Xie Lanzhi pushed Si Xitong away, refusing to let her trample on her weakness any longer.
Si Xitong abruptly stepped out of someone's arms. She straightened her clothes and brushed her sleeves, acting as if the woman who had just been clinging to her wasn't herself. Sure enough, this unromantic woman not only didn't react at all, but even seemed to be taking her seriously.
She never intended to use this method to soften Lanzhi's heart.
How could she not know that someone's heart could be soft at times, but also hard at others, and when it was time to be firm, she would not hesitate to act decisively.
Lan Zhi certainly wouldn't do anything drastic to herself, but it's different for others.
How can you just abandon someone you've painstakingly chosen? If you can't protect Zhang Feile this time, who will be loyal to you in the future?
If you can't even rely on your backer, who will be willing to risk their life for you?
"Vice Envoy Zhang, please rise." Si Xitong suddenly said, "You solved a major bandit case in just half a month since you took office. Your performance is outstanding, and you are a model for everyone in the Censorate. What crime have you committed?"
"If we are to reward merit, then it should be a reward."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhang Changle immediately stood up, ignoring everyone else's expressions, focusing only on Si Xitong's.
In Zhang Ju's eyes, what a loyal dog!
Zhang Feile stood up straight, prompting Zhang Ju to straighten his back as well, but then, remembering that the marshal had not yet expressed his opinion, his back hunched over again.
Seeing his cowardly appearance, and then looking at Zhang Feile, Xie Lanzhi realized that the two brothers were worlds apart, not because of a lack of ability, but because of their personalities.
Personality influences how a person does things. Ironically, the one who is decisive and ruthless is the younger brother.
She raised an eyebrow: "There was a recent theft case in Zhangju. Were you involved?"
Zhang Ju bowed his head and said, "I have been recuperating from my injuries."
Is it really true that such diligence cannot compare to those who take shortcuts? But while taking shortcuts may be convenient in the short term, who knows if the little phoenix can control this person in the long run?
Xie Lanzhi was worried.
She said, "Now that you've recovered, it's time for you to return to your place."
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 19:53:43 on December 19, 2021 and 19:11:13 on December 20, 2021!
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: slowly and Danbo (3 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 87 Little Phoenix, Did She Give Up?
The implication was quite clear: you were originally in charge of the Censorate, and since you are the one in charge, you still need to consider the feelings of a newcomer.
Zhang Ju immediately knelt down, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate obeys!"
Si Xitong smiled faintly and said, "Lord Zhang has made great contributions, which I have always noticed. You were originally in charge of the Censorate, and now that Lord Zhang has recovered from his injuries, it is time for him to take charge of the Censorate again."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Changle and his entourage were all taken aback. Was His Highness going to back down? Was he using a strategic retreat as a means of advancement? In fact, this was the best approach. Marshal Xie was far too powerful; they couldn't afford to fight a losing battle. Indeed, before His Highness could gain more power, everyone needed to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens.
Zhang Changle immediately lowered his head; he did not blame his master.
The marshal's mere stance is enough to support Zhang Ju. Besides, Zhang Ju was promoted by her; if she were to immediately transfer Zhang Ju away from the Censorate, wouldn't that be a slap in the face and an exposure of her own shortcomings?
Xie Lanzhi said, "Since the princess thinks so, let's do it that way."
She couldn't help but sigh in private; the little phoenix's path to becoming an emperor probably still required more effort.
Xie Lanzhi then planned to return to the palace.
Si Xitong quickly spoke up to stop her: "It is only natural that the Marshal is in charge of Lord Zhang's affairs, and it is also true that Vice Envoy Zhang has made meritorious contributions to the Censorate. After the case of the bandits was solved, the Xie family rewarded Vice Envoy Zhang with some silver to express their gratitude to him."
"Since this merit belongs to the Ministry of Justice, then Vice Envoy Zhang, who has made contributions, will also be rewarded accordingly."
She not only had to defend Zhang Feile in person, but also recounted his merits, making it impossible for Lanzhi to easily let the matter drop. Of course, Lanzhi could have chosen to delay or say that Xie had already rewarded him, so there was no need to continue mentioning it.
