webnovelfull Chapter 121 Affecting the Scumbag Dad
Chapter 121 Affecting the Scumbag Dad
Being missed by her family, Zhao Fangyu could feel a little comforted even though she was far away in the palace.
His family sent him a lot of hand creams, which were better than the ones they bought from the compradors, so Zhao Fangyu applied them every day.
The facial cream and facial medicine that were sent to Zhao Fangyu were given to his good friends as a favor.
"Nonsense!"
Zhao Fangyu was on duty in the evening. She was standing outside the bedroom waiting. As soon as Qian Jiangping brought the tea up, the angry emperor threw him next to the ministers in the palace.
The man was wearing a purple official robe, a straight-legged hat, and a white jade leather belt around his waist.
Zhao Fangyu took a quick look and quietly lowered his head even lower.
This has to be at least fourth grade.
"Drought in Chenzhou! Flood in Quzhou! The Yellow River changed its course in the Jiangnan area! Now you tell me, was the world peaceful last year?"
The emperor's angry voice came from the inner hall. Zhao Fangyu just heard it and felt so angry that he wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into!
Last year’s annual banquet was extremely grand, and everyone in the capital thought it was a time of peace and prosperity, including those in the imperial court.
It was just the beginning of spring, the time for spring ploughing, and a year's plan depends on spring. At such a critical time, it was revealed that disasters had occurred all over the country since last autumn...
Despite local disasters, the capital remained prosperous. When this was recorded in history books, the emperor immediately became a synonym for a tyrant!
Drought and floods are a disaster for the people who depend on the weather for their livelihood. Once they happen, most of the crops will be lost. For such a big event, so many government offices in the capital, even the Jinyiwei, so many people were unaware of it, and even celebrated it. The fireworks alone lasted for several hours! It cost tens of thousands of taels of silver!
This was so important, but it was kept secret until March of the following year...
I'm afraid the disaster has also affected this spring's planting...
Daliang is already strong in culture but weak in military. It would be fine if it were a peaceful and prosperous time, but once a natural disaster occurs... I'm afraid there will be unrest among the people.
Zhao Fangyu frowned when he heard this. The emperor was so angry that Qian Jiangping stepped forward and patted his chest. The imperial physician stood by, fearing that the emperor would be angry to death accidentally.
With a bang, the emperor threw the memorial reporting the disaster in front of the minister in purple.
"Why have the disasters in various places been concealed until now? How do the people in the Ministry of Revenue do their work?"
The people have to collect taxes and grain every year. These are the responsibilities of the Ministry of Revenue and also involve the Grain Storage Bureau.
Zhao Fangyu suddenly thought of Zhao Minshan, and for a moment he didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He became more careful, fearing that he would implicate him.
"Your Majesty, the problem is that... the grain has been collected."
The cold sweat on Zhao Fangyu's back instantly condensed into drops! Alarm bells rang in his mind, and he wished he could even skip breathing and become a lifeless vase!
Her mind raced as she pushed the door open calmly, but she still had tea in her hand and couldn't leave, so she could only stand there and continue listening to the deadly news.
This news is far more deadly than the local disaster.
There was a disaster, but even the Imperial Guards didn't notice it. No one in the capital knew about it and no one reported it, yet the taxes were collected like a ghost!
This is much more terrifying than not being able to collect it!
This has to be a big case.
This is a major case in which at least seventeen or eighteen ministers will die!
The latter only means that some officials deliberately helped these local officials to conceal the truth, but if it is the former... it means that the local officials have suppressed all the disaster information.
Even the Imperial Guards were kept in the dark!
What about the people who were harmed by natural disasters? Without their land, what would they eat and drink? How did they get tax money?
The most important point is... people have legs. If they can't survive in one place, they will naturally move to another place to make a living. What about those people?
Zhao Fangyu only thought about it roughly, and cold sweat couldn't stop flowing down his back. The more he thought about it, the more he could find something wrong behind this big case, and it was terrifying to think about it carefully.
The emperor would only know better and be more angry than her!
"Yes, how come the tax silver was collected for no reason? Call the Minister of Revenue over here! I want to see! How much silver is left in my treasury!"
Zhao Fangyu did not sleep all night. The tea in the imperial study was served all night and the lights were on all night.
It was not until the next morning when Er Qing came over that Zhao Fangyu grabbed her wrist and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty was very angry last night. Be careful today and prepare more tea."
