Chapter 7
Outside the main hall, a bronze kettle ticked steadily.
At the appointed hour, officials trickled into the hall in small groups, whispering among themselves.
“The Empress Dowager hasn’t arrived yet… His Majesty is actually holding court today?” An elderly minister, clutching his tablet, spoke with a hint of surprise.
“Wasn’t Minister Yao just punished to death yesterday?” another whispered in response. “Knowing His Majesty’s usual temperament, such a grave matter should have been enough to show his authority. He would have returned to the palace to rest by now.”
“His Majesty left the palace yesterday,” a younger official interjected quietly, “but the destination seems unclear.”
“Left the palace?” The elder’s expression stiffened instantly, alert. “Why wasn’t there any announcement?”
“Perhaps traveling incognito,” someone speculated. “There are signs that attendants of the Princess’s residence were also reassigned, and it seems the night patrol guards accompanied him?”
At this, the men exchanged glances, suddenly realizing why the news was so difficult to trace. The night patrol’s personal escort clearly meant to ensure absolute secrecy—His Majesty was indeed attending to some matter, one he wished to keep hidden from the outside world.
“But what could it be? Surely he wouldn’t go inspect the displaced peasants himself,” one frowned.
“Who knows?” a nearby voice sneered, “She’s just like her father, always…”
“Shh!” The first man was suddenly hushed, gently pushed and warned to keep quiet.
The murmurs among the officials gradually subsided as crisp footsteps sounded at the hall’s entrance.
Chu Yingzhao appeared, clad in bright yellow court robes, her steps steady and unhurried. Her face bore no trace of fatigue; her brows and eyes now carried a near-imperious severity, a stark contrast to her casual demeanor the day before.
Without pause, she strode to the throne, moving fluidly like drifting clouds, and sat firmly in place. The hem of her dragon robe spread out, the golden threads woven into cloud patterns glinting sharply in the morning light.
Immediately, the officials rose in unison, voices raised in salute: “Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long live forever!”
Chu Yingzhao raised her hand: “You may stand down.”
Her gaze swept over the bowed heads, noting hidden expressions—surprise, confusion, even a hint of unease.
They had not expected her presence today.
Excellent. That meant she had come at the right time.
“My esteemed ministers,” Chu Yingzhao paused before speaking evenly, “Last night, I inspected the granaries overnight and found some interesting matters. I have come hastily today to share them with you.”
Her words sparked a ripple of whispers throughout the hall. Many lowered their heads to converse quietly, while others exchanged wary glances, testing the young emperor’s resolve.
“Inspection? Didn’t Minister Yao, who suggested inspection, just get punished yesterday…” someone muttered softly.
“An overnight inspection of the granaries? I hadn’t heard of that,” another voice lowered further, tinged with obvious unease.
Wonderful. Court officials behaving like schoolchildren gossiping during class.
Chu Yingzhao nearly winced inwardly. She couldn’t very well slam her hand on the desk and chastise them loudly, nor could she simply hurl the imperial jade seal at their heads...
In the end, the Empress chose a middle path. Ignoring the whispers, she fixed her gaze on the left side of the hall and slightly hesitated: “Minister of Revenue.”
An elderly official there turned pale, hesitating briefly before stepping forward, voice trembling: “At your command, Your Majesty.”
“According to the Ministry of Revenue’s statistics, approximately how many displaced persons are there in the capital region?” Chu Yingzhao asked calmly, deliberately slowing her pace to allow thought.
The Minister of Revenue seemed caught off guard by the question on a previously discussed topic, pausing before answering with forced confidence: “Your Majesty, according to data from the end of last year, there were about three thousand displaced persons in the capital region.”
“Three thousand?” Chu Yingzhao repeated, a faint chill hidden beneath her tone.
The minister shivered and quickly added, “This figure may have some errors; I shall immediately dispatch personnel to verify…”
Chu Yingzhao tapped the armrest softly and asked quietly, “Then how do you explain the more than five thousand displaced persons I personally saw during last night’s granary inspection?”
At her words, the hall fell deathly silent. Even those who had been whispering lowered their heads, holding their breath.
“I understand the Ministry of Revenue manages the nation’s finances, and the displaced persons should be registered under your department,” her voice steady without inflection. “These extra two thousand—did they just spring up from the fields? Or is there a mistake in your accounts?”
The Minister of Revenue broke out in a cold sweat, stammering, “Your Majesty, I am unaware… it may be due to erroneous reporting by local officials…”
“Erroneous reporting?” Chu Yingzhao sneered, suddenly picking up a stack of documents from the imperial desk. “These are reports submitted to me by Zhang Yanli. He reported on the displaced persons and granary issues twelve times. Why was there not a single response?”
The minister’s face went deathly pale: “I… I admit negligence on my part…”
“Negligence?” Her tone darkened. “Granary accounts don’t add up, spoiled grain goes untreated, displaced persons remain unsettled, and the Ministry of Revenue is oblivious to all these issues. Can negligence explain everything?”
She sneered coldly, leaning forward slightly, lowering her voice: “Could it be that because I executed the Ministry’s assistant minister yesterday, you dared to be complacent—thinking that by sacrificing such a useless official, you could protect the remaining vermin in your department and continue your misdeeds?”
With a flick of her hand, she threw the documents to the center of the hall, her icy gaze sweeping across the ministers: “Not only was the granary unattended, I also discovered someone embezzling grain supplies for their own household!”
“Minister of Revenue, He Wen!” she suddenly named a middle-aged official, whose face drained of color and legs nearly buckled in shock. “You diverted seventy-six dan of disaster relief grain under false pretenses to your private warehouse outside the city. Do you understand your crime?”
