Девять песен - Глава 71
"Greetings, Your Highness!" A cacophony of bowing and the rustling of robes filled the air.
"Rise." The Crown Prince raised his hand slightly, a faint smile on his face, as if he were in a very good mood. His gaze fell on the only person standing on his left, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.
"yes!"
The crown prince's gaze swept across the hall, carrying an imposing aura that commanded respect.
However, the young man who accompanied the Crown Prince and stood behind him, though trying his best to be serious, could not hide the excitement and curiosity on his face. His beautiful and lively phoenix eyes darted around. When he suddenly saw Mo Yu standing below him, he was overjoyed. The corners of his lips curled up, and ignoring the secret glances from everyone in the hall, he stuck out his tongue and made a face at Mo Yu.
The hall was filled with stunned, jaw-dropping figures.
The person he greeted with a face remained expressionless, their gaze deep and unfathomable, seemingly oblivious, and remained silent with pursed lips. The boy couldn't help but roll his eyes.
The Crown Prince smiled slightly and nodded to the Minister of War, who remained silent. "Lord Mo, do you have any suggestions regarding yesterday's court discussion?"
Their eyes met in mid-air, as if something was flowing through them, and they didn't know what answers or questions they had received. After a moment of silence, they both looked away.
Mo Yu spoke calmly, “At yesterday’s court meeting, all the officials had their own suggestions, and the decision rested with the Crown Prince. I believe that after last night’s deep consideration, the Crown Prince is confident in his decision, and I have no objections.”
Mo Yu said nothing at all, but the Crown Prince showed no displeasure. He slightly curled the corners of his lips into a meaningful and provocative smile, and said, "What Lord Mo says is very true. I have indeed gained something, and I will give you all an explanation today. Little Ye, read the decree."
"Yes." A young eunuch, about fifteen or sixteen years old with delicate features, stepped forward from behind him, holding a yellow scroll high in one hand. He clasped his hands together, unfolded it, and read aloud, "By imperial decree, the Crown Prince has decreed that there is a young prodigy named Lin Ran, whose talent is extraordinary and whose abilities are beyond compare. The Crown Prince has made an exception and appointed him to take charge of the Prime Minister's decree, making him the Left Prime Minister of the Heavenly Court. So be it."
"Lord Lin, please accept the decree." Xiao Yezi smiled and turned slightly to the side, bowing slightly to the young man behind the Crown Prince.
Left Prime Minister? The position of head of all ministers in the Tianxing Dynasty?
All the ministers in the hall turned their gazes to the young man in an instant.
Since the old prime minister fell ill at home, the emperor had suggested that Mo Yu take over the position. However, Mo Yu has always been easygoing and unrestrained. The position of Minister of War was his father's dying wish, which he had to obey, and he was unwilling to take on any more responsibility. Therefore, the Tianxing Dynasty has been without a prime minister for almost a year. It is really unexpected that the position of prime minister would fall into the hands of someone who is basically a complete stranger to the court officials.
What abilities does this young man possess that would make the Crown Prince, who is known for his strictness in selecting people, make an exception and entrust him with such an important task?
Amidst the stunned silence of the crowd, the young man in the light green robe stepped forward, smiling as he accepted the yellow silk imperial edict. He turned around, bowed to the Crown Prince, and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. Lin Ran will do his utmost to live up to Your Highness's expectations."
Chapter 147: Political Struggle
The Crown Prince smiled gently and raised his hand slightly. “Left Prime Minister, there’s no need for formalities. Rise. My lords, the Left Prime Minister and I have reached a decision on yesterday’s court meeting. Please tell us what happened.”
"Yes." The young man who had just taken office as the First Prime Minister of Tianxing had not even put on his official robes yet, but was only wearing an ordinary long gown. He smiled slightly, nodded to the court officials, his eyebrows curved, and put one hand behind his back. He slowly walked down and moved lightly and slowly among his colleagues who were stunned by the Crown Prince's sudden and amazing move.
Everyone kept their heads down, somewhat surprised and uncertain, wondering what the new prime minister would do.
The young man twirled around in front of everyone, and as he stepped onto the jade steps, he suddenly smiled and said, "Fellow colleagues, today is the first time Lin Ran is working with you all. Please forgive me if I offend anyone."
"No, no, we wouldn't dare," everyone quickly replied, bowing with their hands clasped.
"Hmm." The young man nodded with a smile. As his long sleeves fluttered, a roll of yellow silk suddenly appeared in his hand. He slowly unfurled it, glanced at everyone, and said slowly, "Since the Crown Prince has entrusted me with handling the recent disputes among the ministers, then please listen carefully to my decision."
To everyone's surprise, the new Left Prime Minister didn't even ask any questions or go through the process of getting to know everyone. He immediately announced the results of the decision. For a moment, regardless of which party or faction they belonged to, whether they were originally trembling with fear, kicking someone when they were down, righteous and awe-inspiring, or secretly anxious or gloating, they were all stunned. Everyone was on edge, looking at each other with unease.
Lin Ran was holding something in his hand, and he was clearly not familiar with the official titles and names of the people. As he recited, his eyes never left the yellow silk in his hand. His voice was gentle and his tone was light and clear, but the people listening to him gradually froze and then their expressions changed.
Mo Yu, who had been standing calmly to the side without any reaction, couldn't help but glance at her, a faint smile appearing on his lips. This girl, he thought, "I really don't know where she came from. I never expected her to have such abilities." He smiled wryly, then sighed softly and shook his head helplessly.
