Chapter 183 Battle of Wits
Dou Wenyi hurriedly wiped away her tears, "I'm fine, it's just that your piano playing is superb... I'm so moved."
Xu Sisi had appeared in front of her at some point and handed her a cup of tea. "Miss, you probably didn't just come to listen to music, did you?"
Dou Wenyi hadn't lost her composure like this in a long time. Thinking about her death in her previous life, she couldn't help but feel sad.
She smiled shyly, "Sisi, my name is Dou Wenyi. I came to ask about what happened to my second brother, Dou Ruzhang, that day."
Xu Sisi remained calm, curtsied slightly, and said with a hint of apology, "Your Highness, it was my fault that day, and I implicated Young Master Dou."
Dou Wenyi smiled through her tears, "You misunderstood. You were just following His Highness's orders. I didn't mean to blame you. I just have something I'd like to ask you for help with."
Xu Sisi was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She finally realized that her identity was a secret in the Eastern Palace, but the Crown Princess in front of her knew it all. It was hard for her not to suspect that her marriage into the Eastern Palace due to the "auspicious birth chart" was actually a scheme by her master.
She must hold a significant place in His Highness's heart.
"What are your orders, Your Highness? Sisi will do her best to fulfill them."
Dou Wenyi sensed her estrangement and felt helpless, after all, they were still strangers now, even though they had been sworn brothers in their past lives.
"I heard they hit you that day too?"
Xu Sisi lifted her veil, revealing a slightly swollen face. "I am a woman of the night. If I offended a client, it is only right that I was beaten."
Dou Wenyi looked at her face with a pang of heartache, her chest tightening with worry. "Sisi, don't belittle yourself. If you're willing, I'd like to help you redeem yourself."
Xu Sisi was a courtesan who always sold her art but not her body, but she never looked down on her.
Xu Sisi was stunned. Many men wanted to redeem her from her servitude, but few women got involved. Besides, she stayed at Lanxiang Garden mainly to collect evidence that had framed the Xu family and to exonerate them.
His Highness the Crown Prince had already promised to take charge of things for her, and in exchange, she had been doing things for him all along.
It seems that the Crown Princess was unaware of her affairs.
Xu Sisi was extremely grateful. "I am deeply grateful that the Crown Princess does not despise me. However, I have long since fallen into prostitution and have become accustomed to it. I wonder how I can help the Crown Princess?"
Dou Wenyi leaned close to her ear and carefully told her about her plan.
Dou Ruzhang quietly recuperated from his injuries, and Dou Bochang indeed took a few days off and did not go to the Ministry of Rites.
Meanwhile, the story of Dou Ruzhang having his leg broken by Meng Duo became the talk of the town in teahouses and neighborhoods. Because it involved a famous courtesan, public opinion evolved into several versions, and the situation grew increasingly intense.
Meng Duo was taken to the ancestral hall and made to kneel before the ancestral tablets.
Prime Minister Meng glared at his unfilial son, suppressing his anger. "You wretched child! Who gave you the audacity to assault a court official when you are a commoner? You've brought shame upon yourself!"
If he had hit anyone else, it wouldn't have mattered, but he specifically hit Dou Ruzhang.
The Ministry of Justice has been investigating the granary case and may have already uncovered most of it. With Dou Ruzhang as a scapegoat, the responsibility will not be borne by the majority. Even if the Emperor wants to investigate further, he can only turn a blind eye.
This unfilial son suddenly disrupted his plans; he's more trouble than he's worth.
"...You also hit Xu Sisi?"
Meng Duo's expression changed several times. "I was too drunk to see clearly."
"You scoundrel! Xu Sisi has some influence with the Emperor, and you think you have more influence than the Emperor?"
Madam Meng sighed, "She's not a prostitute, so it's fine to hit her. But since she hit the young master of the Dou family, we still have to apologize. Otherwise, the Censorate will impeach us for failing to raise our son properly."
"Find a 300-year-old ginseng in the storeroom, pick out some valuable tonics, and go to the Dou family. Be respectful and sincere."
The Prime Minister was extremely annoyed at the thought that his carefully laid plan had been ruined by his own son. "Why aren't you going yet?"
Meng Duo's knees ached from kneeling, so he scrambled to his feet and headed outside.
Before Prime Minister Meng had even left the ancestral hall, the gatekeeper rushed in to report, "His Majesty requests that you, sir, enter the palace immediately."
Madam Meng exchanged a glance with him and ordered the servants, "Hurry up and fetch the master's official robes and hat!"
Madam Meng, accompanied by Meng Duo, went to the Dou residence with generous gifts, but was turned away at the door.
The doorman said expressionlessly, "I'm sorry, the masters are not here today. Please come another day, Madam."
Madam Meng's face immediately fell. As the wife of the Grand Secretary, even the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine would give her some face. This Dou family was just relying on their status as relatives of the Crown Prince to be so arrogant and disrespectful. They were truly extremely arrogant.
At the same time, when Prime Minister Meng stepped into the Chongzheng Hall, he saw Minister of Revenue Jiang Zhihuai kneeling on the ground, looking dejected.
"...His Majesty's birthday should have been celebrated in grand style. However, of the more than three million taels of silver confiscated from the Tan family recently, one million taels were allocated to military supplies, one million taels were allocated to the Ministry of Works for the construction of His Majesty's mausoleum, half a million taels went into the private treasury, half a million taels were used for disaster relief, and six hundred thousand taels were used to pay the back salaries of officials in various departments. Now there is very little left."
"Your humble servant knows that I am paid by the emperor and should share his burdens, but I really cannot produce any money."
The emperor on the throne remained expressionless and silent.
The Ministry of Revenue has been running a deficit every year, and the tax revenue collected has been decreasing year by year. He had thought this year would be much better, or else he would have confiscated the Tan family's property. His underground palace was about to come to a standstill. Now, the Ministry of Revenue just couldn't produce any more silver, which made him very unhappy.
Emperor Muzong looked at Chancellor Meng and asked, "Minister Meng, what good plan do you have?"
Prime Minister Meng sighed, "Should we increase the taxes a little more?"
Yin Congjian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, knelt on the ground, lifting his robe. "Your Majesty, I have a humble opinion, but I do not know whether I should speak it or not."
"speak!"
"Your Majesty, after reviewing the account books over the years, found that many noble families have borrowed money from the court, totaling no less than three million taels of silver, which has led to the Ministry of Revenue's inflated accounts. If we can recover some of this money, it will alleviate our immediate crisis."
Emperor Muzong's eyes lit up. "I had forgotten about this."
This matter is ancient history, with precedents dating back to previous dynasties, and the late emperor set a precedent. Powerful families and local officials, under various pretexts, borrowed large sums of money from the national treasury.
Whether it was the construction of palaces by vassal kings upon their enfeoffment, or the huge sums spent by the Cao family of Jiangning Manufacturing Company to receive the emperor, they all borrowed money from the Ministry of Revenue and wrote IOUs. However, for various reasons, they did not repay the money on time, and the accumulated amount was so large.
In previous years, the national treasury was full, so he didn't care about the money, but now things are getting worse.
A while ago, he wanted to reward Consort Jiang with something, but he felt he was short of money. Who would be so frustrated as an emperor?
Emperor Muzong's face was grim. "The years have passed, and it seems this task of collecting debts will be difficult to complete!"
Yin Congjian then recommended Prince Rui, saying, "His Highness Prince Rui is virtuous and talented, and has close ties with powerful families. He is popular and has the support of the people. If he is sent to collect the money, he will surely recover a large amount of silver."
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