Chapter 902: Holy Decree
Now that Gu Yuanfeng was gone, making them suffer would be easy. While they couldn’t be dealt with openly, a few secret lessons were absolutely necessary. The brothers of the Gu family spent the entire night strategizing before heading off to make their respective arrangements.
The father and his two sons, currently recovering from their injuries at the Shi family’s home, had no idea of the various torments that awaited them.
From this incident, Jin Qianqian also realized that County Magistrate Gao could no longer be allowed to remain in Fu County. Fu County was their foundation, and they couldn’t afford a single mishap. She personally wrote a family letter, detailing everything that had happened over the past few days to Gu Wenheng.
She didn’t let her guard down in Fu County either, dispatching even more manpower to keep watch. Gao County Magistrate didn’t even need to step out of the county government to know that eyes were watching his every move around the clock. He never expected Mrs. Gu to be so brazen. It was a clear warning that every single action of his was under her surveillance.
“Sir, we should look for an escape route first!” the steward urged. Having been single-handedly promoted by the magistrate, he naturally wanted Gao County Magistrate to stay safe. With people watching both the front office and the back quarters, it was hard to ignore the looming threat.
“How are we supposed to find an escape route now? The letters I sent to Shangjing have vanished without a trace. It seems the Xu Family has abandoned me.
“There is no way out anymore. All we can do is wait and see what Mr. Gu will do.” Gao County Magistrate gave a bitter smile. “I’ve dragged you down with me this time. If I’m truly stripped of my post and sent back to my hometown, you’ll have to find another livelihood.”
The steward hesitated. “Sir… why don’t you offer your loyalty to Mrs. Gu?”
Gao County Magistrate shook his head. If he actually did that, he would truly end up alienating both sides.
That day in the royal court, just as Hua Zhang had anticipated, the entire assembly was in total uproar.
“This isn’t what we agreed upon…”
“So many departments need Silver for so many things! We’ve been preparing for so long; how can they just withhold it?”
“The harvests have been decent in recent years, so why exempt the taxes?”
“So you’re saying we shouldn’t exempt taxes, but raise them instead?”
“I didn’t mean that at all! I just think this move is completely unnecessary.
“If we collect a bit more tax, the National Treasury will be more robust. If something unexpected happens in the future, we’ll be able to sustain ourselves for a while.”
“Are you just hoping for the ruin of the empire? What a jinxed thing to say!”
Hua Zhang sat immovably on the dragon throne. Though the complaints below were hushed—some so quiet he couldn’t even make them out—it didn’t stop him from observing the shifting expressions on the courtiers’ faces. They had held their official posts for so long that they truly believed the empire belonged to them, and that he, the Emperor, was theirs to manipulate.
In that moment, he suddenly understood why his father had found this bunch of civil servants so repulsive in his early years. You simply couldn’t give some of these people an inch of respect, because they lacked any sense of shame to begin with.
He then glanced at Minister Gu, who looked completely detached from the chaos, as if his mind were wandering through the clouds. It made Hua Zhang a bit envious; he had no idea how Mr. Gu managed to achieve such a state of zen.
Meanwhile, Gu Wenheng was completely lost in thought. He wondered how he could push the revenue of the treasure exhibition to the next level. Perhaps he needed to ramp up the promotions and rake in some profits from the neighboring cities. It wasn’t unfeasible, but he worried the Royal Family’s private vault wouldn’t be able to handle the strain.
“Mr. Gu, say something.” Hearing someone vaguely calling his name, Gu Wenheng blinked and cast a blank stare in their direction.
“Mr. Gu, how could the previously agreed upon plans change so suddenly? We handed all our urgent requisitions over to you! If this is delayed, how is anything supposed to function in the future?” Seeing Gu Wenheng’s lack of reaction, Liao Weidong stepped so close that he was practically in Gu Wenheng’s face.
Gu Wenheng dodged to the side. “Mr. Liao, if the Supreme Emperor hadn’t offered up his private vault, would none of you be able to do your jobs? Would the royal court completely cease to function?”
