latelenovela Chapter 227 Impeachment of the Prime Minister
Chapter 227 Impeachment of the Prime Minister
"Damn it! It's bad enough that they colluded with Liu Yue to spy on the manor's secrets, but now they want to kill Miss, and they're even using such a despicable method. This is simply outrageous!" This time, it was Lian Qiao who spoke up.
The reason is that Peony cursed all night last night and lost her voice this morning. She is currently taking medicine.
Seeing Lian Qiao's indignation, Shen Li couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's rare to see you get angry."
“Miss, they’re bullying us too much. We can’t take it anymore. What’s so great about the Zhou family?” Lian Qiao continued.
She nodded repeatedly before she had even finished the medicine in the peony bowl.
"What's so great about the Grand Secretary? Your maternal grandfather was a Duke, and with our master and sir added in, the civil and military officials are locked in a power struggle. If they fight, they'll be the ones who suffer." Lian Qiao had already begun analyzing the situation.
Shen Li found it even more amusing: "So, the advantages and disadvantages depend on who has more family members?"
"No matter how you compare them, the Zhou family shouldn't bully you like this. You should at least file a complaint with the emperor, or send me to assassinate them." Lian Qiao's anger surged as she thought of those beggars.
Upon hearing about the assassination, Peony perked up even more, constantly pointing at herself.
"Alright, I'm not the one who suffered a loss; they're the ones who will." Shen Li didn't want to reveal the details, so she just whispered, "I guarantee that within three months, the Zhou family will lose their position as prime minister."
The forsythia and peony's eyes lit up when they heard this.
"If Zhou Zhen is still sitting in that position three months from now, whoever you want to assassinate him can go ahead and I won't stop them, how about that?"
"Really? Okay then," Lian Qiao replied.
Peony nodded repeatedly.
In short, Zhou Zhen was doomed in their eyes.
Why not enjoy a peaceful life instead of provoking trouble? It's no different from going to the underworld to seek death.
Compared to the Zhou family being put on the hot seat, Shen Li's life was much more relaxed. She was ordered to recuperate at home, spending her days writing and painting, and rarely even had time to sit quietly and read.
Forsythia and Peony, who had followed Shen Li for so many years, were puzzled. Usually, young ladies would paint and write when they were in a very good mood, so it was rare for her to be in such a good mood all the time.
These past few days, the young lady hasn't even sat down; she looks more tired than when she goes to the Hanlin Academy.
Upon learning of her kidnapping, Cheng Ruojin visited several times, and Xiao Qi, who was far away in Jeju, sent her tonics, which included a letter from Lin Wan'er.
Lin Wan'er asked her what she could do for her.
So she prepared a return gift, which included newly made clothes, shoes, a notebook for keeping her entertained, and a letter, as well as a handkerchief for her cousin Xiao Qi.
I took the handkerchief from Caiyun on a whim, saying that the embroidery was bad and didn't look good.
She learned about the entire situation in Henan Province from Lin Wan'er's letter. The people sent by the Ministry of Works this time were very reliable. Because she paid the laborers who repaired the river well, there was no shortage of manpower.
The Ministry of Revenue has been providing ample financial and material support. It was also the time of low tide, with the river receding and the riverbed being repaired. At the same time, the houses that had been washed away were also being rebuilt.
People's livelihoods recovered quickly, and Shen Li planned to have her mother open some shops there to provide people with some opportunities to make money and also to promote economic development.
Xiao Bailing's talent wasn't limited to martial arts; she was also shrewd in business. She immediately sent people to investigate and buy shops, intending to specialize in businesses that required many assistants and embroiderers.
Shen Li was very pleased about this, and she was also looking forward to Lin Wan'er's return to the capital soon. She planned to have a nice meal with her.
During this time, the most unexpected gift she received was a generous gift from Zhou Qianqian. She felt that this was not something Zhou Qianqian would do, and it was obviously an attempt to get Shen Li to let her go this time.
However, Shen Li publicly returned the valuable gifts, which was seen by all parties as a sign of a complete breakdown in relations.
Shen Li performed this routine very skillfully, not because she had done it before, but because she had rehearsed it many times in her mind.
Since her rebirth, it's not that she didn't want to break ties, it's just that the time wasn't right yet. Once she seized the opportunity, she wouldn't hesitate to act decisively.
Zhou Zhen considered lobbying various parties, but he was reprimanded by Emperor Cheng several times and impeached by many people in the court.
Most of those impeached were the King of Chess's men. The King of Chess saw an opportunity and took advantage of the situation, doing a great deal of work in this matter.
There was another group, though few in number, whose words were sharp, eloquent, and resounding; they were Shen's students.
Shen Zizai did nothing, but this inaction itself made his stance clear. By not defending Zhou Zhen, he tacitly approved of his disciple's actions.
Half of it was out of personal motives, and the other half was because he felt that Zhou Zhen's actions made him unfit for the position of Grand Secretary.
To discerning observers, Zhou Zhen was indeed more adept at manipulating power than at governing the country; otherwise, the court would not have been permeated with the atmosphere of factional strife.
After being reprimanded, Zhou Zhen truly felt the reality of losing power for the first time.
The majority of the reasons lie in Liu Yue's case.
This case involves the Dali Temple and the Flying Fish Guard. The cooperation between the two can uncover even the most hidden things. Moreover, Yu Die has been following Liu Yue for a long time and knows a great deal of details.
The physical evidence includes a note written by Liu Yue to Zhou Qianqian, and the witnesses include the robbers. The robbers testified that the Zhou family soldiers found them, drew their portraits, and instructed them to kidnap Shen Li.
Liu Yue, having lost all will to live, confessed that she had been in contact with Zhou Qianqian for a long time and had sent her a note, which led Zhou Qianqian to send the soldiers to help her.
Although she came up with the idea, it was this soldier who carried it out, because she was unfamiliar with the area and couldn't find anyone to kidnap Shen Li.
Based on the clues secretly provided by Yu Die, they caught the servant boy from the Zhou family who was always delivering messages to Liu Yue. Then, they traced the trail back up the chain of command. Just as they were about to reach Zhou Qianqian, one of the maids in her palace hanged herself.
The trail went cold, and the fire ultimately didn't reach Zhou Qianqian, but those in power surely understood the situation.
Li Heng was furious about this and punished Zhou Qianqian by making her kneel outside and not allowing her to get up.
"Injustice? If you hadn't colluded with that Liu Yue, how could she have framed you?" Li Heng wouldn't listen to her explanation at all.
Zhou Qianqian was speechless. She had no idea that bribing a commoner could cause such a big commotion, and she never expected that Shen Li would retaliate.
In her eyes, Shen Li was only submissive and that killing Ying'er was the height of her anger. She never expected that Shen Li would be so ruthless when she took action.
Moreover, she couldn't understand how the note Liu Yue wrote to her ended up in the hands of the guards, and why those guards were working for Shen Li and Gu Chang'an.
All of this became a complete mystery with the death of that soldier.
A bloody storm surrounds the Zhou family, and Zhou Zhen lives in constant turmoil. Although he still denies that he ordered the murder of Shen Li, everyone believes it is the truth.