boyutpedia Chapter 196 Selling Newspapers
Chapter 196 Selling Newspapers
Chang Le, now dressed in the robes of a fourth-rank official, beamed with pride. His Urban Management Bureau, though a small department, was now under the jurisdiction of the Court of Imperial Stud.
However, he had hundreds of urban management officers under his command, as well as thousands of odd jobs. He also had the power to collect sanitation fees. He was considered a significant figure in the capital.
In particular, he was in charge of garbage and sewage collection. Don't underestimate these dirty jobs; there's a lot of money to be made in them. Over the years, he's amassed quite a bit of wealth.
Chang Le knew perfectly well who had enabled him to rise from a lowly clerk to a high-ranking official of the fourth rank!
He wasn't afraid of being called Shen Lian's lackey behind his back; on the contrary, he always considered himself a disciple of the Marquis. He never forgot Shen Lian's great kindness and often spoke up for Shen Lian in court to secure benefits for Shandong.
His position as director of the urban management bureau was not without its envy, but no one could touch him.
Empress Dowager Cixi did not want to upset Shen Lian over such a trivial matter, so Chang Le not only maintained his position but was also promoted to the fourth rank.
"Hmph! A bunch of shameless scoundrels, just wait until I impeach you all!" Chang Le glanced at the few officials on the edge and snorted coldly.
He also held the position of censor, and had many friends within the Censorate. He knew exactly who had impeached Shen Lian yesterday.
Soon the time arrived, and the officials lined up and slowly entered the Forbidden City. Today was a grand assembly, and thousands of officials were attending.
Those who could enter the Hall of Supreme Harmony were basically officials of the third rank or above. Chang Le was an exception; he was granted the privilege of entering the hall to attend court assemblies. Of course, his position was placed last, almost at the entrance.
"My lords, the Marquis of Zhenyuan achieved a resounding victory in his first battle yesterday. He killed tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers and even captured two Japanese generals alive. This has greatly boosted the morale of our army! This is a great victory that has not been seen in decades!"
After the officials finished kowtowing, Empress Dowager Cixi spoke impatiently.
"Congratulations to the Empress Dowager! Congratulations to the Emperor!" The officials knelt down and shouted loudly.
"Rise, all of you! Your Excellencies, the Marquis of Zhenyuan has rendered such a great service; the court must bestow some reward upon him. How should we reward the soldiers on the front lines?"
"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Zhenyuan has rendered such meritorious service and deserves a generous reward. However, the battle at the front is raging, and it is difficult to calculate the reward now. Why not wait until after the war to discuss it? We can first send a capable minister to offer condolences and express our gratitude, to show the court's favor!" Yikuang stepped forward and reported.
"What about the others? Do they have any objections?" Empress Dowager Cixi nodded and glanced at the ministers below.
"We second that!" the ministers unanimously agreed. It was too early to discuss rewards; what if Shen Lian were to be defeated next?
"Very well! Then let the Ministry of Revenue allocate 800,000 taels and the Imperial Household Department allocate 200,000 taels. Also, transport a batch of military rations and supplies, and have a capable minister escort them to the front lines to reward the troops!" Empress Dowager Cixi made the decision.
Thanks to Shen Lian, he defeated the Eight-Nation Alliance. The imperial court is now in a much better position, and local governors are more obedient. All taxes and grain due are being paid on time.
Only Shandong, due to its need to train a new army, build railways, and support naval construction, did not hand over any money or grain. The imperial court even provided a subsidy of some money and grain each year.
Empress Dowager Cixi had no choice but to reluctantly agree to Shen Lian's conditions. Fortunately, all these efforts paid off; this great victory over the Japanese army meant that the great powers would no longer dare to underestimate China.
"Who is willing to go and offer encouragement to the troops?" Empress Dowager Cixi asked.
"Your Majesty, this old minister is willing to go!" Yikuang jumped out as soon as Cixi finished speaking.
