Page 19

In the Administration Palace, several ministers had just completed their discussions with His Majesty and filed out one after another.

The Emperor, feeling somewhat weary, rubbed his forehead and summoned Zhang Qing to inquire about the matter he had previously tasked him with, "Several days have passed, how goes the investigation regarding the servants withholding the Young Masters' monthly silver?"

Zhang Qing, well-prepared, stepped forward with a solemn expression and said, "Your Majesty, there has been some progress, but..." From the clues uncovered so far, it seemed highly likely that high-ranking concubines were involved, and he dared not continue the investigation without knowing His Majesty's wishes.

The Emperor glanced at him and said, "But what?"

Zhang Qing bowed even lower and said, "But the investigation has revealed that Consorts of the Harem appear to be involved, and I dared not allow my people to continue the investigation, for fear, for fear of overstepping bounds, and I await Your Majesty's instructions." As he said this, he stepped back and knelt to kowtow.

Dealing with Harem matters was extremely sensitive; haphazardly investigating and offending the Harem Consorts could backfire disastrously, and even if the investigation was well conducted, the Emperor might not be pleased.

A situation just like this had occurred during the Late Emperor's reign; a Chief Eunuch in charge of the Yeting Imperial Prison was ordered to investigate a case involving Palace Concubines and traced it back to a Favored Concubine. As a result, he was stripped of his position and imprisoned, eventually dying a tragic death.

This was a dilemma, difficult to handle indeed.

The Emperor coldly looked at Zhang Qing who was kneeling on the ground and said, "You dare not? You are the Imperial Chief Steward in my service; if you do not dare to investigate such matters, what use do I have for you!"

Zhang Qing was drenched in cold sweat; His Majesty had seen right through his fear.

In the palace, he was a man of His Majesty, someone who could only be loyal to His Majesty. If he avoided danger and did not dare to investigate, he would soon lose the Emperor's favor.

Zhang Qing hurriedly knocked his head on the ground with loud thuds, incessantly saying, "Yes, yes, it's true; I was misled, blinded by greed as if my heart was smeared with lard. Please, Your Majesty, quell your anger. I will immediately give the order to carry out a thorough investigation and ensure a satisfactory resolution for Your Majesty."

The Emperor's anger subsided somewhat as he gazed at the old eunuch who had served him for many years, and with a softened tone, he said, "Go and investigate without worry. I am not the Late Emperor, and you are not Ma Houcai. I will not let history repeat itself."

Ma Houcai was that very Chief Eunuch who had been in charge of the Imperial Prison back then. The incident had caused a great stir, filling the entire palace with anxiety, and the crown prince, now the Emperor, had also been aware of it.

The Harem was extremely chaotic during the Late Emperor's reign, with the Late Emperor making decisions purely on whim, leading to Palace Concubines forming factions and slandering each other for favor, while eunuchs and Palace Maids abused their power above and deceived below, and servants plotted against their masters incessantly.

If it had not been for the protection of the Former Empress Dowager, the Emperor would not have grown up safely, which is why he placed such importance on rules.

Upon his ascension, he immediately employed drastic measures to carry out a thorough cleanse of the entire Harem and established strict regulations. There were clear rules for the promotion of Concubines, guidelines for servants' duties, and everything had to follow these rules. As long as one abided by the rules and made no mistakes, they would not fear punishment, they would be rewarded for their merits, and neither servants nor concubines would live in fear. This naturally stabilized the hearts of those in the Harem.

Now, only ten years later, the issues of Concubines colluding with servants to deceive their superiors were reemerging, which was enough to infuriate the Emperor.

Zhang Qing understood the Emperor's intention; he was to go ahead and conduct a thorough investigation without worries about repercussions. His Majesty was truly perceptive and wise, and with that, the hurdle was crossed.

Wiping off his sweat and expressing gratitude, he said to the Emperor: "Thank you for Your Majesty's grace. I shall investigate this matter thoroughly to express my gratitude for your imperial favor."

The matter must be thoroughly investigated; otherwise, he might well lose his position as the Imperial Chief Steward.

The Emperor regained his composure and said to Zhang Qing, "You may rise. I will not visit Canglan Court in the coming days. Send someone to convey this message, tell them I have been preoccupied with numerous state affairs lately and have no time to come over."

Zhang Qing respectfully acknowledged and withdrew.

He vaguely understood that this was His Majesty's way of protecting Young Master Lian. In the coming days, the Harem was bound to be tumultuous, and people would be extra attentive to His Majesty's movements. If those at fault heard any wind of this, they might risk investigating the Emperor's whereabouts; if it was discovered that His Majesty frequented Young Master Lian's place, it could complicate matters and expose Lian Hua to the storm's epicenter.

When the Young Eunuch arrived at Lian Hua's place, she, along with Xiao Qing and Xiao Jizi, were picking pumpkins.

Looking at the golden pumpkins, Lian Hua smiled so broadly that all eight of her neat teeth showed. She hadn't stopped talking all morning, and the faces of Xiao Qing and Xiao Jizi beside her were also filled with joy—the moment of harvest was always the most delightful.

Upon hearing that His Majesty would not be coming over for the next few days, Lian Hua's face lit up with surprise and she exclaimed, "Ah, really?"

It was a joyous addition to her happiness; at last, she could sleep in as late as she wanted without having to get up early.

The Young Eunuch was perplexed, unsure why she reacted this way. Could Daying Lian be simple-minded?

Xiao Jizi quickly cleared his throat, frantically signaled with his eyes to remind his Young Master that there was someone else present, and to not show her happiness so openly.

Now, he and his Young Master were in the same boat, sharing both glory and misfortune.

Sometimes, he felt helpless, unable to fathom why what others desperately sought seemed like a nuisance to the Young Master.

Lian Hua caught on and added quickly, "Having harvested the pumpkins today, I was thinking about how happy I would be to make pumpkin cakes for His Majesty in the future."

The Young Eunuch scratched his head. Was that so?