funbook-pk Chapter 339: Leaving a Will
Chapter 339: Leaving a Will
However, the emperor has been working for the late emperor since he was young, so he must have a perfect way to handle this matter.
An Lingrong didn't understand any profound principles, but she knew that it was not a good thing for a servant to bully his master.
If the emperor doesn't deal with it now, it will only cause greater trouble in the future.
Thinking of Hongzhan who was practicing calligraphy in the east side hall, An Lingrong leaned over to Baoque and whispered something in his ear.
"The Emperor particularly hates corruption. He may start taking action against the Imperial Household Department in the next few days. There will definitely be a vacancy by then. Have our people seize the opportunity."
The highest position she had among the people she placed there was only that of a manager in the flower and plant room.
Some of the flowers and plants in the palace came from the imperial farms outside the capital, and the others were tributes from various places.
There really isn't much profit to be made from this.
The people stationed in other places were all insignificant palace servants who had no chance to make any money.
The emperor's purge of the Imperial Household Department was a golden opportunity for An Lingrong.
"Master, I understand."
Baoque nodded solemnly.
While washing up, An Lingrong thought about whether to inform Concubine Hua about this matter, but later felt that the risk was too great.
Concubine Hua had been fighting with the deposed empress for many years. If she said that she had no one in the Imperial Household Department, even Hongzhan would not believe it.
Furthermore, the emperor is suspicious by nature. If Concubine Hua escapes unscathed, he will inevitably think that the Nian family is powerful.
This is not a good thing for Concubine Hua.
When she met Concubine Hua at Jixiang Gate after breakfast, An Lingrong followed her with the child without saying a single extra word.
The concubines spent almost the entire day in Shoukang Palace keeping vigil for the empress dowager. They were so exhausted that they didn't even want to open their mouths.
After several days of non-stop crying, the elderly wives and other ladies suffered particularly.
As usual, the emperor would personally offer tribute to the empress dowager. Last time, the emperor was unwell and came in a sedan chair.
I heard from Concubine Hua that everyone was impressed by the emperor's filial piety towards the empress dowager.
An Lingrong noticed that after the emperor finished burning incense, several important ministers followed him out of Shoukang Palace.
There is a palace rule that everyone agrees on: the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs.
Even Empress Xiaozhuang, who assisted three generations of emperors, had to abide by this rule, but An Lingrong would not violate the taboo at this time.
She stared straight ahead, listening to the eunuchs' shouts and acting accordingly.
He knelt, kowtowed, and cried without hesitation, and even rejected Concubine Hua's little finger that was eager to communicate.
Although An Lingrong had a sad look on her face, her heart had already flown to the Yangxin Palace.
The atmosphere in the hall at this moment was the opposite of the solemn one she had imagined. The emperor looked at the people standing in the hall with a smile on his face and asked with concern.
"My dear ministers, you all seem to have lost a lot of weight, but have you not been eating or sleeping well recently?"
Without waiting for their reply, Su Peisheng brought in a tray.
"You are all talented and capable people. If any of you become exhausted, it will be a loss to the court. I have specially ordered the kitchen to prepare steamed chicken eggs to nourish everyone."
Seeing the conflicted expressions on everyone's faces, Su Peisheng immediately explained.
"My Lords, these eggs are carefully selected by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They are vegetarian and can be eaten without worry."
"I, your humble servant, thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
E'ertai, Tian Wenjing, Li Wei and others all expressed their gratitude, and then each took a bowl.
The tender egg custard slowly melts on the tip of your tongue, releasing a rich and pure egg aroma.
It didn't take long for several people to finish the small bowl of egg custard.
"I, your humble servant, thank you very much for the reward, Your Majesty."
Several people glanced at each other, waiting for the emperor to speak.
"Brother Emperor, I can smell the delicious food before I even enter the room. What delicious food would you like to treat us all to?"
"Did you leave a portion for my younger brother and my sixteenth brother?"
Prince Yi Yunxiang spoke curiously.
The emperor smiled at his two younger brothers who had just entered the room. "My lords have been working hard lately. I've treated them to some steamed chicken. It's a pity you're late."
"Brother Thirteen, we came at such an unfortunate time."
Yunlu, who was one step behind, shook his head regretfully.
The emperor asked casually when he saw this.
"Sixteenth brother, you're in charge of the Imperial Household Department, how come you don't even eat steamed chicken often?"
"My dear brother, one chicken egg costs six taels of silver. I..."
Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a cough.
The emperor looked at Li Wei meaningfully and spoke with concern.
"Are you feeling unwell, Lord Li? Do you need me to summon the imperial physician?"
Among the people in the hall, only Li Wei was of a relatively humble origin. The emperor understood that he might have seen something.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant...your humble servant..."
Li Wei originally wanted to directly expose Prince Zhuang's words, but then he thought about it and realized that the emperor would not give mundane things to the adults. He felt that there must be some hidden secret.
He didn't dare to ruin the emperor's important plan, so he had to stutter and pretend to be stupid to get away with it.
Yunlu, who was interrupted, glanced at Li Wei with dissatisfaction and laughed at him without any hesitation.
"Brother Your Majesty, I heard that Madam Li was very unhappy about Lord Li having a mistress outside and sent him to the study to rest. Is Lord Li cold?"
When the others heard what Prince Zhuang said, they burst into laughter.
Everyone knew that there was a tigress in Li Wei's family, and the fierce man did not dare to bring a woman into the house.
Even the censors, who were known for their sharp tongues, couldn't bear to report him for keeping a mistress.
"Okay, let's get down to business."
The emperor slapped the table lightly.
"Before her death, the Empress Dowager gave me a small booklet that recorded the filial respect shown to her by various departments. Among them, the Imperial Household Department, headed by Yunlu, was particularly filial."
Prince Zhuang, who was named by the emperor, could not help but straighten his back. He pricked up his ears to listen to the emperor's praise and wanted to go back and learn it and tell his servants.
The Queen Mother was still thinking about them before she died, which shows how well the people below did their job.
Prince Zhuang was feeling happy when he heard the emperor add something.
"The Empress Dowager is deeply disturbed by the tribute of over 30 million taels of silver she received from the Imperial Household Department in just six years. She has left a will, ordering me to thoroughly investigate the Imperial Household Department's activities!"
"Your Majesty, I...I am innocent!"
When Prince Zhuang heard that the tribute to the empress dowager exceeded 30 million taels, he felt like the sky was falling.
"I really didn't know those dogs were so bold!"
"Old Sixteen, whether you are wronged or not will be discussed later. Just now, Old Sixteen said that a chicken egg costs six taels of silver, but I found that it costs two cents per egg outside the palace."
The emperor, unable to contain his anger, threw all the teacups away.
"Can anyone tell me why this is happening?"
"I, your humble servant, am guilty. Your Majesty, please punish me!"
Everyone standing in the hall knelt down.
Li Wei, who followed the crowd, muttered to himself, he knew that the steamed chicken that cost a few cents was not delicious.