The Emperor looked up. "You suspect the Chao Li Tribe is behind this?"
"I currently have no evidence and cannot confirm it." After a pause, Gu Yanxi reminded, "The officials there cannot be moved at this time. I'm concerned it might alert the enemy."
"This matter is entrusted to you. You must restore Jin Yang to its former prosperity for me."
"I will spare no effort."
Hearing this stiff response, the Emperor detected the underlying meaning—this was resentment over his punishment in the Like Orchid Palace!
This was truly his prized steed—speaking his mind without concealment, daring to vent his frustrations even toward him.
Thinking this, the Emperor stood up, walked over, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile, "You've been traveling extensively for so long—it must have been exhausting. Manage your time as you see fit and take a couple of days to rest properly."
Gu Yanxi bowed his head in acknowledgment.
"Still holding a grudge against me?" the Emperor scolded playfully. "You didn't explain clearly to me earlier. Couldn't you have given me some advance notice about such an important matter?"
"The situation was urgent at the time, and I was worried about information leakage." Gu Yanxi looked up. "I couldn't be certain whether all the Chao Li Tribe infiltrators in the palace had been completely eliminated. Until the Jin Yang matter is resolved, the fewer people who know about this, the better."
The Emperor frowned. "You suspect Haoyue?"
"Her timing was too coincidental."
The Emperor paced a few steps. "Very well, I understand. This matter must not be leaked."
"Yes."
"By the way, where is Little Six? Why didn't he return with you? Has he forgotten to pay his respects to me after being away?"
Gu Yanxi's lips curled slightly, his words blunt. "Has the Fourth Prince been poisoning your ear against Little Six? With his narrow-mindedness, what else can he see besides that position? Little Six is several years younger but has already traveled in and out multiple times. How many times has he even left the capital city gates?"
The Emperor pointed a finger at him—truly leaving no room for courtesy. "I wasn't talking about the Fourth Prince. I'm asking what Little Six is doing."
"I needed to make some arrangements regarding Jin Yang and assigned part of the task to Little Six. He's been busy with it since the return voyage, so I told him to finish this batch of work before returning to the palace."
"You certainly dare to use him."
Though he said this, the Emperor's attitude clearly softened. Understanding his imperial uncle well, Gu Yanxi continued, "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. The more one sees, the broader their perspective becomes, and the larger their inner world grows."
"Are those Hua Zhi's words?"
Gu Yanxi fell silent.
The Emperor snorted but, unusually, refrained from harsh words. However much he disliked Hua Zhi, he had to admit there was truth in these words. A child educated this way would have far broader vision and understanding than someone confined to one place. No wonder Little Six had changed so much since his last return, with all the gloom between his brows completely faded. Even if Hua Zhi had ulterior motives, she had genuinely devoted effort to Little Six.
Indeed, someone who could corner the Wei Family like that during the Pure Conversation Gathering must have substantial knowledge to speak such words.
It would be better if he could find fault with her. The more he felt he couldn't, the more uncomfortable the Emperor became—as if she had done nothing wrong and he was merely picking faults without reason. Preposterous! He was the Son of Heaven—how could he be wrong?
Not wanting to torment himself further, the Emperor waved him away. "Alright, go rest. You've been traveling with neither decent meals nor proper sleep. Visit your grandmother when you have time."
"Yes."Upon exiting the imperial study, Gu Yanxi saw Zhu Bowen hurrying over. The two men crossed paths, exchanged a perfunctory bow, and continued on their separate ways. Lai Fu, who was following closely behind, dared not make any suspicious moves under the Emperor’s watchful eye and quickly followed him inside.
Zhu Bowen had not been long in his position as Minister of Revenue, and settled accounts were usually not scrutinized in detail. However, upon receiving the imperial decree to investigate Jin Yang’s accounts, he decided to review them first to understand the issue. As he did so, he broke out in a cold sweat—Fang Hongzhi truly had the audacity of a leopard!
Although he had not previously been in charge of this area and could reasonably claim ignorance of the problems, he dared not shirk responsibility now. Entering the imperial study, he knelt and bowed deeply. "For such a grave oversight to occur in the Ministry of Revenue, this humble servant deserves death ten thousand times over!"
The Emperor snorted lightly. "Having served in the Ministry of Revenue for years, how could you have failed to notice any irregularities?"
Zhu Bowen pressed his forehead to the floor, admitting fault while subtly defending himself. "This matter has always been handled personally by Lord Fang. In my four years at the ministry, I have never been involved in tax-related affairs. Yet, as a minister of revenue, I failed to detect the issue earlier—I am guilty."
The Emperor glanced at the stack of account books and suddenly turned to ask, "Where did he go?"
Lai Fu knew exactly who "he" referred to and immediately stepped out to inquire. Returning shortly, he reported, "He has gone to see the Empress Dowager."
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction. At least he was obedient.
"Rise. Explain to me where the problems lie."
Hearing the Emperor’s softened tone, Zhu Bowen knew he had passed this trial. He quickly stood and stepped forward, opening the account books one by one to compare them for the Emperor. The year-on-year decreasing data was glaringly obvious. Seeing that tax revenues had dropped by more than half compared to ten years ago, the Emperor’s expression darkened. "Fang Hongzhi! I should have spared his wretched life! Cleanse the Ministry of Revenue thoroughly once more. What I need are loyal ministers who share my burdens, not plump, well-fed parasites!"
Zhu Bowen was taken aback. While he was more than willing to purge another batch of officials, he hesitated. "Your Majesty, if we act again now, the Ministry of Revenue may suffer irreparable damage."
After Fang Hongzhi’s downfall, officials in the ministry had either died or been sentenced. A subsequent purge had left nearly half the positions vacant, and the ministry was still in a period of adjustment. Another purge now would...
The Emperor recalled the situation and, seeing Zhu Bowen’s cautious attitude, felt his anger subside slightly. To resist the temptation of filling vacancies with one’s own allies showed that, despite personal interests, public duty still mattered. This was the kind of official the Great Qing needed.
"Keep the Jin Yang matter confidential. Do not breathe a word of it to anyone."
"This old servant obeys."
While serious matters were being discussed, Gu Yanxi had already arrived at the Palace of Blessings and Longevity.
The Empress Dowager sighed as she looked at his gaunt cheeks, patting his hand silently, conveying more than words ever could.
"The other day, your father brought that Qiu Shi to pay his respects to me, begging me to issue a decree ordering Shaoyao to treat Gu Yanze’s illness. I told him plainly—not even my decree, nor an imperial edict from the Emperor himself, would work. With Shaoyao’s temperament, if forced, she’s more likely to poison him than cure him."
Gu Yanxi smiled. "That does sound like her. You understand her well."
"I wish I didn’t. The more I understand, the more it pains me." The Empress Dowager sighed and changed the subject. "I overheard something at the Emperor’s place—has Little Six gone out with that girl from the Hua family?""Yes, he went to Jin Yang. There's no need to worry. He had previously gone to Xiangyang with the Hua family's young master, and before that, he traveled even further to Zhenyang with A Zhi. At that time, A Zhi intentionally trained him and taught him many things, so he won't be at a loss once he sets out."
"That child is thoughtful. I would like to meet him, but alas..."
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