Chapter 201 Expecting to Resign
In fact, compared to Qingying before, Hongzhao felt that Shushen in front of him was more like the niece of Ulanara Yixiu.
Equally intelligent and resourceful.
Think back to the scheme that led to the fire in the Cold Palace. Even though Yixiu was trapped in Jingren Palace and couldn't leave, she still managed to arrange and deploy the plan step by step, taking into account all the forces involved. This shows her ability and skill.
That time, he had to admit that without the system, Hongzhao wouldn't have been able to turn the tables, let alone escape unscathed. Since Yixiu's passing, the difficulty of palace intrigue in the Emperor's harem had plummeted. Now, looking at Shushen, Hongzhao had rediscovered some of the interest he had in finding a worthy opponent back then.
He seemed to chuckle softly, unable to suppress it, and then slowly stood up under Shushen's gaze.
As Shushen watched the figure in the apricot-yellow outer robe approach her, she became even more flustered. She simply closed her eyes, pretending to be rooted to the spot, and stood motionless, waiting for the Crown Prince's verdict.
"I grant your request." Hongzhao found her expression amusing, and a subtle smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. "It's hard to say what will happen in the future, but I can assure you that today's promise will be kept in the future."
Hearing these words, Shushen felt as if an arrow that had been fully drawn had finally been released. Her whole body relaxed, and she secretly exhaled, her voice carrying a hint of joy—"This subject thanks Your Highness."
Since it was the Crown Prince's palace, she couldn't stay any longer. Her comings and goings over the past two days had already been somewhat inappropriate. After settling the matter in her heart, Shushen took her leave without delay, saying a whole bunch of auspicious words before leaving, which made Hongzhao both amused and exasperated.
“Your Highness, this servant still feels that this is a bit risky.” Xiao Dezi quietly walked out of the inner room and stood beside the Crown Prince. “It’s not that we can’t make this edict disappear. How can Your Highness be so sure that this Consort Shushen won’t be thinking about her own family?”
Hongzhao glanced at him with a smile. He didn't intend to reveal the matter of the mind-reading device to anyone, and could only say, "Because her family and the Empress Dowager's family are not the same family."
The Empress Dowager was born into a bondservant family, but Shushen was not. This was the difference between Shushen and Qingying. Shushen's father was a Zuo Ling (a military officer), and he had to find several kinship ties with the Ulanara family through various means. Not to mention his relationship with the Uya family, which was not close to begin with. After entering the palace, he was unable to meet the Empress Dowager many times, so there was no need to mention their feelings for each other.
Using the rest of one's life to revive a family that has no chance of ever rising up is a foolish thing to do. Weighing the pros and cons, no one would stop this thankless task.
Hongzhao suddenly remembered something, turned his head and whispered to Xiaodezi, "Go and handle Zhuxi's situation. After all, he's been serving us for many years. Give him some face."
You should always nip it in the bud; being soft-hearted and letting it go will only create more trouble for yourself in the future.
He reached back and picked up the silk cloth on the table. Upon closer inspection, one could see the trembling and hesitation in the Empress Dowager's handwriting, indicating that she had no strength left at the time. Hongzhao shook his head, closed the cloth, and walked to the bedside.
Xiao Dezi, with his keen eye, removed the lampshade. Hongzhao held up the edict and, without hesitation, brought it close to the burning candle. Watching the flame gradually devour the ink on it, he suddenly opened his hand, and a burning ball of fire fell into the porcelain basin on the ground.
"After all the trouble the Empress Dowager caused, things have finally come to a complete stop."
...
Rumors are circulating that His Highness the Crown Prince is unusually ill this time, and it has been a month since he last saw anyone.
In reality, Yinzhen had already exceeded the deadline he set for himself but had not yet completed it. Not to mention that he had become thinner and thinner from being angry and being tormented by these ministers every day for the past month, even the thirteenth and fourteenth princes were almost dizzy and confused from one checking the accounts and the other confiscating the property.
It has been exactly fifty days now, and all the silver has been converted and added up to a jaw-dropping number. And that's not all; there are always some small amounts that slip through the net.
Of course, it's not all about anger. There's one thing that can actually bring a smile to everyone's face amidst the bitterness.
That day, "Lord Wuya," who had been beaten and dismissed from his post during the morning court session, was perhaps truly blessed with good fortune. Despite being beaten a hundred times, he still managed to stay alive and was sent back to his residence.
As fate would have it, the Thirteenth Prince happened to find his account books, and that very noon, the Fourteenth Prince led his men to kick down his door.
"Wuya Huaishan has embezzled 800,000 taels of silver. I have been ordered to confiscate it and put it to public use." Holding the imperial edict, Yunti repeated these words, which he had said countless times, while silently chanting them in his mind. If nothing unexpected happened, the people in this mansion would begin to cry and wail.
But then, an unexpected incident occurred.
"The Empress Dowager was also of bondservant origin, and you, Your Highness, and the Emperor were both born to bondservant families. The Empress Dowager has been dead for less than a year; her body is barely cold! Aren't you afraid that she will not rest in peace in the afterlife? I am your uncle!"
He repeated the same words to the Fourteenth Prince, just a few hours after being beaten that morning.
But his ideas got worse and worse each time. After speaking to the emperor, he was beaten to the point of barely having a breath left, and that wasn't the end of it. He even had to speak to this god of death. Wasn't that just asking for death?
After all, the Emperor is restrained and has good manners, while the Fourteenth Prince doesn't need to worry about anything.
Yun Ti's eyes, which had been half-closed in boredom, suddenly widened. He picked at his ear in disbelief and looked at the old man who had been moved out and was now lying stiffly in the yard, his head still raised.
If he heard correctly, this person seemed to be courting death.
Now that he's older, his temper has calmed down a bit. Instead of getting angry, Yun Ti smiled and squatted down close to him with interest. He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "I didn't hear you clearly just now. If you have the guts, say it to me again."
I said...
Snap—
The two words had barely left his lips when he was abruptly interrupted by a sharp, stern wave of his hand.
He turned his head strangely to one side, two bloody streaks appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his face was contorted with rage as he barely managed to breathe.
"You dare to say such things? Why don't your parents have half a brain in you? I think my brother really shouldn't have punished you with a cane. He should have dragged you out and had his tongue cut out!" Yun Ti stood up and cracked his wrists. He must have a lot of strength. The blow made him numb, let alone how the person who was hit would react.
"Xiao Wei, come here. Go to the palace and report to the Emperor. Tell him that I encountered resistance when I was confiscating his property. Now that the traitor has been executed on the spot, I will personally explain what will happen afterward."
His family members knelt to the side, not daring to utter a single word. They could clearly see that their master could not move anything except his neck and mouth, so how could he possibly resist? But now, who dared to step forward and say a word against it?
Yunti has finally come to his senses. Back then, he was so hot-blooded and foolish that he volunteered to confiscate the family property. Now he realizes that he was simply tricked by his good fourth brother and given a terrible job.
He wasn't afraid at all; he was more than happy that his elder brother would take his job away from him, he was looking forward to it to death.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
