Chapter 207 Preparation
Chu Lianzhou didn't consider it for long.
The next day, she took the initiative to visit Xiao Qing and readily agreed to her conditions.
But at this moment, Xiao Qing frowned as he looked at her, and hesitated in his heart.
She understood what Fu Mingyi meant.
It seems that Chu Lianzhou understands as well.
But……
"Have you thought it through?"
Chu Lianzhou nodded, "This subject has thought it through very clearly."
What are your plans regarding things at home?
"It was my stubbornness that blinded me to the bigger picture. After Your Majesty and the Grand Tutor's guidance, I have come to my senses. From now on, I will follow Your Majesty's lead and never make a mistake again."
Xiao Qing took a moment to process what she had said.
"In that case, you should go back to the Chu family first."
Chu Lianzhou was startled and couldn't think of a suitable thing to say for a moment.
Xiao Qing said, "Don't worry, I made the conditions. Since you agreed, I should naturally abide by them. Sending you back this time is according to etiquette; I can't let you wait to be married in the palace."
She paused, then said, "I'll ask you one last time, are you really sure?"
Chu Lianzhou nodded.
Xiao Qing was certain that Chu Lianzhou had really made up her mind, so she didn't try to keep her. She instructed Mingxiu to make some preparations and had someone send Chu Lianzhou home with the rewards she had received over the past few days.
Before leaving, Chu Lianzhou bowed deeply to Xiao Qing and said, "Your Majesty, although I am an ignorant woman, I know that kindness is kindness and resentment is resentment. I have no hatred or resentment towards Your Majesty. I will remember the kindness of saving me."
Xiao Qing watched her bow three times and then leave, and couldn't help but sigh.
Mingxiu felt comfortable all over.
"Your Majesty, you still seem rather unhappy?"
Xiao Qing looked up at the sky outside, then slowly looked away, and said, "I'm not really happy or unhappy, just sighing."
Seeing that she didn't seem to be planning to talk about it further, Mingxiu wisely stopped asking.
From then on, Nanhua City became quite lively.
The first thing is that Chu Lianzhou, the eldest daughter of the Chu family, who was said to have stayed overnight at Chengde Palace by His Majesty the Emperor, has returned home.
She returned with many rare and precious treasures bestowed upon her by the emperor, accompanied by palace maids.
The second thing is that a young lady from the Fu family's main branch has entered Nanhua City and is temporarily staying at the residence of Grand Tutor Fu Mingyi.
The third thing is that Wang Yu of the Wang family has suddenly changed her personality. Not only does she spend all her time at home with books, but she also occasionally produces excellent works, which is something that has never happened before.
Everyone in Nanhua City was speculating. Some knew some inside information and gathered together to discuss it. Others simply parroted what others said, and thus picked up quite a few ears.
These events lasted for more than half a month before the public's enthusiasm gradually subsided.
Soon, the first snow of the season arrived in Nanhua City.
Xiao Qing led Ma Hong, Ming Xiu, and the others to play wildly in the small garden outside Chengde Palace for a while. Then, he dragged Xiao Yan and the others out to build a snowman. He even forcibly grabbed Fatty and put him on the snowman's hat, which scared Fatty so much that he rolled off the snowman and ran towards Xiao Yan at the fastest speed he had ever run.
Xiao Qing laughed heartily, "Brother Yan, you see, a person's instinct in danger is their true inner feeling. Cats are the same! Fatty is on your side. Even though I'm clearly closer to it!"
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Qing, who was clearly having a blast, with mixed feelings. It seemed that a corner of her heart was gradually softening because of her unrestrained laughter.
To be honest, regardless of his past, his elder brother is now a person who is easy to get along with.
Sometimes he even began to feel that what he saw as a child was just a scene from a nightmare.
In early December, an imperial edict was issued to select imperial concubines.
The Prime Minister and the Grand Tutor were instructed to assist in handling this matter.
The thirteen-year-old emperor is about to choose a concubine and get married; this is the first step towards assuming personal rule.
Xiao Qing sat by the window, resting her chin on her hands, watching the large snowflakes fall outside. Her fingers were a little red, but she still refused to close the window.
Mingxiu, puzzled, asked, "Your Majesty, what's wrong? You'll catch a cold."
Xiao Qing closed the window without saying anything.
After that, talented and beautiful women from all over the country were recommended to enter the palace, and the palace was busy for a while.
When Ma Hong was sent to handle this matter, Xiao Qing was left with only Mingxiu by his side.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ziyuan arrived in Nanhua City.
Soon, voices in the imperial court indicated that they had not forgotten Zhao Ziyuan's embezzlement of state taxes and his private training of elite troops.
Zhao Ziyuan arrived weary from his journey and had barely rested when he was asked to attend court to explain his actions.
Zhao Ziyuan was prepared. He remained calm and composed, first kowtowing and begging for forgiveness in the main hall, and then explaining the ins and outs of the matter one by one. He even described some things that did not happen in a vivid and detailed way. What was even more unbelievable was that almost every word he said could be found with evidence and traces.
Feng Zhengmin maintained a completely different silence on the whole matter than he had the first time.
Instead of simply offering a defensive explanation, Zhao Ziyuan directly stated that he had repeatedly requested the Ministry of War to recruit soldiers, but the Ministry had delayed in responding and ultimately refused him outright.
He also brought with him all the expense ledgers of Yingzhou Prefecture Army for the past three years, item by item, recording when the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War issued military pay, how much each time, how the expenses were used, and so on.
He said with grief and indignation, "I have been secretly training troops for Your Majesty with utmost loyalty, and it was only out of desperation that I misappropriated state taxes. But upon closer examination, I am afraid that it is not just my fault alone!"
The entire court was in uproar.
Hearing his uncle's words outside the hall, Zhao Youchen felt even more reassured.
The night before Zhao Ziyuan entered the city, she had met with him and Fu Mingyi.
No one fights a battle unprepared.
It's time to shake up Wang Xiang's power.
Wang Xiang and the Censorate had lost control over the outcome of the entire affair.
They could neither place all the blame on Zhao Ziyuan alone, nor could they absolve themselves of responsibility.
Zhao Ziyuan's explanation was actually quite clear.
Military pay is not always paid in full. Where does the difference go?
Even if the full amount is paid out, the timing may not always match. Why is that?
It wasn't just the issue of military pay that was affecting Feng Zhengmin's side, which is why he angrily filed a complaint against him.
Ultimately, isn't it all just a matter of not having enough money?
If the Ministry of Revenue is investigated, they will only claim poverty.
Alright, let's take a look at the various taxes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue.
Yingzhou's state tax revenue was not small, and its contribution to the national treasury was considerable. Taking Yingzhou as an example, how much of the total tax revenue of the Southern Xiao state actually reached the national treasury?
Investigate the Ministry of War again.
Why was the request from the Yingzhou military governor not presented to the emperor? What happened in between?
Was it intentional or due to lax governance?
Or was it that the civil officials in charge of the Ministry of War were simply unfamiliar with the situation and unable to perform their duties?
A series of problems arose one after another, and Wang Xiang felt like his head was about to explode.
There has never been a time when the six ministries under his command were questioned by the court.
The hall was already in an uproar.
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