Chapter 93: Plum Blossoms 3 I am not a gay

In the early morning, three whip sounds were heard, the eunuch standing at the front chanted blessings, and all the ministers entered the palace holding tablets.

Song Yanze didn't sleep well last night. He looked tired and kept rubbing his head. Many people looked at him openly or secretly, and some came to test what happened to Luo Jian yesterday.

However, he arrived late and could not say much. But from their unusually polite and sympathetic looks, Song Yanze once again realized that Jiang Tingyuan was really annoying.

Whoever is bullied by him, others will naturally feel sympathy and kindness towards him.

"If you have something to say, please report it. If not, please leave the court!"

Song Yanze stood among the ministers and saw from afar Jiang Tingyuan accompanying the emperor and then standing with several ministers.

Li Heng, the elder who was already in his seventies, with white hair and beard, stood at the front row. Behind him were several important cabinet officials. The young prince stood next to the emperor and glanced at Jiang Tingyuan.

Song Yanze was about to look away when he accidentally noticed Prince Xuan, who was wearing royal robes. Prince Xuan was not far away from him and turned his head to nod at him.

Prince Xuan worked in the Ministry of War and had good political achievements, but he had few friends among the ministers and did not seem to have any ambitions.

"I have a report to make."

The Hu people stood out from the crowd and spoke first.

"Yesterday, Commander Jiang of the Imperial Court said he was ordered by the emperor to arrest Luo Jian, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Now I have put him in prison."

Jiang Tingyuan remained calm, as if the matter had nothing to do with him, and he didn't care about his subtle pause and the different looks from everyone.

"Oh?" The emperor spoke up, in a calm voice, "Is this true?"

Jiang Tingyuan immediately bowed and replied: "It is true."

Everyone was silent for a moment, waiting for his next words, but he didn't say anything. Li Heng half-closed his eyes, very calm.

"Then Lord Jiang admitted that he secretly detained the imperial officials under false imperial orders?"

Hu Zhong sneered and looked straight at Jiang Tingyuan who was calm and composed.

"How can it be a false imperial edict? The imperial edict is here. I wonder if you would like to take a look at it?"

Jiang Tingyuan took out the red-marked paper with a distracted look in his eyes. Hu Zhong was immediately irritated and was about to step forward.

Song Yanze raised his eyebrows, what a mean move.

"Your Majesty."

Li Heng suddenly spoke, and Hu Zhong suddenly came back to his senses. He glanced at the emperor who was sitting on the throne and looking down at them, and was so frightened that sweat broke out on his forehead.

An imperial edict is an order issued privately by the emperor.

If the imperial edict was true, his doubts would be a slap in the face of the emperor. If it was false, how could he save face after seeing the emperor order an investigation into the Ministry of Revenue in public?

He dared to arrest people so openly, he might have obtained some evidence and even handed it over to the emperor for review.

The emperor is playing dumb, maybe the time has not come yet. If he were to expose the truth, he would be in great trouble and would be courting death.

"Mr. Li, you don't have to kneel. Stand up and answer."

Li Heng bowed and continued, "I am guilty. I reported a deficit of more than 1,200 taels last year. The national treasury is in deficit, but I have not been able to prepare the bill and submit it to the emperor even after the New Year."

As expected of Lord Li who could stand firm in the court, he immediately got to the real focus of the matter and diverted the topic that could have slipped into a dangerous situation.

By the way, you can also drag all six departments into the water.

Song Yanze pondered secretly, and couldn't help but admire the old man's ability to make great achievements in the officialdom with little effort.

Hu Zhong threw his sleeves and immediately knelt down to plead guilty: "Your Majesty, this matter is not the fault of Lord Li. It is because there are a few drafts that I really dare not sign, so I have not submitted them to the emperor."

"Lord Hu, there is something else behind your words." Minister of Works Qian Huan looked at Hu Zhong with a tense face.

The Minister of Works came from the Prince's Palace. There was no major disaster last year, but repairing the river embankment was the biggest expense for the Ministry of Works.

"Today is a good day, as all the heads of the six ministries are here. Let's listen to the difficulties of the Ministry of Revenue."

The emperor spoke slowly. He was already in his sixties, and his emotions were becoming less and less expressive, making it impossible for people to read his thoughts.

Song Yanze couldn't help but glance at Jiang Tingyuan who had escaped unscathed. He naturally put the paper away, stepped aside, and left it to them to argue.

Taking action against the Ministry of Revenue would indeed alarm people from both parties, but the Ministry of Revenue could also be used to stir up conflict between them.

With just two sentences and an imperial edict whose authenticity was hard to tell, Jiang Tingyuan escaped and even started the matter of settling the national accounts of last year.

