The personal royal treasury and national coffers had essentially been emptied! With no idea where the money had gone to!
The emperor immediately flew into a rage. The coronation ceremony was brusquely ran through and née Li of the Duke of An randomly selected as empress. All pomp and circumstance were stripped down as attention was wholly focused on where the silver in the royal treasury and national coffers had gone to.
The day after the coronation ceremony, the emperor emeritus had servants ready a ship and invited a few favored veteran officials and concubines to sail the seas with him.
Qin Huaiyuan happened to be speaking with Weichi Yan in the imperial study when news of this reached them. Urgency promptly flared in the marquis.
“No, Your Majesty, you can’t let the emperor emeritus leave! If he does, we’ll never be able to chase down the tax grain, royal treasury, and national coffers! The war effort is tense and the Prince of Ning was injured yesterday — silver is needed in everything from paying the soldiers to feeding the horses. Without money, what will you use to fight? What will you use to defend the lands? Your Majesty, the emperor emeritus is planning on throwing an unsalvageable situation to you and running away with a large fortune!”
The notion had circled in Weichi Yan’s mind for a long time, but not in such a clear and thorough fashion. With the marquis’ clear pointers, the emperor finally understood what was at stake here.
Livid, he had the servants ready horses and brought along Qin Huaiyuan, guards, and palace servants. The group whipped their steeds to make the fastest time possible to the harbor, making it just in time before the emperor emeritus boarded the ship.
“Royal father!” Weichi Yan jumped down from his horse and panted his way over. “Where are you going?”
A head full of whitening hair had aged the emperor emeritus greatly. Resentment tinged his cloudy eyes when he saw his son rush over.
“Do even you have the right to dictate where We go now? Your wings have hardened and you think you can stick your nose in Our business, hmm?”
Weichi Yan shook from anger, but he was a highly educated man, so he was unable to bring himself to cuss at his father.
“Royal father, since you’ve given up your position, you should be whiling the days away in easy comfort. If you don’t stay in the palace and your son is busy with the affairs of the nation, how will I be able to demonstrate the depths of my filial piety? Please return to the palace with me.”
The emperor emeritus knew what his son was really aiming for after hearing this. He snorted disdainfully. “Since We have resigned Our position, you are in charge of everything at court. It doesn’t make a difference to you whether We stay or not. We are old and your royal mother is gone. Our heart is bleak and heavy and We only desire to travel the lands from now on. You needn’t strive to keep Us."
* * *
Chapter 244: Another Dynasty
Chapter 244: Another Dynasty
Weichi Yan burned with hate and fury!
His father was likewise glaring back with abhorrence. He wanted to eat Weichi Yan alive!
The Prince of Ning cleaning house had forced the emperor emeritus to sacrifice the empress and give up the throne. He’d lost his most precious woman and position in the span of a night. How would he not be filled with hate with these dual losses?
Weichi Yan wasn’t feeling any better at the moment. How could he have such an inept and selfish father??
“Father, what do you want with so much silver? The frontlines are tense and every movement, every second requires money. Our soldiers and generals are risking their lives and shedding their blood in the battlefield — how will they continue to follow me if I have no rations or wages to pay them with?”
“Pah! They were ingrates to me first! Why should I concern myself with their life or deaths? The best ending for a soldier is to die valiantly in the battlefields. Have they not supped at my Great Yan’s coffers while they lived?”
“How can you say that?!” Weichi Yan looked incredulous. His father was holding a grudge against the ten thousand who’d cleaned house!
The emperor once again tamped down his disappointment and tried for reason. “Even if you care nothing for them, you still care about your reputation, no? All of the officials now know of the personal treasury and national coffers being emptied. If you continue down this path, you really will rouse the ire of the masses.
“Father, there’s still time for you to turn back. Even if you don’t do so for the war effort, at least do so for your legacy. Besides, without this sum of money, what will the people do if the Valiant Tigers besiege the capital?”
