Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 352 Rules for the Royal Family
In the emperor's rage, no one dared to speak.

But who can stop him from refining elixirs?

In the end, Lin Chi stepped forward with his whisk in hand: "Imperial Physician Sheng is naturally thinking of His Highness's health, but the auspicious time for alchemy cannot be delayed. Even if we can't fill the cup completely, do you think it would be alright to fill it halfway?"

Imperial Physician Sheng glanced at the Emperor, sighed silently, and said, "Half a cup is fine, but after returning to the palace, the eunuchs serving the Emperor in the Eastern Palace must remember to double their daily intake of nourishing and strengthening substances."

"In addition, we should also increase our meat intake."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at the eunuch from the Eastern Palace who was standing behind the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing this, the eunuch stepped forward, raised his hands in a salute, and said, "I will remember this."

As he raised his hand, his two cuffs, worn white from years of wear, were once again revealed to the emperor.

If the Crown Prince's previous attire could be attributed to his lack of etiquette and rash actions, then the fact that the Crown Prince's chief eunuch, a crucial subordinate transferred from the Yellow Emperor's inner palace and inseparable from him, was now dressed similarly indecently, cannot be attributed solely to the Crown Prince.

The emperor beckoned to the eunuch: "Come here."

When he arrived, the emperor, his face ashen, picked up his sleeve, stared at it for a moment, and then immediately let go!
"What do you mean by this? One or two of you are dressed so shabbily, and your words are full of complaints about the Crown Prince's difficult living conditions. Are you secretly cursing me and saying that I have been shortchanging you?"

"I don't dare!"

"I would never dare to do that, even if it meant my death!"

The Crown Prince and his ministers all prostrated themselves on the ground!

The emperor was initially coerced into choosing this crown prince, and now these people are openly and secretly complaining about being poor. How can the emperor quell his anger?

He walked around twice quickly, then stopped in the center of the hall, pointed at the Crown Prince, and angrily shouted: "You dare not? I think your audacity is greater than the heavens!"

"You are accusing me of mistreating you, accusing me of neglecting my son!"

The emperor's voice was forceful, but at this moment no one dared to defy his temper, and the crown prince lay prostrate on the ground without uttering a sound.

The emperor glared at him: "Answer me!"

The Crown Prince then raised his head slightly: "How fortunate I am to be born into the royal family. Without Father Emperor, I would not have the fortune to enter the Eastern Palace. Over the years, I have watched Father Emperor worry himself sick over the country and the nation. I have no respect for him. How could I possibly use this unfounded incident to criticize Father Emperor?"

"To be honest, Father, the reason I was so disrespectful today was because I left in a hurry and had no time to prepare. I have never seen you like this before because every time I went to the palace to see you, it was on the appointed day, and I had time to prepare in advance."

Upon hearing this, the emperor asked, "You mean this is all you eat, wear, and use in your daily life?"

The Crown Prince kowtowed: "Your subject knows that he is dull-witted, but he also knows that he must never deceive the Emperor!"

The emperor frowned, pondered for a moment, and then looked at him again: "What about the annual allowance allocated to you by the Ministry of Revenue? In recent years, military supplies have been tight, so it's not unreasonable for the Imperial Household Department to have occasional delays. But the annual allowance is always allocated in the twelfth month of the previous year. Even if you use this money for emergency use, it will be more than enough!"

"I have lived in the Eastern Palace for eleven years, and I have never received my annual allowance on time. In the first few years, I received it at the end of spring, but I only received about 80%. In recent years, I have received it mostly in the summer, but each time I only receive about 60% or 70%."

"Sixty or seventy percent?" The emperor narrowed his eyes. "You mean, as the Crown Prince, the heir apparent to the throne, someone would dare to withhold anything from you?"

The Crown Prince remained silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Your subject dares not make any wild guesses, but every year when my accounts are tight, I always have to set aside a sum of money to smooth things over before I can get what I need."

