"Oh?" Yan Li was moved. "Bring it up for me to see."
Not long after, a servant came up with a medium-sized box. Zhou Zheng went forward to open it. The congratulatory gift inside was quite ordinary. There was nothing special about it. A gilded invitation caught Yan Li's attention.
He picked up the post and flipped it open, only to see a line of beautiful handwriting. It read:
"Hearing that Lord has been appointed, this servant has specially prepared a small gift to congratulate you. I still remember Lord's elegant manner of playing the zither and singing. The trials and tribulations of White Sun Palace are still vivid in my mind. Tonight, the moon is full and there will be a banquet at West Sparrow Tower. I hope that Lord will come, this servant also has some thoughts to share."
Yan Li didn't even need to use his knees to know that this was an invitation from Yu Youwei.
"Where is West Sparrow Tower?" he asked the housekeeper.
The housekeeper replied respectfully, "At Rainbow Cloud House."
Yan Li smiled playfully and said, "Send someone to find Lianhai Changjin. Tell him that the Hua Kui beauty he has been thinking about is holding a banquet at West Sparrow Tower tonight. Ask him to come."
Zhou Zheng didn't dare to ask too much. He only took care of the task Yan Li had given him and immediately went to make arrangements.
With the help of a servant girl, Yan Li changed into a black water-cloud robe and tied up his cross-shaped crown. He looked like a new person. The black water-cloud robe represented the third rank and above. It naturally exuded a dignified aura that made him involuntarily solemn.
Just as he was about to leave, Zhou Zheng immediately came up and said, "Lord, the carriage is ready. Be careful on the road."
"Mn, thank you."
Only when Yan Li left the door and got on the carriage did he break free from the illusory feeling. He truly felt the taste of power. The life and death of nearly a hundred servants were under his control. It was completely different from the life and death of ordinary people by cultivators due to the suppression of power. This was a kind of orthodox and lofty control that would never be criticized by others. It was a completely correct control that conformed to the phenomenon of society.
No wonder it could corrode a person's soul.
The residence of the Supreme Court was close to the imperial city. When Yan Li arrived, everyone in the Supreme Court had already lined up at the entrance. When they saw him, they all knelt on the ground.
"Greetings, milord!"
"Get up." Yan Li strode past and suddenly stopped in front of someone.
Zhao Qiping stood up. After a long time of excitement, he squeezed out two words, "Thank, thank you …"
Yan Li said lightly, "No need to thank me. You fought for it yourself."
Zhao Qiping's appointment as a junior minister was akin to ascending to the heavens in a single bound. Ordinary students of academies would have to work hard for at least ten years to be promoted to a fourth-rank junior minister.
The personnel structure of the Supreme Court, from top to bottom, consisted of one minister, primary third-grade; two junior ministers, primary fourth-grade; six ministers, secondary sixth-grade; six secretaries, secondary sixth-grade; two registrars, secondary seventh-grade; two wardens, secondary ninth-grade.
In addition, there were also the Left and Right Judges, Primary fifth-grade; the Left and Right Supervisors, Secondary fifth-grade; and their subordinates, a total of three hundred and eight people.
Compared to the Supreme Court of the previous dynasty, the current Supreme Court of the current dynasty could not be mentioned in the same breath.
Although the Supreme Court of the previous dynasty was the highest judicial institution in the country, and it handled cases of exile and above, it still had to be reviewed by the Ministry of Justice after the trial, and there was also the Imperial Censorate supervising it.
After the establishment of the Xia Kingdom, or to be exact, after the ascension of Emperor Wu, cultivators reappeared in the world. The system of three provinces and six ministries was abolished, and the power of the three provinces was concentrated in the Secretariat, including the administration. Therefore, the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Censorate no longer existed, and the Supreme Court could act arbitrarily, with unimaginable power.
Of course, it was not without constraints. Although the Judicial Department specialized in dealing with the remnants of the underworld and sects, they also had the responsibility of supervising the officials from the Imperial Censorate. The powerful Supreme Court was the focus of the Judicial Department's monitoring.
In just one afternoon, Yan Li had some admiration for Dong Qing.
Three hundred and eight officials, on average, had to meet one every fifteen minutes to discuss various matters. At the same time, they had to handle cases from various provinces and counties. These cases had already been screened, and the complexity was beyond imagination.
Under the supervision of the Judicial Department, Dong Qing not only completed the duties of the Supreme Court of the Supreme Court, but also secretly transported slaves into the Black Mountain. It was not until the Black Mountain was destroyed that he was finally exposed.
In just one afternoon, Yan Li had the urge to quit, because he had only completed one-twentieth of his official duties for the day. There was still a long way to go.
…
"Miss, Miss, look at what I brought."
In Fang Xianhuai's mansion, maid Liu Hong rushed into Fang Junyi's boudoir.
Fang Junyi, who had just gotten up from her afternoon nap, said with a lazy sleeping beauty, "Unless you can make me feel better, I will deduct your monthly allowance."
Liu Hong handed an invitation to Fang Junyi and said, "Look at what this is."
Fang Junyi didn't pay much attention to it at first, but when she saw the symbol of a poetry book, she couldn't help but exclaim, "An invitation from Skycloud Pavilion?"
Liu Hong giggled and said, "Are you happy now? This is an invitation to Skycloud Pavilion's poetry meet. I heard that those who are qualified to be invited are all big shots."
Fang Junyi held back her joy and maintained a noble and reserved demeanor. "Heavenly Cloud Pavilion has a good eye."
Liu Hong said enviously, "I heard that attendants are not allowed in the poetry meet. It's a pity that I can't follow Miss to broaden my horizons."
Fang Junyi said generously, "I'll bring some snacks back. By the way, if my father asks about it, don't tell him about the poetry meet, lest he keeps nagging me. "
"I understand."
…
Few people knew that there was an assembly hall in Situ Mansion, where a statue of the Great Master Bodhi was enshrined. Beside the statue was a memorial tablet with the words "Lin Meishu" written on it.
Li Yixiu knelt in front of the altar and burned incense to pray. This was his homework before dinner every day. As long as he was at home, he wouldn't miss a single day.
"Young Master, Master wants you to have your meal in the front hall," said a servant outside the hall.
"I know. I'll be there soon," replied Li Yixiu.
He didn't get up immediately. Instead, he opened his eyes and looked at the memorial tablet with a touch of sadness, "Mother, there are still some trivial matters in the yamen today. I'm afraid you'll be bored if I talk too much. By the way, Zhi Zhen's wife came to deliver food to her today. I saw her fat boy. He's very smart and energetic. If you see him, you'll definitely urge me to have one as well … By the way, today is Brother Yan's appointment day. I haven't had the time to congratulate him … Yan Li is the one I told you about last time. He's a very interesting person … Well, you asked me when I'll get married? Alas, this question is a little difficult. I'll tell you in a few days … "
"Let's not talk about it … Father won't be happy if he waits too long."
He stood up and inserted the incense into the incense burner. Under the dim candlelight, his eyes seemed to have lost all warmth. Wisps of coldness, like the cold wind in the winter, caused the temperature of the entire auditorium to plummet.
"Mother, I'll definitely find the murderer and tear him to pieces!"
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