Chapter 589 - 367: Disaster Zone

Chapter 589: Chapter 367: Disaster Zone

Throughout late spring and early summer, the court was in turmoil. The Six Departments and the Inner Workshop had colluded to embezzle over one million taels of silver from the inner treasury in just a few years. They acted with brazen audacity, showing a complete disregard for the law.

The Six Departments and the Inner Workshop were closely tied to court officials. Many families would place their less accomplished sons in these offices to secure a position. Since these two government offices served the Imperial Palace, the opportunities for graft were plentiful, making them highly coveted posts.

Now that the Emperor had them in his grasp, the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop were naturally trying everything to absolve themselves. And who knew how deep the connections ran between the officials working there and the courtiers at court?

Eunuchs were forbidden from fraternizing with outer court officials, but that rule had been discarded long ago, during the late Emperor’s reign.

The late Emperor had many favored concubines. To win a smile from one of his beauties, he was the first to break the rules, granting official posts and noble titles to his concubines’ families. The Six Departments and the Inner Workshop were the primary dumping grounds for these appointments.

The reasoning was simple. Since all harem affairs were managed by the Six Departments, it was far more convenient to have one’s own people in charge.

Year after year, the Six Departments had rotted from the inside out. After Feng Yi ascended the throne, everyone was still trying to get a measure of the new Emperor, so they remained disciplined for the first few years. Who would have thought that a single Baozhuang Building would be enough to make them lose all restraint?

With such collusion between the inner and outer courts, the interests of courtiers and eunuchs were intertwined like a vast net. Eradicating it completely would be no easy feat.

For several months, Feng Yi clashed with his courtiers. In their eyes, the Emperor grew more stubborn and unapproachable by the day, showing signs of becoming a despot.

Just yesterday, Feng Yi had punished two Imperial Censors in court. After being beaten with the Court Whip, they were stripped of their positions, sent back to their ancestral homes, and banned from holding office for life. He even ignored the pleas of the Left and Right Ministers, issuing an edict that the matter be investigated thoroughly. Any who dared to stand in the way would, at best, lose their post; at worst, they would be imprisoned.

After the court session ended, the Left and Right Ministers wore grave expressions.

Both men had been officials for many years, having served under two different Emperors. They were masters of court politics, and their thinking was always strategic and far-reaching.

It was a rare sight to see the two of them, who usually held opposing political views in court, sitting down together to discuss matters.

The Right Minister’s position was that since the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop had committed such vile acts, they should simply let the Emperor handle it as he saw fit.

The Left Minister, however, was worried. The corruption in the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop was a long-standing issue. He feared the Emperor’s iron-fisted approach to eradicating them completely would alienate countless courtiers.

The Right Minister was unconvinced, thinking the Left Minister was being sanctimonious. ’Alienate the courtiers? When those same courtiers were embezzling the court’s silver, weren’t they worried about alienating the Emperor?’

But he couldn’t say that aloud. If word got out, he was certain the courtiers would grow to resent him as well.

Once again, the Left and Right Ministers parted on bad terms.

The Left Minister sighed deeply. ’The Emperor has overstepped,’ he thought. The root of this whole affair could be traced back to Baozhuang Building, which was started by Ming Fei. Thinking back, the Emperor’s personality had changed so much since she entered the palace.

’Truly an Evil Concubine, bringing calamity to the nation.’

Song Yunzhao, of course, had no idea what the Left Minister was thinking about her. She had been incredibly busy for the past two months. The Emperor was dealing with the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop, but she couldn’t let her Baozhuang Building be affected. Besides, she was counting on presenting her tax revenues at the end of the year to finally hold her head high, so she couldn’t afford to slow down.

She was juggling raising her child and managing Baozhuang Building.

Fortunately, Feng Ze was a well-behaved child. Whenever he saw her busy, he would either go out to play with his wet nurse or sit quietly by her side, not causing any trouble.

