped in front of the Ministry of Personnel, and Zhou Chang got off the carriage holding the golden Pi Xiu.
The Minister of Personnel Shi Yan received the notice and came out from the yamen to greet him.
Shi Yan is nearly seventy years old, but thanks to good maintenance, he looks at least ten years younger than his actual age. He has thin eyes and nose, and his eyebrows and beard are sparse. He is wearing a bright red official robe with peacock pheasant patches on his thin torso, which makes him look like a child wearing adult clothes.
Zhou Chang did not hesitate and went straight into the main hall of the Ministry of Personnel with Shi Yan. He sat on the first official hat chair on the upper right and motioned Shi Yan to sit on the first chair on the left opposite.
Shi Yan didn't understand the purpose of Prince Yi's visit, but he had to entertain him, so he had to sit down with him.
Zhou Chang waited for the tea to be served and the others to leave before he spoke directly, "Sir Shi, how much silver does the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue cost?"
This was the official position that Zheng Tu requested when he presented the golden Pi Xiu to him.
The Minister of Personnel Shi Yan had been in the officialdom for a long time, but he was flustered by such a direct question.
His whole body shuddered, and he glanced around, finally confirming that he was in the main hall of the Ministry of Personnel.
"Why do you say that, Your Highness Prince Yi?" Shi Yan stroked his long gray beard, which had only a few strands left, and acted calmly.
Zhou Chang planned to solve the matter in one day, so he didn't beat around the bush: "Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, third rank, but since he is at the foot of the imperial city, shouldn't he get tens of thousands of taels of silver? The Ministry of Personnel is in charge of the appointment, dismissal, assessment, promotion and demotion of civil servants throughout the country. Lord Shi must know the market situation, right?"
"This..." Shi Yan's eyes were narrow and long, and his eyeballs moved left and right, but he really didn't know how to respond.
"The position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is a lucrative one," Zhou Chang did not seem to really wait for Shi Yan's answer, but opened the brocade box in his arms, "Master Shi, is a golden Pixiu like this enough to buy a third-rank official position?"
"Your Highness Prince Yi wants to...?" Shi Yan went from pretending to be confused to being really confused.
Zhou Chang smiled casually, "Someone gave this to me, asking me to fight for the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Sir Shi, will you give me this favor? I really like this golden Pixiu. As for the price of the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Sir Shi, just name a price."
Shi Yan's face was already clouded with gloom.
"Haha..." Zhou Kai finished his joke and got down to business. "This person had previously approached Lord Shi's subordinate, Right Vice Minister Bao Min. However, Bao Min is the nephew of Lord He, the Chief Censor, so he is on the side of Prince Rong. Later, your Left Vice Minister Wang Ren recommended Wei Xun, the former Doctor of the Ministry of Revenue. Wang Ren has recently been drinking tea with Prince Duan's brother-in-law Qiu Yin. This is something everyone knows."
Shi Yan's face turned pale and blue.
Zhou Chang was also embarrassed for Shi Yan: "Alas, if I were Lord Shi, I would also feel uncomfortable. Who should I save face for? Prince Rong or Prince Duan?"
"Your Highness Prince Yi, what is your intention for visiting me today and saying these words?" Shi Yan could be considered a veteran of three dynasties and was about to retire. He did not particularly care about Prince Yi, a prince without real power.
Zhou Chang still had a relaxed smile on his face: "Master Shi, if I were there too, would you feel even more uncomfortable being caught in the middle?"
Shi Yan also held the position of Minister of Personnel for more than ten years.
Even though rumors were rife that the Ministry of Personnel was openly selling official positions and titles, he was never implicated because he never personally showed up or took any action.
All things were done by his subordinates, and he was "unaware" of anything. He was just good at "adopting" the suggestions of his subordinates.
Therefore, he was not afraid of Zhou Chang's sudden move.
As for the vacancy of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, it was indeed a popular position and many people were eyeing it. He was also in a dilemma and had planned to postpone it until after the new year, but he did not expect that Prince Yi would come.
"Your Highness Prince Yi is referring to my two assistant ministers. They all act on their own, and I may not be clear about some things." Shi Yan spoke in an official tone, preparing to send Zhou Chang away. After all, the key to being an official is to "push". The cleaner the push, the more stable the position. "It's the end of the year, and official duties are busy. If Your Highness Prince Yi has nothing else to do, please forgive me for not being able to accompany you."
Zhou Chang sat still, still smiling: "Master Shi, don't worry. If I have a way to save you from the dilemma and have a good New Year, what do you think?"
The position of Minister of Personnel is a critical one every New Year.
It is true that you can receive a lot of gifts, but how to return the gifts and how to return the gifts is a greater art.
Shi Yan had already made a move to stand up and leave, but upon hearing this, he sat back down and asked, "What advice do you have, Your Highness Prince Yi?"
"Alas, I really can't bear to let go..." Zhou Chang stroked the golden Pixiu twice and sighed, "Lord Shi is a wise man. As the Minister of Personnel, what are the positions of these minor officials? No matter which of the two royal brothers Lord Shi bets on, it is better to bet on myself, right?"
Shi Yan didn't understand, but he didn't say anything and just continued listening.
Zhou Chang stroked the golden Pixiu and was reluctant to let it go: "Master Shi, as long as you hand over your left and right assistant ministers, you won't have to be in a dilemma, and your troubles will be gone, right?"
"This..." Shi Yan was even more confused. This proposal was beyond his expectations.
Zhou Chang's eyes suddenly turned cold: "Sir Shi, the rumors about the Ministry of Personnel selling official positions and titles are rampant. If you say that you, the Minister of Personnel, have no involvement in it and are innocent, I'm afraid even a three-year-old child wouldn't believe it. But if you say that you are the instigator, it seems a bit unfair..."
Having said this, she paused deliberately.
Shi Yan, on the contrary, returned to normal and his expression remained unchanged.
"To be honest, I already have evidence in my hand that can send the two assistant ministers of the Ministry of Personnel to the Heavenly Prison. This is the evidence." Zhou Chang stroked the golden Pixiu in his arms twice and closed the lid of the box in front of Shi Yan. "As for the witness..., the person who sent the golden Pixiu to me is on the carriage outside the government office."
Shi Yan still didn't understand, and guessed out of habit: "Are you determined to get the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?"