Qin Chuan patted Jiang Yaoyu on the shoulder and said to her, "Yaoyao, to be honest, everything I have now is thanks to Li'er. Without Li'er, I wouldn't be where I am today."
"Whether you resent Li'er or hate her, you can say whatever you want to me, but I will not allow you to hurt her, understand?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yao nodded gently, then her bright eyes reddened and tears welled up: "But she hit me, so am I just supposed to put up with her temper and be beaten by her? Husband... why are you so biased towards her?"
Qin Chuan released Jiang Ran, placed his hands on Jiang Yao's shoulders, and said gently, "I'm not biased towards her. I've said it before, you're the one I love most, so don't be jealous. From now on, I won't allow her to hit you either. You're both my wives, so you should get along harmoniously..."
Upon hearing Qin Chuan's words, Jiang Yao's aggrieved expression turned into a shy blush. She let out a soft moan and nodded her head.
Seeing that he had appeased Jiang Yao, Qin Chuan pulled Jiang Ran over and pinched her waist: "You too, be a good concubine, don't be jealous, and get along well with my wives..."
"Oh dear, Your Highness, haven't I been good?"
Jiang Ran glanced at Qin Chuan with seductive eyes, then giggled.
Jiang Yao did not express dissatisfaction with Jiang Ran's attempts to win favor; on the contrary, she was happy to see it happen.
After chatting with the two women for a while and agreeing to come back to favor them in three days, Qin Chuan finally left the Prince of Yan's residence.
Unexpectedly, just as they stepped out of the Prince of Yan's residence, Zhang Cheng came running towards them.
"What is it?"
"Your Highness," Zhang Cheng said, bowing, "Imperial Censor Lai met with His Majesty in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. After listening to his report, His Majesty sent me to fetch you..."
"Okay, I understand, I'll be right there!"
After saying that, Qin Chuan called Zhang Cheng and went to the parking shed at the entrance. The two got into the luxurious extended bulletproof sedan.
Compared to the Empress's off-road armored vehicle, this car is more comfortable, and because it's an extended version, it's perfect for having parties inside.
After the initial shock, Zhang Cheng sat on the soft leather seat in the back, feeling flattered and too overwhelmed to move.
For his own safety, Qin Chuan decided to drive himself for the time being. After starting the car, he instructed Zhang Cheng: "In the next few days, select some nimble and observant eunuchs. I will personally teach them to drive. When His Majesty travels, we can have several cars. This will not only protect His Majesty's safety, but also allow us to carry a lot of supplies."
"I will obey Your Highness's orders!" Zhang Cheng replied, fidgeting with anxiety.
Qin Chuan drove all the way to the palace and parked the car directly at the palace gate.
Zhang Cheng, being a sensible eunuch, quickly got out of the carriage and opened the door for Qin Chuan.
The passageways within the palace were not wide enough for vehicles to enter, so Qin Chuan had no choice but to travel by palanquin to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
At this time, the Empress received Lai Mingchuan, an imperial censor from the Censorate, in the main hall.
The Empress sat on the high dragon throne, while Lai Mingchuan sat on the lower left on a rosewood chair, with many eunuchs standing on either side.
Lai Mingchuan was granted a seat for two reasons: first, his merits, and second, the extremely important matters he had reported.
Upon seeing the Prince of Yan enter, Lai Mingchuan hurriedly rose and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness the Prince of Yan."
Qin Chuan nodded slightly, gesturing for him to sit down. He then walked up and sat down in the chair next to the Empress, asking, "Has something happened?"
The Empress glanced down and began to speak: "Lai Mingchuan, repeat what you just told the Prince of Yan."
Lai Mingchuan, as an imperial censor of the Censorate, had been away from the court for a long time since he was transferred to local inspections. He thought that he could just report to the emperor on everything as before.
Seeing His Majesty's attitude, he knew in his heart that this important matter of the dynasty still needed to be reported to the Prince of Yan.
Thinking of this, Lai Mingchuan bowed to Qin Chuan and reported, "Your Highness, the matter I just reported to Your Majesty is a case of a dike breach that occurred in Hangzhou, Jiangsu and Zhejiang during the Dragon Boat Festival this year."
"The Hangzhou dike breach case?"
Qin Chuan had no recollection of handling a case like this before.
Seeing his confusion, the Empress quickly said, "It's the case where the prefect of Hangzhou reported that thirty-six people had drowned."
Qin Chuan still couldn't recall it. After all, in this vast land of Dagan, people drown every year. There are not only drowning deaths, but also deaths from starvation, disease, and freezing. These are all unavoidable occurrences in today's society.
As a large city with millions of people, Hangzhou experiences drownings every year during the Dragon Boat Festival floods. This has become commonplace for both the imperial court and the common people.
Therefore, the case of the thirty-six people who drowned was not something that the imperial court, let alone the prefect of Hangzhou, would likely take seriously.
But today Lai Mingchuan insists on coming to see the Emperor to recount this case, which suggests there's more to the story...
Thinking of this, Qin Chuan looked at Lai Mingchuan and asked, "Imperial Censor Lai, is there perhaps another hidden story in this case?"
Lai Mingchuan's gaze was deep. He suddenly stood up from his chair, then knelt on the carpet, his voice filled with sorrow: "Your Highness! Your Majesty! This time, the flood did not kill thirty-six people, but thirteen thousand six hundred!"
"What!?"
Qin Chuan slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, looking at Lai Mingchuan who was kneeling.
"You're saying that the number of people who drowned after the Hangzhou dike breach wasn't just 36, but a whole host of people?"
Lai Mingchuan kowtowed and wept bitterly, pleading, "...I beg Your Highness to investigate this matter thoroughly!"
The Empress was also furious. She slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "From the prefect of Hangzhou to the entire Jiangzhe Three Offices, and the Water Conservancy Office, they can all be executed!"
Qin Chuan had Lai Mingchuan answer the question, asking, "How did you know that more than 10,000 people drowned in Hangzhou?"
Lai Mingchuan, his face filled with grief, said, "Your Highness, the drowning occurred before the Dragon Boat Festival. I arrived in Hangzhou after the festival. I went deep into the countryside and saw many fields destroyed by floods. I went door-to-door to inquire about the situation, and after visiting hundreds of households, I learned the truth."
"Of the dozen or so counties in Hangzhou Prefecture, Yuhang County was the hardest hit, with over 6,000 people drowning, over 8,000 houses destroyed, and tens of thousands of acres of farmland damaged. The rice that had already begun to ripen, as well as the potatoes and sweet potatoes that were growing well, were all destroyed by the flood..."
After a moment of sobbing, Lai Mingchuan continued, "This year's situation is destined to be a year of disaster for the people of Hangzhou. I hope Your Highness will urge other prefectures in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to donate relief grain to Hangzhou as soon as possible to save the people!"
Qin Chuan paced back and forth, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Relief grain is not a problem; the national treasury has both money and grain. However... for such a major case, for the Hangzhou prefect to dare to lie and not be afraid of being executed, there must be many people involved behind this..."
At this point, he recalled the case of the King of Zhao's rebellion, which was resolved quickly, but the force behind it was never brought to light.
Xiao Yue interrogated them, but only managed to extract information about Han Wenyan.
It seems there is indeed a powerful force behind this, intent on opposing the imperial court...
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