Accidentally dressed as an empress

Xu Ling received a summons to the palace and hurried there. As soon as she entered the study of Yunji Palace, she saw Grand Tutor Li Ying, Grand Minister of Justice Li Min, and Grand Chancellor Gu Yao all standing there.

"Xu Ling, you have always been in charge of taxes. Now I have asked Aunt Fang to thoroughly check the treasury accounts. Do you have anything to say?" Yun Se said.

Xu Ling knelt down quickly and said, "I have used every penny of the treasury's silver, and everything is recorded in the books. I am innocent."

"If you tell the truth, you can get a lighter sentence."

"I have worked diligently, looking up to heaven without shame, looking down to earth without shame, and acting without shame to the people. I am loyal and devoted, and I ask Your Majesty to understand my actions."

Grand Tutor Li Ying came out and said, "Lord Xu's loyalty is evident. Our families have been deeply blessed by the Emperor, so why should we be greedy for petty gains?"

Xu Ling said, "This time Lingyun City was robbed, and officials from top to bottom embezzled disaster relief grain. Your Majesty is also aware of this..."

It's time to settle the accounts.

Yun Se pressed her temples. She treated herself poorly, tightened the expenses in the palace, and even cut the daily meal size in half.

In the end, it only benefited a group of termites.

Yun Se clenched her teacup. "Li Min, Wu Han, you two go investigate this matter. Those who embezzle disaster relief grain will be punished according to Yun Guo law. Li Ying, count the vacancies and have Gu Xiuzhi select people from the Imperial College to fill them."

The hereditary noble families were becoming more and more powerful and unchecked. She had to recruit new people to achieve balance in the court.

Several people wiped the sweat from their foreheads and left the study in Yunji Palace.

....................................

The system continued to eat melons and showed Yunxiu the situation in the palace. After seeing it, Yunxiu said to the system in her heart, "Your Majesty wants to thoroughly investigate corruption. This is a good thing."

The system said, [Host, the Shaofu has no money, what will you do with your betrothal gifts?]

Why is the system's focus so biased? Yunxiu is not worried about the issue of betrothal gifts.

Yunxiu has already received the imperial edict granting marriage from His Majesty. Zhong Yi is the principal husband and Zhong Qi is the concubine. The Zhong family has also received the imperial edict.

Zhong Yi had also returned to the Zhong Mansion to be married two days earlier. The night before he left, he had clung to her in bed for a long time.

He really can't leave me for a moment. In half a month, I will be able to marry him back home with a legitimate reason.

During these two days, Yunxiu lived peacefully and prepared for her wedding at home.

She was just a little worried about Lin Hong in the imperial prison; he was her adoptive father after all. Although the Lin family had made outstanding contributions and was full of loyal and valiant people, this time, since the Shaofu was involved, if they were held accountable, they might not be able to protect him.

Although Lin Hong and Cui Ti have an affair, Yun Xiu believes that Lin Hong is using himself as bait and sacrificing his looks to get information from Cui Ti.

The system tutted, "Come on, host, your filter is a bit thick. Lin Hong is a habitual cheater. Are you going to help him?"

Yunxiu replied to the system, "He's my nominal father after all, so I still have to save him."

Yunxiu said to Su Dadao outside the door, "Su Da, prepare the car and set off to the Lin Mansion."

Su Da knocked on the study door and said, "Your Highness, Mrs. Zhong is back again."

Zhong Yi, dressed in a lavender dress, fluttered in like a purple butterfly and threw herself into her arms, saying, "Your Highness..."

Zhong Yi had become clingy after not seeing her for two days. Yun Xiu hugged him, feeling very happy. She asked him, "Why are you back?"

"Zhong Ye wrote to me, asking me to ask His Highness to find a way to intercede for Mrs. Lin."

Yunxiu stroked his long hair soothingly, "Don't worry, there will be a way. It just so happens that I'm also planning to go to the Lin Mansion, let's go together."

Su Da drove, Yunxiu and Zhong Yi arrived at the Lin Mansion. The whole Lin family was filled with gloom and sadness.

