Chapter 104 The Crown Prince Returns the Silver? Inside the main courtyard of Xiefang Palace, Granny Shuang tries…
Inside the main courtyard of Xiefang Palace, Granny Shuang tentatively looked at the Crown Princess and whispered, "Your Highness, what do you think?"
The Crown Princess had just recovered from the Crown Prince's words. Things seemed rather turbulent outside these days; the Crown Prince hadn't set foot in Xiefang Palace for a long time, and yet this time he came and immediately brought up the matter of officials owing money. The Crown Princess learned that their family had borrowed two thousand taels of silver from the Ministry of Revenue and hadn't repaid it yet. The Crown Prince meant for her to look into it and get the family to pay back the money.
The Crown Princess was immediately flustered. She thought that the Guarjia family's motto was loyalty to the emperor, so how could they possibly default on their debts? Therefore, when the Crown Prince brought it up, she readily agreed. The Crown Prince looked at her gently and warmly, and immediately promised that if there were any difficulties at home, it wouldn't matter; she could simply tell him, and everything would be prepared in Yuqing Palace.
Thinking of this, the Crown Princess looked at Granny Shuang and said, "Go to the Earl's mansion in person and invite the old lady to the palace. Tell her that I have been feeling unwell recently and ask her to come to the palace to visit me."
The next day, the Crown Princess's mother, the most senior member of the Guarjia clan, arrived. The Crown Princess's mother also bore the surname Aisin Gioro, descended from Prince Li Lie, making her a legitimate member of the imperial family. She later married into the Guarjia family, and because the Guarjia clan had changed their surname to Shi, she was known as Old Lady Shi. A few years prior, her husband, Shi Wenbing, had passed away. The Emperor posthumously granted Shi Wenbing the title of Junior Tutor and bestowed upon him the posthumous name of Zhongyong (忠勇, meaning loyal and brave), while Old Lady Shi was granted the title of Junjun (郡君, meaning Lady of the County). Therefore, outsiders addressed Old Lady Shi as Lady Zhongyong (忠勇伯夫人, meaning Lady of the Loyal and Brave Earl) or simply as Old Lady Shi.
As Madam Shi was helped in, the Crown Princess immediately ordered someone to serve her a seat and tea. Having been in the Eastern Palace for so many years, the Crown Princess only saw her family on special occasions; this was the first time she had seen her mother on such an unusual day. However, this was a serious matter, not a time for heartfelt conversations, so the Crown Princess went straight to the point, inquiring about the family's outstanding debts.
Madam Shi didn't hide anything and slowly said, "There is such a thing. Two years ago, when we were rebuilding the ancestral hall and the family graves, your brother borrowed two thousand taels of silver from the Ministry of Revenue."
The Crown Princess nodded and said, "Mother, we are a family of propriety. How can we do something like not paying back our debts? Now that the Emperor is demanding payment, we should pay back the money as soon as possible."
Madam Shi sighed, rose from her chair, kowtowed in the direction of the Qianqing Palace, and said, "His Majesty's permission for officials to borrow money is an act of grace, for which we are naturally grateful. As for the amount owed, we have prepared it, but it is not appropriate to start this."
It's true that the Shi family owed money, and it's true that they wanted to take this opportunity to repay it, but they didn't want to be the first to do so. What was two thousand taels of silver? It was like a tiny speck of dew on a leaf. There were many who owed far more than the Shi family, including those with far more prestigious titles and official positions. Although their family had produced a Crown Princess, the Shi family's prestige was no longer what it used to be. The achievements of the previous generation had only left behind a title in this generation. The eldest son inherited the title, the second son had been granted a fifth-rank official position, and only the youngest son held a higher rank as a second-class palace guard, who might be promoted to a higher post in a few years. Given their current situation, it wouldn't be appropriate for them to bypass the princes, nobles, and high-ranking officials and repay the money first. Wouldn't that make the Shi family look like they were riding on the backs of others?
The Crown Princess frowned and said in a deep voice, "What Mother said does make some sense."
Madam Shi smiled and asked the Crown Princess softly, "Has the Crown Prince mentioned the Emperor's attitude toward this matter? There have been some rumors circulating recently; I wonder if they are credible."
The Crown Princess asked in confusion, "Rumors?"
Madam Shi said, "It was rumored when Prince Lian was chasing after the Ministry of Revenue for back money. It was said that the Emperor intended to show mercy and didn't seem to be in a hurry for people to pay back the money."
Privately, she found a certain truth in those words. Putting aside everything else, why did the Emperor allow his subordinates to borrow money? Wasn't it to demonstrate his boundless imperial benevolence? But if he were to take the money back now, wouldn't that be a betrayal of his benevolence? If that was truly his intention, then the Shi family wouldn't be able to repay the loan. Only grand and unprecedented favors could inspire such fervent devotion.