Weichi Yan was almost crying at this point. “Royal father, how could you have sold off all of the tax grain? That alone would have fed the capital for three years!”
The emperor emeritus remained silent throughout, looking at his son with a cold smirk. After a beat, he suddenly spat on Weichi Yan’s face.
“How dare a petty little usurper talk to me about principles and logic! Do you have any self dignity? Those idiot peasants deserve what’s coming to them! They’re a bunch of fools who were easily riled up by a few words and say that I’m a trash emperor. What did I ever do to them?!
“Now that you’ve filled out your wings, you mouth off pretty words for the greater good and know how to put a bureaucratic spin on things. Using reputation and the will of the people to pressure me? Well aren’t you a great emperor! I’d like to see how the annals of history will record your deeds — those of an unfilial usurper!”
Weichi Yan flushed hot and cold from the censure. His lips trembled and he actually couldn’t find a single word in response. So he only had this identity left in his royal father’s eyes from now on. And here he was hoping that their tenuous relationship might have salvaged things somewhat.
Flags and pennants cracked and rippled in the gale. A potent silence reigned over the scene.
Weichi Yan took a few deep breaths in, spending quite some effort to barely keep his sadness under wraps. You’re the emperor. You have your duties. Since he doesn’t see you as a son, what else is there to hesitate about…
Even so, his voice trembled when he spoke next.
“Royal father, you passed me the throne, so how can you say that your son is a usurper? I cannot bear the title of a treasonous thief! Father, have you forgotten how you preyed on the people when you were entranced by the trampress? She even ate human flesh and killed innocent citizens! Not only did you fail to keep her under control, but you aided and abetted! Have you forgotten that the same knife cuts bread and fingers?”
“How ludicrous!” The former emperor roared back with reddened eyes. “Don’t you imitate those people and slander me! As much as I might’ve failed as an emperor, I’m still heads and shoulders above you — a shortsighted and completely worthless waste of air!”
Weichi Yan balled his hands tightly into fists, the look in his eyes turning cold. “Since this is the case, please forgive your son for not allowing you to set off on your journey.”
He waved behind him, signaling the Imperial Insignia Guard [1] and the palace guardsmen. The men flooded out from their hiding places and surrounded the dock.
Livid, the emperor emeritus shouted furiously, “What do you mean by this?!”
“Don’t worry, royal father. I’m only trying to keep you safe. With the chaotic mess of war outside, it really isn’t a good time to go on a trip. What if Great Zhou takes you for a hostage? In your eyes, should your son be concerned with you or the war effort then?”
The former emperor clenched his teeth and glared at Weichi Yan. His son’s tone had sounded remarkably like Qin Huaiyuan’s just now.
The marquis was a teacher to the heir that the former emperor had appointed himself. Though he’d later chosen to trust that the Caos could get in contact with the Tatars, he’d still bestowed the Silver Masks to Qin Huaiyuan to even the scales of power. It was apparent from this how the then-emperor had treated Qin Huaiyuan di
fferently.
But it looked like the Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent had taken his job too seriously. He’d actually made something out of Weichi Yan and given the boy a backbone to make a move against the former emperor!
“Was this your idea?” The emperor emeritus demanded hotly of Qin Huaiyuan.
The marquis hastily bowed. “Your subject wouldn’t dare.”
“Wouldn’t dare?” The old man laughed coldly. “All of you are banding together to hit a person who’s down! Fine, I’ll stay, but you’ll never find the silver!”
A tendon throbbed in Weichi Yan’s forehead as he clenched his teeth tightly. “Escort the emperor emeritus back to his quarters. He is elderly and needs his rest. If there is nothing of great importance, no one is to disturb his peace and quiet in the future!”
“Understood!” Rows of guards surrounded the former emperor, who was red in the face.
“How dare you! all of you!”