"Be more alert."
Er Qing immediately became serious, thanked Zhao Fangyu, and started to make new tea without stopping.
After going back and having a good sleep, Xiao Quanzi brought news that the emperor was very angry at the morning court and punished many people. Two third-rank officials alone were beheaded, and a group of others were sent to the imperial prison together.
The third and fourth princes were appointed as imperial envoys to go to Chenzhou and Quzhou to provide disaster relief. As for Jiangnan, which was closest to the capital, the newly crowned top scholar, Mei Zhanhui, was sent.
Zhao Fangyu's heart suddenly jumped, and the string called alertness began to beat wildly.
There are four adult princes. The eldest prince was abolished, leaving three princes. Two of them were sent out for disaster relief this time...
So the second prince who stayed in the capital was left behind as a candidate for crown prince?
Zhao Fangyu's intuition told him that something was wrong. If the emperor really intended to make the second prince the crown prince, why would he allow someone as stupid as the eldest prince to compete with him?
What's more, the Second Prince had personally copied out evidence of his brother's conspiracy... He would not have a good reputation in history books.
Zhao Fangyu couldn't quite understand the emperor, but since ancient times, the court and the imperial court have been closely related.
The disaster in the three places affected the entire court. People came and went in the imperial study, and the lights in the bedroom were kept on all night for many days.
When Zhao Fangyu was making tea, he specially discussed with the people from the Imperial Hospital and decided to put some warming and nourishing ingredients without a strong medicinal taste into it.
Now that the disaster has been exposed, people all over the world are watching how Shangjing reacts and are watching the emperor.
If the governance is good, it is the emperor's credit; if the governance is not good... the emperor will have to issue an edict of remorse, and everyone in his presence will have to die!
The emperor was so worried that he couldn't eat, but he forced himself to eat. He was so angry that he finally got two boils on his mouth.
The relationship between the tea room and the kitchen was pretty good. When the emperor didn't eat, the kitchen manager got so anxious that a small circle of blisters appeared on his mouth.
Hearing that Zhao Fangyu had the ability to calm down the emperor before, he immediately asked him to do it. Zhao Fangyu thought about it and didn't give a definite answer.
"You know, eunuch. I can only serve tea to His Majesty. If you can prepare some new snacks, I think His Majesty will be able to use some."
The kitchen manager tried a last-ditch effort by grinding the warming tonic herbs into powder and mixing them into the dough when kneading it. The snacks made in this way would have some medicinal properties, but it was unknown how much of their effectiveness would remain after being fumigated.
The people in the Imperial Hospital were also worried. The emperor's actions would affect the entire body, and those in the imperial court were all serving in fear. Even Erqing, who had many fantasies last year, was behaving himself this year, not seeking merit but avoiding mistakes.
He followed Zhao Fangyu's arrangements in everything and never thought of competing with her again.
Being so obedient, Zhao Fangyu wouldn't have to find ways to suppress her again.
Half a month passed peacefully. Zhao Fangyu sent a lot of fresh teas, and the Jinyiwei also ran to the imperial study every day.
The imperial study is extremely quiet and efficient.
Xiao Quanzi said that the Jinyiwei had to run to the imperial study every half an hour, and there were quarrels and blame-shifting in the Wende Hall every day, including Zhao Fangyu's father, who has now been suspended from work and is at home.
"Sister, don't worry about the family. You are now in the imperial court, and you are focused on your duties without any distractions. It will not implicate you."
As he spoke, Xiao Quanzi whispered, "Confiscation of property and dismissal from office are all the work of the Imperial Guards. If you are really worried, you can see if you can find a way out with the Imperial Guards."
Zhao Fangyu calmly made tea: "Of course I'm not worried. I'm just worried about my mother and sister. I'm afraid they'll be frightened."
"Father once told me that if you want to entrust a person with a great responsibility, you must first make him suffer mentally and physically. As long as we can comfort the victims and endure some physical pain to dispel the people's grievances, it will be a blessing for father."
Xiao Quanzi exclaimed: "Sister is really unexpected!"
The moment Zhao Fangyu lowered her head, what she was thinking was that as long as the Madam and Fang Mo were not implicated, Zhao Minshan's death would have nothing to do with her.
People who serve in the imperial court naturally have to avoid suspicion with their own family, and she has avoided suspicion enough.