Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 874 - 871: Mao Sui Offers His Services

Minister of War Shen Jingzhong saw the situation and hurriedly stepped forward to say to Bai Qingyan: "Princess of Zhen, this individual’s disposition has always been this way, it’s not intentional. I hope..."

"Minister, there’s no need to plead for me." Before Shen Jingzhong could finish, the inspector from the Ministry of Revenue interrupted, looking up at Bai Qingyan, then knelt on both knees with a look of readiness for death: "I am Wei Bugong."

Bai Qingyan looked at Wei Bugong whose gaze was clear and clean, and spoke: "From today onwards, Wei Bugong will be the Minister of Revenue. You will preside over the disaster relief efforts in Chongluan Ridge and Shuijiang City, granted the right to act first and report later, prioritizing the wellbeing of the people! This disaster relief... If you can alleviate the hunger and cold of the people, the position of Minister of Revenue will be yours!"

Wei Bugong’s pupils trembled, still in shock, not having comprehended how the position of Minister of Revenue suddenly fell upon him.

But, Wei Bugong understood that the Princess of Zhen implied... This disaster relief, she does not permit any citizen to die from hunger or cold! During May, it’s unlikely to freeze to death, but to prevent hunger, the officials in charge of relief must have extraordinary means and be straightforward and determined to intimidate those officers seeking to profit from the country’s disaster.

Therefore, the Princess of Zhen cannot select an official with aristocratic family background to handle the disaster relief; the tangled connections of aristocratic families would crumple under pressure if not considering the entire clan. However, Wei Bugong... Born from a humble background, although he has no considerations, he has no support either, making the task of handling this disaster relief difficult!

The Jin Kingdom’s court has been corrupt for long, and those officials waiting to profit from the disaster are like wolves surrounding prey. Whether he can fight them to a death struggle is uncertain.

Luckily, the Princess of Zhen gave him the right to act first and report later. As long as he has iron-blooded measures, this time he will risk his life... Once the disaster relief is successfully handled, he will have contributed to the people.

"Wang Xiping!"

Wang Xiping outside the door heard Bai Qingyan’s call and immediately entered the hall: "Command you to lead 30,000 soldiers, accompany Minister of Revenue Wei Bugong to Chongshan Ridge and Shuijiang Pass for disaster relief! Follow all orders from Master Wei, protect his safety well, Master Wei’s orders are my orders, Bai Qingyan’s orders, any violators will be executed without mercy!"

Wei Bugong was shocked and looked up, just thinking he had no support, but in a blink... Bai Qingyan gave him 30,000 soldiers as support!

"I accept the order!" Wang Xiping knelt to accept the command, his voice echoed through the hall.

"Master Wei?" Bai Qingyan looked at Wei Bugong.

Wei Bugong immediately kowtowed to accept the order: "Wei Bugong accepts the order! I will not fail the expectations of the Princess of Zhen!"

"Time is pressing, immediately go and arrange for grain transportation! Whatever manpower you need, just tell General Wang Xiping!" Bai Qingyan finished speaking, not even looking at Wei Bugong, and proceeded to handle the matter of the Governor of Fenping’s rebellion. She walked down from the high steps and handed the report in her hand to Prime Minister Lu, "This report is superficial, it seems to accuse the Governor of Fenping of rebelling due to his wife’s death!"

While Wang Xiping and Wei Bugong went out from the main hall, officials passed around the report, and the discussions in the hall grew louder.

Wei Bugong stepped out of the hall, couldn’t help but look back at Bai Qingyan inside, feeling puzzled, what identity does the Princess of Zhen use to command the officials? A princess... or... an emperor?

Wei Bugong, because of his stubborn nature, had been kept in the Ministry of Revenue for many years, always disobeying orders he deemed incorrect... But today, he willingly obeyed the command of the Princess of Zhen, a woman showing the emperorship’s decisive authority.

He pressed his lips, shocked by the phrase "emperor’s authority", he returned his gaze, following Wang Xiping hurriedly down the steps to check the emperor’s private stores and prepare to transport grain.

Wei Bugong felt it must be because everything Bai Qingyan said and did was for the people, making him profoundly respect her, so he willingly followed her orders.

Bai Jinxiu, leading soldiers stationed outside the hall, just learned that Ji Tingyu has taken people out of the city to pursue King Liang and the Eldest Princess, then an underling reported they found the Crown Princess Consort and the young prince. King Liang had sent people to kill the Crown Princess Consort and the young prince, coincidentally saved by them, they have kept the news secret, seeking Bai Jinxiu for instructions on how to handle them.

Bai Jinxiu pondered for a moment, then spoke: "First, bring them out from the prison, arrange them to reside in a clean house, do not let the news leak out. To the outside world, claim... the young prince and Crown Princess Consort have been killed by King Liang."

"Yes!" Bai Jinxiu’s subordinates accepted the order and swiftly left.

Li Mingrui hurriedly approached, clutching his robe, requesting Bai Jinxiu for a private conversation.

Bai Jinxiu stood with hands behind his back, with Li Mingrui standing slightly off to the side of the main hall entrance. Li Mingrui spoke: "For the matter of the Princess of Zhen becoming emperor, it must not be proposed by the Princess of Zhen herself, whether to threaten or to persuade the officials, it requires someone unrelated to the Bai family to do it!"

Bai Jinxiu looked at Li Mingrui: "Minister Li... Are you seeking to volunteer yourself?"

Li Mingrui saluted Bai Jinxiu: "I, Li Mingrui, am unworthy, but to safeguard the lives of my entire clan, I am willing to exert my efforts for the Princess of Zhen."

"Good!" Bai Jinxiu nodded with a smile, "Then, let me witness Minister Li’s exceptional talent."

"It is not my exceptional talent, but because I thoroughly understand the nature of this officialdom and aristocratic families. They have thrived for so long... because they know to follow the tide, just like the ivy in the corner of the palace walls, they never care about the name of the palace owner, as long as that owner lets them climb and cling to the walls, they use that as a foundation to grow... and flourish! They will never do anything that leads to mutual destruction." Li Mingrui saw Bai Jinxiu attentively listening, and smiled again, "Naturally, the Bai family... is not such an aristocratic family."

Precisely because the Bai family is not such an aristocratic family, because every male in the Bai family stands tall with iron bones, they ended up with all males of the family perishing.

Yet, it is also because of such integrity the Bai family possesses, that they achieved a standing that other aristocratic families don’t have.

"Then I await Minister Li’s good news."

Just as Bai Jinxiu finished speaking, the dust-covered Lin Kangle, accompanied by a commander wearing Liang Kingdom’s battle armor, hurriedly approached the main hall.

Lin Kangle saw Bai Jinxiu, raised his hand to salute Bai Jinxiu, then glanced deeply at Li Mingrui who saluted him, and brought the commander in Liang Kingdom’s battle armor into the main hall.

"I, Lin Kangle, along with General Yang Wei, under the orders of the Princess of Zhen, led 30,000 soldiers to the Nine-Tier Platform, rescued 480 children sent to the Nine-Tier Platform. The court strongly imposed a deadline for conscription to Nine-Tier Platform... or for rebelling citizens to rescue the children, learned that General Yang and I were dispatched by the Princess of Zhen to rescue the children sent to Nine-Tier Platform... Those who ordered the halt of Nine-Tier Platform’s construction, all submitted... totaling 792!"

The main hall suddenly fell into complete silence.

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