“How is that the same thing?” Liao Weidong retorted unhappily. “The Supreme Emperor gave his holy word…”
Gu Wenheng cut him off, his tone laced with warning. “Watch your words, Mr. Liao. The Supreme Emperor previously stated that he intended to use his private vault for the people, and he is currently fulfilling that promise.”
Liao Weidong paused. “…That is true, but wouldn’t distributing the funds to the various ministries be an even better way to serve the people?”
Gu Wenheng chuckled. “The Supreme Emperor’s move has actually saved you all a great deal of trouble.
“This time, all the revenue from the treasure exhibition will be channeled into the National Treasury to serve as upcoming tax revenue. The various ministries won’t have to toil so hard to collect taxes from all over the country, and the small officials at the bottom can catch a break. This is true benevolence toward the people.
“The Supreme Emperor’s immense righteousness is truly a blessing to the common folk, and a blessing to the entire world.”
Faced with such a silver tongue, Liao Weidong was utterly defeated the moment he stepped forward. The other ministers watching from the sidelines quickly decided against stepping up just to be smoothly rebuffed. They immediately began whispering among themselves, brainstorming ways to convince the Supreme Emperor to change his mind.
Having enjoyed enough of the spectacle, Hua Zhang finally cleared his throat. “My dear ministers, do not forget that this is a private matter of the Royal Family. My father has dedicated his entire life to the nation and its people without reservation.
“I imagine that having served as officials for so many years, you all love the people as if they were your own children and are equally willing to secure benefits for the citizens of this empire…”
After delivering this lengthy speech, he gave the courtiers no chance to argue. He immediately issued a Holy Decree, ordering the Ministry of Revenue to handle the matter with full authority, effectively sealing the coffin on the debate.
Hua Zhang made a graceful exit. With a simple dismissal of the court, he washed his hands of the situation and left. Gu Wenheng, on the other hand, was instantly swarmed by the crowd.
The courtiers were not stupid. They knew Gu Wenheng had definitely known about this in advance; in fact, he was probably the one who had come up with this terrible idea in the first place. Talking over one another, they demanded that Gu Wenheng go and persuade the Emperor.
“Have you forgotten that a sovereign never jests? My lords, are you trying to make me offend the imperial majesty and defy a direct decree?” Gu Wenheng’s single remark instantly silenced the crowd. “I certainly do not possess your capabilities, my lords. Since you are all so confident, I am sure you can achieve this goal yourselves.
“I will wait at the Ministry of Revenue for your good news. However, you had better act quickly. Once the Ministry of Revenue finishes tallying everything up, the Holy Emperor will announce it to the entire world. By then, it will be too late to say anything.”
The officials of the Ministry of Revenue had indeed guessed it. Gu Wenheng must have known about this well in advance; otherwise, he wouldn’t have ordered them to start reviewing the tax records of previous years just yesterday. It was just a pity they hadn’t realized how massive this upheaval would be, or else they would have tipped off the other ministers. But now, blabbing about it would only draw a torrent of complaints, so it was better to pretend they knew absolutely nothing.
Glancing at one another, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue formed a rare united front behind Gu Wenheng. They silently followed him back to the ministry and resumed their busy work.
The courtiers left stranded in the grand hall were speechless.
Now that the Holy Decree had been issued, it was far too late to say anything. Were they really expected to defy an imperial edict?
“Why don’t we all go together and beg the Supreme Emperor to rescind the order?” Xie Weidong said through gritted teeth. Since the Holy Emperor was the one who had issued the decree, only the Supreme Emperor had the power to override it.
“Stop being so naive,” Yu Ligao scoffed. “These funds are coming from the Supreme Emperor’s private vault. Do you honestly think the Holy Emperor would dare issue such a Holy Decree without the Supreme Emperor’s explicit approval?”
Secretly, Yu Ligao thought the Holy Emperor’s move was brilliant, as it truly delivered tangible benefits to the common people.