An hour later, Grand Tutor Xu arrived in a hurry. His expression was still grim due to Lin Qinghe's unusual closeness with You Rong during the morning court session.
"Your Majesty, what matter requires my presence? If it concerns Prime Minister You, I have nothing to say. I shall take my leave..."
"Ah! Grand Tutor Xu, wait!" Lin Qinghe said helplessly, "When did I say I summoned you regarding Prime Minister You? Grand Tutor Xu, you are of advanced age, why are you still so flustered? Can you not even listen to me finish speaking?"
Grand Tutor Xu's expression softened slightly, and he snorted, "It's because Your Majesty constantly tries to please Prime Minister You. Prime Minister You is indeed talented and a good prime minister, but... you are the ruler of a nation! You must have dignity! How can you treat a minister like this!"
Grand Tutor Xu was frustrated by her lack of progress, his anger escalating as he spoke.
Lin Qinghe knew that Grand Tutor Xu was acting out of genuine concern for her, so she didn't get angry. She smiled and said, "Yes, I understand. I will pay attention to this in the future."
Grand Tutor Xu was finally appeased. He put on a stern face and said, "What did Your Majesty wish to discuss? Please, Your Majesty, speak."
Lin Qinghe narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly and said, "Grand Tutor Xu, don't you think Marquis Pingyang, relying on his past military achievements, has become arrogant and complacent, and no longer shows me due respect?"
Grand Tutor Xu: "Your Majesty means..."
Lin Qinghe produced a secret letter and handed it to Grand Tutor Xu. "This is a secret dispatch from Gu Wenyuan in Jingzhou. When he departed for Jingzhou to provide disaster relief, I gave him a secret decree to strictly investigate corrupt officials and local tyrants in Jingzhou, especially those who dared to tamper with disaster relief funds!"
Lin Qinghe's gaze darkened. "Do you know what Gu Wenyuan discovered? Of the disaster relief funds allocated to Jingzhou annually, less than thirty percent actually reached the common people. The rest was pocketed by these individuals. And they dared to openly embezzle disaster relief funds precisely because they had Marquis Pingyang as their powerful backer."
Grand Tutor Xu took the secret letter and read it. He was immediately enraged, "This Marquis Pingyang! He truly deserves death! Colluding with other officials to commit such acts! Your Majesty, I beg your decree to immediately investigate Marquis Pingyang's crimes and punish him!"
Lin Qinghe gave Grand Tutor Xu a calming look. "Grand Tutor Xu, Marquis Pingyang, all the way in the capital, dares to so brazenly instruct others in Jingzhou to embezzle disaster relief funds. This shows Marquis Pingyang has many cronies. It is easy to arrest them, but if we arrest them all, numerous official positions will be left vacant. If someone isn't appointed to fill them, wouldn't that cause chaos? Furthermore, Marquis Pingyang has indeed made significant military contributions. To convict him, we need irrefutable evidence. When Gu Wenyuan returns from Jingzhou, we will have concrete proof, and even if he denies it, he will have to confess!"
"Yes, Your Majesty's reasoning is sound. Then what is Your Majesty's intention..."
Lin Qinghe smiled slightly. "It's very simple. Let's keep Marquis Pingyang around for a few days and first clear out his cronies. I have compiled a list of individuals loyal to the court. This list will be given to Grand Tutor Xu, who will then apprehend Marquis Pingyang's cronies. It's perfect that they can fill the vacant official positions. Wouldn't you agree, Grand Tutor Xu?"
Grand Tutor Xu's face was filled with relief. "Your Majesty has not disappointed the late Emperor's expectations. You have finally learned the way of a ruler... I shall follow Your Majesty's plan!"
Lin Qinghe averted her gaze guiltily, unable to meet Grand Tutor Xu's almost teary eyes. "Very well, then... I shall trouble Grand Tutor Xu to take care of this."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured! I shall not fail you!"
Grand Tutor Xu left with the list, his demeanor suggesting he would gladly sacrifice his old bones for this task.