The Ling Family had built its fortune on general stores, with shops all over the south. This was a great advantage for Yun Zhao, who wanted to promote her Baozhuang Building products. She reached an agreement with Ling Yunhe, granting the Ling Family exclusive rights to her products and leveraging their network to penetrate the southern market as quickly as possible.

The Ling Family was, of course, delighted. Baozhuang Building was Ming Fei’s enterprise, and the name "Ming Fei" alone was a powerful brand. By using her prestigious name, the Ling Family was certain to elevate its own status. Both parties got what they wanted, and their collaboration was a pleasant one.

Princess Consort Wan was completely absorbed in her research and development work. When Mrs. Yao sent a request for a visit to the palace, she initially refused to see her. But after a few words of persuasion from Nanny Sun, she relented and nodded her agreement.

The first thing Mrs. Yao said upon seeing her daughter was, "This Baozhuang Building business—why are you still mixed up in it?"

Princess Consort Wan was taken aback, confused by her mother’s furious tone. Her expression soured, and she pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

Mrs. Yao didn’t notice her daughter’s change in mood. This daughter of hers had always been proud and aloof, even when she lived at home, so Mrs. Yao paid it no mind and continued, "Your father is being targeted at court right now, and it’s all because of this Baozhuang Building! You can’t just stand by and watch our family suffer the same fate as the Wang Family. You have to think of something, quickly."

The news struck Princess Consort Wan so hard that her face went pale. ’The same fate as the Wang Family?’

"What did Father do to be targeted?" Princess Consort Wan asked, seizing on the crucial point.

Hearing her daughter’s question, Mrs. Yao said with some displeasure, "You know your father’s character. What could he possibly have done? It’s nothing more than the work of those petty schemers at court."

Princess Consort Wan didn’t believe her. If that were all, her mother wouldn’t have come to her like this. Although she stayed out of court politics, her involvement with Baozhuang Building meant she knew about the situation with the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop. Her face paled as she asked, almost through gritted teeth, "Don’t tell me Father is embroiled in this affair with the Six Departments?"

Mrs. Yao’s expression stiffened.

At that, Princess Consort Wan understood everything. Her mind raced, and she spoke slowly. "None of our family’s sons work in those two government offices. Did Father pull strings for someone else?"

Being questioned so directly by her daughter, Mrs. Yao lost some of her composure. "What official at court hasn’t done something like this?" she retorted. "When friends and old acquaintances come begging for a favor, wouldn’t you be called heartless and disloyal if you turned them away? Your father has always been a soft-hearted man. He helps when he can."

Listening to her mother, Princess Consort Wan knew the truth wasn’t nearly as simple as she claimed. For a moment, her vision swam. She gripped the round fan in her hand and said, "I am a concubine who has fallen out of favor. I barely ever see the Emperor. How am I supposed to plead for Father? Mother, please don’t put me in this impossible position."

Mrs. Yao replied almost instantly, "You’re helping Ming Fei with her work for Baozhuang Building. Just ask her to put in a good word for him."

Princess Consort Wan snapped her head up to look at her mother, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Mrs. Yao looked a little guilty, but the thought of her husband made her grit her teeth and press on. "Only when our family is secure can you live a comfortable life in the palace. Just look at Wang Zhaorong. You know how difficult her life became after the Wang Family fell. I’m your mother. I’m only thinking of what’s best for you."

’What’s best for me?’

’She wants me to go beg Song Yunzhao? If I do that, what dignity will I have left whenever I see her?’

’I’ll never be able to hold my head high in front of Song Yunzhao again!’

Princess Consort Wan’s face was a stony mask. "Mother, you should return home. If Father only acted as an intermediary, it’s not that serious. At most, he’ll be implicated and reprimanded. Once this storm passes, things will be fine."

"How can you say something so cold-hearted? That’s your father!" Mrs. Yao shot to her feet, her voice filled with anger.