The Transmigrated Life of a Salty Fish Family

Chapter 887 The King of England's Visit to the Ministry of Rites
The screen continues to play.

Soon another person stepped forward, first affirming the King's merits and praising him highly, then changing the subject to mention the drought in many provinces, the floods in Jiangnan, and the frequent natural disasters. He listed the shortfall in last year's harvest compared to a bumper year, as well as various expenditures such as disaster relief. In his words, the national treasury was not empty, but rather owed money to all the court officials.

"...His Majesty is concerned about the border and has done his best to allocate funds and grain to supply Guanzhou. However, the disaster-stricken prefectures cannot be ignored. His Highness Prince Ying's merit in quelling the border rebellion is not only in stopping the fighting, but also in relieving the court's difficulties and saving countless lives once the tribute from Xizhou is returned to the national treasury!"

Several people immediately stood up and echoed this sentiment.

The arrangements for the spoils of Xizhou were made clear in his words.

Yan Yu was truly convinced.

"These people don't just ask for money for nothing. They are very clear about their spending, they know how to prioritize, they spend tens of thousands here and tens of thousands there, and they work very hard to cut expenses."

He was also righteous and noble, saying that this year's salary could be withheld and owed to them, but the wages of the laborers and workers could not be delayed, even if they were given less. No matter how poor we are, we cannot let the people suffer... In a word, absolutely brilliant!

"They're acting right up to the prince; it's obvious they want money!"

“The wealth of Xizhou is too great, so it’s not surprising that it attracts covetous eyes,” Li Xuemei said.

Yan Yu clenched her little fists, "Your Highness, you must hold on!"

"Your Majesty, the war in Xizhou is not yet over, and we do not yet know the extent of our spoils." The King of Ying remained calm and composed, showing respect to his superiors and acting appropriately to his subordinates: "According to custom, we should first reward the soldiers who fought valiantly, provide preferential treatment to the dead and wounded, reward those who have made outstanding military achievements, and provide relief to the people affected by the war, helping them rebuild their homes and restore their livelihoods."

"Guanzhou Prefecture is my fiefdom, and Leshan Prefecture is also under my jurisdiction. Several cities in Xizhou have already surrendered. The people within the territory are mostly unaware of the rebel king's actions and are very innocent. Now that I have gained Your Majesty's trust and command of the three prefectures, I must quell the war and restore life. I will keep this in mind every day and never forget it for a moment."

“The king’s hoarding is a form of exploitation of the people. It should be returned to the people. The remaining ill-gotten gains will be investigated by your ministers and then transported to the capital.”

Immediately, two more people stood up and shouted things like "King Ying is righteous" and "King Ying loves his people."

Li Xuemei couldn't help but laugh.

"These two are standing so far away, it's really hard for them to hear what the people in front of them are saying."

Yan Yu chuckled and said, "You can tell at a glance that you're one of us. Although you're just a nobody, at least you've come in to support the Prince. That's pretty good."

"I have a question that I do not understand, and I would like to ask you gentlemen." The King of England continued to speak.

"Qishan Prefecture suffered a severe drought last year, and the drought has continued into this year. The imperial court's gazette has reported that disaster relief funds have been sent out from the capital several times, and grain has also been transferred from the south. Why then are the people of Qishan Prefecture still fleeing their homes, with nine out of ten houses empty?"

"Where is the grain? Where is the money? How much of it has actually reached the people?"

The King of England surveyed the crowd, his voice booming, his aura overwhelming.

"Leshan and Qishan are adjacent prefectures, and some people from Qishan Prefecture have even fled to Guanzhou. When I heard about this, I found it very strange, but I have been too busy with the war to pay attention. On my way to the capital, I sent people to investigate, and what I heard and saw was shocking!"

The King of England took out a memorial from his sleeve. “Your Majesty, the people in this memorial are all people I suspect. Some are corrupt and derelict in their duties, some are negligent and incompetent, some disregard human life, and some abuse their power for personal gain, leading to disaster.”

Natural disasters are terrible, but they can still be saved. However, when man-made disasters occur one after another, they truly make people suffer unspeakably, and life is worse than death.

Your Majesty, I humbly request that you thoroughly investigate this matter!

The moment the King of England handed the memorial to the Emperor, someone else jumped out.

“Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of England has only raised a single doubt without any concrete evidence, yet he has requested a thorough investigation. This is far too frivolous!”
If Your Majesty sets this precedent and allows an investigation, and others follow suit in the future, requesting an investigation whenever they suspect someone, no one is perfect, and who can be wrong? Furthermore, one might be subjected to nitpicking and deliberate framing. Wouldn't all officials be insecure and unable to perform their duties?

"Your Majesty, this precedent must not be set!"

"The King of England has not provided any evidence; I urge Your Majesty to refute it in court."

The King of Wu and the King of Han both stepped forward, saying, "We hope Your Majesty will reconsider."

Many courtiers echoed, "We hope Your Majesty will reconsider."

The King of England launched a scathing attack alone: ​​“How could local officials dare to embezzle such a huge sum of money? There must be someone protecting them and shielding them from harm. I am kindly reminding you all to be careful with your words and actions. Your protection could easily lead to misunderstandings and suspicions!”

"We are merely discussing it theoretically."

"Your Highness the King has slandered me with baseless accusations!"

"The King of England should be careful with his words."

"Your Majesty, we have been wronged!"

"Alright!" the old emperor said slowly, "I have my own plans for this matter. How is the Ministry of Rites' renovation?" "Your Majesty, the examination hall has been renovated for several days and is ready for the students to take the exam."

"The King of England."

"The minister is here."

"I have seen you wear armor for many years and are quite irritable. It is the autumn imperial examination season, so go and absorb some of the literary spirit."

Yan Yu's chubby face showed a look of bewilderment.

She exclaimed, "Mother, our Prince has entered the Ministry of Rites?"

“The princes have entered the Six Ministries to observe governance, learn how to do things, and integrate into the court. Having reached this point, the Prince of Ying can be said to have gained a foothold in the capital and in the court,” Li Xuemei commented sharply.

"The prince has become an examiner!" Yan Yu exclaimed in surprise, then sighed, "It's a pity my father can't benefit from this honor."

Not to mention the need to avoid suspicion, Yan Lao Er had already become a military officer, so it wouldn't look good for him to take the imperial examination again.

After the King of England accepted the task of overseeing the autumn imperial examinations, the political climate at court changed instantly.

All the previous discussions are now history.

The latter half of the grand court assembly was mostly spent reporting disasters and repairs in various places, ending with the Ministry of Revenue repeatedly saying that they had no money, no money, no money.

For the first time, Yan Yu directly realized the emptiness of the dynasty's treasury.

Given the Ministry of Revenue's impoverished state, even a thief who accidentally stumbled into the national treasury would have to tremble and drop down two copper coins before leaving.

The screen started shaking erratically.

Nine Heavens' claws make an appearance.

They are carefully moving tiles to patch the hole.

When it was patching up, it carefully spread its wings to block the sunlight, so that no light could get through.

Yan Yu praised with satisfaction, "Jiuxiao, you're awesome! Next time, move a few steps over here, okay? The camera is a bit off."

Jiuxiao nodded obediently.

Li Xuemei was speechless: "You've become addicted to it?"

"How interesting! It's just like the evening news. From now on, I'll not only watch it, but I can't miss a single episode. I'll keep up with the court and current events." Yan Yu waved her little fist, her face full of excitement.

Mainly, she enjoys watching adults argue online.

Li Xuemei: "I'll look at the rest tomorrow night. It's getting late, I should get some sleep. I'll be busy tomorrow."

Yan Yu: "Mmm."

They tore off the white cloth and put it away, then the mother and daughter fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow.

……

The next day, the Prince of England held a baby shower at the Prince's Palace.

The Crown Princess formally requested that Li Xuemei preside over the ceremony.

Li Xuemei couldn't refuse.

There was simply no suitable person to be found in the Prince's residence. The people from the Zhao family of Changping were originally relatives of the Prince of Ying's mother, but the Prince of Ying had always disliked them. As the daughter-in-law, the Crown Princess should naturally prioritize her father-in-law's likes and dislikes.

Madam Xue is a suitable match, as she is the elder of the Crown Prince's family.

Unfortunately, this aunt, with her additional courtesy name, was somewhat distant.

Most importantly, the Crown Princess trusts the Yan family.

He saved my life several times!
The perilous day of the Crown Princess's childbirth, and the miraculous skill of Lady Yan Qiuxiang in delivering the baby, have become the talk of the town.

I've fixed it several more times; I'm so fed up with my OCD!
I just can't seem to fix it. If there's even one thing that feels off, I can't post it! Ugh!
My daily update got interrupted again, sob sob~
Forget about what happened before, starting today, daily updates, let's get started!