CHAPTER 888: CHAPTER 886: WHAT’S THE POINT OF THIS KIND OF TAX REVENUE?

Hearing Prince Fu confess so straightforwardly, the emperor couldn’t quite identify his emotions. His son was well-prepared, realizing the truth could no longer be concealed, yet still holding onto a glimmer of hope.

What did he think Lih Mian was? A freeloader? Lacking even this basic intuition, the emperor was truly disappointed in him!

The emperor let out a cold laugh: "You’ve been managing the Ministry of Works since you were a teenager. Over the past decade, have there been few instances of misappropriated silver taels in your operations? How can you still lack in expenditure? What happened to your official salary, and the silver you embezzled from various projects? Do you really intend to raise private soldiers?"

With the emperor pointing out the issue, Prince Fu felt a sense of relief. Even being accused of starting a private military didn’t cause him much additional panic. If the emperor truly suspected him of raising private soldiers, he wouldn’t see him alone here, let alone question him with such sensitive matters.

However, the respect he should possess remained; he still acted startled and wronged, bowing his head to the ground, repeatedly saying: "Imperial Father, please understand, your son merely used those silver taels to expand some business ventures and make friends. Because I was a bit extravagant, there was no surplus, but I dare not entertain the thought of raising private troops. I humbly beg for Imperial Father’s discernment."

Now, it all depends on how His Majesty intends to handle this. Perhaps, just as Liu Chengzhi suggested, whether he likes it or not, he will have to temporarily retreat from the court, to lie low for a while.

The emperor looked at Prince Fu deeply bowing on the ground, thinking about the mining areas and smeltery workshops under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Guard Camp. Without a detailed investigation, how many iron ore materials were hidden there was unknown.

"Beyond the court’s ledger, how much ore and processed iron have been involved?" the emperor asked.

Prince Fu hesitated for a moment, but he dared not hide, and spoke truthfully.

There was no way of hiding it; the materials were all there. Prince Fu strongly suspected that his other hidden ore location was also under Lih Mian’s surveillance.

On hearing the numbers reported by Prince Fu, the emperor’s previously indifferent expression became instantly severe. His gaze, sharp as an eagle’s, scanned Prince Fu repeatedly.

How dare he! What emboldened him to harbor so many contraband materials? Did he truly think the emperor was blind?

Although Prince Fu didn’t raise his head, he felt a prickling sensation on his back, gradually becoming damp.

"You have some nerve." The emperor’s voice was so calm it was frightening.

"Your son has erred, your son knows his mistake, your son is willing to accept any punishment from Imperial Father, just please do not be angry and take care of your health." Prince Fu discerned the coldness and disappointment in the emperor’s tone, dared not lift his head, and could only use such pale words to remind of their father-son relationship.

Even without lifting his head, he could feel the chilling atmosphere in the room and the emperor’s unfriendly aura.

After a suffocatingly long silence, the emperor spoke again, "Alright, go back and submit a request to be excused on grounds of illness." At this point, the emperor’s tone was more filled with disappointment and dismay.

Prince Fu’s body, kneeling on the ground, trembled almost imperceptibly, responding with a trembling voice: "Your son thanks Imperial Father for your grace."

He remained prostrate, not daring to move, waiting to see if the emperor would say anything more. Earlier, the emperor only mentioned feigning illness, without specifying for how long, and didn’t say what would happen with his duties at the Ministry of Works.

Moreover, he was working on two wooden railway constructions, with numerous tasks within them. If handed over improperly, and someone discovered any discrepancies in materials and labor, he would have yet another charge against him.

Just based on the hidden quantities of iron and ore, the emperor shouldn’t have ended it with a mere suggestion of illness. Perhaps the emperor would get angry and scold him, providing a chance to argue more.

But the emperor continued only with, "Alright, you may leave."

Prince Fu immediately stiffened. His Imperial Father really had nothing more to say. If his father had thrown a teacup, a dossier, or even a paperweight at his head, he might have felt better, at least his father would show anger toward him.

But the emperor did nothing.

A pair of boots stood in his line of sight, not the emperor’s black satin embroidered with bright yellow dragons, but Zhang Cunhai who walked over.

Zhang Cunhai bowed and said, "Your Highness, allow this old servant to help you up."

......

Jinrong, after leaking information about Prince Fu’s subordinate to Lih Mian, withdrew all related personnel.

Lih Mian was not like others, very astute. Since what needed to be done had been done, now the key was to remain cautious and make no mistakes, or else he would be dragged into this mess himself.

He only speculated that actions against Prince Fu would start around these days, but didn’t know it would be today.

The emperor disliked when the three brothers left court in haste, but he left faster than Prince Fu, second only to the Crown Prince’s hurried pace. Thus, he wasn’t aware that Prince Fu was summoned to the Imperial Study Room.

He only remembered that, during these turbulent times, it was best to keep his distance to avoid being caught in the emperor’s wrath.

Therefore, he devoted all his energy to Creekview Garden, focusing on Official Tang’s Four Seasons Scenery. He constantly monitored the progress at Creekview Garden and observed the gradual decline of Official Tang’s courtyard.

Additionally, the matter concerning Dongze Construction Firm and Ye Xinyi needed resolution. He had quite a bit to handle.

Back then, he intervened, not allowing Ye Xinyan to inquire about who was undercutting Guangsha Construction. The main reason was that he was fond of Creekview Garden’s design and wanted the garden for himself. Another important reason was he suspected there might be Han Yufang’s involvement. If affairs within his own residence were discovered by that crafty woman, he would lose face.

People under the protection of Prince Yu’s title were also schemed against, as if considered dead?

The key issue was that the Prince Consort Wife ruined Grandma Jiang’s lucrative plan and humiliated that troublesome woman, so he had to do something to compensate. At the very least, he shouldn’t let her recall that those two pieces could also be profitable ventures.

......

The Crown Prince hurriedly left, not because he had any important matters, but simply because he didn’t want to stay in that stifling place a moment longer.

He had been Crown Prince for over thirty years, designated as the heir to the nation since he was too young to understand. Just over ten years old, he began to follow the Grand Tutor in the court for training, under the pretense of familiarizing himself with state affairs.

Through more than two decades of learning and documentation, not only had he grown exceedingly tired of it, but he also believed he was well-versed in all state matters, making further time spent on them needless.

Upon leaving the grand hall, the Crown Prince first made a round to the Ministry of Revenue, sitting in his luxurious armchair, asking if there were any significant matters from the previous day.

Only then did he begin his serious duties, gathering Yu Shiqing, the Minister of Revenue, and a few trusted officials to inquire about tax collections across all regions.

He had been financially strained lately, but yesterday, in an unfortunate moment, couldn’t resist the charms of his favored concubine Yaya and promised her a pair of jade bracelets.

As the Crown Prince, the jewelry he presented must be top-notch. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be his face that was lost, but the dignity of the Great Xia Dynasty. So, he now needed the silver to afford exquisite jade bracelets.

Whether others agreed with his reasoning, he didn’t know. But in his mind, it was an indisputable and correct logic.

Upon hearing the officials’ reports on taxes, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but frown: "How do the people below handle affairs?! What’s the point of such tax numbers? After all my efforts, it turns out to be making a wedding dress for someone else..."