“The guards are doing this for your own safety. Please quell your anger, Your Former Majesty.” Weichi Yan tilted to the side to open the way. “Escort the emperor emeritus back to his residence!”
The guards hesitated no longer and flanked the former emperor back onto the carriage, returning it to the palace.
When the old officials accompanying the emperor emeritus saw how the new emperor had discarded his usual placid demeanor and taken swift, severe action, they all shook in their boots. It was plain to see that Weichi Yan was taking action without care of what others thought of him.
“All of you may go back.” Weichi Yan dismissed them.
Collective sighs of relief were heaved and they bowed. “Many thanks, Your Majesty!” They departed the dock with their family.
Qin Huaiyuan frowned and murmured, “Your Majesty, some of them may know where the silver is.”
Weichi Yan looked back with confusion. “What makes you say that, Grand Preceptor Qin?”
Deep resignation and helplessness welled up within Qin Huaiyuan. “Your Majesty, what do you think the former emperor wished to do after laying his hands on such a large sum of money, wanting to take a pleasure cruise, and taking with him the experienced officials of all departments and their families?”
Weichi Yan shook his head blankly. “We don’t know.”
Qin Huaiyuan remained silent. A subject couldn’t outline things too clearly for his liege. If he pointed things out too blatantly, that might make the emperor feel that he was flaunting his own intelligence. And if anything undesired happened in the future, the emperor could come back and accuse Qin Huaiyuan of misleading him.
What the marquis had to do was to nudge the emperor down the correct path.
Weichi Yan wracked his brains and thought for forty-five minutes. He suddenly shot a horrified look at Qin Huaiyuan and rasped out, “Did my father want to wash his hands of everything and build another Great Yan dynasty elsewhere?”
Qin Huaiyuan sighed with relief. Thank goodness the emperor isn’t too stupid. He nodded seriously. “That should be right, Your Majesty.”
* * *
A distinguished unit of the imperial bodyguards
Chapter 245: Heavily Injured
Chapter 245: Heavily Injured
“But how can this be! My father is planning on fracturing the nation?!”
Qin Huaiyuan shook his head.
Beads of sweat trickled down from Weichi Yan’s forehead; he grew more disappointed and terrified the more he thought about it. He charged forward and grabbed for his teacher’s hand.
“Can it be that royal father gave up hope on Great Yan a long time ago, which is why he gave the throne to me? He would have me be the emperor of a dying nation while he bleeds the treasury dry. By taking the veteran officials of the various departments, he could then move the capital down south and start the nation anew?”
Qin Huaiyuan finally nodded and whispered, “Please keep your voice down, Your Majesty.”
Color had long since drained from the faces of the palace servants who’d heard all this and they ducked their heads, trying to minimize their existence as much as possible.
But Weichi Yan paid no heed to the reminder. He remained frozen where he was, stunned.
“Laughable, how laughable this all is!” Choked chuckles sounded after a long while. “Did We take the throne to be the ruler of a dying nation?”
“Please calm yourself, Your Majesty.” Qin Huaiyuan could understand it if Weichi Yan lost momentary control of his emotions due to shock. But it was inappropriate to be so impacted. “You don’t need to think about all this now, Your Majesty. You’ve stopped the emperor emeritus from leaving, and our most important task now is to find out where the silver is. Otherwise, we’ll be locked in a bitter stalemate with the Valiant Tigers. Setting aside the complete lack of benefits to us in a drawn-out conflict, life will be very difficult for the refugees created by war.”
Weichi Yan was still overcome by sorrow. He wasn’t listening to the marquis at all as he shuffled distractedly back to the palace.
Qin Huaiyuan frowned, sighed, then chased after the emperor. “Your Majesty, consider investigating those who were going to leave with the former emperor. Maybe some of them know where the money is.”
News of the emperor emeritus almost leaving the capital with his confidantes soon made their way into Qin Yining’s ears. She looked downwards at the eight-sided table as she played with the lid of a white porcelain teacup. She put the lid down with a crisp ding after a moment.
