The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 405 Disgraceful, Better to Die

The imperial palace is majestic, with nine layers of palaces stretching endlessly, and the glazed tiles shimmering in the light.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Emperor Yingqian sat on the dragon throne, exuding majesty.

There weren't many important officials in the palace. They were nothing more than the Marquis of Zhongyong, Minister Yang, Gu Fuju, and the three princes.

Marquis Zhongyong has always looked down on Minister Yang and kept him at a distance.

Gu Fuju was given a seat, his brows and eyes deep and thoughtful.

Ying Zhi, Ying Cheng, and Ying Yin stood together in one place.

Ying Zhi stood upright. This was the first time he had participated in policy discussions since injuring his leg, and he seemed quite pleased with himself.

Ying Cheng, having been favored by Emperor Ying Qian after the marriage was bestowed upon him, was not entirely subservient, but was still filled with trepidation.

Ying Yin, though dissatisfied, handled things with grace and composure, never deliberately seeking the limelight, yet never being overlooked.

The atmosphere inside the hall was not pleasant. Emperor Yingqian remained silent, listening to Minister Yang's long-winded discourse on the country and its people. No one knew what he was thinking.

Until Wei Zhao entered the palace.

Emperor Ying Qian rose and came to greet him personally.

"Guizhi, you've finally arrived."

He walked very fast, even dismissing the eunuch behind Wei Zhao, and personally pushed the wheelchair.

"How are you feeling? You seem to have lost some weight."

"Come to think of it, it's been quite a few days since I last saw you."

Wei Zhao pressed one hand on the handle, trying to get up, but he was too weak.

"I dare not trouble you..."

Emperor Yingqian freed one hand to press on Wei Zhao's shoulder, so that he could sit comfortably.

"Of all these juniors, you are the one I value most. Why should you stand on ceremony when you return?"

Marquis Zhongyong glanced at Emperor Yingqian, then at Gu Fuju, who remained seated motionless.

I just feel that Gu Fuju is a good-for-nothing.

Ying Zhi was so jealous.

Ying Yin seemed to be deep in thought, a smile playing on her lips.

To agree to minimize one's presence.

Although Minister Yang was older than Wei Zhao, he came over and bowed, saying, "General."

Wei Zhao glanced at him, surprised.

"Lord Yang looks quite old."

"Is it because you're overworked with court affairs? Even though you're giving it your all, you still need to take care of your health."

He was very tactful.

Marquis Zhongyong chuckled and said, "I also think he's a bit bald."

"Although Lord Yang has only recently returned to the capital, he has been concerned about national affairs during his period of mourning. As soon as he returned, he reorganized the Six Ministries and is now repeatedly proposing to build ditches and dams."

Minister Yang: ?
He was angry, but he didn't show it on his face.

"You two are too kind. It is truly your fault for sharing the burden of the emperor. Everyone knows that His Majesty cares most about the people's livelihood and is benevolent and compassionate."

Emperor Yingqian was very pleased with this flattery.

He smiled, instructed the palace servants to serve Wei Zhao tea and snacks, and then returned to sit down on the dragon throne.

“The construction is indeed urgent. The water conservancy projects carried out in recent years have indeed reduced the number of floods compared to previous years.”

"The right path is for the people to live in peace and prosperity."

He paused here.

"But building it every year puts a lot of pressure on us."

As usual, he asked, "Guizhi, what do you think?"

They really treat him like a god of wealth.

Wei Zhao used to be too lazy to bother with it.

There will be some leaks, more or less.

His shortcomings are numerous to others.

Wei Zhao didn't care that the dikes were of poor quality and would have to be rebuilt every few years.

He wished that Emperor Yingqian could not do anything to him militarily, and that the Great Jin Dynasty would not do without him in agricultural and water conservancy projects.

At this point, money often becomes the least valuable thing.

But things are different now. "Your Majesty is right."

Wei Zhao: "I have never objected to anything that is good for the Great Jin Dynasty, but..."

Wei Zhao coughed lightly from time to time, and once he started coughing, he couldn't stop.

He seemed to suddenly lose his breath, and in his pain, his face turned deathly pale.

