Dressed as cannon fodder and vowing to kick the heroine’s head off

Yang Shanming stood aside and felt satisfied when he heard this number.

This guy is smart. The numbers he said are what he requested. They also match up with previous draft picks.

Then, the second person spoke up, "Your Majesty, I have specially selected several palaces and started comprehensive renovation work on them, aiming to provide a comfortable and pleasant living environment for the ladies who will come to participate in the selection. According to preliminary estimates, the cost of this renovation is about 8,000 taels of silver."

When Yang Shanming heard this, veins on his forehead throbbed and he sighed in his heart: Wow, what a great move!

He looked at the man and snorted in his heart: Remember this, I will make you spit it out later!

As the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he knew that his subordinates would have a lot of money, so he turned a blind eye.

The only requirement is that they must respect him and he must get more benefits than them! Otherwise, he is useless as a supervisor!

The eunuch in charge of the palace's internal affairs bowed and reported:

"Your Majesty, the Emperor will definitely arrange accommodation for those chosen by the Emperor after they enter the palace. I have ordered people to carefully clean and tidy up the previous palaces one by one in case of emergency. At the same time, necessary repairs have also been carried out on some of them. As for the specific expenses... it will be around five thousand taels of silver..."

Faced with such vague statements, Yang Shanming's face showed obvious dissatisfaction.

Others charge 3,000 taels for a few palaces, but you only charge 5,000 taels for so many palaces? Is that reasonable?

Isn't this obviously giving evidence to the Queen?

He looked up at the queen and saw that she didn't have any special expression. Yang Shanming felt relieved: Not bad! It's a stupid one!

He turned around and glared at the eunuch fiercely, muttering in his heart: Stupid! He didn't even say hello to me in advance! He rushed forward in such a hurry to show off!

What five thousand taels? With so many palaces, people would believe you if you said thirty thousand taels!

What a pity! Such a good opportunity was missed!

No, why should I suffer a loss? When I get back, I will give back all the money I embezzled!

After everyone reported, a eunuch said timidly: "Your Majesty, once the concubine comes, there will be many people who hate her. The imperial kitchen will definitely be too busy to handle it. I have opened another imperial kitchen and summoned chefs from the public to help. When I invited them to come, I promised to pay them fifty taels of silver per person."

Yun Xi glanced at him - this might be an honest person.

For a good chef who helps out in the palace, fifty taels a day is not too much.

Seeing that no one continued to report, Yun Xi ordered in an unquestionable tone: "Before sunset today, everyone must submit the account books in their hands."

After hearing these words, the group of people who were originally kneeling on the ground could not help but look at each other.

Account book? Why did the newly appointed queen suddenly ask for the account book?

She was born in the countryside and had been raising pigs for a living since she was a child. How could she possibly know how to read and understand those complicated and tedious account books?

When they exchanged puzzled glances, they soon got the answer in each other's eyes - this queen must be an illiterate person!

In this case, her request for the account book was nothing more than a pretense, and she wanted to take this opportunity to show off her authority in front of these ministers.

Thinking of this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and a scornful smile appeared on their faces.

Yang Shanming said hurriedly, "Queen, please calm down. These account books are usually recorded and sorted out on a specific date. There are still many purchase receipts that have not been entered into them."

After saying that, he raised his head slightly and stole a glance at Yun Xi, only to see that she was staring at him expressionlessly, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

Yun Xi suddenly raised the corner of her mouth and asked with a smile: "Oh? In that case, I am a little anxious. Then, Lord Yang, why don't you tell me how long it will take to submit the complete account book?"

Yang Shanming's heart tightened, and he bowed his head quickly, pretending to be thoughtful, and slowly replied: "Reporting to the Queen, I will urge my subordinates to speed up the progress. I think in another three to five days, the account book should be completed and presented to the Queen for review!"

He thought to himself: This woman is illiterate, so she should be able to fool people by saying this, right?

However, thinking of Yun Xi's unfathomable gaze, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy...

"Just follow the time I said!" Yun Xi didn't want to act with him anymore.

Wasting any more time talking to such a person is just a waste of your life!

"Go back and keep accounts. If you can't do it, resign!" she said with a sullen face.

In just three days, how many documents could not be recorded in time?

They probably don't know that it was she who provided the late emperor with the modern accounting method, right?

Yang Shanming wanted to object, but he didn't expect the others to answer loudly one by one: "Yes, Queen, I obey your command!"

Yang Shanming was so angry that his face turned red, his teeth chattered, and he cursed in his heart: "These guys are simply lawless! Do they really think I'm easy to bully? One or two of them don't even take me seriously?"

However, he never reflected on his actions.

As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams will be crooked too. It was because he was the first to disobey the emperor's will and act on his own that the people below followed suit.

This kind of thing has happened more than once. As early as when the previous emperor was in power, Yang Shanming often acted like this, always preferring to execute first and report later.

Often, he would rush into action before his superiors gave clear orders.

Over time, his subordinates naturally followed suit and this set of genes was deeply imprinted in their bones.

"Everyone, leave!" Yun Xi waved her hand, and soon two young eunuchs came over and urged them to leave.

A group of people filed out and left Yun Xi's magnificent and majestic palace. They could no longer suppress their joy and laughed wildly with their mouths wide open.

Although their knees ached from kneeling for a long time, it did not affect their happy mood at all.

After all, the queen was so stupid that she believed whatever they said. Isn't it wonderful?

Everyone thought to themselves that it seemed like good times were coming for their Imperial Household Department!

Yang Shanming couldn't stand their complacency, so he scolded them gloomily, "Don't speak nonsense without my permission in the future!"

In response to his warning, everyone just laughed dryly, but it was unknown whether they listened to him or not.

As the saying goes, "If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth."

Yang Shanming was caught by the Queen this time, and I'm afraid he won't be able to escape this time.

Naturally, they had to seize the opportunity and try their best to show themselves in front of the queen and strive to stand out.

Maybe one day the Queen will suddenly take a liking to me and think that I am the best candidate to be the head of the Imperial Household Department?

The group of people with ulterior motives quickly rushed to their own battlefields to get busy.

They want to re-adjust the account books and make the accounts bigger and bigger!

If I don’t seize this great opportunity, I’d be letting my ancestors down!