Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 354 Why didn't he help me?

"Are those two your subordinates?" The emperor pointed at Feng Chuo. "You've only been away from the Ministry of Revenue for half a year. You couldn't possibly not recognize them, could you?"

Feng Chuo trembled and was sweating profusely.

This matter has escalated to the point of being brought before the Emperor, a matter that could cost them their lives. Besides, they had already been interrogated once, so the two officials didn't need to be urged; they kowtowed repeatedly and began to confess:
"Your Majesty, we are indeed responsible for the specific distribution matters, but whether or not distribution is carried out, the timing of distribution, and the quantity distributed are all subject to approval by the aforementioned officials."

"In all decisions, we have acted in accordance with your orders and would never dare to overstep our bounds!"

"Shut up!" Feng Chuo said angrily, straightening his back and telling the emperor, "Your Majesty! What they said is not true. In the past, even if there were occasional delays or shortages in the distribution, it was only because the national treasury was in urgent need of more urgent matters, and we had no choice but to use the funds first!"
"But they are using the tiger's power to bully others, acting arbitrarily, and completely misinterpreting my meaning!"

"Where did all that silver go?"

The emperor suddenly stood up and walked up to him, interrupting him with a single sentence.

Feng Chuo was stunned.

The emperor lowered his brows: "The crown prince only receives a fraction of his annual allowance. What happens to the rest?"

Feng Chuo steadied his breathing: "They have all been used for the benefit of the nation and its people."

"Where are the credentials?"

"When I stepped down as Minister of Revenue, all the accounts were handed over to Lord Lu. I would like to ask Lord Lu to review these documents."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jie released his clasped hands: "Grand Secretary Feng, please be careful with your words. When we took over, there were no documents related to the misappropriation of the Crown Prince's annual allowance. I have never heard of such a matter."

"Even if, as Grand Secretary Feng said, these silver coins were used exclusively for the country and its people, they must be extremely important accounts. The Emperor wasn't asking you about the specific amount, but rather where they went. How could you not remember them clearly?"

Feng Chuo had only intended to pull Lu Jie aside to cover for him, but he hadn't expected that Lu Jie wouldn't understand at all. He became somewhat anxious and said, "I'm getting old, and my memory is inevitably failing. Lord Lu, please think about it carefully again?"

Therefore, the vast majority of the money ended up in the Yan family's pockets. Lu Jie was related to the Yan family by marriage, and the fates of the two families were closely intertwined. How could he not try to deceive them?
"No need to think about it. I remember this matter of losing my head very clearly!" Lu Jie said decisively. "When we handed over the work, I personally signed the cover of every document and file I handled, and I also listed the contents of every document and file. There will be no mistakes!"

"Lord Lu!"

Feng Chuo gritted his teeth.

Lu Jie turned to the side: "Why doesn't Grand Secretary Feng answer the Emperor's question? Withholding the Crown Prince's allowance is a contempt for imperial authority, and how is it any different from deceiving the Emperor?"

"You've been a long-time observer for years, don't you understand the laws and regulations? Explain them clearly!"

Feng Chuo's bellyful of words were all turned into resentment by him!

He served as Minister of Revenue for only three years, and the Ministry of Revenue had a long history of embezzling the annual allowances of the imperial family. When he learned that Yan Shu was behind it, how could he dare to go against the Yan family?

He thought that the Ministry of Revenue had precedents, and he was just following the usual practice. He couldn't possibly offend the Yan family for this reason.

Considering that he had never caused any trouble over the years, when the Yan family later gave him kickbacks under the guise of New Year's greetings, he reluctantly accepted them.

But the lion's share is in the hands of the Yan family!
I'm just a puppet at best!
How can this responsibility be placed on him?
No matter what Lu Jie said, Feng Chuo just couldn't open his mouth, while the emperor's face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

The Crown Prince glanced at the Emperor and then said, "Grand Secretary Feng must have some unspeakable difficulties. It's just a matter of being a little short of food; it's not a big deal."

