"Weak minister Zhou Ping'an, I thank you, Your Highness."
Zhou Ping'an was unfazed by the favor and humiliation. After kowtowing, he respectfully replied.
Li Chen looked at Zhou Ping'an and said: "The decree will be formally promulgated as an imperial edict later, and it will be announced to the world at the same time. After the yamen start working in the new year, you can officially take office. Before that, the Ministry of Punishment has some regulations
The people assigned by the palace will go to you and cooperate with your work."
"The errands of the Ministry of Punishments are easy to say and difficult to say. But since I have arranged for you to go to the Ministry of Punishments and still be the Minister, then you must make some achievements for me to see."
Li Chen looked at Zhou Ping'an with a half-smile, and said: "I didn't think of letting you take this position at first, but the others either lacked the ability or had concerns about their loyalty, so they rashly found someone from the court to take the position.
Most of it is for nothing, but you, who are in vain, can confuse the cabinet for a while after entering. If they want to take action on you, they will definitely first find out where you are. Before they do, they will not do anything."
"So, not only do you have to rectify the Ministry of Punishment, which has been mostly abolished by me, and get it back into operation as soon as possible, but more importantly, you have to deal with the overt and covert attacks on your own with caution."
Zhou Ping'an thought for a while and said: "Your Highness, I would like to request a copy of the information on the ministers of the Central and Central Cabinet and the six ministries. The more detailed the better."
Li Chen nodded and said: "Okay, I will ask people from Dongchang to send you what you want later. Where do you live now?"
Zhou Ping'an said respectfully: "Weichen will go directly to the Ministry of Punishment to stay later. Weichen plans to read the files of the Ministry of Punishment over the years and start with the details."
"Very good."
Li Chen said calmly: "Since you already have an idea, go ahead and find Zhang Haicheng first. This person is the newly appointed right minister of the Ministry of Justice. He was transferred from other places. He is waiting for your boss at the moment.
Boss, come over."
Zhou Ping'an saluted and said: "Weak minister, please retire."
With an imperial edict, the carp jumped over the dragon gate.
Zhou Ping'an transformed from a commoner in white to become the Minister of Punishment of the Qin Empire. He was in charge of the six departments of punishment, entered the palace, and was at the center.
From a commoner to a third-rank official in the imperial court, to taking charge of a department, such an example has never happened before, let alone in recent decades, even since the founding of the Qin Empire.
The final announcement of the position of Minister of the Ministry of Punishment also announced the end of the Yinhu New Year's East Palace, which was the first major political event in the Empire's New Year, to pacify the Ministry of Punishment.
From the beginning to the end, from the incident in the Ministry of Justice to the promotion of Zhou Ping'an, who has no political foundation as a civilian, the cabinet seemed to be mute and did not make any statement on this.
It wasn't until the news came out that Wang Tenghuan, who had lost an ear a year ago and was demoted to the position of governor of the capital, was to return to his position in the cabinet, did people suddenly realize it.
More astute people have roughly traced out a trail of clues, starting from Xu Changqing's accident without warning, which implicated the Ministry of Punishment, triggering a series of turbulences and the news that Wang Tenghuan might be reinstated.
This is an exchange of political interests.
A cabinet position, the return of Xu Changqing, a confidant, and the Xing tribe falling into the hands of the East Palace, there are different opinions on whether this deal is worth it.
But for Li Chen, the deal is not over yet.
On the last day of the New Year's holiday, Li Chen left the East Palace incognito. Under the tight protection of the East Factory, he left the capital quietly.
