Leaving aside Shen Qi's calculations, on the other side, Lu Yichuan, believing he had successfully deceived Mu Wensheng and formed an alliance, quickly began his counterattack. The first strike was aimed at the Ministry of Revenue, specifically targeting the Minister who had aligned himself with Shen Qi.
Fortunately, the Minister had been forewarned by Shen Qi and had smoothed things over, covering any potential pitfalls. Having been in the court for many years, he was a seasoned and slippery character, making it difficult for Lu Yichuan to pin anything on him. In the end, unable to find any damning evidence, Lu Yichuan could only have someone submit a memorial to impeach the Minister for dereliction of duty, leading to the Minister being demoted and sent out of the capital—a small victory for Lu Yichuan.
"Shen Qi's people are just as slippery as she is, hard to catch," Lu Yichuan said, his mood sour.