章 24: The emperor's decree
The minister of welfare stepped forward with his head still lowered and hands tucked in his large sleeves.
"Your majesty, His imperial highness of northern Wei sent a message that the crops for last season didn't bore well and can't meet the quota for this year's tribute."
"What did you find out?" The emperor asked. He didn't care about hearsays, back up your claims with evidence, or bear his wrath.
"After investigating, I found out he was telling the truth. There was barely any rain last season and the people suffered a lot."
"Your written report?" His low voice rang in the quiet hall.
If they like, let them use the most elegant speech or eloquently describe a story. After listening, he would ask for a written report.
"Here it is, Your majesty." The minister pulled out a book from his sleeve and stretched it forward while bending from the waist.
A eunuch walked towards him and took the book from him before taking it to the emperor.
Flipping through the pages while also checking the date the report was written, he asked: "How did he solve the problem of hunger and hardship?"
"Your majesty, he sold the previous season's storage at a low price to the people and the beggars, he saw to it that each household fed at least two beggars once a day."
"Hmm, next." he mumbled, which meant the Minister of agriculture's report was approved.
The Minister sighed in relief and retracted his steps backward while still in a bowing position.
"Your Majesty, the cost for erecting a wall around the capital was summed up and the money was taken from the treasury. Here is the report, your Majesty!" The Minister of finance said and bowed.
The Emperor went through the report he was given before shifting his gaze to the Minister.
"How many workers did you pay? I heard the prisoners of war were mostly used around the capital, where are these random figures coming from?"
The emperor raised a brow at the Minister who felt like his throat had dried up and no amount of saliva he swallowed was enough to lubricate his throat.
"Y– your Majesty, we spent a lot of money on forging new tools for the workers, feeding the workers, the horses, the carriage, the– "
The Emperor raised his hand and silenced the Minister. "When you said a lot of money, you mean half of the money in the Kingdom's safe, right?"
"Y– your, your Majesty, I... I," the Minister stuttered.
He had practiced everything he wanted to say and had done a report that was spotless. How come he couldn't find the courage and confidence he had been exuding while embezzling the Kingdom's fund?
"Eighteen boxes of gold taels were brought into the treasury from the gold mile found in Western Du last month. Three boxes were spent on the fortress building, one was sent to the villages that experienced flooding. Four were hijacked by those enemies of the kingdom and there are eight boxes left in the treasury. Xuan Mi, where are the remaining two boxes?"
The Minister fell to his knees and started to kowtow. "Your Majesty, I am being wronged! I am innocent, your Majesty!!"
While the Minister was finding a way to save himself and his family from this problem he was forced into by that demon, the Emperor was busy writing down something.
A while later, he gestured to the eunuch standing close to him and the eunuch picked up the decree.
"Read our words." The emperor as he passed a yellow scroll to the eunuch standing beside him.
"Yes, your Majesty!... Minister Xuan Mi, receive the emperor's benevolence towards you!"
Everyone in the hall went on their knees before the eunuch read the decree.
"Minister Xuan Mi accused the son of heaven of lying. He also embezzled resources made for the betterment of the kingdom and for those two crimes, his head shall be severed to appease the kingdom!
The Xuan's houses, lands, shops, and every property they own shall be sold to replace what their son stole.
Five generations of his offspring shall also bear the consequences for his actions.
The sons shall not be allowed to go to the academy or become officials and the daughters shall be married off as Concubines or wives to the poor.
The wives shall be deprived of jewelry, silk, brocade and fine cotton materials."
"Your Majesty!" Minister Xuan Mi cried out loudly and started to kowtow earnestly,
"Cease your anger, your Majesty! forgive this servant. This servant cheated the Kingdom and spoke insincerely to the son of heaven, this servant shall accept his punishment, but please, your Majesty, spare this servant's family!"
The middle aged man's forehead turned red as he continued to kowtow, hitting his forehead harshly on the floor to show his sincerity as fear gripped his heart.
The other Ministers sneered. Some of them had warned him to check his greed, but each time he was warned, he pinned a crime against the person. Now that his day has finally come, the others were more than happy to see another corrupt official leave.
Although some felt that way, others were bitter in their hearts. Cutting off the branch where they benefit from is no good news to them at all and begging for him will implicate them, so it was better to swallow the dissatisfaction than get killed.
Among The officials, another man wearing the same red robes that prime Minister's Su Tian was wearing glared at Minister Xuan Mi and balled his hands inside his large sleeves.
The Emperor looked at Minister Xuan Mi and said: "When have I ever been angry? Take him away," he commanded nonchalantly with a wave of his sleeve
After the noisy Minister was taken away, the court session continued.
A few officials reported their matters before another Minister stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, His imperial highness of Easter Yang, sent a message that bandits has been terrorizing some villages in Easter Yang for a while now and he needs reinforcement to be discharged from the capital." The Minister of war reported.
"Hmph, he dares to ask us for reinforcement...Your investigation." The emperor demanded.
"His imperial highness of Easter Yang paid little to no attention to the villages attacked when the bandits started in a small group. He was busy visiting brothels until the bandits became more courageous."
"How many villages have been victimized?" The Emperor asked while looking through the report that the minister of war submitted.
"Your Majesty, ten villages have been destroyed and the bandits don't seem to be stopping there."
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