It is well known that the accounts of the Imperial Household Department are never entirely clean upon close examination.
This is also directly related to the nature of the Imperial Household Department, which was originally a private institution serving the royal family.
At first, everyone inside was a trusted confidant, but a trusted confidant can't be alone; naturally, a large family who needs to eat and drink will follow behind.
With so many people and so many different perspectives, it's impossible for everyone to work together towards a common goal, and countless hidden agendas will emerge.
Moreover, after many years of development, the Imperial Household Department now has a large number of people, and its population is so large that it is overcrowded. In short, it is a small society.
Not to mention that the accounts submitted were not clean, few of the people handling the business were truly honest and upright.
Since becoming an Imperial Noble Consort, Chen Yuwei had a legitimate reason to take over the affairs of the entire harem and the accounts of the Imperial Household Department, and that's when she discovered this problem.
However, at that time, Chen Yuwei preferred to be polite and agreeable to everyone.
As long as they don't usually embarrass her, she'll give them a chance. Everyone can make money together, so she'll let them off the hook and simply let each other off the hook.
In the past, whenever Chen Yuwei gave the order, Xia He would turn around and lead people to the Imperial Household Department to handle the matter.
At such times, the people of the Imperial Household Department always cooperate enthusiastically, and after escaping a disaster, it won't be long before the problem resurfaces.
The Imperial Household Department had been targeted and purged by Emperor Hongli before, but it was always the same group of people coming and going.
Hongli couldn't completely eliminate the problem by abolishing the Imperial Household Department at its root, because that would mean the corruption and greedy people wouldn't be reduced in essence.
This time, it was entirely because Chen Yuwei felt that the accounts in the harem were too fake, so she chose to use the emperor's hand so that both sides could easily make a small fortune.
It's unreasonable for masters to suffer while servants eat lavish meals every day.
Besides, Chen Yuwei isn't the type to make things difficult for herself by eating simple porridge and side dishes.
Once the tallied accounts were sent directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Emperor would surely take action against the Imperial Household Department.
"Your Majesty, Consort Ling is currently pregnant. The Emperor will likely choose to show leniency towards Lady Wei."
They are, after all, the maternal clan of the imperial heir, and will be part of the imperial heir's power in the future.
To be honest, Xia He had seen the account list that her master had handed over, so she was naturally familiar with some of its contents.
In her own shallow thinking, the Wei family on the list was nothing more than an appetizer.
If the Emperor is willing to consider Consort Ling's feelings, he might very well forgive Lady Wei's past transgressions.
Otherwise, why would so many families risk their lives to send their daughters to the palace?
It's not this simple approach of sharing blessings and helping each other in times of trouble that's what they're after.
Chen Yuwei shook her head, "This time it's not necessarily true, because the Emperor really has no money."
Military supplies are the biggest expense, and the silver in the national treasury has not yet been collected in time.
The army in the Dzungar Khanate is waiting for its pay and provisions, and the Hui people are restless and likely to rebel soon. It's highly probable that the imperial court will need to send troops to quell the rebellion.
How can you expect hundreds of thousands of soldiers to work effectively if you don't have enough silver and grain supplies?
Suppressing a rebellion is a technical task; if done poorly, it's not about suppressing a rebellion, but about sending people to their deaths.
Chen Yuwei tapped the air with her fingers, sensing that the Wei family was likely in grave danger this time.
Even as the maternal family of Consort Ling, the Emperor would first target the Wei family to establish an image of a wise, powerful, and impartial emperor.
Don't be surprised, Hongli was capable of doing something like that.
In any case, the loss of face is only temporary, and for Hongli, the benefits outweigh everything else.
Furthermore, the Wei family did not embezzle much money, so wasn't it the royal family's money that they embezzled?
"His Majesty plans to take action on this matter in a few days, and it needs to be done secretly, without anyone knowing."
Have more people keep an eye on Yongshou Palace and see if they try to cause trouble.
If it's not serious, let them be. But if it threatens the safety of the imperial heir, protect Consort Ling.
To put it even more coldly, Consort Ling could die, but the child in her womb had to live.
Emperor Qianlong's children were not only a continuation of his bloodline, but also a resource with a clear price tag.
Given the current mess in the surrounding territories, Hongli's children will have no trouble finding husbands.
Xia He nodded quickly in agreement upon hearing her master's instructions, pondering in her heart who the person to be assigned to keep watch over Yongshou Palace should be, at the very least, clever.
Chen Yuwei planned to take precautions to prevent Hongli's hard-won extra children from losing their lives due to various reasons.
After all, even though Hongli had many children, that was only in comparison to his own father. Looking back, he didn't have the same abilities and skills as Kangxi.
Meanwhile, Consort Ling, Wei Hanyu, whom Chen Yuwei mentioned, was unaware of her predicament.
She was five months pregnant at the time, and was happily eating the soup and dishes that Ping'er had brought back from the imperial kitchen.
Of course, besides that, with the help of the Wei family in the Imperial Household Department to open back doors, Yongshou Palace also lived quite comfortably in other aspects.
After the New Year, everyone else had lost some weight, but Wei Hanyu's face was rosy and she had gained some weight.
"Your Majesty, these are brocades sent by the Imperial Household Department; they are all Shu brocades."
Ping'er came in from outside the door, carrying two beautiful bolts of brocade in her arms, their colors appearing vibrant and colorful.
Wei Hanyu picked up a handkerchief and wiped her mouth. "Was it arranged by Eunuch Le?"
Eunuch Le was someone pushed to the forefront by the Wei family. His style of doing things is hard to predict, but he is genuinely good to Yongshou Palace.
Unless specifically instructed otherwise, the items from the Imperial Household Department were all sent to Yongshou Palace.
These two pieces of Shu brocade, treasures that even Chen Yuwei couldn't obtain, have now appeared in Wei Hanyu's possession.
Ping'er nodded happily, "Eunuch Le is a kind and righteous man who cares about the Empress."
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