Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 491: Overturning the Hand (Part 4)

Minister Zhou was momentarily stunned but quickly clasped his hands in response, "If the Commandery Princess wishes to visit the Ministry of Industry, how could I dare to stop her? It’s just that, as a noble lady, the ministry is filled with men. It might be inconvenient for the Commandery Princess to visit alone."

Jiang Shaohua smiled slightly, "I won’t be going alone; I plan to take Chen Sheren and Commander Song with me. Besides, back in Nanyang County, I often visited subordinate government offices to see how they conducted their official duties on a daily basis. There’s nothing inconvenient about it."

Judging by this determination, the Commandery Princess was certainly going to the Ministry of Industry today.

Minister Zhou inwardly groaned, unable to think of an excuse to refuse, so he subconsciously glanced at Prime Minister Wang.

Prime Minister Wang cleared his throat to help Minister Zhou out of his predicament, "The Commandery Princess is young and curious about the working of the Six Ministries. However, the Ministry of Industry has been quite busy lately with the construction of river dikes. They might not be able to properly receive the Commandery Princess, lacking in proper etiquette. I hope the Commandery Princess can be understanding."

Jiang Shaohua had been getting along quite well with Prime Minister Wang in recent days. He spoke up on her behalf, and she graciously acknowledged, "The Prime Minister is right. I hadn’t mentioned beforehand that I would be visiting the Ministry of Industry today, which indeed might be rushed. How about this, I will visit in five days."

This gives you five days, which should be ample time for the Ministry to tidy up any unsavory dealings.

Jiang Shaohua continued to smile amiably, appearing quite affable.

Minister Zhou, however, felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles, with a cold chill creeping up his spine, and squeezed out a smile in agreement.

Jiang Shaohua smiled and said, "So, it is settled then. I will visit the Ministry of Industry in five days."

Then, her gaze swept across to Vice Minister Hong.

Vice Minister Hong’s heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, the Commandery Princess’s next words were like a death sentence: "Let me visit the Ministry of War today!"

"Yesterday, I went to visit Minister Zheng, and he seemed quite concerned about the Ministry of War’s state. I can visit on his behalf."

In a hurry, Vice Minister Hong had no choice but to present a shield, "Minister Zheng is absent, and the Ministry of War is without leadership, resulting in some disorder. I am ashamed and plan to straighten things out before inviting the Commandery Princess to visit."

Jiang Shaohua agreed readily and nodded, "Then I will wait for a few days before visiting."

She then turned her attention to Minister Ji of the Ministry of Revenue.

Minister Ji had a more assertive personality: "Commandery Princess, of all the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Revenue is the busiest. To allocate funds for the Ministry of Industry, we’ve been working non-stop for days, with the entire staff practically living at the office and unable to return home. It truly is not convenient to receive you today."

"Minister Ji, please don’t be anxious," Jiang Shaohua smiled, "I’ve witnessed the hard work and busyness of the Ministry of Revenue. Minister Ji, despite your years, dedicates yourself to national affairs, exemplifying Da Liang’s top loyal and capable ministers. I have always held great respect for you."

Flattery never goes out of style, and praise from the Commandery Princess is especially soothing.

Minister Ji’s brows slightly relaxed as he offered a humble response, unnecessary to elaborate further.

Minister Zhang glared intently, thinking if the Commandery Princess mentioned visiting the Ministry of Personnel, he would certainly argue his case to deter her.

Minister Dai, on the other hand, was not worried. The Ministry of Justice, being a place for imprisoning major criminals, was filthy and smelly, making it the easiest to excuse.

No one expected that Jiang Shaohua would directly turn to Minister Li of the Ministry of Rites, "Minister Li, the Ministry of Rites shouldn’t be busy at the moment, right?"

The Ministry of Rites is the least busy of the Six Ministries. Its busiest times of the year are during the Imperial Examination periods in autumn and spring; otherwise, it remains quite idle.

