Chapter 49

"The new Minister of Granaries will be Xiao He?"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone in Manchaotang was stunned.

Everyone was so shocked their scalps went numb!

Remember, that is the Minister of Granaries!

And what kind of official post is the Minister of Granaries?

It oversees the nation's Qian Liang and population!

It is equivalent to the Minister of Revenue in later times!

Similarly, it ranks among the Nine Ministers!

And because this position is of great consequence, it is split into two, Left and Right: Yang Chun holds the Left, Sima Yan holds the Right!

In this Qin Dynasty where the Right is greater, the Right position represents supreme power.

But now, with a single sentence from Facing Ying Su, he wants to replace Sima Yan, who oversees the empire's Qian Liang?

Everyone was stunned.

Xiao He was shocked as well!

These past days, Facing Ying Su had not assigned him any post.

But he never expected that upon his arrival, Facing Ying Su would give him such a high office.

At this very moment, he was utterly terrified and trembling with fear!

Sima Yan was even more dumbfounded!

He could not understand; he had not offended Facing Ying Su in any way!

Although he was not present when Facing Ying Su first attended court, and all matters were reported by Yang Chun!

But... since then, he had not committed any major error!

Every time he saw Facing Ying Su, he addressed him as Emperor; similarly, he had never discussed any matter of Facing Ying Su rebelling.

But now... with a single sentence, Facing Ying Su wants to remove him?

Moreover, the reason is that he is too old?

"Your Majesty... this subject... this subject is not old; I am only forty-three years old this year, in the prime of my strength. Over these years overseeing Qian Liang, I have been diligent and conscientious, with no improper conduct. Your Majesty... I beg Your Majesty for mercy!"

At that moment, Sima Yan knelt repeatedly, shouting continuously!

And Facing Ying Su smiled: "Mercy? No improper conduct? Are you sure?"

He asked, coldness flashing in his eyes.

Sima Yan panicked; seeing Facing Ying Su made him feel fear, but at that moment, he straightened his back and said to Facing Ying Su: "I... I am sure!"

Facing Ying Su sighed:

"I intended to give you dignity, but since you do not want dignity, come, Yu Yu Huatian!"

Facing Ying Su called out, and instantly, Yu Yu Huatian led men to carry up a basket of bamboo slips. He picked up a scroll and spoke directly:

"In the fifth year of the First Emperor, due to errors in grain submission across the regions, the state granary had an excess of one thousand shi of grain. The Left Official advised that this grain should be stored, yet there was no record of this one thousand shi of grain being stored, and later, the one thousand shi of grain vanished without a trace!"

"In the third year of the First Emperor, the Sanchuan Commandery suffered drought. The First Emperor ordered the distribution of two hundred thousand shi of disaster relief grain. However, when the relief grain arrived and was counted, it was found to be only one hundred ninety-five thousand shi. Afterwards, the First Emperor sought accountability, and you explained it away as losses due to spilling and misplacement during transport. The First Emperor believed you and did not investigate further, but... only a few days later, your family's grain shop suddenly had an extra five thousand shi of grain!"

"In the fifteenth year of Qin Wang Zheng, Wang Jian's great army was engaged in battle with the Chu army. The imperial court issued four hundred thousand shi of military grain. However, when this military grain arrived, there were only three hundred ninety-eight thousand shi, a shortage of two thousand shi. At that time, Wang Jian's great army was victorious and destroyed the State of Chu. The Emperor was pleased, so he did not seek accountability, but... those two thousand shi of grain simply vanished without a trace!"

"In the thirteenth year of Qin Wang Zheng..."

At that moment, Yu Yu Huatian grabbed bamboo slips again and again, shouting and reciting them repeatedly!

And as he recited again and again, Sima Yan panicked completely, trembling all over; the sweat on his head flowed down like a waterfall.

Facing Ying Su waved his hand to stop Yu Yu Huatian, and finally looked at Sima Yan, the Minister of Granaries:

"What? Do you want me to continue reading?"

"I... I..."

Sima Yan opened his mouth again and again, but could not speak!

Facing Ying Su ignored him no longer and instead addressed all the court officials: "From this day forward, the post of Right Minister of Granaries shall be held by Xiao He. Do any of you have objections?"

At that moment, Facing Ying Su asked.

Those eyes, like those of a hawk, swept over all the civil and military officials in Manchaotang!

And under his gaze, not a single person in Manchaotang made a sound, not a single person spoke!

At that moment, the air was so silent it was chilling.

It was as if the sound of a needle dropping could be heard!

And in the court, still no one spoke!

Facing Ying Su's gaze was cold: "What? Who wishes to speak?"

He asked again!

And the air remained silent!

After a long while, only then did one person step forward!

Wang Wan knelt and said: "This subject has no objection!"

"The Emperor is wise; this subject has no objection!"

"The Emperor is wise; this subject has no objection!"

"The Emperor is wise; this subject has no objection!"

At that moment, all the civil and military officials in Manchaotang knelt, and everyone shouted!

Facing Ying Su's gaze was cold; he glanced at everyone present, and finally shouted: "Dismiss the court!"

"Dismiss the court!"

The eunuch shouted.

Deliver the decree of Ying Su!

In the blink of an eye, the court session dispersed!

And the previously meaningless crowd exploded the moment they stepped outside Xianyanggong!

Wei Liao, one of the Three Excellencies of Great Qin, grabbed Wang Wan's collar the instant he walked out of Outside Xianyanggong and roared at him:

"No objection?"

"Wang Wan, you are a veteran minister of two reigns; dare you say you have no objection?"

"Sima Yan may have erred, but is this a grave error? Hundreds of thousands of shi of grain, and he took a mere one or two thousand shi for himself—does that count as a crime?"

"Is such smuggling even considered a fault?"

"If so, then everyone in this court should be torn apart by five horses!"

"And Xiao He—who is he?"

"A person of unknown origin, and he becomes the Minister of Grain for our Great Qin?"

"What is he?"

"What kind of thing is he?"

"That brat Ying Su! This is clearly purging his opponents, replacing the crucial post of Minister of Grain with one of his own men!"

Wei Liao gripped Wang Wan's collar, his teeth gritted, boundless with rage!

Behind them, a crowd likewise gnashed their teeth!

One man shouted angrily, "The Grand Commandant my lord speaks the truth! That brat Ying Su—this is not because Sima Yan erred! This is clearly purging his opponents!"

"When they promoted Yu Yu Huatian to Commander of the Garrison Army, it was the same; when they made the Workshop Office independent from the Inner Palace Bureau, it was the same!"

"Zheng He's voyage to sea was even to seek an Elixir of Immortality for him!"

"This youth has a wolf's heart and a bandit's ambition! After usurping the throne, he will tightly grasp all power in his own hands!"

"This youth is more hateful, more cruel and unrighteous than Seeing Ying Zheng!"

They spoke in fury, debating again and again!

Listening to their debate, Wang Wan smiled: "Even so, what can you do?"

"Do you dare rebel against him?"

"Can you eliminate Li Yuanba?"

"Ah?"

The moment the words left his lips, everyone froze!

Li Yuanba!

The events of the past have long been clarified by everyone!

Li Yuanba, he alone killed fifty thousand Qin Army soldiers!