Chapter 44 (1/2)

The Qing Kingdoe of prosperity The past ten years had seen fine weather for crops, and peace and stability for the people The nation had the wisest ruler in its history, who received a great ely, it also had the most corrupt bureaucracy in its history, and its most wicked Prime Minister

This was Prime Minister Lin Ruofu Lin Ruofu was born in poverty - he was by no means the son of a noble fa the i transferred to the capital to work as an ad responsible for the i to lead the Overwatch Council in the capital He also held a degree froovernment reforms, he was responsible for specific affairs of the six depart from an assistant minister toto head of the bureaucracy He was subordinate to only the Emperor, with thousands of people underneath him in his role as Prime Minister

People who paid cautious attention to the posts he had held discovered that he had he had experience with civilian affairs, h his career had had ups and downs, he had experience in every area of the bureaucracy, and had hout his life

There were rumors that Lin Ruofu was not trusted within the palace His ability to hout the complex bureaucracy despite his lack of deep connections leftastonished

The Prime Minister seemed a principled man on the outside, but his exterior hid a treacherous spirit, and he accepted countless bribes His plotting and scheht the ire of many people, and so he was loved neither by officials or by the coranted him a control over the bureaucracy that could not be toppled Occasionally an official would accuse hi any concrete evidence they would have no choice but to drop the subject The upstanding officials of the capital hated him to the bone, but did not dare to cross him

Only the Emperor could strip him of his power or his life - every official knew this Only the Director of the Overwatch Council could spit in his face No one else ae

And when the Director had spat at him in the street, he was fined three years' salary; the punishment was personally ordered by the Emperor

People found that the Emperor's trust in his Prime Minister would never waver Officials who considered thean to despair No one could have foreseen that, at thatthe Prihter

In noble houses, it was normal for the master of the house to have a number of concubines; to only have one woe and etiquette were seen as extremely important in society Everyone knew that the Pri and ruthless, but he had always appeared uncorrupted To have an illegitireat lack of er She was not permitted to live within his manor; she lived outside, alone It was proof that, when he cahtest compassion

Because the news had coreat stir within the capital People debated whether the Priered His Majesty, and whether the E to replace hiathered a petition on the matter

To everyone's surprise, the Emperor personally intervened to put an end to the radually settled down, but the Prihter became the center of attention

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Fan Xian laughed bitterly He never would have thought that he and his bride-to-be would have so much in common At that moment, the silence outside was broken They both kneho had returned hoave her a look that suggested they go outside Fan Ruoruo nodded slightly