Cao Zuoling didn't have any opinions about Yu Shu. As the third-in-command of the Celestial Commissioner, he almost never went against the most important person.
"Since Official Yu took office, she has been impartial and disciplined. She also defended the dignity of our Celestial Commissioner at the Land and Water Conference. Although she is young, she is diligent and ambitious. I think she is qualified to be the empress of the Kunling Bureau. For this evaluation, I will give her an A grade."
Of the six people present today, everyone could give Yu Shu a judgment. A was excellent, B was qualified, C was dereliction of duty, and D was malfeasance.
If all six people were A or B, then they passed the evaluation and Yu Shu was qualified to go to court. If two or more people judged her dereliction of duty, then she did not pass the evaluation and would be detained for a month before being dealt with. If one or more people judged her dereliction of duty, then she also did not pass the evaluation. Moreover, once all malfeasance was verified, she would be dismissed from her post and dealt with severely.
After Cao Zuoling finished speaking, he smiled at Yu Shu. Yu Shu understood and nodded in thanks.
With Cao Zuoling making a good start, the people behind him took the initiative. First, Jing Chen gave her an A grade, Xie Lan gave her an A grade, then the Records Department gave her a B grade, and Cui Xiuyi gave her an A grade.
In this way, Yu Shu had four A grades and one B grades. Only Shui Yun didn't speak. Even if she gave her a C grade, it wouldn't stop Yu Shu from passing the evaluation.
Yu Shu calculated for a moment and raised an eyebrow at Shui Yun with a somewhat provocative smile.
As if in response to her provocation, Shui Yun cleared her throat. Her soft voice was mixed with a sickly delicacy, "I haven't been at the Celestial Commissioner for a long time, but I do know Official Yu. Therefore, today she is judged to be a D grade and I want to report her dereliction of duty. "
The originally harmonious scene was completely destroyed by a single sentence from her.
Yu Shu was originally sitting in a chair, but when she finished speaking, she consciously stood up.
The people present looked at each other, obviously very surprised. As Shui Yun's superior, Cao Zuoling didn't expect her to go against him without a word. He shouted with an unhappy expression,
"Young Official Shui?"
Shui Yun ignored him and reported to the Chief Supervisor, "I want to report the female official of the Kunling Bureau for five counts of dereliction of duty. First, she overstepped her authority. Second, she neglected her duties. Third, she accepted bribes. Fourth, she colluded with unscrupulous merchants to accumulate wealth. Fifth, she misconduct and disgraced the official's reputation."
With these five counts added together, Yu Shu wouldn't be able to keep her official position and would be sent to prison.
Jing Chen furrowed his brows. Facing such an unreasonable Shui Yun, his tolerance had long been exhausted. Thus, without waiting for Da Tiao to ask, he coldly questioned Shui Yun.
Jing Chen frowned. Facing such an unreasonable Shui Yun, his tolerance had long been exhausted. Thus, he didn't wait for the Chief Supervisor to ask and coldly questioned Shui Yun,
Shui Yun looked at him. Her heart ached because he was defending Yu Shu and criticizing her, so she put on a stern face and said, "As far as I know, the Right Commander Daren is not in the Imperial Astronomer for more than half of every month. How can you guarantee that she has not committed any malfeasance? You deliberately cover for her, so of course you won't allow me to speak the truth."
She stubbornly looked at Jing Chen and aggressively said, "Although you are temporarily acting as the Right Official, you don't restrict your subordinates. You don't care about the matters of the Kunling Bureau and Official Yu overstepped her authority. Do you think you don't have any responsibility?"
In terms of eloquence, how could Jing Chen be her opponent? With just a few words, she had smeared his name and defeated him.
"Official Shaoqing," Xie Lan stood up. Although his official position wasn't high, he was older than Shui Yun, so he wasn't afraid of a little girl like her.
With a dissatisfied expression, he said, "This official has been a small official in the Kunling Bureau for eight years and has never been late for the daily roll call. I should be able to guarantee that what I said is the truth. Official Yu has never neglected her duties. As for what you said about her overstepping her authority, that's even more untrue. Official Yu has never acted arbitrarily in the official affairs of the Bureau. I don't know how you know that she has overstepped her authority."
Yu Shu was a good person in the Kunling Bureau. She didn't make things difficult for her subordinates and didn't shirk her responsibilities. She did all the things that she should do and did all the things that she shouldn't do. She wasn't from an aristocratic family and had a peaceful relationship with the chief. The two of them didn't have to divide their factions, so the subordinates didn't have to fight with each other. Compared to the previous chaotic situation of the Kunling Bureau, the current orderly days were all thanks to the arrival of Yu Shu.
Yu Shu looked at Xie Lan in surprise. She didn't expect him to speak up for her.
"Is that so? Then I'll list some evidence to convince you. "Shui Yun tilted her head and the attendant behind her, who was supporting the wheelchair, took out a silk booklet and spread it on her lap. She looked at the records on the booklet and described in detail that on a certain day of a certain month, Yu Shu hid in the inner room to sleep after the roll call. On a certain day of a certain month, she left early. On another certain day of a certain month, she wandered in the Celestial Commissioner's garden.
