PFC Chapter 717 Phoenix Returns to Its Nest (3)
Chapter 717 Phoenix Returns to Its Nest (3)
Of the dozens of memorials, only seven or eight were useful. One was a memorial requesting the conscription of soldiers, and the others were about the children of court officials who had made mistakes and were reported to the emperor by their colleagues.
When it came to conscription, Xiong Bufan only replied with a single "1", but he wrote a different imperial edict: to implement the military-agricultural colony system.
Although the planting season has passed, it is still possible to plant some vegetables. Xiong Bufan's move was also to enable the army to be self-sufficient and reduce expenses.
As for the matter of conscription, it needs to be considered in the long term.
If an enemy were to invade, Xiong Bufan would take his sword and go to the battlefield, personally leading the expedition.
Although Xiong Bufan never became emperor, he did become a general, and even a great general.
No one knows how to fight a war better than Xiong Bufan, at least that's what Xiong Bufan thinks.
As for the children of those ministers who committed crimes, their homes were all confiscated.
In Xiong Bufan's view, if someone has time to cause trouble, it must be because they have too much money. Once everyone becomes poor, they won't have time to cause trouble, because all they'll be thinking about is how to make money.
Xiong Bufan felt that he was sometimes a genius, whether he was a general, an emperor, or a bandit leader.
Based on Xiong Bufan's description, Shangguan Yi kept writing on the memorials and imperial edicts, becoming increasingly alarmed as he wrote, as if the emperor had changed.
His Majesty previously employed a policy of appeasement, primarily advising ministers who made mistakes without confiscating their property. Furthermore, His Majesty considered the army very important, thus readily approving military pay.
His Majesty seems like a completely different person, but it's also possible that he damaged his brain in the fall.
They haven't yet figured out who tampered with the horses.
Xiong Bufan breathed a sigh of relief after finishing processing all the memorials. Who said reading memorials was difficult? It was actually quite easy.
Kongkong: You're just making excuses for confiscating the ministers' property; you're not actually reviewing memorials.
Lying in bed, Xiong Bufan was still thinking about confiscating the ministers' property; she would definitely peel off all the plaster from the walls.
Wang Shijun had been inquiring about which palace Xiong Bufan stayed in at night, and was relieved to hear from the servant that he had only slept in the Imperial Study.
Shangguan Yi covered Xiong Bufan with a blanket before leaving. As female officials, they also took care of His Majesty's daily life.
The next day in court, Xiong Bufan sat on the dragon throne, listening to the ministers arguing below, and was quite pleased with what he saw.
Who says being an emperor is boring? Being an emperor is incredibly interesting, even more interesting than watching TV.
"I just hope the war doesn't reach us," said the Minister of Revenue. "Your Majesty, is confiscating property just because a child is playing around too harsh a punishment?"
The Minister of Revenue was a plump, fair-skinned woman who spoke with a serious expression.
With the Minister of Revenue leading the way, others also stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, Minister Zhao is right; this is probably too serious."
"Your Majesty, I agree with this."
They knew that the emperor's authority was not to be challenged, but they could not let the emperor continue like this. No one could guarantee that there were no disobedient juniors in the family. If their family was raided for a trivial matter, what would be the point of their struggle?
Xiong Bufan yawned. "So, what do you think should be done about this?"
Upon hearing this, Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Works assumed that Xiong Bufan had compromised and fearlessly said, "Your Majesty, this matter is ultimately nothing more than a child in the family being disobedient. A few words of advice will suffice."
Xiong Bufan: "Oh, so what do you think is the meaning of serving as an official in the imperial court?"
Minister Zhao forced himself to say, "We seek happiness for the people and peace for all generations."
"Oh, I thought you didn't know about this."
Zhao Shangshu broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. This emperor was getting better and better at setting traps; so this was what he was waiting for her to do.
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong."
Xiong Bufan sat on the dragon throne and smiled slightly, "Go back."
"Yes."
Kongkong thought Xiong Bufan would resort to violence, but he won people over with his virtue, which really opened the cat's eyes.
Minister Zhao fell silent, and the others stopped jumping around and obediently returned to their seats.
Following the original owner's memories, Xiong Bufan began to paint a rosy picture: "Being an official doesn't mean you have private power or forcibly seize men; it's about bringing happiness to the people."
If I hear of such a thing happening again, I will absolutely not let you off easily.
"Yes."
The censors who were writing the memorials to lodge complaints stood there stiffly, seemingly lost in thought.
The ministers whose homes Xiong Bufan ordered to be searched all had far more gold and silver jewelry than they had ever owned. With a little thought, it was easy to guess where the jewelry came from.
The ministers later realized how frightening it was. It turned out that His Majesty's confiscation of their property was not without reason; there had been rumors for some time. No wonder his property was confiscated for such a trivial matter.
Your Majesty is the embodiment of omniscience.
After the court session, Xiong Bufan continued eating and reviewing memorials.
While these memorials are interesting, reviewing too many of them can become tedious.
Xiong Bufan was dozing off on the dragon throne when he suddenly heard Lord Liu requesting an audience.
Lord Liu, who is also Liu Guijun's father, has come here at this time, and it is absolutely because of Liu Guijun.
According to the emperor's normal procedure, he would probably let Lady Liu calm down first, and then summon her in after an hour.
Upon hearing the report, Xiong Bufan opened his eyes and said, "Bring him in. Everyone else, step back."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Upon entering, Liu Xi immediately bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, has my son committed any wrongdoing?"
Xiong Bufan was a little confused. "Who is your son?"
Liu Xi was originally just a minor official of the sixth rank, but due to Liu Guijun's influence, he has now been promoted to a high-ranking official of the third rank.
When Liu Xi heard Xiong Bufan say this, she was stunned for a moment, then wiped away her tears, "Your Majesty, my son is Consort Liu."
Xiong Bufan didn't know who he was. He scratched his head, and Kongkong quickly reminded him, "Bufan, Liu Guijun is the person you killed yesterday."
"Oh."
Liu Xi was not young, a middle-aged woman, and her crying was anything but beautiful.
A strong woman doesn't easily shed tears, unless she's truly heartbroken.
She only had one son, and she was determined to seek justice for him. If she couldn't get justice, she would at least try to get an official position for her daughter.
Xiong Bufan rubbed his temples, feeling that Feng Shuan had left him with a huge mess. "Stop crying, I'm tired of you crying."
Over the years, I have treated the Liu family well. Now that Consort Liu is dead, that's that."
Undeterred, Liu Xi continued, "Your Majesty, my son has been with you since he was a teenager."
Xiong Bufan: "Go down, or go keep your son company."
"His Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xi reluctantly withdrew.
Xiong Bufan: "Wait, I have something to say to you."
Liu Xi stopped in his tracks, only to be carried away by the incoming imperial edict.
Since coming to this world, Xiong Bufan felt that she had become much kinder, and she would only take action after being provoked by others. She was just spoiled by those people.
"Guards, drag Lord Liu away and confiscate his property."
The servants filed in and quietly dragged Liu Xi away.