klisemfg Chapter 212 Great Qi Dynasty 13
Chapter 212 Great Qi Dynasty 13
Sirong's detoxification pills are very effective.
Muchen put the pills into the soup and gave it to the prince and Mu Yang. After that, their symptoms improved that night.
However, Muchen still let them rest for a few more days. He alone was enough to handle the disaster relief work outside.
He has also followed Sirong to several worlds, and in the world where Sirong married him, he was also an important official in the court.
Although he has been working as a teacher, his son in that world is a prince.
The imperial court's disaster relief was a good opportunity to gain merit, so how could he let Li Chenxi miss it? Therefore, he stayed with his son throughout the disaster relief plan.
In addition, with the help of modern disaster relief plans, Muchen will do better than the prince and others.
Meanwhile, close confidants in the capital reported that the old emperor had not responded to the Crown Prince's previous secret memorial. In court, the old emperor also did not mention the matter of Prime Minister Yu and the Fourth Prince raising private soldiers, seemingly intent on remaining silent.
"The old emperor's attitude is hard to understand." Mu Yang frowned and said, "He neither expresses his opinion nor takes any action. What is he thinking?"
The prince pondered for a moment, "Father has always been good at weighing the forces of all parties. He didn't express his opinion, perhaps because he wanted to see the fight between me and the fourth brother.
After all, he is only the fourth one now, and he can be considered as my equal.
In recent years, everyone in the court could feel an invisible pressure, which came from the old emperor's continuous support for the fourth prince.
Although the Crown Prince had long been appointed heir to the throne, the old emperor seemed to intentionally or unintentionally give the Fourth Prince more attention and support in all aspects. From military power to finance, the Fourth Prince received significantly more resources and opportunities. In some decision-making situations, the old emperor would even favor the Fourth Prince's opinions.
On the surface, the old emperor's actions seemed merely to "train" the princes' abilities, euphemistically claiming to "allow the future crown prince to grow through competition." However, anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was a clear attempt to create obstacles for the crown prince, attempting to counterbalance his power by supporting the fourth prince.
For example, this time when he came to Jiangnan to provide disaster relief, the prince should not have come in person.
Indeed, this is a good opportunity to accumulate reputation and political capital.
But didn't the old emperor know that there wasn't enough money and grain in the treasury? Or did he not know that Jiangnan was always controlled by Prime Minister Yu and the Fourth Prince?
All these old emperors know about it. You say he wants to work hard to govern the country and get to the bottom of all the mess in Jiangnan, right?
That makes sense, but when you assign tasks to the prince, can't you provide more manpower and logistics?
Asking in a hurry is to train the future crown prince.
If you have to say so, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it, but you can just feel that the old emperor is gloating. What do you think?
How could the Empress not see the old Emperor's intentions? The Crown Prince was her only son and the foundation of her position in the harem. If his position were to be shaken, not only would she lose her honor as the mother of the country, but she would also be unable to guarantee the safety of her family.
For this reason, the queen often went to bring nourishing soup to the old emperor.
Especially in the few days before the prince and his companions set off, the queen would go to the Qinzheng Hall almost every day.
She and the old emperor had been husband and wife for so many years, and they already knew each other's thoughts well.
The old emperor supported the fourth prince, partly to check the power of the crown prince, and partly to guard against the empress's in-laws. The empress was of prominent birth, and her maternal family held considerable influence within the court. The old emperor feared that if the crown prince ascended the throne, the empress's family would seize the opportunity to expand and threaten the imperial power.
The Empress herself was concerned only with preserving the Crown Prince's position and ensuring the safety of her mother's family. As for the old Emperor's "balancing tricks," she knew full well they were merely a means of keeping the princes in check and balance, allowing the old Emperor to maintain a firm grip on government.
On the surface, this "plastic couple" treats each other with respect, but in reality, they each harbor their own agenda. Every conversation is a psychological game, with each carefully testing the other's limits while remaining cautious.
As for the old emperor, the most likely reason for suppressing the matter of Prime Minister Yu and others raising private soldiers is that he is still waiting and watching. If the prince can return safely this time, then there will be time to settle the accounts together.
By that time, the prince would definitely come back with the evidence of the Jiangnan officials' crimes.
If anything goes wrong with the prince's disaster relief efforts this time, he will have to reconsider how to handle the matter.
After all, it was clearly stated in the prince's secret memorial that the more than 10,000 private soldiers had all been wiped out.
He has also sent a group of secret guards to conduct a detailed investigation of the bandit camp.
"Have the account books of Jiangnan officials' corruption been found?" This was the important reason why the prince had to preside over his work these days despite being physically and mentally exhausted.
Muchen knew what his cousin the Crown Prince cared about most and quickly replied, "I found it. The accountant under Lord Li is a scheming man. He has kept a backup of all the false accounts he made for Lord Li over the years and placed them in the ancestral hall in his hometown.
After the flood, he felt that things were going to get bad, so he found a charge against the mistress of the house for mistreating her concubine, and sent his old wife and legitimate son back to the ancestral temple in his hometown to reflect on their mistakes.
Before leaving, he told his eldest son where he had hidden the account book.
Even this old man was so cruel that he beat a concubine to death in order to prove his wife's crime.
When the prince heard the news, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "Where is the accountant?"
These days, they have been providing disaster relief and releasing people at the same time, just to investigate the account book in Lord Li's hands.
This Lord Li is called Li Chunfang. He is a master and apprentice of Prime Minister Yu. After passing the imperial examination, he was assigned to work for Prime Minister Yu in Jiangnan. He has been promoted to the current position of Governor of Jiangnan.
However, Li Chunfang was meticulous and careful in his work, and nothing was left out. The people sent by the prince and his men had not been able to find out anything.
Every time, just when we have a clue, the person disappears.
"That accountant died long before we set out for Jiangnan. Even his wife and son, even after returning to their hometown, couldn't escape being hunted down.
Our people rescued his son from those who were chasing him."
Mu Chen spoke slowly, but the Crown Prince and Mu Yang looked anxious. Mu Yang knew his brother best, and he was always careless about everything. "So, how are they doing now?"
Muchen also restrained his attitude a little: "Don't worry, the accountant's son suffered a few knife wounds, but they are not fatal. The old lady is fine, she is just scared."