Even the smallest of sesame seeds were recorded by her, which made people speechless.
"The above are all instances where Official Yu neglected her duties. In addition, before I came, the Tai Cheng Bureau had another record of Official Yu. In September, the female imperial official sent someone with a seal to the Tai Cheng Bureau to borrow servants to clean the Kunling Bureau's library."
As she spoke, she didn't look at Yu Shu and instead asked Xie Lan, "You've been an official in the Directorate of Astrology for eight years. Don't tell me that you don't remember that there's a round of cleaning every three months? It's an inventory of all the stacks and confidential files of the various departments and bureaus. It should be personally presided over by the chief official. According to my investigation, the Right Commander wasn't in the prison during those days, so it was Official Yu who made the decision to preside over the cleaning. Tell me if this is true."
Xie Lan didn't expect her to be so crafty and was speechless for a moment.
Shui Yun sneered, "You have nothing to say, right? This is clearly overstepping your authority."
"… Lord Shaoqing is twisting words and forcing logic. This lowly official has nothing to say." Xie Lan sat back with a stern face and turned to look at Yu Shu apologetically.
"I didn't do my duty. How can it be blamed on her? Don't pester me endlessly." Jing Chen spoke again, warning Shui Yun with his eyes not to go too far.
Shui Yun saw it but pretended not to see it. She blindly said, "Today is the assessment of the female imperial official. The Right Commander's dereliction of duty is another matter."
Several people present argued about whether Yu Shu was derelict of duty. Yu Shu looked at the two sides arguing back and forth. Shui Yun was one against three, but the Great Commander was unmoved. This scene reminded her of the court in the future. She was the defendant, and the Great Commander was the judge who ruled everything. Jing Chen and Xie Lan were her defense lawyers, while Shui Yun bravely took on the roles of the plaintiff, the prosecution, and the prosecutor, fighting on the front line to bring her down.
"Hehehe."
As soon as Yu Shu laughed, everyone realized that they had ignored her for a long time. Pairs of eyes were fixed on her.
She touched the tip of her nose awkwardly and said to Shui Yun with an innocent expression, "Why is Lord Shui looking at me? Didn't you list five crimes against me? I'm listening. You've only said two. What about the rest?"
Shui Yun squinted at her and turned to the Great Commander, "I passed by Lord Yu's official residence several times and saw a line of people waiting to send gifts outside. After asking around, I found out that Lord Yu deliberately didn't approve the marriage invitation. She only issued the official marriage document after giving her a generous gift. This is a bribe."
"There's a treasure house on Qianyuan Street that sells rare treasures. Among them, there's a type of gemstone called 'crystal'. The raw stone is just a cheap type of water essence stone. Many people have heard of this matter. In order to find out the truth, I specially went there to inquire about the price. In the end, I spent seven thousand taels of silver and only bought two small items. Lord Yu can take a look and see if it's real or not. I've received it here."
As she spoke, the attendant behind her took out another box and opened it. Inside were two bracelets, one white and one yellow. There was also a written receipt to show that the items had been received.
She had someone present these items in front of the Great Commander. Her eyes turned to Yu Shu and the corners of her mouth twitched. She said mockingly,
"As for the last item, it's not groundless for me to accuse her of misconduct. These days, there are rumors about Lord Yu everywhere in the Celestial Commissioner's office. It's said that she once seduced a man naked in someone's house and was seen by many people. I didn't verify this, so I want to ask Lord Yu in person, have you ever done such a shameless thing?"
If Shui Yun's previous four statements were all 'based on evidence', then the last one was a blatant slap in the face.
Other than Yu Shu and Shui Yun, everyone here was an adult man. When they heard her description, they all felt extremely embarrassed. Some shook their heads and some frowned.
Although Yu Shu had long been prepared that Shui Yun would use this as a pretext to make a fuss, she still couldn't help but get angry when she heard Shui Yun bring up that matter maliciously.
If it weren't for her assessment today, if there weren't these people present, she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't be rough and beat a disabled person.
"Shui Yun!" Jing Chen scolded in a deep voice. He never thought that Shui Yun would embarrass Yu Shu in such a despicable way.
Shui Yun didn't seem to hear Jing Chen calling her. She stared straight at Yu Shu, and a sickly blush appeared on her face.
She asked in a low voice, "Have you ever done such a shameless thing? Have you?"
Yu Shu held back her anger, but her face was hazy. Her tightly pursed lips made people think that she couldn't stand the humiliation and would explode on the spot.
However, Yu Shu just stared at Shui Yun coldly for a moment. Then she turned back to the Great Commander and bowed to him. She said loudly, "Great Commander, please allow me to explain."
The Great Commander listened for a while and knew what was going on. However, he still maintained an impartial attitude and nodded to her, "Speak, don't be anxious. I have my own judgment on whether it's true or false."
