I fulfilled the female supporting role's wish and I succeeded

Before they knew it, they walked to an old farmer's stall selling eggs.

The old farmer was dressed simply and his face was full of traces of time. In front of him were several bamboo baskets filled with fresh eggs.

An Lingrong was attracted by the natural fragrance of the country eggs. She stopped and pointed at the eggs in the basket and asked:

"Father, how much are these eggs?"

The old farmer smiled innocently and pointed at the eggs with his rough fingers.

"Two cents a piece, very fresh. Would you like some, madam?"

"Two cents?"

An Lingrong seemed to have heard something incredible. She turned her head suddenly and grabbed the emperor's wrist tightly with such force that the emperor felt a little pain.

Her face turned pale in an instant, and her eyes were filled with shock and disbelief, as if she had discovered some shocking secret.

The Emperor noticed An Lingrong's abnormality and asked with concern:

"Rong'er, what's wrong?"

An Lingrong tightly grasped the emperor's hand, her fingertips were cold and her voice trembled.

"Your Majesty, let's go back and talk about this."

There was a hint of nervousness in her tone, which made the emperor feel a little uneasy.

He immediately ordered his troops to return to the palace.

The atmosphere in the carriage was solemn.

The emperor asked anxiously:

"Rong'er, what happened? Why are you so panicked?"

An Lingrong took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, and then spoke slowly.

"Your Majesty, do you know the value of eggs according to the accounts submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"

The emperor frowned slightly and thought for a moment.

"I seem to remember it was... twenty taels of silver per piece?"

He looked at An Lingrong uncertainly, feeling a slight sense of foreboding in his heart.

An Lingrong's face turned even paler, and a trace of pain flashed in her eyes.

"Exactly! Twenty taels of silver for one egg! And eggs in the market are only two cents each!"

Her voice trembled, as if she was accusing something.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face suddenly changed and he became furious.

He slammed the table and roared:

"How dare these dogs and slaves deceive their superiors and enrich themselves!"

His voice was filled with anger and disappointment, like an enraged lion, ready to devour anyone at any time.

An Lingrong's eyes were slightly red. She gently held the emperor's hand and comforted him softly.

"Your Majesty, calm down. It's more important to take care of your health."

Her voice was gentle and firm, like a clear spring, slowly flowing into the emperor's angry heart, gradually calming him down.

The emperor took a deep breath and tried hard to suppress the anger in his heart.

He held An Lingrong's hand tightly, his eyes full of gratitude and trust.

"Rong'er, thanks to you, I was able to discover these termites in time!"

There was a hint of fear in his tone. If An Lingrong hadn't reminded him, he didn't know how long he would have been deceived by these corrupt officials.

An Lingrong smiled lightly, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes.

"I just did my duty."

The carriage rumbled across the smooth bluestone slabs of the palace road, making a dull sound.

An Lingrong sat upright in the car, her fingertips gently stroking the luxurious brocade cushion, feeling the fine texture on it.

Although it was a sunny day, she felt that the car was cold and chilly, as if a chill rose from the soles of her feet and reached her heart.

Arriving at Yongshou Palace, An Lingrong helped Qiuyue get off the carriage.

The sunlight shone on the magnificent palace, reflecting a dazzling light, but it could not illuminate the haze in her heart.

"Qiuyue," An Lingrong's voice was a little tired, "Give orders. If you have nothing to do these days, don't wander around or contact the people below."

Qiuyue observed An Lingrong's expression and saw that she looked solemn. She also felt uneasy and quickly responded:

"Yes, ma'am."

An Lingrong rubbed her brows and felt a wave of fatigue coming over her.

She waved her hand, signaling Qiuyue to leave, and walked into the bedroom alone.

The fragrance of sandalwood curled up in the hall, but it could not dispel the depression in her heart.

She slowly walked to the window, pushed open the carved window frame, and looked at the colorful scenery outside the window, but she did not feel any joy at all.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if water could drip out of it.

The emperor was wearing a dragon robe and sitting on the dragon throne with a terrifyingly gloomy expression.

His fingers tapped on the table again and again, making a dull sound, as if tapping on Xia Qi's heart again and again.

"Xia Qian," the emperor said in a low voice, but with unquestionable majesty, "Go and investigate the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I want to know everything, no matter how big or small!"

Xia Qi knelt on the ground, feeling the immense anger emanating from the emperor, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

"I obey your order!" He kowtowed, his voice trembling slightly.

"Remember," the emperor said in a stern tone, "I want the truth, not perfunctory answers! If we can't find out clearly..."

He paused, a sharp cold light flashing in his eyes, "Just bring your head to me!"

Xia Qie shuddered all over and kowtowed quickly:

"I will do my best and will never let down the emperor's trust!"

The emperor waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

Xia Qi stood up and walked out of the Yangxin Palace with somewhat unsteady steps.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and felt that the clothes on his back were soaked.

He knew that this mission was related to his life and property, and he could not afford to be careless.

A few days later, in the Yangxin Palace, Xia Qi presented a thick stack of account books to the emperor.

"Your Majesty," he said in a trembling voice, "I have already checked the accounts of the Imperial Household Department."

The emperor took the account book and flipped through it page by page, his expression becoming increasingly gloomy.

The account books clearly record in black and white the various crimes committed by the Imperial Household Department.

Corruption, embezzlement, and even...controlling the emperor's offspring!

Upon seeing this, the emperor threw the account book to the ground and roared:

"How dare these dogs be so bold!"

His chest heaved violently, like an enraged lion, ready to devour anyone at any time.

"Su Peisheng!" the emperor roared, "Pass on my decree. Summon all royal family members to the Yangxin Palace for a meeting immediately!"

Su Peisheng quickly responded:

"Whoo!"

He bowed and retreated, feeling worried about those bondservant families.

He knew that this time, the emperor was really angry, and those people would probably not escape.

The Emperor stood alone in the palace, his rage blazing as if it would consume him whole.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his heart filled with anger and disappointment.

He always thought that he treated these servants well, but he didn't expect that they were so cruel and ruthless and did such a heinous thing behind his back!

He took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in his heart. He knew that now was not the time to get angry. He had to calm down and think carefully about how to deal with it.