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墨書 Inktalez
"Grandfather has come to see you!"
As soon as she heard that voice, which sounded like a duck's quack, the Su Yan felt a throbbing pain in her head.
It was her grandfather, who had once been the Imperial Teacher. Whenever he came, he would seek out the Stingy Emperor for a chat, and inevitably, she would be dragged into the conversation as well...
"Come on, let's go to Qin Zheng Hall with Grandfather!" At this, the Su Yan's expression darkened. However, Old Su paid no mind to the envious and resentful gazes of the officials around them and immediately pulled her away from the crowd of officials who had come to confront her.
The Qin Shuyang had cut her budget, but she was not one to take it lying down. That very night, she devised a countermeasure: she established a new rule for the Ministry of Works: any repair requests submitted without accompanying funds would be indefinitely postponed.
This move incited outrage among other officials whose budgets had also been slashed by the Qin Shuyang. They had been simmering with frustration and, with just a little push from the Su Yan, they erupted in anger towards her.
The Su Yan was filled with pent-up frustration from the Qin Shuyang's treatment.
"Look at you! If you had listened to Grandfather back then and married an official to become a proper official's wife, things would have been so much better! But you didn't listen; at fifteen, you caused such a fuss about running away from marriage. Now you're twenty and still taking heat in the Ministry of Works. No matter how much favoritism you have, you're stuck as a Second-Rank Official sitting on the sidelines. If you had become an official's wife, Grandfather would have ensured you became a fragrant and warm First-Rank Noble Consort..."
Old Su gestured animatedly with his chubby fingers, while the Su Yan could only facepalm; she simply couldn't grasp her grandfather's logic.
"What is Grandfather here to discuss with His Majesty this time?" Old Su chuckled and, with his hands clasped behind his back, waddled along with surprising vigor despite his large belly. "Can't say, can't say!"
The Su Yan sighed again and conceded defeat.
Upon arriving at Qin Zheng Hall, the Su Yan finally understood what it meant to be unspeakable—unspeakable because her recent nemesis, Qin Shuyang, was also present in Qin Zheng Hall.
The northwest border of Da Yun had long been plagued by invasions, and the Stingy Emperor had finally made up his mind to eliminate future threats. However, he and Qin Shuyang were in cahoots, stating, "Military expenses cannot solely come from the taxes of the common people."
The Su Yan was eager to see how this Iron-Fisted Chicken, who managed the Dayun National Treasury yet refused to part with a single coin, would find alternative ways to raise such a massive military budget.
The outcome of the meeting she attended with the Stingy Emperor, her grandfather the Imperial Teacher, and Minister of Revenue Qin Shuyang was that the Stingy Emperor would hold a selection for concubines!
The Stingy Emperor was so frugal that he only kept the Empress in his harem.
How could those pampered daughters of wealthy families endure the Stingy Emperor's call for frugality and a life of fasting for half a month?
Thus, when Qin Shuyang snapped his fingers and presented a list of candidates to the Minister of Rites, the entire Da Yun Dynasty erupted into a frenzy. The news spread like wildfire.
People went to great lengths to inquire and sent gifts through various channels. The homes of thousands of officials in the capital became lively according to their ranks, leaving the Su Yan in awe: truly, it was a display of human warmth and coldness, reflecting the harsh realities of society.
What left the Su Yan speechless was that everyone who had figured out Qin Shuyang's temperament obediently handed over their bribes to the Ministry of Revenue. Meanwhile, those who failed to grasp his character could only watch helplessly as Ministry of Justice, known for making mountains out of molehills, led the armed forces from the Ministry of War with great fanfare to seize individuals.
In a fit of rage, the Stingy Emperor delivered a lengthy address during court from matters of national importance and the suffering of the people to spitting words everywhere. He spoke from early in the month until mid-month, causing officials throughout the capital to sweat profusely and instilling fear in wealthy families across Da Yun. Only after they generously opened their wallets did he finally relent.
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