“I… I am innocent, Your Majesty! I never—”
His voice trembled, but Chu Yingzhao cut him off coldly: “The evidence is conclusive. Still daring to deny it? Do you think you can hide this from me?”
She gestured, and guards immediately dragged the man away.
Silence fell once more over the hall.
“My ministers,” Chu Yingzhao stood, voice chilling as ice, “The Ministry of Revenue’s accounts are unclear, no one is responsible for the granary issues, and some even dare to steal disaster relief grain. What kind of country is this becoming? I can no longer discern the truth.”
“This matter involves many, but I do not wish to see bloodshed in this hall.” She scanned the room, her tone softening slightly. “Return the grain within three days, and I will overlook past offenses. Those who contribute henceforth will be rewarded. But if anyone dares to exploit the people or profit from disaster, I will show them what sovereign authority truly means.”
No sooner had she finished than the atmosphere shifted sharply. Those who understood the situation showed a complex emotion in their eyes—fear mingled with a faint sense of relief.
This was a way out.
Indeed, a very generous one.
Some clutched their tablets tightly, stealing glances at the Empress’s face, their minds a whirl of thoughts. But at last, they began to realize that though she resembled the late emperor, she was unmistakably different.
The late emperor would never have shown such mercy.
Chu Yingzhao herself had no desire to play the saint, but unfortunately, based on system data and Zhang Yanli’s reports, if she wanted to root out corruption entirely, she would have to initiate a bloody purge in the court.
Executing four-fifths of the ministers in one go—even Judy or Emperor Yongzheng would likely hesitate to endorse such a decision... right?
In any case, her basic understanding of history told her this would be too radical and probably backfire, causing support for governance to plummet to zero or worse.
Besides, under the current circumstances, there was an even more pressing matter to address.
The treasury was empty, military pay overdue, displaced peasants rising, and local administrations spiraling out of control.
The annals of history, stained with blood, show that nearly every great upheaval began with a government ceasing public services—late Eastern Han, Huang Chao’s rebellion at the end of the Tang, the rise of bandits in the late Ming...
She had to buy time, to solve these problems before a larger rebellion erupted.
As for how to solve them—
Chu Yingzhao’s gaze fell on the bowed heads of the ministers. Raising her voice calmly, she announced: “Today’s court session holds three announcements.”
“First, grain supplies must be returned to the granaries. Second, salt and iron shall be monopolized. Third, the army will be reorganized and trained.”
“The first matter is settled; the third I will discuss with the generals after court and does not concern you all. But the second matter—”
Her gaze sliced across the hall like a blade. “The monopoly of salt and iron is a matter of great national benefit. I know some are exploiting the name of salt and iron to oppress the people.”
Her voice deepened, cold as ice: “If we do not tighten control over salt and iron circulation, the treasury deficit will only worsen, and the plight of displaced persons will deepen. I hereby decree—a trial monopoly of salt and iron will begin in the three prefectures near the capital. Within ten days, all private merchants must disband. Those who voluntarily surrender their transaction records will be exempt from investigation.”
The Empress paused, then continued: “From today, the capital garrison will dispatch three thousand troops to assist with the salt and iron reform. All warehouses and distribution points of salt and iron will be directly managed by the military.”
At this, some officials with ties to salt and iron merchants showed shock, mouths opening to speak, but Chu Yingzhao’s glare silenced them.
Finally, the Minister of Works stepped forward with difficulty, hands clasped, cautiously inquiring: “Your Majesty, the salt and iron monopoly affects many. Should we involve local officials for assistance...?”
Chu Yingzhao laughed coldly, cutting him off: “Local officials? Do you think I am unaware of the state of local government nowadays?”
The ministers fell silent. The Minister of Rites hesitated to rise but shrank back under her icy stare. The atmosphere was oppressive; even breaths seemed painfully loud.
“From today, all officials handling salt and iron affairs must have corresponding oversight and supervision. Anyone who shirks responsibility will bear the consequences.” She waved her hand and coldly surveyed the ministers: “Court is dismissed.”
With that, she did not linger and immediately turned to leave the hall.
The damp, chilly morning breeze brushed her cheek, clearing the fog clouding her mind.
—There was far too much to deal with.
The previous emperor had left the country in ruins. Beyond political and economic issues, the most urgent matter was military power.
The Princess had some private troops, but with the frontier strained and a ticking time bomb looming, her forces were woefully insufficient...
Tsk, difficult indeed.
Just then, the system notification sounded at the perfect moment.
[Date completed. Qi Wangzhu’s favorability +5, current favorability: 11; date CG unlocked.]
[Qi Wangzhu’s cumulative favorability has reached 10, achievement unlocked: “Following the Sound.” Achievement reward: souvenir voucher.]
[Souvenir Voucher: Upon use, Your Majesty may draw one souvenir from the prize pool. It records important moments in relationships and serves as a hidden item to unlock specific tasks!
Note: Souvenirs come in four qualities—common, rare, precious, legendary. The prize pool is not divided, probabilities undisclosed. Wishing you great luck!]
Chu Yingzhao: ...
Chu Yingzhao: ???
Ah?!
She gasped sharply, unable to contain her emotions. Right now, she desperately needed to gulp down some cold noodles!
No guaranteed drops, no probability disclosure, not even a list of items in the pool!
Her Majesty’s defenses breached! Her Majesty is furious! Her Majesty is calling 12315!
Fully aware of her own terrible luck, Chu Yingzhao almost wished she could drag the game designers into the game and mete out punishment to them all!