Chapter 198 is so hard to guess!
"Go and investigate for me! Investigate thoroughly!" Yinzhen slammed his fist on the table in anger, the sound so loud it shook the brush washer beside him, almost causing it to fall to the ground.
Thirteen and Fourteen also looked solemn. At this point, whether or not the height of the Junggar was higher than a cartwheel was no longer a matter worth discussing. If this matter were to be publicized, it would implicate far more people than that.
“Your Majesty, I believe this matter must be thoroughly investigated. Our palace has always valued frugality and has reduced expenditures countless times, not to fatten up these parasites. Besides, their appetites are simply too great.” Since Thirteen fully recovered, he has regained some of his youthful style in recent years, and the already carefree man has become even more decisive.
The fourteenth prince, standing to the side, was more direct. He cupped his hands and said firmly, "I beg Your Majesty to give the order. I will lead men to confiscate their residences. We cannot let these corrupt officials get away with this!"
Yinzhen's gaze swept over his two younger brothers and finally settled on Hongzhao.
Hongzhao had already stated his position countless times on the way, and he largely agreed with it. This matter must be severely punished, but it was also extremely difficult to handle.
The connections between the bondservant families were far deeper than others could see, and they also had a natural protector, namely the Empress Dowager, the mother of themselves and the fourteenth prince, who had already passed away.
Hongzhao is right; they could guess it even with their eyes closed. Even though the Empress Dowager has been gone for almost a year, this thorough investigation has brought her back into the public eye, turning her into a weapon of verbal and written attacks against him.
Aside from extreme anger towards the corrupt individuals and the amount embezzled, there were also compelling reasons for doing this. After all, if it were successful, the benefits would be clearly laid out in plain sight.
Judging from the current situation, barring any unforeseen circumstances, not only will I have more than enough to use in my lifetime, but it could also become a substantial asset by the time it reaches Hongzhao. With that kind of money in hand, what policy could possibly be difficult to implement?
However, the disadvantages will only outweigh the advantages. The first and foremost impact will be on the good reputation that Yinzhen has painstakingly built up over the years, which may very well take a sharp turn for the worse. After all, it involves the considerable interests of others, and it is inevitable that some people with ulterior motives will incite verbal attacks.
As the emperor, Yinzhen would not stop his progress just because of the clamor of insignificant others. However, he was also a human being with flesh and blood, and he naturally had his concerns.
His gaze was fixed on Hongzhao as if he were deep in thought. After a long while, he spoke in a calm tone, "This matter will be handled by the two of you. Thirteenth Brother will be responsible for investigating the officials of the Imperial Household Department, verifying the account books, and tracking the flow of money."
"I am well aware of the principle that 'too much clarity will leave no fish,' so I will set a limit here. Anyone who embezzles less than one thousand taels will be allowed to make up the difference within a specified time and I will let them off the hook. Anyone who embezzles less than five thousand taels will be fined one year's salary and demoted one rank after making up the difference. Anyone who embezzles more than five thousand taels will have their property confiscated and be investigated."
After all, the saying "a clean county magistrate for three years can earn 100,000 taels of silver" is no joke. This limit was something Yinzhen had already planned out in his mind. He tapped his fingers and said, "I'll leave this matter to you, Fourteenth Prince."
With his personality, ransacking the house was the perfect thing for him. After all, they were all his mother's sons, and even if he was to be scolded, it couldn't be just him; the fourteenth prince had to be dragged along too so he could vent his anger.
Following the order, Hongzhao was next to receive the task.
Yinzhen met his expectant and determined gaze, and couldn't help but blink twice. Then he deliberately said, "Hongzhao caught a cold outside and fell ill as soon as he returned to the palace. He is currently recuperating in the Yangxin Hall and cannot leave the room."
Hongzhao:?
Am I still standing here? Did I just get sick like this? Was there no prelude or discussion at all?
Yinzhen pretended not to see Hongzhao's accusing gaze, turned his head away and continued, "The Crown Prince is seriously ill. I have granted him special permission to be exempted from the morning court session and to rest for a month to recover before we talk again."
One month—this was the deadline he set for his two younger brothers, and even more so for himself.
Since a grand ceremony and severe punishment are necessary, the Crown Prince must be completely excluded from the verbal and written attacks. Since his ascension to the throne, Yinzhen has been subjected to constant rumors and verbal attacks; he knows all too well how such words feel. Therefore, Hongzhao must not be subjected to the same torment.
Hongzhao naturally understood his father's good intentions. He had tried to advocate for himself on his way back, but his father's attitude was clear enough that once his father made up his mind, there was little that could be changed. So he simply stopped making excuses.
Amidst the concerned and comforting gazes of his thirteenth and fourteenth uncles, and the teasing and envious looks of his father, Hongzhao accepted his father's diagnosis of his illness.
While everyone else was busy and overwhelmed, Hongzhao enjoyed a month-long vacation.
He always wanted to take a good rest, but he couldn't stay still while I was cooped up in the house. Although I was "recuperating" and couldn't go out, Xiao Dezi always liked to go out.
So for the next few days, Xiao Dezi's task became to wander around outside for half a day, going here and there, under the pretense of getting medicine for the Crown Prince, and to remember all the new news he heard and then report it to the Crown Prince.
Although he was just bored and wanted to hear some gossip, Hongzhao actually discovered something.
"You mean, Aunt Zhuxi, who was by Empress Dowager's side before, did not commit suicide and is still guarding Empress Dowager's belongings in Shou Kang Palace?" Hongzhao sat cross-legged on the bed, propping himself up as he looked at Xiao Dezi below.
Xiao Dezi nodded – “It’s absolutely true. I even saw Aunt Zhuxi coming out from afar. She seemed to be talking to someone, but I didn’t dare to alert her and go in to listen. I didn’t see who it was.”
In the original drama, Zhu Xi did not follow the Empress Dowager to be buried alive because of the last imperial edict left by the Empress Dowager for Ulanara Yixiu. Now that Yixiu is gone, what else could it be for?
For almost a year, he hadn't seen her. At the funeral, he was too busy to pay attention to the servants' whereabouts. Afterwards, it was as if he had never seen his aunt again. She had kept a low profile for so long, but recently she has started to come out again. What is the reason for this?
Hongzhao curled his lips into a smile, raised an eyebrow with a playful tone, and said softly, "So hard to guess."
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