"Today is all my fault. I failed to prepare my robes in advance, which led to my rudeness. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I will instruct them to be more careful in the future." Lu Jie's words had already intensified the emperor's anger several notches. Hearing the crown prince's cowardly words, the emperor immediately smashed the cup beside him: "Useless thing!"

Li Quan rushed to the Crown Prince's side and said, "Your Highness is confused! How can this be a matter of you being short a few clothes? The Minister is right. Minister Feng, as a subject, is mistreating the Crown Prince. This is going against the Emperor!"

"If such things are tolerated, how will the Emperor govern his subordinates?"
“If people all over the world follow suit in the future, how can the world be at peace?”
"This is a grave crime that threatens the very foundation of the nation!"

"I know Your Highness is kind-hearted, but we cannot let this go unchecked!"

While Li Quan was earnestly trying to persuade him, the emperor was already glaring at Feng Chuo until he bled: "Drag him out and give him twenty strokes of the cane! If you don't agree, give him forty strokes of the cane, and order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to confiscate his property immediately!"

"emperor!"

Feng Chuo shouted and fell to the ground with a thud: "This was all Yan Shu's idea! I am guilty, but I am not the mastermind!"

"Yan Shu?"

The emperor suddenly stopped, turning around at the sound of the voice, his eyes sharp as swords. "You mean Yan Shu, the Yan Aqing who is currently imprisoned?!"

“It was him!” Feng Chuo cried bitterly. “I have served in the Ministry of Justice for many years. That year, the previous Minister of Revenue was demoted and sent out of the capital. In the same year, I joined the cabinet and took over the position of Minister of Revenue.”

“When the annual allowance was distributed that year, I noticed something was wrong, but my subordinates privately reminded me to just handle it according to the usual practice, so as not to get myself into trouble.”

"I have spent half my life navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, and this official position is hard-won. I am unwilling to risk my future, so I have chosen to comply..."

"Propose a severe explanation!"

The emperor slammed the teapot on the table down! "Did you hear me? Invite Yan Shu!"

Before entering the palace, Feng Chuo gave the eunuch a secret signal, which was to ask him to deliver a message to the Grand Secretariat.

Yan Song waited early in the cabinet, while also sending men to guard the palace gates to await Gao Hong's signal. Unexpectedly, he first heard the emperor summon officials from the Ministry of Revenue, and then simultaneously heard that Feng Chuo and Lu Jie had also been summoned. His previously calmed heart began to race again!

When the eunuch brought the letter to his ear, he could no longer sit still. He grabbed a folded document and rushed to the Qianqing Palace!
Just as they arrived at the palace gate, the Embroidered Uniform Guard brought Yan Shu over as well. The father and son were suddenly seen together, and neither of them could suppress their surprise and doubt!
But at this moment, the emperor's angry rebukes had already come out from inside the hall, so how could they dare to delay any longer?

Yan Shu had just stepped across the threshold when Yan Song gritted his teeth and followed him in!

The hall was filled with people, and a large number of them were kneeling. When the emperor heard footsteps, he cast a cold gaze over: "You've arrived? Good thing you've come!"
"I ask you, what happened to all the silver that was deducted from the annual allowances of the imperial family over the past ten years or so?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Shu glanced at the people in the hall and immediately understood. He knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! This matter has nothing to do with me!"

"Who said it doesn't matter?"

Following his words, Shen Bo's voice also rang out from outside the hall!

He said loudly from across the threshold, "Your Majesty, I have evidence that Yan Shu embezzled the annual allowances of the imperial family and colluded with officials to embezzle the Emperor's wealth. In a moment of panic, I entered the palace without imperial decree. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

The emperor glared at the kneeling man, his obsequious expression still lingering, before it transformed into a look of terror on his face: "Come in!"

Stop rushing me... Yan Gou will die tomorrow.