Chapter 34: More Ice, Less Ice, Concubine Xu Demoted

The beginning of this year coincided with one of the worst freezes in recent years, flattening houses, uprooting ancient trees, and razing crops to the ground. Many farmers suffered a complete loss. As the saying goes, food is the most important thing for the people, and this freeze severely damaged Yongyan's economy. Not only agriculture, but also industry and commerce suffered greatly. Water transportation has always been a vital means of circulation, and the prolonged freezing of rivers has had a severe impact on this transportation.

The national treasury was empty, and the people were starving. A visit to the Summer Palace would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, Xie Junyao decided not to go there this summer.

The concubines in the harem complained the most about not being able to escape the heat at the summer palace. As the weather got hotter, ice wasn't enough to keep them cool, especially for the concubines of lower rank. They were even less likely to be given ice.

Concubine Wan frowned and glanced at the palace maid fanning the room beside her, with a hint of annoyance, "Fan harder. Haven't you eaten yet?"

Upon hearing this, the palace maid hurriedly increased the speed and strength of the fan.

"Tsk." Concubine Wan grew increasingly impatient. "How can I survive this hot weather? The Imperial Household Department is a bunch of traitors who rely on their superiors for power. The ice they give me is getting less and less."

Hua Shan said, "The people from the Imperial Household Department said that due to this year's frost disaster, the national treasury is depleted, and the Emperor has ordered that ice supplies to the palaces be reduced. Every palace has lost half its supply."

Concubine Wan naturally knew the reason, but she couldn't stop complaining.

Concubine Xu came in from outside, and with an anger that could hardly be suppressed, she asked, "Sister, can you guess what I just saw?"

"What?"

Concubine Xu was unconvinced and said, "I saw people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs carrying a large bucket of ice to Fuyao Palace."

Is it possible that Concubine Zhengui is more noble? She can even ignore the order issued by the emperor himself. After all, she is a concubine, but she is even more arrogant than the empress.

Concubine Wan slowly stood up, holding onto the table. Standing in front of the ice bucket that had already melted for the most part, a sneer suddenly appeared on the corner of her lips: "What a precious concubine, what a housekeeper."

"I went to ask for ice. The Imperial Household Department always had a thousand excuses to refuse. Does that mean the national treasury is not in deficit when it comes to Concubine Zhengui? Does that mean the Emperor's orders are no longer valid?"

"It's fine with me, my concubine. But those dogs in the Ministry of Internal Affairs really don't take you seriously, sister."

Concubine Xu's words undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.

Concubine Wan straightened up and said, "I can't swallow this."

The next day, as the emperor's greetings were almost over, Concubine Wan arrived late. The emperor must still be in Fengyi Palace on his rest day.

Arriving in the palace, "I pay my respects to Her Majesty the Queen."

Tied behind him were the chief steward, deputy chief steward and several other people in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who said they wanted justice.

The queen's face didn't look good either.

Looking at the head of the Imperial Household Department who was sweating profusely below.

The Queen asked, "Concubine Wan, what do you mean?"

Concubine Wan gave a perfunctory bow and said, "I didn't mean to disturb Your Majesty, but I can't swallow this tone!"

The Queen sighed to herself: "Speak more clearly."

Concubine Wan kicked the head steward of the Imperial Household Department and said, "You say."

"Empress, I am innocent. I have been doing everything according to the Emperor's orders. The ice in each palace is distributed according to status. I cannot and dare not use less ice. Concubine Wan thinks that I treat you differently and deliberately used less ice in Jinxiu Palace." The chief steward of the Imperial Household Department kowtowed.

The Queen frowned slightly, "Concubine Wan, the Emperor did issue an order to reduce the amount of ice in each palace. You should know why you made such a big fuss about it."

The usually gentle Queen's voice now held a hint of criticism. The Queen's biggest annoyance was people who made a mountain out of a molehill.

