An Lingrong massaged Da Pang Ju's shoulders and said gently, "Your Majesty is joking. It's not just your concubine and Eunuch Su who care about you."
“The other sisters also care about the Emperor; who would dare to make you suffer?”
Fatty Orange's eyes immediately flashed with images of faces, finally settling on Sun Miaoqing. He gave a soft snort and said...
"I've suffered far too much from her, but the most willful one is from the Chuxiu Palace. And yet you all always speak up for her. Do you really have that much affection for her?"
An Lingrong said with a smile, "Aren't you happy that we concubines have a good relationship with Consort Cheng?"
"In ancient times, Ehuang and Nüying served Emperor Shun together. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, Hede and Feiyan were in harmony. Your Majesty bestows your favor equally, and your concubines are harmonious and of one mind. Your harem is peaceful and free from the worries of trivial matters, which is a blessing for the country."
“No matter how good the sisterly affection is, it can't compare to your position in our hearts. Where there are many women, there is always a lot of gossip.”
"The reason why we concubines live in harmony is because we cannot bear to see Your Majesty, after finishing the affairs of the court, also have to worry about the infighting in the harem."
The chubby orange-haired man listened with considerable pride. The late emperor was said to be a benevolent and virtuous ruler, but in matters of the harem, he was not as fortunate as the man himself.
When I was still a prince, I witnessed firsthand the filth hidden beneath the surface of prosperity.
He was not unaware of Consort Hua's domineering nature, which is why he chose Consort Hui to enter the palace to counterbalance her.
This method proved effective. Although the harem is not exactly peaceful now, there are not as many bloody lawsuits beneath the surface.
Shilan was just a bit short-tempered, not a vicious person, and the Empress seemed to have genuinely repented.
But the palace hadn't heard the sound of a baby crying for a long time, and no one had conceived in all this time. Thinking of this, Big Fatty felt a pang of guilt.
Both of his children died because of him; otherwise, he could have had two more sons.
However, feeling guilty is one thing, and having dignity is another.
The chubby orange said, "Of course I'm happy that the harem is harmonious. I just feel that some people don't take me to heart."
"Chen Shulin's wife is so fierce and jealous. I chatted and laughed with her happily. What is she up to? I think I can't guess?"
An Lingrong couldn't help but laugh, "What are you thinking, Your Majesty? How could you sisters have such thoughts?"
"Besides, you are not like Minister Chen. Who could possibly control you?"
Su Peisheng said, "Yes, Your Majesty, everything in the world is within your control. Who would dare to have such thoughts?"
Big Fat Orange thought that made sense; Chen Shulin was being manipulated by his wife because he was being controlled by her.
As the emperor, who could possibly restrain him? Such a thing would never happen to him, the emperor.
No matter how much trouble the concubines cause, it all depends on whether he's willing to give them face.
"Since that's the case, I won't hold it against them."
After saying that, the chubby orange took An Lingrong's hand again, "If everyone in the palace were as gentle and kind as you, I would be less angry."
An Lingrong smiled shyly, lowered her head slightly, revealing her fair neck.
If everyone were like her, there's no guarantee how long you'd live.
*
There have been one story after another in the capital these past few days.
The "Rouge Tiger Roar" incident at Master Chen's house dominated the trending topics for a few days before being overshadowed by several other incidents.
Currently, Zhang Tingyu holds the top spot due to his greed and incompetence in managing the national treasury despite being the Minister of Revenue, resulting in an empty treasury.
In an attempt to fill the deficit in the national treasury, they even set their sights on the dowries of the concubines, trying to seize their private property. Fortunately, the emperor was wise and did not fall for their scheme, thus avoiding being unjustly condemned.
The truth of the matter is mixed with falsehood, and the censors are short of performance targets at the end of the year. Even if their hair isn't combed perfectly, it's an excuse for them to boost their performance, let alone something as unethical as this.
He immediately impeached Zhang Tingyu more than a dozen times in the imperial court, cursing him so severely that Zhang Tingyu's death was the only way to appease public anger.
The fat orange cat punished him by cutting off a year's salary as a minor offense, which served as an explanation to everyone.
If that's all, then it's nothing. Who in his position really lives off such a meager salary?
As long as he retains the position of Minister of Revenue, nothing else will be significantly affected.
However, other officials did not think so. The fact that they could come up with such an idea shows just how empty the national treasury must be.
Heavy snow has already fallen in the capital, and the end of the year is fast approaching. It concerns next year's budget, so no one is indifferent to it.
The Qing Dynasty had the largest military expenditure. No matter where the money was lacking, the Ministry of War would not be short of funds. But the Ministry of Works was different.
The Yellow River is prone to flooding, so a large sum of money is spent every year to reinforce its dikes and hire people to clear sand. Moreover, during periods of heavy rainfall, flooding occurs not only along the banks of the Yellow River.
The maritime transport arrangement has been finalized amidst the large crowds that have arrived at the port. Large ships capable of sailing the seas are far superior to small boats drifting on rivers.
To demonstrate the grandeur of the Celestial Empire, even the smallest one should be thirty-six zhang long, and each one should be able to carry six or seven hundred people.
A fleet consists of at least three or four hundred large ships, and the Emperor has ordered the Ministry of Works to complete the project as soon as possible, ideally before setting sail next winter, so that the sails can be favorable.
(Because of the monsoon season, going out to sea in winter and returning in summer saves a lot of trouble.)
It's all made of silver, inside and out!
In previous years, it was already considered very good if 70% of the funds were allocated. So many projects across the country have been delayed and have not been completed.
With such a large expenditure now, if the money situation remains the same, the entire Ministry of Works will starve!
Therefore, the Minister of Works led his men to the Ministry of Revenue to stage a sit-in, and no matter what Zhang Tingyu said, it was to no avail.
There was only one thing to say: don't expect them to leave unless they pay you.
Zhang Tingyu was truly in a bind, with no way to express his suffering. He was at his wits' end and was forced to escape by jumping out of the window.
I heard that the Fuca and Niohuru families have become in-laws with the Sun family through their children's marriage.
It was also discovered that, apart from him and Chen Shulin, the other ministers who were in the Hall of Mental Cultivation at the time had all been having very lively affairs at home recently.
A son was caught having an affair with his brother-in-law in public, and the truth could not be hidden.
A man with a green cloud hanging high in the sky, whose sons are not his own but should all call him uncle.
There's also a mother who's over sixty years old and insists on remarrying.
It turns out that there was a cousin who was her childhood sweetheart and they were in love, but the elders did not agree, so they had to marry other people.
Now, one has been a widow for many years, and the other has just finished observing mourning for his wife. When they meet by chance, they realize that after all these years, they still haven't been able to let go of the past.
Thinking that I don't have many years left to live, I might as well live for myself and avoid having any regrets.
No matter how much the children on both sides tried to persuade them, it was no use; one insisted on marrying the other, and the other was determined to marry her.
Zhang Tingyu sighed. What a coincidence! There's nothing he couldn't understand.
It's all because Vice Minister Chen can't keep his mouth shut. He drank a few cups of cat urine and dared to say anything to that actor outside, causing him to offend people for no reason.
No wonder she could become a concubine; her methods are ruthless!
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