These days, with pending affairs being handled, the Ministry of Rites has the least memorials and tasks. Being faced with all, Minister Li simply couldn’t claim the ministry was too busy to receive the Commandery Princess.

Moreover, Minister Li was known for being a smooth operator who never directly offended anyone.

Well then, today he would serve as an example.

Minister Li sighed inwardly, clasped his hands, and with a smile said, "It’s a great fortune for the Ministry of Rites to be inspected by the Commandery Princess. I will lead the way for the Commandery Princess immediately."

Jiang Shaohua smiled pleasantly, "Thank you, Minister Li."

...

What?

The Nanyang County Princess went to inspect the Ministry of Rites?

The news spread quickly in the palace, and within half an hour, Li Boyuan had heard of it, breaking out in a cold sweat instantly.

...Wait! What did he have to be nervous about! The Ministry of Rites didn’t have any inappropriate dealings. Moreover, his grandfather was the Emperor’s direct maternal grandfather. Even if some minor issues were found, the Emperor wouldn’t pursue them, would he? Jiang Shaohua, a mere young lady, could come and see whatever she liked—what could she possibly understand? Nothing to be afraid of.

Li Boyuan took several deep breaths, inwardly reassuring himself over and over. Yet, for the rest of the day, he was restless, frequently sending people to inquire whether the Commandery Princess had returned to the palace.

She hadn’t.

All the way until nightfall, the Commandery Princess still had not returned to the palace.

What does this mean? Was she intending to thoroughly inspect the Ministry of Rites?

Li Boyuan was like an ant on a hot pan, filled with anxiety while striving to appear calm and composed on the surface.

When Emperor Taihe summoned him for dinner, Li Boyuan found an excuse to enter the Emperor’s bedroom, reporting while subtly observing the Emperor’s expression.

Emperor Taihe had been eating and sleeping well these days, looking much healthier. He noticed all of Li Boyuan’s little actions and knew perfectly well what was going on, casually laughing, "Shao Hua, my cousin, went to the Ministry of Rites today and hasn’t returned to the palace. Are you worried about Minister Li?"

Li Boyuan was quick to respond as well, "Doesn’t Your Majesty worry about your grandfather?"

Emperor Taihe chuckled, "I’m not worried. Of the Six Ministries, the one I trust the most is the Ministry of Rites. If even my grandfather isn’t reliable, then I have no one trustworthy."

Indeed, Minister Li was the Emperor’s direct maternal grandfather. The Emperor’s trust in him surpassed even that in Minister Ji.

Unfortunately, Minister Li’s methods were mild, unable to shoulder the role of the Prime Minister. Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t have needed to concede to Prime Minister Wang. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Li Boyuan slightly calmed down, muttering softly, "If he’s trusted, why is the Commandery Princess still going to the Ministry of Rites? It seems almost like she’s deliberately picking faults."

Emperor Taihe patiently explained, "My cousin discussed with me about inspecting the Six Ministries and keeping the officials in check. Starting with the Ministry of Rites serves as a demonstration. It leaves a few days open, ensuring things aren’t too tight or hurried, to avoid any disturbances."

Li Boyuan was taken aback, "The Commandery Princess is to inspect the Six Ministries?"

Emperor Taihe nodded, "As the Emperor, it’s not appropriate for me to leave the palace casually or to inspect the Six Ministries myself. My cousin volunteered to relieve me of this burden, and I agreed."

Jiang Shaohua had originally said this.

"My dear cousin, I did the same in Nanyang County. I inspected each of the Fourteen Counties, and even if no issues were found, it was to set a tone, keeping the County Magistrates diligently at their duties."

"The Six Ministries’ offices are much larger than the county’s, with more complicated affairs, and I may not understand them. But even if it’s just for appearances, it’s better than doing nothing. If I can spot issues, it would mean that the Ministry’s work is terribly done if even a girl like me can’t be fooled."

"One step at a time, slowly but surely."

My cousin had a point.

There was no harm in trying.