The Crown Princess frowned deeply. How could she possibly guess the Emperor's meaning? She opened her mouth, but finally only said, "I only see that the Crown Prince is quite concerned about this matter."
The Crown Prince...
Madam Shi fell silent. The Crown Princess had probably summoned her at the Crown Prince's behest. But the Crown Prince still had the Emperor above him; how could they dare defy the Emperor and obey the Crown Prince? And to speak disrespectfully, the Shi family could pledge allegiance only after the Crown Prince ascended the throne. Moreover, precisely because of their loyalty to the Emperor and their disobedience to his commands, the Crown Prince would likely treat them with more respect upon his ascension.
The Crown Princess sighed; she didn't know what to do now.
After a while, Madam Shi said, "I know it's difficult for you. How about this: if everyone outside has returned the money, our family certainly won't back down." Wouldn't this mean they haven't offended the Crown Prince, since the money still needs to be repaid?
The Crown Princess had no choice but to nod at her. After having lunch with Old Madam Shi and having someone escort Old Madam Shi out of the palace, she went to Yuqing Palace to report. Fortunately, the Crown Prince didn't say anything else, just waved for her to go back.
——
It's been almost a month since Yinreng left Cheng Qianyue, and Cheng Qianyue has been wondering when he will return. It's not that she's only thinking about love and romance and has no sense of the bigger picture; she just wants to hear the details of the major events happening outside.
Cheng Qianyue overheard many things in the Xiefang Palace, such as the disaster in Henan in March and the floods in Shandong in June, along with rumors of official corruption, though none of them were accurate. Recently, something even more bizarre happened: she heard that most of the national treasury's silver had been borrowed by princes, nobles, and court officials, and now the emperor was demanding repayment.
Cheng Qianyue: ......
To be honest, she found it quite unbelievable. While things like corruption were disgusting, they were still within the realm of understanding. After all, some people would risk the lives of millions for money. There's a saying that fits the current situation quite well: "After I die, who cares if the world goes crazy?"
However, she couldn't understand why the Emperor would allow people to borrow money from the Ministry of Revenue. Was the entire court a makeshift operation, capable of handling such an unregulated affair?
There wasn't much to do in the Forbidden City, and Cheng Qianyue was bored anyway, so she started thinking about how to pass the time when she finally heard some news from outside. She'd just started thinking about it today when she heard that Yinreng had arrived. Oh my, he's finally here! She could finally ask him something.
As soon as Yinreng entered, Cheng Qianyue was stunned, because Yinreng was followed by people, and the eunuchs carried two boxes into the room.
Cheng Qianyue: "Master, what is this?" When the box was opened, Cheng Qianyue was even more bewildered; inside were piles of gleaming silver. This couldn't be right! She hadn't done anything particularly significant lately, so why was she being given silver?
After sitting down, Yinreng let out a long sigh and said, "Five hundred taels for each box, a total of one thousand taels." Seeing Cheng Qianyue's stunned expression, he squeezed her hand and said, "It's for your family, to repay the Ministry of Revenue."
Cheng Qianyue's mind skipped a beat: "Huh?" So it's true that officials borrowed money from the national treasury? Did her family also borrow money from the Ministry of Revenue? She immediately said, "Did my brother borrow from the Ministry of Revenue before he took office?" Well, her brother has really grown bold, daring to borrow so much! Now he even needs Yinreng to help pay it back.
Cheng Qianyue immediately said indignantly, "I gave him money before he left, but he refused it. So he found another way." Damn it, why did you pretend to be so important in front of your own sister? Now you've been exposed. Thinking about it, her brother was truly hateful, and Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but grit her teeth.
Yinreng laughed, "No, your family didn't borrow money from the Ministry of Revenue." Not only the Cheng family, but he had given money to everyone around him who went out to settle down and buy property. Why would he borrow money from the Ministry of Revenue?
When Yinreng said that, Cheng Qianyue was even more confused. Was he just going to give money to the Ministry of Revenue for nothing? She looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Yinreng reached out and touched his forehead, saying, "I have something I need you to do." He then explained in detail that she should pass on a message to her father, instructing him to go to the Ministry of Revenue to repay the debt owed by Cheng Yexing.
After a moment of thought, Cheng Qianyue finally understood that he probably wanted to use this as an excuse to state his position.
Yinreng said, "Not only that, but we must also make a good start for this matter."
After accepting the task of collecting outstanding debts, the fourth brother came to discuss it with him. According to the fourth brother, the eighth brother had been too lenient before; if they had acted like the eighth brother, they probably wouldn't have been able to collect a single penny. If they couldn't even collect the money from officials in the capital, then it would be even more difficult to collect the debts from officials outside the capital who had borrowed money.
