An Lingrong's Rebirth: The Lock of Qingqiu

Chapter 375 Revitalization

When Concubine Chun learned that Jiang Zhongmin had framed her at the behest of Concubine Jing, the straightforward Concubine Chun was extremely angry and had an idea to punish Jiang Zhongmin.

With An Lingrong's tacit consent, Concubine Chun called Qin Sanyue and told Jiang Zhongmin to wait for him in the back hill of the Imperial Garden in the name of Concubine Jing. The back hill of the Imperial Garden was a quiet and desolate place with few people. Qin Sanyue watched Jiang Zhongmin approach them step by step.

The moment Jiang Zhongmin stepped into the back mountain, Concubine Chun had already made preparations. Qin Sanyue was responsible for keeping watch, while Concubine Chun reached back and took out the exquisite pipa that was so familiar to her from behind. She gently plucked the strings with her right fingertips, and the sound of the pipa, which was sometimes melodious and sometimes passionate, resounded throughout the back mountain. At first, Jiang Zhongmin was attracted by the sudden sound of music, and he moved his feet involuntarily following the direction of the sound.

However, he never dreamed that Concubine Chun's pipa sound could bewitch people's minds. Although the sound of the pipa was extremely beautiful, it was a life-threatening thing. As he walked, Jiang Zhongmin actually got lost in the back hills of the Imperial Garden, because Concubine Chun's pipa skills were very powerful. She could use the sound of the pipa to control people's minds and make them fall into illusions. And this time, she used all her strength to bring the power of the sound of the pipa to the extreme.

As the sound of the piano became louder and louder, Jiang Zhongmin began to feel dizzy and his ears were buzzing. His hearing was gradually deafened and he could no longer hear anything. He wanted to escape in fear, but it was too late. Concubine Chun appeared in front of Jiang Zhongmin and looked at him coldly, with a ruthless light in her eyes.

Qin Sanyue was stunned watching from the side. In her eyes, Concubine Chun had always been a gentle, kind and lovely woman, full of innocence. She had never seen such a cruel side of Concubine Chun. This sudden cruelty really scared Qin Sanyue.

As Concubine Chun's pipa sound intensified, Jiang Zhongmin fell crookedly, fell to the ground, flailing his limbs, gradually lost consciousness, and passed out. Concubine Chun coldly put away the pipa, nodded to Qin Sanyue, indicating that the mission was accomplished. The two of them left the back mountain silently, Concubine Chun cursed at Jiang Zhongmin, "Traitor." The two left quietly.

After Qin Sanyue returned to Yining Palace, An Lingrong told her about her brother Qin Ziqiang, who was very proud of himself.

Since entering the officialdom, Qin Ziqiang has been working hard and secretly deploying his power. An Lingrong once warned him that if he wanted to gain a foothold in the complex officialdom, he must have his own power. Therefore, he took advantage of every opportunity to secretly look for and win over those who have potential and talents and bring them under his command.

Whenever there was an exam selection, Qin Ziqiang took action. He not only personally lobbied those students with potential, but also learned about their backgrounds and abilities through various channels to ensure that he could attract the best talents. With his efforts, he soon formed a powerful force and became a force that could not be ignored in the officialdom.

However, Qin Ziqiang was not satisfied with this. He knew that if he wanted to move up in the officialdom, he had to have a higher backer. So, with the introduction of Concubine Duan, Qin Ziqiang successfully connected with the old teacher of the owner of Xiuzhuang, the former imperial tutor. This old teacher not only enjoyed a high reputation in the academic world, but also had extensive connections in the officialdom.

With the help of the old man, Qin Ziqiang gradually infiltrated Longkodo's subordinates. Through various means, he successfully found out who were Longkodo's confidants and who were Nian Gengyao's old subordinates. Although Nian Gengyao's old subordinates had been almost completely investigated by the emperor, Qin Ziqiang still found some remnants. He was not in a hurry to eliminate these remnants, but secretly observed and looked for opportunities to recruit them for his own use.

Under Qin Ziqiang's careful planning, his power gradually grew. He not only mastered a large number of talents and resources, but also gradually occupied an important position in the officialdom through close cooperation with important officials of the court such as Longkodo. His influence became increasingly greater, and he became a force that could not be ignored in the officialdom.

The two daughters of the late imperial tutor were both first-class imperial wives with extraordinary honors. One of them even married a perfect husband and became the legal wife of the Minister of Rites. This Minister, like the late imperial tutor, was a clean official in the court. He was honest and upright all his life, never took bribes or perverted the law, and never participated in the party struggles in the court. He always adhered to his principles and bottom line.

However, although they were not ostentatious on the surface, they secretly won the favor and love of the emperor. The emperor admired their integrity and loyalty and always valued them. This was not until An Lingrong accidentally learned about it that she woke up from her dream. She was surprised to find that these seemingly ordinary court officials were actually people around the emperor, and their every move was under the close attention of the emperor.

An Lingrong thought of this and felt a little scared. She was glad that she was cautious and had never done anything tricky, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous. Thinking that every little move of hers might be seen by the emperor, she couldn't help but feel a cold sweat running down her forehead.

From then on, An Lingrong acted more cautiously, always reminding herself not to do anything that would displease the emperor. She also admired those honest and upright court officials more, and realized that the emperor's way of employing people was not just about appearance, but more about inner qualities.

Under the leadership of the emperor, the court began a series of intensive actions. First, in order to enrich the national treasury and enhance the country's economic strength, the emperor decided to increase the intensity of tax collection. Officials at all levels were ordered to strictly implement the tax policy to ensure that every household and every land paid taxes according to the prescribed tax rate. At the same time, the court also actively recruited men to serve as soldiers to expand the size of the army and enhance the country's military strength.

During this process, the emperor not only paid attention to the expansion of taxation and military forces, but also kept vigilant to the power struggle within the court. He knew that Longkodo had been an important official in the court, and his power was intertwined and difficult to shake easily. Therefore, the emperor decided to adopt a series of strategies to weaken Longkodo's power. He first secretly investigated Longkodo's illegal behavior and collected evidence of his corruption, bribery, and forming cliques for personal gain. Then, he gradually transferred Longkodo's confidants and cronies from key positions and replaced them with his own loyal ministers.

While weakening Longkodo's power, the emperor was secretly planning a more far-reaching plan. He secretly sent his confidants to various places to investigate the people's sentiments and collect intelligence to make full preparations for future reforms and governance. At the same time, he also strengthened diplomatic relations with neighboring countries to gain more support and assistance.

Through these carefully planned actions, the emperor not only successfully collected taxes and expanded the military, but also weakened Longkodo's power, laying a solid foundation for the stability and development of the court. His secret arrangements laid the groundwork for future prosperity and strength.