It has no impact on her. But it might not be a bad thing for her.
Zhang Feile is a pragmatic person. His kneeling showed that he knows how to restrain himself and knows when to advance and when to retreat. He's a promising individual.
He would understand Si Xitong's situation. It was precisely because of this understanding, and because Si Xitong valued his talent, that Zhang Feile regarded him as a mentor. Therefore, he would be even more loyal to Si Xitong.
Si Xitong believed that Lanzhi would definitely discover Zhang Feile's advantages. Perhaps she had already secretly compared him to Zhang Ju and ultimately found that Zhang Feile was more capable.
His sentences couldn't fit into the conversation between his younger brother and the two masters at all, and he felt a sudden sense of crisis.
While the jailers were watching the spectacle, they also noticed the change in the situation. It was no longer a question of who was in charge, the chief jailer or the deputy jailer, but rather a comparison of who had a better future.
The two masters' brief exchange perfectly illustrated the importance that the Censorate placed on this matter.
This made the prison guards dare not bet on who would win or lose anymore, because the fact that the Imperial Prison was valued by the emperor meant that it had a bright future, and they, as insignificant people, could also benefit from it.
Everyone present had their own thoughts and was waiting for Xie Lanzhi to speak.
Xie Lanzhi was indeed very cooperative, saying, "What the princess said is absolutely right. Only by rewarding those who have served us well can we not let down those who are loyal to us."
"As for the matter of the bandits, I don't know much about it while I was away."
She immediately ordered: "Go and retrieve all the case files of the bandits; I, the commander, want to review them personally."
Zhang Ju thought to himself, "It's over. I wasn't involved in this case at all, and I have no merit to reward the Marshal for. Even if Zhang Feile brings up the fact that the assassin the Marshal captured escaped from prison, the Marshal will probably have a hard time standing up for me."
With a heavy heart, Zhang Ju walked through the iron gate of the Shenxing Division, took out all the case files of the thieves from the confidential room, and presented them to Xie Lanzhi.
Xie Lanzhi flipped through a few pages and found that every detail in the case file was recorded clearly. She had heard a little about the thieves, but she still had doubts about whether they were thieves that Zhang Feile had deliberately fabricated.
After all, there are many cases of killing innocent people and claiming credit for them.
Si Xitong knew her well, and she took the initiative to say, "I have already confirmed the identity of the bandits. They are remnants of the Zhao family who are related to Huang Zei. Marshal, you can send someone to confirm this."
Since Little Phoenix has given her a guarantee, she certainly wouldn't lie. Therefore, Zhang Feile's actions must be an attempt to use the existence of bandits to eliminate Xie Jun of Jianzhang Palace. It's not impossible.
Xie Lanzhi pushed the case file back to Zhang Ju, who lowered his head and said nothing.
He looked like he had already lost.
Zhang Changle kept her head down, but secretly she was laughing to herself. Maybe her master could turn the tables and get some benefits back.
Xie Lanzhi suddenly asked, "How did Zhang Ju get injured?"
Zhang Changle's smile vanished. Zhang Ju's eyes lit up. If the commander-in-chief personally brought up the matter of dereliction of duty, then his voluntary confession would be completely different from being confessed to by the enemy. The effects achieved would also be different.
Zhang Ju immediately knelt down, filled with remorse: "Your subordinate is incompetent, please punish me, Marshal!"
The jailers:
The chief clerk also played the same tricks as the deputy clerk.
They truly are brothers.
Xie Lanzhi turned her gaze away, somewhat unable to bear it any longer: "Speak."
Zhang Ju then recounted how he was attacked, how his cell was opened by someone, and how the assassin had injured him as he escaped. He chased after the assassin, wounded, but was knocked to the ground by his own men and lost track of him.
This person is still a member of Zhang Changle's faction.
After listening to the whole story, Xie Lanzhi glanced at Little Phoenix.
Si Xitong accepted the facts without arguing, demonstrating her honesty.
