Bribery among officials is perfectly normal. Shen Chang was initially unwilling to go along with it, but in the end he could not resist the temptation.
Everyone knew that Madam Shen was stubborn and unyielding, so they thought of starting with Aunt Fang. At first, they gave her jewelry and ornaments, and later they gave her calligraphy, paintings and antiques.
Aunt Fang was indeed from a humble background and was short-sighted. She thought Madam Shen was foolish for letting such an opportunity slip by!
Shen Chang initially gave her a severe scolding, because if her embezzlement and bribery were exposed, her career would be ruined!
But he gradually reaped real benefits from it, and since everyone else was doing it this way, doing it discreetly made it less likely to be discovered.
So he turned a blind eye.
But he never expected that half of these things were fake!
"How could that be? It's only because you're easily fooled. Who else would they fool if not you!"
Faced with Shen Chang's accusation, Aunt Fang wanted to retort, "You didn't recognize him either, did you?"
But she knew that would only anger him, so she swallowed her anger and forced a smile: "Sir, is there some mistake? How could it be fake? How dare those people try to fool you with a counterfeit?"
The items she bought were also from shops recommended to her by her nephew from her maternal family. They were all old acquaintances, so how could they possibly rip her off?
Thinking about this, she was actually a little unsure of herself.
Having spent so much money, if it's all fake, Shen Chang will definitely not let it go!
Shen Chang still held a sliver of hope in his heart. Although Chi Yan spoke eloquently, it might not necessarily be true!
Just to be on the safe side, he decided to have it appraised.
...
As it turned out, those items were counterfeits, albeit very skillfully made.
Upon hearing this news, Aunt Fang and Shen Chang felt as if the sky had fallen!
"..."
*
The next day, a major event also occurred in the imperial court.
At the beginning of each year, His Majesty would offer sacrifices at the ancestral temple in order to pray for favorable weather and a good harvest in the coming year, which could be considered as laying a good foundation for the year.
This has been the case every year, but this year something different has happened.
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau observed the celestial phenomena at night and calculated an auspicious day. The weather finally cleared up, and Emperor Chongde stood on the altar. Everything was ready, but unexpectedly, dark clouds suddenly gathered and a heavy snow began to fall.
This sudden change caused Emperor Chongde's face to darken. The unusual celestial phenomena must mean that he was unworthy of his position.
The civil and military officials below dared not even breathe loudly. After the sacrificial ceremony ended hastily, His Majesty stormed off in a huff.
Everyone remained on edge.
On such an important day, such a mishap has occurred; someone is likely to be in trouble!
It's actually winter, so it's normal for the weather to be unpredictable. But if His Majesty is going to take his anger out on us, there's nothing anyone can do.
As expected, the Imperial Observatory was the first to be targeted and was attacked by Emperor Chongde.
"A bunch of useless idiots! After a month of observation, all you've come up with is this date! What use are you bunch of good-for-nothings to me?"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" The Director of the Imperial Observatory kowtowed, his head hitting the cold ground, his clothes soaked with cold sweat. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
Emperor Chongde sneered: "This is your dereliction of duty. Give me a reason, how can I calm down?"
The Imperial Censor raised his head and spoke tremblingly: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I believe that the strange celestial phenomena are no accident. A few days ago, I observed the night sky and discovered that Mars was guarding the heart of the sky, an ominous sign that may indicate the presence of a calamity!"
Since ancient times, Mars has been regarded as an ominous sign, often associated with disasters and upheavals, and even closely related to the fate of emperors!
These words caused an uproar among the officials.
Emperor Chongde's eyes turned cold, and he narrowed them: "Tell me in detail!"
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