There were a few officials standing alone at the foot of Dragon Gate Mountain.
Up and down the mountain, there was a vast expanse of white. This was the third snowfall since the beginning of winter. The earth was finally wrapped in a snow-white fur coat.
The mountain pass was a place where the mountain wind whistled in and out. As a result, a few low-ranking officials in green and blue official robes and a few odd-job workers in two-piece robes stood there for a while. Then they tucked their sleeves into their bosoms and stamped their feet. Their faces were stiff from the cold.
A middle-aged man in a green robe sniffed and stuck his head out of the mountain to take a look. A gust of mountain wind blew out from the valley and blew snow into his neck. The green-robed man shivered and quickly shrunk his neck. He said to an old man in a green robe, with a hooked nose and a face devoid of flesh, "Xue Tangcheng, the wind is too strong here. Why don't we go back into the mountains and wait? Our bodies are freezing."
The hawk-nosed Tang Cheng's face had turned blue from the cold, and his muscles were stiff. He couldn't even make an expression. He only snorted coldly and stamped his feet to warm himself up. "Supervisor Xu, if you want to go back, then go back. Don't blame your old brother for not telling you. Don't look down on our Supervisor Tang. He has King Liang and Princess Taiping on his back. He is a famous figure in the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Appointments. Who knows, one day, he will soar to the sky. He will still be awe-inspiring. Even if he has to squat in this ravine for the rest of his life, heh heh! "
Xue Tangcheng glared at him and said coldly, "Someone who can control the Ministry of Justice and single-handedly defeat the censorate, you should think about what kind of ruthless character he is. You … can't afford to offend him!"
Supervisor Xu had been in the mountains for a long time and didn't pay attention to the affairs of the world. He didn't know as much as Xue Tangcheng. When he heard this, he immediately became nervous. "Our supervisor is so powerful? Supervisor Xue, tell us quickly. Who exactly is this supervisor … "
Xue Tangcheng suddenly became spirited. He narrowed his old eyes and pointed forward. "He's here! Su Zhanggu, quickly go and see if our Supervisor Tang has arrived. "
Manager Xu placed his hand on the awning and looked toward the winding procession of people and horses coming from afar. He muttered to himself, "Could it be that Supervisor Tang has arrived? Could it be that some noble person wants to enter the mountain to bathe?"
The group of people in the distance did not look like Dragon Gate Hot Spring Supervisor Yang Fan, Lord Yang, had taken up his post.
That group of people and horses, there were four carriages, surrounded by strong horses and valiant riders. There were more than a dozen Imperial Bodyguards armed with sabers and swords, escorting them. Looking at this ostentatious display and posture, it really did not look like a small hot spring steward.
Su Zhanggu trudged through the heavy snow. Before he had gone far, the procession of carriages and horses had already arrived in front of him. A dozen or so Imperial Bodyguards with sabers strapped to their ribs rode alongside the carriages. All of them wore green satin arrow sleeves, lamb fur coats, fluffy white lamb hats, lamb skin jackets, and woolen cloaks. They looked heroic and vigorous as they rode their horses.
The four large carriages were all double-shaft oil walled carriages, each pulled by two strong horses. Unexpectedly, they were moving very fast in this foot-thick snow.
When the carriages neared, they saw that the shiny carriages had dark green carriage rims. The hidden nails, curtain hooks, and shafts on the carriages were all polished white copper, shining brightly.
Looking at this imposing manner, Xue Tangcheng also felt that this was definitely not the Hot Spring Steward's arrival. How could a small hot spring steward have so many guards and attendants? Not to mention the other things, just the dozen or so Imperial Bodyguards were all dressed in fur coats. If they were not nobles, it would be impossible for them to buy such luxurious warm clothing for their attendants.
If it was a newly appointed Hot Spring Steward, then he had to welcome him. If it was a noble, then he had to welcome him even more. Xue Tangcheng did not dare to be negligent and quickly led a group of attendants to welcome him. He bowed respectfully and said, "I am Xue Ning, the Hot Spring Steward of Dragon Gate Hot Spring. May I know which noble has graced the Dragon Gate with his presence?"
The curtain of the first carriage lifted and a person walked out. This person was dressed in a black fox fur coat and a grey rat cloak with a snow-white fox tail around his neck. There was a heater in his sleeve. He was tall and strong, and his facial features were handsome. However, because of his attire, he had the grace and elegance of a noble young master.
He looked at the few subordinates and servants of the hot spring steward who were as cold as quails. He politely nodded to them and said with a smile, "I am Yang Fan. The cold wind is howling and the snow is swirling. Thank you for coming out to welcome me!"
Yang Fan!
This person was really the newly appointed Hot Spring Steward of Yang Fan, Dragon Gate Hot Spring.
For a moment, Supervisor Xue, Secretary Xu and the others were speechless.
If they continued forward, they would enter a valley. The carriages could not drive in, so they stopped at the foot of the mountain and everyone could only enter on foot.
Only then did Xue Tangcheng understand what was in the three carriages.
There were two pretty maids in the carriage. They were Third Sister and Taomei. These two girls were chosen to enter the Yang Family because they were pretty. These few years, they ate well and wore well in the Yang Family. The two girls had grown into young ladies and looked more and more beautiful.
In addition, there was a fat chef and two young disciples in the carriage. There was also a pile of books, kitchen utensils, condiments, bedding for the Yang Family and their attendants, and other miscellaneous items. From the looks of it, it did not look like a new Hot Spring Steward had arrived. Instead, it looked more like a son of a rich family on an outing.
