133 Disaster
◎Then just bang your head against the wall◎
"Your Majesty, Qian Bei has sent a letter," Rong Pan handed over a piece of letter wrapped in red silk, "It's done!"
"Did it work?" Rong Qianyu's heart finally settled down, and she almost dropped the tea in her hand. "Great, great!"
She opened the letter and read, "His Highness personally dealt with the Rebel King. Prince Wu and General Xiao worked together from within and without to defeat the rebels."
This was written by Subuda himself. A month after we parted, Qianbei had already seen a complete transformation. I'd been away for nearly half a year attending Rong Zhao's coronation ceremony, and I had no idea what was happening in the palace. It would be the beginning of winter when I returned, so I'd have to wait until next year to see what was happening.
I heard from Xue Ji that Fu Hua has been obsessed with elixirs recently...
How many people have failed because of this? He never believed in these things. Why did it happen suddenly?
"It was Cui Zhicong who suggested this," Rong Pan said. "He said auspicious omens were appearing in various places. He consulted someone to calculate the nation's fortune. Your Majesty, eating these would benefit the nation and your health."
Rong Qianyu found this ridiculous. "What good omen?"
"Five planets aligned, white cranes flew together, something like that."
"absurd."
Rong Qianyu was very disappointed with Fu Hua. She didn't know when it started, but he became more and more presumptuous. Not only did he torment others, he even did not spare his own body.
Emperors throughout dynasties who were addicted to elixirs all had a bad end. Today's refining technology is better than a hundred years ago, and the extracted elixirs are of higher purity and more potent.
How could I believe these lies and not take care of my own body?
Rong Qianyu always felt sympathy for him. After all, they were husband and wife, and she didn't want to do anything extreme unless absolutely necessary. But now, she had no time to think about it.
After returning to the palace, I saw Fu Hua again. Although his appearance hadn't changed much, his complexion was much worse than before. It was obvious how much he had taken. The pills could temporarily keep him spirited, but they were only superficial; the inside had long since rotted away.
Rong Qianyu had no time to pay attention to him. Apart from taking care of the children's homework, she was planning big things. The rest of the time she was either sleeping, drawing pictures, or drinking tea. She would fulfill her responsibilities as queen when appropriate and ignored what was happening outside the window.
"Even the Queen Mother is sick and can't persuade His Majesty. The ministers would like to ask Your Majesty to persuade His Majesty."
She didn't even look up, only trimming the lilies in her hand. "They are ministers, but they don't speak up when they should, and instead let me speak up? They are really good ministers."
"Lord He and several civil servants did say it...but it's of no use," Rong Pan said.
Rong Qianyu: "What they say is useless, let alone me?"
"After all, you are His Majesty's legal wife."
Legal wife?
Rong Qianyu couldn't help laughing. She, the legal wife, was not as respectable as a concubine.
"If he wants to eat the elixir, then let him eat it. He has the right mouth, and I can't stop him. How can the emperor be wrong?"
Rong Qianyu knew Fu Hua best. He was self-righteous and headstrong. The longer she spent with him, the more she realized he completely disregarded everyone. His preferences were entirely determined by his mood, and the king's likes and dislikes were clearly visible on his face. This also led to the disheartening of those who sincerely devoted themselves to him, and gradually, he truly became the most powerful person.
Over the past year, their relationship was still not good, so he married a female official from the imperial palace. They had an engagement, but Fu Hua still insisted on sticking with her. The more unruly she was, the more sense of accomplishment he felt when he conquered her. He ignored anyone's advice and made her a beauty and brought her back to the palace.
While he was having fun, the situation outside the palace was getting worse and worse. In the autumn of that year, Zhili was first hit by a severe drought. After the harvest was finally completed, it was hit by a locust plague and floods.
Overnight, all the crops that were supposed to be harvested were gone.
Many refugees rushed into Beijing, and many beggars appeared on the streets, "Give me some food, give me some food..."
Xue Ji looked at the people selling their children on both sides of the road and sighed, "What's wrong with this year? First there was a severe drought, then a heavy rain, and all the crops that were about to be harvested were drowned."
