Chapter 839: Chapter 37: The Grand Ceremony, Patriarch’s Task, and Yaksha Yin God! (Da Zhang)
"What did you do last night?"
"I, I... was enjoying the pleasures of the chamber with Zhen Ji, Cai Nv, Ming Zhinv, Lady Sao, Lady Ya Mei, and Lady Ying. Zhen Ji and Lady Ya Mei are skilled at gambling games, so we undressed completely..."
Zhang Ping: "..."
The officials: "..."
"What were you doing from midnight to the Yin hour?" Zhao Xing asked again.
"After getting tired of playing, I drank some thousand-year-old wine and fell asleep, only waking up at 8:45 AM." Lu Tingzhi replied foolishly.
"After waking up, I heard Mr. Zhou Huai summoning me to the government office. But I was too exhausted, so I didn’t arrive until exactly noon."
Zhao Xing glanced at Zhang Ping, who nodded. Indeed, this man only arrived at the government office at exactly noon.
At this point, Zhao Xing’s expression became extremely colorful.
Lu Tingzhi, this fellow, because he was playing with his wives and concubines and drank thousand-year-old wine, ended up missing the message delivered to him by the Yin God.
"Have you been involved in any corruption or bribery?" Zhao Xing asked again.
"I have, but at the end of the twenty-ninth year of the Jingxin Calendar, Mr. Liu discovered it and punished me once. Since then, I have not dared to be corrupt anymore."
"Unable to be corrupt, I devoted myself entirely to indulging in beauty."
Zhang Ping: "..."
The officials: "..."
This is just too outrageous... This guy actually reformed, and after being punished by Lao Liu, gave up corruption and devoted himself to indulging in beauty, and also didn’t rebel.
How can you be like this? You’re Lu Tingzhi after all!
Could it be that in your previous life, you had no choice either? Now wanting to be a good person?
Zhao Xing thought for a while and released Lu Tingzhi’s collar.
"Hmm?" Lu Tingzhi sobered up and recalled the words he had just spoken, breaking into a cold sweat.
This man had completely no sense of social death; to sit in this position, his face had already been as thick as the city wall array.
Lu Tingzhi only felt fortunate to have escaped a calamity.
Though he didn’t even know what kind of disaster he was supposed to meet.
"Mr. Zhao?" Lu Tingzhi tidied his attire, "Does the lord have any further instructions?"
"Just stand by and await orders." Zhao Xing looked at Lu Tingzhi’s head, feeling somewhat regretful.
In his previous life, Lu Tingzhi took so many kickbacks from him, yet in this life, he was discovered by Lao Liu early and reformed.
Such a good head! It’s indeed a pity it can’t be chopped off.
"Mr. Zhang." Zhao Xing clasped hands toward Zhang Ping, "Now that the Tianhe Prefecture is in chaos, does Mr. Zhang have a definitive plan?"
Zhao Xing at the Transportation Department was only fifth-rank, far inferior in rank to Zhang Ping.
If a fifth-rank were to command a third-rank, it would be seen as overstepping one’s authority, inviting criticism.
He, with his other identity as an Inspector, could restrain civil and military officials, but only those below the third-rank.
Killing Zhou Huai and Lei Guangming was because they erred, emergency measures.
Now how to arrange the transportation channels of the five prefectures in the eastern Pinghai State, how to transfer the government treasury resources, these matters are up to Zhang Ping.
If Zhang Ping were a corrupt official or rebel, then it would be easier. But he’s not.
So it still has to be done according to the laws of the court.
During this special period, it’s even more important to abide by the court’s rules; post-event reviews must withstand scrutiny.
Zhang Ping snapped out of shock: "The Tianhe Prefecture cannot fall into chaos, especially the City Defense Mechanism Department and the divine temple; these three places must be swiftly controlled."
"As long as the prefecture city remains unchaotic, the eleven stationed troops from Tianhe Prefecture wouldn’t dare to act rashly."
"If the army took the opportunity to seize the prefecture city, it would truly be a catastrophe."
The Minister of Agriculture Supervision and Transportation Department of Tianhe Prefecture is the largest agricultural institution. The rest of the Land Registration Office, Pinghuai Department, Grain Administration Department, Internal Treasury Department, Taicang Bureau, Fengchen Treasury, Zhihou Storehouse, and Yuanfeng Storehouse all have to obey the Transportation Department’s leadership.
Thus, Zhang Ping is the Director of Minister of Agriculture Supervision of Tianhe Prefecture and also the highest Minister of Agriculture Official.
Now that Zhang Ping is fine, the Heavenly Time can’t fall into chaos; the three major transportation warehouses and each storehouse commandment won’t go wrong.
Only the Pinghuai Department still has hidden dangers, because the waterways connect multiple prefectures.
If the neighboring prefacture suffers a flood disaster, Tianhe Prefecture can’t stand alone.
Of course, now the urgent task is to ensure that the City Defense Mechanism Department and the divine temple remain stable.
"What about the Inspection Bureau and the Ministry of Criminal Justice under the Prefecture Lord?"
"And the Imperial Censor, the Ritual Hall, and the ritual repairers of each Academic Palace."
The harm of ritual repairers is not small; they are most adept at beguiling hearts and minds.
Zhang Ping explained: "The martial artists inside the prefecture city are the security force, not many and not strong; the strong ones are outside the city."
"The battle of spells among ritual repairers often takes a long time to determine the victor."
"Earth Official Wang Situ has already used a yellow register to protect the land within the city. We needn’t worry about the spells’ bewitchment by the ritual repairers for two days."
"The academies and Academic Palace in Tianhe Prefecture are few and weak, lacking many powerful ritual repairers."
"Moreover, I have confidence in He Zhengchen."
"Believe he can control the situation."
Zhao Xing nodded upon hearing this; Zhang Ping indeed has the capability, and Liu Tianning did not wrongly place him in this position.
If not for Zhou Huai and Lei Guangming’s power surge after being ennobled, they truly couldn’t have stirred up much trouble.
"Zhao Xing, what do you suggest?" Zhang Ping said.
"Nothing, just follow the lord’s plan." Zhao Xing said, "First stabilize the heavenly phenomena and the City Defense Mechanism Department."
Zhang Ping immediately shouted: "Zou Yong, Ouyang Zhen!"
"Present!" Two officials from the Minister of Agriculture promptly stepped forward.
Zou Yong and Ouyang Zhen are Zhang Ping’s subordinates, both Standard Fourth Rank.
"Take all fifth-rank agriculture officials, immediately follow my lead to ascend, rectify the Heavenly Time over the prefecture city, and spread this as a foundation to the entire Tianhe Prefecture."
"Yes!"
"All Five Divisions County Transportation Commissioners, immediately issue orders to the county cities, to rectify the major Heavenly Time according to ’Wu Ji Heavenly Time Treatise · Four Directions Volume’, maintaining a unified pace with the prefecture city."