“The old fart’s never done anything good in his life. He’s too brainless and too selfish. Even if he doesn’t know to be on the same team with the new emperor at this point in time, he should at least know that he shouldn’t drag everyone down. But isn’t he something! All he thinks about is being emperor in a new place, but can’t seem to understand that if the country perishes, no one can enjoy freedom and independence.”
“Indeed. You often say that the new emperor doesn’t have enough political acumen, miss.” Jiyun refilled her mistress’ cup. “But I say that not only does the former emperor lack political smarts, he’s completely lacking in morals as well.”
“Don’t let the miss fret over this. Not only do you guys not know to talk her down, but you encourage her in getting worked up!” Bingtang walked in with a frown and ready-brewed medicine. “You haven’t fully recovered yet, and here you are distressed about all this. Do you think losing all that blood is no big deal? There will definitely be a scar left on your shoulder. I don’t know if my medicine will be able to smooth it all away. Now that you have the chance to meditate and reflect, you should take advantage of this to rest up. Don’t dwell so much on outside matters.”
“Yes yes yes. I’ll do everything you say, Doctor Tang.” Qin Yining had developed a healthy fear of Bingtang’s bitter medicines over the past couple of days.
Even though the Qin fourth miss wasn’t a picky eater and didn’t mind bitter things, several days of routine medicine, acupuncture, Bingtang’s stern face and constant nagging had enlightened Qin Yining on how unwise it was for a patient to offend a doctor.
When they saw their mistress’ fearful and resigned demeanor, Jiyun and Qiulu burst out laughing. Even Bingtang was teased into smiling.
The group was chatting away when a patter of rushed footsteps sounded outside.
“Honored master! Is the master inside?” A low, man’s voice called out.
Qin Yining wasn’t yet used to her new title and responded belatedly, her eyes blinking rapidly, “Who is it?”
“In response to Master Xuan Su, chaos reigns in the city. Please close the doors and shutter the windows tightly. Stay inside and don’t go out no matter what.” The imperial guards had their orders to protect Qin Yining. They naturally didn’t want anything to happen to her and wanted to earn some credit with her as well.
“What chaos? What’s going on?” The news greatly took her aback.
“In response to Master Xuan Su, apparently the Prince of Ning’s fallen
into little Prince Pang’s trap. Most of his troops of ten thousand were either killed or captured. Our prince is also heavily injured and has been brought back into town for treatment. The citizens grew alarmed and took to the streets when they heard about this because they’re still grateful to the prince for clearing away the old emperor.
“But somehow, news of the old emperor selling off the tax grain spread. This caused even more trouble and many are queuing up at any shops selling food. They’re worried that we’ll run out of food soon!”
Qin Yining looked down and thought for a moment. “Thank you for your efforts, you’ve done well.” She cast a glance at Bingtang.
The maid understood immediately and exited the residence to give the guard a hefty pouch.
“We’ll have to trouble you to keep my mistress safe in the future.”
“The honored master is too kind. Then I’ll be taking my leave.” The guard jaunted off cheerily. He’d shown himself in front of Qin Yining, been complimented, and received a decent payout for his efforts.
But it was a different picture within the residence. Who would be left in Great Yan to lead the troops if anything happened to the Prince of Ning? It would be the fall of a mountain if he was out of commission!
News of the former emperor embezzling all of the national treasury, and even selling off the tax grain, would be a further catalyst for panic during these precarious times. The people would make a grain run on all of the stores, which in turn would encourage the merchants to raise their prices.
Those who concerned about living would pay no heed to the prices and seek to stockpile grain at all costs. As that happened, stores of grain in the city would be slowly depleted.
The current situation of the capital was that of being eyed by the Valiant Tigers, water to the rear and potential gaps to the south for people to easily escape through. But purchasing more food would be very difficult. And having take in one round of tax grain, the next round of rations would come at a high monetary cost.
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