Originally, Song Yanze only thought that he was impulsive and rough in doing things, but he didn't expect that he was actually meticulous and knew when to advance and retreat, and he was not a simple person.

He was lost in thought for a moment. Jiang Tingyuan suddenly tilted his head slightly, caught his gaze, and smiled slightly.

Song Yanze quickly retracted his gaze, always feeling that he was smiling with pride. After all, he had just said last night that Jiang Tingyuan would have a hard time explaining himself tomorrow.

What is there to be proud of? Why are you laughing?

"The Ministry of War reported that 40 new warships were added to Zhejiang Sea, and the reimbursement was over 400 taels. However, the Governor of Zhejiang Sea reported that there were no new warships the day before yesterday."

"It's ridiculous. The number of warships in each department is clearly recorded and approved. How can it be faked?"

The Minister of War Yi Bing sneered. He used to be the Chancellor of the Prince's Mansion, so naturally he was also close to the Prince.

"Lord Minister Yi, who here said that your Ministry of War had falsified the data?" The Minister of Personnel Liu Yi smiled. He was a disciple of Li Heng.

"Since the money has been spent, just explain it clearly." He looked like a peacemaker, but in fact he was adding fuel to the fire.

"Thirty warships were completed in the middle of the year. It was difficult to transport materials to build dams on the two rivers, so they were simply transferred there."

The Minister of War Yi Bing glanced at the Minister of Works Qian Huan, who had been silent.

If the money was to be borrowed to build a dam, the Minister of Works should have known about it. Qian Huan, like him, belonged to the Prince's Party, but he did not speak out immediately.

The prince stood quietly with his hands behind his back, just watching them accuse each other.

Qian Huan bowed his hands for the last time and said, "It is true."

"Okay, we have borrowed the warships to transport materials and labor. I think this dam will be as solid as a rock." The Minister of Personnel Liu Yi immediately said with a laugh.

"The Huai River, An River, and Ling River are located in Jiangnan Province. Every year, the spring floods are fierce around the Dragon Boat Festival. I think the people on both sides of the strait can rest assured this year."

Song Yanze saw Qian Huan's momentary discomfort and felt his heart tighten for some reason.

He served as the governor of Huaizhou, and his jurisdiction was often hit by spring floods. When the dams were being built, many people were conscripted for labor.

The people who were responsible for building the dam were officials from the River Administration who were sent by the province. He tried to inquire about it several times but was turned away.

Afterwards, he carefully asked the people in his jurisdiction who had been there, and they only said that the dam should be repaired solidly, and the original old dam was blasted and rebuilt.

He went to check it out before leaving, but he was not an expert in this area and could not see any problems on his face.

When he came to his senses, the few of them had quarreled again for two rounds. Now it was the Minister of Works Qian Huan who was pointing at the nose of the Minister of Revenue Hu Zhong and scolding him, saying that his accounting was false.

"Last year, thanks to your majesty's grace, the weather was favorable and the grain officials in various places reported a good harvest. The amount collected and deposited into the national treasury was the same as the tax collected three years ago when there was a severe drought in the Central Plains and the two rivers flooded!"

"I don't know how the Ministry of Revenue made the money bag. I'm afraid they drilled a hole in it and then put a pocket underneath to connect it!"

"Don't even think about putting the blame on someone else for this loss!"

Hu Zhong pointed at Qian Huan for a long time, covered his head and fainted on the spot, then got up and cried, demanding to resign.

"Lord Hu is very calculating. He has made a lot of money and wants to resign and go home to enjoy his grandchildren. I think he should ask Commander Jiang to raid his house." The Minister of War sneered.

Song Yanze knew that the time was right, and as expected, the emperor spoke indifferently.

"Well, since Luo Jian has already been imprisoned, you dear ministers are still saying that the Ministry of Revenue has some private interests."

"Jiang Tingyuan."

The emperor paused for a moment, then continued, "Is that wise and kind-hearted young Master Song here?"

Song Yanze had anticipated this, so he stepped out from the crowd and kowtowed.

"I am here."

"I heard yesterday that all the nobles were afraid of the blade, but you remained calm. I will order you and Jiang Tingyuan to take charge of this case."

"You can check all the account books of the Ministry of Revenue over the years."

Song Yanze was wearing a scarlet official robe with a small dark pattern and a patch with a pattern of a goose on his chest. He walked forward and stood with Jiang Tingyuan. Jiang Tingyuan was wearing an official robe of the same color as his, with a patch with a pattern of a bi’an stepping on a cloud on his chest.

Two men stood together, one with a calm look and the other with a half-smile, one a civil official and the other a military officer.

Song Yanze lifted his sleeves and he straightened his back and knelt. Jiang Tingyuan glanced at him and casually pulled his sleeves, his movements much more roughly.