Concubine Wan paused, swallowing her anger and saying, "I didn't intend to make a big deal out of this. But the head of the Imperial Household Department is being partial to one and not the other. Concubine Xu saw them sending a large bucket of ice to Fuyao Palace."

Concubine Xu was startled when she was suddenly mentioned. She lowered her head and said, "I did see it."

She didn't want to be involved in this matter.

"I have also found out that at least 30% of the ice sent to Fuyao Palace by the Ministry of Internal Affairs is not a fixed quantity."

Concubine Wan had even gone through the records; it seemed she would not stop until the situation became serious. The Queen said helplessly, "Director Lin, what do you want to say?"

Chief Steward Lin was speechless: "Slave...slave..."

Concubine Wan sneered and kicked him on the back again: "You weren't very good at speaking just now. Why don't you continue?"

The Queen waved her hand and said, "I will temporarily dismiss Director Lin from his position and replace him with Deputy Director Pan."

Concubine Wan frowned, having not expected the Queen's punishment to be so lenient. Despite the evidence, Chief Steward Lin couldn't offer any defense. Yet, the Queen still insisted on a lenient sentence, trying to smooth things over.

"Your Majesty, do you still want to keep such a person who relies on his power and flatters his superiors in the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"

The Queen's face darkened: "Concubine Wan, are you questioning me?"

Not to mention that Chief Steward Lin was promoted by the Empress Dowager herself, and that he had been in office for five years without making any major mistakes. How could it be so easy to abolish the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department?

"I dare not." Concubine Wan stared into the Queen's eyes without fear. "It's just that Your Majesty, if you don't consider the smallest details, they will eventually lead to great troubles; if you don't take precautions against small things, you will eventually lose your virtue. It's too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost."

The Queen slammed her palm on the table, but her tone was unusually calm: "How about you, Concubine Wan, be the Queen?"

Concubine Wan lowered her eyes and said, "That's not what I meant."

There was a noise coming from the bedroom, probably the emperor was about to come out.

"What are you making trouble for?" Xie Junyao came out of the bedroom, rubbed his eyebrows, and said with a reproachful tone. They were the ones who caused the most trouble every time.

The Queen said with a guilty look: "I am incompetent and have disturbed the Emperor's rest."

Xie Junyao gave the empress a false hand and said, "I don't blame you." He then looked at Concubine Wan with a cold expression, "What's going on? Tell me."

Faced with the change in the emperor's expression, Concubine Wan curled her lips and repeated the story again.

Hearing this, Xie Junyao was silent for a moment.

After a moment, he said, "Since you think the head of the Imperial Household Department is at fault, why do you have to embarrass the Empress?"

"I don't have..."

"Enough." Xie Junyao suddenly shouted.

Concubine Wan's heart suddenly sank, and she knelt on the ground with the other concubines.

"Director Lin has failed to follow my instructions and will be transferred to manage the Imperial Gardens effective immediately."

It was finally dealt with.

Wen Wanyu rolled her eyes and sighed sincerely that the emperor's heart was unpredictable! The previous sentence had just defended the queen, and the next sentence slapped the queen in the face.

Lin Zongguan was the Empress Dowager's man, and the Empress Dowager's presence in Mount Wutai was the perfect opportunity to "eliminate" him. The Imperial Garden Manager was a distant relative of Concubine Wan, so Lin Zongguan was asked to replace Concubine Wan's distant relative.

Kill two birds with one stone.

The transfer of Lin Zongguan was also a warning to Concubine Zhengui not to bypass the Empress Dowager in any matters. Over time, it would become annoying.

Kill three birds with one stone.

Too much abuse, otherwise he could have become emperor.

Xie Junyao closed his eyes, "Princess Xu will be demoted to Zhaoyuan. Go back and rest for a month."

Concubine Xu, no, Xu Zhaoyuan widened her eyes and stood there in a daze. She only complained to Concubine Wan, asking for justice, because it was Concubine Wan who was pressing her step by step, not her!

She staggered, almost losing her balance: "Your Highness..."

Xu Zhaoyuan became the only victim in this battle.