"That old bastard, he reacted so quickly!" The officials below cursed inwardly.
This is a great opportunity to reward the troops! I've heard that Lord Shen is always generous, so there will definitely be plenty of benefits to be had.
Moreover, it would be a good opportunity to get closer to the powerful Marquis; who wouldn't want to go?
There's no better job than this one, where you can travel from Beijing to the Northeast by train the whole way!
Unfortunately, that old scoundrel Yikuang was the first to jump out, and no one dared to compete with him.
“Prince Qing, you are getting on in years. The front lines are quite arduous, so you shouldn’t go!” Empress Dowager Cixi frowned as she looked at Yikuang, whose beard was already white.
Currently, Yikuang is mainly helping her control the court, and she still doesn't want anything to happen to him.
"Your Majesty, although this old minister is old, I can still draw a bow and ride a horse!"
"The Marquis of Zhenyuan is a pillar of the nation. This time, he personally braved arrows and stones for the court, making such a great contribution to my Aisin Gioro family."
"If the court doesn't send a high-ranking official, how can it show that it attaches great importance to this matter? Who else but me should be appointed as the Minister of Pacification?" Yikuang said with righteous indignation.
Yes, yes, you're absolutely right! You're clearly just trying to get your share of the profits and, incidentally, win over Shen Lian. Don't think we don't know!
"Alright! Since Prince Qing is so understanding, then I'll trouble you to make the trip! Set off as soon as possible and return as soon as possible!" Empress Dowager Cixi thought for a moment and nodded.
It's good that Prince Qing went to inspect the troops; it's a good opportunity to probe Shen Lian's true strength. Shen Lian commands a large army, and their fighting power is so strong. Empress Dowager Cixi also felt a little uneasy.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report!" Chang Le stepped forward after the important matters were concluded.
"What is it that Minister Chang has submitted?" Empress Dowager Cixi gestured for a young eunuch to go and take Chang Le's memorial.
"Your Majesty, I wish to impeach Wang Dayou, Wu Gensheng, and 113 other officials for following the example of Qin Hui, framing loyal officials, and destroying our own defenses. They are accused of twelve major crimes, including attempting to frame the emperor and father through injustice, accepting bribes from the Japanese, and betraying our military intelligence!"
"I beg you to execute these disloyal, unjust, and beastly people. Otherwise, how can I console my soldiers on the front lines who are fighting to the death for our country!" Chang Le knelt in the hall, angrily rebuking them.
Holy crap! Chang Le, you're ruthless! All I did was submit a memorial impeaching Shen Lian, and you've already labeled us with such a serious charge.
If any one of these crimes is proven true, it would be enough to confiscate their property, exterminate their entire family, and execute them by slow slicing.
"Your Majesty, we are innocent! We would never dare to do such a rebellious thing! We beg Your Majesty to investigate!"
Chang Le was very close to the door, and his voice was loud. The officials outside all heard him. Those submitting memorials were mostly low-ranking officials from outside the area.
The officials who were impeached were so frightened that they all knelt down and cried out for justice!
Empress Dowager Cixi certainly knew what was going on! But now she had no choice but to give Shen Lian face.
"Guards! Imprison Wang Dayou and his entourage of officials, and order the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review to conduct a thorough investigation. If any of them are found guilty, they shall be severely punished!"
A group of guards stepped forward and took away the official whose name was called!
"Thank you, Empress Dowager!" Chang Le kowtowed and stood up.
"I'll scare you to death! Let's see who the hell dares to jump out and bite the Marquis now!" Chang Le glanced at the officials, who all lowered their heads and dared not meet his gaze.
In Jinan, Shandong, just as dawn breaks, large groups of newsboys, carrying specially made bags, rush towards crowded areas.
"Look at the newspaper! Look at the newspaper! The Marquis has achieved a great victory over the Japanese army, beheading tens of thousands in the first battle!"
"Look at the newspaper! Look at the newspaper! First victory! Our Shandong New Army has beheaded tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers!"