Lin Ziqi threw himself into Yunxiu's arms and cried, "Cousin...save my uncle."

"It's natural. We are all family."

Lin Zichen and Lin Ziqi's father, Qi, was also there, looking panicked and at a loss.

Lin Zihan said, "I heard that my uncle was imprisoned for embezzling money from the Shaofu. His Majesty also ordered that no one is allowed to visit him."

Yunxiu said, "How could Daddy do something like embezzling money from the Ministry of Finance? It's all just hearsay. Those who are honest are innocent. Daddy is upright and has no fear of being investigated."

"Are we just going to sit there and wait? Do nothing?" Lin Zihan asked.

"In fact, Your Majesty loves the people like his own children. He used the Ministry of the Imperial Household for disaster relief, which has left him with a tight budget. The Ministry of the Imperial Household is short of funds. If we can help Your Majesty with this urgent need, Your Majesty will surely see the Lin family's loyalty and patriotism." Yun Xiu paused. "I have a suggestion: return the thirty boxes of gold and silver Your Majesty awarded to the Lin family in early September."

"That's all we can do," Qi said. "Thank you for your advice, Your Highness. I'll get ready now."

Zhong Ye looked at Zhong Yi and said, "Thank you, brother."

Zhong Yi nodded at him and left the Lin Mansion with Yunxiu.

After a day and a night

Lin Hong left the imperial prison. Wearing handcuffs, he was led by guards to the side room where Cui Ti lived. He was familiar with the place, but he was handcuffed, which made him feel a little ironic.

He walked into the room. Aunt Fang and His Majesty were both there, and the room seemed small.

Cui Ti finally woke up. Fang Ru sat beside the bed and asked in a gentle voice, "Cui Ti, I brought you out. Tell me the truth about the situation in the Shaofu."

Cui Ti's voice was as weak as a mosquito's. "Your Majesty previously rewarded the Lin family with thirty boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry, spending 1,500 taels. He also rewarded the meritorious garrison troops, spending 2,000 taels. Then he dismissed the palace servants, recruited more people, and expanded the garrison. Which of these didn't cost money?"

Fang Ru asked, "How much did you spend on dismissing the palace maids, and all the other things you mentioned later? Why haven't you recorded it in the accounts?"

Cui Ti said softly, "At that time, the Shaofu should have been under the control of Lin Wangfu, and I, the guilty minister, didn't know it."

Lin Hong stared at Cui Ti without blinking, and said slowly, "Your Majesty, the Cui Shaofu did hand over the position to me half a month ago. There was also a special person to record the account of the Shaofu. I don't know why, but it was not recorded in the account."

Fang Ru couldn't stand him shirking responsibility and said, "The people under him made mistakes, and Emperor Lin was negligent in overseeing it."

Yun Se looked at Lin Hong and said, "I just want to know how much it cost to dismiss and recruit palace servants, and to expand the garrison?" Yun Se's tone was deep and angry. "Lin Hong, tell me."

Lin Hong remained silent. He was not good at this, so these things were done by the servants around him.

Yun Se's voice rose, "Can't tell?"

"Your Majesty, there are about 800 palace servants who were dismissed, and each of them was rewarded with 10 taels, which is 8,000 taels. In addition, new palace servants were recruited, and each of them was rewarded with 2 taels, so the cost was 1,600 taels. As for the 5,000 new garrison soldiers, Your Majesty said to give each of them three dou of rice, so each of them cost 300 wen, which is 1,500 taels. The total cost is... 11,100 taels." Cui Ti's voice was a little floating. After speaking a long string of words, she began to breathe heavily.

Fang Ru calculated, "The expenses are roughly right."

Fang Ru asked again, "Why haven't I seen any income in the past two months?"

Cui Ti said slowly, "You'll have to ask Envoy Gu. I, the guilty minister, don't know either."

Yun Se said, "Tell Gu Zezhi to come to the palace!"

Gu Zezhi? Lin Hong lowered his eyes. It turned out that Cui Ti was not only targeting him, but also Gu Zezhi.