Gu Yaoniang was stunned for a moment, then smiled again: "Thank you, Jinchuan. So it was you."
She had previously thought it was rare that no one was taking advantage of the Gu family's misfortune to embezzle their money and food. It turned out that Lu Zhaoan was the one who had pulled the strings behind the scenes.
But she added, "How can I clear my name? Do you think we can just talk about the Gu family and argue our case and then it'll all be over? Do I even have the right to investigate the case? To interrogate others? What can I do? All I can do is wait."
Gu Yaoniang looked at Lu Zhaoan, as if she were looking at him, but also as if she wasn't.
Lu Zhaoan's expression remained cold and stern, but he softened somewhat after a moment of silence. He paused for a moment, then spoke again: "The princess already has evidence that someone in the Flying Silver Bureau printed far too much flying silver. Your previous guess was correct; it was the printing of too much flying silver that caused the problem. Yao Niang, since your second uncle is currently unharmed, you should at least put on a show. That way, it will be easier to ask for credit on your behalf later."
It was because too much silver was printed that the problem arose, which was exactly what Gu Yaoniang had anticipated.
Lu Zhaoan looked intently at Gu Yaoniang. Gu Yaoniang met his gaze for a moment, and finally sighed.
"A few days ago, some people went to the rice shop to cause trouble..."
-
Inside the Yong'an Palace, Emperor Zhenlong scrutinized his son. Prince Qing had been confined to his residence for some time, and the father and son had not seen each other for quite some time.
Emperor Zhenlong showed no emotion, but Prince Qing, with his head bowed, appeared quite apprehensive.
"Father! Your son truly does not know why anyone would take away several boxes from the Flying Silver Bureau after only ten days!"
Under Emperor Zhenlong's imposing and scrutinizing gaze, Prince Qing finally couldn't hold back and hurriedly explained to the emperor.
"oh?"
Emperor Zhenlong remained calm: "But he confessed that he did as you instructed and transported the boxes to your private residence in the city."
Prince Qing, who had been standing with his back bent, panicked upon hearing Emperor Zhenlong's words and immediately knelt on the ground, saying, "Father! Your son did not! Your son... Your son just really loves pearl Xuan paper, but... But pearl Xuan paper is now a special supply made by the government with flying silver, so your son ordered some to be made secretly and then quietly took it out after a while."
"Father! Your son knows his mistake! Your son shouldn't have betrayed your trust, abused his power for personal gain, disregarded your teachings, and secretly brought the pearl-coated paper meant for printing silver into the palace. But Father! Your son truly did not instruct them to print more silver!"
The coldness in Emperor Zhenlong's eyes melted slightly, but there was still no smile: "Whether you have it or not, we will find out."
-
Jin Yu Lou, which had been closed for a long time, finally reopened, but not for business purposes.
Jin Yu Lou opened very discreetly, without making any prior arrangements. They simply opened the door as if it were any other ordinary business opening, with a young waiter opening the door.
Instead of welcoming guests inside, they carried a few tables outside. Le Bao Street is not as bustling as it used to be; pedestrians are sparse, some hurrying across the street, others walking aimlessly with indifferent and wooden expressions, dragging their shoes along the road.
The once wide Le Bao Street is now crammed with people at its corners. Many of the street vendors on Le Bao Street did not survive the disaster, and the street is much emptier than usual.
The court allocated a special area outside the city to settle the displaced people. However, many ordinary citizens in the capital city were also starving.
Le Bao Street is the widest street in the city besides Tian Street. At this time, all the homeless people in the city have been driven to Le Bao Street.
Some shops that were still open on Le Bao Street were all shut down by order of the imperial court.
Although the order was to allow them to continue operating, now that the streets are full of people with blank expressions and haggard appearances, few customers have the leisure to stroll around Le Bao Street anymore. Without customers, many shops have naturally closed down.
Jin Yu Lou was now the only shop open on Le Bao Street. People on Le Bao Street heard the commotion, but only a few glanced in their direction before turning away, continuing to stare blankly to the side. The majority, however, seemed completely oblivious, not even glancing at Jin Yu Lou once.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
