The Legend of Zhen Huan Reborn: Overthrowing Zhen Huan to Become the Queen Mother

People have always enjoyed talking about the secrets of the royal family.

The four families that were previously punished by Nian Shilan lived in the imperial city, and because of the convenient transportation, they could receive news very quickly.

Some worried. After all, the Empress had been disdained by the Emperor. Were these rumors the Imperial Concubine's instigation? Or perhaps the work of some other empress who had raised the Emperor's heir? Some were secretly tempted, thinking a lean camel was bigger than a horse, and hurried to pass on the news to the Empress as a gesture of goodwill. Some could not hold back. After all, even greater news had reached the capital than these rumors.

"Su Peisheng! Get in here!"

With a loud shout, Su Peisheng appeared in front of the emperor on his knees and crawling.

He bent down tremblingly, "Your Majesty."

The emperor's face was filled with anger. "Call Old Seventeen to the palace. Wait, summon Jing'e first!"

"Your Majesty," Su Peisheng said, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Yesterday afternoon, news came into the palace from Prince Guo's mansion that the Seventeenth Master was ill and had caught a cold. I'm afraid..."

Is that so? The emperor rubbed his brows, as if he had some impression that he was confused by this memorial.

"Then let's pass it on to Jing'e first."

Compared with Shangshu Zhang Tingyu who held multiple positions, Shilang Jing'e almost lived in the Ministry of Revenue, managing the Ministry of Revenue affairs that should have belonged to Zhang Tingyu.

Jing'e arrived quickly. He already had some guesses in his mind, so he kept a very low profile.

The emperor looked at him sternly and sternly, "Shandong has paid all its silver taxes this year. Do you have any other news?"

Jing'e bowed, "Your Majesty, a few days ago, an official in Shandong privately asked me if there was any hidden reason behind the full tax payment in the disaster-stricken areas. I dare not reveal any other information. Other than that, I know nothing."

"No idea?" The emperor said, half-smiled. "You still have one day to find out."

The next day, the court was filled with solemnity.

An urgent memorial with a red background lay alone on the ground. Zhang Tingyu picked it up with a frown. The contents pointed directly to the dire situation of the people's livelihood in Shandong. The memorial was written in earnest and detailed the miserable situation of the local people, who were even forced to sell their children to make a living.

The emperor was furious, yet filled with worry and doubt. He knew the importance of Shandong, and the deterioration of people's livelihood was a matter of vital importance to the stability of the country. He recalled that shortly after Tian Wenjing submitted a petition requesting full payment from Shandong and Henan, he had chatted with Prince Guo in a teahouse in the capital. This behavior made the emperor suspicious, fearing collusion or a cover-up.

After all, the usually carefree Prince Guo hadn't left the capital for months. Considering Jing'e's previous allusions to Prince Guo's travels, he was secretly trying to win over the emperor's supporters. The emperor almost instinctively considered sending this unambitious brother on a secret visit to Shandong. However, just as someone submitted a memorial outlining the current situation in Shandong, Prince Guo fell ill. The emperor couldn't help but ponder this.

Zhang Tingyu finished reading the memorial and handed it to Jing'e, who was standing not far behind him. Jing'e had been inexplicably scolded by the emperor yesterday, and after returning home, he had secretly inquired about it and had already learned most of the details, but he still read it carefully and seriously.

Zhang Tingyu bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, Tian Wenjing's request that the affected areas pay their full tax bill for that year is sound and pertinent. I agree with him. Regardless of whether Tian Wenjing is to blame for this, I accept the responsibility. I am willing to travel to Shandong to investigate the true extent of the deterioration of people's livelihood in Shandong. I will investigate whether the situation is as serious as the memorial alleges, and whether there are any problems of official corruption or poor governance behind this."

This remark struck the emperor in the heart. He hadn't taken the matter seriously, but rather to show his officials that he took the matter very seriously. Furthermore, if he didn't make it clear on such a major matter, others might think he, the emperor, was inconsiderate of the people.

No matter who did it, the emperor would punish someone severely to show his anger. The two important officials of the Ministry of Revenue who were present that day and Tian Wenjing who wrote the letter would not be able to escape.

Officials should not investigate themselves. It is impossible to let Tian Wenjing investigate the situation in Shandong, Henan and other places by himself, so Zhang Tingyu simply took the initiative to propose it. Jing E, who was pretending to read the memorials behind him, also breathed a sigh of relief.

The emperor said in a gloomy tone, "You have failed to supervise this matter properly. If you investigate, it will be considered as meritorious service."

Everyone in the court immediately knelt down and called out "Your Majesty is wise."

After the court session, Jing'e followed him all the way to the Yangxin Palace.

He spoke earnestly, "Master Zhang Tingyu is diligent and hardworking, rising at the crack of dawn and working almost day and night. As my direct superior, I am worried about him. I implore Your Majesty to send another person to accompany him, so that Master Zhang Tingyu can have some protection."

The emperor was surprised. Secretly, he didn't want to deal with Zhang Tingyu, so he had no choice but to investigate the officials under his command. Zhang Tingyu was the perfect person to investigate. But Jing'e's words suggested that the problem wasn't just with local officials; it might even endanger Zhang Tingyu's life.

After hesitating for a moment, the emperor looked at Jing'e with his deep eyes, "Then who do you think is more suitable?"

After a pause, Jing'e said without hesitation, "Prince Heng."

"Oh?" The emperor raised his eyebrows, which meant that this matter involved his brother.

"Lord Zhang Tingyu is very hands-on and will not tolerate any flaws in some matters. Prince Heng is a very kind and honest person, so he might be able to mediate some of the issues. After all, this matter has offended the majesty of heaven, so we must be careful not to let those involved become desperate." Jing'e explained in detail.

"Then let's do as you say, and ask the Minister of War Li Wei to go with us." As he said this, the emperor picked up his pen and drafted an edict.

Only then did Jing'e bow and take his leave with peace of mind.

As soon as he left, the emperor put down his pen and chewed over the words "He is a very kind person with a honest temperament, and perhaps he can be used to moderate the situation."

After a long while, the emperor suddenly said, "Can the Eighth and Nine Princes' faction behave itself?"

A deep voice suddenly appeared in the empty hall, "Yu has fueled the rumors concerning the Queen."

"Empress?" The emperor suddenly felt dissatisfied. "What rumors?"

"The Empress's former chief eunuch, Jiang Fuhai, had an adopted son. He came to Beijing a few days ago to look for his relatives and revealed a lot of old stories." There was no emotion in the voice.

The emperor pursed his lips in annoyance, "Where is that man now? Just kill him directly."

There was a hint of contempt in the voice. "After this man came to Beijing and learned that Jiang Fuhai was dead, he ran out of money. He stayed at a beggar's gathering place for a few days before being beaten to death by a group of people."

Jiang Fuhai was reminded of the past, and the past scenes surfaced in his mind. The emperor felt irritated. "I know. The Eighth and Ninth Princes are dead, but they are still so restless. Keep hunting them down and make sure to eradicate them completely."

"Is Yun'e still behaving well?"

"Her residence is peaceful and tranquil. The other day, Hesheli asked her family about Princess Gongding's current situation."

The emperor stroked his chin. The remnants of the Eighth and Ninth Kings no longer had the energy to interfere in the affairs of local officials. The Tenth King was imprisoned. Who else might be involved?