As the doors of the imperial study closed, Lin Qinghe picked up a cup of cool tea and drank it down, the guilt she felt facing Grand Tutor Xu finally dissipating.
Her sudden desire to move against Marquis Pingyang was purely to provoke resentment from You Rong. After clearing out Marquis Pingyang's faction, most of the officials appointed to fill the vacancies would be You Rong's people.
When Marquis Pingyang's faction was dealt with, they would surely not dare to vent their anger on her. Instead, they would naturally direct their animosity towards You Rong, who stood to gain the most from this situation. They would also assume that You Rong had whispered suggestions in her ear, acting to strengthen his own influence.
The reason for provoking You Rong's resentment was simple: to create an opportunity for him to play the role of a hero saving the damsel, thus changing his perception of her.
Lin Qinghe's calculations clicked into place with satisfying precision. She could almost see the progress bar increasing, and she couldn't help but hum a cheerful tune.
To ensure the plan's success, Lin Qinghe mobilized the imperial secret guards, ordering them to keep a constant watch on Marquis Pingyang's every move and report any actions to her immediately.
Three days later.
Grand Tutor Xu acted swiftly and decisively, dealing with Marquis Pingyang's faction. Marquis Pingyang's face turned ashen during the morning court session. When he learned that those who had been interacting closely with You Rong had replaced the vacant positions, his expression soured even more than if he had eaten feces.
Lin Qinghe felt it wasn't enough and deliberately added fuel to the fire, displaying excessive warmth towards You Rong in front of Marquis Pingyang.
"You Rong, the vassal state has presented us with excellent Qionglong Jade Dew today. Stay in the palace for lunch and return later. We can share a couple of drinks and then have a spirited game of chess!"
In front of the assembled officials, You Rong couldn't refuse. He clasped his hands and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I obey."
Lin Qinghe noticed Marquis Pingyang grinding his teeth in anger and her smile widened even further. "Good, you may accompany me."
Lin Qinghe led You Rong away. Marquis Pingyang stood rooted to the spot, trembling with rage, his eyes fixated menacingly on You Rong's retreating figure.
Imperial Gardens.
After lunch, Lin Qinghe and You Rong drank and played chess in the imperial gardens, just as they had before. Within half an hour, Lin Qinghe lost.
Lin Qinghe put down the white jade chess piece and smiled. "I lost. Prime Minister You is truly formidable. I was indeed lucky to win at your residence last time."
You Rong also put down his piece and said indifferently, "Your Majesty was not focused while playing, so naturally you lost."
During their previous match, no matter how much You Rong detested Lin Qinghe, he had to admit her chess skills were superb. It was impossible for her to be inferior to him, and even if she couldn't win every game, she wouldn't have lost so quickly within half an hour.
What was she distracted by?
Lin Qinghe raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised that You Rong had noticed her distraction. Seeing the slight furrow in You Rong's brow, she offered a knowing, mysterious smile and did not explain.
Lin Qinghe stood up and said, "It's getting late. Prime Minister You should leave the palace and return to your residence soon. We can play again another day."
With her words, Lin Qinghe turned and left with Wang Jiang, not looking back.
You Rong remained seated, looking down at the chessboard, then up in the direction Lin Qinghe had departed. He was lost in thought, his brow furrowed even tighter.
Lin Qinghe waited patiently for two days, until a secret guard embedded within Marquis Pingyang's mansion reported back. She eagerly asked, "How is it? Is Marquis Pingyang planning to make a move against You Rong? When does he intend to act?"
The secret guard clasped his hands. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Marquis Pingyang has repeatedly discussed taking action with his confidantes. He is impatient to strike at Prime Minister You, but due to Prime Minister You's constant comings and goings between his residence and the palace, they have not found any opportunity to act."
Lin Qinghe's eyes flickered, and a slight smile touched her lips.
If Marquis Pingyang and his men couldn't find an opportunity, she would simply create one for them!