Li Jinhuan, who had initially appeared confident and fearless, suddenly paled at Lin Ran's calm words. He abruptly raised his head, his gaze filled with venom and resentment as he glared at his arch-enemy, who had suddenly risen to the position of Left Prime Minister in the court. The resentment in his heart surged and overwhelmed him beyond measure.
This boy, this boy, where did he come from?! Ever since he appeared, he's suffered blow after blow. First, Zhongfangyuan, which was almost under his control, suddenly slipped out of his grasp. He watched helplessly as a cooked, fat duck flew away. His precious treasure trove, meant to win over his colleagues, vanished in an instant, making him so angry he almost vomited blood. He wanted revenge, but instead, he squandered his years of painstakingly built Chuyanlou. In no time, Chuyanlou's business was devastated, and it was deserted. Then, his only capable subordinate was driven out of Huaicheng, too afraid to return. He wanted to send people to look for him, but even the person he was looking for had disappeared.
Before he could even use the official methods to deal with him, the Crown Prince had already started targeting him. He was wondering why the royal family, who usually turned a blind eye to him, would suddenly make such a strong decision. Now it seemed that this young man might be behind it all. The Crown Prince must have listened to his instigation, which was why he was dealing with him like this.
Let's deal with it then. I wasn't particularly afraid of this matter to begin with. After so many years in office, what haven't I considered? I've long been prepared for anything. Those officials I've usually cultivated with money and women, and that large group of colleagues with whom I share interests and honor and disgrace—everyone is interconnected. A single move can affect the whole situation; we all advance and retreat together.
Sure enough, the moment the Crown Prince tried to make a move against him, his own faction immediately launched a counterattack, dragging all the officials in the court into it. If they wanted to impeach someone, they would all impeach someone; if they wanted to punish someone, they would all punish someone. He watched this political struggle with a cold smile. He didn't believe that the Crown Prince could decisively cut off all his arms. As long as the Crown Prince couldn't make that decision, the political situation would remain deadlocked forever, and in the end, the matter would naturally come to nothing.
But, unexpectedly, at this time, this kid actually came out again, and he actually came up with such a vicious trick.
He actually divided his party members based on interests, and everyone except himself got positions and powers that they could only dream of in their daily lives. Of course, some of them had real power, and some had wealth. This kid actually used threats and inducements to easily dismantle the party that he had painstakingly built up over many years.
Everyone else got promoted, gained power, or became wealthy, except for himself...
Chapter 148: Checks and Balances
“Li Jinhuan, effective immediately, is stripped of all official positions and powers, demoted to a commoner, expelled from Huaicheng, and never allowed to return to the city for the rest of his life…” Such cruel words came from those petal-like red lips, clear and melodious.
It doesn't seem to represent someone suddenly falling from a great height into the dust.
For a moment he couldn't understand the meaning of these simple words, and he looked up at the crowd in confusion.
Everyone avoided his gaze.
Those who were not partisan, while gloating over the misfortune, also felt a pang of pity due to the exceptionally cruel nature of the punishment, so they lowered their eyes and stared blankly, pretending not to see it.
They were from his faction, and because of the interests at the front and the subtle threat the young Left Chancellor made to his crimes, they were afraid of being implicated and dared not offer help, let alone face his earnest plea for help.
In the magnificent palace, in the imposing and spacious council hall, the Crown Prince, dressed in bright yellow robes, sat on the high dragon throne. His headdress was exquisite, with rows of beads, and his face was obscured behind the beads, but his gaze revealed a faint sense of coldness. His thin lips were slightly pursed as he silently looked down at the ministers below him.
With bright eyes and a decisive demeanor, the newly appointed Left Prime Minister lightly traced his finger in the air. His crisp voice gradually faded away, leaving only his spirited demeanor, like a refreshing breeze, instantly etched a clear and cool clarity into the midst of the stalemate and chaos.
"...In summary, the Ministry of Revenue has accumulated a deficit of 400,000 taels over the years. Zhang Jiashou, as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, you have committed such a serious dereliction of duty within your purview. You are truly guilty and, according to the law, should be dismissed from your post and severely punished. However, considering your diligence in your official duties over the years, you will be retained in your original position, but will be fined one year's salary... Also, Chen Weiqing and Censor Zhu Biancheng, last year you two were in charge of the construction of the Qinghe River embankment, but in less than a year, the embankment was completely destroyed. This time, due to poor personnel management, this oversight has occurred again. According to the law..."
Lin Ran spoke softly, his fair fingers reflecting the bright yellow silk, vivid and beautiful. A series of secrets from the depths of their hearts, which were like a thunderbolt to the parties involved, were revealed, some openly and some secretly, from his mouth, shocking them so much that their faces turned pale, they trembled, and cold sweat dripped down their backs.
The list of names included members of Li Jinhuan's faction as well as members of other parties. Each name was mentioned only briefly, without further explanation, yet it successfully silenced everyone, leaving the vast hall utterly silent for a moment.
Mo Yu stood to one side, not saying a word from beginning to end. He waited quietly with an appreciative look as the young Left Prime Minister handled the affairs of the court. His expression showed a hint of surprise that was almost imperceptible, but he did not show any intention to stop or refute him.
It was just a morning court session, just a short conversation,