Chapter 147 How could Lao Jiu not have his own little tricks?
Because of Yinzhen's words, Xuanye began a series of investigations on Beijing officials. Of course, his primary goal was to fill the national treasury first, and other things could be put aside for a while.
Ever since Yinzhi's fall from power, Mingzhu felt his life lacked purpose. Initially, he and Soetu served in the same court, and their initial desire to serve the country was genuine; after all, they had both passed the imperial examination. Later, both he and Soetu grew increasingly powerful, surrounded by fawning officials. Soetu supported Crown Prince Yinreng, and logically, supporting him was supporting the emperor, a perfectly politically correct move. However, his younger sister was Consort Hui, who happened to bear Xuanye the eldest prince, the eldest son and the crown prince. At the time, Mingzhu saw this one-letter difference as something that could be corrected, and he, Ming, possessed the ability to do so.
Later, events played out exactly as he had hoped. Crown Prince Yinreng voluntarily relinquished his throne, claiming to have died suddenly of illness. Mingzhu was incredibly astute; even if he couldn't confirm it, he could have guessed it. Regardless, the crown prince was gone, and Yinzhi's military achievements coincided with the perfect timing, location, and people. What a shame! For all the self-proclaimed wisdom and wisdom, Mingzhu could have considered his own nephew a complete fool, committing the greatest taboo of the imperial family. Every time he thought of this, Mingzhu felt a deep sense of indignation against his ancestors...
Today, the eldest prince has no chance of becoming emperor, so Mingzhu's hard work for most of his life seems to be meaningless. So, in front of all the ministers of the previous dynasty and Xuanye, Mingzhu was the first to express his opinion: there is too much money at home, it can't be stored, so donate it!
Xuanye needed someone to lead the charge, and Mingzhu presented herself to him, and he gladly accepted. With Mingzhu as a starting point, things naturally went much more smoothly. Of course, those cunning and treacherous individuals wouldn't just hand over everything; they'd definitely have something else up their sleeve. Xuanye wasn't in a hurry. He had a booklet on file, so he could confiscate a handful of their belongings first, letting them wait for a while. If they needed anything later, he could just flip through the booklet and settle the score.
About half a month later, when Yinzhen came to Changchun Garden again to check his father's accounts, the deficit had been almost filled.
"Father is so capable." At that time, Xuanye was reading a memorial in the study, and Yinzhen was staying in Xiuyu's yard.
Xiu Yu didn't actually care how much money the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department had. If Xuanye hadn't pressed her, she wouldn't have bothered to look at it. In her mind, if Xuanye needed anything, she would give it her all. So, when Yinzhen praised his father's abilities, she simply smiled, still concentrating on the money in her own shop's account.
After reading the booklet sent by the Ministry of Revenue, Yinzhen sat down across from Xiuyu, picked up the glass cup, and drank the milk tea with ingredients his mother had prepared for him. "Mother, did that little Liuzi tip you off?"
"Hmm?" Yin'er's words finally caught Xiu Yu's attention. "What news are you spreading? What kind of information are you reporting? Did you get into trouble outside?"
"Oh! That's my son's own admission." Yinzhen joked, "You put Liuzi by my side to serve me, isn't it because you want to know what I'm doing at all times? So, I thought Liuzi would tell you about Bage's visit to me."
"Yinsi came to see you?" Xiu Yu's pretty eyebrows knitted together. This was exactly what she feared the most. "Why did he come to see you?"
After all, Yinzhen still had some childishness in his heart, and he was actually very happy that his mother cared about him. "My eighth brother said he hadn't seen his son for a while and missed him."
Xiu Yu said with a forced smile: "He misses you? He's very sweet."
Yin'er's brain was actually quite flexible. He rolled his eyes and asked Xiu Yu directly, "Mother doesn't seem to like Eighth Brother very much. Do you think Fourth Brother is better than Eighth Brother?"
"Yeah." After all, it was just mother and son, plus Xiao Tao, so Xiu Yu could speak her mind. "Don't look at your fourth brother's dark face all day long, and Yinsi's good-for-you and good-for-everyone look. What are they thinking in their hearts? Who treats you more sincerely? I'm afraid it's not what you think."
Yinzhen jokingly said, "Then what do you think, mother?"
Xiu Yu gently poked Yin'er's forehead and said, "You like the Eighth Prince more than the Fourth Prince, right?"
Xiu Yu originally thought that Yinzhen would always say how good Yinsi was and how bad Yinzhen was, but unexpectedly, Yinzhen said, "I think that Fourth Brother is not that bad, and Eighth Brother is not that good either. After all, they and I don't have the same mother. If they treat me too closely, I will think they have ulterior motives. So, at least from Mother's perspective, Fourth Brother won't hide too many things. As for Eighth Brother, I can't say what he's planning, but shouldn't we not make things too awkward with him?"