The colleagues of the Hot Spring Steward really opened their eyes. As expected, this new Hot Spring Steward was not a normal person. This kind of extravagance was similar to when the King of Hanoi, Wu Yizong, had come to the Dragon Gate to bathe and enjoy the hot spring a few days ago.
With one word from Wu Zetian, Yang Fan, who was already a high official in the Heavenly Official's Office, had fallen from the Ninth Layer of Heaven to become a Hot Spring Steward of the Dragon Gate under sixth-grade.
This kind of demotion was like lightning to people who had bright futures and were proud of themselves. Even if they did not collapse, they could not help but feel depressed. But for Yang Fan, it did not matter. With his position as the sect master of Xian Sect, so what if he could no longer be an official?
Now that he was a small official, it was more beneficial for him to manage Xian Sect. Otherwise, he would have to spend large amounts of energy each day dealing with government matters. Yang Fan joyfully went to the Ministry of Appointments to receive his "decree." Then he went to report to the Sinong Temple because the Hot Spring Steward was a government office under the Sinong Temple. After all the procedures were done, he came to the Dragon Gate to take up his post.
This kind of extravagance was not because of Yang Fan's intentions, but because Xiao Man cared for her husband. She was afraid that he would not be able to eat well, sleep well, or freeze or starve, so she had made many preparations. She made Yang Fan, who had just taken up his post, seem like a marquis who had come to the Dragon Gate to relax and play.
At this time, Wu Zetian and the five officials had returned to Luoyang. Yang Zaisi was officially appointed as the Prime Minister. Originally, Li Zhaode had held all the power, and the other Prime Ministers were like decorations. Now that the court had redistributed the power of the Prime Ministers, Yang Zaisi was in charge of the Ministry of Appointments and the Ministry of Works.
Yang Zaisi being able to manage the Ministry of Appointments was a result that was half natural and half human. The Ministry of Appointments was a department with real power that managed personnel appointments. Under normal circumstances, the Prime Ministers were naturally willing to manage it, but the most troublesome thing in the Wu-Zhou Dynasty was personnel. The political struggles of the court had never been as fierce and frequent as the Wu-Zhou Dynasty.
The officials of the court were replaced more frequently than they were harvesting leeks. Every time, it was because of the political purges and strife caused by the involvement of various factions and even the Empress herself, so it was not an easy job. Not to mention now, there had just been a big scandal, and the Prime Ministers were even more reluctant to get involved. Yang Zaisi had just become the Prime Minister, so who else could he give this difficult job to?
However, Yang Fan was worried that something might go wrong. What if one of the Prime Ministers was blinded by greed and insisted on taking over the Ministry of Appointments? Therefore, he used all his power. If the situation did not develop according to his expectations, he would intervene and influence it.
There had never been anyone like Yang Fan who had such great influence in the imperial court. Because of his existence, he could mobilize the power of the aristocrats of Shandong and the Guanlong families. He could also mobilize the power of Princess Taiping. These three huge potential forces were enough to prevent any changes.
As a result, Yang Zaisi naturally took charge of the Ministry of Appointments. Once the division of work was done, Yang Zaisi began to repay the people who recommended him to the cabinet. He proposed to the Emperor, "Promote Zhao Gan, the Minister of Enlistment of the Heavenly Official, to be the Minister of Merit. He will continue to be in charge of the selection of officials in the Southern Border!"
Previously, the scandal of the Wu clansmen trying to curry favor with the officials of the Southern Border had made Wu Zetian very passive. She was also eager to end this matter and restore the reputation, so she immediately agreed to Yang Zaisi's proposal. Zhao Gan, who had been silent in the Ministry of Appointments for ten years, was finally proud and had real power.
Things were not over yet. Yang Fan's series of actions had even stirred up a huge storm in the court. All of his efforts were for this moment. Now, his final plan had just begun to be implemented.
Yang Fan followed the people of the Hot Spring Supervisor up the mountain. The servants, maids, and cooks went to arrange Yang Fan's residence and everything he brought. Xue Tangcheng and a few low-ranking officials accompanied Yang Fan, who had changed into his official robes, to inspect the areas under his jurisdiction and the matters he was in charge of.
Xue Tangcheng was called Xue Ning, Xu Lu was called Xu Lin, and the first person who went to greet Yang Fan was called Su Jianqiu. The Hot Spring Supervisor only had one Chief Soup Supervisor, who was now Yang Fan. There was also Tang Cheng, his assistant, Xue Ning, who was a lower than Rank 7 official. In addition, there was one Chief Soup Supervisor, one Mansion Supervisor, two Imperial Censors, four Palace Supervisors, and twelve ordinary servants.
Yang Fan was in charge of twenty-one people and two mountains. He was the most powerful official on the two mountains with hot springs. He was really awe-inspiring!
"Chief Soup Supervisor Yang, please take a look. According to the terrain of the mountains, the court has built twenty-one palaces on the two mountains for the use of the Emperor and the nobles. Chief Soup Supervisor, please come this way … "
Yang Fan walked into a large shed built on the mountain and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. He saw that the fertile soil inside was planted with many fruits and vegetables. Many of the vegetables and fruits that could not be grown in this season and could not be stored in the cellar for a long time were all planted here. The vegetables were lush green and looked even more fresh than Yang Fan's dark green official robes.
Xue Tangcheng saw the surprise on his face and smiled proudly. "We, the Hot Spring Supervisor, are not only in charge of the hot springs. Because there are geothermal hot springs here, the weather is warm, so we built tents to plant fruits and vegetables. These fruits and vegetables can be grown against the seasons and specially for the consumption of the royal family!"
"Mm! Good, good, this is really amazing! "
Yang Fan nodded and pinched his chin. He began to think about how to get some fruits and vegetables for his wife and children to taste.
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