Gu Fuju frowned slightly.

Before Marquis Zhongyong could even get there, Ying Yin quickly stepped forward, patted Wei Zhao on the back, and handed him a cup of tea.

"Let it moisten your throat."

Wei Zhao drank a few sips before feeling a brief respite, weakly saying, "Thank you, Fifth Prince."

Ying Yin: "Why are you being so polite with me?"

Emperor Yingqian looked worried and instructed Eunuch Tu behind him: "Go, go to the Imperial Kitchen and urge them to prepare the loquat syrup."

"Old slave, go now."

Eunuch Tu smiled and said, "We all know how much you love the General. You gave the Imperial Kitchen instructions early this morning, so how could they dare to neglect it? It should be on its way."

A bunch of pretentious, disgusting people.

Anyone can be disgusting.

Wei Zhao continued speaking only after seeing Eunuch Tu leave.

"This is the best I can do."

"These past few years, we've been supporting the Wei family army, but we don't know how to make money. The legacy left by our ancestors is almost gone..."

Wei Zhao: "I still have the Wei family army to support. My health is so poor that I need rare medicinal herbs for every meal. I'm not afraid the Emperor will laugh at me, but I'm really strapped for cash."

"To be honest, I've come here today hoping to shamelessly ask His Majesty for this year's military pay."

"But water conservancy and people's livelihood are of paramount importance!"

Wei Zhao: "It is my duty to do so."

"If you take fewer doses of medicine, as long as you don't die, you can always manage to donate some if you try."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingqian's gaze sharpened considerably, becoming scrutinizing.

Wei Zhao had never been so presumptuous towards him before.

If these words were to get out, who knows what others would think of him as an emperor!
Minister Yang was his confidant, and he stepped forward.

"General Wei, everyone in the capital knows that your wife never wears the same jewelry twice, and it is worth a thousand gold pieces."

Wei Zhao smiled but remained silent.

There was a "click" sound.

Gu Fuju put down the teacup in his hand.

Eunuch Tu entered at this time, followed by the young eunuch carrying loquat syrup.

Gu Fuju leaned forward slightly, his voice carrying a sense of pressure: "My daughter suffered hardships in her younger years, and now that she's wearing some jewelry, does that make Lord Yang jealous?"

When the young eunuch was serving loquat syrup, he heard these words and his hand trembled. He almost dropped the bowl in his hand.

Eunuch Tu scolded, "How have you handled this matter!"

The young eunuch was so frightened that he immediately knelt down: "This servant is foolish. I was really thinking about the rumors outside, and that's why I lost my mind."

Marquis Zhongyong: "What rumors have caused you to lose your composure like this?"

"At once……"

The young eunuch hesitated to speak, but under the watchful eye of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, he stiffened and said.

"So... the Yang family girl cursed the general's wife in the street, saying that she was dressed in rags and was not even as good as a beggar. She had no manners, was a disgrace, and was better off... better off dying."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhao's face immediately darkened.

Gu Fuju stared intently at Minister Yang, then suddenly stood up and knelt before Emperor Yingqian.

"Your Majesty!"

“I have lost my beloved daughter and been separated from her for many years, which is already a great sorrow. Yang Changzheng is surrounded by children and grandchildren, which is the envy of many. His daughter is pampered and spoiled. Not to mention anything else, he holds a lavish birthday banquet every year. My daughter, on the other hand, has suffered a lot. This is truly tearing my heart out.”

"Now that my beloved daughter has returned, she is still being bullied. As a high-ranking official in the court, I am powerless and still cannot protect her."

“My daughter wears jewelry, which displeases the Yang family, who wish they could condemn her for being extravagant. But in Miss Yang’s eyes, those pieces of jewelry are nothing but junk.”

"I had no idea that the Yang family possessed such immense wealth. It must be even more abundant than the national treasury!"

He knew that the fire was orchestrated by Emperor Qianlong.

Emperor Yingqian was also aware that Gu Fuju knew this. The execution of the entire Zhou family was just a perfunctory explanation Emperor Yingqian gave to Gu Fuju.

I thought it was over, but it was brought up again.