Yu Shu put down her hand and looked around. With a cold face, she methodically defended herself, "Although the Right Commander didn't personally preside over the clean-up in September, he had already arranged the specific matters beforehand. I only did as I was told. Because the Kun Ling Bureau lacked manpower, I sent people to the Taicheng Bureau to borrow people. Because of this, Vice-Minister Shui said that I exceeded my authority. This is really far-fetched. Do we need the chief to personally watch us before we can do work? Then I'm afraid he needs to grow a few more pairs of eyes. "
"As an adjutant, it's my duty to assist the chief. What did I do wrong?"
The Great Commander glanced at Shui Yun and immediately judged, "You said that you exceeded your authority. It's an exaggeration."
Shui Yun had calmed down after the previous wave of excitement. Naturally, she wouldn't be so impulsive as to argue with the Great Commander.
Yu Shu discovered that the Great Commander was biased towards her and boldly continued, "Saying that I neglected my duties is complete nonsense. The three departments and two bureaus each have their own duties. Ever since I became a female Imperial Official, I have strictly adhered to the Kun Ling Bureau's Rules and Regulations. As for the trivial matters listed by Vice-Minister Shui, if every one of them is considered a neglect of duty, then there wouldn't be a single person in the entire Celestial Commissioner Bureau who is loyal to their duties. The Great Commander can ask the officials here, who hasn't left early due to an urgent matter? Who hasn't wandered around the prison?"
Hearing this, the Great Commander actually laughed. He waved his hand and said, "Not to mention them, even I have. This can be excluded."
Below, Cao Zuo Ling and the others let out a sigh of relief and secretly scolded Shui Yun for looking for trouble. They were here to be officials, not to go to prison. Who needed a ruler to measure people?
If Yu Shu was really accused of neglecting her duties, then they wouldn't have an easy time in the future.
Yu Shu glanced at Shui Yun from the corner of her eyes. She saw that Shui Yun's hands were tightly clenched and her lips were pursed in silence. She laughed at Shui Yun's naivety. She had only been in the officialdom for a few days, so how could she see the depths of the water?
"Besides, if you accuse me of accepting bribes, then it's even more unjust. Vice-Minister Shui only thinks that those people came to give me gifts, but they didn't ask me whether I accepted the gifts or not. I can only say that their legs are on them, so I can't control them from giving gifts. My hands are on me, so I can control myself and not stretch out my hands. "
Yu Shu said these words with great confidence. Shui Yun probably didn't expect that she had never accepted a single copper coin as a bribe since she took office.
Cao Zuo Ling had endured Shui Yun for a long time, but now he finally found an opportunity to interject. He said to Shui Yun, who was sitting next to him, in a bad mood, "You're a new official, so you don't know the procedures. If you want to accuse Official Yu of accepting bribes, you can't just say it out loud. You need to collect witnesses and material evidence, and the briber can testify on the spot. Do you have all of these?"
Of course, Shui Yun didn't have any. She had also tried to persuade the people who had sent gifts to Yu Shu's residence to testify, but they were unwilling. They just complained a little in front of her and complained a little.
"Just as Zuo Ling said, there are no witnesses, so it can't be counted." Cao Zuo Ling once again rejected Shui Yun.
Yu Shu bowed to Cao Zuo Ling and thanked him, "Thank you, Official Cao, for speaking up for justice."
Then she lamented about her 'colluding with unscrupulous merchants', "The head steward of the Treasure House is my own uncle. I partnered with him to make a living, and it was all legitimate business. Both of us were willing, so how can it be described as' collusion '? Young Official Shui always thinks the worst of people, so I can't do anything about it. However, according to what you said, anyone who does business with merchants outside can be considered as' colluding with unscrupulous merchants'. Then, doesn't that mean that all twelve families in Anling City have unscrupulous merchants? "
Yu Shu unceremoniously dragged the twelve families who opened the Great Exchange Hall into the water.
Sure enough, Cao Zuo Ling and Cui Xiu's faces darkened. They stood up at the same time and bowed to Cao Zuo Ling, "Imperial Secretary, please understand."
Cao Zuo Ling smiled helplessly. He raised his hand to calm them down and said, "Shui Yun comes from a Taoist sect, so she doesn't know the customs and regulations of the capital. Don't argue with her."
It sounded like he was helping Shui Yun, but in reality, he had removed one of Yu Shu's charges.
Shui Yun finally lost her cool and said loudly, "All of you are helping her exonerate her. Even though I have concrete evidence, I turn a blind eye to it."
She was referring to the two crystal bracelets in the box and the receipt of seven thousand taels of silver.
Yu Shu smiled generously and said to her, "If you think it's not worth it, I'll return seven thousand taels of silver to you. It's not like I'm forcing you to buy or sell, so what evidence is there to talk about?"
Shui Yun's ten fingers were in pain. Looking at Yu Shu's smug expression, she hated herself for not being as cunning as her. She snorted coldly and slightly raised her chin. Her voice suddenly became sharp,
"Then why don't you tell me how the rumor of you seducing men while naked came about?"
Hearing this, Yu Shu looked around and her eyes fell on the tea table next to Cao Zuo Ling. She stepped forward and grabbed the tea that was still warm beside his hand. Under everyone's stunned gaze, she suddenly splashed the tea on Shui Yun's face. She looked down at her younger apprentice-sister whose legs were crippled and whose mind was also twisted. She sneered,
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