"The court's tax revenue is also poor in this disaster year. Everything is difficult," Qingyun said. "Your Excellency must think of a solution. What should we do? If we can't survive this winter, who knows how many people will die."
The Imperial Household Department wasn't responsible, but the sight of starving people everywhere reminded Xue Ji of his childhood, when he and his family fled famine. The child before him was about the same age as he was then.
After that year, he could no longer survive and entered the palace to become a eunuch.
Wei Shuyi went to find Fu Hua again, but Fu Hua remained unmoved.
"Your Majesty, this year's harvest is truly poor. Widespread flooding has wiped out every grain of harvest. Tax revenue is low, and providing disaster relief to the people is also difficult."
"I'm living frugally now. Who can live a good life like this?" Fu Hua lazily lay on the couch, resting his chin on his hand and looking at him. "If the emperor is like this, what can the people complain about?"
"But……"
His job as Minister of Revenue was truly frustrating. He was constantly plagued by droughts, locust plagues, and in the past few years, by epidemics and taxes. It seemed as if every problem was his fault, leaving him with no worries. He had aged several years in the past few years.
Fu Hua just ignored her. "Stop talking. I'm tired. You guys can handle it."
"Then I will go to see the Queen?"
Fu Hua suddenly sat up and said, "Yes, you go find the Queen and do whatever she says."
He has been like this for more than a year. The power of the Imperial Household Department has been growing, and more and more "responsibilities" have been thrown to the Queen, so he just acts like a hands-off boss.
In the past, Rong Qianyu would just give some symbolic advice, saying there was a difference between inside and outside, but now the ministers no longer say anything, and it has become a common practice to let the queen handle it.
"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine." Fu brought the medicine bowl and helped him take the medicine.
"My beauty is so considerate!" Fu Hua took Fu's hand and pulled her towards him.
Wei Shuyi had no choice but to leave.
Rong Qianyu: "Is that what Your Majesty said?"
Wei Shuyi: "Yes."
"But I remember that last time I nearly died trying to reduce taxes, and my health is still not good. You ministers don't encourage the king, but let me, a woman in the harem, do the legwork. Aren't you civil officials willing to die for your remonstrance? Then you might as well just bang your heads against the wall."
Wei Shuyi shamelessly came to ask Rong Qianyu for help, and she could only smile and say, "Your Majesty, you are joking. The people of the Great Zhou can all bear witness to your heart."
"What's the point of bearing witness? My meddling in government affairs is like a hen crowing at dawn. You scholars, you should use people who are ahead of you, not those who are behind you. If I get involved today, I'll bring disaster upon myself in the future. Anyone who dares to stand up and defend me is a bunch of cowards."
This is true. These civil officials are the most scheming. They have no other choice but to come to her and ask for help. Otherwise, they would never set foot here.
If these people had spoken with one voice at that time, she, a weak woman, would not have made a bet with Fu Hua and injured herself. In the final analysis, the only one who really asked about her was He Qiong, and the others were just following the trend.
Wei Shuyi knew that Rong Qianyu was unhappy about this, so he changed the subject and asked Xue Ji about his opinion: "Then the Prime Minister should..."
"What should I do?" Rong Qianyu smashed a teacup when she heard him mention Xue Ji. She said angrily, "If you have any backbone, why are you begging that eunuch? Don't you despise him the most? How dare you ask him what he should do?"
"That……"
Rong Qianyu said calmly, "I can't help you. Please leave."
Wei Shuyi had no choice but to leave. After he left, Rong Pan spat at the door, "What a bunch of people! The Queen narrowly escaped death last time and was saved, but they don't work hard themselves, but have the nerve to beg for help."
"They didn't even impeach anyone when there was cheating in the imperial examination, and now they have the nerve to come to the Empress." Yuan Qing also complained.
This group of people were hypocritical and even knew to contact Xue Ji. They looked down on him openly and secretly, but now they remembered this internal minister.
"But if we really ignore this matter, it won't work. We have to think of a way..." Rong Qianyu was annoyed to the point of having a headache. She closed her eyes and thought for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Is Du Xian in the Ministry of Revenue?"
Rong Pan: "Yes."
"Have him come over tomorrow."
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