"presumptuous!"

The emperor abruptly stood up, strode over to him, and fixed his fiery gaze directly on his head: "Do you know what you're saying?"

The Crown Prince bowed and said, "Every word I have said is true. If even one word is untrue, I am willing to die in court to plead guilty!" The Emperor was filled with shock and anger, but after a moment, he looked up and asked, "How much silver was used for this bribe?"

"It can be as little as two or three thousand taels, or as much as five or six thousand. It's not all silver; antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jewelry and jade, anything of value is acceptable."

The emperor's hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched into fists. He looked up at the gate and said, "Summon the Imperial Household Department!"

The eunuch agreed.

The emperor withdrew his gaze and walked halfway around the crown prince: "Why have I never heard you mention this over the years?"

"In recent years, there have been constant troubles both at court and on the border. Father Emperor has been preoccupied with the affairs of the court. Your son is too busy to share your burdens, how dare you trouble Father with such trivial matters?"

The emperor stared ahead with a grim expression: "Such a matter could not have been accomplished by the Imperial Household Department. Summon the people from the Directorate of Ceremonial, and also summon the person in charge of the Ministry of Revenue!"

Two groups of eunuchs then went to the gate.

In recent years, the emperor has liked to keep Gao Hong by his side to serve him, so Li Quan, who was originally regarded as the first in the emperor's court, stepped down and took turns serving with Gao Hong.

Gao Hong was the one who stayed in Qianqing Palace yesterday, so Li Quan stayed in the palace early this morning. When someone from Qianqing Palace came to deliver an imperial decree, he immediately straightened his clothes and stepped out the door.

"Where is Eunuch Li going?"

Just as they turned the corner, Gao Hong approached them with two eunuchs.

"The Emperor has decreed that I must go and pay my respects first. What, do you have something to say?"

Gao Hong said with a forced smile, "Today the Emperor is refining elixirs in the palace. How could he possibly have the time to summon you for an audience?"
Li Quan ignored him and walked past him.

Gao Hong glanced back at him, then turned and went into the house.

When Li Quan arrived outside the palace, he saw that the people from the Imperial Household Department had already arrived, and several officials from the Ministry of Revenue were jogging towards him, carrying their robes.

Li Quan waited a moment, then entered with them, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"The Crown Prince claims that the annual allowances for the Eastern Palace are never delivered accurately, and that he has to personally pay bribes to ensure that the officially designated allowances reach the Eastern Palace. Tell me, is the Crown Prince lying, or is it true?!"

The incense burner in the hall was still burning, but Lin Chi, Imperial Physician Sheng, and the others had already left, leaving only the Crown Prince and the eunuchs of the Eastern Palace behind.

The Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department were clearly caught off guard, and their expressions changed drastically as they looked at each other in bewilderment.

The Crown Prince said, “Back when I was still living in my fiefdom, the annual allowance would be delayed by three to five months each year.”

"Your subject suspects that this matter is not unique to me by the Ministry of Revenue, but rather that all members of the imperial family across the country are doing the same thing, which has long been an unwritten rule."

"What a fine 'unwritten rule'!" The emperor slammed his fist on the table beside him. "Is this setting rules for the imperial family or for me?"

Officials from the Ministry of Revenue and personnel from the Imperial Household Department all knelt down!
Only Li Quan calmly cupped his hands and said, "The annual allowances for the Crown Prince and the descendants of the imperial family throughout the country are managed and distributed by the Ministry of Revenue, while the Imperial Household Department is only responsible for procuring food, clothing, housing, and transportation."

"Before the Ministry of Revenue issues the annual allowance, it must be approved by the Cabinet."

"Before the current Minister of Revenue, Lu Jie, took office, it was Grand Secretary Feng Chuo who concurrently served as Minister of Revenue."

"Whether His Highness the Crown Prince's words are true or not, we will know once Grand Secretary Feng of the Inner Cabinet comes over for a confrontation."