Harem Daily Life

With the words "The harem is not allowed to interfere in politics", Concubine Xian shut up.

He Linzhang saw that she looked unhappy, so he picked up some food for her and said, "You should also persuade your father. If this corruption happened to someone else, he would have been severely punished long ago! I only gave him a lighter sentence for your brother and you. I just didn't let him go to court. Returning the silver is already a special favor."

Seeing the emperor's serious expression, Concubine Xian said meekly: "Yes, thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. I will try to persuade father." But she was very angry inside!

If a second-rank official is not allowed to attend court, who among his colleagues will look him in the eye? As time goes by, where will he find a place in the court?

Concubine Xian originally thought that after she became pregnant and gave birth to a prince safely, the court would have a father, and she would be the favorite concubine in the harem, so her chances of supporting her child to ascend to the throne would be greater.

Who could have imagined that my father actually embezzled money from the construction of an official road not far from the capital. As luck would have it, your majesty's carriage was stopped due to a landslide on the official road, which led to a series of embezzlement cases.

And because of her weak body, she couldn't protect the fetus in her belly!

In the past few months, her mood has gone from joy to disappointment, from heaven to earth, and it is broken!

After lunch, He Linzhang said that he was busy these days and would not come. Concubine Xian held his hand and reluctantly walked him to the palace gate before watching him leave.

He Linzhang returned to the imperial study to continue handling official business. Not long after, the Minister of Revenue asked to see him.

"Your Majesty, every year from the end of October, we have to prepare for winter cold. This year, the national treasury recovered some of the stolen silver, and also checked the debts that the court officials had borrowed in previous years and paid them off one by one. The money is not bad. However, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory observed the stars and combined it with the calendar to calculate that this year is likely to encounter a cold wave that has not been seen in a hundred years. I am afraid that there will be insufficient food and temporary housing for refugees, so I came to discuss countermeasures with Your Majesty."

It is now early September, and winter is just over a month away. The north of the Great Zhou is dry and cold, and the south is wet and cold. People freeze to death every winter. If we encounter a cold wave that is rare in a century, there is no telling how many people will be displaced.

He Linzhang frowned: "What do you think, my dear?"

The Minister of Revenue said, "We can buy some food from various places and store it. We have done so in the past. But temporary relief houses are too labor-intensive, material-intensive and financial. They were not enough in previous years. If we really encounter a cold wave that has not happened in a century, it will be a drop in the bucket."

In fact, when it comes down to it, it’s still because of the lack of money. If you have enough money, you won’t be so worried!

Since ascending the throne, He Linzhang has implemented benevolent policies to allow the people to rest and recuperate, reduced the tax burden, and collected less taxes each year. The national treasury has been tight, causing him to be unable to improve people's livelihood and welfare.

Before, the Queen Mother blamed him for poor governance, which even left children on the streets. He allocated a sum of money to build relief agencies in various places, but in the final analysis, it was only a temporary solution and not a fundamental solution. If a cold wave came, he would not be able to accommodate so many affected people.

"Let's do our best to prepare first." He Linzhang also knew that the problem lies in money. It is impossible to get rich overnight. He can only do as much as he can.

"Also, send official documents to all states and counties, urging the people to reinforce their houses early, prepare enough firewood and food for the winter, and do their best to save themselves." He Linzhang ordered.

The Minister of Revenue nodded and left.

He Linzhang pinched his brows, feeling very tired. The previous emperor died of illness at the age of 49 due to overwork. He was only 19 years old and took over the country in a hurry. The foundation was unstable. In addition, the vassal kings rebelled and a lot of money was spent on suppressing the rebellion. In the past few years, the treasury was not well-off and it had been struggling to support itself.

Disasters have occurred every year in recent years, and the flood in Mengcheng is still fresh in our minds. I didn’t expect that another cold wave would come.

When thinking of the flood in Mengcheng, Tao Yanyan offered suggestions and developed an emergency plan, He Linzhang somehow took his people to Yingyue Pavilion.

As soon as I entered the door, I heard the sound of Xiao Jinan reading from inside.

"Red beans grow in the south, and a few branches sprout in spring. I hope you can pick more, as this is the most nostalgic thing. Sister, sister, I haven't eaten red bean buns for a long time, I really want to eat them." Xiao Jinan swallowed and looked at Tao Yanyan with anticipation.

Tao Yanyan laughed: "You are such a foodie. But I have to give you some scientific knowledge. The red beans grown in the south are not the red beans we use to make red bean buns. The red beans in the poem are also called sea red beans, mandarin duck beans, and acacia beans. They are poisonous and cannot be eaten. The red beans in red bean buns are also called red beans, which are edible."

Xiao Jinan's eyes widened. He didn't expect that although they had the same name, they were not the same thing.

"Your Majesty!" Qingfeng and Xiaoquanzi saw the emperor coming in and immediately paid their respects. Tao Yanyan wanted to stand up, but He Linzhang stopped him: "Sit down, is your foot feeling better today?"

Xiao Jinan immediately turned into her sister's spokesperson and said babble: "Your Majesty, my sister can walk slowly now, but she can't walk fast. My sister said she will be well in three or four days, and then she will take me to the Imperial Garden to feed the fish."

He Linzhang nodded: "I understand, you go play with Xiao Quanzi, I will talk to your sister."

Xiao Jinan left obediently and Qingfeng immediately went to prepare tea and snacks.

"Why did Your Majesty come here at this time? Isn't the front court busy?" Tao Yanyan asked with a smile.

He Linzhang held her hand and sat beside her. "In fact, I wanted to come and see you at noon. I received news from Qi Yizheng that Qingcheng Temple had been wiped out, but unfortunately Xuanqing escaped. He and a group of Taoist priests are indeed from Canglongmen, and he has a high position and is called the eldest brother. This group of people are Taoist priests on the surface, and their divination skills are amazing. In fact, they are a powerful intelligence organization in private. They have collected information from many people, and it is with this information that they can calculate some things."

Tao Yanyan shuddered with fear, the original owner died because of Xuanqing's scheme.

"Fortunately, we discovered their true identities, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous." He Linzhang said.

"Then, Your Majesty, how do you plan to deal with the imprisoned killer?" That man was the one who directly killed the original owner, and Tao Yanyan wanted him to pay with his life.

"Qi Yizheng has been interrogated clearly. The one in the palace was specially arranged by the Canglong Sect to enter the palace. He is ranked sixth. This person cannot be kept." He Linzhang's eyes revealed a murderous aura.

Tao Yanyan was very satisfied with the result, but since Xuanqing had escaped, he was still a little worried as he didn't know if there would be more people sent in later.

Seeing Tao Yanyan's worried expression, thinking that he had frightened the little beauty with his murderous words, He Linzhang changed the subject and said, "By the way, I came here today, in addition to talking about Qi Yizheng, because I remembered your disaster relief in Mengcheng. At that time, there was a flood, and the weather was not cold. The most important thing to pay attention to was to prevent the outbreak of plague after the flood. Now, in more than a month, the weather will be cold. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory said that this year we may encounter a cold wave that is rare in a century. I have been discussing with the Minister of Revenue in the Imperial Study for a long time, and I have a headache, so I came to your Yingyue Pavilion to hide away."

"Cold wave? Will there be heavy snowstorms and freezing weather?" Tao Yanyan asked.