Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 396 Sure enough

As summer drew to a close, the hem of Shi Wanxia's skirt swept across the gaps in the white marble steps, stirring up fine dust.

With her eyes lowered, she followed closely behind Yu Heng, the chief eunuch of the Inner Palace. The palace lanterns hanging under the corridor swayed gently in the breeze, casting her shadow on the vermilion pillars, making it appear to grow longer and shorter.

As the first female official to serve in the central government since the founding of the Cangling Kingdom, she was not very familiar with the location of the Imperial Study. Fortunately, Yu Heng led her here.

The faint scent of ambergris lingered around the nose, mixed with the aroma of paper and ink. This place, which should have been solemn and quiet, was now torn apart by a thunderous outburst.

"A bunch of trash!"

A deafening roar erupted from inside the tightly closed vermilion door, its force so great it seemed capable of ripping off the glazed tiles of a roof.

Shi Wanxia subconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her sleeve, her knuckles turning white.

Although she came from modern times and was already familiar with the majesty of emperors in history books, when this authority transformed into concrete anger and crashed down upon her at close range, her deep-seated awe of imperial power still made her spine tense.

"What use are you to me?!"

The voices inside were filled with undisguised violence, like a volcano that had been suppressed for a long time finally erupting.

"The accounts I asked you to inspect have been delayed for over three months! When I asked you about the regulations for disaster relief in the south, you all stammered and gave vague answers! How dare you deceive me like this? Do you really think I won't execute you?!"

Then came a chorus of kowtows, mingled with terrified pleas for mercy: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! We deserve to die!"

"Your Majesty, spare us! Allow us to investigate further!"

"The floods in the south are severe, and the roads are cut off. It's really... really beyond our reach!"

"Beyond one's reach?"

The emperor gave a cold laugh, a laugh chilled to the bone.

"I think you have no concern for the people or for this vast country!"

Yu Heng stood in front of the door, his face expressionless, as if he were already used to such a scene.

He waited until the angry shouts inside subsided before gently knocking on the door, his voice as calm as a deep pool: "Your Majesty, Lord Shi has arrived."

The noise inside the door suddenly stopped.

A moment later, a deep, somber voice rang out, its tone unreadable: "Let her in."

Yu Heng pushed open the heavy door, and an even stronger scent of ambergris wafted out, mixed with a faint hint of alcohol.

Shi Wanxia took a deep breath, lowered her head, and stepped over the threshold.

The Imperial Study was large, but not empty. Bookshelves stretched from the floor to the beams, filled with ancient thread-bound books.

Seven or eight elderly men in official robes were kneeling on the ground, their faces pale, their foreheads pressed against the cold gold bricks, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Before them sat a middle-aged man on a bright yellow dragon throne.

Shi Wanxia dared not look up, only catching a glimpse of the jade belt hanging at his waist, the pearls inlaid on it gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

Following the etiquette she had learned before entering the palace, she knelt down respectfully: "Your subject, Shi, is here in late summer to pay respects to Your Majesty."

"Keep your head up."

Shen Yuxi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a natural sense of pressure.

Shi Wanxia slowly raised her head and finally saw the emperor of Cangling Kingdom clearly.

He looked to be no more than thirty or forty years old, with deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and tightly pursed lips, exuding a cold and aloof aura that kept strangers at bay.

At this moment, his brows were furrowed, and there was still lingering anger in his eyes. His gaze was sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through people's hearts.

Shi Wanxia's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously lowered her gaze again.

She knew that she was able to sit here because three days ago in the Golden Palace, she had used her knowledge of modern management to put forward three incisive suggestions on the deep-seated problems of the Ministry of Revenue, and unexpectedly won the appreciation of this young emperor.

While one may appreciate an emperor's talent, it is impossible to fathom his thoughts. One moment he may be full of admiration, and the next moment a single word could offend him, leading to one's utter destruction.

"It was late summer,"

Shen Yuxi's gaze fell on her, scrutinizing her.

"Is there any progress on the evaluation criteria for Ministry of Finance officials that I asked you to compile?"

"Return to your majesty,"

Shi Wanxia composed herself and tried her best to keep her voice steady.

"I have reviewed the assessment records of the past five years and, in conjunction with the current regulations of various departments, have drafted a new set of regulations, which emphasizes the addition of practical assessment and moral character evaluation. However..."

She paused, carefully choosing her words, "The part about quantifying the assessment standards still needs to be discussed further with my colleagues in the Ministry of Revenue, so it has not yet been finalized."

She deliberately mentioned "quantification," a concept in modern management. She wasn't sure if people in ancient times could understand it, but it was the best way she could think of to ensure fairness.

Shen Yuxi seemed interested in the word, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Quantification?"

"Yes."

Shi Wanxia explained, "For example, in a math exam, it's not just about whether the calculation is correct, but also about the time taken and the number of mistakes."

"To assess a person's moral character, we not only listen to the comments of their colleagues, but also check whether there are any complaints from the people or any records of corruption during their tenure. Each item is scored, and the final score determines their merit."

An old minister kneeling on the ground couldn't help but look up at her, his eyes filled with surprise, as if he had never imagined that the assessment could be done this way.

Shen Yuxi remained silent for a moment, then tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, producing a rhythmic sound.

The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet study, causing everyone kneeling to hold their breath.

"interesting."

He suddenly spoke, his tone softening, "You continue with this matter. If you need anyone to cooperate, just mobilize them directly."

"The minister obeys the order."

"However, there are more important things to do right now."

Shen Yuxi changed the subject, his gaze becoming serious again.

"Heavy rains have been falling in the south for half a month, turning Jiangzhou and Chuzhou into a vast expanse of water, leaving people displaced."

"The three batches of disaster relief grain allocated by the imperial court are stuck at Luomapo on the outskirts of Chuzhou and have not been able to get in yet."

Shi Wanxia's heart sank.

She had seen images of devastating floods in modern news and knew what it meant for transportation to be disrupted.

"Luomapo is a strategically important location, and now a landslide has completely destroyed the roads,"

Shen Yuxi's voice was weary, "The constables and soldiers we sent were either stuck halfway or... dared not advance."

He looked at the ministers on the ground, and his eyes turned cold again.

"I ask you, who is willing to go to the south to oversee the transport of disaster relief grain and to comfort the disaster victims?"

The people on the ground lowered their heads even further, wishing they could disappear into the ground.

Jiangzhou and Chuzhou were not only severely affected by floods, but were also said to be plagued by disease. More importantly, they were the fiefdom of the former Prince Rongyang, a place with deep-rooted entrenched power, where the slightest misstep could lead to disaster.

A dead silence.

Seeing this scene, Shi Wanxia felt uneasy.

She thought of those modern figures who went against the tide in the face of disaster, and then looked at these cowardly officials in front of her, and felt a tightness in her chest.

"His Majesty,"

She heard her own voice, trembling slightly but exceptionally clear, "Your subject..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Yuxi interrupted him: "You want to go?"

Shi Wanxia was taken aback. She had only subconsciously wanted to speak, and had not actually made a decision.

But now, when she met Shen Yuxi's gaze, there was inquiry, scrutiny, and even a hint of... expectation?