"You actually think so?" Xiu Yu was a little surprised.
Yinzhen continued, "I thought that Mother knew that I was smart and clever and would never be fooled by any of my brothers!"
Xiu Yu was amused by Yin'er's words: "It's not that I'm being fooled, but Mother hopes that we in Yikun Palace can live our own lives behind closed doors, and avoid getting involved with other people and other things if possible. Your fifth brother is of average character and not keen on court affairs, so Mother is not worried about him. But you, you are indeed quite clever, and Mother is afraid..."
Xiu Yu didn't finish her words. After all, she was not sure what the future would be like at this moment.
"Mother, are you worried that my Eighth Brother and I will get too close? Don't worry!" Yinzhen raised an eyebrow. "Eighth Brother's wallet is too thin. If he comes to me to get close to me, he's probably after my money. How can that work?" When it comes to his own money, Yinzhen has a protective spirit. "Mother worked so hard to build this kingdom, and that's for us Yikun Palace to keep. Eighth Brother, don't even think about coveting it."
"That's a bit too much." Although Xiu Yu felt relieved, she still had to correct Yinzhen's words: "You are a royal prince..."
Before Xiu Yu finished, Yinzhen spoke again: "If Father needs anything, then it wouldn't be a big deal for us to give everything we have. Mother, do you think your son is stingy? I just want you to rest assured that I am not stupid."
"Okay." Xiu Yu stroked the back of Yin'er's head. "As long as you have a clear mind and do what you want to do most, mother will always support you. Try not to get involved in your father's and your brothers' affairs. Remember, it has nothing to do with you."
"My son remembers." Yinzhen nodded seriously: "In the future, my son only wants to be a little prince, the richest little prince among all the princes."
Xiu Yu felt relieved to hear these words, but Xuanye, who was standing at the door and listening through the wall, felt very heartbroken.
At night, when Xiuyu was helping Xuanye change into his pajamas, Xuanye casually mentioned, "Today, Yinzhen helped me review the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue. I think he is indeed very talented."
Xiu Yu nodded: "In terms of intelligence, Lao Jiu is quite clever."
"Therefore, it is not appropriate to keep him outside the palace all the time. After all, he is the ninth prince of the royal family, and he will have to take charge of the court in the future." When Xuanye said this, he did not look at Xiu Yu's expression.
Xiu Yu looked up at Xuanye and said, "You allowed Yinzhen to look after the Ministry of Revenue's accounts, not for a test, but for training?" She frowned. "He was to help me, you promised."
"In my opinion, he can do all of them well." Xuanye praised Yin'er highly. "He has inherited your talent. Not to mention two things, even if there are more, with more experience, he will be able to handle them with ease."
"Your Majesty, you really think highly of him." Xiu Yu was a little unhappy: "What if I don't want to?"
"That depends on what our Ninth Prince thinks." Xuanye gripped Xiuyu's shoulders. "I think you're worrying too much. You and I both know that Yinzhen is a very smart child. God has given him talent and must hope that he can achieve something. We can't underestimate him and prevent this eagle from soaring into the sky."
"You don't know." Xiu Yu was a little anxious.
"I know." Xuanye looked into Xiuyu's eyes and said, "You are worried that there will be a bloody storm in the future, and you are afraid that Yinzhen will be involved and unable to escape unscathed, right?"
Xiu Yu frowned slightly, not admitting it, but not denying it either.
Xuanye added, "I will protect our children and, under this premise, train them. Do you believe I can do it?"
The ball landed at Xiu Yu's feet. She hesitated. Should she believe it? Xuan Ye was only imagining the future. By then, he wouldn't even be able to control himself, so how could he care for Yinzhen? "Your Majesty, Yu'er wants to be willful for once." Xiu Yu made up her mind. "I will always be by your side, but Yinzhen cannot be by your side, at least not until you convince me and I agree to your request."
Xuanye pondered Xiuyu's words. She wasn't completely unwavering. It wasn't a complete no, but it was conditional upon certain objective circumstances. "You're the only one in the harem who dares to defy me." Xuanye's face was stern, but he wasn't truly angry. "Never mind. I've doted on you, granted you countless privileges. One more is nothing."
Having said that, Xiu Yu finally felt relieved. She knew too well how unpredictable the consequences would be if the emperor acted on a whim. She herself was not in danger, but Yinzhen was. To comfort Xuanye, Xiu Yu took the initiative to put her arm around Xuanye's waist and whispered softly, "Thank you."
Xuanye snorted softly, hugged Xiuyu's back naturally, and sighed, "You have been spoiled by me. The stories that the harem made up about you are not entirely false."
Xiu Yu's lips curled slightly. "I'm not afraid of their fabrications. You're by my side anyway, so they can take advantage of me with their words. What's wrong with that?"
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