The fourth brother has been busy with this these past few days. He has tried to borrow money from those who want it, but while they all agree on the surface, no one wants to be the first to take the plunge. The fourth brother is quite annoyed by them, but he doesn't want to directly confront them.
Yinreng immediately advised the fourth prince to calm down. If he couldn't start, then he would. Was there anyone in this world more noble than the crown prince than the emperor? But how could he start?
As the Crown Prince, his food, clothing, and daily necessities were all handled by the Imperial Household Department, and even extra purchases exceeded his princely stipend. Thinking about this, Yinreng considered the Crown Princess's family. Husband and wife were one entity; if the Crown Princess's family initiated this, it would be equivalent to his stance in public. However, unexpectedly, the Shi family, fearing to offend anyone, refused to cooperate.
Indeed, he was mistaken. The Shi family has always followed the path of solitary officials. Even if a Crown Princess were to emerge from their family, they would at most express their gratitude to the Emperor for his great favor, and would never have any connection with the Eastern Palace.
Having no other choice, Yinreng resorted to this drastic measure, leaving only the Crown Princess with any real influence below the Crown Princess.
"It's nothing serious, just setting an example for others," Cheng Qianyue said with a smile. "I thought it was something important. Since Your Highness has given the order, I will do as you say. I will send someone out of the palace to give the order tomorrow."
Yinreng was surprised that she didn't take it seriously, seemingly a bit ignorant and fearless? But hearing her say that, he felt relieved. "If this matter is handled well, I will definitely reward you handsomely."
Cheng Qianyue said, "Whether or not I get a reward is another matter. Please clear up my doubts first, sir. I've been hearing bits and pieces of information from here and there these past few days, and I still don't understand the whole story."
Yinreng responded with an "oh," having previously promised to discuss disaster relief with her, and immediately began chatting with Cheng Qianyue. From him, Cheng Qianyue finally learned the truth: local officials had indeed embezzled a considerable amount of money intended for the river management, leading to the breaching of dikes in many areas. Cheng Qianyue then asked how the situation was handled, and upon hearing that some people had been beheaded, she couldn't help but clap and cheer.
The two of them continued their conversation, and the topic eventually returned to the matter of officials borrowing money from the Ministry of Revenue.
"They just lend money so casually, isn't the national treasury just like those loan sharks?" Cheng Qianyue asked. In fact, it's even worse than loan sharks. At least loan sharks know to pay interest on the principal, but borrowing money from the national treasury doesn't even offer interest, and you might not even get your principal back.
Yinreng lowered his eyes and said, "Because the officials' salaries are low."
Take a seventh-rank county magistrate, for example. His annual salary was only forty-five taels of silver. This was enough to support a family, but it would be a stretch to support the county yamen runners, clerks, and many other people not part of the imperial staff. Not to mention, wouldn't social interactions require money, and wouldn't gifts be given to superiors on holidays and birthdays?
Where did all this silver come from?
Some people used the pretext of "fire loss" (a tax on silver deposited to the national treasury) to demand that the silver be recast and the grain be weighed, thus pocketing the "losses" in these transactions. The court, however, turned a blind eye. But some, not content with this, went on to accept bribes and embezzle. To reduce this, the emperor made an exception, allowing officials to borrow money from the Ministry of Revenue under the guise of settling down and buying property.
Cheng Qianyue nodded, it seemed to make some sense, but then asked, "But we can't just leave the Ministry of Revenue empty, can we?"
Yinreng sneered, "Then you should take a look at who's in charge of the Ministry of Revenue."
The Eighth Prince is using the national treasury's money to do favors. He's seen the loan details; any excuse can be used to pry into the treasury. What was originally a small opening has become uncontrollable thanks to the Eighth Prince's actions. Those officials are insatiable, hoping to become a snake capable of swallowing an elephant, relying on the fact that the Emperor might not necessarily collect such loans.
After finishing speaking, Yinreng let out a long sigh of relief. He had indeed been feeling somewhat depressed lately, but talking to Cheng Qianyue gave him a place to vent his frustrations.
Cheng Qianyue clicked her tongue inwardly. What was Eighth Prince doing? She had never heard of anyone willing to give away their own things for nothing. Wasn't this like undermining their own family? But seeing Yinreng sighing and lamenting, Cheng Qianyue didn't think too much about it and comforted him, "His Majesty has said that he will pursue the outstanding silver, so the silver will definitely be recovered."
Yinreng smiled slightly and looked at her, saying, "I hope so." He was tired from talking for so long, so he reached out to her and said, "Come here." Cheng Qianyue nodded and moved slightly to snuggle into his arms.
Yinreng held her close, his head resting on Cheng Qianyue's neck, thinking how fortunate he was to have her and the Cheng family's help at this time.
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