"So it was my dereliction of duty that caused me to neglect my duties at the Censorate while recuperating alone..." Zhang Ju said emotionally, blaming himself while also reminding his master of the fact that he had been stripped of half his power. He was to blame both the good and the bad, as if afraid his master wouldn't know how hard he had worked.
Xie Lanzhi glanced at Zhang Changle: "Is what the chief clerk said true?"
Zhang Changle replied, "Yes!"
"So you admit to framing your colleague?"
"That's not the case. The situation was urgent and unexpected. No one could have predicted that the assassin would be lost." Zhang Changle said in a reasonable manner, "Even in the end, my subordinates returned in time to rescue the mother and daughter."
"If you doubt me, then it is my fault, and I apologize to you. But!"
Xie Lanzhi found this person quite interesting, with so many reasons.
Zhang Changle: "But given the situation at the time, if you were injured and chased after a master, even if you caught up with the assassin, how would you subdue him? If it weren't for the accident, it would have been questionable whether you could have saved your life."
He almost factored in future factors.
Zhang Ju was utterly astonished. How could this kid's eloquence have improved so much in just half a month? He then glanced furtively at His Highness, wondering if the two of them had conspired together!
Having said enough, Zhang Changle naturally stopped talking.
The case was handed back to Si Xitong. She said, "Although there were unexpected events during the process, the incident was stopped in time, and the fact that the perpetrator was killed and the mother and daughter were saved is also a fact that cannot be denied."
"Marshal, although Chief Clerk Zhang was not involved in the case of the bandits, he still made a lot of effort."
And this hard work... Si Xitong pointed to the jailers kneeling on the ground: "If it weren't for the people trained by Chief Clerk Zhang assisting Deputy Envoy Zhang in solving the case, I'm sure Deputy Envoy Zhang alone wouldn't have been able to solve this case."
"This effort also has its main and secondary aspects. If it weren't for the diligent and unsung talents cultivated by Chief Clerk Zhang, how could the Censorate have helped Deputy Envoy Zhang solve this case so quickly? Let the Xie family praise the Censorate."
At first glance, this statement seemed to be for the good of both sides, even with a conciliatory tone. However, it ultimately emphasized that Chief Clerk Zhang was injured and did not participate in the bandit case, thus distributing Chief Clerk Zhang's hard work to the lower-ranking jailers. In this way, Xie Lanzhi completely absolved herself of any credit for Zhang Feile's efforts in this case, while placing Zhang Feile's merit in solving the case prominently. It was all logical and well-founded, and even the jailers inwardly agreed, feeling somewhat moved. They thought His Highness was truly wise, even noticing them, these insignificant figures.
What a clever substitution!
Xie Lanzhi's eyes lit up. She subtly observed the Zhang brothers. Zhang Ju seemed unwilling, but he had already decided to accept the situation. Zhang Feile remained neither arrogant nor humble, showing no sign of having a powerful patron.
Both are talented individuals. If Little Phoenix takes a liking to the Department of Criminal Justice, she could hand it over to her. But handing it over so easily wouldn't be much of a training opportunity for Little Phoenix.
This time, she'll probably have to be tough on Little Phoenix. She'll only learn from her mistakes.
Xie Lanzhi nodded in agreement and said, "I am aware of the merits and hard work of the Shenxing Division, and I will reward them all."
"As for Chief Clerk Zhang, he has been in charge of the Censorate for a long time and is an indispensable member of the Censorate. Now that he has recovered from his injuries, he will officially take back all his duties in the Censorate."
Zhang Ju was immediately overwhelmed with excitement and kowtowed, saying, "Your subordinate will certainly not let down the Marshal's trust."
Xie Lanzhi's words completely exposed Si Xitong's true colors, who had been arguing based on reason.
She carefully observed the little phoenix, and seeing that she wasn't angry, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she wondered if she had been too strict with the little phoenix. After all, she was still a novice; should she have given in to her?
This idea came to mind.
Si Xitong finally made her next move.
Si Xitong said, "Zhang Feile then resigned from his position as deputy envoy."
Xie Lanzhi paused, blinked, and confirmed that it was Little Phoenix who gave the order.
She didn't object to Zhang Changle staying in the Censorate, so why did her master speak up instead?