Li Heng did not speak, but only frowned in thought, half-closed his eyes. It was not until all the ministers came together to pay their respects that he knelt down tremblingly and said only that Your Majesty was wise.

As soon as the court was over today, Song Yanze, who had been ignored by everyone, was suddenly surrounded.

Before Song Yanze could say anything, he saw a tall shadow looming over them from behind. They immediately left as if they had seen a ghost.

Before he turned around, Jiang Tingyuan leaned over and whispered in his ear: "Master Xiao Song, are you enjoying the excitement today?"

The heat from his voice lingered around his neck, and Song Yanze shuddered and suddenly distanced himself.

"Commander Jiang is in the spotlight today."

Jiang Tingyuan walked beside him with his hands behind his back. There were not many people on the official road. The road was wide with red walls, glazed tiles and blue bricks on both sides.

Even the long wings on his civil servant’s hat wouldn’t let him stay away, he had to squeeze by him.

"What do you mean?"

"Everything started because you arrested Luo Jian yesterday, and you took the imperial edict today to set up a trap. I just don't understand why His Majesty allowed you to investigate the Ministry of Revenue so openly."

Jiang Tingyuan lowered his head and looked at him, as if listening carefully, but his eyes were frightening, staring straight from his eyebrows, down his cheeks to his red lips as he opened and closed them to speak.

"Master Xiao Song, you..."

As Jiang Tingyuan spoke, Song Yanze looked up at him intently, ready to listen carefully.

"You look so pale, did you miss breakfast?"

Song Yanze almost slipped, looked at him with an incomprehensible look, and suddenly stopped.

"Commander Jiang." His face turned cold, and he pursed his lips and uttered something as if he was a little embarrassed.

"I'm not gay."

The last word was bitten lightly, and he glanced at Jiang Tingyuan.

Jiang Tingyuan raised his eyebrows, his eyes became more presumptuous, as if real, and he snorted and laughed.

"Yeah?"

Song Yanze's face turned red to his neck. He choked, grabbed the tablet, turned around and walked away quickly. His wide crimson robe fluttered and his black boots clattered on the stone slabs.

Jiang Tingyuan laughed, and people not far away turned their heads to look secretly, thinking, This evil star is probably bullying Master Song because he is young and immature.

beast.

Jiang Tingyuan followed him with big strides, walking close to him. Song Yanze was sweating, but Jiang Tingyuan still looked relaxed without blushing or breathing hard.

"Master Xiao Song, why don't you discuss this with me?"

Jiang Tingyuan had long legs, and he casually stepped on the crossbar of Song Yanze's carriage and squeezed in neatly.

Song Yanze took off his official hat, and his upright bun was pinned with a simple wooden hairpin, and his neck was still red.

The carriage was not big to begin with, and was built mainly for lightness. When Jiang Tingyuan squeezed in, he had to put his legs together.

Song Yanze got goosebumps all over his body and was about to speak when he heard Jiang Tingyuan speak slowly.

"Master Xiao Song, do you know your current situation?"

Song Yanze suspected that he did it on purpose, but he also felt that he was overthinking it. How could Jiang Tingyuan understand his thoughts so well and know his bottom line?

Every time he jumped back before he got really angry.

"In their eyes, I am just as moderate as the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Punishments. I am also an outsourced official with a clean background, and I am only a newly appointed fourth-rank official in the Censorate."

"Their main focus is still on you, but it's inevitable that those who are anxious will try to take advantage of me."

Having said that, he frowned and thought for a while.

"But Lord Li..."

"From what Lord Li said just now, I feel that he knows that the emperor is dissatisfied with the Ministry of Revenue and the excessive deficit in the national treasury."

Song Yanze would not say anything more about this. He always had a feeling that Jiang Tingyuan was not just a pawn of the emperor, and there were some things that could not be told to him.

For example, would Lord Li cut off his own territory in order to survive, abandon the Hu people, and give up the power held exclusively by the Ministry of Revenue?

For example, he did not want to get involved in party disputes, he just wanted to come up with a satisfactory number for the emperor and reorganize the Ministry of Revenue so that taxes would not increase this year.

And will someone find out that he has been investigating the Ministry of Revenue, which involves so many people, and just want to do it once and for all...

Jiang Tingyuan seemed to know that he didn't trust him, so he didn't force him to say more and only said one sentence to him.

"Lord Xiao Song and I have the fate of living next door to each other. When you can't sleep well, you can find me, a Rakshasa, for help."

Song Yanze suspected that Jiang Tingyuan was threatening him. His clean background also meant that someone might want to win him over. Was Jiang Tingyuan warning him to listen to him?

Jiang Tingyuan glanced at the wooden hairpin on his head, then looked away.

"Lord Xiao Song, do you want to go to the Imperial Prison first, or to the Ministry of Revenue to check the accounts?"