Chapter 841 - 844: Misdirected Anger
Chapter 841: Chapter 844: Misdirected Anger
After reprimanding the courtiers, Hua Shunming turned his gaze toward his grown sons. When the Crown Prince was formally instated, the other six Princes had also been granted the title of Commandery Prince. Establishing their own Prince Mansions meant drawing funds directly from the National Treasury, accounting for the bulk of the year’s expenditures.
"Just how extravagantly are your Prince Mansions being built? Was the standard allocation of silver not enough for you? You constantly dig into the Ministry of Internal Affairs for more resources. Do you want me to build you a city modeled after the Imperial Palace?"
The Princes, who had previously been watching the spectacle, were terrified and immediately dropped to their knees. "We would not dare."
Seeing everyone get reprimanded made the Crown Prince feel much better, though he too knelt among his brothers. He wondered what his Imperial Father’s true intention was behind this move.
The deficit in the National Treasury was not a recent development. Two months ago, ministers had already suggested that his father borrow silver from his private treasury for emergency funds.
At that time, his father had sneered and told him, "They say ’borrow’, but do they think I am that stupid? When would they ever pay it back?
"I personally promoted these people, yet they are no different from the previous generation of courtiers—just old wine in new bottles.
"Let this be another lesson for you. The human heart is the hardest thing to fathom. Just when you think they are fiercely loyal, they might stab you in the back.
"You can give these ministers a certain amount of power, but you must not give them even half of your trust."
Before Hua Zhang could fully process this, Hua Shunming continued, "It has been over a decade since I last audited your accounts, so I assume you have forgotten. It is about time I find out exactly where the silver has been spent all these years.
"Today, every ministry is to bring their account books to the side hall. I will personally appoint someone to audit them all."
A heavy silence fell over the grand hall. The last major audit indeed happened over ten years ago, and most of the senior courtiers from that era had already retired. Was the Emperor preparing to purge the ranks once again? No one could guarantee their ledgers were completely spotless. Was he planning to clear the obstacles for the Crown Prince? Suspicions ran wild, and panic rippled through the crowd.
The Princes kneeling behind the Crown Prince glared at him, their gazes like sharp blades piercing his back. They wondered if this was too biased, considering they were all the Emperor’s biological sons. They had worked so hard to recruit supporters—was it all going to be for nothing?
Hua Shunming did not care what was going through their minds. Without needing a word from the Emperor, Le San, who stood by his side, tactfully announced the end of the morning court session. Before the officials from the various ministries could react, several palace eunuchs were already standing beside them, ready to escort them back to retrieve their account books.
Hua Shunming led the Crown Prince into the Upper Study Room. The palace maids and eunuchs inside served pastries and tea before retreating in an orderly fashion.
"Do you also think I am paving the way for you?" Hua Shunming asked after taking a sip of tea.
"I am dull-witted. Please enlighten me, Imperial Father."
"When the officials in this court hold their positions for too long, they lose their original intentions.
"Look at all their petty schemes over the years. If they are harmless, I do not bother paying attention to them.
"But a person’s appetite and desires are bottomless. When it is time to beat them into line, they must be thoroughly beaten."
"Imperial Father, the human heart is very difficult to control," Hua Zhang said. "I am afraid I will not do it well."
Hua Shunming leaned forward slightly. "Then hold their lifelines in your hands.
"As long as you have the power to suppress them, no matter how much they jump around, they will never be able to bypass you."
"Is Gu Wenheng the same?"
Hua Shunming gave him a look. "That depends on what you choose to do in the future. Although this man appears to have no desires, he has his own bottom line."
"Did I cross his bottom line last time?" Hua Zhang asked.
Hua Shunming shook his head and sighed, muttering to himself, "Still falling a bit short..."
Hua Zhang was confused. "Imperial Father?"
"The moment you asked that question, you exposed your shortcomings," Hua Shunming said, shaking his head. "A Monarch cannot be petty. That incident happened so long ago, yet you still cannot let it go.
"I know you are misdirecting your anger, but put yourself in his shoes—Gu Wenheng did absolutely nothing to offend you in all this."
Hua Zhang’s face flushed red. "Imperial Father, that is not what I meant.
"Furthermore, I did not direct my anger at Mr. Gu. I am merely curious about him.
"You have always employed him well over the years. If he weren’t observing Ding You at home, you would certainly continue to put him in important positions.
"I had someone investigate him and I know he is very skilled at local governance, but a man like that might not be suited for the royal court."
Hua Shunming chuckled. "Does the Crown Prince feel he cannot control this man, and is now backing down?"
Hua Zhang fell silent.
"Go back and think it over carefully, Crown Prince!"
Hua Zhang grew anxious. "Imperial Father, I do not think that way.
"I know you have your reasons for valuing this man. It’s just that the information my subordinates gathered is only on the surface, and I want to understand him better.
"I know you are disappointed in me, and I know I have many shortcomings, but I promise to work hard to learn and observe more."
"Crown Prince, I am not disappointed in you; I am worried for the common people of this world.
"When I chose you as the Crown Prince, I never considered replacing you. Otherwise, I would not have taken action these past few days to suppress those restless elements.
"You do not need to waste your energy investigating such things. While my mind is still clear, you should ask and observe whenever you do not understand something.
"As for testing me, you should put away those petty tricks.
"I was once a Crown Prince too, so I know your concerns. Since it is just the two of us here, I will speak plainly. You need to calm your mind and learn the art of managing people, rather than constantly thinking about how to guard against them."
Hua Zhang’s face flushed with shame, but his heart felt much more settled.
Hua Shunming continued, "As for Gu Wenheng, even if you have doubts about him, you must make full use of his talents. Sending him out to govern various regions would be far more useful than keeping the vulgar men currently filling the court."
Initially, Hua Zhang had been somewhat dismissive of Gu Wenheng, assuming he merely enjoyed Hua Shunming’s favoritism. Now, it seemed he had to reevaluate the man.
"I will consider it carefully," Hua Zhang replied.
Hearing this response, Hua Shunming finally felt a sense of satisfaction. If the Crown Prince had simply echoed his words, it would mean he completely lacked his own judgment.
The conversation between father and son in the Upper Study Room was never revealed to outsiders. However, from that day onward, the Crown Prince carried a newfound confidence on his face. Sometimes, completely disregarding appearances, he would shadow the Emperor in court and around the Imperial Palace, hardly ever leaving his side.
The other Princes secretly seethed with hatred at the sight, but there was nothing they could do. Presently, the harem was firmly under the control of Empress Zhou, and their own mothers had all been punished. They couldn’t even reach into the harem anymore. As for the courtiers, they were entirely consumed by the ongoing audit and had no time to look after the Princes. Even if the Princes had numerous schemes brewing in their minds, they could only bide their time in silence.
Many accounts could not withstand scrutiny. Coupled with years of accumulated discrepancies, Hua Shunming was able to catch countless errors and corrupt practices. Rather than dealing with them directly, Hua Shunming used the excuse of feeling unwell to push all the disciplinary matters onto the Crown Prince.
Knowing this was his opportunity to establish authority, the Crown Prince led his men in implementing sweeping, drastic punishments.
Little did he know that Hua Shunming had finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had never seen such a clingy Crown Prince, and now, at last, he had some peace and quiet.